My computer got hit by lightning!?

Question

I have a HP Pavillion 532w that quit working after lightning struck near our house. (It also took out a TV, a cordless phone, and a DVD player). I ran out and bought a new computer but there are some files and programs that I’d like to retrieve from the old computer.

A friend told me that I could probably replace the power supply and get it working again. I’m not sure about this as the green LED on the back comes on, and the work light on the front will flicker once, when you try to turn it on.

I’ve thought about removing the hard drive and adding it to my new computer. I’m just afraid it could fry my new computer, or the Windows XP on the old hard drive might give me problems since my new computer (also a HP Pavillion) has Windows Vista.

My last option of course is to pay someone to fix it. Being a middle class single income household with a son in college, I’m trying hard to stay away from that option.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

Answer 1

Have about $30 bucks that you could invest to see about this computer? See about getting it running again? I concur with the power supply being blown. A LOT of times a lightning strike will blow out a power supply, and not touch the rest of the computer. THIS ISN'T always the case, but a large amount of the time it is.

$30 is for a $15 power supply, plus $13 shipping. (I rounded it off) Found this one on Ebay. About the best I could do. It's a power seller that's selling it, so this unit should work. (I know it will fit though, I looked it up) I'm not affiliated with this seller, so check the feedback, and email them if you have any questions. I just do the Buy It Now, because I don't have the patience to wait! lol! GIMME!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Power-Supply-fo-BESTEC-ATX-1956D-HP-0950-4106-ATX-1956F_W0QQitemZ360089936745QQihZ023QQcategoryZ80172QQcmdZViewItem

This is the route I would go first, because it's the easiest. Removing a power supply, and installing one is a pretty easy task.

1.http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-install-or-change-my-computers-power-supply

2.http://video.about.com/pcsupport/powersupply.htm

3.http://www.fonerbooks.com/r_power.htm



Taking the harddrive out, and installing it as a Slave drive in your new computer is tougher than the above. Not so much in the physical sense, but knowing how to set your original harddrive as a Master drive with it's jumper pins, and set this harddrive to a Slave drive by it's jumper pins. Plus if the old harddrive is an IDE, (Also called EIDE, ATA, and PATA), drive, and your new computer uses a Sata harddrive, this gets even more complicated.



Your new computer may be using a Sata harddrive. More than likely it uses an IDE header on the motherboard for your CD/DVD drive/s. Your old harddrive is an IDE harddrive. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/product?product=83502&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&submit.y=6&submit.x=2〈=en&cc=us (Product Specifications doesn't tell you, http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=bph07538&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us〈=en&product=83502 , the motherboard layout does! http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=bph07540&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us〈=en&product=83502 Plus I have four of these computers sitting down at the shop. I cheated! lol!

Add to this that Windows Vista doesn't 'like' Windows XP, in a sense.

With Vista on one harddrive, and Win XP on the other, it may not be so tough. You'll have to wait and see, if you do this option. When you start your computer up, it should give you a dual boot screen. You can click on Vista, or Win XP. It MAY not! You may have to go into BIOS each time, and set the First Boot Device in Boot Order to the drive letter for the harddrive that has the O/S (Operating System. Like Vista or Win XP), that you want.



Either option you vie for and you have problems, you email me and we'll work 'em out. Click on my Chickster avatar, and this will take you to my profile page. Then click on Email Chickster.



Edit: Nope Beemer, I don't believe this is the way to go. Installing the IDE drive as a Slave drive, in a computer that uses a Sata harddrive. Why?

Because your new computer has Sata headers on the motherboard. (I'll bet the farm on this one!) One of them, will be used for your Sata harddrive on your new computer. (There may be two or more)

There will an IDE header on the motherboard. This is reserved for your CD/DVD drive/s. If you install the IDE harddrive along with a CD or DVD drive, you will slow your computer down, and may take the risk of the computer not working. Why?

Because you will have a CD or DVD drive, AND a haddrive on the same flat ribbon cable. The computer will 'dance' around looking whether to go to the CD/DVD drive, or the harddrive. This slows it down. Also it may not recognize the harddrive as it should. Windows: "Hmmmm, is this an optical drive or a hard disk? Wow! I can't decide!"

You'll get an error, and neither harddrive will boot up. (Device conflict)

Tell me the computer name and model, and I'll tell you all about it. I'll send you links to it too.

Answer 2

You can take out the Hard Drive and put it into the new unit, and have that as a 2nd 'Slave' drive.

This is actually good, because then you could back up data (or store directly) to that 2nd drive.

It will require you to get a cable (IDE type perhaps; it looks like a wide ribbon & plugs into the Hard Drive.) that can plug into 2 drives; your Primary (the operating system, programs, etc.), then a slave.

If you're not real familiar with all this, you may want to have a geeky friend do this, as it involves some physical configurations, and software settings that might just be a little beyond the scope of this forum.



Also, you can buy those 'Power strips' ($8-$15) that can block these lightning surges to prevent damage, but the cheap ones only work 1 time, then they have no more protection.

Answer 3

ok friend all u need to do is take hard drive out pin it as a slave this will not affect ur windows vista its a simple process on the back of drive is a little plastic jumper on bottom of drive on stickers on most drives is the location of pin settings should have asetting for slave set pin install drive by pluggin in data ribbon cable and power 3 wire conn.power up see if drive is detected if so get ur info and remove or keep for storage if it works good

Answer 4

I dont think that getting a new psu will help as you have probably fried you motherboard