2 of my computers got fried... need some suggestions (update: they're fine)

[ainsane]

Update: I bought a new motherboard to install in my comp to try and get it working. Before doing anything I figured I'de try one last time to see if it will turn on. And it did, and it works fine now. The other computer works fine now too.

This has really got me stumped... I have no idea what caused the problems. I wish I did so I could prevent it from happening again. Even with just the power hooked up to my computer last night it wouldn't even turn on. Now everything is magically working again.

If anyone has any thoughts as to what the hell happened, I'de love to hear it.



Ok this sucks, both of my desktop computers are fried. I know quite a bit about computers but I'm stumped. I'll write every little detail incase I'm missing something. Here's what happened:

First, my mom complained that the computer she uses wasn't turning on. The light on the front was on, and the floppy drive was making a clicking noise, but that was it. So I unplugged the power supply from the back, and for some reason that didn't stop it. I guess there was power built up in the capacitors in the power supply.

So I figured that the power supply might have been gone, so I took my power supply out and tried it in her computer. Didn't change anything. Rather than try to diagnose everythign tonight, I just moved my whole computer to her computer room for her to use. I plugged everything in, started windows, then after the hardware installed itself... there was the blue screen physical memory dump error.

So I restarted the computer and it wouldn't turn back on. Each time I press the power button now, it turns on for like 1 second and turns itself back off.

Here's what was hooked up to the computer:
- monitor
- speakers (the cable was repaired, and the speakers make a lot of noise each time the computer is turned on or off)
- 2 Acros USB hubs (1 powered, 1 not)
- Microsoft wireless keyboard unit

The only thing I can think is that somehow either the speakers are shorting out the computer somehow, or the 2nd USB hub that I bought last Friday (powered one) is shorting something out.

Any thoughts?? Thanks.

[Codegen]

Disconnect the USB hub, not sure, though.

[Cyber6]

First rule of troubleshooting is to take away as many of the variables as possible. Then add them one by one. The only thing you need for the computer to run is the CPU, Monitor and Keyboard. Check if that is working, if so then start adding one thing at a time ( hub1, hub2, speakers.. etc)


I will also check the power outlet.


C.

[ainsane]

First rule of troubleshooting is to take away as many of the variables as possible. Then add them one by one. The only thing you need for the computer to run is the CPU, Monitor and Keyboard. Check if that is working, if so then start adding one thing at a time ( hub1, hub2, speakers.. etc)


I will also check the power outlet.


C.

Yeah I can't check any of that now though cause the computers are dead. And I don't exactly want to fix the computer, then slowly add 1 thing at a time till it dies again.

[NDman]

Yeah I can't check any of that now though cause the computers are dead. And I don't exactly want to fix the computer, then slowly add 1 thing at a time till it dies again.
I know how you feel. It's painful. I just went through that last week with lots of help from the good folks here. PITA, but at least there's a possibility that you can salvage something from the ruin

[ainsane]

I know how you feel. It's painful. I just went through that last week with lots of help from the good folks here. PITA, but at least there's a possibility that you can salvage something from the ruin

Yeah this blows. I just spent $3000 on a new laptop... I can't go pouring more money into my desktop now. :(

Not to mention its an AMD Athlon XP, and I don't know whats recoverable. What if I go buy a new motherboard, and the CPU is toast. Then I have to find a new old ****** socket A from somewhere. I'm not sure what to do. I think I gotta find someone with a similar system to let me test my parts in.

[Cafe_333]

If those were your only computers to work with, then unfortunately you won't be able to troubleshoot anything. I would enlist the help of a friend with a similar system (must be same socket mobo) and go through the steps of troubleshooting. Start with a barebones setup - cpu, mobo, ram, psu, vid.

The comes the tedious task of hardware troubleshooting - which really is just a process of elimination to find out which component needs to be replaced. Start by swapping psu. Then ram. Try ram in different slot. Swap videocards (even though this is unlikely the culprit, it's best to be 100%). Then finally swap cpu out. Never swap cpu's in, because you can potentially fry a good cpu if the mobo is the culprit. If you have not found the culprit after this, then you can conclude the mobo is bad. Good Luck!

[rupture]

Wow that really sucks, I'm sorry to hear. One machine getting fried is enough... but two? >:(

[Cyber6]

Yeah I can't check any of that now though cause the computers are dead. And I don't exactly want to fix the computer, then slowly add 1 thing at a time till it dies again.

Sorry.. I understood that yours was still somewhat alive (turns on.. and then off).. I had a laptop with a similar problem..(turning on then off) turned out to be a corrupted memory chip.

IN any case, I am still curious to know what happened to your computer. How a second desktop that was working fine, suddenly dies. I don't believe in coincidences.. my guess is that whatever kill the first one.. killed the second one. They must have share something. :confused: :confused:


C.

[ainsane]

Sorry.. I understood that yours was still somewhat alive (turns on.. and then off).. I had a laptop with a similar problem..(turning on then off) turned out to be a corrupted memory chip.

IN any case, I am still curious to know what happened to your computer. How a second desktop that was working fine, suddenly dies. I don't believe in coincidences.. my guess is that whatever kill the first one.. killed the second one. They must have share something. :confused: :confused:


C.

Yeah I used the same cables for the second one when I moved it over to where the other one was. I'm going to test out the voltage coming out of the speaker wire and USB wires tomorrow.

[Spare-Flair]

When it turns on for a second and turns off, that means your powersupply is detecting a short and it's cutting the power to protect your system.

You probably connected something wrong or there's a bad wire or a bad component.

Unplug all unessentials from your powersupply. IE: only plug in motherboard, and harddrive. Nothing else. See if that works.

[ainsane]

When it turns on for a second and turns off, that means your powersupply is detecting a short and it's cutting the power to protect your system.

You probably connected something wrong or there's a bad wire or a bad component.

Unplug all unessentials from your powersupply. IE: only plug in motherboard, and harddrive. Nothing else. See if that works.

Yeah I'll try that when I get home. I doubt its the problem though cause my comp worked fine before I moved it and plugged it into my mom's peripherals.

Also, I had a feeling it was the USB hub or the speakers. So I took a voltmeter to both the speaker wire and the usb cable that connects the computer to the hub. The USB wire showed 3.5V going between one of the pins and the outer metal. I tested out the same thing on my name-brand USB hub and there is not any voltage at all.

This might be the problem. I don't see why there is any voltage in the cable which is supposed to be coming in to the hub. Anyone know about this? I'm not too familiar with how USB cables work.

[NDman]

At this stage, instead of opening many cans of worm, you may want to strip down the computer first. *If* it was determined that it's the USB hub, then you start tackling that after

[ainsane]

Well I turned on the computer today before I was about to install a new motherboard... and magically its FINE. I tried my mom's computer and it's fine now too.

WTF. :confused: :confused: :confused:

I must be going completely nuts or something. >:(