# Computer Dead from Electrical Surge: Options? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-dead-from-electrical-surge-options/720196 "2015-05-16T21:32:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-dead-from-electrical-surge-options/720196/1 "2015-05-16T21:32:43Z")
My computer is totally dead as a result of an electrical surge (the computer was on and OK when I went to bed, I woke up in the middle of the night from thunder, it was totally dead in the morning–and the post office a block away lost its modem that same night). What are the probabilities as to what components have malfunctioned (people mention power supply, graphics card, motherboard…). Can you check without sophisticated equipment? This is a several year old desktop PC with a used market value of maybe $125 on eBay. Is is worth attempting to repair? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-dead-from-electrical-surge-options/720196/2 "2015-05-16T21:55:17Z")
If you’re lucky, it’s just the power supply. Maybe even just the fuse (which may or may not be easy to replace). New power supplies are $25 or so, so probably worth a shot… ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-dead-from-electrical-surge-options/720196/3 "2015-05-16T22:02:59Z")
There is a little green light on the motherboard which blinks. This means it couldn’t be a fuse, correct? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-dead-from-electrical-surge-options/720196/4 "2015-05-16T22:21:58Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > There is a little green light on the motherboard which blinks. This means it couldn’t be a fuse, correct? Yeah, that probably means your power supply is OK (or at least not totally dead). Do the fans spin up (even momentarily) when you turn the machine on? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-dead-from-electrical-surge-options/720196/5 "2015-05-16T22:33:01Z")
No, nothing except that little green blinking light. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-dead-from-electrical-surge-options/720196/6 "2015-05-16T22:45:25Z")
Do you have a voltmeter? There are some basic tests you can do to check the power supply. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-dead-from-electrical-surge-options/720196/7 "2015-05-17T01:18:42Z")
Yes. I did the basic tests with the green and black wire connected with a paper clip and the fan turned on and the voltages seem to be OK. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-dead-from-electrical-surge-options/720196/8 "2015-05-17T01:48:11Z")
Well, that’s bad. I suppose you could have something as simple as a dead NVRAM battery, but it’s much more likely that your motherboard is fried, possibly from some peripheral cable (Ethernet, Modem, etc.). I’d write it off, and take the hard drive out in the hope that it is undamaged. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-dead-from-electrical-surge-options/720196/9 "2015-05-17T02:51:13Z")
Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-dead-from-electrical-surge-options/720196/10 "2015-05-17T02:51:38Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Well, that’s bad. > I suppose you could have something as simple as a dead NVRAM battery, but it’s much more likely that your motherboard is fried, possibly from some peripheral cable (Ethernet, Modem, etc.). > > I’d write it off, and take the hard drive out in the hope that it is undamaged. I had this happen, motherboard was fried. As suggested, I pulled the hard drive and mounted it in an external case, works great, didn’t lose anything!