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Computer Won't Turn On

ma1ic3

Critical Thinker
M
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Mar 13, 2005
Messages
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My friends computer turned off on him all of the sudden and won't turn back on. It looks like it's receiving power since the ethernet cable glows when its plugged in.

A week ago we installed a DVD burner. I disconnected it, and a bunch of other things to see if I could get it working but nothing changed.
 
Checked all cables and switches?

Test the power socket. Unplug the PC and plug in a lamp for a second. Does it light?

If you have another PC available, swap monitors.
Are you sure it's not just the monitor that's off?

(Sorry to sound like I'm talking to a four year old, but I once had a college student ask me for help with a Mac he couldn't get to work. The screen brightness had been turned down...)

Can you hear fans running? Drives clicking?

Any beep sounds on startup? Some motherboards generate beep codes if the video card has failed.

If none of the above applies,I'd suspect the power supply , given that you added an extra device recently. Could be you shorted something, or overloaded the power supply.

Unplug the beast from the wall and remove the case. Check for a fuse around the power supply. Then check the mother board for the same. Any signs of cable burns?

At that point, I'm going to hope someone more knowledgable will show up, which is quite likely. Watch this space.
 
The leds on the ethernet connection glow? It is possible the power supply was already marginal, and the addition of the DVD drive has pushed it over the edge.

It could be anything. The only definite way to track it down is a 'part swap', of everything, one by one.

A thought has just occurred, when the drive was installed, is it possible the on/off switch cable was accidentally dislodged?

Check that all the cables from the front panel connect to the correct connector on the mother board.
 
Originally posted by Soapy Sam
Checked all cables and switches?

Test the power socket. Unplug the PC and plug in a lamp for a second. Does it light?

I tried plugging it in another socket.

If you have another PC available, swap monitors.
Are you sure it's not just the monitor that's off?

Can you hear fans running? Drives clicking?

Any beep sounds on startup? Some motherboards generate beep codes if the video card has failed.

Absolutely nothing happens when I press the power button.

If none of the above applies,I'd suspect the power supply , given that you added an extra device recently. Could be you shorted something, or overloaded the power supply.

Unplug the beast from the wall and remove the case. Check for a fuse around the power supply. Then check the mother board for the same. Any signs of cable burns?

I look over it pretty well and didn't see anything. Im going over there again today and will take another look.

At that point, I'm going to hope someone more knowledgable will show up, which is quite likely. Watch this space.
Click to expand...

Originally posted by a_unique_person
The leds on the ethernet connection glow? It is possible the power supply was already marginal, and the addition of the DVD drive has pushed it over the edge.

We replaced the DVD ROM with a DVD burner.

It could be anything. The only definite way to track it down is a 'part swap', of everything, one by one.

Ya, I'll probably end up taking his comp to my house or mine to his.

A thought has just occurred, when the drive was installed, is it possible the on/off switch cable was accidentally dislodged?

I checked that.

Check that all the cables from the front panel connect to the correct connector on the mother board.

I think everything is connected. I looked it over pretty well. He doesn't have all that much in there, just a DVD burner, one hard drive, a graphics card and two sticks of 512.
Click to expand...
 
all symptoms point to power supply. mine is actually so sensitive, that if the computer's off, and the air conditioner is pointed toward it, it won't turn back on until I let it get back up to room temperature.
 
My friend got his power supply tested for free at a small computer store. They said it was bad and he replaced it and now everything is working fine.

Thanks for the input guys.
 
Does it ever occur to you people that humans are just an immune system for the Internet?
 
Try touching your tongue to the circit board. If it tingles, then it is getting power ok. Systematically unplug each pluggable bit and stick your tongue into the socket. The bit which doesn't tingle is the problem.
 
pmurray said:
Try touching your tongue to the circit board. If it tingles, then it is getting power ok. Systematically unplug each pluggable bit and stick your tongue into the socket. The bit which doesn't tingle is the problem.
Click to expand...
What if your head explodes? Would that indicate a power problem? ;)
 
Well, if you're American, your tongue runs on 110V, but if you are British it's 240V.

You have to remember this whenever you attempt dinguslingus on your motherboard. :p
 
I realize the problem has already been isolated and solved, but, just as an FYI for someone who might have a similar problem in the future, I offer up what happened with my daughter's boyfriend's PC.

Similar situation, nothing happens when turned on.

I took it apart, checked the power coming to the motherboard from the power supply with a volt meter, zero juice.

I ordered him another power supply, put it in, zero improvement.

After much poking around, I determined that he had bent a pin in one of his USB ports (the one that supplies, I believe +12 V?) till it touched the frame, short circuiting the power supply.

Unbent the pin, and he was good to go. No damage from the short circuit.

It's the simple things that get you......
 
Here's another handy tip learned the hard way:

If you lose your car keys, cell phone, etc. check in the pockets/cups in the doors of the car itself. Many have mesh or plastic buckets. I once lost my keys at a CVS, and couldn't find them anywhere, even going through the garbage can outside the door, which I had thrown an old bag into, all the while explaining to anyone going in or out that I had lost my car keys, and was not, in fact, a bum.

Other common place for a cell phone: Your winter jacket pocket after the temperature warms up and you stop wearing it.
 
Beerina said:
Other common place for a cell phone: Your winter jacket pocket after the temperature warms up and you stop wearing it. [/B]
Click to expand...

I look forward to fall because I usually find 10 or 20 bucks in one (or more) of my jackets from when I was at a bar drinking and just stuffed money in a pocket.

cell phone is needed too much for me to lose that in the same way.
 
ma1ic3 said:
Computer Won't Turn On
Click to expand...


Well, you might try this...

Take it out to a nice dinner. Not your usual place, one with waiters.

Get a nice bottle of wine. Order something with a French name.

You pay the check.

Take it home. Have a bottle of Champagne on ice.

If all else fails, play this:

http://www.funnyjunk.com/pages/ice_cream.htm

You are quite welcome.
 
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