Computer Fried Through Router

[Crystality]

Hello everyone,

As I was getting ready to go to work this morning, lighting struck a very close proximity to my house and fried my router in the process. Since my computer was connected to the router via Ethernet cable, it seems that my computer also took some damage. Every time I try to boot my computer, a blue screen that reads "Machine Check Exception" comes up right after BIOS and just shuts down.

Since the power surge came through the Ethernet cable, it is safe to assume that motherboard and everything connected to it gone for good? What would you recommend?

Thanks a lot!

[vesseblah]

Lightning damage can be really unpredictable.

Can you start windows in safe mode? Could be it's just your network card that's broken, and you can buy new one if very lucky.

[Crystality]

I am unable to start Windows in safe mode and my Ethernet slot is integrated to the motherboard.

[Deleted]

Is your ethernet cable still plugged in?

[FlawlessSoul]

Check warranties, insurance etc.

It's more than likely just the motherboard, and that the onboard ethernet controller is fried.

[vesseblah]

Yep, probably, and if you're lucky it's just the motherboard that died.

Worst case I've seen when I worked in repair shop some years ago was lightning that hit telephone lines, and into computer via old dialup modem.

Everything inside was fried (motherboard, cpu, psu, hdd, modem, graphics card, cd drive) and most components had visual burn marks, except ram sticks worked fine. Curiously the 3.5" disc inside floppy drive had a hole burned through the disc at the spot where read/write heads were at the moment, but the drive itself was still usable.

[Crystality]

@vesseblah: I removed every component to check for visual marks and there is none. If the power surge did actually come through the power cable (let's assume I am wrong and it didn't come through the network cable), wouldn't the power supply act as a surge protector and mitigate the damage?

[ispano]

@vesseblah: I removed every component to check for visual marks and there is none. If the power surge did actually come through the power cable (let's assume I am wrong and it didn't come through the network cable), wouldn't the power supply act as a surge protector and mitigate the damage?

Surge protectors won't protect against a lightning level surge, and a PSU isn't designed as a surge protector.

[Drunkenvalley]

A lightning bolt can pretty much power a small city. And it stuffed all that energy into your local network. Pretty much nothing can stop that.