Electric shocks, please advice!

johnnie7 wrote:

I'm having a problem here that's a bit scary. Often I get
electricuted by just touching the chassis of my computer. I've
changed to a new PSU and a new chassi, but it still happends no
matter what combination I'm using. Leaning over it to fix a cable
behind it, just touching it and similar often
results in a bad chock, sometimes even so bad that it shortcuts the
computer and it goes black...
This CAN'T be good for the hardware (I know it's not good for me!).
Anyone have a clue where to start looking for a solution, what
ahve I done
wrong in both machines that cause this? Is it related to the PSU,
the case, the motherboard, what??

have you got a scanner conected to your pc?

Nope, external connections are ethernet to a ADSL modem, VGA cable to
monitor and line in/out to my stereo amp.

Best Wishes
Thomas

have you got a scanner conected to your pc?


john






"Roger" wrote in message
news:1jbWa.51152$zy.23767@fed1read06...


spodosaurus wrote:
Thomas Andersson wrote:

Hi!

I'm having a problem here that's a bit scary. Often I get electricuted
by
just touching the chassis of my computer. I've changed to a new PSU and
a
new chassi, but it still happends no matter what combination I'm using.
Leaning over it to fix a cable behind it, just touching it and similar
often
results in a bad chock, sometimes even so bad that it shortcuts the
computer
and it goes black...
This CAN'T be good for the hardware (I know it's not good for me!).
Anyone have a clue where to start looking for a solution, what ahve I
done
wrong in both machines that cause this? Is it related to the PSU, the
case,
the motherboard, what??

Best Wishes
Thomas




You might want to post this to
alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt...nevermind, I'll do that now...

You have a short somewhere in there. If the motherboard and components
are not already fried (I'd bet they've already sustained damage) then
I'd suspect the short is in the power supply itself, or you've managed
to damage a wire coming out from the power supply and this is contacting
the case. Either way, don't use the computer anymore until this is
fixed.


I am not an engineer, so there is probably better advice elsewhere. But
I think an outright short would fry something.

One possibility is you are charged up, not your PC case, and you should
be able to duplicate the static shock by touching the screw on a nearby
outlet cover.

The other possibility is your case is charged up because it is not
properly grounded. Somewhere there should be an electrical contact (just
metal to metal) between the neutral wire on your power cord, the power
supply, and the case. This contact should drain off any static charges
caused by spinning fans, etc.

In the unlikely event you have two problems, both a grounding problem
and a wire short, fixing only the gounding problem should cause
something to fry, hopefully not yourself.

Roger

Perhaps there is no ground at the outlet, i.e. no connection between the
ground pin and the real ground.

-=-
Alan


On 07/31/03 12:13 pm Thomas Andersson put fingers to keyboard and
launched the following message into cyberspace:

Hmm, but as I said this occurs in both my brand new system as well as my old
one, or any combination of the two (cables, PSU etc). I'm gonna experiment
with all external cables today and see if any single one is the culprit.

spodosaurus wrote:

You have a short somewhere in there. If the motherboard and
components
are not already fried (I'd bet they've already sustained damage) then
I'd suspect the short is in the power supply itself, or you've managed
to damage a wire coming out from the power supply and this is
contacting
the case. Either way, don't use the computer anymore until this is
fixed.

Hmm, but as I said this occurs in both my brand new system as well as my old
one, or any combination of the two (cables, PSU etc). I'm gonna experiment
with all external cables today and see if any single one is the culprit.

Have an electrician check your outlet. Maybe it's not properly wired?

Thomas Andersson wrote:
spodosaurus wrote:


You have a short somewhere in there. If the motherboard and
components
are not already fried (I'd bet they've already sustained damage) then
I'd suspect the short is in the power supply itself, or you've managed
to damage a wire coming out from the power supply and this is
contacting
the case. Either way, don't use the computer anymore until this is
fixed.


Hmm, but as I said this occurs in both my brand new system as well as my old
one, or any combination of the two (cables, PSU etc).

Same power cable from the wall to the computers? Do you scuff your feet
when you walk?


I'm gonna experiment
with all external cables today and see if any single one is the culprit.

Best Wishes
Thomas





--

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donate. You are offered the chance to donate only if you match a person
on the recipient list. Call your local Red Cross and ask about
registering to be a bone marrow donor.

spam trap: replace shyah_right! with hotmail when replying

Or buy one of those home socket testers before spending huge cash on an
electrician

"David Matthew Wood" wrote in message
...
spodosaurus wrote:

You have a short somewhere in there. If the motherboard and
components
are not already fried (I'd bet they've already sustained damage) then
I'd suspect the short is in the power supply itself, or you've managed
to damage a wire coming out from the power supply and this is
contacting
the case. Either way, don't use the computer anymore until this is
fixed.

Hmm, but as I said this occurs in both my brand new system as well as my
old
one, or any combination of the two (cables, PSU etc). I'm gonna
experiment
with all external cables today and see if any single one is the culprit.

Have an electrician check your outlet. Maybe it's not properly wired?

Hey Johnnie, what has a scanner connection got to do with getting shocks
when touching a case?

I'd really like to hear the explanation of your reason for asking.

You should be asking him how old the wiring in his house is,
or
is the wall socket an old 2wire socket, which has no grounded conductor,
or a modern 3 wire socket, which is supposed to have a properly grounded
ground wire connection.

The potential difference above ground from static electricity on one's body
is discharged when a properly grounded case is touched.

Short circuits from motherboard to case provide different kinds of
electrical shocks.




"johnnie7" wrote in message
...
have you got a scanner conected to your pc?


john

i had a pc to repair once....dood had a HP scanner...the scanner was live
and took it earth thro the pc case....
must been a wirein fault...scared the **** out of me ...


"alvin york" wrote in message
...
Hey Johnnie, what has a scanner connection got to do with getting shocks
when touching a case?

I'd really like to hear the explanation of your reason for asking.

You should be asking him how old the wiring in his house is,
or
is the wall socket an old 2wire socket, which has no grounded conductor,
or a modern 3 wire socket, which is supposed to have a properly grounded
ground wire connection.

The potential difference above ground from static electricity on one's
body
is discharged when a properly grounded case is touched.

Short circuits from motherboard to case provide different kinds of
electrical shocks.




"johnnie7" wrote in message
...
have you got a scanner conected to your pc?


john