Need help, not sure where to put this

[Servius]

Hi all,

First, let me say that I know this topic probably doesn't belong in this forum, but I'm not sure which forum I should post it in. It's so damned odd, I'm kinda scatterbrained. This is entirely hardware related and in no way related to a total war game. It's just that the folks here are usually nice and helpful, and this was the first place I thought of to seek some general direction.

Here's the short of it. I just plugged my headphone and attached mic plugs into the front panel of my desktop and the computer instantly shut down. Like, instantly, as if I'd pulled the plug. And now I can't get it to start again.

I've unplugged everything from the tower save the actual power plug. When it's plugged in and the power supply switch is on, the little green light on the motherboard turns on, but when I push the ON button, nothing happens.

The few websites I've checked out that mention similar things always seem to suspect some kind of short, but the person with the problem can actually use their computer so long as they don't plug in the headphones. Mine seems completely dead (save for that little green light).

I've even unplugged all the cords that lead to the front panel (so, the ones that handle audio but also the USB ports and such), that did nothing. I also pulled and reattached the cords that connect to the power, reset, etc. buttons in the case and that hasn't fixed it either.

Like I said, I know this post doesn't belong here, but I really have no idea where to seek help for this. I'm on a work laptop right now, so I can access this site and search the web obviously, and hopefully someone will take pity on me and help me figure out what's broke and whether I can fix it or need to replace something.

[TinCow]

I have no idea why plugging in headphones would cause it, but it does sound like a short that has fried either your PSU or your mobo. My personal method of handling this problem would be to break the system down to the bare bones and test each component one-by-one with spare parts. Do you have experience with building PCs?

[Servius]

Yeah, I built this one. I just don't have a spare mobo or power supply. Hopefully it's just the power supply, but even if it is, I also have to track down what caused the short. I recently switched cases to one with more fans, which I guess would increase the power draw, but it seems like it would be such a small increase. I'll take it to a local shop today and see if we can test the PSU. Hopefully that's all it is.

[Lemur]

Three possibilities, really: PSU, mobo or CPU. Those are the parts that can render a machine completely, utterly dead. And yeah, it sounds like a short, which probably had nothing to do with the power draw of the headphones. More likely that you jostled something in the case and it shorted.

[TinCow]

If you're willing to do some leg work, the PSU and mobo are easy to test for free because they are both easy to return after being opened at most stores. Buy new ones, use those to test, then return them to the store if they are not the problem. CPU is much harder because most retailers will not accept a return on a CPU after it has been opened, so don't buy a new one until you've exhausted every other option. If you're going to do any of this, also make sure and check the specific return policy of the store you are buying from before you purchase.

[Servius]

It wasn't the PSU, tested that today. I also tested the case (power buttons/cords) and that wasn't it either. I'm going to take it to a shop tomorrow and have them test the rest, unless the price of the test comes anywhere near the price of a new mobo+CPU.

If you all are right, hopefully that means that the RAM, HD, GPU, audio card, and DVD-RW are fine.

[TinCow]

If you all are right, hopefully that means that the RAM, HD, GPU, audio card, and DVD-RW are fine.

Well, a short technically can fry other components, but none of those things would have caused the short as far as I understand computers. In addition, while frying of other components can happen, it's pretty rare. I've had a couple electrical blowups over the last 15 years and none of the things you've listed were ever damaged. I think I lost a mobo once due to a PSU short, but that's about it.