I found a mango smoothie inside my computer. It was cleaned, and now I see Q-codes during startup.
I found a mango smoothie inside my computer. It was cleaned, and now I see Q-codes during startup.
Initially, what's the reason? It would have been better to test on an old e-waste PC. Code A2 usually means the motherboard can't locate a storage device to boot from. Try resetting the CMOS and reinserting your drives. If you can run the disks in another system to verify functionality, that would help. Could you share pictures of the pin?
It seems I didn’t intentionally do much, but a lot came in. My NVMe SSD is installed on my main M.2 slot, which is where it should be. I took the battery out for cleaning—does that reset the CMOS automatically? For the gold pin, it was tricky to reinsert, so I had to unscrew the shield again to take a photo unless I could find a replacement online. Right now I only have a picture of the board and noted the positions of the two gold pins, identifying which one is missing. It’s not a standard pin; it looks more like a support or spacer. I wasn’t applying any pressure, but I’m unsure if it’s just a simple support or something else.
I didn’t grab it right away—it was tricky to locate in bulk. It lingered a bit dirty for a couple of days while I searched both shops and online. Distilled water came fast, but the alcohol was slower, taking a few days via Amazon since big containers weren’t available locally. I hope that didn’t cause too much trouble.
I know the wait for ingredients was long, but rinsing under running water helped. I’ve done this before and it’s effective. Once you have fresh water, use distilled when possible. The smoothie likely wasn’t strong enough to harm the board, but it required extra scrubbing since residue dried. Sockets and connectors are tough to clean when they harden. If BGA chips are involved, reaching them becomes a real challenge. As a final option, consider taking your board to a repair shop for an ultrasonic cleaning session—it’s more likely to remove stubborn particles. I’ve faced this issue myself. The pharmacy restricted alcohol to two 500ml bottles due to supply concerns; I bought a gallon at the vet for around $10. This isn’t a prescription item and they use it in large amounts themselves. Another source I thought about was cleaning supply stores, which carry chlorine, peroxyde, and possibly alcohol in bulk. It’s tough to say goodbye to your motherboard, but experimenting might work. If you have a family member named Louis Rossmann, reaching out for assistance could be helpful. Good luck and enjoy your day!
Here’s a revised version of your text:
So here’s the latest on the issue. I’ve tested all my parts in the second computer. It looks like I might have left out one RAM module or cleaned it too roughly. After that, everything seems functional. The graphics card is also working fine. I’ve swapped in a different RAM from the motherboard of this second unit, and it performed well. I accessed the BIOS and was able to apply optimized configurations. Then I moved on to Windows, so in theory, everything should be operational. However, no matter which RAM I use, I’m limited to just one stick. That’s where I’m stuck. Everything appears to work in theory, but when I try to install more than one RAM, the motherboard refuses and keeps locking at code 55. If there’s another solution I can try, I’d consider cleaning the RAM slots thoroughly. I examined them under a bright flashlight, but didn’t see any obvious issues. The surface wasn’t particularly smooth, so it’s possible that something else is preventing the slot from engaging properly. I’m open to trying another approach, perhaps inspecting the golden pin more closely. I’d really appreciate if there’s another way to test this before assuming the RAM slot is damaged. Also, if the gold pin is crucial, it might explain why I can’t access Windows smoothly.
Besides the RAM slots, the CPU pins also pose a risk to the RAM. I’m not sure if you’ve verified your CPU and its socket yet—good luck!
Looking at the CPU pin diagram reveals that most of the pins aren’t essential—like ground connections or duplicate wires. Bent pins don’t necessarily mean the system will stop working. I’m not diagnosing your specific problem, but checking could help clarify what’s going on. Also, congratulations on the new year!
I just wanted to share the latest update. All issues were resolved—there were some severely bent pins on the motherboard. Once corrected, everything operates smoothly and more efficiently than before. It feels more stable and faster now. I suspect these pins might have been bent prior to the problem. No need for a replacement computer. Thank you so much for your help!