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Burning Smell from System and Now Won't Boot - PSU, Motherboard, Other?

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  • Power Supplies
  • Boot
  • Systems
Last response: in Systems
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May 22, 2013 7:00:52 PM

I was trying to install a new version of Ubuntu on old ATX style server I have to give that a go.

Prior to replacement, I swapped my day to day drive with an extra HDD I had lying around.

The install process involved using a USB, but the process was hanging on keyboard detection. I thought it might have something to do with installing from USB on this old server, so after a couple of tries I thought I would give it a go with an older version of Ubuntu from an actual Live CD. This is where the fun begins.

On re-boot with the live CD I smelled something burning, and so I turned off the machine. Not an expert on this, but didn't see anything clearly damaged or burnt on the mother board. The burning smell seemed to be in the area of the PSU, so I thought maybe that was the culprit. I should mention that I did try and re-boot at one point, perhaps a bad idea, and while I can hear the fan and PSU coming on and there's some lights that come on at the back of the case, the machine will not post.

Got a cheap power supply tester, and everything comes on except the +3.3 V (also -5V though I understand that's OK).

Before I plunk down for a new PSU, does this pretty much point to a bad supply? Should I be doing any other tests to confirm something else isn't damaged?

Thanks!

More about : burning smell system boot psu motherboard

May 22, 2013 7:22:43 PM

Sounds like a PSU to me... Any squealing or anything from a capacitor, possibly? Otherwise, I have had USB header cables melt on my before (installer error... Oops), otherwise, hard to tell without swapping in presumably good parts.
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May 22, 2013 9:17:06 PM

fball922 said:
Sounds like a PSU to me... Any squealing or anything from a capacitor, possibly? Otherwise, I have had USB header cables melt on my before (installer error... Oops), otherwise, hard to tell without swapping in presumably good parts.


Thanks. I didn't hear anything, so no squealing capacitor, as far as I know.
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