Need computer advice -- won't boot after powered down - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Need computer advice -- won't boot after powered down

Posted: 6/7/2005 5:01:41 AM EDT

I had to replace a circuit breaker in our house last night. I shut down (i.e., properly powered off) my computer, killed the main in the house, swapped breaker, and powered the house back up. Now the computer won't boot.

My computer was protected by a power strip. When I turn the computer on, I hear sounds like it's starting to boot (maybe about 5 seconds worth), then nothing. There is power coming to the computer.

Any ideas?

TIA.

Corey

Posted: 6/7/2005 5:05:23 AM EDT

[#1]

open up the case and make sure all your fans are working.

It sounds like a heat problem.

Also, find your bios battery and remove it for 1 minute then re-install and try again.

SGatr15

Posted: 6/7/2005 5:13:21 AM EDT

[#2]

Check your on/off switch. Mine will stick in and shut off after about 5 sec.

Posted: 6/7/2005 5:13:50 AM EDT

[#3]

It may be trying to draw more power then your power supply can handle. It could be damaged.

$40 should get you a new one.

Posted: 6/7/2005 5:20:57 AM EDT

[#4]

Does it beep at all? If so, how many beeps?

Posted: 6/7/2005 5:23:32 AM EDT

[#5]

Does your monitor come on with a green light?

Posted: 6/7/2005 5:40:37 AM EDT

[#6]

If nothing comes on at all, then power supply. Easy to change them out and they run about 35 dollars. If nothing else makes sense as to why it won't turn on then that is probably your culprit. They can go ay any time too, new PC or 5 yeasr old. Does not matter.

Posted: 6/7/2005 6:05:14 AM EDT

[#7]

Could be that your BIOS battery is dead. Powering off the computer for an extended period might have drained it or just revealed that it was already dead. BIOS battery is just a fancy watch battery on the motherboard.

Posted: 6/7/2005 8:33:37 AM EDT

[#8]

It's probably the power supply, especially if it's not posting (beeping). I doubt its the CMOS/BIOS battery, a lot of computers will still boot. Spend the ~$35 on a new power supply and it should take care of it.

Posted: 6/7/2005 8:34:47 AM EDT

[#9]

Yes but if it is a Bios battery it will still turn on. So that is key. Does it turn on at all? Any sign of life?

Posted: 6/7/2005 8:38:48 AM EDT

[#10]

The on/off button is not stuck.

I don't think it's a heat problem as it was off prior to me turning it on (i.e., it was cool). Unless I'm not understanding the problem/question/suggestion correctly.

The monitor light is yellow. Funny you mention that, as I was thinking that was strange. I almost thought it was a monitor problem at first. What causes this and what is the fix?

I don't believe that it beeps when I try to start it. Just some very brief hard drive noises.

I will check the hard drive battery and power supply. In fact, I might just take the thing into a computer shop unless this stuff is pretty easy to do at home.

Any advice would be appreciated. The money you save on this repair is money that could be better spent on ammo.

Corey

Posted: 6/7/2005 11:31:37 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
The on/off button is not stuck.

I don't think it's a heat problem as it was off prior to me turning it on (i.e., it was cool). Unless I'm not understanding the problem/question/suggestion correctly.

The monitor light is yellow. Funny you mention that, as I was thinking that was strange. I almost thought it was a monitor problem at first. What causes this and what is the fix?

I don't believe that it beeps when I try to start it. Just some very brief hard drive noises.

I will check the hard drive battery and power supply. In fact, I might just take the thing into a computer shop unless this stuff is pretty easy to do at home.

Any advice would be appreciated. The money you save on this repair is money that could be better spent on ammo.

Corey

Does the yellow light on the monitor turn green at all when powering up the PC? Any fans coming on at all when powering up or any other signs of life? If you are still using the powerstrip, have you checked the fuse or the switch to see if it needs to be reset or replaced?

The yellow light on the monitor is showing you are not getting video from the PC.

Posted: 6/7/2005 11:33:24 AM EDT

[#12]

Try the easy fix first.

unplug it completely from the power strip for a few minutes to discharge the system.

Then plug it back in and see.

Posted: 6/7/2005 11:37:01 AM EDT

[#13]

Did you try drawing down on it? And telling it to boot damn it!

Posted: 6/7/2005 11:47:32 AM EDT

[#14]

Plug it into a different circuit in your house, not the same one controlled by the same circuit breaker.

Posted: 6/7/2005 11:50:12 AM EDT

[#15]

It is not on the circuit that I just replaced.

I will try to plug it into a different outlet tonight, and unplug it from the power strip to let it drain.

The power strip does still work, though. I have a TV, printer, etc. in that power strip as well.

Corey

Posted: 6/7/2005 11:53:19 AM EDT

[#16]

a: reset your bios ,don't just pull the battery

b: plug power into know good outlet OFF OF POWER STRIP direct to wall

c: if that fails, reseat memory and adapters

d: if that fails meter power on power supply leads for proper voltage.

most likely reseting <not just removing the battery> the bios will likely do it. if your battery was old/weak and the system lost power it can corrupt the bios causing this problem. that is why you have to do a reset and not just pull the battery.

Posted: 6/7/2005 11:54:19 AM EDT

[#17]

Could also be that your video card went. If it sounds like it's booting up but your not seeing anything on the screen, then you can eliminate the power supply. If it's the power supply you won't get anything...nothing. If it sounds like it's working but you don't see anything, grab a cheap video card or borrow one and try that. It's easy to do and does not cost much.

Posted: 6/7/2005 11:59:54 AM EDT

[#18]

You guys are all talking waaaay over my head now.

Corey

Posted: 6/7/2005 12:21:48 PM EDT

[#19]

I would say either your power supply or motherboard has died. 1 other thing to try: UNPLUG your computer from the wall locate the ATX cable, unplug it, wait about 15 sec plug it back into the motherboard then turn the computer on and see what happends

this is the atx cable :

Posted: 6/7/2005 12:31:22 PM EDT

[#20]

The_Beer_Slayer: Good idea Mike, forgot about that, the constant heating and cooling cycles could cause the connectors to loose contact.

Posted: 6/7/2005 12:36:50 PM EDT

[#21]

If the power supply has its own off on switch. Pull the plug out of it and switch it off and on a few times.

Posted: 6/7/2005 12:41:38 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Try the easy fix first.

unplug it completely from the power strip for a few minutes to discharge the system.

Then plug it back in and see.

+1

This is the most common, with ATX nowadays, there is always some power through the system, even when it's off.

Not an overheating issue, no symptoms of that.

Posted: 6/7/2005 12:47:04 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Try the easy fix first.

unplug it completely from the power strip for a few minutes to discharge the system.

Then plug it back in and see.

+1100000000

when my computer shuts down after power goes out, I usually have to wait a couple mins and unplug it and the power strip....

Posted: 6/7/2005 12:56:00 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Could also be that your video card went. If it sounds like it's booting up but your not seeing anything on the screen, then you can eliminate the power supply. If it's the power supply you won't get anything...nothing. If it sounds like it's working but you don't see anything, grab a cheap video card or borrow one and try that. It's easy to do and does not cost much.

this is not a video problem

Posted: 6/7/2005 1:08:09 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
I would say either your power supply or motherboard has died. 1 other thing to try: UNPLUG your computer from the wall locate the ATX cable, unplug it, wait about 15 sec plug it back into the motherboard then turn the computer on and see what happends

this is the atx cable : www.thetechboard.com/tutorials/graphix/ATX.jpg

FYI

If its a Dell then the pinout is different on the ATX connector. You can't just go buy any power supply. You'll smoke the whole PC if you do.

Check power on the power cable going to your PC. I've seen plenty of surge suppressors go bad.

Shok

Posted: 6/7/2005 1:11:16 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Try the easy fix first.

unplug it completely from the power strip for a few minutes to discharge the system.

Then plug it back in and see.

+1100000000

when my computer shuts down after power goes out, I usually have to wait a couple mins and unplug it and the power strip....

Ya the same thing that happened to the thread creator happen to my friend this weekend.

I told him to unplug it and bring it over to my house.
I said, "I'm so good it will be working by the time we set it up at my house".

Sure enough, him driving it over discharged it and it works.

Posted: 6/7/2005 1:33:00 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I would say either your power supply or motherboard has died. 1 other thing to try: UNPLUG your computer from the wall locate the ATX cable, unplug it, wait about 15 sec plug it back into the motherboard then turn the computer on and see what happends

this is the atx cable : www.thetechboard.com/tutorials/graphix/ATX.jpg

FYI

If its a Dell then the pinout is different on the ATX connector. You can't just go buy any power supply. You'll smoke the whole PC if you do.

Check power on the power cable going to your PC. I've seen plenty of surge suppressors go bad.

Shok

i had heard dell was starting to do that about the time IBM stopped servicing them. what another shitty thing to do to their customers.

Posted: 6/7/2005 3:01:54 PM EDT

[#28]

From another thread where this issue came up.

Quoted:
BTW, a friend told me that power strip type surge protectors don't work when they're turned off. That's how I powered the computer down (turned off the power strip). I'm guessing that when I turned the house back on, that's when the computer got damaged as the power strip was turned off.

Corey

Depends on the type of power strip but either way, never power off your computer like that on purpose. Always use the "Start -> Turn Off Computer" feature in Windows. Even if the machine is locked up, push and hold the power button on the computer for about 5 seconds which will still power it off in a safer manner then just pulling the plug which is basically what you are doing when you turn off the power strip.

Posted: 6/7/2005 4:19:24 PM EDT

[#29]

from the first post

I had to replace a circuit breaker in our house last night. I shut down (i.e., properly powered off) my computer

Posted: 6/7/2005 4:46:17 PM EDT

[#30]

In my opinion that is silly. if you turn a surgeprotector off. you are creating an open connection, there fore electricity will not pass through the surgeprotector. therefore not reaching the computer...

the problem with surge protectors and impatient people is: they get mad that the computer locked up, don't know that they can hold the power button down for 5sec and it will power down. so they flip that switch on the surge protector, off and on( really fast). When they do that fast they are sending spikes of voltage through the protector to the equipment connected. Correct me if im wrong but thats from my EET courses in college.

Quoted:
From another thread where this issue came up.

Quoted:
BTW, a friend told me that power strip type surge protectors don't work when they're turned off. That's how I powered the computer down (turned off the power strip). I'm guessing that when I turned the house back on, that's when the computer got damaged as the power strip was turned off.

Corey

Depends on the type of power strip but either way, never power off your computer like that on purpose. Always use the "Start -> Turn Off Computer" feature in Windows. Even if the machine is locked up, push and hold the power button on the computer for about 5 seconds which will still power it off in a safer manner then just pulling the plug which is basically what you are doing when you turn off the power strip.

Posted: 6/7/2005 4:49:44 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
In my opinion that is silly. if you turn a surgeprotector off. you are creating an open connection, there fore electricity will not pass through the surgeprotector. therefore not reaching the computer...

the problem with surge protectors and impatient people is: they get mad that the computer locked up, don't know that they can hold the power button down for 5sec and it will power down. so they flip that switch on the surge protector, off and on( really fast). When they do that fast they are sending spikes of voltage through the protector to the equipment connected. Correct me if im wrong but thats from my EET courses in college.

Quoted:
From another thread where this issue came up.

Quoted:
BTW, a friend told me that power strip type surge protectors don't work when they're turned off. That's how I powered the computer down (turned off the power strip). I'm guessing that when I turned the house back on, that's when the computer got damaged as the power strip was turned off.

Corey

Depends on the type of power strip but either way, never power off your computer like that on purpose. Always use the "Start -> Turn Off Computer" feature in Windows. Even if the machine is locked up, push and hold the power button on the computer for about 5 seconds which will still power it off in a safer manner then just pulling the plug which is basically what you are doing when you turn off the power strip.

spot on!

Posted: 6/7/2005 4:58:41 PM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:
I would say either your power supply or motherboard has died...

What he said. I would first try to swap out the power supply in case that got fried when you turned the circuit breaker back on. Swap one from an old PC if you have access to one or get one from your local PC store and ask if you can return it if that doesn't fix the issue.

If a new power supply doesn't work, you may have to troubleshoot each component to see what got toasted... ie memory, motherboard, or hard drive... At that point, you might as well take it to a professional or see if it's still under warranty by the manufacturer.

Posted: 6/7/2005 5:13:48 PM EDT

[#33]

Before you replace the power supply see if the thing even turns on when its not connected to the motherboard.
To do this unplug the connector in the pic below and useing a paper clip or wire, jump the green and black wires of the connector. then switch the PS on via the switch on the back of the PS. If the PS fan spins up and your HD and CD drives spin up your PS is good and you have possibly blown a motherboard. If the PS does not turn on when jumped and switch flipped on then the PS is definetly faulty. ONLY jump the green power on, and black ground wires to test the PS... this is a valid test and It has solved many PS -MB issues for me in the past. simple to do and failsafe.

Quoted:
I would say either your power supply or motherboard has died. 1 other thing to try: UNPLUG your computer from the wall locate the ATX cable, unplug it, wait about 15 sec plug it back into the motherboard then turn the computer on and see what happends

this is the atx cable : www.thetechboard.com/tutorials/graphix/ATX.jpg

Posted: 6/9/2005 10:05:32 AM EDT

[#34]

Computer was taken to pros today.

I'll let you all know the diagnosis when I get it (hopefully before this weekend?).

Thanks again.

Corey

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Need computer advice -- won't boot after powered down

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