Computer won't power up

Hey all,

Having a bit of an issue with my desktop. For a few weeks, i was having trouble where, when I power up the computer, it boots up fine, and all is dandy, but about two or three minutes after being turned on and logging in, etc. it either freezes or gives me an error screen and shuts down.


I adapted a bit of an "ah sure it'll be grand" attitude and thought nothing of it. Happened a few more times so I decided the best thing to do was to back up my files and reformat it.


I assumed that'd get rid of all my problems and it seemed to for a few days, but then it came back again. So anyway, I took a few photos of the screen with my camera phone for when it'd shut down, but they may aswell be written in Binary for all the information i can get out of them.


Anyway, I use AVG (free) and scan my PC regularly. I bought it about two years ago in Harvey Norman's, and have reformatted it four or five times since. I do a lot of downloading but as I say, i always scan the pc regularly and have never had any real virus issues.



However, today, the computer was going fine. I was on boards and just as i had written out a long reply to a thread (typical!) it turned itself off. Now it's not turning on.


Well, it is turning on, and I can hear the fan inside it and such, but there's nothing coming up on my monitor and the computer doesn't seem to be doing much except making noise (the fan).



Anyone got any ideas for a quick fix here? A Google search suggests its a hardware fault, and that I should open it up, take out everything, leaving only the essential items, and restart it everytime i re install a piece, as a way of trying to figure out what the issue may be. It also hinted towards it being a problem with the Power Supply.


But thought id post here to see if any boardsies havehad this issue or know of what i should do. Too much bad info on Google, so I'd like to try my hand at hearing from a real person before following the advice of an article via a google search.



Here are the phone camera photos taken recently;


http://img837.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=dsc00012wu.jpg




If anyone has any idea whatsoever, i'd really appreciate it. Cheers to anyone with any advice to offer here at all.

ED E

Thats the generic BSOD.

The fact that its goes for a bit then stops indicates its likely to be overheating. Have you cleaned it recently?(As in the CPU cooler and all fans). If not try that.

Next try getting some new CPU paste and re-steating the cpu cooler.

If its not booting at all now you may have fried it but it should shut down before that happens. How old is the machine? Specs?

JonathanAnon

Happened a few more times so I decided the best thing to do was to back up my files and reformat it.

Did you actually format the hard drive and install Windows from scratch or did you just reinstall Windows OVER the existing Windows installation (called In-Place Reinstall)?

softdancomputer

Drivers?
Bad memory?

Lethal_Bullet

Lethal_Bullet wrote: »

Thats the generic BSOD.

The fact that its goes for a bit then stops indicates its likely to be overheating. Have you cleaned it recently?(As in the CPU cooler and all fans). If not try that.

I love you.


I had never even thought to give it a cleaning. Opened her up last night and dear lord, the amount of dust in there; I'm surprised it was running at all.


Gave it a good cleaning out and since that, it's been running fine. Hopefully that's all that the problem was.

It was only out of action for a few hours, but I actually really missed it



Thanks a lot to everyone who replied, and especially yourself Lethal Bullet. Can't thank you enough!

ED E

Opened my Dimension recently, there was kilograms of dust in the front fan. I really hate dust. Rule of thumb, clean once every 12 months max, closer to six if you can.

Glad you got it sorted.