Computer Burned Out

[nemorathwald]

Last night I followed a burning smell to the area of my computers. The Windows box responded when I nudged the mouse, and was in working order, but the screen of the Linux box remained blank. A minute later, there was a brief sound ("fssss") like a sparkler being lit on Independence Day. The power supply still lights up when I turn the computer on, so apparently it's not that component. But the computer doesn't boot.

Comments

[eilrahc.livejournal.com]

Many cheaply-made motherboards (which is not to say that they weren't expensive to buy) come through our office with exploded power supply filter capacitors. Open up the case and look around the ATX power connector region for blown-up or "bloated" caps. Good news is, these usually don't damage the rest of the hardare.

On the other hand, even when they blow up, they usually aren't accompanied by a burning smell, so maybe this isn't it.