🚀 go-pugleaf

relloman@beasty.com (rello) wrote in message news:<4088f437.47047881@news-server>...

> got a newish dell dimension 4500 in that was knocked out by a
> lightning strike......i got the job of disposing of the box :)
> 
> the mobo is definitely dead but all the majors, hd, both cd drives,
> floppy ram and video board are ok...havent tested the modem and s/card
> as yet but s/card prolly ok......modem i expect to be fried .....
> 
> i could sell it at a very low price [with a statement as to its
> origin], use it as a testing station or maybe hire it out as a fill in
> for people who cant do without a computer........
> 
> what would opinion be on putting it back into service for the above
> applications.....

I'd carefully look over the circuit boards for burn marks or cracked
parts (they can rupture when hit with high voltage), but some disk
drives, like Western Digitals, have the parts mounted on the inside,
preventing their examination without board removal.  I'd be reluctant
to trust a drive having any visible damage, and I'd make backups in
any case.

If the lightning damaged the motherboard through the modem, then I
doubt it's repairable, but if the zap came in through the power side
there's a good chance that it stopped at the bypass filter capacitors,
fuses (look like resistors),  IC protectors (fancy fuses), or even
inside the power supply.