Computer struck by lightning! What to do?

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Antipodal · #1 Post by **Antipodal** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 12:48

I was broadband connected to the Internet, typing my answer to Shep and Ruals @ http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 6&start=45 when I simultaneously heard a thunder outside and a rather loud clic in my desktop cabinet.

The computer powered off, the monitor stand by light remained flashing, the little yellow-green light in the motherboard remainded on but it was impossible to start the computer again.

I unpluged the computer from the wall outlet, waited for a while and plugged it again.

That usually lights the power-on button light for some seconds and makes the fans work for some seconds but that stopped happening.

I must now walk a rather long distance to access a computer that is not mine to get in touch with you. There are stormy clouds in the sky and it's beginning to rain.

I think the PC has been struck by lightning.

But I don't know which part of the PC is affected and what part is usually affected.
If you were in my place, what sort of test would you do?

PS:If this is not the right place to post, where should I have made the call for help?

aarf · #2 Post by **aarf** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 13:02

Test the power socket with another plugin device to see if the fuse is blown

Antipodal · #3 Post by **Antipodal** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 13:13

But I assume the power socket is OK because when I plugged into it, the greenyellow light in the motherboard went on. And the same greenyellow light in the mobo went off when I pluged out.

Dingo · #4 Post by **Dingo** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 13:22

in order to test what hardware is working and what not, you must use a diagnostic card like this:

Microwell Professional Hardware Diagnostics PCI2
- http://www.uxd.com/phdpci2.shtml

aarf · #5 Post by **aarf** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 13:29

You might want to consider a UPS before you start replacing any equipment parts. Test your monitor somewhere else first i guess

Antipodal · #6 Post by **Antipodal** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 13:39

I searched at http://www.uxd.com/phdpci2.shtml but it's not easy to find out the price of that device and I'm trying not to go into great expenses.

Antipodal · #7 Post by **Antipodal** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 13:51

Yes, I think I'll have to read about UPS before performing other tests.
I'm not thinking of the monitor just now, because it's standby light still flashes.
I'm mostly concerned about what's in the cabinet where motherboard, microprocessor, and hard disk are.

racepres · #8 Post by **racepres** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 14:27

When that happens here... we first check/replace ram, make sure that the hard drive at least spins up.
Then Check the power supply output
http://pinouts.ru/Power/atxpower_pinout.shtml
HTH
RP

abushcrafter · #9 Post by **abushcrafter** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 16:15

aarf wrote:You might want to consider a UPS before you start replacing any equipment parts. Test your monitor somewhere else first i guess

Look in industrial business sites. They have skips now and then. The fools throw out all sorts of great stuff. Like UPS units. That's where I got mine

(Sad because they are throwing out this stuff in the first place!). Guess where I got the red button for my avatar from

.

Antipodal · #10 Post by **Antipodal** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 22:16

But I'm not sure what this stands for

racepres wrote:RP

Antipodal · #11 Post by **Antipodal** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 22:23

Antipodal

Lobster · #12 Post by **Lobster** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 22:57

I think the PC has been struck by lightning.

But I don't know which part of the PC is affected and what part is usually affected.
If you were in my place, what sort of test would you do?

I would ensure I had not angered Thor in some way . . .

Then I would take up alchemy
http://web.archive.org/web/200607181352 ... n/key.html

. . . maybe the UPS is more applicable . . .

#13 Post by **ttuuxxx** » Thu 09 Dec 2010, 23:58

I would replace the power supply, usually they are really cheap. Usually its the first thing to go with power surges, Then the next thing is the motherboard, but I would put my money on the power supply, do you have an extra power supplies you could use for a test, like one from another pc etc.
ttuuxxx

Antipodal · #14 Post by **Antipodal** » Sat 11 Dec 2010, 21:06

…for your advice, I’ll try to match them with those I have already received.

ndujoe1 · #15 Post by **ndujoe1** » Sat 11 Dec 2010, 21:58

My condolences :) Mine got zapped several years ago and I had to start over. LIke other posters stated a UPS and surge protection are good. And if you have advance notice of a storm coming unplug everything, that's what I do.

Lightning makes you are fast learner !

#16 Post by **ttuuxxx** » Sun 12 Dec 2010, 04:42

Lightning is bad, It fried my spit cycle air-conditioner, The motherboard was $1000 installed, so I went to a electrician friend and had him buy it for around $370 and I installed it myself.

Also back in the 1980's my first job, I had a mobile disc-jockey business, and well I lets just say my poweramp got fried during a lightning storm, The capacitors were melted and transformers were blown, just toasted it, $2000 in a blink of the eye.

I've never been good with lightning, I was even struck by it, in the late 70's when I went camping with my parents, it was chain lighting that hit a metal pole holding the tarp from the roof of the trailer, as it hit the pole, it traveled to the trailer and as I opened the aluminum door, it entered my hand, followed my arm, and went down my body and exited via my feet on the ground, I couldn't move, talk or do anything for about 5 mins, just totally stunned. Not something I would like to revisit ever again.
ttuuxxx

8-bit · #17 Post by **8-bit** » Sun 12 Dec 2010, 06:07

I had an HP desktop that still booted after a strike, but it ran very slowly.
I assumed it had blown a capacitor and I was never able to get it back up to speed.
Of course, it could have been other things like changed CPU voltage or jumper settings that had bridged.
If you have more than one desktop, pull the parts one at a time and check them out with the other PC.
I have did that too.

At one time, I got hold of an analog modem card when I had an IBM 8088 PC.
I thought I would test the card out.
I plugged it in and when I fired up the PC, it litterally blew up a chip on the motherboard.
I had a parts PC at the time and I went so far as to unsolder the exploded chip and replace it with one from the parts PC which I also had to unsolder and then solder onto the other motherboard.
And believe it or not, the PC worked after that.
Of course, I destroyed the bad modem card so I would not mistakenly try to use it again.
So all I can say is good luck with your PC.

Antipodal · #18 Post by **Antipodal** » Sun 12 Dec 2010, 21:01

for their time & comments

tubeguy · #19 Post by **tubeguy** » Sun 12 Dec 2010, 22:00

ttuuxxx wrote:I've never been good with lightning, I was even struck by it, in the late 70's when I went camping with my parents, it was chain lighting that hit a metal pole holding the tarp from the roof of the trailer, as it hit the pole, it traveled to the trailer and as I opened the aluminum door, it entered my hand, followed my arm, and went down my body and exited via my feet on the ground, I couldn't move, talk or do anything for about 5 mins, just totally stunned. Not something I would like to revisit ever again.
ttuuxxx

Any super-powers to report?

#20 Post by **ttuuxxx** » Mon 13 Dec 2010, 00:58

tubeguy wrote:

Any super-powers to report?[/quote]
Well just one

I've been in 2 house fires, One I ran into when a neighbors house caught fire, the walls were oil based paint and the fire quickly went over my head and down the other side, This cat ran into a bedroom on the other side of the flames, So I ran thru the flames and thick smoke and risked everything for this cat. On the way out I seen a BBQ just outside another exit door and the flames were near and I knew if the tank exploded it would cause a lot of damage, so I ran to the BBQ picked it up and tossed it over the balcony and save the house and cat

.

On another occasion when I was younger and still dating, I was living a bachelor lifestyle, going to clubs with the boys, drinking a lot and dating, anyways I went out this one night and had a lot to drink, I met up with this girl I was dating on and off, we talked and went our own ways, After the bars I went home and she called and wanted to talk, But I was tired and really had too much to drink, and fell asleep talking to her while having a smoke. The bed and vinyl floors, quickly caught fire, The flames were high in and the smoke was thick in my bedroom with the door closed, I woke up and the toxic smoke made me feel like I was dreaming, So I went back to sleep in the burning bed because of the smoke messing up my mind, Then I finally clicked in that I was in a middle of fire, the door was blocked with flames and I couldn't breath right, I started choking, So I went to the window and smashed the 4 panes of glass and jumped out, 3/4 of skin was burnt of my lower arm and I had tons of cuts from glass. I spent 18hrs on a oxygen tank at the hospital, I managed to heal 100%, no scars from that, which I personally found amazing. After that incident I started looking at life differently.

ttuuxxx

(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

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Computer struck by lightning! What to do?

Computer struck by lightning! What to do?

aarf's advice

Thank you Dingo

Thanks aarf

Thank you for your time, racepres!!

Thank you too, abushcrafter

Thank you...

Computer Struck by Lightning!

Thanking