Re: Can a computer virus kill the CPU?

w_tom wrote:

Same person who somehow knows shorted power supplies will be damaged
(in direction contradiction to an industry standard called 'foldback
current limiting') now knows heat damaged some components.

Foldback current limiting is safe into a dead short to ground, but
not necessarily into a continuous overcurrent at nearly normal voltage.
Damage in that case is thermal (slow) or results from a transistor
switching off so slowly that an effective short exists across a
capacitor (instant death for a chain of components), or happens in the
wiring rather than in the components.

A short to a different voltage output is quite likely to fry something
as most outputs do not have overvoltage protection or diodes to prevent
reverse voltage. Even perfect protection at the supply would let the
wires of a low current output melt if shorted to a high current output.

Any short applied after voltage is established will cause widespread
damage as the total energy stored in capacitors is transferred to the
wire path.
.