My computer just blew

I switched on my other computer which happens to be my main one and there was a big bang and smell. It is not the plug because I changed the lead but it still won't work. Is it the fuse in the computer and where will I find it? What would have caused it as I was using it earlier?

MorseLady, your power supply has just failed. When you have a catastrophic failure (i.e. pops, bangs, smoke, sparks, etc.) the chances become fairly high that you may have components such as the mainboard, CPU, memory, or other devices damaged as well.

Oh no! I have got stuff on there I have not backed up recently. The machine is still under warranty. I had a three year warranty and it is in it's final year which is RTB. It might be easier to take it to the local shop at least to get them to check it out then if it's an expensive repair I will send it back to Evesham who incidentally are winding up oir something.

There was just a brief puff of smoke and the smell soon went. Funny thing my bungalow is on a trip system and usually the slightest thing trips the switch.

I have had such a fabulous day too, now it's spoilt, what a pity :sad:

Some free advice from a non-tech:

IF you take that under-warranty computer to 'a shop' you may void your warranty.

You have the option of TELLING Evesham to put a NEW hard drive in that comp and leave the old one ALONE and fix the other problems BECAUSE you want your data intact. Otherwise, many times they R&R the operating system while doing warranty repairs and goodbye stuff-you-wanted-to-save.


:)

If the system is under warranty, the first thing you should do is contact the manufacturer. You need to make a point of discussing your need to recover data from the drive. Some vendors will be receptive and work with you, others won't. No professional technician or service organization will accept the responsiblity of guaranteeing your hard drive's data integrity. It's impossible for them to do so, and thus everyone in the business has a disclaimer about it.

Once you know what the vendor is willing to do for you, then you can make an informed decision about how to proceed with repairs. For what it's worth, it is extremely rare to have a power supply failure damage a hard drive to the point where it won't function, and thus require extreme measures to recover data from it.

Just replace the power supply yourself. It's very easy to do. Power supplies are not expensive.

I cannot do it myself because I am scared of electricity and because I have problems with my fingers. I would rather pay someone to do it.

If I return it under warranty I risk losing it because Evesham are in administration or something and I might just as well pay the local shop than pay the freight charges and also I have nothing to pack it in and cannot handle the packing. It is too heavy to carry to the car and from the car to the shop. I can't lift it high enough to get in the car even if I back the car right up to the bungalow. I am 66 with a bad back.

Morselady, if you're not in a position to attempt any work yourself, then I think yes, it might be best to get the system looked at locally first. (If the case is sealed with an anti-tamper strip, then opening it without Evesham's permission would void your warranty.) If just the PSU has failed, then it should not be a costly repair if the repairer is trustworthy. Also, if no damage has been done to the hard drive(s), but the system still needed to go to Evesham (maybe a motherboard fault), they would be able to copy off your unsaved data for you as well.

Someone in the UK may know whether Evesham carry their own Extended Warranty, or use an underwriting service. If it's the latter & we can find out who it is, it might be possible to deal through them, or one of their designated repairers, rather than Evesham themselves.

All excellent points, Platypus. Which is exactly why MorseLady needs to contact her vendor first.

Thank you everyone who has contributed advice on this one.

Under the terms of the Evesham Warranty you are allowed to open the case and there is no tamper seal and indeed when this spare computer I am using now which I inherited from my late husband developed a fault the tech who came here even showed me how to open the case. He also said I am allowed to upgrade cards and memory but that if the machine ever needed fixing under Warranty I would have to restore it to it's original configuration.

However things have changed and according to a UK magazine called PC Pro Evehsam have gone into Administration. I do not care about reassurances I am not prepared to let them have it and risk having it impounded by the Administrators or just lost during a takeover. The On Site part of the Warranty has run out and it has a few months RTB to run. I did find them helpful before so I will contact them and explain that I am a pensioner fairly recently widowed with no family to help and who cannot carry the thing let alone pack it and see if they will agree to come out. If they say no I will take it to an excellent little shop nearby, I know they will carry it out of my car and I will have to ask someone here to put it in the car for me. We have Builders in the road and I am friendly with the Managers, maybe one of them will carry it for me. I have used the shop before when the PSU on one of my older machines went and they put the machine in a brand new case and it was very cheap and a better PSU. I have known them for years and I bought a couple of ex corporate machines from them in the late 1990s and I used to chat about my IT Pro aspirations with the very knowleable Lady co Proprietor whenever I went in there for a connector or something and the techs have been there for years. I know they will protect my data so long as the hard drive has not gone, I trust them.

Evesham administered their own Warranties but I am not sure what the situation is now they have been taken over or something. Maybe Noo Noo can find out?

I will get back to you when I have more information. Today is a Public Holiday in the UK so I cannot do anything.

This spare computer has the same M/Bd and almost the same spec and same memory but slightly less Processor power, smaller video card and on board sound only. Like my main computer the one this topic is about it was bought using an online configurator in Spring 2005. I have most of my data backed up on DVD but I bought a 9 megapixel bridge camera a few weeks ago and I have gigabytes of stuff from it which I have not got round to saving yet and some of it is special and it's that I am worried about. There are also some emails sent and received and copies of letters I have sent by snail mail I have saved on there which I need and website updates I have backed up.

I promise I will look into dynamic backing up and not just when I think about it :D I have let things go a bit since losing my Husband but I must get my act together again :)

I don't know what that magazine that said Evesham has gone into administration is on about but I have just been to their website and they are selling stuff and business as normal.

http://www.evesham.com/default.asp?e...34BA93EE0#home

Just sent them an email and had an automated response with this info at the top

GeeMore Technology Ltd t/a Evesham Technology - Registered office; Vale Park, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 1TD - Registered Number 6319550 - VAT

so looks like my Warranty will be honoured. The email says they will get back within two days.

Evidently they intend to continue to operate:

http://www.channelregister.co.uk/200...istration_dte/

Administrators are brought in when a company wishes to get sorted out & try to trade out of difficulties, rather than winding up or selling out.

Thank you for the link and I have read the article. It is very sad because I found them very supportive on the few occasions I needed to contact them and indeed before we bought our computers. The tech who came here to fix the spare/was my husband's computer was very polite and helpful and better than the one who came from PC World (UK) to fix my Advent/EI a few years ago.

I still feel it would be foolish to let them have my computer because just being in Administration is a volatile process, I know I have worked in the legal profession and it looks like they will not have the finance to send someone here when the Warranty is now on its RTB phase anyway so I am now prepared to have to pay to have it fixed at my local shop.

Thanks again everyone.

I have just had an email from Evesham to the effect that they will extend the RTB part of the Warranty to On Site and get someone round here no charge.

I guess the administrators want to keep the good name of Evesham and this is very reassuring.

Thanks again everyone.

That's great news MorseLady. Hope they sort it out for you quick-smart.