Hi, Lately my computer couldnt not boot up/power on.Below are the details of my computer problem. I have a Seagate baracudda 7200RPM 80GB harddisk and an 300W power supply. I havent used my computer for about 4 months as i was away from home, in that time, i had removed my harddisk and taken away with me. last night i connected the harddisk and switched on my power, and the computer worked fine. So i finished setting up the computer and then, i figured that i didnt connect the cd drive IDE cables. So i again opened my case and refitted all, but then, the computer wont power on. Only when i remove the power supply cable from the harddisk , will the computer switch on. So i couldnt get my PC to work.When i insert the power cable into the harddisk, the PC wouldnt turn on at all. Not even a flicker of light at the LEDs. So i am confused, what did i do to cause this problem. Is it a problem with my harddisk or with the power supply not being able cope up or something like that. Please help. And if its a problem with the harddisk, can i get it repaired, i have loads of data in it. Just dont want to get them all erased. Please help. Thanks
Brand of PSU is INTEX(its an indian Brand). It was working perfect for over a year now. I think the problem is with the hard disk. When i remove the power cables from the hard disk, the PC boots up fine, but no OS. And also i forgot to mention that, while connecting the harddisk after the refitting, when i plugged in the power cables to the hard disk, i saw a small smoke come out of the power socket in the hard disk.
firstly check the master / slave settings are correct on the HDD & CD are they on the same IDE cable) and try the HDD in another machine, smoke comeing from the HDD is a concern but if the smoke came from the HDD power connector (molex connecter) it could have just being a loose molex (quite common) does your HDD work in another system ?
As far as data recovery goes, it's possible, assuming the platters in the drive weren't damaged (severely enough). It depends on what went up. If it's only the circuit board, if you can get one from an exact same model and switch it out you'd have the drive back in order. If that's not possible or not the problem, then you'll need to find a data recovery company. Just be warned that these are extremely expensive, to the tune of several thousand dollars. On the flip side, you are only charged if they can extract the data. I'd replace that power supply immediately, as it could take out other parts before it goes. I'm unsure of what brands are readily available to you, but Antec, Fortron, Sparkle, FSP Group, or Enermax are pretty common good brands around. A 350-400W unit from those companies is typically better than some companies 500-600W units. Your power supply may be perfectly fine, but it's better to play it safe and replace it. If it is bad, you wont loose more parts.
