Hello:

While working at my computer I noticed a strong burning smell
coming from it. My application froze and I couldn't shut it
down, so I turned the power off.

A residual smell seems to be coming from the power supply unit,
which has been in the PC since 1995. I opened the box and looked
for signs of heat, but nothing is obviously melted, etc.

How do I diagnose if it was the power supply? I am worried about
damaging my hard drives, so I am wondering if I switch the power
back on, can I hurt them?

Thanks,

Bill

Can a Bad PSU hurt your other hardware ?

YES!!!


If the smell is coming from the power supply

REPLACE IT !!

If you are not sure where the smell is from, take the power supply out and put it in a plastic bag. Let it sit for a while and then open the bag and stick you nose in it... if it knocks you over, it is time to buy a new power supply.... If it doesn't, it is time to do more exploring for the problem....

And Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif

Thanks:

I will try putting the unit in a plastic bag for awhile and
check out the odor. Isn't there some protection for power
supply failure built into a power supply unit or a motherboard?
What is the worse that can happen with a failure?

I don't want to replace the power supply before I determine if
it is really the culprit. The system is so old I don't want to
throw any more money into it.

I've been doing some reading about replacing power supplies
and have determined that I probably need an old AT style
power supply unit. I am considering an Antec PP250V or
PP300V as a replacement. Anyone know if these will work on
an AT style. My motherboard is a Baby-AT.

Thanks,

Bill

It depends on what caused the problem... If it was a major power surge, the whole system could be fried... If it was just the power supply dying, you are lucky....