Foreward: I got a 2.2 GHz Celeron yesterday (Custom-built..Hey, Celeron at 2-ish range is cheap)

Anyway, I turned on my old computer (The one I've used since right at the time I registered at SO), and it started making weird noises, including popping and crackling. A couple seconds later, smoke started coming out the front end, along with a burning smell.

And my 2 GB of files I was gonna burn (LOL) are still on that computer (Including a website I run for someone, All of my Music files, including some TV music I worked my blank off to get), all of my non-school documents...Everything.

I REALLY hope the Hard DRive is salvageable....But, the mobo (Motherboard) is dead. There's an entire section of the board that's warped and distorted somewhat (to to mention COMPLETELY dust-free)....Memory's also definitely trashed (The frying happened in the area of the memory [No, I haven't performed any memory upgrades today])

That's terrible! I know you had planned to get a new computer, and I'm glad you did (just in time, too!), but it's always terrible when a computer dies on you...Uggg. I hope you can salvage what was on your computer... I had a computer die on me back in November. It was fine one day...then I turned it on, and it went through the BIOS screen, then reset itself over and over again...then finally it just stopped. It doesn't start up at all. I had a bunch of files I was going to move onto disk and I had files from school on it, too...that happened four months ago, and I haven't been able to figure out how to get my stuff back...I still have that computer...Uggg.


Cheers to you and your new computer :D

Glad you got a new one. Mine is 2.4 GHz.

I'm not a computer expert on memory, so I'll leave it up to someone else to tell you if you can get that stuff out. There has to be some way.

Originally posted by Seth Thrasher
Foreward: I got a 2.2 GHz Celeron yesterday (Custom-built..Hey, Celeron at 2-ish range is cheap)

Anyway, I turned on my old computer (The one I've used since right at the time I registered at SO), and it started making weird noises, including popping and crackling. A couple seconds later, smoke started coming out the front end, along with a burning smell.

And my 2 GB of files I was gonna burn (LOL) are still on that computer (Including a website I run for someone, All of my Music files, including some TV music I worked my blank off to get), all of my non-school documents...Everything.

I REALLY hope the Hard DRive is salvageable....But, the mobo (Motherboard) is dead. There's an entire section of the board that's warped and distorted somewhat (to to mention COMPLETELY dust-free)....Memory's also definitely trashed (The frying happened in the area of the memory [No, I haven't performed any memory upgrades today]) That is why I always send the files I really want to different email accounts.

Originally posted by Miss Vicki
I had a bunch of files I was going to move onto disk and I had files from school on it, too...that happened four months ago, and I haven't been able to figure out how to get my stuff back...I still have that computer...
take out the hard drive and slave it in your new pc

Originally posted by robyrob
take out the hard drive and slave it in your new pc

How? And which one's the hard drive? :lol:

Originally posted by Miss Vicki
How? And which one's the hard drive? :lol: http://www.helpwithpcs.com/upgrading/install-hard-drive.htm
http://www.techtv.com/callforhelp/howto/story/0,24330,3322450,00.html
http://www.harddriveupgrade.com/
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,47370,pg,4,00.asp

its a LOT easier than you'd think, but read up on it a bit first, you will probably need to change the jumper on the back of your old drive from "Master" to "Slave" or "Channel Select", other than that it should be easy (well not much harder than adding RAM)

my laptop is basically dead. after being at the repair shop for a total of about 7 months in the last year, it still has problems. i dont even want it anymore. i told my dad to just stop trying to get it fixed but he keeps paying to have it fixed even though its a hopeless piece of crap.

Originally posted by robyrob
http://www.helpwithpcs.com/upgrading/install-hard-drive.htm
http://www.techtv.com/callforhelp/howto/story/0,24330,3322450,00.html
http://www.harddriveupgrade.com/
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,47370,pg,4,00.asp

its a LOT easier than you'd think, but read up on it a bit first, you will probably need to change the jumper on the back of your old drive from "Master" to "Slave" or "Channel Select", other than that it should be easy (well not much harder than adding RAM)

Thanks :)

Originally posted by safety pin
my laptop is basically dead. after being at the repair shop for a total of about 7 months in the last year, it still has problems. i dont even want it anymore. i told my dad to just stop trying to get it fixed but he keeps paying to have it fixed even though its a hopeless piece of crap.

My last computer was a piece of crap, well actually, more than that, when we got rid of the *^$# It would freeze up every 5 minutes during it's final 8 months or so and it was just so annoying. You couldn't enjoy being on the computer.

In my case, I have an issue of the proximity of the meltdown to the Disk Drive. I'm just concerned that it could have seriously blanked up the disk drive in what time it did burn, in which putting said drive in my new comp would be a BAD thing. If the HD isn't screwed up (There's a local test computer for these things), I'm gonna just temporarily attach it to my new comp, move my files, and then call it a day (I have zero intentions of buying a new mobo, memory, vid card (Old was integrated...too lazy to put new in), sound card (See VC explanation), processor (Since the old mobo was extremely old), etc etc. (I still plan to salvage ANY parts not damaged, but I know the Mobo is dead)

Originally posted by Seth Thrasher
I know, quite well, how to connect my HD to the new comp. That isn't the issue. The issue, is the proximity of the meltdown to the Disk Drive. I'm just concerned that it could have seriously blanked up the disk drive in what time it did burn, in which putting said drive in my new comp would be a BAD thing. it COULD have damaged the drive, i'm hoping that you would have unplugged it as soon as you saw smoke, but that may not have been enough....

however, you could try getting an ide-to-usb adapter to connect the drive to your new computer safely -visually inspect the bottom of the drive, if there are any signs of burning or damage call the pros (www.drivesavers.com etc)

IF it doesn't read the drive i would suggest putting your hard drive in a ziplock bag in the freezer for a couple of hours, then hook it up - this will stabilize the platters and give you a better chance of getting the data off intact...

I had a dream that our TV started to smoke, but I didn't know they could actually do that. :eek:

Also in case you don't already know before you touch anything inside your computer you should always discharge static electricity from your body as that it what fries parts of the computer and the best way to do this is to wear an anti static wrist strap found at Radio Shack.

I successfully upgraded from 128 MB RAM to 1024 MB (1 GB) RAM it's been two weeks now since I did that and I havn't had any problems.

My sister thought she was so smart (this was about 2 years ago) and opened our old computer cause she was going to do something to it I don't remember what. She opened it on the carpet (a no no) didn't ground herself (another no no) did what ever she was doing didn't screw the cover back on (another no no) used a magnetic screwdriver (no no) and plugged it back into the wall and started the computer back up and continued to use it with the cover not properly screwed on. 1 week later the computer dies. They get a new one 2 months later my brother shorts out the cord on the mouse we take it to the computer shop where the guy finds 9 viruses on with my brothers name on it in his files, installs Norton gets rid of the viruses and gets us a new mouse. Then we bring the first computer in and find out the modem was fried we gave that computer to my mom's boyfriend who paid for the repairs and also got a cd burner installed on it. I now have my own computer it is now 1 year old.

Yay...My HD survived the debacle. Got all my files transferred

Originally posted by dawsongirl
I had a dream that our TV started to smoke, but I didn't know they could actually do that. :eek:

Oh yes they can. I think just about anything that uses electricity can do that.

I think TV's do that when they overheat?

Originally posted by Seth Thrasher
Yay...My HD survived the debacle. Got all my files transferred cool - luckier than most

i have seen some pc's in pretty bad shape - including laptops melted to slag and a couple that burst into flames

Originally posted by Brent88
My last computer was a piece of crap, well actually, more than that, when we got rid of the *^$# It would freeze up every 5 minutes during it's final 8 months or so and it was just so annoying. You couldn't enjoy being on the computer.


My computer does that now when I turn it on. If I don't hurry up and click the blue E before it's finished loading it'll freeze up. Sometimes it'll do it while it's connecting to the internet. Is my computer getting ready to die too?

Originally posted by tanquant
My computer does that now when I turn it on. If I don't hurry up and click the blue E before it's finished loading it'll freeze up. Sometimes it'll do it while it's connecting to the internet. Is my computer getting ready to die too? clean out any spyware and viruses - or just reinstall Windows,

open up the case and blow out the dust with a can of air, making sure to blow out the power-supply fan (do this outside - it will be dirty) try not to touch anything inside the case - static electricity from your hands is bad so ground yourself by touching the metal of the case or using an anti-static strap

with the case still open, plug everything in and turn it on to see if the processor fan and power supply fan are still working - shut it down and replace the case

computers dont usually die of old age - they die of neglect

Thank you so much robyrob :) It works sooooo much better now.


:yourock: :thanks: :clap :clap

Originally posted by safety pin
my laptop is basically dead. after being at the repair shop for a total of about 7 months in the last year, it still has problems. i dont even want it anymore. i told my dad to just stop trying to get it fixed but he keeps paying to have it fixed even though its a hopeless piece of crap.
Well well well. i got it back from the computer place today after it had been in there for several weeks... and guess what? it's still a useless piece of ****. :clap:

Originally posted by safety pin
Well well well. i got it back from the computer place today after it had been in there for several weeks... and guess what? it's still a useless piece of ****. :clap:

:rofl:

Sometimes I wonder if computers are really worth it.