Tomforbes10
asked on
Desktop broken after USB power surge, still starts up but that is all
(I would set the difficulty to 500 points, but i do not have enough points for this. Sorry! But please still awnser)
Hello. My name is Tom Forbes.
I have had a HP pc for about 2 years now.
I was in my study with my PC recently, and i needed to get some work of my Pen Drive. Now i have 4 USB ports, all filled with;
Keyboard
Speakers (powered off USB)
Mouse
and extra slot for my iPod or memory stick, always filled.
I just put my memory stick in, and a balloon popped up on the Icon section of the taskbar, saying somthing along the lines of:
"Power surge
Usb port 'somthing' has taken to much power"
(i cannot remember all of it, because i did not pay it to much attention).
As i read it, the screen started flickering (it was a CRT one), and going realy slow. i moved the mouse and it moved in jolts, sort of Start, Stop, Start, Stop ect.
Then the screen went black. The PC was still on, but there was no display. I have a grpahics card that i brought, so my first assumption was that that had blown. i took it out and tried again, but same result. Nothing.
I have taken it down to a local 'computer guy' down the road, who works for a company called Systematic.
They had a look at it and poked around with it, but were stumped. They had no idea what was wrong with it.
I have tried:
New monitor
New Graphics card
New Hard Drive
The only clue is this:
I set in the BIOS that when the power is cut turn back on as soon as it is restored. It no longer does this.
I have taken the Hard drive out and tried it on another PC, and it is flawless. No damage, no data loss.
I think it might be the motherboard, but i wanted to know if anyone out there has any ideas.
p.s i will be ENTERNALY in your debt if you can awnser this question.
Thanks, Tom
Hello. My name is Tom Forbes.
I have had a HP pc for about 2 years now.
I was in my study with my PC recently, and i needed to get some work of my Pen Drive. Now i have 4 USB ports, all filled with;
Keyboard
Speakers (powered off USB)
Mouse
and extra slot for my iPod or memory stick, always filled.
I just put my memory stick in, and a balloon popped up on the Icon section of the taskbar, saying somthing along the lines of:
"Power surge
Usb port 'somthing' has taken to much power"
(i cannot remember all of it, because i did not pay it to much attention).
As i read it, the screen started flickering (it was a CRT one), and going realy slow. i moved the mouse and it moved in jolts, sort of Start, Stop, Start, Stop ect.
Then the screen went black. The PC was still on, but there was no display. I have a grpahics card that i brought, so my first assumption was that that had blown. i took it out and tried again, but same result. Nothing.
I have taken it down to a local 'computer guy' down the road, who works for a company called Systematic.
They had a look at it and poked around with it, but were stumped. They had no idea what was wrong with it.
I have tried:
New monitor
New Graphics card
New Hard Drive
The only clue is this:
I set in the BIOS that when the power is cut turn back on as soon as it is restored. It no longer does this.
I have taken the Hard drive out and tried it on another PC, and it is flawless. No damage, no data loss.
I think it might be the motherboard, but i wanted to know if anyone out there has any ideas.
p.s i will be ENTERNALY in your debt if you can awnser this question.
Thanks, Tom
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SOLUTION
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Gary Case
... just reviewed your question again => and surely the local PC shop already tried the "no USB devices" bit; so it's more than just a USB controller issue. But, as PCBONEZ also noted, it's unusual for a USB power overload to blow more than the controller chip ... so I'd rate your likely problem as: (1) most likely: the power supply; and if that's not it, then (2) the motherboard (you were simply unlucky enough that more than the USB controller got "fried").
ASKER
They proberbly have tried it...
It boots, its just the screen (even if it is plugged in) does not read the PC. it is as if it is not plugged into the visual output port.
My PC does have a keyboard and mouse port, just i dont have one that pluggs into them....
They have done a voltage check, and it says its normal voltage....
If this helps, here is the link to the HP model page:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/product?product=439672&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&lang=en&cc=us
It boots, its just the screen (even if it is plugged in) does not read the PC. it is as if it is not plugged into the visual output port.
My PC does have a keyboard and mouse port, just i dont have one that pluggs into them....
They have done a voltage check, and it says its normal voltage....
If this helps, here is the link to the HP model page:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/product?product=439672&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&lang=en&cc=us
"... It boots ..." ==> Okay. Do you get a display with the on-board video (instead of the video card) ??
"... My PC does have a keyboard and mouse port, just i dont have one that plugs into them ..." ==> Then borrow one or buy one; they're VERY inexpensive these days [for example: http://www.misco.co.uk/productinformation/~90660~WW~/Misco%20Saver%20Keyboard%20Black.htm and http://www.misco.co.uk/productinformation/~90646~WW~/MiscoSaver%20Laser%20Mouse.htm (the keyboard is PS/2; the mouse is USB but comes with a PS/2 adapter) ]
Try clearing your CMOS memory => the most reliable way to do this is to unplug the PC; then remove the CMOS battery (small round "coin cell" battery on the motherboard) for about ten minutes; then replace it, plug in the PC, and see if that helps.
Also, even without a PS/2 keyboard or mouse ... try booting with NOTHING plugged into the USB ports and see if your monitor displays anything at all (like a "Keyboard failure" message). Try that with the monitor connected to the video card and to the onboard video. [Note: Do NOT "hot plug" the monitor --> turn the PC off before changing the connections]
"... My PC does have a keyboard and mouse port, just i dont have one that plugs into them ..." ==> Then borrow one or buy one; they're VERY inexpensive these days [for example: http://www.misco.co.uk/productinformation/~90660~WW~/Misco%20Saver%20Keyboard%20Black.htm and http://www.misco.co.uk/productinformation/~90646~WW~/MiscoSaver%20Laser%20Mouse.htm (the keyboard is PS/2; the mouse is USB but comes with a PS/2 adapter) ]
Try clearing your CMOS memory => the most reliable way to do this is to unplug the PC; then remove the CMOS battery (small round "coin cell" battery on the motherboard) for about ten minutes; then replace it, plug in the PC, and see if that helps.
Also, even without a PS/2 keyboard or mouse ... try booting with NOTHING plugged into the USB ports and see if your monitor displays anything at all (like a "Keyboard failure" message). Try that with the monitor connected to the video card and to the onboard video. [Note: Do NOT "hot plug" the monitor --> turn the PC off before changing the connections]
ASKER
Yes, it could be called abandonded. I am not interested in it any more.
I kinda.... dropped the PC out of the window and then burnt it and shot it.
Fix that!
Thanks for all the comments though. Much apreciated.
I kinda.... dropped the PC out of the window and then burnt it and shot it.
Fix that!
Thanks for all the comments though. Much apreciated.