Unplugging a parallel scanner killed my computer, HELP!

[AlastorX82]

Today I unplugged an old scanner I had hooked up, while my computer was on. Then I plugged in my new printer. I moved back to my chair, and the computer was frozen. So I restarted, and it just beeped constantly. So I turned it off, unplugged the printer, and restarterd. The system no longer POSTS, no beeps, but the fans spin up. The hard drive doesn't, and the dvdrom read light stays on. I have the following system:

Athlon XP1800
Soyo K7V Dragon Plus
512 Crucial 2100
Radeon 8500
Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum
Enermax 350watt PSU
Pioneer DVD
Panasonic CDRW
Lian-Li PC65

I've tried resetting the BIOS, reseating memory... I called soyo tech support and waited on the line for 20 minutes, before I gave up on them... Help me!

EDIT: When I remove all memory, the hard drive spins up, but of course the computer can't boot without memory, so it stops.

 

[AlastorX82]

somebody? anybody?

 

[steelthorn]

I could be wrong but I don't think you are supposed to unplug and plug scanners and printers
in your parralel port while the computer is on. I believe it will fry your motherboard.
I know it's ok for sure if it's usb, but not serial or parralel. I could be wrong though.

 

[AlastorX82]

I have unplugged my printers from numerous motherboards, maybe 200 times, and I have never had a probem.

 

[WarCon]

The parallel port isn't hot swapable (at least the last I knew), I know many techs that do all kinds of things that are what I consider too risky. Like plugging ps2 keyboards or mice in and out with the system on. It works most of the time. Mild consequenses cause lockups of the device or the system. Major consquences are the failure of the ps2 controller (meaning crippled or dead mobo). I just had hurting equipment so much that I can't bring myself to do it. I feel there should be a hypocratic oath for techs, do no harm first.

 

[ricerx]

i probably hot swapped pp devices hundereds of times on at least 20-30 differnt machines with mobos of all types and brands and never had any problems except shifting the board once.

my guess is that maybe your mobo or some card got shifted and it maybe grounding to the case or something is just loose. try reseating the mobo and all the cards.

 

[AlastorX82]

I reseated everything, and moved the mobo out of the case. I reset the bios again, overnight. Time to RMA?

 

[c0rv1d43]

Time to buy another motherboard. Unless you believe in returning a car you've just crashed under the lemon law.

 

[AlastorX82]

Any last suggestions before I request an RMA?

 

[MWink]

I've seen systems go crazy after having parallel devices hot plugged. Parallel and PS2 are the only ports I won't hot plug.

 

[Tal]

Have you double checked that stuff like your AGP (or PCI) video is plugged in all the way? No beeps at all?

 

[AlastorX82]

Yeah, I reseated everything. The mobo is fried I guess, I got an RMA #, it goes back tomorrow.

 

[OTR]

<< I've seen systems go crazy after having parallel devices hot plugged. Parallel and PS2 are the only ports I won't hot plug. >>



I have seen 2 mobos get fried by hot swapping keyboards. I couldn't believe it happened to my coworker the the first time so I tried it on another system and poof. I think they were just defective motherboards. Warranty covered the systems, no questions asked. I still hot plug keyboards mice and monitors all the time and have never had another problem, and I swap devices very often.

 

[c0rv1d43]

Honestly, folks, some ports and devices are not supposed to be hot-plugged. A lot has been written about this, and I imagine that there are even some fairly authoritative threads or FAQs here on this forum about the subject. Some boards and devices may be more robust than others, but it isn't fair to say that a board or device was a manufacturer's defect because it fried when you abused it. And those of you who hot-plug PS/2 and parallel port devices all the time "without any trouble" shouldn't feel so certain about that. Get acquainted with the facts. It's probable that some damage is always done when you do this -- except in cases where a manufacturer has made specific design compensations for unusual conditions, like the combination parallel port / external floppy drive port seen on some notebook computers. Just because the thing doesn't simply give up the ghost when you hot-swap a component that wasn't designed for it doesn't really mean that you didn't do damage. There is such a thing as attrition from abuse. It causes inumerable kinds of behavioral issues in this type of equipment.

Believe what you want to believe, but I doubt that you'd get an RMA from the manufacturer of a newly fried board if you told them about the hot-plugging. As for me, I think patience is a virtue -- especially when dealing with fragile electronics. I shut the sucker down when changing connections of this type. If I really, really wanted to hot-swap such items I'd at least take the trouble to find out from the manufacturer if this sort of use was supported. If they say yes, you're golden. If they don't, then don't do it -- or at least don't try to get an RMA for a board that wasn't truly defective.

- Collin

 

[Mem]

<< I have unplugged my printers from numerous motherboards, maybe 200 times, and I have never had a probem. >>




I follow one simple rule if it`s not USB then I don`t hot swap it,it saves the chance and possiblity of something going wrong,better safe then sorry.

 

[RustyNale]

You know, I've been hot swapping mice and kb's for years, I'd been told that it wouldn't hurt them, it was ok. Then on my last computer (an Abit ) I pulled the ps2 mouse out by mistake one day and it killed the ps2 mouse port. Had to plug it back in using an adapter into the serial port to get it to work. Got to make you think doesn't it?--and the Abit mobo was only 3 days old

 

[HeSaidWhat]

<< Yeah, I reseated everything. The mobo is fried I guess, I got an RMA #, it goes back tomorrow. >>

So because of your mistake you are going to steal from the company that you purchased the equipment from. You are such a nice guy.

 

[AKA]

Ive RMA several motherboards for customers for this same issue (Eu's are always yanking them out and plugging them back in) .. none of the mfg.'s cared that it happened like this. They didnt give a rat's ass! So makes me think that its not an issue with them.

Now that I think about it.. i dont ever recall it stating in the motherboard documentation not to do this, dont actually recall reading one in quite awhile either though. So if its not in the documentation not to do this.. then I dont see it as stealing from them, because its not intentional abuse. At most its ignorant abuse.

 

[AlastorX82]

<<

<< Yeah, I reseated everything. The mobo is fried I guess, I got an RMA #, it goes back tomorrow. >>

So because of your mistake you are going to steal from the company that you purchased the equipment from. You are such a nice guy. >>



Steal? They're out what, the $8 it cost them to make the board.

 

[HeSaidWhat]

<<

<<

<< Yeah, I reseated everything. The mobo is fried I guess, I got an RMA #, it goes back tomorrow. >>

So because of your mistake you are going to steal from the company that you purchased the equipment from. You are such a nice guy. >>



Steal? They're out what, the $8 it cost them to make the board. >>

So what you are saying is that it is ony stealing if it is a large amount?

 

[c0rv1d43]

Well, that attitude would pretty well kill any sympathy I might have been tempted to feel for the originator of the thread. Anyone who thinks that this business carries that kind of profit margin for hardware manufacturers is sadly mistaken. Depending upon how many customers feel that way, and this isn't the first time I've seen the attitude, we can figure that a fair percentage of the cost of these items comes from the companies replacing equipment that could have been saved if someone had bothered to RTFM -- or just to indulge in a little reasoning.

We all knew from the beginning that there would be attrition in equipment from the round, easily-disconnected keyboard and mouse ports those long years ago. There was a lot of bitching when the specs first appeared. But accidental disconnections (and the inevitable hasty reconnections) are quite different from ongoing deliberate making and breaking of connections on energized ports. I don't see what it gains anyone to do this. Hot-plugging one of these devices on a running system might get you the function, but I can almost guarante that it will at least be compromised. I like my systems to function as well as possible. The best way to ensure that is to make certain that both the BIOS and the operating system are aware of the devices attached to the system. With devices that aren't designed to be hot-plugged the way you do that is to boot with the devices attached. And I'm willing to deal with the few seconds' wait that a shutdown, connection, and restart require in order to obtain optimal function. (I thought that was what it was all about, anyway.)

- Collin

 

[Slikkster]

I have Microtek scanner...I used to have the occasional issue where the power connector would come out of the scanner. The PC would lock up, and at first, I didn't have a clue as to why. Anyway, reseating the power connector and a reboot would fix it.

 

[canadianpsycho]

<<

<<

<<

<< Yeah, I reseated everything. The mobo is fried I guess, I got an RMA #, it goes back tomorrow. >>

So because of your mistake you are going to steal from the company that you purchased the equipment from. You are such a nice guy. >>



Steal? They're out what, the $8 it cost them to make the board. >>

So what you are saying is that it is ony stealing if it is a large amount? >>



Wow, somebody needs the stick removed from their ass.

 

[AlastorX82]

Frankly, I don't give a sh!t if you think it's stealing. Stealing a grape from a supermarket is stealing, isnt it? There are DEGREES of theft. If you consider this a theft, then at best it is minor. It's not like this is a huge scam to generate profit for me or something.