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PC Troubleshooting and Diagnostic Information

137 Comments »

1. frederick thomas Said,

   December 7, 2009 @ 4:25 am

   used a meter and can confirm that there is power to the mobod, this shows up on the mobod connection where the start and LED’s are connected, but no LED lights are lighting up also the fan on the PSU is not turning

   APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME

2. admin Said,

   December 7, 2009 @ 8:39 am

   Frederick,

   Make sure you have the 20/24 pin ATX power lead connected as well as the 4 pin ATX power lead connected to the motherboard. Check if your PSU has a red voltage switch and make sure it is set to the proper voltage. (115 USA / 230 Europe).

   In my experience no LEDs on the board are a sign of a bad PS. While it may be sending power to the board it may be under powered or have a single bad rail on one of the leads. If you have a second known working PSU you can test with the combo I would recommend that as you could rule out a bad rail or incorrect voltage. Otherwise you may want to consider picking up a power supply tester as they are inexpensive and do the work of a multimeter, mut they are much faster as they can test multiple leads at once.

3. nayab Said,

   January 31, 2010 @ 11:47 pm

   Pls can you help me?
   When I exit or open several games, suddenly appears a blue screen that IRQL not less or equal.
   Then I have to wait for dumping memory to disk for 15 mn .
   There is some instructions on the blue screen but I prefer to check with people who know better than me. Actually I don’t know about computer but a little.
   This is the the info on the blue screen I got many times.

   A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.
   IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
   Then it tells that if he appears more than 1 time to follow these steps, ie to check if any hardware or software is properly installed (I’ve just installed few software like games)
   If problems continue – apart removing any new installed software- it tells to disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing. (I don’t know how to make this). BTW if I remove some software recently installed can I reinstall them later? I mean I hope didn’t buy them in vain.
   Then at last there is technical info:
   STOP: 0x0000000A (0x000004F4, 0×00000002, 0×00000001, 0x806E4A16).
   And the beginning dump of physical memory to disk .

   Pls help me because I feel it’s not good news for my kompie (a windows message appears after it restarts with “serious error” It’s a new computer.
   Is it a memory, PSU, driver, etc or else problem?
   Thanks

4. nayab Said,

   February 1, 2010 @ 12:12 am

   sorry i forgot my specs
   XP SP2
   Mobo MSI 770-C45 (AMD 770 DDR3 PCI Exp-16x)
   AMD PhenomII 550 Black edition
   HDD WDC 320Gb Sata2 c16Mb Blue
   DVD-RW Lite-On 24x Sata
   RAM VISion 2Gb PC 10600
   ATI HIS 4670 ICEQ 1Gb 128 Bit DDR3
   PSU Acbel 420W

5. admin Said,

   February 1, 2010 @ 8:20 am

   Try this first:

   http://www.computer-how-to-guide.com/memory-troubleshooting/how-to-test-bad-memory/

6. nayab Said,

   February 2, 2010 @ 9:39 pm

   Thanks a lot.I’ll try what you advise. Nice site btw.

7. doug allen Said,

   March 7, 2010 @ 10:40 am

   have used power supply tester all but one led lites,-5 led off. this is telling me no power!. now that i know this, how to i fix it. the atx 4 pin power conector was instaled wrong an caused short in psu. what part did this short damage so it can be relaced have no schematic diagram to go by.psu blue star 680w sli gamer. thank you

8. admin Said,

   March 7, 2010 @ 12:14 pm

   Doug,

   I personally would not recommend opening up a PSU as there are components that can still retain a charge a deliver a dangerous shock, and this will void your warranty (if applicable). Power supplies and other parts in a PC are know as FRU’s or “Field Replacable Units” meaning the part itself is designed so it can be replaced in the event of failure. In most cases people will not troubleshoot on the component level of individual parts.

   If your power supply is still within the 1-2 year range you can check to see what the manufacturer warranty period is and submit at RMA request with the manufacturer to get the power supply repaired / replaced. Otherwise you would probably be better off buying a new PSU.

9. Reesie Said,

   December 18, 2010 @ 1:44 pm

   Please help!! I need this computer for school. I had a power outage. My PC was working before the outage and was on when the outage occurred. Since the electricity came back on, my computer will not turn on. There is a faint green light on the back of the PSU. I tried using a new power cord with no luck. The power light won’t even attempt to come on. I thought I had a light on my Mobo, but I don’t see one now. The connection to the hard drive smells a little burned. I recently upgraded to a TB hard drive and added 3gigs of RAM. Is there a chance that I needed to also get a stronger PSU? I have a 300w HIPRO PSU. I appreciate any advice you can give. Tnank you in advance.

10. admin Said,

    December 18, 2010 @ 2:25 pm

    Based on your description I would probably recommend a higher wattage power supply in general.

    300 watt is pretty low even for older systems. For semi current AMD and Core 2 systems I would recommend about 400 – 500 watt. For newer Core i5 / i7 systems I would recommend at least 650 – 750 watt as the starting range.

    Based on those considerations I would get a power supply from a local store and save the receipt incase it does not resolve your issue.

    Also a burnt smell coming from the computer is never a good sign. Hopefully the only thing affected by the outage was the PSU.

    If you do not have one already I would also recommend getting a surge protector.

11. Mike Said,

    March 11, 2011 @ 11:56 am

    My PC was just powering off everytime I was trying to Burn a DVD or CD and finally after a week its off for good. I do have the green led light on I have checked the power source and plugged in another PC so there is power. I did read about the fan and I really havent heard the typical whine or spin sound. This is a DELL XPS400 XP Media Center 2005. Also when I was trying to connect satelite and other forms of media i did get the BSOD but i fixed that issue with my NVIDIA graphics card etc.. I can only hope its a Power Supply. I have a few of those extra. I think the one installed is a 375W L375P-00

12. admin Said,

    March 11, 2011 @ 12:53 pm

    Hey Mike, it sounds like it is probably a bad power supply. You can always get a replacement PSU from a store with a good return policy and then just connect it outside the case to the 24 pin and 4 pin atx connections on your motherboard. If the PC boots then you can install the new PSU into the system and resolve the issue. If not just make sure you save your receipt and keep the item & packaging in good condition and you should have no problems returning it if needed.

13. Mike Said,

    March 11, 2011 @ 1:31 pm

    cool cool .. i have 2 512mb ram chips and i was most likely going to upgrade that today as well. thanks and if i have any other issues later you will def hear from me!

14. Perry Said,

    May 2, 2011 @ 11:37 am

    I do have a multimeter. What would I check?

    Perry

15. Rich Said,

    May 29, 2011 @ 8:48 pm

    Hi Folks, I’ll spare you the entire story and try to keep this as short as I can. I fly FSX and have been for almost a year. In the last 3 to 7 months I replaced my PSU with an LS 550w and replaced, and then OC’d, my CPU and GPU and added an H50 liquid cool Corsair. The specs that you see about my computer, (below), are the specs it was at up until about 3 days ago.

    All was running great with FSX add-ons & Scenery sliders almost always at their full right, (maximum resolution), most of the time with some small backed off adjustments when flying over some of the more extreme add-on scenery areas.

    As of 3 days ago I was flying a route that I had flown many times and suddenly, with no warnings, (stuttering, blurring or dragging), the screen goes black and then blue. It had a lot of text on it, (the blue screen), but mostly nothing that makes sense except at the bottom where it states it is dumping files and registering an ever increasing percentage of the dump.

    It completes that in a few seconds and then the computer reboots eventually asking if I want to start windows normally. Now each time this happened I would reset all my CPU and GPU settings, (I use AOD for CPU and MSI for GPU), referring to the OC Profiles I saved. I also have AMD Fusion and have always set it to a preset profile that gives me Max performance while maintaining online ability and with each shut down, I have to reset that as well.

    Then I backed off my sliders in FSX considerably from where I usually have them and run a default plane from take off to another airstrip for landing. However, in spite of backing off positions of my sliders more and more in FSX, I get that sudden crash!

    So I set my CPU and GPU to OC settings considerably less than what I usually would run them at and monitored the temps with some software. Still, the comp would crash but it would last a little longer before it did.

    I would interrupt the FSX flight, (Pause and then minimize the screen), and quickly bring up the Temp monitoring software and the hottest the CPU got was about 56C and the GPU didn’t even get to 58C!

    I have ordered a new 700watt OCZ PSU that will be here in a couple of days hoping that my suspicion that one of the rails on my 550watt PSU is getting hot after a few minutes of working and then cutting the voltage. Does that make sense?

    If not, what does? What else can give that kind of sudden shut down without any sign of stuttering, blurring, or visual anomalies prior to the black/blue out?
    Thank You.

    HP p6230f
    Foxconn, Aloe X3 mobo, (stock OEM)
    8 gigs Ram, (Seagate 1333MHz CAS9)
    550watt PSU
    AMD Phenom IIx4 965BE 3.4GHz (OC’d to 4.0GHz)
    ATI Radeon Sapphire HD 5770 GPU 860MHz (GPU clock OC’d to 950MHz), (Mem clock 1330MHz)
    Corsair H50 liquid cool, (Processor)
    2 Silverstone 120mm case fans
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
    HP 2511X 25″ monitor

16. RJB Said,

    June 23, 2011 @ 5:48 am

    So, I tested my power supply by shorting out the Green wire (pin 14 from memory) and a ground. Spins up as it should, so seems to be working. I plugged it all back into the mobo and did the same short – pc powers up fine and runs as normal. Pressed the power button, and system starts shutting down (but cannot fully due to the green wire short). If I remove the short while the PC is running, immediate loss of power. Can I assume that the supply is faulty?

17. dwightkschrute04 Said,

    July 11, 2011 @ 11:36 pm

    Hello, i always get power outages, or brown outs if you, at my house, power goes out for a second, then comes right back on. Apparently this last one has shorted something in my Dell PC, and according to the lights in the system, the Dell site says the lights mean either it’s the PSU or the MOBO. When i press the power button on my tower, the light blinks an amber color. None of the fans come on even for a second. There is a solid light on the MOBO that is also an amber color. The text next to this little light says “STBY LED”. As i was searching for it possibly being something other than the PSU, i noticed something about “leaking capacitors”, and i noticed that i have 1 on the MOBO and when i took apart the PSU, there are 2 leaking once and 1 bulging one. People have associated these with inconsistent power to their systems resulting in PC’s not booting up at all to PC’s booting up and shutting off almost right away and it doesn’t always produce the same result. Someone on a forum suggested trying to start the PC again at a later time and i tried this, and this 1 time the fans started blowing for a second then everything was off again and it hasn’t done it since. I’m pretty good with computers, so if you can tell me if any of this sounds like a PSU issue or a MOBO issue or a capacitor issue, that would be fantastic.

18. admin Said,

    July 12, 2011 @ 7:57 am

    Hmm it’s hard to say from the description if it is just one component causing the problem, but based on your description of the capacitors on the motherboard I think the leaking caps may be your biggest problem. I do not use Dell myself, but I believe I heard something about Dell PCs using sub standard caps and that is part of some ongoing legal issue. (A Google search for “Dell capictors” will give you more info on this.)

    If you have blown or bulging caps chancing are your hardware has failed. Many times you may even hear a pop when one dies. If this is the case you are probably looking at getting a new motherboard.

    There is an additional way you can see if your power supply is providing constant power. This method is safe but follow the instructions. I will reference it here:

    My Machine doesn’t start up when I hit the power button, is the PSU faulty?
    http://www.corsair.com/support/faq/power-supplies/

    You will need a paper clip to short the green pin and black pin on the power 24pin power connector on the power supply. You should hear the fan spin up in the power supply. If so this indicates you power supply is providing power.

    This is not a 100% garauntee it’s working but can help you determine better between the PSU and motherboard. Good luck!

19. AsongGalit Said,

    July 13, 2011 @ 4:49 am

    If you can’t turn on the PC! don’t blame the memory, HDD, video card etc, the bios will inform you by means of sound.

    clean all the dust inside the CPU But don’t remove the fan and heat sink of your processor, unless you have a thermal paste/compound (without it you will destroy the pins of processors and mobo, because of extreme heat)clean the pins from PSU, HDD, video card, Memory.

    clean the CPU fan (not the Processor) Put a drop of oil in the middle!(know how) fan is one of the major power consumer! it can steel the power needed by the motherboard that keeps your computer of not turning on!

    If your PSU is outside of its warranty period, you can also open it and clean the fan and put some oil.(Know how)Be sure its not plug in and no stored power in it!

    If it doesn’t solve your problem and still can’t turn on your pc! It’s time to buy a new PSU!

    Usually your computer won’t turn on if its full of dust and its rainy season when the air is moist! the power supply can’t hardly supply power!

20. jonno Said,

    July 20, 2011 @ 2:57 pm

    I just brought a new computer i turned it on and the power supply led was yellow which means in the manual that it is nominal, as soon as i turned it on it turned for a second and the lights came on and then it stoped completely and the psu led light went red i dunno what to do but it seems like the power supply is faulty at this point

21. ofentse Said,

    July 21, 2011 @ 10:48 am

    my power led is on but, my fan does not run. What should i do? Pls help its my 3rd mother board and it has da same problem as the others.

22. Karl Said,

    July 24, 2011 @ 4:05 am

    Hi, I have a problem with my computer and I dont know if its the PSU or the graphics card and its a brnd new computer. When I play games that uses the graphics card it will turn the pc full off, it will do this when i try to quit a game, change video setting while playing a game or even when im in the middle of a game. The graphics card is an Asus HD 6870 DirectCU AMD Radeon Graphics Card and the power supply is LC Poer LCH600H-12 V2.31. If anyone could help me that would be great.

23. admin Said,

    July 24, 2011 @ 8:52 am

    Hi Karl,

    It could be a number of things. Based on your description here is what I would recommend.

    First turn the system off and remove the side panel. Check to make sure the video card is seated securely in the PCI-E slot. You can even remove the card from the slot and put it back in. This is known as “re-seating” the video card to ensure if is making proper contact with the PCI-E slot.

    Next ensure that the card is plugged into an external power connection from the power supply if it requires one. Commonly this will be a 4-pin molex, 6-pin PCI-E block, or 8-pin PCI-E block for a power connection. If it is plugged in, press the plug into the card to ensure it is plugged in securely.

    Turn on the PC but leave the side panel off and when you start up the system try to visually verify that the fan on your video card is spinning to ensure the card is not overheating.

    Last go to ATI.com (Amd.com) and download the latest drivers for your video card to ensure this is not causing an issue. Many new PCs will be using drivers from a disk that came with the video card that was produced months ago.

    If all these steps check out then you may be looking at an issue with either the card or power supply. Try checking in your system log (Right click “Computer” > “Manage”) and check in the “System” log and related logs for any hints as to what may be going on. This information may help in the event that you need to contact technical support.

    Good luck!

24. bradley Said,

    July 28, 2011 @ 12:18 am

    got myself a desktop from the dad and it was all working fine when he had it but now when i tried to power it on it does not work the led on the mother board comes on but nothing else happens nothingn powers up when i press the power button and all the 20/24 Pin ATX power connection and the 4 pin ATX power connection are securly in place what can i try next

25. Kishore Said,

    July 31, 2011 @ 1:13 am

    Hello there, I have a Intel DG33FB mother board on my PC. May be i did not notice this earlier when i purchased it & put all of this stuff togethor 3.5 years ago. But Immediately when i connect the power cable behind the SMPS, the processor fans starts running even without me switching on the front panel power switch to power on the PC. I see the green LED on the mother board on as soon as I connect the power cord to the back of the SMPS. Is this normal? The SMPS does not have an additional switch behind it to switch it on/off. The old PC’s i have don’t behave this way. Now the actual problem, the fan keeps going on and off automatically when i connect the power cord to back of the SMPS despite the fact that i have disconnected all front panel connectors for the power switch, reset switch etc., Lastly i tried removing the 2 X 2 (12v) power connector from the motherboard and now after i connect the power cord to the SMPS, the processor fans is on continously. (does not exhibit the on/off behaviour every 5 seconds). THis leads me to think it is a bad SMPS. I don’t have a spare working SMPS to check, i may have to take it to a hardware shop to get it checked. Any inputs to get this resolved would be very helpful as I need to get this desktop up & running as soon as possible. Thanks in advance. -Kishore

26. Kishore Said,

    July 31, 2011 @ 1:17 am

    Hey Brad,
    It is either the power supply or the RAM in the DIMM slots. Make sure the RAM is snugly fit in the slot. You can perhaps try to take if off the slot and put it back in. SOme of the mother boards have beep sounds for incorrectly placed memory modules, but some dont exihibit that behaviour. this should more than likely fix the problem you are seeing. You can get the power supply checked too just to be sure. (if you have a spare one that is). Hope this helps

    -Kishore

27. Bob Said,

    August 2, 2011 @ 9:24 am

    Hi, I have a 3-4 years old computer which I have left on daily for long periods of time (10-12 hours). It seems that there is something wrong with it for around a month or so. After I shut down the computer normally and go to bed the computer does not switch on the next morning when I press the power button. So I switched off the wall socket connected and switch it back on and my computer starts up immediately by itself. This morning though, this method didn’t work. I spent the whole morning trying to figure out whats happening! I opened up the case etc but nothing works. Finally I unplug the power cord and plug it back in and I hear the typical electrical sound (zzzt!) and voila! My computer has started up again.

    Unfortunately my computer crashed (probably unrelated to the power problem) and I can’t start it up again no matter what I try. I can see the blue LED light for the Mother board. Please help!

    Thanks.

    -Bobbie

28. Sinara Said,

    August 5, 2011 @ 10:57 pm

    Hello. Recently I had a bad storm come through. I unplugged my computer from the power strip before the storm got too bad. After it was over I plugged back in the power cord, hit the power button and nothing. I checked all the connections and everything appears to be secure. There are also no lights on motherboard. Also i made sure the computer was fully shutdown before unplugging it, shortage maybe? All I know was it had been working fun earlier that day until I unplugged it.

29. deanne Said,

    August 7, 2011 @ 3:10 pm

    hopefully quick easy answer for a question. should the 20/24 Pin Power Connector have the little pieces of metal in each pin hole? one of mine is blank and my power led light doesn’t come on but fans run.

30. George Said,

    August 18, 2011 @ 7:23 pm

    I hv purchased the intel media series motherboard dh55tc . The problem is when I press the power button on the front panel nothing happens. I opened the cpu cabinet and observd that the steady led on the mbd. is glowing but neither the processor fan nor the smps fan move.I had fixed the same problem a few days before by simply reconnecting the atx 24 pin cable but now even that does bot make the pc start.
    Please help me on how to start my computer .

31. Jackie Gibney Said,

    September 6, 2011 @ 2:32 pm

    Dell Dimension 4600 quit. MB led is on, mouse when connected lights too. Neither of the fans are working. Nothing else works. Bought new psu same thing.What do I do now? Disconnect everything and then start plugging back in or what? I’m at a loss.

32. admin Said,

    September 13, 2011 @ 10:10 am

    It sounds like another component may have failed itself, or failed as a result of the power supply going out. Try testing your original power supply using the paper clip method to confirm it works. If it does the problem is probably related to the motherboard, CPU or memory.

    If you have multiple sticks of memory you can remove them and try booting the system with 1 stick at a time to determine if one is bad. If the motherboard or CPU is bad there is not much you can do to diagnose this unless you have extra parts on hand. I would recommend RMAing your system to Dell if it is still under warranty.

33. admin Said,

    September 13, 2011 @ 10:14 am

    George,

    Double check and make sure the 4pin ATX and 24pin ATX power connections are both connected securely to your motherboard. Also check to see if you power supply has a voltage switch and confirm that the system is set to 115v and not 230v. After that try removing your front panel wiring from your case and using a flat head screw driver to jumper the two pins for the power switch to ensure it is not a wiring issue. If also else fails remove the motherboard from the system and perform an isolated POST test to ensure the board is not grounding out.

34. admin Said,

    September 13, 2011 @ 10:15 am

    Hi Deanne, it is not uncommon for the third pin by the 2 red wires to be empty. This is common and not something you should need to worry about.

35. admin Said,

    September 13, 2011 @ 10:17 am

    Sinara, check to see if your power strip has a reset button. If the storm tripped the power strip to act like a breaker it may need to be reset by pushing the black or red circular button. Most power strips will give you an LED indication that it is getting power. Does your power strip show this?

36. admin Said,

    September 13, 2011 @ 10:20 am

    Hi Kishore, first I would try resetting the BIOS on the board by removing the power cable from the PSU and then removing the CMOS battery from the motherboard. Wait about 30 secs once you have done this and you can take your screw driver and connect the contacts in the batter hole to drain the charge faster. Once this is done try booting the system and see if the problem persists.

    I have also seen this issue pertaining to a bad CPU. Try re-seating the CPU and making sure no pins are bent and that there is no thermal compound or lint in the pins. If there is do not use a tool to remove it as this can spread compound or bend pins. Try using compressed air to blow away an debris that may be in the socket.

37. SHAHID KHA Said,

    September 18, 2011 @ 10:01 pm

    I HAVE AN IBM PC WITH “LITEON” POWER SUPPLY UNIT PS-5311, IT IS NOT WORKING, THERE IS AN INDICATION YELLOW LED WHICH JUST POWER ON AND THAN SLOWLY GOES OFF AGAIN. HELP ME TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE MAY BE THERE IS ANY BAD COMPONENT WHICH CAUSES IT TO OFF AGAIN.

38. admin Said,

    September 19, 2011 @ 7:08 am

    Hi Shahid, if the PSU has a fan in it I would use the paper clip method mentioned in the article to see if the fan spins. If it does not you may have a bad power supply. You could always pick up a replacement PSU from a store that has hassle free returns and if the new unit does not correct the problem simply return it.

39. David Said,

    September 19, 2011 @ 3:52 pm

    Is it possible for part of your (PSU)to go bad.

40. admin Said,

    September 20, 2011 @ 6:21 am

    Hi David. Yes, this is usually what happens when a power supply fails. The PSU is made up of numerous parts including capacitors and other electronic components. If one of these capacitors fails then this can cause the power supply to stop functioning properly. All of the hardware in a computer is considered “field replaceable” meaning it is safer and more cost effective to just replace a piece of hardware then attempting to repair it at the component level unless you have been trained on how to do so.

41. cory Said,

    September 21, 2011 @ 11:39 am

    Here are my specs; the important ones at least for my issue :
    Corsair graphite 600t case
    Coolermaster 1000w
    NVIDIA msi 560twin frozr
    Asus mobo p8p67le
    I5 2500k unlocked sandybridge

    * I built this computer piece by piece yesterday, tried to power it on and got nothing … all of the pin connectors are correct because I took it to my friends house plugged it in over there, switched her on and success. I believe it has something to do with my wall socket however when I plug other electronic devices into that same socket, ie: monitor, telephone, They all seem to work fine. Is my power supply too much wattage? I will check if there is a voltage toggle switch today but ANY ADVICE WOULD REALLY HeLP!

42. SHAHID KHAN Said,

    September 21, 2011 @ 12:56 pm

    Dear Admin thanks for your reply, and also thanks for David for to take interest to resole my issue. Whenever I plugin my PSU I h’v obsereved +5vsb on usually a purple color wire for just 2-3 sec after connecting multimmeter and than goes down to +1vsb again, which is not enough power for
    motherboard to operate properly, is it any capacitor or may be a transistor issue. I think there is little bit problem with my PSU, becasue few days ago the same problem raised than automatically restored after few days. Same thing I h’v observed, my PC goes off many time after few hours working and than I hv usually noticed +1vsb voltage on purple color wire, but these days my PC is not operatable.

43. admin Said,

    September 22, 2011 @ 7:27 am

    Cory, I don’t think the wattage should be an issue for your outlets but depending on where you live (an apartment, old house, etc) it may have some impact on the issue. One thing I would like you to confirm is that your PSU is set to the proper voltage of 115 and not 230. Wall outlets are rated for 120v in the US. Also try plugging the system in a different outlet in your house to confirm if it is all outlets or just the one that is giving you issues.

44. Heather Said,

    September 27, 2011 @ 4:59 pm

    My computer went to sleep and won’t wake up. I can hear the fan running. It took me several times to get the power button to turn the computer off, but then it wouldn’t turn back on. Unplugged the power cord and plugged it back in, then tried again. This time the fans turned back on, but no other signs of life. Does this sound like it is the power supply? I really appreciate any help. Thank you,
    Heather

45. Anonymous Said,

    October 9, 2011 @ 8:10 am

    Hi Admin, this is a very nice site i have seen for pc or in general for help/support! I like the way you are responding to all those questions! Keep up the good work! Just thought to stop for a min and appreciate… esp when you are giving this as a free service to all of us…

46. admin Said,

    October 10, 2011 @ 7:23 am

    Hi Heather, Based on your description it is hard to say if the problem is a bad power supply. Many times when the system powers on and fans spin but you don’t get any information on the screen it can potentially be an issue with the power supply, memory, cpu, motherboard or video card. Do you get any beep codes when the system starts up. This would help us narrow down what may be affecting the system.

47. admin Said,

    October 10, 2011 @ 7:38 am

    Thanks Anonymous, I appreciate the positive feedback!

48. Mario Said,

    October 15, 2011 @ 8:29 am

    hello, some days ago, there was a power surge in my area, a really quick one, since the computer didnt even turn off and everything was alright for the rest of the night.
    The next day, as I turned the computer on, I got VGA No Signal in my screen. After numerous attempts to solve it (It even worked in another room in my house) I sent it to the tech shop.
    I was told the computer was fixed and worked there. Now, as I brought it home, I get the same damn error. I have an Nvidia 9600GT. The problem cant be the monitor, since I got it connected to the motherboard slot, which is how im writing this post.
    Bottom line: Why wont my video card work in my home? Can it be something related to the electric outlet?

49. admin Said,

    October 17, 2011 @ 7:19 am

    Hi Mario, the first thing I would try is to ensure the outlet in the room is working properly. If the system is only having issues in the one room and it is always plugged into the same outlet try plugging in another device like a lamp or radio into the outlet and confirm it is working properly. Also if you are having small dips of power and one outlet in your house seems to be especially problematic you may want to consider using a power strip if you do not have one already and potentially consider buying a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) which your system would plug into. This would do a better job of conditioning the power from that outlet to ensure it is not affecting the performance of your system.

50. Mario Said,

    October 18, 2011 @ 7:28 am

    Thanks for replying admin.
    After some testing, I changed my computer to where my brothers computer was at. My computer works fine here, I got a signal while connected to my video card, and my brother’s computer works fine if connected to the outlet my computer was at. Any suggestions?

51. admin Said,

    October 18, 2011 @ 8:10 am

    Hi Mario, It sounds like you may have a voltage issue with that one outlet. You could do a couple things to attempt to resolve the problem. Using a power strip to condition the power some would help if you are not already using one. I would also look into purchasing a UPS for your system as this would add further stability to the power going into your PC. You may want to consider having an electrician check the outlet for any voltage issues (although hourly rates for electricians can be somewhat pricey). Confirm the voltage switch on your power supply is set to 115 and not 230. (The red switch, if your PSU has one.) Also remember that higher wattage PSUs are putting a bigger strain on household power now a days, so if you live in an apartment, townhouse, duplex with inconsistent voltages this may cause some issues for your system. Thanks, good luck!

52. Nhile Said,

    October 18, 2011 @ 9:03 am

    Guys, I would like to ask, regarding on my unit, when try to turn it on, my unit didn’t response or no power at all, then I tried a new power supply still nothing happens, only I notice is that the led in mother light on then suddenly turn it off. I already remove my motherboard on my cpu, I though it just an short circuit but still nothing happens, the problem still the same.

53. admin Said,

    October 18, 2011 @ 9:13 am

    Hi Nhile, It sounds like it is probably not an issue with the PSU from what you have tested already. From here things can get a little more complicated as it may be an issue with the motherboard, CPU or memory. If you feel that it may be a shorting issue I would recommend removing the motherboard from the system and performing an isolated POST test. I know you mentioned you have already removed the motherboard but while it is out of the system I would recommend reseating the CPU and memory. When you reseat the CPU make sure no pins in the socket are bent, and that there is no thermal paste or lint in the socket. If you are running multiple sticks of memory try removing all but one and try to POST the system with 1 stick of memory at a time to rule out a bad module. I recommend trying the steps above since you can do all this without needing any additional hardware for testing.

54. euthor Said,

    October 18, 2011 @ 8:11 pm

    My 1st pc was way back in 1998. Sometime after its CMOS battery died (2000), everytime it was unplugged or after a brownout, it took minutes before I could turn it back on again because it would just light up and just die a second after. First 3 min, then gradually it went 15, then to 30 minutes. I was like preheating an oven.

    By 2002, I moved to a new city, bought a Pentium 4 (my 2nd PC). By 2006, again after the CMOS battery died, I’m getting that similar problem after a total cut off of power. The initial power up would just light up the power LED, PSU and case fans turn, then all die in a second. The full working power up was getting longer as years went by.
    It went to a point that if the turning of power fails, I have to turn the AVR off or unplug the chord for a minute (until the mobo LED turns off) before trying it again or the “power up and die” won’t happen at all.

    Now the “power up and die” is replaced with “unplug, wait, try again” where upon turning it on, nothing will happen, no power LED or fans running and dying, (yet the mouse, keyboard, and LED in motherboard do still light on). After trying it several times for hours, it’ll turn on again.

    It is in its 9th year now, other than an additional HD and a landcard, no other changes were made. And I don’t unplug it anymore. My question is, a defective motherboard or PSU would last that long and still run? Or I’m just having a lose wire?

    I’m just researching this topic to prevent my 3rd pc I bought last year from getting the same problem. Thanks.

55. tedz Said,

    October 19, 2011 @ 3:44 am

    Hi, i have this problem on my unit until now.last night, i was using my pc and after using it,i turn it off properly.then the next day.the system is not turning on.the fan is not spinning but the mouse light is on.i have an extra psu,i swapped it but still nothing happens.What would be the problem of my unit?is this a psu faulty or the mobo?a little help please?

56. admin Said,

    October 19, 2011 @ 7:19 am

    Hi Euthor, based on the different descriptions and different PCs it would be hard to pin the issue on one specific cause. Although it sounds like the root of your problems may result from issues with inconsistent power and the PCs being suddenly turned off. In that case you may want to consider purchasing a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) for your system to ensure that if the power goes out you have time to properly shut down your PC to avoid problems.

57. admin Said,

    October 19, 2011 @ 7:21 am

    Hi Tedz, does the system produce any beep codes when you start it. That may help you in diagnosing the problem as you can reference the beep codes in Google. If you are not getting any beeps when the system starts try removing all the memory and see if the system gives you one long beep. If so put the memory back in one stick at a time and see if one is problematic. If you find a stick that the system does not boot with but it works with the others that one stick of memory may need to be replaced.

58. BLANK_STAIRS Said,

    October 23, 2011 @ 9:53 pm

    PLEASE HELP, Really need this family computer… Heres my problem. I inherited what WAS a 6TB server but Im turning it into a single 500gb Linux pc. Im pretty sure I have everything hooked up right but there is 1 plug with a P11 on it,AUX power from what I read coming from the psu on the same line that my hard drive is connected to. Can NOT find anywhere on the board this should be connected.
    The only sort of power im getting is when i turn on the pc (no power at all)and then i hit the reset button on the front of the rig and then the psu will light up for maybe 5 seconds and the fan will spin. Thats all I get. Any ideas? This is my first build and it would bee real nice to prove to myself that I can do this. I was a mechanic for several years and what it sounds like to me (if it were car wiring)would be to much power running through one circuit but I really dont know and could use the help. Thanks

    ———————————————————-
    Gigabyte GA-890-GPA-UD3H (mobo)
    OCZ Tech (psu)
    4gb DDR3 G. Skill (ram)
    Dual core Athlon @ (chip)

59. tedz Said,

    October 23, 2011 @ 10:39 pm

    sir admin, there is no signs of life when i try to switch it on but the mouse light is on.i am not getting to POST or BIOS.it is not opening.

60. admin Said,

    October 24, 2011 @ 8:09 am

    Hi Blank, the P11 connection could be one of two connections based on what I saw on Google images for it. The P11 connector that has roughly 10 pins and is about .25” inch deep by 1” inch wide (and is commonly white) is an older power standard which I believe is “AT”. The other variant of this I saw is an 8 pin .5” inch by about .75” inch and is commonly red or black is the 4/8 pin power connection which is usually located near the CPU. If the connection is the old AT style you can most likely disregard it as some older PSUs still have this but most motherboards do not. Commonly if the only sign of life the PC shows is fans spinning up for a couple seconds it is indicating a possible issue with the PSU or CPU. Do you know why the previous owner got rid of the system? I would first recommend clearing the BIOS settings by removing the CMOS battery or using the JMOS (Clear CMOS) jumper. Next I would recommend testing the system with another PSU. If that does not resolve the issue I would recommend reseating the CPU or testing it with another CPU if possible. (I understand a tester server CPU might be hard to come by.) Good luck!

61. admin Said,

    October 24, 2011 @ 8:17 am

    Hi Tedz, were you able to test the memory like I suggested? If so what was the result of removing all the memory? Additionally I would recommend clearing the BIOS settings by removing the CMOS battery or using the JMOS (clear CMOS) jumper. You can reference this in your manual if you are unable to locate the battery or jumper. Since you are getting a light from your mouse, are you also getting fans spinning on the system? I may be able to make additional suggestions if you can answer the questions above. Thanks.

62. BLANK_STAIRS Said,

    October 24, 2011 @ 5:39 pm

    Alright, got it workin. Turns out that it was because I had fans running through the mobo AND the power supply,dumb huh?
    Now,not sure if you can help with this or not but here goes, First thing I do is hit delete and go in and change the bios boot order to use the mobo install disc running from an external drive because i dont have an internal optical yet. Disc is in, start it up and it says “insert disc and hit enter”. The drive power and is working, as far as i can tell the boot order is right (first boot order is usb-cdrom)but No-Go. Ideas?
    If you cant help,I understand,its a site for psu’s.

63. admin Said,

    October 24, 2011 @ 8:06 pm

    Hi Blank, you want to look for an option in the BIOS that says something similar to “USB Boot Support”, or “Bootable USB devices” and make sure it is enabled. Also check to see if you have the option for “USB Legacy Support” and enable that also. Basically the more USB functionality you can enable in the BIOS the better your chances are of being able to boot from the external drive. Also check in your boot order and if you have any other USB options besides the USB-CD-Rom, like USB memory device, etc try to set those options for device 1 and 2 with the hard drive as the 3rd bootable device. Good luck!

64. BLANK_STAIRS Said,

    October 25, 2011 @ 1:39 am

    Alright, Ill give it a shot in the a.m. Just stood outside of a game store for 3 hours to get Battlefield 3 so im busy now till I have to take the kid to school.
    The advice really sounds solid and I appreciate the time you took. You want me to let you know if it works?

65. BLANK_STAIRS Said,

    October 25, 2011 @ 7:17 pm

    AH Finally got it working and figured out that for some reason the pc wont boot with the pci graffix card in the board. Hey, graffix look like crap for now but thats fixable. Im just glad it working. Thanks a bunch for the help! Dying to get this quick little puter up n runnin, ive been waiting for a pc thats fast enough to run a dual boot os on it for a while.

66. tedz Said,

    October 26, 2011 @ 1:58 am

    hi admin.i already did what you have said but still, it is not booting.the fans are not spinning.i already try the CMOS resetting.still the same.

67. admin Said,

    November 8, 2011 @ 8:02 am

    Glad to hear you got it working Blank!

68. admin Said,

    November 8, 2011 @ 8:03 am

    Hi Tedz, for where we are at with the system you may want to have a tech physically take a look at the system. I think we have covered most of what we can do through online troubleshooting.

69. REYMAR Said,

    November 23, 2011 @ 6:55 pm

    hi to all try this one you can check your power supply by shorting the grin pin and any other pin in the 24 pin atx IF THE FAN RUN RUN IT MEANS THAT YOUR PSU IS WORKING

70. grman Said,

    December 4, 2011 @ 1:33 pm

    hi i dont know whats wrong but i leave my computer on all the time sometimes for a week and then it just shuts down on me and i leave it sit for like 5-10 min and it works fine again for a few days to a week and does it again..What could be the problem?

71. JJ Said,

    December 17, 2011 @ 5:05 pm

    Does anyone know how to test for a *DYING* (not yet totally dead) PSU?

    Because I suspect mine is dying.

    Symptoms:

    1) Random PC freeze during lightweight activities e.g. browsing sites, checking mail.

    2) Sometimes when I power on the PC, the fans spin, the power LED is on but the system fails to post. Need to retry several times, while I hope and pray that it boots.

    3) Sometimes it freezes while Windows (Vista) is loading, i.e. that black screen with a progress bar.

    4) Freezing within minutes after successfully booting into desktop, while doing nothing. (This rules out a heat problem)

    5) Freezing in BIOS!!! Hit DEL, entered BIOS, and freezes while navigating the menu with the keyboard.

    6) Freezing before or during POST. For example, the first words you see on your monitor are that of your video card type and VGA BIOS version/year. My system froze there before it proceeded to detect for drives and devices.

    This is frustrating and annoying, and now I have the phobia of turning off my PC when it boots up and is running successfully for quite a while (about 10 to 20% chance). Because I simply do not know if I can turn it on again the next time.

    P.S: Inside Windows, the freeze does not have a BSOD. The mouse cursor just stops moving, and in any text input field the keyboard cursor stops blinking.

72. warren Said,

    December 24, 2011 @ 9:00 pm

    i was playing on a game then all of a sudden the PC just turns straight off as if there was a power cut (but there wasn’t a power cut)

    When I turn it on, the small green LED by the power on button (on the front of the PC) lights up. No fans start, nothing starts, but the only signs of life are the green light on the front and the mouse laser lighting up.

    Any ideas?

73. warren Said,

    December 24, 2011 @ 9:03 pm

    also, for the last few months my PC has been crashing (couple of times a week) while browsing and watching videos, but never when gaming. The PC would freeze, screen feeze and mouse cursor still movable but after a couple of seconds the PC would make a little beep sound and restart itself.

    Maybe that was the PSU dying and now it’s finally dead?

74. Cris2pe Said,

    January 5, 2012 @ 7:51 pm

    Hi, I’ve been replaced my PSU several times in my MoBo (P5KPL-AM SE) but nothing happened. can any one help for me? Thanks.

75. brad Said,

    January 9, 2012 @ 10:04 am

    i have a dell and the power button was blue and is now amber color and wont turn on what can i do to fix this

76. roger Said,

    January 27, 2012 @ 1:02 pm

    hi,
    i’m having problem with my xp p4 (PSU) it doesn’t turn on at all i relly need help with this it’s just dead! it does nothing when i press 0/I i internally open it and my guess is that there’s no power on the dc side?
    regards

77. janjan Said,

    February 7, 2012 @ 12:02 am

    use a paper clip or hairpin to check the power supply, then connect the clip in power supply cable in the green & red or any color.

78. Jim Stone Said,

    February 10, 2012 @ 3:51 pm

    Question about checking my questionable power supply. It’s a “new” 480W unit, but has been sitting in the box for @ 6 mos. I finally had time to install it. The computer on/off switch would flash blue for @ 2 sec, then power down. Having made sure I have 110v available with my multimeter, I took off the case cover. I should note here that the fan on the power supply never comes on. With the case off, looking at the mobo, when I press the on switch the CPU fan and case fan will come on for 1-2 seconds, then power down. Using the multimeter, I checked for 5v & 12V at an unused power connector. The yellow wire had 2-3v,and the red wire had 0v. I then unhooked all the connections so the power supply had nothing hooked up to it.I rechecked for 5v & 12V-nothing. Have I reasonably troubleshooted down to the power supply being defective? Does the power supply need a load(CPU) hooked up to it to provide DC power at the connectors? Thanks for any help you may provide.

79. vibh Said,

    February 12, 2012 @ 12:22 am

    hello my SMPS components got burst last night after that my mobo isn’t turning on. i tried another smps but it still isnt powering up. it showes an LED lighting up but tried every possible thing i can do. i bought this CPU yesterday the specs are
    cooler master elite RS 400w( burnt)
    AMD A8 3850
    Asus A55 M LX PLUS
    corsair 4gb 1600mhz
    250gb WD HDD.

80. happy Said,

    February 13, 2012 @ 8:16 pm

    Hi, I have a problem with my PSU. After the hailstorm in my area, my computer won’t turn on, then i found out that the PSU not working. My computer is old (Pentium 4), and dead PSU is 450W, when I bought the new PSU of 680W to replace the dead one, the seller just said more powerful and food one. But when I tried to connect to my computer, it’s not working, the green light power on for 20 seconds, then it went off. So what wrong with the new PSU, is my computer so old? it is not compatible with new PSU.
    Thanks!

81. Elizabeth Said,

    February 16, 2012 @ 1:30 am

    Hi I tried connecting my computer but it made a weird sound and smoke came out so I panic and disconect it I want to check again by conecting it but im scaerd it might explode or something what should I do?

82. admin Said,

    February 16, 2012 @ 7:12 am

    Hi Elizabeth, if smoke came out of it chances are the power supply is already confirmed faulty or bad. The smoke came out when an internal component (capacitor most likely) failed. If the PSU is under manufacturer or retailer warranty simply apply for an RMA / replacement. If it is outside of warranty I would just buy another PSU as there is no life left in the one you have. Hope that helps!

83. admin Said,

    February 16, 2012 @ 7:14 am

    Hi Happy,

    Try checking to make sure both the 20/24 pin ATX connection is hooked up AND the 4/8 pin ATX power connection. (On your older board it is most likely a 4 pin.) This will be located near the upper right corner of your CPU between the processor and the IO ports on the back of the board. Good luck!

84. admin Said,

    February 16, 2012 @ 7:16 am

    Hi Vibh,

    Make sure you have both the 20/24 pin ATX power connection hooked up and the 4/8 pin ATX power connection hooked up (near the upper right corner of the CPU.) If these are both in place, try removing all your memory and see if you just get 1 long beep when you try POSTing the system without RAM. (If your motherboard has an internal speaker) If you do not get one long beep without memory you may be experiencing an issue with the board.

85. admin Said,

    February 16, 2012 @ 7:20 am

    Hi Jim,

    You can use the paper clip technique outlined in the article to simulate it being connected to the board. I don’t do a lot of multimeter troubleshooting as my job requires quick repairs so it is usually just more cost effective for us to swap a part and then RMA the one we assume is faulty. If the system was working and the PSU failed and this new one is not doing the trick, ensure you have both the 20/24 pin ATX power connected to the board as well as the 4/8 pin ATX power connected to your motherboard. This is one of the most common reasons a new PSU isn’t resolving a no power scenario. Hope that helps some!

86. admin Said,

    February 16, 2012 @ 7:21 am

    Hi Roger,

    In that case I would look into just purchasing a new PSU. If the new PSU doesn’t do the trick, just make sure you open it neatly and save your receipt and you should have no trouble returning it if need be. Thanks.

87. admin Said,

    February 16, 2012 @ 7:24 am

    Hi Brad,

    Dell should provide their LED codes in either your system manual or on their site. (If this is the LED code you are referring to.) Otherwise if this is just a generic LED it sounds like something may be affecting the POST. If you are getting light it’s an indication the PSU may be working. I would try removing your memory and seeing if the system gives you one long beep. (If it normally beeps when you start it.) This should help you narrow down whether the motherboard and CPU are working ok. (If you get one long beep chances are your CPU and motherboard are fine.) At that point it may be a memory or PSU issue. Thanks.

88. admin Said,

    February 16, 2012 @ 7:25 am

    Try removing your memory and see if you get one long beep (if your board has an internal speaker.) If not, you may be experiencing an issue with your motherboard or CPU. Thanks.

89. admin Said,

    February 16, 2012 @ 7:26 am

    Grman, it could be a number of things. My first guess is a failing stick of memory. Search my site for how to do a Memory Test / Diagnostic to confirm if you have an issue with your RAM. Thanks.

90. admin Said,

    February 16, 2012 @ 7:28 am

    Hi Warren, it could be a number of things. Just for troubleshooting purposes remove your video card and see if you get any different results. If not try purchasing a new PSU to try and test with the system and just save your receipt in case it doesn’t solve the issue and you would like to return it. Thanks.

91. holidaze Said,

    February 20, 2012 @ 9:50 am

    hi i am having an issue with my computer, whereby initially on switching on the main power, the computer refuses to power up, however after leaving the main power on for an hour the computer is able to power up normally. Could this be an issue of the power supply?

92. Justin Said,

    February 21, 2012 @ 11:29 pm

    This has truly opened my eyes. I just had Windows 7 clean upgrade installation put on my computer from Staples, and after 1/31/2012, some component update or internal fix has been causing crackling on my audio connections and static on my monitor screen. I keep having to do system restore over and over again to get it stable, and hiding my waiting updates and turning off auto-update, but somehow it keeps coming back anywhere from 8 hours later to a week later. I do not know if doing continuous system restores is bad for my computer, but now I know if it’s the power supply, then I may have to get rid of my computer.

93. Cooper Said,

    February 22, 2012 @ 8:20 am

    Hey i have a Gateway 840GM running MS windows xp media center Ed 2005. Pentium D 830 dualcore 3Ghz processor 2×1 MB L2 cache. Has 1024 MB DDR 2 ram (2 x 512 ddr 2 4300 chips) dbl layer 16x multiformat dvd+/-RW and 16x dvd drives. Inter 945G chipset, tv tuner card and integrated gigabit ethernet. 8 in 1 digital mem card reader as well. I turned it on once. Powered off was fine turned on again (went to, and nothing. I had changed out the ram for exactly same kind but upgrade from the 2 512 ddr2 240 pin chips to 2x 1gb 5300 ddr 2 chips. went to power on and nothing. green light glows on motherboard. whats the next step? think removing the tv tuner pci or ethernet pci card would solve the problem??

94. Cooper Said,

    February 22, 2012 @ 9:04 am

    update :: I have now tried also removing the pci tv tuner and the ethernet card that was in the 2nd of the 3 pci/pcie slots. Same thing happens. You plug it in and a solid green led comes on the motherboard but no boot other than that.

95. kane Said,

    February 25, 2012 @ 5:14 am

    hi i recently decided to build my self a new pc first time, i so far have the psu/mobo and case i have connected the three up when trying to power it up nothing happens at all but when i disconnect and connect the 24 pin it the psu and case fan spins for a milisecond and stops and nothing happens, any ideas?

96. jiel Said,

    March 10, 2012 @ 1:06 am

    Hi

    came across this when looking for help.. I’m not sure what to do..
    I got an ACER Z5610 from a colleague to fix. It’s an all-in one PC, a pain to disassemble. It first wouldn’t boot windows, I narrowed it down to a HD failure, probably caused by a power failure, replaced the HD and reinstalled the system. It worked great for 2 days, then wouldn’t wake up from hybernation and the power button would not start the machine.
    I checked all connections inside, everything seemed firmly connected, triple checked all screws (found the service manual online) – but no luck (did various test, booting up from live CD, disconnect HD…)
    I did some tests on the memory modules and they seemed ok (I’ll try some more full tests once I get the machine to start again)
    Now, I’m down to this: if I disconnect the computer for some time (a few hours), replug and start it, it usually boots up fine. Reboots are fine too. BUT if I turn it off and try to start it, in the best cases I get some fan action, then it powers down (doesn’t even get to the bios);
    I need to unplug it, then wait some considerable time before plugging it in again: if I don’t wait long enough, all I get is to is the bios (I get the beep sound), then it powers down again. After one night unplugged, it starts fine. It’s not the CPU temp, it’s below critical temperature.
    I’m trying to figure out how long I need to wait before it starts fine again…
    I’m thinking of trying with another PSU, but it’s non-standard (though with a 24pin and a 4pin connector), and hard and expensive to get by, and I don’t have a spare 24pin PSU to test.

    I changed some settings in the bios, including the one that requires the computer to boot up after a power failure, so as to bypass the use of the power button, in case that was failing – no luck.

    Here’re my thoughts:
    - if it’s not memory failure, it’s either the power button board (doubt it), the motherboard or the PSU
    - the fact that I need to wait some time indicates something needs to be “flushed”. Either it’s electric and something inside the PSU, or it’s in the motherboard…

    Any suggestions are most welcome, I’m stuck here…

97. George Said,

    March 15, 2012 @ 12:36 pm

    when i power on my pc the lights on the corsair ram light up but nothing else no psu fan no cpu fan no case fan nothing no post beeps at all tried the ram test no solid beep when no ram in the dimms

98. Jack Said,

    March 21, 2012 @ 7:29 pm

    Hi
    Can someone help me with my computer. My computer screen went black and would not power on. I replaced the psu still did not help, then I replaced the cpu, screen still black.Help! Help! Help!

99. fairestfairies Said,

    March 25, 2012 @ 9:56 am

    I have a HP Pavillion a1737c and as of late it has started to give my problems when powering on for waking from sleep mode.
    First when trying to wake my desktop from sleep mode the light around the power button is on a blinking. When I move the mouse or press the keyboard nothing happens. Next I try to press the power button to get it to activate the computer but instead the light just turns off. So naturally I hold down the power button for like 3 seconds and then it all turns on and works fine. I have not adjusted any configurations for devices for this to just start happening which leads me to believe this could lead to a bigger power issue in the future.

100. fairestfairies Said,

     March 25, 2012 @ 10:10 am

     To add to my earlier issue I want to say that even when my desktop is shut down it will not turn on with an initial press of the power button. I am required to press and hold for a few seconds for it to turn on. Please give me some advice? Thanx

101. Gregory Said,

     March 27, 2012 @ 12:45 pm

     Hey, I have a dell XPS M1530 laptop and a few weeks ago i noticed that the fan on the CPU would suddenly speed up at random. After it runs fast for a little while, the computer shuts off. It doesn’t matter if I’m doing a lot of processing nor if it’s hot or not. Sometimes when i first turn it on the fan, after a few seconds, picks up speed and the computer shuts off. And on other occasions it doesn’t fully turn back on for a few hours. At this moment it’s barely coming on. The computer was bought in June 2008. I think there could be a problem with the CPU or the power supply or both.

     Also, when it comes back on, it gives the usual shutdown error message but sometimes it says it needs to scan for errors. So… I don’t know. I do get the blue screen sometimes as well.

102. Heindre Said,

     April 2, 2012 @ 10:26 pm

     Morning guys, i am having random lock ups and freezing on my pc. it happens when i transfer data from my external to my various hard drives on my pc. i consider my pc not to be bad at all. Just want some advice please. let me know if you need more info.

103. Robert Said,

     April 15, 2012 @ 11:02 am

     I have a Dell XPS 420, this morning I woke up to no power on the computer. I checked the power with another cord and still nothing. I opened the case and I see one amber light that is turned on that is on the motherboard. To me it looks like I have a good power supply but maybe a faulty motherboard? I have exhausted my limited troubleshooting abilities haha can anybody help me out? It would be much appreciated.

104. nat Said,

     April 24, 2012 @ 8:59 am

     my psu is an atx- not atx 12v i bought an adapter, that made no difference, the power stand-by light illuminates although when i press power, nothing from the psu nor pc, and yes the swich is wired correctly, any help, please?

105. nat Said,

     April 24, 2012 @ 9:00 am

     power stand-by light is on the mother board

106. Alan Said,

     April 24, 2012 @ 10:55 pm

     So I recently built a new system. Upon powering up, the lights, fans turn on for about 2 seconds, then power down. It continues to do this until I turn it off. At first I thought the problem might be the motherboard or the CPU, as these were both just purchased, I was able to have them replaced immediately. I was very careful when installing the CPU, heatsink, ram, and video card (using a static wrist band and pad). I finished installing the new setup but in the end I had the same problem, powers up then turns off. The only thing I can think of at this point is that the power supply is bad. I am probably going to have it returned and get a replacement just to test this theory but is there a chance it’s something else? Or is it likely the psu? Thanks for any input you might have.

107. Phil Said,

     April 25, 2012 @ 5:02 am

     Got my alienware 51-alx in August of 2010 and I have had zero problems with it until this weekend. I noticed some malware affecting my google searching, so I ran my AVG and it found and healed several objects, so I ran malwarebytes as well. Before the malwarebytes ended its scan, the AVG had popped up with a window of trojans that had tried to open, so I hit “move to vault.” My computer then almost instantly restarted itself. It would get to the point of connecting to the network, and then restart. It did this several times, and if i tried to get to anything at all like task manager to see what was hanging, it would restart. Then I accidently told it to restart and install updates from the login page… that was the last time my computer restarted correctly.

     From that point until now, i would cut it on and it would show the alienware logo on the screen and then go to powersave. The running lights come on, the fans are running, and the louvres on top open and shut and then open. The optical drives work normally, but nothing else happens. I cannot get to the bios, and nothing will boot. I have removed all the usb cables, and attached a serial keyboard with no change. I pulled all the hard drives out and reseated them. I was not receiving any beeps at all, so I removed the memory sticks, and got the 2 beeps. I put them back in and still no change. I then removed the cmos battery, and restarted a couple of times, with no change. I then pulled the jumper off the cmos, and did the restart, and then I got 5 beeps after that which is the cmos battery is dead error beep code.

     But since the computer goes into power save mode within a few seconds, would this be the power supply going bad? If I take out my video cards, will the computer try to boot up if the psu is working? I have a 700 watt power supply I could try, but the one in the pc is 1100 so Im not sure it would do a lot of good to test it…

     Thank you for any help you can provide…

108. Tebogo Said,

     April 29, 2012 @ 2:48 am

     Hi my pc burns the power suppliers, one morning when i i switched it on i saw flames from the power supply then the pc stopped working. I bought a new one after 2 week same thing happend again. I then bought a new p.supply again then i was running all fine after a month when i switch it on the fans are not moving only a red light on my indicater that shows that the pc is on, and im used to the light as it is green. And on the motherboard 2 lights are on! Can someone please explain why my pc do this to my power supplyers.

109. Ethan Said,

     April 30, 2012 @ 12:02 pm

     When i use the clip trick to test my psu, the fan comes on then goes off a second later. I connected a switch to the green and black cords on the psu and when i continuously put it on and off the psu runs! How is this possible? Is the psu damaged?

110. Dalton Said,

     May 14, 2012 @ 10:41 pm

     my fience just got a gaming computer from a friend and i went to put the ram from her old computer in it and it wouldnt fit so i put the old ram back in it and now it wont tur on. now lights beeps or anything. does anyone have any ideas on how i can fix the problem

111. Matthew Said,

     May 15, 2012 @ 10:56 am

     Hi, heres one for you. I have a custom built Digital Art Rig (Specs Below). It has been running fine since november of last year. On Friday, last week, it suddenly stopped working, I immediately determined that it was the Silverstone 1000w PSU that had failed. I called my brother, whom is an electrician, we were able to trace the problem inside the PSU to a blown Capacitor. I replaced the PSU with a Corsair 750TX, I powered it up in my living room and everything appeared to be fine. I took it into my studio (Same house) and plugged it into the power strip and flipped the switch, it immediately sparked. I hadnt yet hit the Case power switch, so I believe this rules out a MOBO, RAM, GPU problem. When I reached to flip the PSU switch back off, I felt a small burn/sting on the tip of my finger. I unplugged everything and moved it back out to my living room. When I plugged it in again, this time to replicate the zap I recieved, the computer was plugged in to the wall directly. No shock but when I flip the switch the Green MOBO power light on the board itself comes on and remains on. Any advice is appreciated.

     Antec Lanboy Air Case

     Asus P6T7 WS Supercomputer MOBO

     Intel I7

     Kingston Extreme DDR3 1666 Ram (24 GB, 6 sticks, 3 channels)

     Creative XFI Titanium with frontside outboard audio controller

     Samsung DVD Writer Reader

     Sony Blue Ray Writer Reader

     GeForce GTX260

     Cheap off the shelf Nvidia Graphics card.

112. mj Said,

     May 22, 2012 @ 12:45 am

     hi,

     just want to ask if its okay to plug both monitor and cpu to a 220v avr..my monitor is a 100-240v..my cpu well i cant remember..our current volts here in the philppines is 220v

113. Nick Said,

     May 29, 2012 @ 11:47 am

     System is a home-built dual core Athlon, 8800 graphics, 2G ram. 550w custom case powersupply.

     I decided to clean what had become a cat hair nightmare out of my system and in the process, things were jostled, hair got where it shouldn’t and when I powered it back up, it wouldn’t come on. I kept messing with it, finding new places for dust and cat hair to collect. I tried plugging it in again and the PS sparked. From the smell it was pretty obvious I blew the supply.

     I bought a new supply and hooked it up. Same wattage, but going from a custom PS to a basic PS (don’t have the money to really do this right). Power supply installed, I turned it on. Nothing. I get a yellow LED on the mobo, but no fans, no sparks, not anything. I’ve reseated everything, swapped around the power connectors, nothing. Won’t power up. I’m about ready to call it a lost cause as I don’t have money to really swap things out. Any ideas before I scrap the PC for parts?

114. Nicky Said,

     May 29, 2012 @ 2:57 pm

     Hi,
     Every time on cold start my mice freeze and i checked all, no virus no spy ware no malware. I did a check disk every thing is alright , my exploitation system works great i have enough ram also used hiren boot . I have used other usb have bought another mice, started in safe mood but the problem came back so its not software. I can not cut off my computer have always to reset like 4/6 times and some times i had to plug all out and then restart but mice freeze few seconds after i can see when it happens i see for a few seconds little flash on my screen and then its frozen. I never got a blue screen but since i can not shut down my computer some times i get a black screen where it ask me if i want to use save mood to restart or start windows normal. I never saw smoke , never had my computer overheating no smoke. And yes from time to time my computer restarts on his own. So my guess is its my power supply and i am going to bring my computer to the shop tomorrow. But any way wanted to ask what do you think about. thank you PS/ Sorry for the way i write English is not my main language i am in Europe thank you

115. George Said,

     June 14, 2012 @ 4:54 am

     I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU

     OMG. I was about to RMA EVERYTHING, because I missed a spot, I forgot to plug in the OTHER power connector on the MOBO!!!

     I LOVE YOU FOR FIXING IT. I FINALLY BUILT MY NEW PC.

     THANK YOU SIR FOR THIS ARTICLE!!!!!!!!!

116. RICHY RICH Said,

     June 27, 2012 @ 4:10 pm

     Hi i was working on my computer last night hooking up a fan i rigged it to a connector piece that has a male and female connector and two wires for positive and negative power i hooked fan up to these then closed case then when i power on i herd a spark and shut it off immediately but my video cards wont turn on anymore i resetted my cmos did nothing left video card on to wait to see if it would turn on then it started showing all the crazy weird lines when a video card is bad his is the eternal card i forgot to mention then i unplugged reseted cmos a again internal video went back to normal then i unplugged all i changed tried again wont work my question is did i break my video card or could i have shorted the power feed for my video card my specs are
     Windows xp media center sp3 x86
     ram slot a 1gb ddr2 pc3200 and slot b 2 dimms of 256 drr2 pc3200
     hard drive two drives both sata one is 120gb and other is 80gb
     Motherboard is a intel 915gag express chip-set board
     processor is a Intel Pentium 4 ht processor 3.0ghz
     psu is a apevia 500watt power-supply with a single 12volt rail.

     i would like to note when i load computer off of internal video it works but i got a couple messages saying voltages were out of range it was the 3.0 volt one

117. wendy martin-flaven Said,

     June 29, 2012 @ 5:44 am

     Hi, I have read all through I think its my Power Supply. Pc switches on fine, works for anything from half hour to 8 hours no problem but sometimes it just switches off. It will not switch on until I unplug it at the back and it will start as normal then. If I do not unplug the power cable, i.e. leave switched off all night or unplg at the wall, it still will not start but if I just unplug the back of PC and then plug back in, it will start within minutes. Changed cable by the way. Do you think it is Power Supply, will get another & keep receipt etc. Many thanks

118. Amen Said,

     July 1, 2012 @ 1:15 pm

     My gateway LX6810 desktop computer with vista OS, went to sleep mode and won’t wake up. I tried unplugged the power cord and after 10 minutes plugged it back in, the psu and cpu fans running,HDD and dvd drive spining,video card fan running, no power led come up, no POST(no beep no display. removed RAM, Video card, disconnect HDD and dvd power, but no beep, no other signs of life. What has happened to my PC? I really appreciate any help.

     Thank you,

119. Melissa Said,

     July 12, 2012 @ 9:19 am

     I have had 2 PSUs go out within weeks of each other. The first was the original factory installed one and the second I installed. Is it possible that something internally in the computer is causing it to short out?

120. Ivan Said,

     July 27, 2012 @ 2:40 am

     hi, i recently had problems powering on my computer for past 1 week by power button on case or power button on Mobo, this never occur for last 6months when i built it new.

     Details:

     LEDs are all lit
     Power button are Alright as i swapped reset button but still cant power on.
     No fans spinning
     Cables and pins all secure

     ONLY way im able to power it is by reseating the 24pin cable which connects directly from PSU to Motherboard, not 100% boot but sometimes able to after several tries.

     how do I determine the source of damage so i can RMA the specific parts? because i built the rig myself, ive got to pinpoint the parts in order to RMA it Thanks!

121. NeedMyPC Said,

     July 31, 2012 @ 1:20 pm

     When I turn on my computer it starts to power up for a fraction of a second, then everything stops. LED’s go out, fans off, everything. If I press power again, it won’t web do that until I flip the back PSU power switch off then on again and then will just do the same thing.
     Can I safely assume this is a PSU issue?
     Thanks!

122. Leonard Said,

     August 12, 2012 @ 1:02 pm

     Please help .
     My PC wouldn’t start. I’ve checked the power cable and it’s properly connected.The green light at the back of the CPU is on meaning powee is not the issue .What could be the problem?

123. PCguy Said,

     August 16, 2012 @ 7:32 am

     Hi need my pc. Yes i would say your psu isnt pumping enough juice, and this is why you are experiencing this. The psu is not exacty broken, but the load becomes too high for it and thats why it does attempt to start for a split seccond. Look into a higher wattage then your current psu.

124. PCguy Said,

     August 16, 2012 @ 7:40 am

     Hi ivan. Its seems to me, as long as your fans are molexed/three pined to your mobo and not your psu, im guessing your mobo is having issues. I cant gaurentee this is the problem, but if it was your psu it wouldnt only power certain things and not otheres, unless there is a loose connection. Im guessing you have nothing appearing on your screen, and if you are also not getting an audible code from your case speaker, then i belive your mobo is the issue.

125. PCguy Said,

     August 16, 2012 @ 7:51 am

     You didnt give much information, but from What you said, you might have the same issue as ivan, and reqire a new mobo.

126. PCguy Said,

     August 16, 2012 @ 7:52 am

     Sorry that was meant for leonardo

127. wan Said,

     August 16, 2012 @ 9:26 am

     hello sir, i have bought a new graphics card, gtx 560, my psu is old 450watt, i was playing game, while suddenly my pc shuts down, and it never turned on, the motherboard is receving power cause my mouse and keyboard has lights on… i dont understand the reason. there was a lot of voltage drop at that time…. my system spec is this :-
     amd phenom x2, 4gig ram, 320gb hdd, gtx 560, 450watt psu, gigabyte motherboard..

128. Richie Said,

     August 18, 2012 @ 11:18 am

     I have a Dell XPS 420 pc Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 2830 GHz. It just shut off. Maybe the power supply? I do not hear the fan on. I opened the side and do see a green light blinking on the motherboard. Could this still be a bad power supply? I can press the power button and nothing happens.

129. mev Said,

     August 18, 2012 @ 4:18 pm

     Hi i was playing a game on my old hp desktop when the power supply died on me i replace it an my pc would turn on at tall also have taken out everything an just power supply an motherboard were the only thing left but still wouldnt turn on , take 2 bestbuy soo they could look at it well the tech guy said e everything seem look good, well get no idea what do now.

130. Julian Said,

     August 26, 2012 @ 4:11 pm

     On my Np-r780h Samsung laptop, the power light flashes green then red then goes out, then repeats this. It is not charging the battery and took that out and put it back, pressed the power button for thirty seconds.
     Any ideas?

131. Neill Said,

     September 1, 2012 @ 7:56 pm

     Wife’s Dell does nothing when power button pushed. On the back of the PSU there is a blinking green lite when computer is plugged in. Pushing power button does zip. Green lite still blinks for maybe 30 seconds when power cord unplugged then it slowly goes off. Any ideas what’s the problem? Thanks.

132. manish Said,

     September 4, 2012 @ 8:13 pm

     intel 810 chipset motherboard pentium III.
     1) FAN wire jmt connector(molex) is going to dvd/cd rom and its black-red jumpter(jmt 24) wire don’t know where it should be installed. I a connecting this on motherboard on the portion of HDD LED, PWR LED, SPEAKER LED, RESET LED and its distance given JP18 23 and 24(jumper) so i am installing here and having the problem.
     2) other FAN wire jmt connector is going to hard disk and other output small connector goes to floppy drive.
     3) other FAN wire jmt connector is going to hard disk and other output small connector goes to next floppy drive.

     My CPU green light is not working while it is showing the hdd light as red.

     RAM : 320 (256+64)
     Modem : internal motorola speaker modem
     USB card : two socket in one port
     LAN card : one
     HDD : one 160GB but showing 136GB and other 20GB
     USB : serial to usb mouse.
     DVD rom : one “sony”

     on the moitor:
     1) red color is missing for many time and it is automatically detecting after some time.
     2) when boot or start the computer, on the screen shows the boxes in same one colors as some time green, blue, red, pink…..
     the system is working is very slow and some time restart automatically.

     also, please tell us that how can improve or upgrade it on a better quality is equal to Dual core when there is no space for more RAM, HDD capacity, power supply etc.

     Kindly suggest or guide as same as above matter.
     e-mail : manishjain101010.2012@rediffmail.com

133. sum Said,

     September 7, 2012 @ 8:06 am

     Can U help me with my pc? I don’t if is bad power supply or Hard drive

     All the lihgts in the system is ON,all system fans is spining optical drives are opening and closeing but im not seeing anything on my screen. I dont think is bad graphic!! because i did try both on-board graphic and exturnal graphic card

     CAN U HELP ME OUT?????????

134. DONPED Said,

     September 17, 2012 @ 6:34 pm

     Please Help….My problem is that i can’t turn on my computer. I’ve checked the motherboard and its light is on but the fan and everything else is not running..I’ve encountered this problem when I forgot to connect my cpu to my UPS and i just connected it directly to the wall outlet and then it created a spark and after that i can’t turn it on..Please tell me what’s the source of this problem, is it the off/on power button? Power supply? or anything else? please help me.. thanks..

135. Tracy Said,

     November 5, 2012 @ 6:06 pm

     the computer i am having problems with is my mothers and she was complaining that it won’t work, so i went out and was thinking it must be her outlet, the fans would come on but that was it. She was plugged into a surge protector and we changed that out but did no good. I loaded her compter up,only the pcu no monitor and brought it to my house and plugged it in using my monitor and got the same results,, i tried it a couple more times and wa-laa, it powered right up and came on just as it always had before and stayed running for a short period of time then just went off fans still running but nothing on the screen. any suggestions as to what i can check before taking it in for an expensive repair??

136. Matt Said,

     November 6, 2012 @ 12:28 pm

     Hi i have a dell optiplex gx620 when i turn pc on you can hear it powering up then fan doesn’t spin or make a noise this is my 2nd power supply iv tried. when 4 pin connector is in from power supply to motherboard it powers up then goes straight off when its not in it powers up but no fan spins please can you help thanks.

137. Riasat Said,

     December 2, 2012 @ 2:24 pm

     Hello,I have an AMD Phenom II X4 955 processor and an AMD Radeon 6670HD gddr5 graphics card.sometimes,while playing some games,my pc crashes and shuts down.there’s no significant amount of time for this to happen.i suspect this is happening because of the psu which is 550w.
     can you help me and suggest please?
     nice article by the way.

     Thanks in advance!

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