Weird Computer Problem

[Kilgore Trout]

I wanted to put a PC inside my entertainment unit shelves and connect it to my LCD TV to watch DVD's off of so I moved a PC with an ATX board into a small footprint case by Apevia. It is the Apevia QPack2.

http://www.apevia.com/images/products/X-QPACK2-BL-1_500.jpg

The problem I have is that the computer keeps shorting out and goes dead if I touch it with my finger anywhere.
Sometimes all I have to do is have my hand within 5 inches of the PC and the system shorts out and goes dead so I have to restart it. The main hard drive got fried on it recently and I had to pull the back up one out of the drawer and put it into use.
I think it may have fried from all the times the PC has shorted out on me.

Anyway this system always worked fine until it got moved into the new QPack2 box. So, it's not the PC, - there's something about the box that is making it short out all the time. I have 2 other desktop PC's in my place and neither of them ever shorts out.
When I took it to the store and described the problem to them it decided to act like a perfect choirboy and never shorted out once and made me look like an idiot. But as soon as I got it back home the PC turned into a demon again and shorts out every time I approach it.

Now whenever I go near it to change DVD inside the burner I have to put on a pair of winter gloves and touch the open button on the DVD burner with a screwdriver and this way it doesn't short out on me.

So, anyway I'm just wondering if anyone has seen this problem on a PC before and how they solved it.
I read on the web somewhere where someone complained that Apevia uses cheap power supplies so as soon as he bought his QPack2 he changed the power suipply right away. I'm wondering if I bought a new decent quality power supply if the problems of shorting out would persist.
Thanks for any ideas.

 

[Gentle Ben]

I would look at the power supply first & foremost.
it sounds like somehow the metal case is "hot" and assuming your house wiring & any extension cords you're using are not to blame, it sure looks like a power supply issue to me.

 

[Keebler Elf]

Be careful and ground yourself before touching your computer. Better yet, yank the power supply and replace it ASAP. You could damage/corrupt your data if the problem continues.

 

[onehunglow]

At home depot you can buy a device that plugs in to the electrical outlet. It lets you know if the outlet is wired correctly. Often the hot wire is reversed.

Other than that, you may have contact within the computer itself. Check where the motherboard is attached to the frame and for chaffing wires.

 

[BillyBobBobbybob]

Your Motherboard is touching the metal case most likely..

Behind your unit, what is the material of the wall? Metal? Make sure any USB ports are not touching anything or any of the wiers are crimped or bet back there..

Open up the case.. make sure that any of the screws you used to to mount your board have the plastic o rings/or those felt ones and non of the screws are touching the board directly itself..

Also sometimes could just have a loose screw oor wier touching shorting the board or grounding it wierd.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Your Motherboard is touching the metal case most likely..
Also sometimes could just have a loose screw oor wier touching shorting the board or grounding it wierd.

Okay thanks for all that input. This is the first and only computer I've ever assembled from scratch by myself.
Bought the case and migrated everything over and plugged and screwed all the parts in.

I get the feeling the motherboard is touching the case as you suggest and it's causing a short out.
The screws that I used are the exact screws that were being used to attach the MB to the old case. It sounds like you suggest the screws should have a plastic washer to prevent screws from touching the board ; but in the old case the screws didn't have washers or anything and there were no short outs.

I'm going to take it to the store and ask them to disassemble it and put it back together again. Maybe get a new power supply and put this existing power supply in parts drawer as emergency power supply if I ever need one.

Thanks again for all these ideas.