Computer problems

[slimshady2357]

Our desktop at home is having problems, which is to say that catastrophic hardware failure seems imminent! :eek:

Here are the various symptoms, can anyone suggest the likely problem?


Somtimes the computer will just shut off without reason, there doesn't seem to be a common theme to when this will happen, it will just power down without reason. After this happens you cannot turn it back on until you turn on and off the power from the socket.

Often, when first using the computer for the day, the display will not be consistent. What I mean is that the colours will be strange, like everything will have a yellow or blue tint and this will flash on and off between regular colours. During this time the displpay is otherwise normal, i.e. you can surf the web or type a document normally.

Also, about 1 in 2 times when using the computer for the first time of the day it will just crash half way through start-up or within a minute of finishing start-up. The screen will just go screwy with lines and you need to re-boot.

If you leave the computer for a couple of hours and it goes into standby sometimes it will not come back. So you can see the computer is still on, but using the keyboard or moving the mouse will not bring it back from standby. It just seems frozen and you have to re-boot.

Finally, if the computer HAS been in use for a couple of hours then it runs totally fine. No lines, no flashing colours, no needing to re-boot. It's as if most of the problems are when the computer is 'cold' and when it's 'warmed up' then it runs fine.:scratch:


Any suggestions? At first I thought maybe it was the power supply, since it was powering down for no reason. But I don't know if the power supply could cause the other problems?

[Dingfod]

I think it is possible that low or inconsistent voltage could cause things like you describe to happen.

[slimshady2357]

I think it is possible that low or inconsistent voltage could cause things like you describe to happen.

Interesting. What could cause low or inconsistent voltage? The way it seems to work perfectly when 'warmed up' was making me wonder if they was a poor connection somewhere that was being made more fully when heated up. Could something like that cause inconsistent voltage, if there was a connection that was 'almost' being made most the time?

[Dingfod]

A bad power supply could cause it.

[slimshady2357]

A bad power supply could cause it.

I see. Thanks Ding! I'll probably have to just take it in and have someone look at it anyway, but it's nice to have an idea of what it could be.

[livius drusus]

Couple of questions, slim. What kind of monitor do you have? How much RAM in how many sticks? Have you made any hardware changes recently? What's the make and model of the computer?

[Dingfod]

Yeah, I don't suppose you should take computer problem advice from me, I've got my own set of problems with a new computer.

[slimshady2357]

Couple of questions, slim. What kind of monitor do you have? How much RAM in how many sticks? Have you made any hardware changes recently? What's the make and model of the computer?

We have an ACER LCD monitor. The Ram is one stick of 512Mb. No hardware changes at all recently. The make and model of the computer is a little sticky, it was an eBay purchase and was a build, not a known make. The CPU is an AMD 3000+ and the motherboard is Kyus(?) I think. I can probably get more detailed info when I'm home if it would help :)

[slimshady2357]

Yeah, I don't suppose you should take computer problem advice from me, I've got my own set of problems with a new computer.

No worries, it's not like I'm going to replace the power supply myself or anything :D

But I like to hear from other people what they think it might be, helps me to have an idea of what to expect.

[viscousmemories]

Given the information we have now, I'd agree that the power supply is the prime suspect.

[slimshady2357]

Given the information we have now, I'd agree that the power supply is the prime suspect.

Hey, two votes for the power supply! And my rather uninformed guess as well. I should have made it a poll and allowed write-in votes :giggle:

[ceptimus]

I suspect the power supply too. With the power off and the power inlet cord removed, fiddle with the connectors inside that join the power supply unit to the main board. If the power supply (and especially its cooling fan) is all covered in fluff and dust, then use a vacuum cleaner to hoover it all off.

Also check the cooling fans on the processor and any other fans (some video cards have them). It's worth cleaning them all out, though I don't think it's the processor overheating, as that hadn't ought to cause the video display to go funny.

With the case still open, make sure you're not touching anything, and then power up the PC and check that all the fans are spinning round. Don't touch anything while the power is on. Remove the power cord while you put the case back together.

If that doesn't fix it, it sounds as though the PC is new enough to be worth spending some money on a new power supply - they're only about £40. You need to make sure you get one that is compatible - different ages of computer have different power supplies - although the voltages are the same (5V 12V, -12V) the connectors have changed over time, and the method of switching them on and off too. Older units have a cables that go to a proper (mains voltage) on/off switch, but newer units just have some flimsy wires to a low voltage switch - these type are never really off (unless you switch off the mains externally) - they just go into a standby mode when you press the button.

[slimshady2357]

I suspect the power supply too. With the power off, fiddle with the connectors inside that join the power supply unit to the main board. If the power supply (and especially its cooling fan) is all covered in fluff and dust, then use a vacuum cleaner to hoover it all off.

Also check the cooling fans on the processor and any other fans (some video cards have them). It's worth cleaning them all out, though I don't think it's the processor overheating, as that hadn't ought to cause the video display to go funny.

Thanks cep, those are good ideas and even I can manage them (I think ;)). I'll give those a try when I get home from work and see in general how it's looking inside.

If that doesn't fix it, it sounds as though the PC is new enough to be worth spending some money on a new power supply - they're only about £40. You need to make sure you get one that is compatible - different ages of computer have different power supplies - although the voltages are the same (5V 12V, -12V) the connectors have changed over time, and the method of switching them on and off too.

I don't plan on changing the power supply myself, I'll probably bring it in somewhere and have it done. I could possibly be convinced to try though, if it's not very difficult. Where can I buy a new power supply, preferably somewhere that I can bring in the old one in an effort to get the right kind of new one? PC World?

Older units have a cables that go to a proper (mains voltage) on/off switch, but newer units just have some flimsy wires to a low voltage switch - these type are never really off (unless you switch off the mains externally) - they just go into a standby mode when you press the button.

Sou and I were preplexed as to why you could not restart the computer without turning off the mains after it powered down (failed) on it's own, could it have something to do with the power supply being like the second kind above? That would solve one mystery.

[livius drusus]

We have an ACER LCD monitor.
Okay, that could be at least one part of the problem. Stripes and tints can happen when the connection between the video card and the panel are bad.

Do you have another monitor lying around, by any chance? If so, it would be worth your while to plug it in when the LCD is acting up just to confirm that the problem is in the case, not the monitor.

The make and model of the computer is a little sticky, it was an eBay purchase and was a build, not a known make. The CPU is an AMD 3000+ and the motherboard is Kyus(?) I think. I can probably get more detailed info when I'm home if it would help :)
No, that's cool. I think we've got enough to go on. I'll second the power supply suspicions wrt the sudden shutdowns.

[slimshady2357]

Okay, that could be at least one part of the problem. Stripes and tints can happen when the connection between the video card and the panel are bad.

Panel? Do you mean the monitor (as in flat panel?)

Do you have another monitor lying around, by any chance? If so, it would be worth your while to plug it in when the LCD is acting up just to confirm that the problem is in the case, not the monitor.

No, we don't have another monitor. I was wondering how the power supply could be changing the display, but I didn't have another monitor to test.


No, that's cool. I think we've got enough to go on. I'll second the power supply suspicions wrt the sudden shutdowns.

Ok, looks like I'm going to need another power supply. I'm starting to wonder if I can actually change it myself. If I can be confident I have the correct new part, I think I will give it a go. First though, I'm going to open it up and try the suggestions cep gave. :yup:

Thanks everyone for the timely and helpful responses! More comments are always welcome from of course.:cheers2:

[ceptimus]

If the power supply is putting out the wrong voltages, then it's possible that this might affect the video card, causing the display to change colour or wobble, etc.

Changing the power supply is pretty easy. It is held into the case with just a few screws. There are some leads that plug onto the main board, and some others that take the power to the disk drives and CD / DVD drives. All of these just pull out (sometimes there is a plastic 'barb' catch that you have to press to allow the connectors to come free).

You can certainly try PC world who do stock the common power supplies, but there are probably more helpful and cheaper PC parts shops near to you - try the Yellow Pages or the internet.

Power supplies have a wattage rating. There will be a label on the old unit saying how many Watts it is - perhaps 150W or 230W, etc. You should make sure that if you purchase a new power supply, it is rated the same, or higher than the original. It's okay to go to a higher wattage unit, but if you put in a lower wattage one, then it might not be able to cope with all the power demands of the computer.

Some power supplies have a little slide switch that selects whether the input voltage is 110V or 230V. Obviously, if there is such a switch, it should be set to 230V when you're in the UK.

Don't forget that it might not be the power supply, so providing the price is right, taking it to a repair shop might be a better idea. Of course, if you can get the power supply on a sale or return basis, then that will be risk free.

[slimshady2357]

If the power supply is putting out the wrong voltages, then it's possible that this might affect the video card, causing the display to change colour or wobble, etc.

Changing the power supply is pretty easy. It is held into the case with just a few screws. There are some leads that plug onto the main board, and some others that take the power to the disk drives and CD / DVD drives. All of these just pull out (sometimes there is a plastic 'barb' catch that you have to press to allow the connectors to come free).

You can certainly try PC world who do stock the common power supplies, but there are probably more helpful and cheaper PC parts shops near to you - try the Yellow Pages or the internet.

Power supplies have a wattage rating. There will be a label on the old unit saying how many Watts it is - perhaps 150W or 230W, etc. You should make sure that if you purchase a new power supply, it is rated the same, or higher than the original. It's okay to go to a higher wattage unit, but if you put in a lower wattage one, then it might not be able to cope with all the power demands of the computer.

Some power supplies have a little slide switch that selects whether the input voltage is 110V or 230V. Obviously, if there is such a switch, it should be set to 230V when you're in the UK.

Alright, alright, alright. You've convinced me, I'll try changing it myself :cool:

I've plugged in new DVD drives and harddrives before, so I know what you mean about the plugs that go to them. I'll take a look at it tonight and find out the specs and start looking for one on the internet. I live in a small town, so I don't think there will be any stores nearby that sell them. I'll either get one next time I'm in Bristol or order one on the interwebs.

Thanks again everyone, I'll let you know how it goes.

[Dingfod]

I think that when there is a failure or glitch in the later versions of Windows operating system you don't get the blue screen of death like you did with Windows 3.1 or Windows 95/98/2000, sometimes the computer just freezes or locks up. Sometimes they won't come back from the standby or hibernate mode without powering down, often involving unplugging the computer or switching off the surge protector, because like cept said, there is no actual power switch on newer computers or their power supply.

It could also be a bad RAM chip or module that cause the intermittent shutdowns or refusals to come back up, or both.

[slimshady2357]

Well, I opened it up and it was dusty inside. I cleaned it all up, checked all the connections and wrote down all the info on the power supply. When I closed it up and turned it on is was still crashing. I think I'm going to check out the prices of power supplies on the web and also call someone about their price on fixing it. At the same time I'm going to take a look at the price of another 512Mb of RAM. If it's possible that it is the RAM, then I would like to have another module to try. Plus, I could use the other 512Mb anyway.

Thanks again to everyone for their help, I'll be back with more updates when I have new info :)

[viscousmemories]

Good luck, slim!

[Loren Pechtel]

Another vote for the power supply. It sounds like it's erratic when cold.

They aren't that hard to replace. As you have been told, check the wattage, make sure the replacement has at least as high a rating.

While they have many wires it's still just a matter of plugging them in. Note everywhere a wire ran from the old one and what sort of plug is on the end of it, plug wires from the new one into the same places.

Note that there may be Y connectors on the power wires, these unplug from the power supply wire and stay with the machine. Power supplies may also have daisy-chained plugs that will come off with the supply. To tell the difference note if the wires reverse or not--daisy chained wires come back out of the same side of the plug while Y's have two sets of wires coming out of the far side of the Y.

Most new supplies have 24-pin power connectors. Many existing boards still take 20 pins. You'll find the plug has a chunk of 4 that will disconnect from the 20 somehow.

[slimshady2357]

Another vote for the power supply. It sounds like it's erratic when cold.

They aren't that hard to replace. As you have been told, check the wattage, make sure the replacement has at least as high a rating.

While they have many wires it's still just a matter of plugging them in. Note everywhere a wire ran from the old one and what sort of plug is on the end of it, plug wires from the new one into the same places.

Note that there may be Y connectors on the power wires, these unplug from the power supply wire and stay with the machine. Power supplies may also have daisy-chained plugs that will come off with the supply. To tell the difference note if the wires reverse or not--daisy chained wires come back out of the same side of the plug while Y's have two sets of wires coming out of the far side of the Y.

Most new supplies have 24-pin power connectors. Many existing boards still take 20 pins. You'll find the plug has a chunk of 4 that will disconnect from the 20 somehow.

I have no idea who you are, I don't think I've ever seen you post before, though I see you have done so. But thank you very much for taking the time to help me with this problem, I think that's very cool.

I haven't had time to source and buy a new supply yet, I was at the in-laws on the weekend, but I will be getting one soon. I'll be sure to keep yours (and others') points in mind when I replace it. I really appreciate everyone helping out :)

[Loren Pechtel]

Another vote for the power supply. It sounds like it's erratic when cold.

They aren't that hard to replace. As you have been told, check the wattage, make sure the replacement has at least as high a rating.

While they have many wires it's still just a matter of plugging them in. Note everywhere a wire ran from the old one and what sort of plug is on the end of it, plug wires from the new one into the same places.

Note that there may be Y connectors on the power wires, these unplug from the power supply wire and stay with the machine. Power supplies may also have daisy-chained plugs that will come off with the supply. To tell the difference note if the wires reverse or not--daisy chained wires come back out of the same side of the plug while Y's have two sets of wires coming out of the far side of the Y.

Most new supplies have 24-pin power connectors. Many existing boards still take 20 pins. You'll find the plug has a chunk of 4 that will disconnect from the 20 somehow.

I have no idea who you are, I don't think I've ever seen you post before, though I see you have done so. But thank you very much for taking the time to help me with this problem, I think that's very cool.

I haven't had time to source and buy a new supply yet, I was at the in-laws on the weekend, but I will be getting one soon. I'll be sure to keep yours (and others') points in mind when I replace it. I really appreciate everyone helping out :)

I'm new to this board although you'll find a total of over 50k of posts by me on other boards out there.

As for what I am--a computer programmer. I wouldn't really consider myself a hardware tech but I build all my own desktop PC's.

[beyelzu]

loren can be good people, he is from ii.


i dont always agree with his politics but i hear he can be incredibly helpful on tech issues.


oh, hey loren, welcome to ff

[seebs]

Yeah, power supply, power supply, or possibly power supply.

[slimshady2357]

Ok, here are the specs from my power supply, this is basically everything written on the outside that seed like it might be pertinent.

Korean
KW Power Supply
P4
Model # GP-400ATX
12V P4 400W
AC input:
100-120 vac 6.3A 50/60 Hz
200-240 vac 4.0A 50/60 Hz

And here is one I was looking at buying to replace it: Kingwin 450W SLI/Crossfire Ready Power Supply - Misco.co.uk (http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=286248&CatId=1423)

Would that one be OK? It seems like it would be to me, but I'm just not knowledgeable about these things. I thought I would ask here first and see what people say.

Again, thanks for the help!

[Loren Pechtel]

Ok, here are the specs from my power supply, this is basically everything written on the outside that seed like it might be pertinent.

Korean
KW Power Supply
P4
Model # GP-400ATX
12V P4 400W
AC input:
100-120 vac 6.3A 50/60 Hz
200-240 vac 4.0A 50/60 Hz

And here is one I was looking at buying to replace it: Kingwin 450W SLI/Crossfire Ready Power Supply - Misco.co.uk (http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=286248&CatId=1423)

Would that one be OK? It seems like it would be to me, but I'm just not knowledgeable about these things. I thought I would ask here first and see what people say.

Again, thanks for the help!

There's no -5V on that supply. This is *PROBABLY* ok but there are a few boards around that still want it. My old board wouldn't POST when I put in a supply that didn't have it.

I've also had some bad reliability with other Kingwin products, I've never tried any of their power supplies.

Other than these issues I have no problem with it.

[slimshady2357]

Ok, here are the specs from my power supply, this is basically everything written on the outside that seed like it might be pertinent.

Korean
KW Power Supply
P4
Model # GP-400ATX
12V P4 400W
AC input:
100-120 vac 6.3A 50/60 Hz
200-240 vac 4.0A 50/60 Hz

And here is one I was looking at buying to replace it: Kingwin 450W SLI/Crossfire Ready Power Supply - Misco.co.uk (http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=286248&CatId=1423)

Would that one be OK? It seems like it would be to me, but I'm just not knowledgeable about these things. I thought I would ask here first and see what people say.

Again, thanks for the help!

There's no -5V on that supply. This is *PROBABLY* ok but there are a few boards around that still want it. My old board wouldn't POST when I put in a supply that didn't have it.

I've also had some bad reliability with other Kingwin products, I've never tried any of their power supplies.

Other than these issues I have no problem with it.

Thanks for the feedback. I wish I knew if the one I have in there had -5V on it, then I would know if it mattered. Hmmm, I will have to think about it now...

I think the motherboard is a Kysus and it shouldn't be more than 2 years old I wouldn't think.

[ceptimus]

I'd just google:

ATX 400W PSU

They have one on ebuyer.com (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/106619?gclid=CMX8ofvTso8CFQXOQwodgQcmTA) for £14.09 including VAT. There are a few alternatives there too. I think you'll be okay with your PC with any 400-Watt ATX power supply that is physically the right size to fit. Just make sure it has enough connectors of the right type for your PC.

Does your PC have any SATA drives? Probably not if it's a couple of years old. The SATA drives have different power connectors to the older hard disks (which use the same connectors as CD-ROM and DVD drives). You can get adapters but if you have a couple of SATA drives, it's better to buy a power supply that comes with the correct connectors.


Is this link the same as (http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=en&u=http://terasan.info/dengen/no078/index.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3DKW%2BHP-400ATX%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX) your old PSU? If so, that doesn't have any -5V either. I think all newer ATX spec power supplies don't usually have it.

[slimshady2357]

I'd just google:

ATX 400W PSU

They have one on ebuyer.com (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/106619?gclid=CMX8ofvTso8CFQXOQwodgQcmTA) for £14.09 including VAT. There are a few alternatives there too. I think you'll be okay with your PC with any 400-Watt ATX power supply that is physically the right size to fit. Just make sure it has enough connectors of the right type for your PC.

Well, I made sure it had the right number of connectors, but I didn't think about the physical size of it! I assumed they were all the same size. Interesting.

Does your PC have any SATA drives? Probably not if it's a couple of years old. The SATA drives have different power connectors to the older hard disks (which use the same connectors as CD-ROM and DVD drives). You can get adapters but if you have a couple of SATA drives, it's better to buy a power supply that comes with the correct connectors.

The power supply I linked to has 2 SATA connectors, so that is OK.

Is this link the same as (http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=en&u=http://terasan.info/dengen/no078/index.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3DKW%2BHP-400ATX%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX) your old PSU? If so, that doesn't have any -5V either. I think all newer ATX spec power supplies don't usually have it.

That is not quite the same as mine, but man it is very similar. I think if it is the right size I will go ahead and order the one I linked to. The reviews I was able to find seemed to say it was good. It has the correct power and right kind of connections. I want to get some RAM from them as well and they look reasonably priced.

Measuring time.

[Loren Pechtel]

I'd just google:

ATX 400W PSU

They have one on ebuyer.com (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/106619?gclid=CMX8ofvTso8CFQXOQwodgQcmTA) for £14.09 including VAT. There are a few alternatives there too. I think you'll be okay with your PC with any 400-Watt ATX power supply that is physically the right size to fit. Just make sure it has enough connectors of the right type for your PC.

Well, I made sure it had the right number of connectors, but I didn't think about the physical size of it! I assumed they were all the same size. Interesting.

They aren't all the same depth although I have never seen one that wouldn't work in the machine I tried to put it into. If you have a very small case you could have problems with a bigger unit if you have an optical drive in the wrong place--I have seen one where their cables got wedged fairly tightly but it was still possible.

The width and height are standard to fit the normal mountings.

The one time I have had a power supply not fix was on the motherboard--for some reason it had an extra-large body on the power connector and the body of the plug struck a capacitor next to the power plug about 1/8" short of seating.

[slimshady2357]

Well, the news isn't good.

I got the new power supply and a new 512MB RAM module. I took a look at all the connections inside and the new PS was going to work fine on that front.

I disconnected all the wires and took note of what would need to be reconnected where. Next I installed the new PS, which fit fine, connected all the wires and hooked up the power. So I turned on the power and the little green light on the motherboard lit up, good news there. Hit the power button on the computer and it whirred to life...BUT normally the power button lights up blue and the reset button lights up red. This did not happen. The fans were running, the DVD player was flashing like normal and the door would open, but there was nothing else happening. No output to the monitor either. None. Zero. Hmmmm. So I turned it off and tried switching the connections (since I new the fan connector worked, I tried putting it to the harddrive). Nothing. I don't understand. I just can't figure out what is going on.

I even tried reconnecting the old PS and seeing what would happen. Suddenly the blue and red lights don't come on with that one anymore either! WTF? And it's definitely well dodgey, it was going on and off regularily.

Why don't the blue and red lights work with the old PS now?!:fuming: I can't tell what those lights signify even, do they mean the harddrive isn't powering up? And why isn't there any output to the monitor anymore? Isn't the motherboard even doing anything now?! :fuming:

Arg. Is it possible the dodgey PS has buggered something else?

I might as well just get a new one, I don't know what the smeg to do with it now.

[seebs]

The blue and red lights are most likely a power LED and some kind of drive activity light. Is it possible that the cables for those might have gotten loose? You'd be looking for little two-wire twisty cables, tiny little wires, connecting to jumpers on the motherboard.

[slimshady2357]

The blue and red lights are most likely a power LED and some kind of drive activity light. Is it possible that the cables for those might have gotten loose? You'd be looking for little two-wire twisty cables, tiny little wires, connecting to jumpers on the motherboard.

I believe you are correct about the purpose of the lights. Definitely correct, I had forgotten that the red one was a drive activity light. No they have not come loose as far as I can tell. I can see where they connect to the motherboard and they seem fine.

Thanks for the suggestion though. The thing that really gets me is that there is NO output to the monitor at all. I mean, where is the BIOS and DOS like stuff you usually see? Even if the HD was buggered there would be SOMETHING, wouldn't there? It seems to suggest that the motherboard is not operating properly. Could it be that the PS doesn't have the -5V setting? Loren suggested it might be a problem, would it manifest like this?

[Loren Pechtel]

The blue and red lights are most likely a power LED and some kind of drive activity light. Is it possible that the cables for those might have gotten loose? You'd be looking for little two-wire twisty cables, tiny little wires, connecting to jumpers on the motherboard.

I believe you are correct about the purpose of the lights. Definitely correct, I had forgotten that the red one was a drive activity light. No they have not come loose as far as I can tell. I can see where they connect to the motherboard and they seem fine.

Thanks for the suggestion though. The thing that really gets me is that there is NO output to the monitor at all. I mean, where is the BIOS and DOS like stuff you usually see? Even if the HD was buggered there would be SOMETHING, wouldn't there? It seems to suggest that the motherboard is not operating properly. Could it be that the PS doesn't have the -5V setting? Loren suggested it might be a problem, would it manifest like this?

It does sound like the motherboard isn't POSTing properly. My next step would be to plug in a debug card (something like: W-JET1048 PCI Error Testing Card (Debug Card) (http://www.winic.com.tw/1024.htm) ) and see what you can see but that's probably not an option for you. The fact that you're posting here strongly suggests you don't know any techie types that might have one. Your profile pic is nothing like the environment around here and give the supply you linked to I suspect you're across an ocean as well.

The wires from the case to the motherboard are low on my list of suspects as the board responded to the switch.

If the missing -5V was the problem it would not affect how it behaved when you put the old supply back in.

Does your machine beep at all when you turn it on? And did it beep before?

There's also the possibility you fried something. For some reason nobody on here mentioned the handling precautions. Be very careful of static electricity and just because the front panel switch is off doesn't mean the power supply is fully off. You have to turn it off by the switch on the back or unplug it.

[Potato]

Going with what Loren posted above this, definitely determine if it beeped at all when you attempt to power it on.

Also, in my experience with motherboards (and having fried one), there is a little LED on it that will tell you if it's receiving power.


I don't want to sound like a Loren echo, so I won't ramble about the importance of making sure everything is drained of power before you start messing with it. But it's pretty important.

[Loren Pechtel]

Going with what Loren posted above this, definitely determine if it beeped at all when you attempt to power it on.

Also, in my experience with motherboards (and having fried one), there is a little LED on it that will tell you if it's receiving power.


I don't want to sound like a Loren echo, so I won't ramble about the importance of making sure everything is drained of power before you start messing with it. But it's pretty important.

The good boards have that little light. The cheaper ones generally don't. People who build their own equipment are generally looking at the good boards.

Mine even has the post code reporter portion of the debug card built right into the board. When it started screaming it's head off during boot it led me on a wild goose chase for what was wrong with the memory. Turns out the actual sin was I misread the connectors and I had the CPU fan on wrong. It was spinning correctly but since it wasn't being powered by the connector for the CPU fan the board thought the CPU fan wasn't spinning and was sounding the alarm.

Why do they put a bunch of fan connectors on the MB anyway? While MB-powered fans certainly could exist I've never encountered one other than the CPU fan.

[Corona688]

Why do they put a bunch of fan connectors on the MB anyway? While MB-powered fans certainly could exist I've never encountered one other than the CPU fan. For monitoring purposes. There's lots of 'em as add-ons. It's useful to know when a fan's on the way out, even if it's not your CPU fan.

[Loren Pechtel]

Why do they put a bunch of fan connectors on the MB anyway? While MB-powered fans certainly could exist I've never encountered one other than the CPU fan. For monitoring purposes. There's lots of 'em as add-ons. It's useful to know when a fan's on the way out, even if it's not your CPU fan.

I understand the idea but I've never seen a case fan with the sensor wire or a plug that would go on the MB, even on the gamer cases. If you want to monitor the fans you would need to replace them with ones that could be monitored.

[But]

Use a multimeter to check if the LEDs are still alive and then check if the voltage going to the LEDs / fans is in the correct range (check for too high/missing voltages, there may be a short circuit somewhere), check if everything is connected the right way round, also try to reset the BIOS.

[seebs]

Another gadget worth looking into if you ever have to deal with this again: A power supply tester. They sell them in stores, at least computer stores; you plug a power supply in and it has lights showing what the power supply is putting out.

Another thing:

Have you tried using a different outlet? I have, on two or three occasions in thirty years of debugging this kind of crap, seen an outlet be producing bad power that could fry things, cause them not to come up, or whatever.

[Loren Pechtel]

Another gadget worth looking into if you ever have to deal with this again: A power supply tester. They sell them in stores, at least computer stores; you plug a power supply in and it has lights showing what the power supply is putting out.

I own one and have found it all but useless. Just about every power supply I've replaced tested out ok with it. The problem has normally been not being able to deliver enough power under load, not a matter of not being able to deliver any.