Member Avatar for sueb51

Hi all i'm new here so i hope I'm posting in the right place. Last week we had a major thunderstorm while the computer was on. The power went for for like 3 secs.Everything came back on except the computer. No life anywhere in it, including no lights. Does this mean its toast? I tried using another plug and waiting for a bit but nothing. Also does this just kill the power supply or does it mean all the hardware inside is toast tooo. I have another computer that i need the memory cards for. any help would be appreciated.

thanx

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by goldeagle2005

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Following the earlier replies from , and , here is a concise, safe checklist and practical next steps for a machine that now shows no signs of life after a storm.

  • Isolate the power path first: confirm the wall outlet and any surge strip or UPS on that circuit are actually delivering mains power (use a lamp or simple outlet tester). If the outlet is live but the PC shows nothing, the fault is almost always in the PC (power subsystem or motherboard).
  • Check the external PSU/connector area for melted plastic, burn marks or a changed smell, then leave the machine unplugged while inspecting internal parts. Focus visual inspection on electrolytic capacitors and obvious scorch marks rather than guessing component types (Electrolytic capacitor).
  • If safe to do so, confirm the PSU is providing the ATX standby rail before any attempt to power on. A meter or a dedicated PSU tester is the right tool for this; avoid ad-hoc bench tricks if unsure. Basic ATX power-supply behavior is documented here (Power supply unit (computer)).
  • Minimize connected parts for diagnosis: motherboard, CPU, one stick of RAM, PSU and nothing else. If the machine still will not show standby or power, professional PSU/motherboard testing is recommended rather than continuing blind swaps.

If memory modules (RAM) are needed for a second system, remove them carefully: ground yourself, open the DIMM latches fully and pull straight out, store in anti-static packaging. RAM often survives power events, but storage drives and the motherboard are more vulnerable.

When in doubt, have the PSU and board checked by a shop with a PSU-tester/multimeter. For future protection, consider whole-home surge protection or a UPS with surge suppression and keep regular backups to avoid data loss.

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Member Avatar for Johnathan

First thing I would look at if this happened to us is the transistors on the mother board. They are the little tube like things all over your mother board. They should be flat or slightly indented if they push out at all then they are bad and if you don't know how to replace them your mother board is shot. Also when you open the case do you smell a burnt smell or an acid like smell if so then your pc is probably shot if none of the following are true then test the power supply .

Member Avatar for cguan_77

hi sueb51,

i suggest try using a new power supply, if the fuse in your power supply break off, i think your mobo will be safe..try hooking up other supply, actually you can check if your power supply if it's good or not you just need to short two wires at the connector of the power supply, check if you got the circuit on your supply

Member Avatar for goldeagle2005

...to be precise, you need to short the green and any one black wire in the PSU to test it

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