The motherboard is like the brain of a computer; a laptop is unable to function without it. A motherboard becomes fried when an amount of electricity greater than what the laptop is rated for is passed through the machine, causing the components to overheat and becomes damaged. The laptop may omit a strong burning smell, or may even produce flames -- yes, your laptop could potentially catch fire -- hence the term "fried." You can take steps to prevent a friend motherboard, although there is no sure way to prevent such an incident from occurring except perhaps to disconnect power from your computer when it's unattended.
Instructions
1. Connect the laptop's power cord to a surge protector, which is a strip of outlets with a breaker. The surge protector's breaker will be tripped, much like a house's breaker, if too much electricity is passed into the device. This prevents the electricity from traveling into your laptop and frying its motherboard.
2. Have an electrician inspect your house to see if it is grounded properly. Older homes may not be wired to modern specifications, or may have wiring that's become damaged over the years. Improper grounding could allow power surges, particularly during electrical storms, and a single nearby lightening strike could fry your motherboard.
3. Use the correct power cable for your laptop and never use a damaged cable. A laptop cable designed for a different laptop may allow more electricity to pass into your computer than it is rated for, resulting in electrical damage. In addition, a damaged power cord may have a faulty surge protector, allowing power fluctuations to overwhelm and fry your laptop.
Tags: your laptop, surge protector, into your, power cord, your computer