Damage from exploding PSU?

[canny772]

I was on my computer when my video on my screen went dead so I checked to see if the fans were still spinning on the PC but I couldn't power it down or reset. So I went to pull the plug out of the socket of my ups when suddenly the psu made a LOUD crackling and sizzling noise followed by a couple of massive flashes of light and then the smell when something electrical burns. My ups shutdown for surge protection I guess? I just reset it and the ups was working fine. So I was wondering how bad is this in terms of damage to everything that was connected to my pc when the psu blew up? Is everything fried in my case (mobo, cpu, hd, vid card, sound card) and what about other components like my monitor or speakers? Should I even bother trying to get a new psu and see if the computer is still working? Lastly, is there anyway to recover data from a damaged hd if that is the case? It's mostly family videos and pics that I've started archiving to digital format from photos and video tape.

 

[Hellboy]

Depends.

If your DC lines got a shock or not..

What power supply was it..


Only one PSU really matters and comes up time and time again. Corsair.

Get a new psu and plug it in...

 

[moody89]

Another instance of why never to use a cheap PSU. As suggested the only thing you can really do is pop another PSU in and see what works or what's dead. Good luck mate!

 

[moody89]

Forgot to add, your monitor & speakers etc. should be fine as these aren't plugged into the PSU.

 

[Hellboy]

Forgot to add, your monitor & speakers etc. should be fine as these aren't plugged into the PSU.

you hope the monitor didnt blow...

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Major Bummer!

As other pointed out you won't be able to tell exactly how bad it is until you install another power supply.

If the hard disk is fried you may or may not be able to recover data. Next time make backup copies of your images and videos. Store them in a safe place away from the computer. That's what I do. No point in taking a risk.

Corsair and Seasonic are two of the brands that have a reputation for high quality power supplies that consistently earn high marks in technical reviews. They are reliable, stable, and come with a 5 year warranty. Some of the newer models come with a 7 year warranty. Lately we've been seeing a few other brands offering some high quality units.

 

[canny772]

So I installed a new psu and I can't over the fact that everything seems fine. Files seems intact, hd's are all working and I don't see anything wrong. Are there any diagnostic tests I should run or anything else I should be keeping an eye out for? I'm so glad that 200hrs+ worth of work seems safe. I save all the files in a raid array that mirrors each other so I have copy of everything but guess that doesn't save the data from the pc itself going ka-boom. Now I've got another hd with an external dock so it's separate from the pc. I ended up buying a Corsair psu so hopefully no more troubles.

I was reading the replies last night and it sorta helped me prepare for a worst case scenario. I'm so happy that it hasn't been the case *so far*. I feel sooo lucky. I don't know how the psu was the only thing that got destroyed but I'm not complaining. If anyone has an explanation, I'd be curious to hear it just out of interest. Thanks for the quick replies guys. Cheers!

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Maybe overload protection and/or short circuit protection kicked in.