Lightning strike fried my computer!!

[severtki]

Well, my computer died after a lightning strike. It WAS connected to a Tripp Lite surge protector (will be contacting them regarding their warranty, insurance, etc!). Smelled of fried circuit board and the LED on the MB (Epox EP-8RDA+) just shows FF (boot attempt -- generic MB problem).

So I ordered an Epox EP-8RDA3+ and installed it -- still getting FF error with everything hooked up. I swapped out CPU, same. I started disconnecting everything until only the memory and CPU are connected -- still getting FF. It's looking like it's the memory that's gone bad (currently 2x256MB, tried each one singly and in different sockets).

My only other thought is that perhaps everything is good but the thing won't boot past FF without video card or something else. I don't want to go out and buy memory when it might be the video card or the PS!!

Any thoughts to explaing what I'm seeing???

Thanks,

Kirk

 

[BadThad]

Think about things here. First off, a surge protector won't do squat to stop lightning. You have to have a UPS to deal properly with that. The first component after the suppressor is the power supply. That should have been the first thing you replaced....I guarantee it's toast. From there, work down the line starting with the mobo, cpu, ram, video card, etc.

 

[severtki]

Yes -- it was indeed the power supply. But it also blew out my modem, my Audigy sound card, and a couple other add-in cards. CPU, memory, drives, etc. were all OK. I'm up and limping along again anyway.

Thanks for the help!

And I see that Anaxibius is going through the same thing as I... I guess it's the season.

Kirk

 

[imported_raybay]

We see a lot of lightning damage here in the rural mountains of Arizona. Usual failures are power suppy, memory, and any/all pci cards. AGP cards, motherboards, cpu's less frequent. Watch for power supplies that still turn a fan, but do not properly output power. My guess is your memory is shot as it is most fragile, but try to exchange with a friend to test yours in friends, friends in yours. Watch also for cooling fans and cpu fans which blow easily and will prevent almost everything else from working if they are dead.

 

[imported_raybay]

We see a lot of lightning damage here in the rural mountains of Arizona. Usual failures are power suppy, memory, and any/all pci cards. AGP cards, motherboards, cpu's less frequent. Watch for power supplies that still turn a fan, but do not properly output power. My guess is your memory is shot as it is most fragile, but try to exchange with a friend to test yours in friends, friends in yours. Watch also for cooling fans and cpu fans which blow easily and will prevent almost everything else from working if they are dead.

 

[imported_raybay]

We see a lot of lightning damage here in the rural mountains of Arizona. Usual failures are power suppy, memory, and any/all pci cards. AGP cards, motherboards, cpu's less frequent. Watch for power supplies that still turn a fan, but do not properly output power. My guess is your memory is shot as it is most fragile, but try to exchange with a friend to test yours in friends, friends in yours. Watch also for cooling fans and cpu fans which blow easily and will prevent almost everything else from working if they are dead.

 

[imported_raybay]

We see a lot of lightning damage here in the rural mountains of Arizona. Usual failures are power suppy, memory, and any/all pci cards. AGP cards, motherboards, cpu's less frequent. Watch for power supplies that still turn a fan, but do not properly output power. My guess is your memory is shot as it is most fragile, but try to exchange with a friend to test yours in friends, friends in yours. Watch also for cooling fans and cpu fans which blow easily and will prevent almost everything else from working if they are dead.

 

[hairygit1]

Maybe, now is the time to think about upgrading -

You are gonna need some hardware, for the extra, might as well spend that extra $150 you've been saving for a good nite out.

 

[severtki]

$150 for a good nite out? Heck -- it isn't even OK unless it's $200. GOOD nite would be $250, min!

 

[hairygit1]

I'm getting old, and my relatively few night outs get shorter and shorter

 

[huesmann]

and cheaper and cheaper, apparently.