have i broken it?

[Lemonade1947]

I'll take you through the line of events as i don't know which may have caused it.

I was trying to install a pcie wifi card into my server.
it was a little too tall to fit through the slot, so i filed of a tiny bit of the solder from the bottom of the plug for the aerial (This may sound silly but the card was free and i didn't really care if it broke, i looked and nothing was shorting etc.)
I plugged it in however to do this i needed a little right angle pcie extender what with the server being flat.
I only had one of these but it was being used by another pcie card which i didn't need (I don't even know what it was)
so i unplugged it from that and connected my wifi pcie card with it.
I plugged the server in at the wall, powered it on. it doesn't come on.
I begin to wonder if i have plugged the wifi card in the wrong way round, since for some stupid reason it fits into the slot either way. (as you can tell by now i know very little about the insides of computers)
i turn it round.
plug in the server, makes a strange squeak, however at the time i somehow didn't realise it was coming from the server.
Servers fans spin for a bit as though its going to come on for about 3/4 seconds
nothing.
so i unplugged the wifi card. plugged the unidentified pcie card back in.
boot server.
fans spin power light flashed. but nothing else.
it also smells a little like it may have burned out. but it hasn't because the fans are going etc.

and i don't have a spare psu to try. (although if this thread doesn't have the answer will probably get an old one.)

thx

 

[winslade]

Electrical burn would indicate a burnt out PSU, but not always..
From my understanding you made the card fit by filing (with a file) down the PCI Slot or perhaps another slot. Which that alone is very bad. Never make something fit where it doesnt orginally.

Did you unplug anything from the motherboard? perhaps the 4pin located by the CPU.

 

[S0ULphIRE]

Things not to do:

1. File a pc part.
2. Insert pc parts any which way you think might be right and cross your fingers.

Things to do:

1. Google the model number of the part you're working with; lookup installation documentation.

2. Not file pc parts.

 

[PP Mguire]

Sounds like you fried the board.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Are you sure you are putting the PCIe card into PCIe slots??? It should not physically be possible to switch the card around backwards unless you are putting it into a PCI-X slot.... In either case, you probably fried the motherboard if you put the card into the wrong slot. Pictures would help greatly.

 

[Joe C]

Do Not:
1. since for some stupid reason it fits into the slot either way.
i turn it round.

Very Bad Juju:
1. plug in the server, makes a strange squeak
2. it also smells a little like it may have burned out.

On a side note: They only put a certain amount of burnt smell into your pc, if that burnt smell gets out, you can't put it back in and your pc will not run with out it