Snow and Sky: Magic Smoke

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January 31, 2005

Magic Smoke

So maybe I mentioned earlier that my computer wasn't working. Well, let's start from the top. First of all, remember that while I often talk about "my computer" as if I only own one, the phrase can refer to any one of my three active computers (and several more waiting in the wings if need be) -- or it can refer to the complex arrangement created by the ensemble.

This time it referred to one in particular: trumpet.gutwin.org, which rests comfortably under my desk and provides several helpful features which I use on a regular basis. It handles my webcam - maybe you've noticed the lack of a valid webcam image on my blog for the past few days - as well as has connections to my speakers, printer, CD burner... it has way more storage than my laptop and a DVD drive to boot. Never mind that it doesn't have a monitor. It still does everything I need it to do.

Until last Friday morning, that is.

As you know, Becca was over for the week, and I had noticed earlier in the day that it was making funny noises from one of its fans. No biggie, I thought, I'd just shut it down for the night, just so that the noise isn't too disturbing while we're asleep. Well, come the next morning, I go to turn it on and nothing happens. No beeps, no clicks, not even the sound of a fan turning. At that point I couldn't do much to tinker with it because I had just gotten out of the shower and anyway, we had a full day ahead of us. I left it off, but very confused, because most of the time computers don't just refuse to do anything. Usually they at least turn a fan on or make some beeps or something. Besides, I hadn't done anything more significant to it than send it a normal shutdown command.

Finally, this afternoon, I got the chance to take it apart and look into it. It was clear to start with the power supply, since not even the PSU fan was turning, which either meant that the PSU was dead or that something in the motherboard wasn't sending the power-on signal to the PSU. (You hope it isn't the latter, since that means a mobo replacement - expensive!) Fortunately, though, I didn't get any signal from the power-on lead, meaning something in the PSU was b0rked.

After opening the PSU case (I laugh at your miserable excuse for a warranty! ha ha ha ha!) I quickly noticed the problem - a blown fuse. Now, kids, here's a helpful tip about fuses. They're designed to protect YOU in the case of a device malfunction. Don't just go replacing fuses willy-nilly! When a fuse blows, there can be one of several reasons why. First is that the device is broken in some way. In this case, replacing the fuse will only get you another dead fuse, if you're lucky... otherwise, especially if you put in a higher-rated fuse, you can get loud snapping noises and pretty blue sparks. Other reasons for blown fuses can include momentary power surges, temporary (and repairable) short circuits from another downstream device, or even premature fuse failure. So far, the only other fuse I've had to replace has been one in my guitar amp, with no obvious problems.

I banked on one of the latter problems, knowing that even if it was a problem with the PSU itself, my dad has an extra one he's willing to send me. Radio shack had a 4-pack (why don't they sell them in single shots? I'm never going to need another one of these fuses again!) for $2.49. Picked up some groceries at TJ's, and back home to replace the fuse. Snip, snap, new fuse goes in, and put the case back on the PSU just in case... don't want to be sticking your fingers in there when there's live voltage present (or even when there isn't, the caps can still store enough to getcha).

I knew that it probably wasn't a good idea to plug this thing into my computer before I gave it a good bench test, just in case something was still a miss. So I got my meter in hand, and plugged it in... and I distinctly remember thinking something was amiss for a few milliseconds before I heard a loud SNAP, saw a bright flash and a little tuft of smoke waft out of the cooling vents. Nothing happened after that, but I still hopped around a bit to make sure it was all unplugged and everything was ok.

Well, lose lose, that's that. Now I have one very dead power supply and one computer which at least awaits a new PSU, if there isn't any damage done by the old one when it died :-/ So the webcam, and my tunes, and my printer will have to wait until my dad or UPS can swing by and drop off a new power supply.

By the way, a cursory post-mortem on the dead PSU doesn't show any obvious component explosage. Something's dead, I'm sure, but I would have to take it all the way apart to figure out exactly what... something which I'm not too keen on doing. Oh well. It's not important anyway.

Posted by kgutwin at January 31, 2005 06:13 PM

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Snow and Sky

January 31, 2005

Magic Smoke

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