No Display After a Thunderstorm

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Here's some info:

 

We had some thunder and lightening a few days ago.  A loud crack happened outside but in the same direction as the PC.

The PC was on "sleep" mode.

I noticed within 10 mins the PC was on.  So I checked on the TV and it said "no signal".  We also lost TV signal.  I pressed and held the power button and the PC turned off.

 

The next day, TV signal returned.

I tried the PC, it starts, the hard drives load some things but I don't think Windows loads, but I can't really tell as the screen still says there is no signal.

 

Using a HDMI cable, integrated motherboard port.

I haven't yet opened it to see if everything looks okay but any guesses?

[Bryan R.]

Any guesses? Yeah, that your motherboard or PSU is fried. You won't know until you open it up, try a different PSU or an add-in video card.

[Draconian Guppy]

yeah sounds like your motherboard fried. whatever you do, because with what you salvage from that PC, in my experience fried parts can burn other components in a new pc

[Bryan R.]

Try turning on the busted computer and pinging it from another computer in your house (assuming you had the firewall/sharing configured to allow this).

[Azies]

This is the reason why I unplug electronics during a thunderstorm, the loud crack was lightening hitting somewhere near or on your house, sending a surge of electricity through the power lines, damaging or disabling everything it touches, your computer is the unfortunate victim of a power surge, and may it rest in peace.

[Bryan R.]

  On 25/07/2013 at 18:47, Azies said:

This is the reason why I unplug electronics during a thunderstorm, the loud crack was lightening hitting somewhere near or on your house, sending a surge of electricity through the power lines, damaging or disabling everything it touches, your computer is the unfortunate victim of a power surge, and may it rest in peace.

Or have your components plugged into a competent UPS :)

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Well, opened it up and took a look.

Nothing looks blown, although their is a little bit of a strange smell, but it might just be "electricals".

 

It was plugged into a surge protector 4-bar, which still has the "surge" light on.  The PSU turns on okay and runs power to the PC, but maybe no where near enough.

 

If the worst really is the worst, what happens to the data?

I have 4 HDD split into 6 paritions.  Providing the data is all okay, I guess I can re-install windows on the "Windows" partition only?

With a change of Motherboard, will I have to re-activate Windows?

[Bryan R.]

  On 25/07/2013 at 18:53, Sir Topham Hatt said:

Well, opened it up and took a look.

Nothing looks blown, although their is a little bit of a strange smell, but it might just be "electricals".

 

It was plugged into a surge protector 4-bar, which still has the "surge" light on.  The PSU turns on okay and runs power to the PC, but maybe no where near enough.

 

If the worst really is the worst, what happens to the data?

I have 4 HDD split into 6 paritions.  Providing the data is all okay, I guess I can re-install windows on the "Windows" partition only?

With a change of Motherboard, will I have to re-activate Windows?

Why would you have to reinstall your OS? You might have to, but you're not there yet. If you replace the motherboard with one that has the same chipset, it should largely be no issue.

Do you have a RAID with these four HDDs?

[techbeck]

  On 25/07/2013 at 18:34, Sir Topham Hatt said:

Here's some info:

 

We had some thunder and lightening a few days ago.  A loud crack happened outside but in the same direction as the PC.

The PC was on "sleep" mode.

I noticed within 10 mins the PC was on.  So I checked on the TV and it said "no signal".  We also lost TV signal.  I pressed and held the power button and the PC turned off.

 

The next day, TV signal returned.

I tried the PC, it starts, the hard drives load some things but I don't think Windows loads, but I can't really tell as the screen still says there is no signal.

 

Using a HDMI cable, integrated motherboard port.

I haven't yet opened it to see if everything looks okay but any guesses?

 

Happened to me once.  Turned out to be the PSU and not the motherboard.  I would try a new PSU first.  If thats not the problem, return it.  would be faster/cheaper to try that first.

 

  On 25/07/2013 at 18:39, Draconian Guppy said:

yeah sounds like your motherboard fried. whatever you do, because with what you salvage from that PC, in my experience fried parts can burn other components in a new pc

 

I had hard drives and video cards fry when mobos went.  A couple times, the processor.

[neufuse Veteran]

This is why I have whole house surge arrestors and protectors installed on my electrical service panel...

[f0rk_b0mb]

I had that problem!!! Try a different power supply or unplug it from the walllet press power, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Plug it back in. Does it work?

[LaP]

  On 25/07/2013 at 18:50, Xenosion said:

Or have your components plugged into a competent UPS :)

Even a competent surge protector will do the job. Competent being not something bought at wallmart for 20 bucks.

[Aergan]

As stated if you're lucky it's just the PSU.

 

Highly recommend either visiting B&Q, Currys or Argos and pay ?8-?12 for a branded surge protected 4-6 plug gangway (ideally one that states they guarantee survival of your equipment in the event of a surge etc). We have all major electrical goods protected in our house.

[Draconian Guppy]

  On 25/07/2013 at 19:04, neufuse said:

This is why I have whole house surge arrestors and protectors installed on my electrical service panel...

surge arrestors?

[n_K]

Surge protectors with the lights aren't worth a damn, you want a TRUE surge protector (I've got an old one here that also turns other outlets on if PC is on but has a proper surge protector built in with a ?20,000 guarantee and it lasts through multiple surges, not just one).

 

Also note that surges effect _ALL_ electrical equipment, including phone lines, modems, routers, (network) switches, so this means (and has happened to me) that a router or switch can get too much power and instead of burning it as heat, puts it out on your network, for wireless that doesn't mean much, but for wired it will either blow the network port (you'll be lucky) or it'll blow something else inside the PC/Laptop.

 

Get PROPER surge protection and get it for ALL devices like computers, fridges, network equipment, etc.

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Well, after testing with an RGB cable, the PC works fine. It's to do with the HDMI display unit of the motherboard, tested with another cable but no joy.

My surge protector 4-bar was just from a cheapy shop in the UK, Wilkinson but like I say, it's still protected according to the light, plus the router, which is also plugged into it is fine. In fact, it's aMasterplug, which seems to have good reviews on Amazon

I guess it means if I want to use HDMI then it's another motherboard? Won't the MAC code be different requiring me to re-install the OS?

Can anyone recommend a cheap but good surge protector? But then surely if the PC is off? I guess it could be the HDMI on the TV...]o

[Crisp]

How do we know it's the motherboard that's at fault? Your HDMI monitor could be the problem...

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Nope, must be the motherboard as I tested the HDMI in another port on the TV.

Seems likely now.

[n_K]

There was an article I read years ago on the different types of surge protector and why the ones with bulbs are a complete waste of money.

Have a look on google, just had a quick search but I can't find what I read years ago but you should be able to find out about the various types of surge protectors.

You will pay much more for a decent surge protector (that actually works), like ?10-?20 upwards but it's worth it.

 

And yes you might have to reinstall/reactivate windows if you get a replacement motherboard.

[The Evil Overlord]

Sorry for your loss dude, (couldn't think of anything else to say, tired, sleepy and 5:30 am) hope your drives are ok, (this is one of the main reasons I drove this information into my wife about thunderstorms)

Yes, in the UK they don't always come as intense as the ones we had Tuesday, but the fact that you are asking here shows that it can happen, I feel bad for you that it happened to you, or in fact at all,

New mobo doesn't automatically mean reformat, sometimes a safe mode boot, to get windows to recognise new hardware installed can do the trick.

I remember when my 1998 (or 1999) 1 gig athlon single core blew on me in about 2002, and the mobo was too old for a replacement sempron as it and the athlon was mostly obsolete, had to buy a new board and cpu, and got (XP at that time) to boot into safe mode, then next time it booted to normal, I could install drivers for the new hardware,

 

I only say this as you don't need to despair, and assuming the cpu is ok and you can find another mobo same model as yours there's next to nothing to reinstall.

My main worry is the Hard Drives, if they're ok, your data is, (with mine, that's all that matters, too many family memories saved on them, and backed up just in case)

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Well that's a blow to the plan as my motherboard isn't sold any more.  It annoys me as an RGB cable works fine, it's just the HDMI.

 

But then maybe this is the time for me to refresh the system and get something that I can add many more hard drives to, a little like a server - I should have explained, this is my HTPC.

If so, does anyone know any builders out there?  I did look at Lime Tech, but I'm based in the UK :/  Their barebones case would cost ?357 all in to get it here.

 

Can I activate Windows on a new motherboard / system?

[Biohead]

 

Could always look into buying a dirt cheap graphics card with HDMI out if your case allows? nVidia GT520 or AMD HD5450 will do that for you and they cost around ?20 each.

[Sir Topham Hatt]

OoOo, I didn't think of that.

The case will allow, I think.  Will look at that as a stop gap until I save monies to get a new shuttle PC for my main desktop and a better case that will last for a good few years downstairs :D

 

I wonder what the flavour of the year is with regard to nVidia or AMD.  But then I am sure both will do fine at playing 1080p stuff.

 

Kinda leaning towards the Sapphire HD Radion as the heat sink isn't so big but then I have no other cards in the case, just hard drives so the bigger heatsink on the nVidia would be fine I should think.

[Bryan R.]

You know, I mentioned all this already. No hard feelings but you ignored valid suggestions.

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Sorry, I missed that bit :/

Strange though as I read the first suggestion about a PSU :S