I think I killed my computer.

Gaisuto · Aug 17, 2007

My luck these past few days have been nothing less than terrible. Power cut off, connection to a close friend cut off, now my damn computer is most likely fried.

I was trying to mod my friend's 360 today, using the same method as the one I used. SATA Cable connecting his 360 to my machine, using a USB Flash Drive to boot the process up. After turning the machine on to start the process though, I noticed the video never came up. Realized I forgot to reconnect the Video Card (had to inorder to reach the SATA slots.)

I hard shut off the PC, not knowing what was possibly on the screen, and reconnected the Video Card and the plug for it. I turn it on and still nothings coming up. I shut it off again, take it out again, reinsert it incase I did it wrong, still nothing.

Now I'm realizing something. The PC will stay on for about 20 seconds-1 minute, with nothing coming on the screen at all, the it just shuts itself off. I have a good feeling I just fried the mother board, and if that is the case I'm going to be extremely pissed off in about an hour...

Mucuna · Aug 17, 2007

too bad... the only thing that could make you forget it is, if you have the money, get a better computer!:-D

Gaisuto · Aug 17, 2007

QUOTE(Mucuna @ Aug 17 2007 said:
too bad... the only thing that could make you forget it is, if you have the money, get a better computer!:-D

I'm not in the mood for stupid jokes.

crafton48 · Aug 17, 2007

have you tried another Gfx card?
does your board have onboard video, if so try that.
If it turns off after a minute it sounds like something is overheating.

Gaisuto · Aug 17, 2007

How can I check the bios and that crap if I can't get anything to appear on the monitor? And we don't have another video card to conviently try out.

Mucuna · Aug 17, 2007

QUOTE(Gaisuto @ Aug 17 2007 said:
QUOTE(Mucuna @ Aug 17 2007 said:

too bad... the only thing that could make you forget it is, if you have the money, get a better computer!:-D

I'm not in the mood for stupid jokes.

Click to expand...

It was not a joke. It worked to me.

Nevertheless, install another video gfx card is a good idea. If you don't have any friend with a old one, I belive you can find one very cheap (old, but working).

crafton48 · Aug 17, 2007

are you sure that the card is seated properly when you put it back on the board? try reseating it.

have you plugged in the GPU fan (if it needs it's own power source)?

do you have two video outputs on your card if so try the other one?

does the motherboard make any beeps when you turn it on?

Gaisuto · Aug 17, 2007

QUOTE(Mucuna @ Aug 17 2007 said:
QUOTE(Gaisuto @ Aug 17 2007 said:

QUOTE(Mucuna @ Aug 17 2007 said:

too bad... the only thing that could make you forget it is, if you have the money, get a better computer!:-D

I'm not in the mood for stupid jokes.

It was not a joke. It worked to me.

I bet it did, it's not so easy to replace a $1,200+ machine when we barely were able to pay off a $800 Electric bill and we have to pay for my dad's constant oncoming cancer medication every week pretty much over here.

QUOTE(crafton48 @ Aug 17 2007, 02:22 PM)

Click to expand...

are you sure that the card is seated properly when you put it back on the board? try reseating it.

have you plugged in the GPU fan (if it needs it's own power source)?

do you have two video outputs on your card if so try the other one?

does the motherboard make any beeps when you turn it on?

Click to expand...

I've tried removing/placing it back in about three times now, same result everytime. My graphics card has a fan built into to it, doesn't seem to have it's own power thing. And I'll try the other video output right now.

Mucuna · Aug 17, 2007

QUOTE(crafton48 @ Aug 17 2007 said:
does the motherboard make any beeps when you turn it on?

Yeah, the lack of beepness is not good...

noamkot · Aug 17, 2007

What I normally do in such cases is take apart the pc (disconnect everything except for the cpu and its fan) and then reassemble it on a table outside of its case. It does help on occasion.

Other stuff you should do :
- Take out all pci boards, leaving only the video card. same goes with everything that's connected on the back except for the keyboard and monitor.
- Check each memory module individually.
- Try using a different power supply.
- Check to see if there's a funny smell in the case and testing visually if there's any burnt component, normally when a mobo dies it's because of a fried capacitor (capacitors look something like that : http://www.reprap.org/pub/Main/Electrolyti...itor-small.jpg)

Seicomart · Aug 17, 2007

noamkot offers some good advice here, actually. This has worked for me on several occasions, for some unknown reason.

If you don't have the time / patience to strip the deck, try checking every molex connector, its possible one may have got caught up without you realising it and come a little loose. If you disconnect and reconnect them all, making sure that each connection is tight and the silver connectors match up nicely, doing this has revived a seemingly dead deck before.

A good walk around the garden or anything else to take your mind off things for a while like going for a walk can also help immensely.

I've been building, cannabalising and generally tooling around with pcs for a good 15 years now and do feel your pain.

If all else fails, do check at Afterdawn.com and ask there, also many people on their chat channel are really helpful too.

Good luck!

Edit: if you can, see if swapping a psu powerful enough changes anything...

Gaisuto · Aug 17, 2007

Well I just went back in to tinker with it and I did notice a smell coming from the machine. Generally not a good thing, is it.
The smell isn't there now, but it was when I first went into the room.

*Also you guys are saying check everything and such, but I have no idea what it is you guys are talking about.

noamkot · Aug 17, 2007

Computers do have their own smell (electronics do in general) but when something burns then you get a stinking stench...
It seems you haven't got any experience in opening PCs...
If your computer is still under warranty then I suggest you use it. If it's past its warranty then what you need a computer geek to peek inside... one with an interest to help you sort things out and not with an interest to sell you a new one.

Gaisuto · Aug 17, 2007

QUOTE(noamkot @ Aug 17 2007 said:
Computers do have their own smell (electronics do in general) but when something burns then you get a stinking stench...
It seems you haven't got any experience in opening PCs...
If your computer is still under warranty then I suggest you use it. If it's past its warranty then what you need a computer geek to peek inside... one with an interest to help you sort things out and not with an interest to sell you a new one.

No, I do have some experience with opening them. The thing is they were never for a motherboard, so I don't know much about what's on them.

Anyway, I'm actually not as pissed as I should be. Which is weird. I snap when an easily replaced video game console breaks, but throw in the super expensive computer to die too and I just kinda shrug it off...even if it was an ultimate game machine I don't care anymore as long as I get a usuable computer.

I'm not even one for PC gaming anymore anyway.

Gaisuto · Aug 17, 2007

Okay, now my computer isn't shutting itself off anymore, but the video is still not showing up on the monitor...

Jiggah · Aug 17, 2007

Unplug your computer from the wall and flip the switch on the power supply to off then press the power button. If a computer gets shut off improperly it can cause the current to stay in the motherboard. Doing this will flush it. After you do that just wait for about 30 seconds then plug the computer back in, flip the switch to on, and power up.

Gaisuto · Aug 18, 2007

QUOTE(Jiggah @ Aug 17 2007 said:
Unplug your computer from the wall and flip the switch on the power supply to off then press the power button.Â If a computer gets shut off improperly it can cause the current to stay in the motherboard.Â Doing this will flush it.Â After you do that just wait for about 30 seconds then plug the computer back in, flip the switch to on, and power up.

Didn't work.

Mangofett · Aug 18, 2007

Try putting your videocard into a friends computer... or if they trust you enough, borrow their vid card... or buy a cheap replacement card for 50$ at newegg I guess.

imgod22222 · Aug 18, 2007

Try doing a long CMOS reset. >.> If you dunno what it is, check www.dfi-street.com and search the forums for it. This is from memory like a year or two ago:
Remove CMOS battery
Switch Clear CMOS jumper
Totally unplug power from the monitor
try turning it on a couple times (to make sure the caps are drained) (If you have an enthusiast board it might have power buttons on it, my DFI Expert does.
Leave it like that for 24 hours.
Check the site just in case.
And If you have a prebuilt computer, try to RMA it. If not, AMD has a really nice and quick RMA policy (3 year manufacturer warranty)
RMA is nice and quick. Took me like the entire summer vacation to get my computer up and running. (MOBO, PSU, and CPU all fried at the beginning of summer)

And if your really desperate, talk to the IT people in your school/job/w.e. HOWEVER, DO NOT go to them and say, i have a broke comp, can i borrow a few comps to try to fix it? Befriend them (NOTE: This takes the longest out of anything else previously mentioned. IT people can be alot like Cloister. (Yes, the pokemon) Hard shell, powerful ally.

PikaPika · Aug 18, 2007

If your board has an AGP slot I have a card you can borrow if you pay shipping.

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