Computer hit by lightning. How to tell whats dead?

[noxxten]

My computer was hit by lightning a few days ago. So far I know the PSU is most definitely dead. I still need to somehow test my motherboard, ram, cpu, GPU, and hard drive. After taking it to a local computer shop to get an estimate for my insurance company, they told me the psu and motherboard were dead, but that they couldn't check anything else. Is there any way for me to test these components to see if they're fried? A few notes:

- HDD runs off sata.
- The dvd drive actually still works, could this mean other things may still work as well?
- A green SB_PWR light flashes when I turn the psu on, i've read that means the power is incorrect. If the motherboard was fried, would this tiny light even work?

I'm very tempted to call the computer store back and see if they would rewrite my estimate. Currently it is $8 under my deductible. Claiming my hdd, ram, cpu, and gpu were all dead would substantially raise the amount insurance would cover... and I could likely get my computer back again. Should I take this route?

[nav13eh]

If the Motherboard was fried I don`t even think the light would even flicker. Correct me if I`m wrong but your power supply might be fried.

[tehboris]

The motherboard controls if the power supply is on or off. If the motherboard is dead the power supply is unlikely to function (or will be stuck on). You can test the power supply by jumping the green pin with a black pin. Don't do this for long as power supplies can be damaged by been turned on while baring no actual load.

Lightening is static electricity built up to an incredible voltage. It takes such a small amount of static electricity to kill electronics that you are unlikely to feel it. You would most definitely know if you had been hit by lighting by either waking up dead or in hospital.

[noxxten]

The motherboard controls if the power supply is on or off. If the motherboard is dead the power supply is unlikely to function (or will be stuck on). You can test the power supply by jumping the green pin with a black pin. Don't do this for long as power supplies can be damaged by been turned on while baring no actual load.

Lightening is static electricity built up to an incredible voltage. It takes such a small amount of static electricity to kill electronics that you are unlikely to feel it. You would most definitely know if you had been hit by lighting by either waking up dead or in hospital.

Wait, so one person ways it's the psu then another saying its the mobo? D:

Is there some way i can make the mobo speaker tell me if its the psu or the mobo? Or will that tiny battery on the mobo not be enough to power that? -.-

[nav13eh]

Wait, so one person ways it's the psu then another saying its the mobo? D:

Is there some way i can make the mobo speaker tell me if its the psu or the mobo? Or will that tiny battery on the mobo not be enough to power that? -.-

If power is gone and not supplying enough power, your indication would be the light. to tell if the components are working run the computer for a while, turn it off (important) than open it and the components that are hot should be working.

Does this help.

[davmoo]

After taking it to a local computer shop to get an estimate for my insurance company, they told me the psu and motherboard were dead, but that they couldn't check anything else.

First thing you need to do is find a computer shop that's worth a damn. They're a computer store, yet they don't have some system laying around that they could test your drives, ram, video card, and cpu in? Sure don't sound like a computer shop to me.

[tehboris]

Wait, so one person ways it's the psu then another saying its the mobo? D:

Is there some way i can make the mobo speaker tell me if its the psu or the mobo? Or will that tiny battery on the mobo not be enough to power that? -.-

I said that you should test the supply. If the supply works then the motherboard is probably broken (along with most other bits admittedly).

[xcorvis]

First, ditto what Davmoo said. Testing your RAM, video and Hard drives are trivial, just pop them in another computer. If the shop can't do that, I wouldn't trust them to diagnose anything. You can take your hard drive and video card over to a friend's computer and see if they work there. RAM is trickier because you need a working motherboard that takes the same type, but if you can find one, just pop it in and run a memory tester.

Second, if you're just trying to get the claim up, make them include the ram and processor in the assessment - if the mobo is dead, you most likely have to get a new processor and ram anyway.

For your next computer, invest in a $10 surge protector.

[tehboris]

For your next computer, invest in a $10 surge protector.

Surge protectors can only do so much. The best thing you can do is unplug your stuff when there is likely to be a strike.

[computoman]

Even if your mobo was still seeming good, it could have been damaged where you will not see the detrimental affects right way. The whole system needs to be replaced if possible. I have seen it happen where only part of the system was replaced and not long after all the insurance was dealt with other parts fail leaving the you in the lurch. IF your getting different opinions as to the worthiness of the system something is wrong, Good techs should always come up with the same result.

[davmoo]

I would have to agree. Lightning is nasty stuff and likes to play tricks. I'd loss the whole thing and get a all new PC. There's nothing wrong with trying to get your data off the hard drive, assuming it still works, but I would not depend on that drive for regular use post-strike.

[noxxten]

That would likely be the problem. I live in Kentucky, or better yet, the more rural part of kentucky. My one and only friend that has a computer that's not a Walmart compaq from 1999 just ditched his computers for a new mac. So i'm alone as far as this goes.

Thats also the reason the computer shop isn't worth a damn here either. The kind lady estimated my motherboard and psu about $100+ more than they're worth, not that i'm complaining. But she also didn't honestly have a computer around to test my componets in because shes used to dealing with all the older systems using pentiums and DDR ram lol. I did have the computer on a surge protector though, oddly enough it still works.

I know for a fact my psu is gone. No fans/lights or anything from it works. I just don't know if it shorted itself out in time to save my motherboard, and the components connected to it as well. I have no local computer stores that sell parts, nor a worthy computer repair store unless you count geeksquad (i'll never trust them. ever.) I'm afraid that leaving the psu on for a prolonged time while supplying an incorrect voltage would damage parts further. As of now, i'm just going to order a new power supply and motherboard, after I get those and get them in whatever else is gone will be very obvious. The first thing that sends me over my insurance deductible, i'm adding to my estimate for it to cover. Any other suggestions or advice I should heed?

[tehboris]

I know for a fact my psu is gone. No fans/lights or anything from it works.

Did you test it by jumping the green and any black pin? If not it could be the motherboard not telling it to switch on and that would be why nothing turns on.

[westom]

I know for a fact my psu is gone. No fans/lights or anything from it works. Using only facts you have provided, nobody can say a power supply is damaged. Replies are only as good as the information you provide. Your symptoms apply to numerous other components failed inside a computer including (as another has posted) a power supply controller. If that controller is damaged, then a power supply will act dead. So just replace the supply? Others who shotgun will do that. The only useful answer comes from simplistic and ubiquitous meter sold even in Lowes, Radio Shack, and K-mart. (less than $18 in Wal-Mart).

Even if the shop fixes it, you should know why you permitted damage to happen. Your telco suffers maybe 100 surges with each thunderstorm. How often is phone service lost in your town for four days while they replace their computers? Never. They never waste money on plug-in solutions.

Surges seek earth ground. All electronics (especially computer power supplies) contain significant internal protection. If a power supply is destroyed, well, all power supplies (even 40 years ago) contain other circuits so that a supply can never damage any other components. A fact that only the electrically informed would have known.

A surge current must first connect the cloud to earthborne charges. Everything may see that surge incoming. But only some devices also have an outgoing electrical path. 2nd grade science. To have electricity, first an incoming and outgoing path must exist. Incoming to disk drive. No outgoing path. No disk damage. Obvious by remembered basic electrical concepts in 2nd grade science.

How to solve your problem. First, a tech with basic knowledge will use a meter and thirty seconds to immediately identify the suspect. Will never swap or disconnect anything until he has collected facts. Therefore solve the problem faster. Is it the power supply, or power supply controller, or switch cable, or blown capacitor, or ... Only the most naive will know what by using speculation. Only speculation can accuse the supply.

Second, if you had surge damage (the harmed electrical part will better say why), then you have let a surge hunt for earth ground destructively via appliances. All phone lines and cable (if properly installed) already have a 'whole house' protector. Did you install a 'whole house' protector on the most common source of surge damage (even to routers and modems)? AC electric. If you did not spend that $1 per protected appliance for effective protection, then surge damage is directly traceable to you.

Note the phrase "properly installed". No protector provides protection. Every protector either earths that energy before it enters the building. Or earths a surge destructively through nearby appliances. Earth ground is the protection. Professional sources use words such as divert, connect, shunt, clamp, conduct, etc. Only myths will stop, absorb, arrest, suppress, etc. Single point earth ground must meet and exceed post 1990 National Electrical code. Only you are responsible for providing the necessary earthing – to divert to. Some hire an agent (electrician) to perform that work. But earthing - not an obscenely overpriced and overhyped protector - provides protection. Earth a surge before it enters the building. A protector is only as effective as the earthing - that you must provide and inspect. That also means the protector makes a short (ie ‘less than 10 foot’) connection, no sharp wire bends, no splices, separated from other wires, etc. All because even direct lightning strike cause no damage even to the protector. Nobody even knows a surge existed IF protection was properly installed.

[computoman]

You can get a usb adaptor for about twenty or less dollars. that will plug your pc drive into a mac (as well as any pc) with usb ports. They can easily be bought off the web. The mac os if set up right can easily read your drive. I have done it may a time that way as a last resort.

[tehboris]

A surge current must first connect the cloud to earthborne charges. Everything may see that surge incoming. But only some devices also have an outgoing electrical path. 2nd grade science. To have electricity, first an incoming and outgoing path must exist. Incoming to disk drive. No outgoing path. No disk damage. Obvious by remembered basic electrical concepts in 2nd grade science.


There isn't a circuit involved with static electricity (well, not a 'normal' circuit). Lightening will often strike planes despite having no where to go and then continue out of the bottom of the plane.

Regarding such high voltages, air is a suitable conductor.

The voltage from a lightening strike will fill first available matter that it's present voltage allows it to charge (metals first, water etc.), there after dropping off as it disperses. Most surge protectors (even whole circuit protectors) will only stop over voltage from the mains. Lightening will happily travel 'up' through the houses earth.

[computoman]

Mythb8usters had an excellant episode about the dangers of lightning. Brownouts with low voltages and power surges from when systems coming back up are dangerous and more common than lightning issues.

True, you do not have to have a traditional circuit with static electricity. That is why a lot of techs wear ground straps. I remember oine day just walking across the carpet and building up enough charge to leap from my body to an old Franklin (apple }{ clone) computer and zapping it. My boss at that computer store was not too happy. We had it fixed though.

[noxxten]

Did you test it by jumping the green and any black pin? If not it could be the motherboard not telling it to switch on and that would be why nothing turns on.

I'm just being stubborn. I need to slow down and do things the right way.

After testing the psu the way you described, the fan came on and i immediately pulled the plug for fear of shorting it out or screwing something up. I'm clueless as to how the lightning can screw my motherboard but not my psu, but that appears to be what has happened. Just becasue the fans come on when I jumped the psu, does this mean it's in fine condition?

Now i'm concerned about my gpu, ram, hard drive, and cpu. With no spare computer to test them in, i'm stranded on how I should go about this. What should my next steps be? Ordering any parts will have a 1 1/2 week shipping delay sadly :c. Thanks again guys, you've saved my butt lol.

[westom]

After testing the psu the way you described, the fan came on and i immediately pulled the plug for fear of shorting it out or screwing something up. I'm clueless as to how the lightning can screw my motherboard but not my psu, but that appears to be what has happened. Just becasue the fans come on when I jumped the psu, does this mean it's in fine condition?

Fans can spin; lights illuminate - and the power supply 'system' can still be defective. Or maybe not. It’s a 'system'. The supply is only one component. Few who know of these many components cannot provide answers using information from techniques such as shorting those pins. What you saw only says AC power is provided. Nothing more. That test only says every power ‘system’ component may or may not be defective.

Before you could even think of removing the jumper, any damage that was going to happen has already happened. Your fears are misplaced.

To have the first reply that actually provides useful knowledge means 30 second and a multimeter. If it sounds too complex, get a teenager. Not facetious. A blunt statement about why the meter is even sold to K-mart shoppers – it is that complex. And that inexpensive. Especially when others recommend buying lot of parts to replace things that are probably not defective: shotgunning.

2nd grade science. To have electricity, first an incoming and outgoing path must exist. Incoming to disk drive. No outgoing path. No disk damage. Same applies to Ram, GPU, etc. Why does the engineer say this? You did not ask.

Until you do something that provides numbers, well, others who did what you are doing were at it for days without progress. Then when they got the meter, the next post immediately identified the suspect – without doubt.

How does something damage a motherboard without going through a power supply? Obvious by simply tracing wires. A power strip protector makes that even easier - bypasses protection already inside the supply.

That jumper does not say the power supply is good or defective. A defective supply will still spin fans.

[noxxten]

Fans can spin; lights illuminate - and the power supply 'system' can still be defective. Or maybe not. It’s a 'system'. The supply is only one component. Few who know of these many components cannot provide answers using information from techniques such as shorting those pins. What you saw only says AC power is provided. Nothing more. That test only says every power ‘system’ component may or may not be defective.

Before you could even think of removing the jumper, any damage that was going to happen has already happened. Your fears are misplaced.

To have the first reply that actually provides useful knowledge means 30 second and a multimeter. If it sounds too complex, get a teenager. Not facetious. A blunt statement about why the meter is even sold to K-mart shoppers – it is that complex. And that inexpensive. Especially when others recommend buying lot of parts to replace things that are probably not defective: shotgunning.

2nd grade science. To have electricity, first an incoming and outgoing path must exist. Incoming to disk drive. No outgoing path. No disk damage. Same applies to Ram, GPU, etc. Why does the engineer say this? You did not ask.

Until you do something that provides numbers, well, others who did what you are doing were at it for days without progress. Then when they got the meter, the next post immediately identified the suspect – without doubt.

How does something damage a motherboard without going through a power supply? Obvious by simply tracing wires. A power strip protector makes that even easier - bypasses protection already inside the supply.

That jumper does not say the power supply is good or defective. A defective supply will still spin fans.

So should I order a power supply and motherboard to test those two components? o.o once all this sorts out i'll likely buy a few things to have around in case this situation arises again, they're worth it in the end.