Computer just caught fire!

Well started it up with just the CPU and GPU and it posted fine, tried again with a couple of drives and a Ubuntu live cd and everything seems fine. Won't boot Windows for some reason, but I'm guessing pulling the power caused that?

Going to RMA the hard drive which caught fire and the one it damaged. Is it worth RMA'ing the PSU as well just to be safe?
 
Just because the hard drive has smoke residue on it doesn't mean its the drive though surely? Unless the PCB on the underside is evidently burnt somewhere?

Check the peripherals around the hard disks position, melted cables etc.
 
The cables and PCB look fine (nothing else near the drives). Is it possible that something inside the drive was damaged?
 
From the picture is seems a rather odd place for a fire to start which is why i questioned its surroundings.

I'm sure it does happen, but I've never heard of a hard drive smoking like that.
 
Had a similar thing happen to my HP Microserver.

Started with a burning smell. Opening it up and checked everything and which looked OK. Plugged the power back in a lots of black smoke. Thought it was the PSU.

Took everything out to give it a clean while deciding if it was worth replacing the PSU and found a SATA power connector has melted. Didn't know if it was the HDD or the lead which shorted, just threw them both away.

For anyone else with Microserver, it was the molex to Sata convertor for the HDD in the top ODD bay. Nothing on the back plane.
 
Mujja said:
For anyone else with Microserver, it was the molex to Sata convertor for the HDD in the top ODD bay. Nothing on the back plane.
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Got me worried as I have a molex to sata cable in my machine. My guess would be the molex <-> molex pins work their way loose and into a position where electricity sparks from pin to pin?
 
Hi again,

The hard drive which was above the one which caught fire has slight burn marks on the power connector but is working fine ATM. Is it likely to have been damaged? Worth sending back and trying to get a replacement?

Thanks
 
It is unlikely they'll accept it back unless the marks come off. Run a full battery of tests on it, if it passes them all then its likely fine.

Obviously would pay to backup your data regardless and inspect the connectors the two drives were plugged into. Maybe switch to some others on the PSU to be on the safe side.
 
Speed said:
It is unlikely they'll accept it back unless the marks come off. Run a full battery of tests on it, if it passes them all then its likely fine.

Obviously would pay to backup your data regardless and inspect the connectors the two drives were plugged into. Maybe switch to some others on the PSU to be on the safe side.
Click to expand...

Ran an error test with hdtune and it says everything is fine, but when I go to the health tab nothings there, dispite the fact that the drive should display health info (Spinpoint F3 1TB HD103SJ). Is this a problem with the drive or possible software/driver issue? PSU/cables look fine. Thanks

colbrook32 said:
Maybe the spider, which made the cobweb, crawled over some live contacts and fried
Click to expand...

So spiders can fry computers? Well at least now I have a reason to be scared of them :p
 
Install Seatools for Windows and run all the tests that has to offer, if it passes them all it should be fine. Now that Seagate deal with Samsung RMAs it is what they'll ask you to run should you need to RMA the drive.

With regards to the SMART data, try CrystalDiskInfo: http://release.crystaldew.info/redirect.php?product=CrystalDiskInfoShizuku (I find it a little more reliable than HD Tune for reading SMART data and can read info from drives in enclosures etc where HD Tune generally can't).
 
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