Lurker Friend: "My Computer Broke"

[Prototype]

Hey guys,

One of my lurking friends wanted me to post his situation on here, in hopes someone can help him find what's wrong with his busted computer.

------

Hey guys, hoping i can get some advice... My computer is pretty much on 24/7 and yesterday i came home and it was powered off. I tried to turn it back on but it wasn't powering up. I initally thought it was the power supply so i tried this power supply on another computer and it was working just fine. There is no sound/light coming from the computer which leads me to believe the motherborad is done (the inside of the computer is really dusty which also leads me to believe something overheated). Not sure if this is a coincidence but 1 month ago my computer suddenly turned itself off but i was able to turn it back on with no problem. Also, 2 days ago the mouse just stop working but the usb port still worked. Any suggestions??? I've spent the morning googling the net and will try some of the ideas when i get home tonight.

Thanks in advance!

[calculoso]

I had the same problem about a month ago. The power had gone out, obviously turning my computer off, and it wouldn't turn back on. I tried a bunch of things, to my growing frustration, but it ended up 'solving itself'. I unplugged everything from the case (including power cable) and think now that waiting with it unplugged may have reset something caused by the power outtage? I'm not sure.

[BlackEleven]

It certainly seems like a power problem. Even if the motherboard was fried the computer would still power up -- and then immediately proceed to serenade you with a loud series of beeps.

The computer shutting itself off is usally a sign of overheating, but I don't think that's the problem here.

[WindomURL]

I had this exact set of symptoms happen to me. It was a fried motherboard.

You can have a certain part of the board blow and it will result in NO warning beeps or lights coming on. If you're lucky the CPU and RAM and videocard will be OK.

Motherboards can be fairly cheap to replace, thankfully. I know Memory Express has some clearance boards that can be had for low cost. You just need to decide if your present CPU/Ram combo is worth keeping. What does your lurker friend have?

[jammies]

There should be a green LED on the motherboard that is always on when the power is on; if the power supply is known good, and you don't see this light, you have either a bad board OR possibly a bad peripheral (video card, network card, hard drive, etc).

Easiest thing to do is to disconnect EVERYTHING - memory, hard drive, CD drive, any cards like video, network, modem, sound card - so that all there is, is the motherboard plugged into the power supply. If you get a green light, and some loud beeps when the power is turned on, then you know it is one of the peripherals, and you put them back in one at a time (with the power plug UNPLUGGED at any time you are removing and re-adding hardware), starting with the memory sticks until you find the bad part. If it still is no go with just the motherboard, that is probably your issue right there, although you must be careful as sometimes a blown motherboard will damage other components connected to it - the only way to know is to test them.

PS - Let me reiterate again that you NEVER plug anything in while the power cord is attached, and especially not when the power is on. I know it sounds obvious, but I've actually seen someone think it would be "faster" to plug stuff in while the machine was running. Which I guess it would be, if the whole "kinda dangerous and likely to blow some other part up" issue is left to the side.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by jammies

PS - Let me reiterate again that you NEVER plug anything in while the power cord is attached, and especially not when the power is on.

It's been my standard practice to plug the power supply in with the 3 prong cord to ensure a good ground, but then use the switch on the back of the power supply to ensure it isn't supplying power to the computer. That way it's grounded in case of shock but can still work on it.

[jammies]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

It's been my standard practice to plug the power supply in with the 3 prong cord to ensure a good ground, but then use the switch on the back of the power supply to ensure it isn't supplying power to the computer. That way it's grounded in case of shock but can still work on it.

By unplugging, a simple visual check always confirms there is no power, whereas on many power supplies (that have an off/on switch) you must closely examine them to make sure they are in the correct off position - which greatly increases the chance of making a mistake if you are inexperienced, or for that matter, if you are doing five things at once like I try to do.

I never worry about grounding as the whole static electricity thing is way, way overblown. Touch the case and you will equalize potential between you and the computer, and grasping the power cord and removing it does that every time. As long as you're not opening up the (generally sealed) power supply and gleefully handling the bare wire inside - ignoring the labelled warnings not to do so - there is no potential source of stored power that needs to be grounded. Although I'm not saying it's WRONG to leave it plugged in, if you are careful to turn it off, I'm just saying I find it easier and safer to unplug and always recommend anyone who is unfamiliar with working on computers to do so, to minimize the chance of error.