Did I just "fry" my computer? Used compressed air AND Swiffer; now it won't POST

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jestech

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Jan 30, 2018
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Hi,

I think I just did something I should've known better not to do. I used Swiffer in addition to my can of compressed air to wipe the internals of my PC. Now the PC won't POST. When I press the power button it turns on as usual, but then the CPU red LED lights up, turns off and then the RAM red LED lights up, after a couple of seconds more it turns off and turns on itself back again; continues on that loop until I turn the PSU switch off or I manually press/hold the Power button.

I have tried removing the RAM modules and installing them back again, pressing the MemOK button allowed it to remain "on" longer while the RAM LED flashes before turning off again.

I removed the CPU heat sink and noticed the thermal paste is dry. Could that be the problem and not that I just plain fried my computer?

I have an ASUS Z87-A LGA 1150 Intel Z87 motherboard. I'm expecting the worse at this point.

Thanks for your help
 
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Hi jesteck
I had a similar problem. After doing the usual checking, reseating, new thermal paste, etc. I discovered that pulling the case PWR, RESET, etc. leads off the mobo, and then using a remote to turn the PC on, it worked fine. I bought a can of CRC Electronic cleaner and sprayed the front and back of the Power On button and cleaned out the cat hairs, smoke deposits, and what ever else had built up surrounding them, fixed my problem. Hope this helps.
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DRagor

DRagor

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Jan 23, 2017
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Dry paste, or even no thermal paste at all, will not stop the computer from booting up. So that's not it. Check the cables, maybe you forgot to connect something. If not, you need to disassemble and look for any damage like bent pins in CPU socket.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Yeah I agree, it sounds like something could have got knocked out of place. It happens.
 
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J

jestech

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Jan 30, 2018
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I’ve tried everything I can think of, removing the RAM modules, resetting CMOS, adding new thermal paste to the heat sink, unplugging the PSU 24-pin connector. Everything else looks ok.

Next stop, have a technician diagnose it ‘cause I’m out of things to try. Although I built it myself I’m no hardware expert; the Swiffer part gave it away.
 
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I

IamKenM

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Mar 7, 2014
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Hmmm ... I don't know what kind of chemicals are on a Swiffer, but residue could be bridging your circuitry, or fibers shedding from the brush could do the same. What were you seeing after the Blow-off that prompted the dusting ?
 
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O

onizuka008

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Feb 6, 2018
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Did you use a swiffer duster? like in this link? https://www.dollartree.com/Swiffer-Dusters-Starter-Kit/p347033/index.pro

To my knowledge the static it could create would be a major no-no and could have let to something goign wrong, but did you notice anything in particular? like people have mentioned it could be something that had not been replugged properly.

Or even worse a pin on a connector that got bent. Once took me 2 years of issues to noticed a bent pin on my alienware motherboard because looking at it from a normal angle would not reveal it was broke. it was basically a broken leg on the connector so looking from the top it looked fine. I hope your pc is fine dude, please keep trying to look for the culprit and keep us posted, best of luck!
 
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trevor_dennis

trevor_dennis

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Feb 12, 2012
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What sort of cooling does the CPU have? If air, is the fan going? If Liquid is the pump working?
Can you start into the BIOS so you can check the system 'Health' as in temperatures?
Any beep codes?
Any error codes on screen?
Do you see the motherboard splash screen before it turns off?
 
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G

gosubuilder

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Apr 21, 2017
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This! I've done this before.... where I guess I didn't wait long enough for the parts to cool before using a can of condensed air to clean.... totally killed my computer.
 
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T

tom42

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Oct 30, 2014
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sm620

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Oct 18, 2012
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I have that exact motherboard. I ended up changing mine because it would reboot when I turned it off and the RAM settings in the bios were not being followed. That particular motherboard has picked up some really bad reviews on Newegg over the years, Its possible that it was bound to fail soon. I think the static from the swiffer could have caused the failure.

You'll probably end up needing a new mobo and CPU, but definitely try everything before you resort to buying new parts. Have you by any chance tried removing the MOBO battery to clear the CMOS? Also try plugging the monitor directly into the mobo and leave the GPU and all but one stick of ram out of the computer. then switch to a different RAM stick if it still fails. Then try a different RAM slot.

Also check for a loose screw or any piece of metal on or under the motherbaord causing a short circuit.

The way I clean my PC's is by picking off large things from the motherboard and using something like compressed air on the heatsinks. Its not as good, but if you think you'll upgrade at the 5 to 7 year mark it's probably good enough.
 
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gosubuilder

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Apr 21, 2017
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question so how do you guys clean the inside of the computer? cause the compressed air sometimes spews moisture... and you can't really use swifter sheets due to static? thankfully my case has filters on the front and the bottom so i clean that monthly. and it has so far kept the inside of my PC clean.
 
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sm620

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Oct 18, 2012
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My components get pretty dusty, but I haven't had anything serious break yet. I remove the heatsinks before cleaning them, so nothing ends up on the motherboard or other parts. I only pick things off of the motherboard with my hands while wearing an antistatic wristband. I'm not sure exactly what the liquid is that comes out of the can, but usually if it evaporates over time you can just leave your computer apart for a couple days and wait for it to dry. (remove the CMOS battery and unplug before getting your motherboard wet) The moisture is only a problem when it causes short circuits that damage components. If there's no electricity moving through the board then the liquid wont immediately destroy it. i'm sure if water was on there for a long period of time it could damage the solder joins and pins on the motherboard chips, but probably not a little bit of moisture from a compressed air can.
 
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Karadjgne

Karadjgne

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Nahh, just hold the vac hose @6" away from the pc, lean on the case and start scrubbing. Being mostly in Florida, Alot of cases I worked on were full of dust/pet hair etc that were subjected to high humidity, so compressed air cans were next to useless. Like trying to use a leafblower on damp mud. The vac just pulls away the dust, preventing it from settling back in the case. Been doing it that way for over 30 years, long before compressed air cans became commercially available at affordable prices.
 
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Starpilot883

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Mar 20, 2015
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Starpilot883

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Hi jesteck
I had a similar problem. After doing the usual checking, reseating, new thermal paste, etc. I discovered that pulling the case PWR, RESET, etc. leads off the mobo, and then using a remote to turn the PC on, it worked fine. I bought a can of CRC Electronic cleaner and sprayed the front and back of the Power On button and cleaned out the cat hairs, smoke deposits, and what ever else had built up surrounding them, fixed my problem. Hope this helps.
 
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