January Poll

For the month of January and the new year we thought it would be interesting to see how many of you have experienced hardware failure with your computer and what components you've had problems with. This is the first monthly poll Computer Hope has run that allows visitors to vote on more than one option, so feel free to check multiple options if you've experienced hardware failure with multiple devices.

It would also be interesting to hear some stories you have about your hardware failures. For example, a hard drive crash that caused you to loose all your data or have you had a motherboard go out and simply decide to purchase a new computer instead of replacing it.

All past monthly polls and results can also be found on the Computer Hope poll page.

I've had multiple hardware failures with different hardware including a modem and fans and heat sinks (not mentioned in the available options). I think my worst failure (and it always seems to be) was a hard drive failure because of the loss of important data even when I backup as often as possible and the need to reinstall everything again.

[Moderator]

HD Memory PSU

I have had a HDD drive fail, it was 80MB... but, it didnt really have anything important on it. This computer was from the 80's, but the HDD was from the early 90's. IBM!

Also, I have had memory fail, (Hyundai, why have you failed me,) probably due to improper handling...

I have had a PSU fail as well, and still have failed to fix it. Gateway!

My custom made computer (brothers friend built it a long time ago) is my server, its PSU does not function properly. You have to let it sit and start up, it just sits there and moves back and forth, but, it gets going. My molex cable fan pulls enough air through the PSU and the rest of the case, its not like servers sit and overheat or anything.... (or do they...)

I've had very few hardware failures since I bought my first computer, a Commodore 64 back in the early 80's.  What I have experienced are:

• CD-ROM

• Case fan

• CPU fan (still ran but caused vibration)

• Processor (one that replaced a 486 processor and boosted the computer to a Pentium 133 MHz; it failed and I reverted back to a 486)

• Monitor (one that came with a Pentium computer I bought in 1995)

• Mouse (a PS/2 ball mouse; one of the directional sensors - either vertical or horizontal - became defective)

• PSU (not really a complete failure, but I determined it was the cause of some sporadic problem that was increasing in frequency)

I have never experienced a hard drive failure.

[Moderator]

Now that I think about it, I have had a CD-ROM failure... it was a much older drive. It just doesn't spin up the disc anymore, it sits in my server still plugged in since it allows the HDD to boot, and I haven't bothered to figure a workaround yet, but, I know its completely possible.

The CD-ROM failed on me for no reason at all, but I accidentally short circuit the power supply, because I plugged in the printer plug into what I thought was the printer port... It was actually for networking 

As the age of my PC is only 1year and 5 months, there has not been any H/W faliure (touch wood) except that of CD-ROM. It didn't play the video or audio smoothly.
But as it was in warranty period I had no problem.

I had hardware failure with:

• Monitor
• Power Supply
• Video Card

I've had a problem with most of those over the last 20 years.

CD-ROM/DVD failures: 3 (from age and use)
Hard drive failure: 1 (dead disk)
Memory: 2 (who knows why)
Monitor/Display: 2 (laptop screen after 7 years, CRT screen of unknown age)
Network card: 1
Power supply: 1
Sound card: 2 (one from electrical shock... oops)
Other drive: Floppy: 1

Fortunately, I've not had a problem with motherboards or processors on any of my systems, but I've come across them several times in other computers.

CRT Monitor....
I use the monitor for computer and playstation 2, so it's turn on for a long time.Sometimes i will stop when it blow
LOL...
Then have a new one, now this is my 5th monitors.

I've had many failures . . . an old CD drive, a blazingly fast HDD that got the click of death one fine sunny day, a monitor that shot sparks from the power socket, a power supply that took out the motherboard and video card, a keyboard and a mouse that died together, and some speakers which decided to make a very weird noise, then stop working.
Plus, a memory card reader that ate my phone's memory card (it's still in there), a laptop screen that cracked wide open, and a webcam that doesn't work at all.  Oh, and about 5 cameras and/or memory cards.
Tech products hate me.

I have a HDD that has been reporting imminent failure and to backup my data immediately. This imminent failure has been going on for five years. I have been through multiple Syjets where the motors froze or the the disks got stuck. I've had no luck with tape drives, went through 4 before settling on a network external disk for backup.

All in all, I've been pretty lucky when it come to hardware.

 

I've had no luck with tape drives, went through 4 before settling on a network external disk for backup.

Ah, tape drives.  I forgot about that one.  I had a Sony tape drive that destroyed two tapes before I decided to abandon it; that drive had to be one of the worst products ever made by Sony.

The most bizzare thing I've had trouble with is the motherboard ..
It was simply an accident though because there was a crack in the motherboard itself that probably occured during fabrication
.. SUX to be me XD ^^

[Moderator]

Now that I think about it... I have had an LCD Monitor stop working, it was the power inverter inside it... it burned out, and now, a dead monitor is sitting up in the closet at my dads