This is going to sound idiotic but my computer kept restarting itself at random times and someone told me that my RAM could be overheating. So i went to plug in some idle fans i have in my case and i saw a spark... i think it came from the motherboard. My computer then wouldnt start, i saw the light on the front of my case and i could hear something running, i think it was my hard drive...but i had no video and it didnt seem like anything else was on. So i turned off my power supply, waited, and turned it back on, now i get no response at all when i try to start the computer. I was wondering if my power supply is damaged, or if its something more serious like my motherboard? please any suggestions on where to go from here will be helpful.
You mean you had the PC running when you plug in the fans? First try another power supply,If that don't work then it probably is the Motherboard. What brand of computer is it? What are your specks..
Id test your psu first too. Try this and see what happens. Maybe test the outputs too with a multimeter. Dont electrocute yourself though! modtown - article - Powering an ATX PSU Without a Motherboard - if it ain't broke - mod it!
If u did plug in these fans while the PC is on (bad move), i can almost guarantee you its the motherboard. You probaly blew out the mobo fan headers and now its shorting out the mobo when it starts. If these fans arent 3 pin but 4 pin (molex white connectors) and when u plugged it in they sparked and the pc shut off, it might be the PSU. When plugging anything in a pc make sure its off to prevent this. You probaly hit the metal pins on the molex connector or mobo fan header the wrong way shorting it out. Norrmally, if its Molex a pc will turn right back on after this (mine always does). Go to CompUSA or Bestbuy and ask them for a PSU tester. Take the big 20 pin power connector that plugs in to the side of the mobo, unplug it and plug it into the port on the PSU tester. Make sure the PSU is off before you do this. If nothing happens or the lights on the PSU tester dont come on you know its not the PSU. The other reason for the spark could be ESD (Electro Static Discharge). To prevent this, touch the case and dont work on carpet before you service your computer. Also make sure the PSU is plugged in but the back switch for the PSU is off. If the plug is not plugged in to the PSU, you wont be grounded.If its not the PSU, its the mobo and come back here to ask us for a replacement. Then take it to a pc shop to have them install it. Be more careful next time, weve all done it though.
