# How screwed am I?

**URL:** <https://community.sparkfun.com/t/how-screwed-am-i/18234>\
**Category:** Arduino\
**Created:** [November 18, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/how-screwed-am-i/18234 "2010-11-18T04:47:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zachary\_Danger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zachary\_Danger](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/Zachary_Danger)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/how-screwed-am-i/18234/1 "2010-11-18T04:47:04Z")

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Arduino/electronics noob here. When working on a a circuit with an Arduino Uno today I accidentally shorted 12V from Vin with my 5V rail. :oops: Now the Uno doesn’t respond to the IDE/reset button/reset pin. My guess is that I’m fairly screwed.

Thoughts from the more experienced folk?

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**Author:** ![itikhonov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@itikhonov](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/itikhonov)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 11:49am UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/how-screwed-am-i/18234/2 "2010-11-18T11:49:48Z")

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“Use the Voltmeter, Luke”

– Obi-Wan Kenobi

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**Author:** ![stevech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba8739/32.png) [@stevech](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/stevech)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/how-screwed-am-i/18234/3 "2010-11-18T17:03:52Z")

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> Zachary Danger:  
> Arduino/electronics noob here. When working on a a circuit with an Arduino Uno today I accidentally shorted 12V from Vin with my 5V rail. :oops: Now the Uno doesn’t respond to the IDE/reset button/reset pin. My guess is that I’m fairly screwed.
> 
> Thoughts from the more experienced folk?

**Always buy a spare**

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**Author:** ![Zachary\_Danger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zachary\_Danger](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/Zachary_Danger)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/how-screwed-am-i/18234/4 "2010-11-18T17:44:33Z")

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> **Always buy a spare**

Wise advice. Thank you.

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**Author:** ![follower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/45deac/32.png) [@follower](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/follower)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 9:49am UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/how-screwed-am-i/18234/5 "2010-11-19T09:49:47Z")

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It’s possible that the main ATmega328 chip is damaged or the small USB ATmega chip is damaged, or both.

If it’s only the ATmega328 you could replace it with a different ATmega328 that has the Arduino bootloader on it. (Or possibly even reburning the bootloader might help but you’re probably not set up to do that.)

If the small USB ATmega chip is damaged you’re kinda out of luck unless you decided to use a FTDI serial to USB cable.

If you do buy another UNO keep the old one and try to work out where the damage is–you might still be able to get some use out of it.

–Philip;