Hi. I'm using a Gigabyte GA-K8NS Pro Motherboard. Resently, I've had trouble with it. The first problem I had was that I was that the computer disconnected me from the internet. A few seconds later, Windows XP poped up a message saying that It had lost connection with a piece of Hardware, in a usb port. I was only using my Keyboard, Mouse and Modem in the USB ports at the time, and since I could still use the Keyboard and Mouse, I guessed the message was refering to my modem, even though both modem lights were still green (Indicating that it was in operation, not necessarly connected to the internet). At the time I thought it could've been the line from the telephone connection going into the modem (It's an ADSL modem, by the way). So I unplugged the phone line from the modem, waited a few seconds, then plugged it back in. While waiting for the modem to be recognised by the computer, though, both the Keyboard and mouse stopped responding, then a few seconds later the computer just switched off. Any attempt to turn the power back on was hopeless, not a single light, or whurr of a fan. So I decided to call it a night, maybe it would start again in the morning, I thought.

The next day I tried again, nothing. At first I thought it was obvious, It must be the PSU. So a couple of days later, I went down to the computer shop for a nice new 400W PSU, by Jeantech. Still nothing...

Ahh, could be the power button, it might be jammed!
So I tried shorting the pins on the mobo with a spare jumper I had... nothing :-(

Could be the power lead... nope

ATX connection with the mobo... checked... still no power!

Oh, then its a faulty PSU! Checked It on my old P2- 350Mhz, nope, it works fine :cry:

There are still no lights comming on, and not a sound from any other component.

So I've come to the conclusion that it must be a crack on the motherboard, stopping power getting to the Nforce 3 chipset, am I right?

Ps, sorry for the long post, I just thought that the modem info might help to solve the problem :-).

Welcome To Pc Help forums

Yes seems to me either your motherboard has died. I would reseat it b4 buying a new one though just in case somthing is touching metal to cause a short.

This is maybe far fetched but was it storming (lightning) at the time it happend?

Thanks Merlin, just what I was afraid of :-(. I checked the Mobo, but couldn't see any points where it could've shorted.

There was no storm at the time, but there was a power spike at the store where I got the new PSU from, on the same night that it happened. I thought of that as being the problem, but the store is about 2 miles from where I live, and the lights and other electronic equipment that I had plugged in at the time we're still working.
I've got a surge protecter now, just in case anything happens!

Thanks for the help guys :-), time to get myself a new mobo!