Drunkard's Walk Forums

...that I've been getting a whiff of ozone off my computer? I first noticed it about noontime yesterday. After shutting down the system and cleaning up a
bit around it, I restarted it -- less than an hour down -- and I didn't smell anything for the rest of the day. I left it running overnight and it was
fine when I woke up. (But it seemed to have crashed or locked up while I was taking Peggy to work, and I had to cold boot it again -- fortunately, Win 7
remembered exactly what I had open and to where, and put me right back there again.) Now, about three hours later, I suddenly smell that whiff of ozone again.
I can't really localize it -- I smell it as much or more in the air over the case as in the case proper. I suspect -- without much evidence except that
the smell is in the top of the case, mostly -- that maybe my semidead DVD-ROM burner might be doing it; I'm going to unhook its wiring next time I shut
down the system. But beyond that, I'm kind of at a loss. Any suggestions, warnings. etc.? Thanks.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Ozone, mostly from the top of the case?

Power supply. At least, I'd lean heavily in that direction, anyway. How's the P/S cooling fan doing? Does it spin regularly or stop? And how's the
heat coming off the P/S?
---
Those who fear the darkness have never seen what the light can do.

The power supply is cool to the touch and the fan spins continuously.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Update: no ozone smell for the past two days. Your guess is as good as mine.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

This reminds me that the original meaning of the term "bug" came from the fact that in the days of ENIAC and the great big old vacuum tube computers
a bug was literal. In other words, it could easily be an insect like a spider or a roach that wandered into the computer and got zap-fried and was causing a
short. That's why they established clean room protocols and the like.

It's really VERY rare these days, but occasionally, just occasionally, a tiny insect might wander into your box and get fried by the power supply.

I suppose then the fact that I thoroughly went over the PC -- including as much of the power supply innards as I could hit -- with a can of compressed air
right after the last ozone incident is likely to be relevant, then.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.