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Tower PC won't turn on... what are possible things to check?

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  • 13-01-2021 4:06pm
    #1
    mrcheez
    Registered Users Posts: 13,758 ✭✭✭✭


    My parent's PC won't turn on. Press the power button and CPU fan moves for 1/2 second then nothing. No flash on the monitor, and the power button light doesn't flash.

    The power cable is fine and fused (tested on other appliances)
    I've removed all dust (it was very dusty).
    I took out and re-inserted the RAM chips.

    The PC was left on in standby mode for months, wasn't really turned off. The machine itself is about 9-10 years old, but it serves it's purpose and they don't need an upgrade since they have tablets they use for the most part instead. The machine is just used for some minor tasks like word processing.

    Is there any way to diagnose what specifically is the matter, or do I need to go about replacing PSU, then motherboard, etc etc?

    If I end up taking it to a repair shop is it ok for me to remove the HDD? My folks have lots of sensitive banking data on there, etc.

    I imagine the lack of HDD won't affect testing whether or not the PC will start to BIOS?


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    #2
    Redfox25
    Registered Users Posts: 1,560 ✭✭✭Redfox25


    I would hold off on bringing it to a repair shop, will likely cost you more than its worth to fix it.

    PSU is working if the fans spin up. Do you have access to another monitor just to make sure that the monitor hasnt given up?


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    #3
    mrcheez
    Registered Users Posts: 13,758 ✭✭✭✭mrcheez


    Redfox25 wrote: »
    I would hold off on bringing it to a repair shop, will likely cost you more than its worth to fix it.

    PSU is working if the fans spin up. Do you have access to another monitor just to make sure that the monitor hasnt given up?

    The monitor is fine. The system that just powers on for 1/2 second then stops.

    No lights etc.

    The fans "spin up" in that they move about 3mm.


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    #4
    mrcheez
    Registered Users Posts: 13,758 ✭✭✭✭mrcheez


    If I wanted to extract the contents of the HDD, I can just plug it in to another PC right? No risk of losing any data?


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    #5
    Kimbot
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 18,575 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kimbot


    Could have had a power cut and blown the power supply if it was left in standby mode.

    I have a couple of spare power supplies knocking about depending on where your based.


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    #6
    EoinHef
    Registered Users Posts: 5,574 ✭✭✭EoinHef


    Id agree it sounds like power supply issue,failing POST and then turning off


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    #7
    Fingers Mcginty
    Registered Users Posts: 2,563 ✭✭✭Fingers Mcginty


    Sounds like a bad psu alright.
    If you are competent with a meter and its safe to do so you could check the dc voltages on the molex connectors conming off the supply.


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    #8
    Kimbot
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 18,575 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kimbot


    mrcheez wrote: »
    If I wanted to extract the contents of the HDD, I can just plug it in to another PC right? No risk of losing any data?

    Yeah, if you have an external caddy its handier to sort out :)


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    #9
    mrcheez
    Registered Users Posts: 13,758 ✭✭✭✭mrcheez


    Kimbot wrote: »
    Yeah, if you have an external caddy its handier to sort out :)

    something like this?

    https://www.wish.com/product/5c0f510a4901112e12cf83d2


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    #10
    Kimbot
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 18,575 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kimbot


    mrcheez wrote: »
    something like this?

    https://www.wish.com/product/5c0f510a4901112e12cf83d2

    Yeah, it will read exactly like an external HDD on any other computer etc then :)


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    #11
    mrcheez
    Registered Users Posts: 13,758 ✭✭✭✭mrcheez


    There's definitely no chance the motherboard has blown?

    i.e. if that happened I would at least see the fan moving?


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    #12
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 9,075 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    Has there been lightning lately? It's showing the exact symptoms my old Dell did when it was struck by lightning, board was a gonner I got a second hand one on ebay for buttons, the hdd died a few weeks later but I had extracted everything from it as it had started making a very strange sizzling sound.


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    #13
    _CreeD_
    Registered Users Posts: 4,146 ✭✭✭_CreeD_


    Check the CPU power cable (most in the last few years have a separate run to it), remove and re-attach it.
    Clear the CMOS via the mbd jumper.
    If you can get hold of a mbd speaker, some manufacturers still ship them but not attached. Hook it up and see if you get any beep codes on boot, if so compare them to the values in the mbd manual (these will indiciate key hardware issues).


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    #14
    Clearlier
    Registered Users Posts: 4,454 ✭✭✭Clearlier


    Diagnosing a PC issue is a process of elimination.

    Strip it down to the bare minimum - i.e. disconnect everything except the power cable, remove any cards, if there's lots of RAM just one stick (or a pair if it only works in pairs) - see if you get any more activity out of it. If you do then start adding back in everything that you took out/disconnected until you work out what's stopping it from working. If you don't try swapping RAM if it's possible.

    Assuming that it's still doing as it is at the moment look up the manual from the manufacturer - if they're in any way half decent there'll be a table in the manual which will tell you what to look for to identify which part is not working. The criteria will be something like, "no power light, fan turned over and stopped = motherboard problem" or there might be diagnostic lights on the back or there might be a noise.

    N.B. everything includes graphics card, keyboard, mouse, printer, network cable etc., the point is to see if there anything stopping it from turning on.

    P.S. You've reseated the RAM already but as others have suggested it's worth reseating all cables on the motherboard just to make sure that there's no loose connection.


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    #15
    mrcheez
    Registered Users Posts: 13,758 ✭✭✭✭mrcheez


    The dust in the machine was quiet extreme... would that short the PSU or clog up the fan?


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    #16
    JimmyVik
    Registered Users Posts: 5,367 ✭✭✭JimmyVik


    Its always the PSU :)


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