Your thoughts on hot plugging a USB mouse

adarryladarryl No Man Stands So Tall As When He Stoops To Help a Child. Icrontian
edited July 2008 in Hardware
I won't go into the details as to why I am asking this question at the moment; maybe later after a few replies. Anyway, what are your thoughts as to the risk of shorting out a motherboard by plugging in a USB mouse AFTER the PC has been booted with NO mouse attached? IOW, cold boot, no mouse attached at all and a USB mouse is plugged in after boot up. THX!

Comments

  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    ... there's no risk. Whatsoever.
  • BuddyJBuddyJ Dept. of Propaganda OKC Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    Agreed. USB is totally hot swappable. If someone shorts out a motherboard by plugging in a USB device, they're probably DOING IT WRONG.
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited July 2008
    I plug and unplug my mouse in my laptop all the time, no problems.
  • adarryladarryl No Man Stands So Tall As When He Stoops To Help a Child. Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    Okay, we have consensus here. Now, (in keeping with my 'trickle down theory of disseminating information'), let's suppose that the person booted the computer having forgotten she did not connect a mouse, walked across shag carpet to get her USB mouse and the first thing she touched was the USB dongle to the front USB port on the case? What say ye?
  • CBCB Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Der Millionendorf- Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    Sounds like you're trying to get us to say something that you're not sure we would agree with if we had the whole story. Why don't you tell us everything that pertains to your question, so that we can give you a good answer instead of helping you play a blame game...
  • adarryladarryl No Man Stands So Tall As When He Stoops To Help a Child. Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    LOL! No 'blame game' going on here. It's too late for that. This falls under the 'no good deed goes unpunished' philosophy. What I have described is the scenario that was explained to me by the lady in question. I loaned her one of my spare PC's in an emergency. However, she called me shortly after taking it to say it "doesn't work." (It did when she picked it up; we booted it together at my place.) As near as I can tell, she did exactly what I have described above. I feel bad for her........ and me. But, stuff happens and from her explanation, it sounds like static E did the deed on the motherboard when she plugged in that mouse. I have tested everything about the PC since getting it back and only the motherboard is toast. However, the USB port has that tell tale burnt smell. If it didn't hurt so bad, it would be funny. I will eat the loss with only a couple of tears shed. Sort of an object lesson I suppose.
  • BuddyJBuddyJ Dept. of Propaganda OKC Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    Sounds to me like a grounding problem that resulted from transporting the case. I'd try and see if the board posts outside the case. Most USB dongles are plastic encased. She'd have to have been holding the metal tip by the metal part and had it make contact with the case to get any kind of a static charge through it. Unless this lady has incredibly fat fingers, I'm just not buying it that the mouse fried the board through the USB port.
  • adarryladarryl No Man Stands So Tall As When He Stoops To Help a Child. Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    Thanks for the thought, but been there; done that. No post outside the case. Swapped RAM, CPU, video card, power supply with known working in and out of the case = no post. By process of elim, motherboard appears toast. Also tried firing up motherboard w/o RAM or video just to see if she would beep. Nope. I believe it is an ex-motherboard.
  • BuddyJBuddyJ Dept. of Propaganda OKC Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    Replace the CMOS?

    It's not dead. It's pining for the fjords.
  • adarryladarryl No Man Stands So Tall As When He Stoops To Help a Child. Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    Buddy J, Your explanation is as good as any. Since I wasn't there when it failed, I just can't say anything for certain.
  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    Lovely plumage, the Norwegian Blue.
  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    It's only mostly dead.
  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    Wrong movie. Which reminds me, I could really go for an MLT.
  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    What, nobody swaps sayings anymore? Sheesh quote police


    ;)
  • adarryladarryl No Man Stands So Tall As When He Stoops To Help a Child. Icrontian
    edited July 2008
    Clearing CMOS was one of the first steps undertaken. MLT? MLT = Princess Bride. Why can't Billy Crystal and Carol Kane have a sitcom like Sonny & Cher? G-bye boys! Have fun stormin' the castle!
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited July 2008
    It'd have to be one heck of a static charge to short out a USB port in the manner you are describing. A PS2 (the round one) that's a different story.
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