[colug-432] Non-powerable PC: Mo' Bulged Electrolytic Capacitors

[jep200404]

Stephen Potter wrote:

> This morning, due to the storm, we had a power outage at my house.  
> After the power came back, my wife's PC will not power on.  I took it 
> apart and found one slightly bulging cap (and a potential second cap, 
> can't tell for sure, it is bent so may be a bottom bulge).  With the 
> power supply plugged in, there is an LED on the board that lights; I 
> also plugged another power supply in to the board, so it doesn't appear 
> to be a power supply issue.  I tried shorting the switch pins, and 
> didn't get anything, so it doesn't appear to be a switch issue either.
> 
> Can bulging caps (no leakage) cause a PC to not even power up at all?  

Yup. 

Also, bad caps can in turn overstress and damage other parts, 
which can in turn overstress and damage other parts. 
Hopefully, the caps are bad enough to keep the PC from booting, 
but not bad enough to have caused other damage (yet). 

Search your archives for previous discussion of bulged capacitors. 
Lacking that, start here: 

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=bulged+capacitors&go=Go
   http://news.cnet.com/Bulging-capacitors-haunt-Dell/2100-1003_3-5924742.html
   http://lists.colug.net/pipermail/colug-432/2009-October/thread.html#63

> If so, is there anyone who would be willing to look at them and see if 
> they can replace them?

There are folks who will sell you kits of replacements caps, 
and folks will do the whole thing for you. 

By the way, when was your motherboard manufactured?