What is SCP-TRIPPED?
Short circuit protection (SCP) activated (SCP-TRIPPED) is a critical-severity fault affecting the power supply unit (PSU). The source has detected a physical short circuit, immediately disconnects the power supply, the PC does not respond to the button at all. The usual suspects are poorly connected connector, melted EPS/PCIe connector and sunken screw under the base plate (cracking about case). Work through the steps below in order.
Common Causes
- Poorly connected connector
- Melted EPS/PCIe connector
- Sunken screw under the base plate (cracking about case)
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
Disconnect everything except the board and try to turn on (so-called breadboarding)
Start with Disconnect everything except the board and try to turn on (so-called breadboarding) — it clears the most frequent root cause behind SCP-TRIPPED in the majority of cases we've seen.
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2
Check the connectors for signs of melting and blackening
When the first step isn't enough, the later steps handle the edge cases tied to psu instability.
Commands & Diagnostics
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Frequently Asked Questions
In most cases, poorly connected connector is behind SCP-TRIPPED. Melted EPS/PCIe connector and sunken screw under the base plate (cracking about case) can trigger it too.
Try "Disconnect everything except the board and try to turn on (so-called breadboarding)" first — it resolves most SCP-TRIPPED cases on its own. Only work through the rest of the guide above if it comes back.
SCP-TRIPPED is rated critical severity in our database. It's worth acting on quickly rather than letting it recur.
Usually. SCP-TRIPPED is fixable with the steps above; a full Windows reinstall is rarely necessary unless everything else has failed.
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