My computer overheated recently and won't turn back on. What can I do to see which components have possibly, in a worst case scenario, melted? I don't want to take it to be repaired again.
How recently? (minutes, hours, days?)
And, when you push the power button, what happens? Be specific. Do you hear the POST beep? Do lights come on? Do fans start or hard drives start to spin? Or is it just ded?
If nothing happens, one thing I'd do is unplug the power supply, and then carefully reach back and touch one of the voltage pins and the ground pin on the PSU with your finger, then plug it back in and try it again. If the overheating damaged or melted something in your computer, this won't do anything at all, but if the problem is that the PSU is carrying a static charge (or something to that effect; this was a common problem in the call center I used to work at) this'll earth it. You [I]probably[/I] won't get anything out of doing this but if there's any question about if the PSU is fried or just behaving slightly weird, this'll eliminate one possibility.
[QUOTE=elixwhitetail;51324044]How recently? (minutes, hours, days?)
And, when you push the power button, what happens? Be specific. Do you hear the POST beep? Do lights come on? Do fans start or hard drives start to spin? Or is it just ded?
If nothing happens, one thing I'd do is unplug the power supply, and then carefully reach back and touch one of the voltage pins and the ground pin on the PSU with your finger, then plug it back in and try it again. If the overheating damaged or melted something in your computer, this won't do anything at all, but if the problem is that the PSU is carrying a static charge (or something to that effect; this was a common problem in the call center I used to work at) this'll earth it. You [I]probably[/I] won't get anything out of doing this but if there's any question about if the PSU is fried or just behaving slightly weird, this'll eliminate one possibility.[/QUOTE]
I agree with your troubleshooting, but I would just unplug it and wait an hour. Just in case op's psu is an IED.
[QUOTE=taipan;51324059]I agree with your troubleshooting, but I would just unplug it and wait an hour. Just in case op's psu is an IED.[/QUOTE]
Well, that's part of why I asked exactly how recent the machine failed. If it happened two minutes before OP posted, probably just needs some time to cool down. If it happened two days ago, yeah different story.
Happened 2 days ago, definitely cooled. No beeps, fans, leds. I'll try touching voltage pins tomorrow.
I doubt touching the pins is going to do anything, then. Won't hurt you or the machine so you may as well give it a try, but expect nothing.
I would unplug the machine and then pop the side of the case off and inspect the inside with a bright flashlight. Look for scorched PCB. If anywhere on a circuitboard's blackened, there's your likely primary fault. However, it could be something you can't immediately see.
I assume you know this, but I'm just going to state it for the record: at no time should you attempt to open up your power supply to inspect the inside of it for shorts. That's not included in my inspection recommendation. :v:
Took a closer look and nothing on my motherboard looks burnt.
Are the voltage and ground pins apart of the cable? Because I can't pull that out of the motherboard without it starting to bend.
did u remember put power on
[QUOTE=elixwhitetail;51324939]I doubt touching the pins is going to do anything, then. Won't hurt you or the machine so you may as well give it a try, but expect nothing.
I would unplug the machine and then pop the side of the case off and inspect the inside with a bright flashlight. Look for scorched PCB. If anywhere on a circuitboard's blackened, there's your likely primary fault. However, it could be something you can't immediately see.
I assume you know this, but I'm just going to state it for the record: at no time should you attempt to open up your power supply to inspect the inside of it for shorts. That's not included in my inspection recommendation. :v:[/QUOTE]
There is no reason you should open up your power supply to begin with other than fan replacement. Generally, the PSU still houses voltage even after being turned off and can be dangerous for both him and the PC.
So, OP. Do you have any idea how hot your PC got? I am also curious about what kind of computer you have as well.
I wasn't looking at the time.
I have a computer I built myself but don't have a full list of computer specs I can refer to.
1. unplug everything (gpu, hard drives, etc) but the i/o header, 1 stick of memory, cpu fan, 24 pin and 4/8 pin power cable on the motherboard and try powering it on.
2. unplug all power supply connectors and force the power supply on, check to see if the fan spins (green + black cable + paper clip)
[img]http://www.howtoguide4windows.com/resources/computer/fix_your_pc/images/power_supply_test_lo.jpg[/img]
if it doesn't spin, it's bad (unless you have a fancy pants expensive power supply that doesn't spin the fan on idle).
3. Go buy another power supply from your local big box electronics store or take one from a different computer. Plug it into your computer and see if it works. If it does, keep it. If it doesn't, return it.
4. If you've gotten this far, your motherboard / cpu might be dead. (Most likely motherboard, but if you were overclocked you might have killed your CPU with a power surge).
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