Fried my work computer

[tinear]

Better off getting a usb hub and hooking into that if possible. At least if you have a problem the hub should be the first thing to go hopefully!

definitly the way to go with any USB peripherals. powered hubs are a must! most 'putes can't handle a device drawing any significant amperage.

here's a link i fast searched that , while not PV related, explains a bit.

Existing USB ports may face trouble powering new breed of peripherals | Berlind’s Testbed | ZDNet.com

[edit - forgot link! ]

 

[MonkeyMonk]

Thank you! This was a very informative thread!

 

[Chas]

Further to what's already been said about USB devices, I've just plugged my 901 USB charger into my old laptop, and it doesn't show up as a USB device in USBViewer. So I suspect it's not actually enumerating as a USB device, and therefore the power it draws probably isn't limited at all. So if it wants more than 500 mA....

I certainly won't be plugging it into my new laptop until I can find a spare hub...

 

[Jim Davis]

I certainly won't be plugging it into my new laptop until I can find a spare hub...

I'd never plug one into my computer. There are two ways to go.
1) A USB hub with external power supply.
2) A 110v to USB adapter. (Quite cheap at Best Buy)

 

[ApOsTle51]

Further to what's already been said about USB devices, I've just plugged my 901 USB charger into my old laptop, and it doesn't show up as a USB device in USBViewer. So I suspect it's not actually enumerating as a USB device, and therefore the power it draws probably isn't limited at all. So if it wants more than 500 mA....

I certainly won't be plugging it into my new laptop until I can find a spare hub...

you got that the wrong way around .

If the PC doesn't talk with the device then the device is limited to 100mA. It's not until the device communicates with the pc that it can step up to a higher power mode. Because your PC doesnt recognise the usb device it's limited to the low power mode @100mA.
I'm suprised the passthrough's work at all tbh. I have heard tho that they do perform better on a powered hub or a USB power pack.

 

[Chas]

Yup, looks like I got that wrong
Will put my multimeter on the charger to see what is actually happening.

 

[Henry ∇ George]

i'll need to go to bestbuy to pick up a couple of usb to wall chargers or a usb hub with enough power assist to run the passthrough and pcc charger i just ordered. the kit i got just had a separate battery to wall charger. i'll just use the usb charger for the usb to car adapter. i have an older dell computer with enough power problems.

 

[Majestic]

i'll need to go to bestbuy to pick up a couple of usb to wall chargers or a usb hub with enough power assist to run the passthrough and pcc charger i just ordered. the kit i got just had a separate battery to wall charger. i'll just use the usb charger for the usb to car adapter. i have an older dell computer with enough power problems.

A wise move. Depending on the age of your Dell, a lot of the older models were very proprietary in regards to the motherboard and power supply so they're not cheap to replace.

 

[maureengill]

Kudos....I'm sure your IT person will tell the story for a long time to come

Being in IT....I really do question some of the things people tell the truth about. (although most of the time it does give us a good chuckle...just not in front of the user)

I've had people run over their blackberries with their cars, leave laptops on planes and trains, ect. I've been in IT for 17 years now and some of this stuff never gets old.

Sorry you fried your motherboard....at least they were understanding about it.

Now to make you feel better....
I had a machine from he11 once...you name it I had replaced it and it still had problems (replaced - hard drive - ram- motherboard - processor). After all that I decided to send it back to the manufacturer. Don't you know that UPS stuck a fork from their fork truck completely through it...the manufacturer sent it back to us and tried to say we didn't package it properly. I called them and explained to them that no matter how well I packaged it....they should talk to UPS....since they stuck a fork in it done like a turkey.

Maureen

 

[Lab]

i had this gateway that needed a driver for the Ethernet card.. i called customer service.. the warranty had expired so they did not want to help me.. I told them all that I needed was for them to tell me the name of the driver so I can download it. they told me that I had to pay $50 to get a year of help.. My reply was dude I should of just bought a ....ty dell.. they laughed and gave me the name of the driver..

 

[Kilroy]

Powered hubs on my desk at home, and at work. They're not connected to the computers. Better to be safer than sorrier.

 

[Rocketman]

Laptops usually have a fusing device connected to the +5 Volt line of each individual USB port to protect the other functions of the motherboard just in case your USB vacuum cleaner draws too much power. If you want to really mess up your laptop motherboard use the PCMCIA cardbus port. You can get enough current to fry the IDE power bus.

Really doesn't matter which way you go, can you open up your laptop and fix it?
I have bought really cheap laptop motherboards just for parts that had I/O failures like USB ports and such. A $1000 laptop motherboard without CPU or Memory is about $25.
That's what vaping on a laptop can do for you. My work laptop was bought with your tax dollars . I don't use it to power lava lamps, rocking aquariums, e-cigs, just because I'm thinking of you.

Rocket

 

[VaporMadness]

Powered hubs on my desk at home, and at work. They're not connected to the computers. Better to be safer than sorrier.

What particular powered USB hub would you recommend? I'd like a multi-port hub that can handle charging a few batts and also running a passhtru at the same time. I haven't looked around much for such a thing and I'm wondering what others have found that work.

Thnx

 

[VaporMadness]

What particular powered USB hub would you recommend? I'd like a multi-port hub that can handle charging a few batts and also running a passhtru at the same time. I haven't looked around much for such a thing and I'm wondering what others have found that work.

Thnx

Someone elsewhere in the forum mentioned they have the 7port device from Dynex and that they use it with a passthru, but the product spec sheet says 500mA max per port?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dynex&#...4.p?id=1218062141344&skuId=9115664&st=USB Hub
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dynex&#...41274&skuId=9115744&st=Dynex 7-Port&cp=1&lp=1

 

[SuperStack]

Never fry your PC again, this bad boy is all you need - been using mine for 1 1/2 years now without a single problem (a MUST for passthrough users)....

All Categories

 

[intaview]

Please excuse this post. I have typed out another post and now find I can't post it until I have fifteen posts so I can included URLs. I don't want to just delete it. I think this will be post fourteen then I have one more to do.

I know, I'll paste a joke in for the next one so I don't just do something totally spammy.


EDIT:

Beautiful. I can edit too now.

 

[intaview]

The inflatable boy goes to the inflatable school in his inflatable town and gets into an argument with his inflatable teacher.

He pulls out a pin and sticks it in the teacher and as he runs out he thinks sod it and sticks it into the school, as he gets to the gates he trips up and pins himself.

The ambulance arrives and as the paramedic is loading the teacher and boy onto stretchers the teacher looks across disapointedly and says

>
>
> (Wait for it)
>
>
>
>
>
you've not just let yourself down, you know, you've let me and the whole school down too.

--

You could adapt that one for work. Credit to another poster in another forum for that one. Sorry if it's not good etiquette. It'll only happen once. I'm good for URLs now

 

[intaview]

Powered hubs on my desk at home, and at work. They're not connected to the computers. Better to be safer than sorrier.

Are you limited to 100mA or do you always have access to the 500mA power when the hub is not connected to the computer? I was thinking maybe to get a bigger boost for a direct (no battery) passthrough using a hub like that.

I have a cheap 500mA usb mains plug-in that I got from amazon.uk at a really, really cheap price (around £2.00 delivered):

Brand New White USB To Mains Charger: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

I've had one for my mp3 player for a while and it's been fine, so I just ordered another one for my newly acquired vaping career.

I also orderd this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001I7QAYE/

It has 1000mA output which I thought might be better for the passthroughs (haven't even got the passthroughs yet). Also, I might order some stuff from the US and China and having a US plug socket on hand may come in mighty useful.

I kind of waffled there. I only meant to ask the question in my first paragraph, because I have no clue what the output would be when the hub wasn't connected to the computer and there was no way to request the higher output. I'm guessing 500mA but I'd hate to buy one and find out I was wrong. I have looked at USB hubs on Google but they all presume you'll be using them plugged in to your computer. They just tell you the kind of devices that will work on them (mp3 player etc.) and don't give the info I've sought in this post.

Presuming 500mA is the supply, another question that occurred to me is: if you have a Y shaped USB cable and put a female adaptor onto the single end and plugged the double end into two ports on a USB hub, would you (safely) get a 1000mA supply through the passthrough?

I only ask these questions because I read somewhere that 500mA was not really enough to supply a (non-battey) passthrough.

 

[Kilroy]

What particular powered USB hub would you recommend? I'd like a multi-port hub that can handle charging a few batts and also running a passhtru at the same time. I haven't looked around much for such a thing and I'm wondering what others have found that work.

Thnx

I got two of these, have one at home, one at work.

7 Port USB 2.0 High-Speed HUB Powered + AC Adapter Free - eBay (item 370349004800 end time Apr-12-10 00:56:08 PDT)

 

[Lambontae]

Ive seen a computer where a usb 1.0 port fried the motherboard, but fried metaphorically...
never heard of smoke coming out of one - however good to know