Can Software Damage Hardware?

RadiumLavans · 12 Aug 2010 at 21:00

Hi there
I have an unusual question,I had a computer fail last week which i believe to be hardware failure, but could it have been caused by a virus? after turning the computer on the screen seems to switch on but then nothing happens, no post, no writing, no boot. If it was a virus then surely it would boot past post and then crash when it tried to load windows? is it possible that a virus has caused hardware failure?

jak731 · 12 Aug 2010 at 21:03

I think there is a virus which can change bios settings, obviously if cpu voltage is set too high it will cause damage...

Have you tried resetting the BIOS?

Andrew Moore · 12 Aug 2010 at 21:06

There have been issues in the past where driver updates have caused hardware to fail (eg nvidia and there 196 drivers). It may just be coincidence that the hardware failed if you have records of a virus finding its way into the system.

Andy

rush_syndrome · 12 Aug 2010 at 21:08

It is highly unlikely that a virus can cause physical hardware damage, but it has been known to remove/disable/modify drivers. Deleting partion tables is another nasty which would cause a boot failure due to no OS being seen and this would look like a hardware failure. In todays modern systems I would think it unlikely that a virus could damage hardware as most of the devices like disk drives and graphics cards have their own ROM firmware on board, and the virus would have no way of writing to that as it is read only.

RadiumLavans · 12 Aug 2010 at 21:18

hi all, and thanks for the replies, i took your advise and reset the bios but still nothing. i didnt think it could have been a virus but afew people ive spoken to insisted that it was a high chance as my anti virus expired 4 days before it failed, but i think that was just a coincidence, just before it crashed the screen got distorted then just went blank, the system was only on for maybe 5 minutes so doubt it could overheat in that time.

02goswej · 12 Aug 2010 at 21:32

I had this problem before. Was the graphics card that was faulty (I assume the computer turns on but nothing appears on the screen?)

Try re-seating the graphic card, if that doesn't work. Do you have another system or on board graphics port you can test this with.

If you have on board graphics (integrated) take your graphics card out (Not really necessary but just do it ;P) and plug it directory into your motherboard via the integrated graphics.

/Johnathan

RadiumLavans · 12 Aug 2010 at 21:56

Hi Johnathan, thanks for the reply, Yeah the computer turns on and the back light of the screen comes on but then nothing appears, ive checked the screen on my old system and it works. sadly i dont have another graphics card to try, i re-seated the graphics card but still doesnt work, i tried to see if i could see anything on the board that could be damaged but it looks okay,i even plugged the screeninto the onboard graphics port on the motherboard but there was no signal coming from it. i can hear the hard drive working as if its loading(even though theres nothing on the screen) so im guessing it must be down to either the graphics card or motherboard.