Help. Lightning has struck!

Cold_And_Miserable

Cold_And_Miserable

Cold_And_Miserable

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12 May 2005
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Hello,

Sometime ago lightning struck nearby taking out the computer and router.:( I've had to use a backup router to get online with a laptop.

The power switch pins on the motherboard are fried but I managed to start it by shorting the pins on the back of the 24-pin socket using tin foil and glue. After several attempts and a BIOS reset it seems to be ok.

How do fix the power switch/button and reset ? At the moment the reset switch has no effect and I suspect Windows won't be able to either. The power pins have to stay shorted or it turns off.

What do I do ?
 
Either become a wizz with a soldering iron or buy a new mainboard.

If I were you id opt for the later as other damage could be there waiting to surface.
 
well... while i agree that you should seriously consider replacing the mobo, you could try the following setup: A relay across the power terminals, controlled by a NAND gate. Do be aware, this does not replace the switches - it will hard-off the machine, which is only safe when you have dropped out of windows and into a dos shell. And a reset switch is not doable at all.

This can be done, with a bit of google-foo, but a new mobo would be easier.

You might also consider getting a surge protector - although their usefulness is dubious, possible protection is better than no protection.
 
Well you could try "pencil modding" it or getting a "solder pen". Both of these are substitues for people that can't solder ;) Or take it to someone that can. Or buy a new mobo. Or RMA it like a gypo.
 
RMA should cover a lightning strike, personally id unplug it, and disassemble it. It may still just about work, but there has clearly been some damage done. you may only have a frazzled motherboard (and possibly power supply), but you could end up with frazzled everything. At least now you could reuse most of the components (pending testing...)
 
thingemajib said:
RMA should cover a lightning strike, personally id unplug it, and disassemble it. It may still just about work, but there has clearly been some damage done. you may only have a frazzled motherboard (and possibly power supply), but you could end up with frazzled everything. At least now you could reuse most of the components (pending testing...)
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RMA doesnt cover a lightning strike, what planet are you living on. Thats almost as good as crashing your car and then trying to get the manufacturer to replace it.

House insurance is what would normally be used to replace equipment which has been genuinely damaged by an "act of god".
 
Home Insurance I guess would cover it, as it covers 'naure', such as floods etc...

But I guess it would be the majority of the stuff frazzled. MoBo, CPU, GPU, PSU, HDD?....
 
Our house got struck by lightning a few years ago and it took out a switch, router and a laptop.

House insurance had no problems replacing the lot. Didn't even need proof of purchase, they just came round and photographed the damaged items.
 
PanMaster said:
Since the phone line carried the current, a surge protector wouldn't have helped.
I'll RMA the linksys and replace the board.
Click to expand...

If you're in an area where your Phone lines are pretty exposed and more likely to be struck maybe you will want to invest in a wireless set up, just for that extra assurance your machine is a little safer?
 
I cannot believe that the replacement board has burnt out already.
It started BSODing and making a screeching noise before refusing to turn on.
It eventually turned on but there was a burning smell and 2 chips near the CPU look fried.

This board is definitely dead ?


If it's the PSU I'm never getting a Corsair again. It's been replaced once already after exploding.
 
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What exactly did you replace after lightning strike?

Just the motherboard? Obviosuly it damaged the PSU as well, otherwise it would not have fried the board, you can hardly blame Corsair considering it was struck by a surge!

And those chips are the power regulators, so yes, it has killed them.
 
Just saw this and am a little worried now. My old pc was on during a surge about a year ago. The PSU went completely, couldn't get any response from the pc. I replaced the PSU and the pc seems to be working fine, but I only use it very occasionally, like once or twice a year when having a lan and need an extra pc.

Like I said it seems to be working fine but could there be any damage to the motherboard? Or could other components be damaged by having the pc turned on now?
 
PanMaster said:
If it's the PSU I'm never getting a Corsair again. It's been replaced once already after exploding.
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If I understand the picture, those chips are the power supplies for the CPU. Damage that great implies you did not measure power supply voltages before rebuilding the system - in particular the 12 volts.

You had damage because a protector was not earthed at the service entrance. A 'whole house' protector already exists on all phone lines. That is why phone line appliances are so easily damaged. If you do not have a 'whole house protection on AC mains, then that energy was inside the building. And hunting for earth destructively via appliances. One excellent path to earth is via appliances connected to that surge protected (earthed) phone line.

You do not stop surge. A surge is harmlessly earthed outside the building. Or that surge is inside; hunting for earth destructively via appliances.

Better techs always use the multimeter (sold even in Kmart and Wal-Mart) before making changes or replacing parts. Only the most catastrophic damage creates anything that can be observed. You have damage that may have been averted if you measured voltages before removing, replacing, or even jumpering anything.

Very rare to have CPU power supply ICs damaged like that.
 
So you say the pins for the power switch are fried on the motherboard. To what extent is this, are the pins damaged or the actual PCB? Don't forget the simpleness of the switch though. You could simply shorten or clean the pins (depends on extent of damage) and solder a momentary push-to-make switch onto the pins and just press the switch to start as you normally would.

If the pins are unusable, you should be able to desolder the pins and carefully solder the wire with the switch connected straight to the motherboard. But try an RMA first, or an insurance claim.

I don't know what other damage your mobo may have, so doing all that may be in vain :(. And yes, PC damage Ethernet cables are more common than damage via a power line. I seem to remember you can get a protector for them, or you could go wireless.
 
The ethernet part of the PCB was visibly fried but perhaps the power switch was never damaged and it was the PSU.
That motherboard wouldn't turn on without keeping green wire from the PSU shorted.

The new motherboard is a lot worse since it's totally fried.
 
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PanMaster said:
That motherboard can't turn on without keeping green wire from the PSU shorted.
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Green wire is controlled by the power controller. If controller was not working, then the important question was why.

If anything is physically damaged - damage that can be seen - then that was an extreme anomaly - well beyond what normally causes damage.

And still a CPU's power supply should be undamaged. If those are CPU power supply chips, then a most rare event - CPU failure - is probable.

Damage to Ethernet ports (and other damage you have described) is most common from AC main surges. Especially if a protector was near that computer. With computer on or off - makes no difference. Damage because the surge found earth via that computer.

Reason for surge damage to appliances on phone lines: AC electric. Once that energy is inside the building, it will hunt for paths to earth such as via phone lines or cable internet appliances. Why? Because those wires routinely have effective protection. Protection that means surges are not incoming on those wires. Protection that means energy inside a building and destructively hunting for earth ground, finds earth destructively via those appliances.

If damage is due to a surge, then you had virtually zero surge protection. Even if 100 plug-in protectors were connected. IOW two problems. 1) Fix the computer. 2) Eliminate the reason for unnecessary damage.
 
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