PC reboots if someone walk by

[neo101]

I haven't read the whole thread yet but like a challenge!

So when someone walks past - PC does ?!?!?

(This is near "Poltergeist level") Is it possible when their bodyweight pressure pushes down on a floorboard, a nail is contacting an electrical wire causing "poltergeist" 'activity' in the wiring?

Have you used the PC in another room yet? Sorry if already discussed.

 

[churin]

Is it possible to have a shot of the inside of the case showing where the switches are mounted with the switches in situ? I need to be able to see the back of the switches clearly.

Attached as below is the front panel. Do you mean you want to see the back side of this panel? I wanted to do just that but could not figure out how to.
Please note that everything including reset SW, pwr SW, LEDs, Auido, eSATA and USBs are working fine except the rebooting problem.

 

[Darryl Licht]

I advocate you try sandpaper, star washers, or similar around ALL grounding points... mobo standoffs, psu, switch mounting screws, etc. I bet the paint or powdercoated interior is the issue somewhere, this isnt a very old case and may it be an issue.

I would think the reasoning behind this suggestion must be that the mobo may not be adequately grounded to the case. However, doesn't the the result of the test suggested by Lava King prove otherwise?

Could be a ground issue anywhere in the case... Again, you said it works fine outside the case.

 

[churin]

So when someone walks past - PC does ?!?!?

Yes, my PC does reboots. My theory is that if anyone who has static electricity built up in his/her body walks by the the machine the electricity is discharged into the machine and that triggers the rebooting(resetting).

Have you used the PC in another room yet? Sorry if already discussed.

AC wiring in the house has been checked and found OK as has been posted already.

 

[churin]

I advocate you try sandpaper, star washers, or similar around ALL grounding points... mobo standoffs, psu, switch mounting screws, etc. I bet the paint or powdercoated interior is the issue somewhere, this isnt a very old case and may it be an issue.

I would think the reasoning behind this suggestion must be that the mobo may not be adequately grounded to the case. However, doesn't the the result of the test suggested by Lava King prove otherwise?

Could be a ground issue anywhere in the case... Again, you said it works fine outside the case.

When I tested the system outside the case there were no cables for reset sw, pwr sw, LED, USBs, etc. that are connected to the mobo.
I have almost determined that the cause of the problem is that the ground sides of all those cables and wires run to the front panel(see picture in earlier post) are not grounded directly to the metallic part of the case. This is because the front panel is made of electrically non-conductive plastic material.

 

[Lava King]

Don't you just hate, er, love these perplexing problems? :huh:

There may be no cure for the static discharge reboot, but here's a longshot...
You could try unplugging each of the front panel cables from the motherboard and carefully twisting the wires, try to get the twists even. The theory is that a twisted pair is more immune to electrical noise. Shielding the wires may help, but that would be more of a bother.

Does the reboot occur if you build up static and then touch the metal case?

EDIT

Okay, I've carefully re-read your first post and I don't think that the wire twisting suggestion will make a difference. In my opinion, the voltage spike created by the static discharge will "race" down the common wire, inducing a voltage on the signal wires. Twisted, shielded or not it will probably not cure the problem.
And as for the wire twisting, I meant the ones that are separate conductors like the power switch and the reset switch.

 

[Darryl Licht]

I sure wouldnt live with it! I believe you said the system is about 3 weeks old in an earlier post... see if you can return the case and exchange it for a different one!

 

[Dwarf]

Is it possible to have a shot of the inside of the case showing where the switches are mounted with the switches in situ? I need to be able to see the back of the switches clearly.

Attached as below is the front panel. Do you mean you want to see the back side of this panel? I wanted to do just that but could not figure out how to.
Please note that everything including reset SW, pwr SW, LEDs, Auido, eSATA and USBs are working fine except the rebooting problem.

Thanks. Yes, it was the rear of that panel that I wanted. I wanted to see if there was any way to electrically screen it.

 

[churin]

Is it possible to have a shot of the inside of the case showing where the switches are mounted with the switches in situ? I need to be able to see the back of the switches clearly.

Attached as below is the front panel. Do you mean you want to see the back side of this panel? I wanted to do just that but could not figure out how to.
Please note that everything including reset SW, pwr SW, LEDs, Auido, eSATA and USBs are working fine except the rebooting problem.

Thanks. Yes, it was the rear of that panel that I wanted. I wanted to see if there was any way to electrically screen it.

I removed several screws but the plastic assembly was still firmly attached to the case so I quit there. I would rather get rid of the reset functionality than risk damaging the case.

 

[churin]

Does the reboot occur if you build up static and then touch the metal case?

No, it does not as already stated elsewhere in this thread.

In my opinion, the voltage spike created by the static discharge will "race" down the common wire, inducing a voltage on the signal wires.

I agree. This is because the front panel is plastic piece.
On the other hand, I am not sure the case vendor is entirely at fault for this problem. The design of this particular mobo may be just too sensitive to such noise interference.

 

[Dwarf]

No probem. I understand that you don't want to damage your case. However, I've had a thought and there is a workaround. It involves using a relay.

 

[churin]

No probem. I understand that you don't want to damage your case. However, I've had a thought and there is a workaround. It involves using a relay.

View attachment 57946

I can see exactly how your idea can be implemented. But it involves considerable amount of hardware modification which makes me hesitate to proceed.
I appreciate your trying to help me but if this is the only solution I would rather do without reset switch or unplug the reset cable from the mobo. And if I still want to have the reset functionality, then I would install a reset switch in an empty slot-tab on the rear of the chassis.

 

[Dwarf]

That's OK. I rarely, if ever, use the reset switch on my system.

 

[Darryl Licht]

That's OK. I rarely, if ever, use the reset switch on my system.

I agree... I used to use reset with XP and Vista... but Win7 doesnt lock up! If it ever did you can shut down by holding most power buttons in for 10+ seconds! Just lose the reset switch if it runs properly disconnected.

 

[churin]

I tried the ferrite core but no dice.

I finally got hold of tech support of Cooler Master and he said the I/O panel is defective. A replacement of the I/O panel(where the reset switch, the pwr switch, eSata connector, etc are held) is going to be sent to me. I will post back.

 

[Darryl Licht]

Hopefully this does it for you!

 

[Dwarf]

Hopefully, that will solve this most unusual problem.

 

[stormy13]

Hopefully, that will solve this most unusual problem.

Not that unusual, Antec had a similar problem with the Sonata III when it first came out,

Grounding problem - Antec Sonata III - Confirmed w/cust support - New-System-Build - Homebuilt-Systems

PCQandA.com - Viewing topic #480007 - Concern/Warning regarding Antec Sonata III ESD Reported

that has since been fixed, I know mine doesn't have the problem and never has.

 

[Dwarf]

Thanks for the info, Richard. I'd not come across this before.

 

[stormy13]

Was one of those things I came across before I bought mine, and also saw that it had been fixed.

Also found this,

Please help wierd restart issue! - General-Homebuilt - Homebuilt-Systems

and it sure looks like the same problem that churin is having.