ahhhhh What got shorted?!

[carrot]

so.... i was getting ready to mod my friends xbox, and i had made a cable the night before. i cut an xbox cable and a USB cable then put them together but (STUPID me) i left all the wires exposed. so yesterday it worked fine, but then today i plugged it in and the red (+5 volts) and the black (gnd) wires touched. that was when all hell broke loose. the cable smoked a wee bit, then my computer turned off. now it wont come back on. when i push the power button everything turns on for like a second then it all goes off agian. i replaced the power supply to no avail. my first hope was that it just turned off, but now i think its either the mobo or the processor and i can buy a new one. (i dont WANT to, but i will) so can anyone make me extremly happy :) and tell me what buttons to push, what jumpers to set, what brand of ouija board to buy, and how to to the special voodoo dance to MAKE IT WORK.
thanx in advance (unless u dont help me... :mad: then thanx for looking at the post at least.)

[Whyzman]

Hmmm...curious, how does this mod work? :confused:

[carrot]

i thought we were talking about fixing my computer, not how im modding my buds xbox.... ;) its just a gamesave exploit with 007 AUF i didnt want to go buy an action replay system, so i made one. but that is NOT THE POINT!!!!

[rond36]

With that attitude you probably won't get much help here!

[Whyzman]

Sometimes your best bet is to just kill 'em with kindness. I've found the people who are abusive usually get out of life what they put into it...

My reason for asking was to get some idea of what exactly might have happened (i.e., how much "juice" was getting directed where).

Since you're looking for a diagnosis, I'd say you're on the right track...either your processor or motherboard is toast...:(

[pop pop]

I don't know guys. Is it just me or has the tenor and tone of "new" help seekers changed lately? I mean, this isn't the first or only post like this. I'm just stunned that people can cop an attitude when the help is free and generally very good. Maybe I'm just cranky.

Sorry for the thread drift but ungrateful attitudes just bug the crap out of me.

[DigitalJ]

Sorry for the thread drift but ungrateful attitudes just bug the crap out of me.

Ditto.

Carrot, what I'm wondering...and probably what Whyzman was wondering, is what in god's name did you do with an xbox that shorted out your computer? the only thing I might be able to glean from you initial post is that you spliced a usb cable with something in your xbox and plugged it into your computer?

If that is what you did, then you probably shorted out the mobo. If that's what you did, did you plug it into one fo the on board usb slots, or a case usb slot? If the latter, did you try unplugging it from your mobo in a vain hope that you merely shorted out that particular connector?

If you want free help in modding an xbox for the likely purpose of cheating on Live, then a) you're in the wrong spot, and b) you need to explain what you're doing a bit more thoroughly and refrain from getting cranky when people ask you what the hell you're talking about.

[carrot]

u guys are right. sorry i was such a dick-head. i was all spazing out when i wrote it. ill try to be (a whole lot) nicer from now on. i know that the help is free and ur right, it has been perfect every other time ive been here.

so here is what i was doing. (ill try to be a bit more specific this time around)
I was going to mod my friends xbox. there is this little thingey called action replay, it lets u transfer saved game data from your computer to an xbox memory card. so like if someone with the software like wastes phanney on some game and u want bragging rights that u did too, then u just download the save game they posted put it on ur memory card and then onto ur xbox. anyway, there are three games (007 AUF, Mechassult, and splinter cell) that were built with the ability to run linux on them, BUT, u have to be able to get past the game interface first. there is a way to do that. if you go to certin places on the interent, you can find saved game files for those three games (they are disguised as saved games but are really like 450 blocks. thats an xbox term for memory. normal saves are like 2-3 blocks, if that) that have this "linux-activating" program built into the save so that when u load the saved game, it loads up a little linux installer. that is what i was doing. the only flaw with my plan was that i didn't want to go out and buy the action replay thing (its like 40 bucks). u can download the software free from the internet, but the hardware (an xbox memory card reader) is harder to get. so i decided to make one. I got the xbox cable adapter that changes it from that circley thingey to the thing that actully plugs into the xbox. (people with xbox's will know what i am talking about... ironically, i dont have one.), then i cut just the sheething off it and it exposed 5 wires. they are as follows.
a red one: +5 volts
a green one: data
a white one: data
a black one: ground
(notice any simalarity to USB)
and a yellow one: microsoft xbox controller type sense
i then cut the sheething off of those individulal wires
I had also cut a USB cable in half and striped it down to the 4 wires in there (red, green, white, and black) then i wrapped the ends of the USB cable around the xbox cables' expossed portions. i now have a *working* action replay hardware device. right after i made it, i hooked it up to my computer and everything worked fine, my comp detected it, i got the drivers for it installed, i even transfered my save game file for the game i was going to mod with (007 AUF) so i know this can work. the next day, when my friend came over so we could mod his xbox, the game he brought with him *gasp* wasn't 007, it was mechassult. so i had to go on the internet, download the save game file and transfer it to my memory card via the jerry rigged cable. i guess THAT was when all hell broke loose. i think that the red (+5 volts) and the black (gnd) wires touched or something. anyway, it started to smake a wee bit, then my computer turned off. and stayed off. and still stayed off.

If that is what you did, then you probably shorted out the mobo. If that's what you did, did you plug it into one fo the on board usb slots, or a case usb slot? If the latter, did you try unplugging it from your mobo in a vain hope that you merely shorted out that particular connector?
i plgged it into an onboard slot (stupid me)

thanx everyone for all your help so far, and i really am sorry i was so obnoxious b4. if u want me 2 do something (send u a picture of me with a long nose, for instance) just tell me.

[pangea33]

Good job on your latest reply, Carrot. You could have handled this situation a number of ways. IMHO, no one here is trying to get up in your business. They just want to have a better understanding of a situation before they invest time in helping to solve it. I think PCGuide rocks, and I hope you find your solution. Cool project you've been working on too, BTW.

On the console aspect, I'm always nonplussed by the way people want to compare it with affordable PC hardware. Consoles are in the unique position of being able to take a hit on the cost of devices, when they can make the money up in game sales. Massive video processing power doesn't eliminate all of the advantages a PC offers though.

There are just some things that "up-down-up-down-left-right-left-right-a-b-a-b" won't help with. :D

I realize that you don't need my approval in any way. I just wanted to make the comment because it was on my mind. Best of luck in all your coming projects.

[Rick]

The smell is a sure sign you cooked something
If the mother board got hot to the point it smelled.
Then I would have to say you will be able to pull the system down and look for the burn marks..

Both sides of the M/B should be checked.
If your lucky ( for a change) you may find it's only the M/B thats gone and not both..

DIY is always fun. BUT it can cost more in the end.
Just another reason to invest in a package of Heat shrink tubing

[saphalline]

Your mobo is gone for certain. Hopefully nothing else on the +5V rail got fried. Unplug your computer and everything inside it. Then check each and every power connection for signs of browned +5V pins. If you don't find any, then I'd say there's a good chance that only your mobo got fried. Also, it would be helpful if you could test your RAM and vid card in another computer.

[carrot]

so, something else on the +5 volt rail might have been fried. thats not good. i will check it when i get home.
sorry for the short post, im on vacation and i gtg check out or they'll charge me for an extra day *gasp*

[carrot]

Was that really me three years ago...?
Ugh, I'm sorry for that...

Leet speak... gross....