POP! SNAP! BOOM!

[dvdapex]

So I was on vacation until Thursday.  We've gone the same place for vacation the last 3 years in a row.  I realized that I had started my second MAME cabinet just after our first trip in May 2004.  The cabinet is working, but doesn't have player 2 wired and a bunch of other things are still not done.  Well, since we have our second child on the way soon and I'll have even less free time, I decided I'd put Mom and son to bed and play a game or two (haven't played a game on it in 6 months).

I flipped on the power strip, then turned on the TV, then turned on the computer.  All was going well until 10 seconds later I heard a loud POP!  Then, SNAP!  Then, BOOM!  I looked at the back of the cabinet and smoke was pouring out.  I removed the back panel, and saw that the PC's power supply was still smoking and a little snap and some fire shot out of it.  Well, so much for playing tonight.  I hope the power supply didn't fry anything on the PC.  I will be mucho bummed if it did!     I guess I should be happy that the TV still works...

[AtomSmasher]

I've had the happen before when I used a really cheap power supply, luckily it didn't hurt the rest of the computer, so hopefully yours didn't either.

[acasualtourist]

I just had this happen to me last month.  I booted my computer to check my e-mail before I left for work and snap, crackle, pop, smoke  and flames... I had to leave for work, so I spent the whole day stressing about it.  When I got home I replaced the power supply and all was good.  Hope you have the same luck.

[Stingray]

This crap ALWAYS happens to computers that are used for nothing but fun stuff and NEVER happens to the one at work. Why won't this crappy PC at work catch fire? Did I pour the gasoline into the wrong slot?

And sorry to hear that, hope the PS didn't take anything out with it.

-S

[lharles]

This crap ALWAYS happens to computers that are used for nothing but fun stuff and NEVER happens to the one at work. Why won't this crappy PC at work catch fire? Did I pour the gasoline into the wrong slot?

You have no idea how often I feel this way.  No idea.

Oh, what I wouldn't give for a good office fire.

[dvdapex]

This crap ALWAYS happens to computers that are used for nothing but fun stuff and NEVER happens to the one at work. Why won't this crappy PC at work catch fire? Did I pour the gasoline into the wrong slot?

And sorry to hear that, hope the PS didn't take anything out with it.

-S

Well, it wouldn't matter anyway, because from what I've seen at work, the 64 oz glass of water that the admin assistant has hidden behind her monitor so that you don't see it until you reach behind to pick up the monitor and knock the glass over ruining all of her Avon catalogs that she uses to sell crap to her coworkers while on company time and getting me yelled at in the process because now she has to order new ones would just put the fire out immediately anyway. 

So here's an update: luckily I had an extra power supply.  Unfortunately, that was earmarked for my "main machine".  So, I had to lug that 80 lb (with no drives) case into another room and swap out that power supply.  Good news is that I got the new power supply and the 8 hard drives and one DVD drive working in my main machine without issue.  The bad news is I didn't have any time left to put the power supply I took out of my main machine into my MAME machine.  Hopefully I'll be able to do that tonight or tomorrow.

I will, of course, keep you updated.

[TOK]

<--- It could have been worse. 

[dvdapex]

Update:
Just got a chance to swap power supplies. 

Good news: everything works just fine!

Bad news:
1. The power supply sounds like an airplane taking off during a Who concert.
2. I have a lot of Front End configuration to do!

[Stingray]

Update:
The power supply sounds like an airplane taking off during a Who concert.

Right on, man!

-S