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| Thread ID: 58382 | 2005-05-30 03:15:00 | Compaq turns on, fans on high, nothing else works | JasonB (8240) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 359883 | 2005-05-30 03:15:00 | New here and I know little about computers . I'm running off a network, sister next door has the cable modem and a switchboard(?), the ethernet cable comes to my house to my router and goes to my main pc and to a piece of junk in the living room . A lightning storm came wednesday, my girlfriend shut off the power strips with surge protectors on the good computer, but forgot to unplug the ethernet cable . The cable companies modem next door got fried along with the switch board (router?) . At my house everything works except for my good computer . When I turn it on all the fans run at full speed, they rarely did this before, now this is all that happens . No monitor display, the monitor works with the laptop . It's a compaq presario SR1012NX, it's about a year old . It has everything integrated into the motherboard except for a phone modem (which was not plugged in) and the memory card . Someone suggested to me to install a video card, it has a slot for one, but if thats the problem won't the intgrated video card still give problems? What would cause the fans to run full blast and nothing else? :@@: :help: |
JasonB (8240) | ||
| 359884 | 2005-05-30 03:28:00 | If the ethernet cable was plugged in at the time the lightning arrived, then its likely taken out the ethernet adapter at a minimum. If everything (including the ethernet adapter) is integrated into the motherboard, that could be the end of the motherboard. Fans often run at full speed for the very short period that the computer starts to boot. As its not booting, they remain running. Just remember if you replace the motherboard with a non Compaq replacement, you probably cannot reinstall Windows from your Compaq CD, which will be locked to the old motherboard. |
godfather (25) | ||
| 359885 | 2005-05-30 03:53:00 | Thanks for your reply. You're right, the fans would turn on high for a second at first when it was working. ' Now there are five unused card slots in the mother board, what are the chances of plugging in a ethernet card (or whatever it's called) it still won't work right? because the bad ethernet adapter is still there? Probably a dumb question. Nothing on the mother board looks fried FWIW. |
JasonB (8240) | ||
| 359886 | 2005-05-30 04:00:00 | But I don't see how plugging in an ethernet card will make it boot? As you say the fried components are still there and unremoveable (plus the fault could have gone right through them into other components. Long ethernet cables are very effective at transmitting lightning surges into computers. And its common not to have visible damage. Hopefully you are covered by insurance? |
godfather (25) | ||
| 359887 | 2005-05-30 04:38:00 | Well no insurance . I might have a warranty through radioshack but I ' m trying to avoid them . ' I got this computer in exchange for a very long wait time getting my last one repaired only to get it back with a new motherboard and no place to plug the on switch into, or at least it wasn ' t plugged in . I got on the phone and complained so much they told me to take it to the nearest store and pick up a new one . Now that repair center has closed down and the newest one is further away so I ' m guessing I ' m looking at a two month turn around on this, seriously . Thanks for your help . |
JasonB (8240) | ||
| 359888 | 2005-05-30 04:42:00 | I agree with GF, if it was only your ethernet adapter that got fried, it would still boot . It's a little more serious, probably a lot more . If you have another (newish) machine you can test components in, one at a time, you can figure out what you can salvage . |
Murray P (44) | ||
| 359889 | 2005-05-30 04:50:00 | And guarantees don't usually cover lightning strikes. They cover hardware faults which are due to "preventable" causes. | Graham L (2) | ||
| 359890 | 2005-05-30 07:10:00 | And guarantees don't usually cover lightning strikes . They cover hardware faults which are due to "preventable" causes . Hmmmm . . . . . . . . . . . There is no guarantee that it was the lightning strike, and I doubt that the service company will have either the technology or technical capacity to prove that it was . Although you may strongly suspect that it was lightning, it is not your obligation to diagnose that for them . If they come back to you and say they have found exploded chips and flashover damage that could only come from lightning then you have pretty much lost the fight, but until then I'd say nothing . I would just bundle it up as a dead computer under warranty and see what happens . Two months is too long for resolution too . Yep, it's that dratted CGA again, you are entitled to prompt repair or prompt replacement . Don't let them string you along . One to two weeks is more than enough time, it's only a computer, not some hi-tech thingy that requires component-level service . Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 359891 | 2005-05-30 07:22:00 | Yep, it's that dratted CGA again, you are entitled to prompt repair or prompt replacement. Don't let them string you along. One to two weeks is more than enough time, it's only a computer, not some hi-tech thingy that requires component-level service.Check out the laws (CGA = Consumer Guarantees Act) which apply in your country, they may be different to New Zealand's. :) | Jen (38) | ||
| 359892 | 2005-05-30 12:21:00 | Check out the laws (CGA = Consumer Guarantees Act) which apply in your country, they may be different to New Zealand's. :) Yeah! hadn't noticed a Radioshack in my area lately. You never know though. BT's advice is still relevant though. |
Murray P (44) | ||
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