check your motherboard before its too late

We would urge everyone to get into the habit of checking their computer motherboard on a regular basis to safeguard against possible data loss.

The motherboard of your computer is a very specialised piece of equipment and critical to the correct operation of your computer.

Checking the motherboard regularly for just two minutes once ever couple of month could identify failing motherboard smoothing capacitors and enable you to have your computer repaired before it totally fails.

This quick operation is performed by powering of the computer and unplugging the mains power supply lead and leaving it for half an hour to allow any charge to dissipate safely. Once this has been done remove the side panel of the computer which may be secured with a lever, thumb screws or two screws.

Carefully look at the motherboard which is the large board where all the leads and other components connect together. You will see several cylindrical shaped capacitors on the motherboard. On the top surface you will see that there is usually a pattern. If you see that the pattern is burst and a thick discharge seeping then this indicates that the capacitor has failed. The pattern allows the electrolyte to discharge safely.

If you see this then you should seek advice to remedy this as soon as possible. If you do not feel confident to carry out this procedure yourself then why not seek the help of someone who feels confident or the services of your local computer repair centre.

Typical symptoms of smoothing capacitor failure are that the computer will freeze while you are using it.

The smoothing capacitors are usually used to help regulate the power throughout the motherboard at the required varying voltages. Failure can be due to age, power spikes or surges or just general component failure.

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