Lightning strike and now computer not working ...

djxput · 12 Jun 2019 at 15:42

My parents live in the states and they had a lightning strike near them which fried many electronics in the house.

Ive tried to diagnosis the computer problem via whats app but not sure ... Its my parents and they are 70ish so you can imagine trying to get them to tear open the computer etc ...

This is what I know:
- Its a fairly old pc that I built - not quite sure the MB its a varient of the DFI lanparty p35, has a ati 6950 gpu and a antec powersupply.
- The case fans come on when the power comes on, the cpu fan, the psu fan comes on the gpu fan.
- Nothing shows on the monitor and they bought a new one because their cable guy said it could be the monitor. Meaning there isnt a signal coming from the computer to the monitor.
- There are 2 lights on the MB both appear normal; a dram power led and a standby power led
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/451662/Dfi-Lanparty-Dk-P35-Series.html?page=15#manual
This is just a general manual for the MB again not sure the exact one.
- I have 2 drives connected to the computer one SSD and a storage hhd.

Again nothing shows on the screen when powered but the fans spin up and the lights go on. I dont think the montior has any error code indicators or beeps.

I had my step dad take out the GPU to see if he can get it tested somewhere if its more complicated then that ie the cpu, ram or mb got fried they are probably better off buying a different one.

any suggestions?
thanks

Blue160 · 12 Jun 2019 at 15:58

After a big power surge the PSU would be the first thing to suspect. Testing with a known working one is the only way to definitively rule that out.

inogen · 12 Jun 2019 at 16:18

Yeah, PSU is most likely.

First thing I'd try is resetting the BIOS.

djxput · 12 Jun 2019 at 16:28

Blue160 said:
After a big power surge the PSU would be the first thing to suspect. Testing with a known working one is the only way to definitively rule that out.

ahh ok so even if the psu fan spins up and the led lights on come the mb you still suspect the psu?

Rroff · 12 Jun 2019 at 16:34

djxput said:
ahh ok so even if the psu fan spins up and the led lights on come the mb you still suspect the psu?

PSU has a lot of voltage rails, etc. it is possible say 12V is working fine but the 3.3V output got fried - possibly even it dying "saved" the rest of the PSU, etc.

djxput · 12 Jun 2019 at 16:40

Rroff said:
PSU has a lot of voltage rails, etc. it is possible say 12V is working fine but the 3.3V output got fried - possibly even it dying "saved" the rest of the PSU, etc.

ok thanks Ill see if I can get them to try a different one ... ya I didnt think it would be the psu since all the fans spin up the cpu fan gpu and the lights but nothing on the screen etc ie no output.

EsaT · 12 Jun 2019 at 16:47

Rroff said:
PSU has a lot of voltage rails, etc. it is possible say 12V is working fine but the 3.3V output got fried - possibly even it dying "saved" the rest of the PSU, etc.

Without 3.3V PSU should shut down.
Assuming it has under voltage protections.

Though that PC is old enough that Antec used mostly cheap or mediocre platforms.
But I guess it wasn't Fuhjyyu filled Smart/TruePower...

Rroff · 12 Jun 2019 at 16:49

EsaT said:
Without 3.3V PSU should shut down.
Assuming it has under voltage protections.

A lot don't - I've a couple of older PSUs I've repurposed for bench power supplies and they don't blink if the voltage drops - and even over voltage protection is nothing to write home about :s

Blue160 · 12 Jun 2019 at 17:58

djxput said:
ahh ok so even if the psu fan spins up and the led lights on come the mb you still suspect the psu?

Absolutely. It’s the first part the power spike will have gone through and as others have said not all faults will result in it being completely dead. It’s also easy to test so a good thing to rule out first.

djxput · 12 Jun 2019 at 18:57

Blue160 said:
Absolutely. It’s the first part the power spike will have gone through and as others have said not all faults will result in it being completely dead. It’s also easy to test so a good thing to rule out first.

easy to test as in need a new psu? to test to see if system works? or?

hyperseven · 12 Jun 2019 at 19:24

So did it not come alive like number 5?

Blue160 · 12 Jun 2019 at 21:22

djxput said:
easy to test as in need a new psu? to test to see if system works? or?

Easy to test if you have a spare psu. I guess it’s not so easy if you don’t....

It’s an easy test because you can instantly confirm whether or not the psu is the problem. Tracing other hardware faults can be much more difficult.

labcoattech · 17 Jun 2019 at 12:32

Easiest option is to buy a PSU tester for around £10, might be handy to have one if your living in an area prone to lighting.

djxput · 19 Jun 2019 at 08:04

Parents took it too a pc repair place, I havnt talked to the guy yet. But he told them it wasnt the psu it was the mb (not sure how he knows it is the mb and not the cpu or memory). I think he told them he tested 2 different powersupplies and didnt get a power on... Ill call him to check.

labcoattech · 19 Jun 2019 at 09:33

would a faulty CPU / memory stick stop the PC from turning on?

divergent · 19 Jun 2019 at 11:49

This is a good reminder to unplug expensive electrical equipment during a thunder storm!
I don't usually bother, but I think I will now.

djxput · 19 Jun 2019 at 13:51

divergent said:
This is a good reminder to unplug expensive electrical equipment during a thunder storm!
I don't usually bother, but I think I will now.

My parents lost most of their electronics in the house, stove, large tv, small tv, microwave, computer, possibly the monitor, nightlight and some others ... I think they said the lighting hit a bird feeder outside their house (was basically a metal pole with a bird feeder at the top, and it was suggested their are wires under the ground where the bird feeder is located and the lightning bounced to the wires somehow.

Its funny my step dad is a bit paranoid and he used to unplug stuff and make us go in the basement where there was bad thunderstorms in the states (lived in wisconsin so tornadoes arnt that high of a risk), but as written he didnt do that this time around he was watching tv and watched his tv blow up.

divergent · 19 Jun 2019 at 13:53

djxput said:
My parents lost most of their electronics in the house, stove, large tv, small tv, microwave, computer, possibly the monitor, nightlight and some others ... I think they said the lighting hit a bird feeder outside their house (was basically a metal pole with a bird feeder at the top, and it was suggested their are wires under the ground where the bird feeder is located and the lightning bounced to the wires somehow.

Its funny my step dad is a bit paranoid and he used to unplug stuff and make us go in the basement where there was bad thunderstorms in the states (lived in wisconsin so tornadoes arnt that high of a risk), but as written he didnt do that this time around he was watching tv and watched his tv blow up.

Wow, that's bad!

I hope they are insured?

djxput · 19 Jun 2019 at 20:26

divergent said:
Wow, that's bad!
I hope they are insured?

ya but I dont know if they are going to turn it in; I think they think it will raise the rates too much?

EsaT · 19 Jun 2019 at 20:27

djxput said:
My parents lost most of their electronics in the house, stove, large tv, small tv, microwave, computer, possibly the monitor, nightlight and some others ... I think they said the lighting hit a bird feeder outside their house (was basically a metal pole with a bird feeder at the top, and it was suggested their are wires under the ground where the bird feeder is located and the lightning bounced to the wires somehow.

Its funny my step dad is a bit paranoid and he used to unplug stuff and make us go in the basement where there was bad thunderstorms in the states (lived in wisconsin so tornadoes arnt that high of a risk), but as written he didnt do that this time around he was watching tv and watched his tv blow up.

Could have just jumped straight to cable/wire at wall outside if there was one.
Lightning strike basically follows electricity's simplest rule:
That of following the path of the least resistance, while looking electric ground to dissipate its charge.
Voltage is just high enough that it can strike through normally insulating materials, if the best conductor in the vicinity is on other side of it.
So electric cable close to "ground zero" is usually going to get lightning's attention.

Tree roots are also common routes, though those often show as traces on grass where explosive evaporation of water throws turf away.
Though if root does tight turn to avoid some rock, lightning doesn't like that and often just goes through that rock cracking it.

And even that basement wouldn't be full 100% proof.
If there's that conductive path under it, floor might suffer from some "uplift".
Read about one case here in Finland in which lightning strike had caused some bumps into basement's floor.