My computer (my last one) had frozen a few times & at times ran slower than I would have liked, then, one evening 3 months ago (while on the Internet) my computer froze again. I had to turn it off at the mains as I couldn't get it to respond at all. When I turned it back on again, it wouldn't re-boot as it had before. When I took it to get it checked out I was informed that it was probably the Mother board (totally wrecked)
I'm totally ignorant when it comes to the technical side of computers & wanted to get it fixed for my Son to use for his homework, but now I'm being told it's not possible. I wasn't sure if the technician was just fobbing me off hoping I'd just tell him to dispose of the computer, so I collected it & brought it back home as it's a decent machine.
Obviously I now have another computer to work from but, what could cause the Mother board to suddenly & un-expectantly just go like that? I've been told it was probably done by a virus.
2006-12-02 07:33:50 · 14 answers · asked by Funky 6 in Computers & Internet ➔ Other - Computers
The person that checked out my computer also said that it may be something silly inside the computer that had gone but he wasn't sure. I couldn't give him the re-boot disk as when I bought the computer my Rottweiler got hold of the disk & chewed it. (Yes I know!) I've kept the disks etc for my new computer up on the top shelf this time.
Would I need the re-boot disk in order to get my Computer up & running again or can it be re-booted some other way? I tend to be a bit suspicious, so when the technician said there was nothing he could do, I thought perhaps he was hoping I’d say not to worry & could he get rid of it for me. The computer was about 3 years old. Would it be possible do you think that if I wrote to Microsoft they’d provide me with another re-boot disk. The technician says it would cost an arm & a leg????
I'd really appreciate any light you could maybe throw on this for me. Also how much would it cost to replace the Mother board? Thanks so much for your help Guys.
2006-12-02 07:46:26 · update #1
Sorry to go on Guys, would it be possible to replace the Mother board & if it is, do you think it's worth doing. The computer was only 2&1/2 yrs old.
Also if a thunderstorm occurs should I turn off my computer? could a thunderstorm cause the Mother board to be fried??
2006-12-02 08:01:40 · update #2
When the computer froze & I tried to re-boot it a warning appeared saying "the operating system has failed due to an interupted mains supply??? What does that mean??
2006-12-02 08:29:34 · update #3
Ouch! Give up on the old pretty machine.
Your motherboard may have been fried. Which means other parts to the computer decided to charge it up with too much electricty and the Motherboard died. Static electrcity can effect things in your computer. Too much dust/dirt in the fan can also cause problems. Any liquids,.. and the very worse thing is,... if it's an eMachine because those like to break or catch fire (they are composed of experimental unreleased parts).
So don't bother with that old one,.. it might be messed up so no matter what you do things get fried or you get fried.
Added: When things go in a computer,.. that means they broke and can't be fixed. If your Motherboard is fried,.. a Boot Disk in that situation is like digging up a 3 year old corpse and trying to shock it back to life with paddles. The Motherboard is something flat that everything else is screwed and snapped into. When it gets frieds that tends to take out other things on it... so they are trash, too. A Motherboard is expensive, awkward,.. and can be sensitive to things like if you touch it with your bare hands. I have heard putting things in is easier now but in the past you had to put alot of things into the Motherboard and if even a tiny thing you wouldn't notice breaks or bends,.. that is ruined and the motherboard may be ruined to. There are some Motherboards with things already set up in them though that you might be able to get,.. however you will need to find out if they are compatible with your case,.. and you may end up loseing everything to more shock treatment from the Power Supply or just the charge in the metal parts in the case.
Added2: Get SURGE PROTECTORS for your computers for now on. They can be a Power strip. They are only good once and don't always work. This still won't be protection from every posible/likely senerio (you might want to turn off, unplug, and vaccum the back/fan of your computer some times to reduce this from happening again). Read my Added above,.. I babble about Motherboards. You need to makwe sure they are compatible with your Tower,.. but if your Power Supply was the source of these problems (which it likely was) it's just going to fry the next motherboard you put in,.. plus the metal in your tower may be charged (with electricity/static) already so that coule fry it. It would be better if you did not use that case/tower/computer again.
... Yes,.. a Thunder, Lightening, Electrical, White storm can fry your Motherboard. Use Surge Protectors or Power strips to try to slow down or stop that. It's recommended you still turn everything off and unplug everything during a storem if you want to be absolutely sure. But some of these storms are silent or last for a minute without any warning.
Added3: I don't know,.. it may mean one or two things are gone. There are batteries so if the Power supply is gone you still get a little bit of information,.. if the Hard Drive is gone,.. still some information/message,.. the motherboard,.. that would be ick. It sounds like your Power Supply went wonky and could have taken other things out,.. atleast partially. But I do not know your computer and motherboard personally so it could have had some specific meaning >.< Maybe someone will read your last add on that knows that type of Motherboard or Hard Drive well enough to tell you what exactly was wrong. But if it's complaining about the Supply >.> It makes one want to jump to conclusions or make a guess. Some times Video Cards have similar messages,.. but then you might not be able to see a message.
Added4: Okay,.. I can't even remember a full sentence at this point. Op would be Hard Drive, Supply might be Power. I am very tired and in pain and can't retain an entire sentence. So I am going to bed. Whatever you decide to do,.. avoid eMachines (they have caught fire for us and friends). And now I'm going to go sleep... upstairs,.. instead of passing out and hurting myself during the fall down here,
2006-12-02 07:45:12 · answer #1 · answered by sailortinkitty 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Doubt it was a virus, even if it was, try this.... make sure the PC is connected to the mains, but switched off. Open the PC, with one hand on the chassis (keeps you grounded) look inside, identify the CMOS battery. This is a silver coin cell, maybe the size of a 20 p piece. Carefully remove it, go get a cup of coffee. When you have had your coffee, hold the case as before, then reinstall the battery. This has the effect of reverting all the BIOS settings to default, failsafe start. Some real nasty virii can attack your bios. If it starts, you may get all sorts of warnings, but follow the advice given on screen. Make sure at this time you have no floppies in, or usb devices connected, as they can freeze a startup. For the future, get a surge arrestor socket, Firewall (free from Zone Labs) and an up to date anti-virus.
2006-12-02 15:51:11 · answer #2 · answered by johncob 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It definitely wasn't a virus, a virus isn't going to do damage to your hardware, if the tech guy told you that a virus fried your motherboard he's trying to scam you, take it to somebody else.
However it is possible for motherboards to go bad, and it would probably happen all of a sudden, could have been a power surge in your electricity line, especially if you didn't have your computer hooked up to a surge protector or uninterpretable power supply, or if its an older computer the mother board could have just worn out and failed.
2006-12-02 15:42:24 · answer #3 · answered by Christopher J 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like you've found a cowboy .
The thing that usually destroys a motherboard is more ofter than not is a power surge.
Viruses cannot damage a motherboard.
Try a reputable computer shop E.g. Not PC World and see what they say. From the symptoms you've described it might only be a failed power supply and if your in luck, the fuse blew in it, before the motherboard was damaged. Oh a power supply should cost between £20 & £50, it just depends on what kind it is.
2006-12-02 15:54:59 · answer #4 · answered by quartzstar 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
1) Use a surge protector from a pc store. They start from a tenner, get a proper one that takes your modem as well to protect you from lightning strikes up the phone line.
2) Always unplug during a thunderstorm.
3) Your power supply failed; it could be that the motherboard is bust but it would have made most sense for him to try a new power supply first. Try somewhere else.
4) Furniture spray polish can kill your motherboard as it contains silicon which coats the board.
2006-12-03 11:29:50 · answer #5 · answered by sarah c 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The problem you have is that the motherboard is connected to, and controls all the other components. If the motherboard has failed, it may have also fried your processor and your ram and your graphics card. If I was you I'd just take it to another computer shop and get a second opinion.
Any components in your computer can fail, just like they can in your TV or DVD player, or any other electronic item. Often it's something small that's worth about 20p, but it's beyond most people to know how to fix them.
2006-12-02 19:48:47 · answer #6 · answered by nigel h 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It could be either it was physically damaged or it is full of dust bunnies. A few days ago, I aciddentally kicked my computer and it wouldn't start up. My dad had to go in and make sure all the parts were held together.
2006-12-02 15:43:22 · answer #7 · answered by apersonwholikescheese 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the technician told you a virus destroyed your motherboard, this is not possible.
I would find a qualified technician not a cowboy. See if anyone you know has used a good one.
2006-12-02 15:43:27 · answer #8 · answered by uptousuk 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Was there a thunderstorm nearby? Did somesort of liquid seep through? Was there alot of dust? Did you clean off the dust? Maybe you scratched something.
2006-12-02 15:40:58 · answer #9 · answered by YabbaDabbaGirl 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A virus can't damage your computer's hardware.
What happens when you setup the computer and power it on? Do you hear a beep? Do you hear fans spinning up? What, if anything, do you see on the screen?
You'll get a better answer if you provide more information.
2006-12-02 15:51:05 · answer #10 · answered by Paul G 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋