Bad Power Supply (PSU) – How to Check If a Power Supply is Dead
My Computer Won’t Turn On… Is My Power Supply Faulty?
Troubleshooting a Bad Power Supply is pretty straight forward. Since the Power Supply is self contained issues with the PSU are not usually the result of a configuration issue.
There are several you can check though before deciding the power supply is faulty. The first and foremost method is to use a power supply tester to check for a faulty PSU. Unfortunately not people own one until they need one, so there are some manual troubleshooting steps you can perform to check for a bad power supply.
How To Troubleshoot a Bad or Faulty Power Supply (PSU)
- WARNING: Power Supplies contain internal components that can store an electrical charge. Never attempt to repair the internal components of a Power Supply as you risk personal injury and also void the warranty on the PSU.
01. Check that the AC Power Cable is Connected Firmly to the Wall Outlet and PSU.
The PSU can commonly be stiff when connecting the AC power cable so make sure the cable and power supply are making good contact with one another.
02. Check the AC Outlet that the Power Supply is Plugged Into.
If it is a wall outlet, ask yourself if it is controlled by a wall switch. If so is the switch turned on?
If you are using a power strip or surge protector check to make sure the power switch is set to “On”. There will usually be a little red light that indicates this on a decent power strip or surge protector.
03. Check the On/Off switch on the Power Supply itself.
Most new power supplies all have an On/Off switch. This is a little black switch on the back of the power supply that has a one and a zero on it. (It may look like an I / O on the switch).
Make sure this switch is set to “On”. If the switch is set to one (1) this indicates that the power supply is turned “On”. If it is set to zero (0) it means the PSU is currently switched off. Make sure the switch is set to the one (1) position.
04. Check the Voltage Switch on the Power Supply.
On most new Power Supplies there is a red switch on the back that indicates voltage. This can be set to either 115V or 230V.
In the USA all our households use 115V from the wall AC outlets for standard appliances. If you are in the US make sure your Power Supply is set to 115V. If you are from Europe I believe your PSU needs to be set to 230V.
05. Check the 20/24 Pin ATX Power Connector and 4 Pin ATX Power Connector
Most motherboards require that you connect two Power Leads from a Power Supply to power your motherboard.
The main power lead is the 20/24 Pin ATX power connection which plugs in near the memory slots on your motherboard. The secondary power lead that is required is the 4 pin ATX power connection.
Make sure both of these leads are plugged in securely to your motherboard. You should feel a small click when they are properly inserted.
It is not uncommon for a lead to feel stiff and not go in all the way. To ensure that the ATX power leads are firmly connected disconnect each on and reconnect them to the motherboard.
06. Use Observations on the Power Supply to Determine if it’s Faulty.
- If your motherboard has a power LED on it, is this light turned on. (The motherboard power LED will normally glow even when the system is powered down.) If it is glowing this confirms the board is receiving power from the PSU and the problem may lie elsewhere.
- Can you see or hear the fan inside the power supply spin when you try to power on the system. If you do not see or hear it spinning this can be a sign of a bad power supply.
- Did the power supply make any crackling or popping noises when you tried to start the system? If so, this is a sign that a component inside the power supply has failed.
- Did you see a spark or smoke come out of the power supply? If so this is another sign that a component inside the Power Supply has failed.
- Does the power supply smell like burning electrical components. If so this is another sign of component failure inside the power supply.
07. Use Another Power Supply for Testing
If you have performed all of the above steps and have still not been able to determine if your issues are a result of a bad power supply use an extra power supply (if applicable) or a PSU from another system and try to start your system with the secondary Power Supply.
If it powers on with the other power supply you have determined your original Power Supply is bad or faulty.
Troubleshooting a Bad Power Supply Summary
If you have determined your Power Supply is bad you have two main options.
- If your power supply is under warranty send it into the retailer or manufacturer for RMA replacement.
- If your power supply is outside of the warranty period you will need to purchase a new power supply.
If you have any questions or comments regarding this article please feel free to leave them below.
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
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.
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
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
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/
nayab Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 9:39 pm
Thanks a lot.I’ll try what you advise. Nice site btw.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
Perry Said,
May 2, 2011 @ 11:37 am
I do have a multimeter. What would I check?
Perry
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
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?
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.
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!
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!
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
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.
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.
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!
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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 .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
David Said,
September 19, 2011 @ 3:52 pm
Is it possible for part of your (PSU)to go bad.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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…
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.
admin Said,
October 10, 2011 @ 7:38 am
Thanks Anonymous, I appreciate the positive feedback!
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?
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.
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?
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!
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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)
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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?
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.
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.
admin Said,
November 8, 2011 @ 8:02 am
Glad to hear you got it working Blank!
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.
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
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?
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.
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?
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?
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.
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