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Asus Barebone Desktop PC Repaired

By Jestine Yong on March 16, 2019

My ICT shop owner friend got a phone call from a nearby shop to fix their dead computer that was used for their shop’s cash register. It was an old Windows XP Asus desktop Barebone PC that was completely dead now. And the special cash flow software that was installed on it was desperately needed on a daily base.

The owner already had asked other repair shops if they were able to fix it. But because they were unwilling or couldn’t fix the old desktop computer with its special barebone power supply he phoned my friend if he could help.

My friend therefore also hesitated thinking about the often futile spent time on old badly kept systems but I convinced him to give it a go.

After the desktop PC was brought in we first tried if it would start but it gave no sign of life as was explained by its owner. We opened the case by removing two screws on the back and removed the U shaped outside plate. There was a lot of black dust inside on Fan and in the special DPS-200PB-138 C rev 04(F) Barebone power supply. So we first carefully cleaned the inside with our vacuum cleaner. Then we removed the Barebone power supply and tried the Asus PC with another working power supply my friend keeps for these purposes. And the computer came back to life after the standby knob on the front was pressed and a blue led was activated.

So my friend asked me to try if I could repair the compact Asus Barebone power supply.

It was a very compact made design that was a bit difficult to open after removing 5 silvery smaller outside sunken screws. And in its inside there were several boards with one main board. And I noticed one bulged electrolyte capacitor that most likely was the cause of the dead supply. It was a 1000uF 10V e-cap. With its – polarity side pointing to the middle of the board and its plus side close to the double rectifier diode with its attached cooler plate. I had to remove that dual diode with the cooler plate first before I could remove the bad now bulged e-cap.

Next photo shows another good view on this main power board. With the bulged e-cap right under the bigger cooler plate with the dual rectifier diode on its right.

After we replaced the e-cap we closed the Barebone supply and gave it another test-run after we also had replaced the already completely drained 3V lithium cell on the Asus mainboard (0V!). And the Asus Barebone PC showed a healthy working Windows XP system again!

Although Microsoft keeps making all sorts of new versions of their Windows, many times these older systems are still heavily used today. Often because those systems have special software packages installed that still do what they were bought for many years ago like in this example. But simply no longer would work on newer versions or PC’s why they are greatly valued even after a Windows evolution of almost 20 years or more! And it is like the expression says never change a bet on a winning horse! Just keep these old systems running while they can!

Albert van Bemmelen, Weert, The Netherlands.

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Note: You can read his previous repair article in the below link:

https://jestineyong.com/rescuing-a-wd-500gb-hdd/

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computer repair

17 Comments

Anwar Shiekh

March 16, 2019 at 9:52 pm

Its amazing how many devices can be kept running by replacing capacitors.

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- Albert van Bemmelen
  
  March 16, 2019 at 11:44 pm
  
  Yes indeed Anwar. In case they leak they are a problem as well when they are short circuiting. They are probably the least perfect components in electronics.
  I recently saw an incredible Youtube video about someone who had made a very powerful 7000 Joule Supercap just by using plain aluminium kitchen household foil with plain sheets of paper inbetween the foil layers. So this also implies that we not always need deteriorating electrolyte to produce an e-cap.
  
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  - Albert van Bemmelen
    
    March 18, 2019 at 7:46 pm
    
    I of course meant 7000 Farad instead of joule. This is that Ultra supercap video:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c2FMJtIW7E
    
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beh

March 16, 2019 at 10:29 pm

Well done ALBERT for this good repair

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- Albert van Bemmelen
  
  March 17, 2019 at 12:45 am
  
  Thanks Beh. As you know it is always nice when a repair succeeds immediately after a single culprit is found and fixed. And the best thing is that it besides some time and some knowledge on electronics, it again didn't cost much to replace the bad component. And prevented us having to search for a 'new' Barebone power unit which could be a real problem.
  
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Parasuraman S

March 17, 2019 at 12:09 am

Capacitor problems have the capacity to live longer, keeping all of us thrive to be alive! (LOL)

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- Albert van Bemmelen
  
  March 17, 2019 at 7:54 pm
  
  Looking at the way Power Supplies and integrated controllers have evolved in recent years, it is not impossible that they find a better solution for todays e-cap problems. And the 'old' NiMH and Lithium Ion batteries will no doubt have better replacements too.
  
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Vaibhav Gajur

March 17, 2019 at 2:16 am

✅Keep up that spirit

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Devon Wilson

March 18, 2019 at 11:53 am

Thanks for sharing.

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Humberto

March 19, 2019 at 2:55 am

Another SMPS saved from the dump. Well done Albert.

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- Albert van Bemmelen
  
  March 20, 2019 at 12:23 am
  
  Thanks Humberto. Do you still repair these days?
  
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Robert Calk Jr.

March 20, 2019 at 11:09 am

Good job, Albert. I don't see why so many people were afraid of the repair. They should have suspected bad e-caps.

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- Albert van Bemmelen
  
  March 21, 2019 at 5:17 am
  
  For us these are of course standard repairs Robert, but there probably aren't that many specialized repair shops left in our town, if there were any. And sometimes they even come to my friend's ICT shop after they messed up at other shops. And my friend always tries to help any customer as fast as possible. It happens that he fixes their smartphones while they are waiting. Which is something I disapprove of because it can endanger the repair if time becomes an issue. But it is his shop why I only point out my concerns in those cases like friends do.
  
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  - Robert Calk Jr.
    
    March 22, 2019 at 7:34 am
    
    Your friend has probably fixed many of the smartphones. He can probably do the work on them much faster than us because he has done so many.
    Right now I am replacing the charge port in my grandbabies Kindle Fire 2017 7" 7th Gen. Man, this thing has adhesive on top of adhesive! My son was given two of them from a friend of his. He told me today that the other one was having problems charging also, so tomorrow I will trade him tablets and repair the other as well.
    
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Albert van Bemmelen

March 24, 2019 at 3:37 am

Those modern tablets and smartphones all have the glass touchscreen problem with those glued-on breakable hard to remove thin glass layers with the internal connected flatcable/flexprint. They are a real pain in the b.tt. And it happened that Chinese sellers didn't pack the new ordered replacement touchscreens safely to protect them while on transport, so they arrived completely broken. But no warranty was given by those sellers after a complaint was opened. Why I stopped fixing tablets with broken touchscreens.

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Lee

March 28, 2019 at 6:49 pm

When ever I get a PC to fix with similar problems like the one your mate fixed, I always look at the psu for bad Ecaps Albert.

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Yogesh Panchal

April 6, 2019 at 4:02 pm

Good Job!

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