My computer broke

[Rik]

 

[Rik]

It's a dead mobo. Changing PSU and graphics card didn't work, neither did resetting the CMOS, not singling down to one stick of RAM. No RAM did produce an error beep code, but nothing else helped, so new mobo to be fitted tomorrow or Friday.

[zappaDPJ]

Sounds like power to me or at worst a motherboard/CPU failure. If it was any other component or a device boot failure you would still have the potential for BIOS entry or the BIOS would be beeping out a merry tune.

That was my second guess! 

[Rik]

And you were right. With my luck, they'll replace the mobo and discover it was the CPU after all.

[kinmel]

I still think the smoke has escaped from a resistor or capacitor.

[Rik]

You may be right, but I think it's trapped in the spigot flange...

[zappaDPJ]

There's an ointment for that condition available from all good chemists 

[Rik]

 

I've got some, but Sue refuses to rub it on.

[adamr8965]

I've got some, but Sue refuses to rub it on.

Jesus rik, dont really need that information thanks all the same.

[Rik]

I'm a very open person.

[adamr8965]

Sounds like it.

[Rik]

And now one of my external HDs has failed. Do you think it's the Friday jinx?

[Glenn]

The drive or the enclosure?

[Rik]

I don't know, tbh, Glenn, and can't take it apart to find out.

[Rik]

Update on this. Getting the new mobo took a week, but the engineer came out and fitted it today. Guess what? It made no difference. So, for the moment, he's saying it's a dead CPU and he'll be back on Friday to change it. We shall see on both counts...

[kinmel]

Time to ask for a refund/replacement, it is unreasonable to leave you so long without a working PC.

[Rik]

I'm getting there, Alan.

[Simon]

Won't that end up being more work for you, getting it all set up again, Rik?

[zappaDPJ]

Update on this. Getting the new mobo took a week, but the engineer came out and fitted it today. Guess what? It made no difference. So, for the moment, he's saying it's a dead CPU and he'll be back on Friday to change it. We shall see on both counts...

That was also my second guess. Can I just say that if it does turn out to be a loss of smoke that would have been my third guess?  

[Rik]

 

I still wonder if the PSU spiked and took out the memory and CPU. Testing after the event with a different PSU doesn't eliminate the possibility.

[Rik]

Won't that end up being more work for you, getting it all set up again, Rik?

It would, and it would leave me with a mix of OS on the network, which I'm never keen on.

[zappaDPJ]

I still wonder if the PSU spiked and took out the memory and CPU. Testing after the event with a different PSU doesn't eliminate the possibility.

It doesn't although there should be some degree of surge protection built into the PSU unless it's really nasty.

[Rik]

Well, if the new CPU doesn't fix it, he'll presumably then try the RAM, but meanwhile there's the, slim, chance that the PSU has knackered the new parts. This could be an expensive repair for them.

[Ray]

I would have thought that he would have had one of these in his tool kit, Rik, to check the psu.

[DorsetBoy]

Well, if the new CPU doesn't fix it, he'll presumably then try the RAM, but meanwhile there's the, slim, chance that the PSU has knackered the new parts. This could be an expensive repair for them.

Is it an engineer or someone doing guesswork here?