PDA

View Full Version : The Power Supply


FallenAngel
02-07-2001, 03:04 PM
<FONT COLOR="Green">

Now you all may enjoy a laugh at this or you can share in my happiness.

A little background... I am pretty well a geek. I am very at home on my computer and pretty much know everything there is to know about it ...software wise, but when it comes to hardware I know nothing. in fact less than nothing. I have a huge fear of opening my computer because im afraid i'll break something .... so heres the story:

Approxamately 4 hours ago the power supply in my computer blew, only i didnt know that's what happened. I just heard my computer go *pop* and everything turned off. Being the fairly inteligent person that I am I knew that: a) *popping* noise was definitely bad. b) since everything turned off but my moniter was still on it had something to do with the power to the computer.

Now i get up pull my case our from under my desk, turn it around to give it a look. Well what do I see? Comming out of the fan right next to where the power comes in is a very small but noticable trickle of smoke. Now like I said I'm not real smart with hardware ...but I knew that couldnt be good.

So I suck up my courage, pull out my tools and crack the case open. *DEEP BREATH* Ok the smoke has stopped and i can see that the fan/power plug place is one very large unit that all goes together. I poke and prod (very carefully) and manged to figure out how to unscrew it. Then *damn* what do i see but a million little wires all going to different places on my comp and all leading to this box. At this point I am seriously considering taking it in. but i figure what the hell it cant get any worse and I work with alot of computer ppl so if worse comes to worse ...

Moving on first I cross my fingers and hope i can unplug all this little wires from the big box .... but nooooo thats not possible (mind you this is almost 5am in the morning and ive been awake since 12 pm yesterday(tuesday) so im kinda sleepy ... I will my brain to start working and remember were all the wires go to as I start pulling them out ... fan: check, floppy: check, cdrom: check, motherboard: check.

Ok now Ive got this thing pulled out (still dont know what it is) I rack my brain for awhile and finally deduce that it must be the power supply ... GREAT! its nearly 6am so i figure ill crash for awhile and wake up and go get the part. DId that happen? Of course not because this is me. I am a fanatic when it comes to problem solving so I cant sleep because my mind is whirling around wondering if im right and its the power supply... what if i cant put it back in .. who can i talk to at work ... i wonder when the computer shop opens ....

SO needless to say I get out of bed, grab some breakfast and go to the shop ... I show them my power supply and ask if they have any like it .... keep in mind i know nothing about hardware so i dont now what kind of power supply it is..all that i have figured out is that it is the power supply ... the guy at counter of course gives me a funny look ... how many girls walk in right when it opens and need a power supply but dont know what kind? ....anyways moving on .. I get it pay for it (arm and a leg plus 2 years servitude == 50 bucks) ... bring it back (along with the old one to put on my wall as a trophey)

Now I sit down in front of my comp and stare at it ... Im think to myself if i do this wrong i could prolly blow up the whole computer ...but I take a deep breath swallow my fear and jump in .... i play guess and check which one fits where with the wires ... looks like i got them all in ... so of course what do i do? I plug in the power cord and hit the power button and hope it starts up ...

It doesnt. I panick.

I look I douple check, yes everything is plugged in ... hard drives cdrom, motherboard ... ok so now what ?

OOPS!!! forgot to swith the power switch on the back to 'on' .... now i try power button in the front **BINGO** we have lift off ... so i shut it down add the case plug all the wires back in and im ready to go ...

Is this story over yet tho? NO!! of course not ... I watch it boot .... flppy drive not found ... DAMN! ok but it still loads ok so thats a good sign ... windows loads ... hell I even get on the internet ... so I reboot ... cross my fingers and hope it was a fluke .... nope it wasnt .... so i have crack the case ... again ... i check ... sure enough I forgot the power for the floppy ... pop it in try it again .... WOOOHOOOO I did it ....

In less than 4 hours I managed to replace the power supply in my computer ... which I know realize is pretty damn easy ... but with no instructions and no help and no clue what I was doing ... i think i did a damn good job ...

*bows and walks out of the thread*

btw ... its now 10 am ... i still havent slept so i think ill go pass out now ...

------------------
crapgreen</FONT c>

Edit: I didnt like the color ... so i changed it

[This message has been edited by FallenAngel (edited 02-07-2001).]

Dog Breath
02-07-2001, 03:33 PM
Good job FA!
I am sure we all can relate. Usually when I take something I am not familiar with apart it is spring loaded and half of the parts fly across the room upon opening. I then get to figure out how it goes back. I love a good puzzle.
You have it beat. On the user end the software is much more challenging. Just ask any one who has tried to set up an old parallel scanner or modems in Win 3 or 95. After about fourteen reboots you have something that almost works.
I have been using computers for a living on and off for sixteen years. All the old problems are gone and there are a dozen new ones to take their place.

What happened to the spell checker? Is it a bad link?

------------------
Woof.
If it's so sick, why are you laughing?
*insert ugly picture*

Mattdecay
02-07-2001, 08:43 PM
<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by Dog Breath:

Good job FA!
I am sure we all can relate.
[/quote]

I sure can...The first time I tried to add a freakin pci graphics card to my computer it took my 2 days and about 3 hours bugging the 800 number about it to realize that it didn't install the drivers the first time. DOH! No more voodoo. Ever.



------------------
Turning Japanese I think I'm turning Japansese I really think so.

Faceplant
02-07-2001, 08:53 PM
i deleted windows on my first 2 computers..then i learned.

------------------
<IMG SRC="http://www.geocities.com/ctbubba77/3rdcsa_ani.gif" border=0>

Strider
02-07-2001, 09:24 PM
And if after you page Rogue there is no resolution, you can always get him to get in touch with me.

heh

If I can fix his laptop, I can fix anything.

(Oh, btw, I have those updates for the easy access keys)

------------------
Spoooooooge
<IMG SRC="http://www.geocities.com/matiasjakobsen/red.gif" border=0>

FallenAngel
02-08-2001, 04:22 AM
thanx rw and strider you may wish you hadnt volunteered http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif hehehe i like to get myself in trouble when in comes to my comp http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/smile.gif ... especially since as soon as i have enough money i plan to experiment with building my next comp...


... but anyways I just woke up and my comp is still on so thats a really good thing hopefully i wont have any more major mishaps .....

------------------
crap