- Has anyone ever heard of this?
- Posted by sf on December 23rd, 2003
Can a memory chip be bad enough to fry a motherboard? I
mean it was smokin' and the computer is inoperable now.
It happened right after a friend installed extra RAM and the
board fried as soon as he booted up. Logically, it seems
impossible - but there seems to be no better explanation....
unless you've got one.
TIA
Practice safe eating - always use condiments
- Posted by Denise on December 23rd, 2003
unplug the system while installing. The tech wasn't so
sure either that she wasn't installing too much RAM and
didn't blow up the system. (She didn't take the RAM piece
in with her)
Dee
- Posted by Ron Martell on December 23rd, 2003
sf <nobody@pipeline.com> wrote:
It could, if it was a defective or damaged module to begin with, or if
it was the wrong type of module for that motherboard and it was forced
into the RAM socket.
Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
- Posted by Gary S. Terhune on December 23rd, 2003
Only a competent tech can say for sure, sf. But odds are the mobo is now nothing
more than a rather ugly paperweight.
What caused the "fry" is irrelevant at this point. The board needs to be
inspected *very* closely for damage, and even that is only to rule out the
obvious. The only way to know for sure is to use some old, known-good,
known-compatible RAM (that you're willing to risk), it could be tried once more.
--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP for Windows 9x
*Recommended Help Sites*
http://www.dts-l.org
http://www.mvps.org
http://www.aumha.org
How to Use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups
http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=newswhelp
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"sf" <nobody@pipeline.com> wrote in message
news:afahuvoj0vl73dkusurhq6jkq582rn7va2@4ax.com...
- Posted by sf on December 24th, 2003
On Tue, 23 Dec 2003 13:18:01 -0800, "Gary S. Terhune"
<grystnews@mvps.org> wrote:
The concensus is that it's easier to replace it without an
autopsy... but I contine to wonder what the cause was.
Practice safe eating - always use condiments
- Posted by Gary S. Terhune on December 24th, 2003
Yes, well so would I--and I'd even venture an opinion if I could actually lay
eyes (and fingers, testers, etc.) on it. Short of visual inspection, it would be
impossible.
I wouldn't waste another stick of RAM on it unless I had one to waste, though.
--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP for Windows 9x
*Recommended Help Sites*
http://www.dts-l.org
http://www.mvps.org
http://www.aumha.org
How to Use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups
http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=newswhelp
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"sf" <nobody@pipeline.com> wrote in message
news:6vgiuvgjvhmkmi3lml3b5p6m85khtrq7c6@4ax.com...
- Posted by Haggis on December 24th, 2003
I've had a bad stick of RAM ....booted to a blank screen and smelled smoke ,
luckly I pulled the powercord FAST and the MB was not damaged.
"Ron Martell" <ron@onlinehelp.bc.ca> wrote in message
news:nobhuvcef3drujcq4434v5j1rlfvbj4vs1@4ax.com...
- Posted by Marshall on January 2nd, 2004
"Denise" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
news:017401c3c998$b188f260$a501280a@phx.gbl:
I have always worked on my mb with the computer plugged in. The plug
provides a ground and if you keep one hand on the chassie then you dont
static nothing. I of course never use metal tools on it when it is
pluged in and never go near the powersupply with anything. I may be
living on the edge but I never had to use a static free site or wrist
band and have yet to fry any parts. Yet.......
- Posted by cquirke (MVP Win9x) on January 2nd, 2004
On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 03:13:27 -0000, Marshall
That used to be good practice (from the hardware's perspective; *you*
could get fried though <g> ).
But it's a bad idea in the age of ATX, where the "off" switch leaves
the PC's internal circuitry powered up and vulnerable.
