New power supply, computer works again

[UncleS2]

The other day(Tues or Wed) turned on the computer, & after it had done its daily anti-virus update went to check email. Before it had fully logged onto Yahoo, the computer *died*! Just plain died- power light around switch, the fans, all was dead. Managed to coax it back to life later that evening, but it would NOT power up the next day. Nothing, zip, nada, kaput. I figured power supply, but due to all this pesky real-life stuff goin' on couldn't manage to get to the comp stores until today- even then it was pretty well down to Best Buy, the indies are closed on Sat afternoon.

Well, the young Geek Squad(Nerd Patrol? something like that) guy at Best Buy checked it & pronounced my diagnosis correct- at least halfway! Seems the 5V outputs were still A-OK, but the 12V side was deader than the proverbial _____.(Feel free to use your choice for the blank.

)

This matched right up with my observation of a small dark burnt-lookin' spot near the base of the smaller transformer coil inside the power supply. Yes, I took it apart. Yes, I'm probably not supposed to- but hey, I'm a BITOGer, right?!

They would install the new power supply for ~$40 labor- but I figured I could do that. and even though the new power supply had 2 extra quick-connects on that snake-pit of a wiring harness, I did it right the first time!

Happy to report the computer is now working as well as ever. Sure wish we still had the little "Woo-Hoo" graemlin.

Oh yeah- Best Buy was $51.xx for a new 350W pwr supply(old factory unit was 250W)- dunno what they normally sell for

, but the computer was broken & I couldn't very well check on the internet!

At least I was able to get one in person on a weekend afternoon, and now it works again. After a few days break I can now go back to wasting time on the Internet!

"Thas rite, we bad..."

 

[eljefino]

Thankfully the surging supply didn't take out your motherboard or something more expensive down the line.

My emachines suffered a cascade failure struggling through a brownout/surge that comes with a summer thunderstorm.

Newegg has 'em cheaper if one wants to ward off trouble with parts on-hand and of course if space permits one can keep an old "beater" computer for parts or emergency online ordering of parts for the mainline machine.

Also if one checks with their company IT guru there's probably a scrap heap that they have to pay to properly dispose of. They'd let you pick it over if they're cool... saves them money.

 

[HardbodyLoyalist]

In almost every case I've ever seen of a PS failure, it was actually the fan that failed, and then the PS simply burned up.

Eljefino is right. You're lucky it didn't smoke any other components while in its death throws.

 

[brianl703]

I have an AT-style power supply I've replaced the fan on at least twice in 10 years.

The only reason I'm no longer using it is that my Linux server has an ATX-style motherboard now.

 

[unDummy]

Go to ebay, punch in the bestbuy power supplies part number, buy it for ~$15 delivered, and return it to BB. Use the refunded money to buy more beer.