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Smoke from my PC. Help

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Anonymous   06-25-2009 at 10:06:52 PM

Here is the story.

By dad was unscrewing a screw at the back of the desktop while the mains was on (very stupid), and then a bang aswell as white smoke from the top back of the pc. This also happened when i plugged it, and switched it on from the mains. The plug is fine so its not a fuse. Can anyone please help?

Many Thnaks

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jtt283   06-25-2009 at 10:31:36 PM
- 0 +

The bang and smoke means at least one component in your PC is dead. Most likely, the PSU is toast, and other things may be too. Unscrewing something in the back should not have caused this, unless perhaps a nut fell out (e.g. of a VGA connector, instead of the connector itself unscrewing) onto something on the mobo. In any event, before replacing things piecemeal, do you see signs of damage on anything, like burn marks from arcing?

Reply to jtt283
royalcrown   06-25-2009 at 10:41:26 PM
- 0 +

I think you did it and your worried your dad s going to be mad.

------------------------------ E8500,GA-EP45-UD3R, 8 GIG MUSHKIN, XFX 4890 , ASUS 22", WD 640 X 2, CM 532, CM 650TX
 Reply to royalcrown
mellor x   06-26-2009 at 12:54:28 AM
- 0 +

now thats just mean royalcrown lol

the best thing to do is do what jtt283 said,

1. unscrew the side panel and slide it off (make sure your PC has no power running through it).

2. just because the smoke is coming from the top rear of the machine doesnt mean its the PSU (it could just disperse through there) so check EVERYTHING (it could be more than 1 thing aswell) for burns, holes, any physical sign of damage.

3. if you cannot see any, try the PSU in a friends PC.

4. if that fails then its a hit and miss game for you of checking all your components by swapping them in and out a friends PC.

good luck there buddy, it does sound like the PSU but check everything.

hope all goes well,

mellor x

PS. dont inhale the smoke...

lol

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to mellor x
ragsters   06-26-2009 at 04:47:46 AM
- 1 +

Do not do what mellor x said and try your psu on a friends computer. Don't take that risk on someone else components.

Reply to ragsters
croc   06-26-2009 at 08:13:23 AM
- 0 +

mellor x wrote :

now thats just mean royalcrown lol

the best thing to do is do what jtt283 said,

1. unscrew the side panel and slide it off (make sure your PC has no power running through it).

2. just because the smoke is coming from the top rear of the machine doesnt mean its the PSU (it could just disperse through there) so check EVERYTHING (it could be more than 1 thing aswell) for burns, holes, any physical sign of damage.

3. if you cannot see any, try the PSU in a friends PC.

4. if that fails then its a hit and miss game for you of checking all your components by swapping them in and out a friends PC.

good luck there buddy, it does sound like the PSU but check everything.

hope all goes well,

mellor x

PS. dont inhale the smoke...

lol



And you called royalcrown 'mean'???

Reply to croc
Hellboy   06-26-2009 at 08:42:01 AM
- 0 +



well that was an expensive lesson..


Dont mix electricity and booze folks.


Go and buy a powersupply, as long as you didnt stick something metal in side the rest "should" be fine..


Reply to Hellboy
will_chellam   06-26-2009 at 02:31:40 PM
- 0 +

if you're lucky it might just be the intrernal fuse on the PSU, some older ones can be replaced, many are sealed inside....

Have a look at the inside of your pc - if everything looks ok try buying a new PSU, you may be fortunate....

..if flames and heat are coming out then you should have put the fire out before posting and all is now surely lost......

Reply to will_chellam
mellor x   06-26-2009 at 04:16:09 PM
- 0 +

in responce to:

Do not do what mellor x said and try your psu on a friends computer. Don't take that risk on someone else components.

And you called royalcrown 'mean'???



i suppose i should of phrased that differently,

if you have a good PSU then it wont matter trying it in a friends PCas they have surge power protection and other such gismo's so the other components of the PC are safe,

so yes you are right to have a go at me and i should have re-worded that to be clearer

so if you do decide to find out the problem....
check the info on your power supply and see what defences it has to make sure all other components within the system are not damaged.

mellor x

Reply to mellor x
Bronze CPUs badge jsc   06-26-2009 at 07:27:12 PM
- 0 +

I would never allow even a friend to test a questionable PSU in one of my systems. That PSU could have all the protective circuits in the world, but if it's defective, all bets are off. It could fry something in my computer.

OTOH, I have no problem with pulling a PSU from one of my systems and taking it to his house to test his system.

Reply to jsc
mellor x   06-27-2009 at 02:06:26 AM
- 0 +

yea thats pob a better idea, do that

mellor x

Reply to mellor x
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