Computer won't turn on

ammon173

Reputable
Dec 14, 2014
2
0
4,510
First of all, I am new to this website other than reading various threads for advice. This being said, I'm sorry if the formatting is wrong.

So my computer was working normally until my brother, who was vacuuming, unplugged the extension cord which led to the surge protector that my computer was plugged into. A few hours later, I attempted to turn it on and there was lots of sparks in the back, along with the loud noise that accompanies such things. With a sinking heart, I tried the power button again but it would not turn on.

Other possibly relevant information: my computer sits on carpet, so the culprit very possibly could have been static electricity. My question is not so much how it happened, but what can I do to fix it. I am thinking from one similar thread that the motherboard may be fried. I have not tried anything in the way of troubleshooting based on the fact that I do not know where to start.

If you need any more information, please ask. Thank you in advance for your help.
 
Sparks out of your power supply is not due to static electricity, that is due to a crap low end power supply.

At this point all you can do is buy a new power supply (I highly suggest you get a quality unit, as a quality unit would have safeguards to prevent the lightshow of sparks you saw). Then you can install the new power supply and hope that the power supply did not fry your motherboard or other parts.
Unfortunately the only way to know is to test the parts with a new power supply.

Now this whole scenario also raises a few questions.
- This surge protector, are you sure it is a surge protector or just a power strip. A surge protector has additional lights on it that says it is protected. A power strip just takes one outlet and makes into multiple.
- This extension cord, is it at least 16 gauge extension cord with hot, neutral and ground wires, or is it just a 2 wire extension cord forced to work with 3-prong power from surge protector?
 
-I believe it is a surge protector as it has a sticker that says surge suppressor on it.
-AS for the cord, all it has stamped on it is E217996 (UL) SJTW VW-1 75 degrees C 3/c, it doesn't say what gauge it is.
 
Even a knot in a wire is a surge protector. But like power strip protectors, it is also near zero protection. To say anything useful means source of those sparks must be identified; damaged component identified. Otherwise, every reply is only wild speculation.

If not using a power strip protector, then superior protection inside a supply means no other damage. But power strip protectors can bypass that protection. In some cases, connect a surge directly into the motherboard.