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Computer won't turn on..at all..nothing

M

Milenko

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jul 15, 2002
Messages
1,482
So.

The home computer fried a little while ago, figured it was the PSU since my father said smoke was coming out of it. Replaced it with a brand new antec. Nothing.

Replaced the motherboard, so now we have a new PSU and MB. Nothing. When I say nothing, I mean nothing. Fans don't spin up at all, but I do get the power light on the MB saying that it's receiving power.

I RMA'ed the PSU and MB, still nothing. Replaced the processor. Still nothing. Replaced the case. Still nothing.

Fan on processor and PSU spin up when the MB and PSU are out of the case.

Is there a short somewhere? What the hell is going on?

I'm about to go nuts.
 
Ok, this is probably not the solution to your problem, but I had the damndest thing happen during our move. The PC worked before I tore it down and packed it up. When I got to the new place (you can tell where this is going), it wouldn't work, with the same symptoms - absolutely no response when pressing the button but the mobo light was on. On a lark, I took a look at the power button connector on the mobo and found that the switch was plugged into the worng pins. I have no earthly idea how that could have happened since the plug was completely pushed onto the pins.:confused:

Anyway, maybe your power button failed so try shorting the power button pins on the mobo? Oh, and double check that you have the connector on the proper pins. Odds are slim, but what the hell, right?
 
I'd be more inclined to think that when you replaced the mobo you misplaced some of the rubber fittings around the screws and the motherboard is making contact with part of the metal (a screw, a receiver nut, or the tray). That's what I thought on reading the first few lines, then when you said it works outside the case, I was even more sure.
 
He said he replaced the case which means it's a new power button and he had to put the connector onto new pins on a new motherboard. That's obviously not the problem. I would try it on a different outlet. You've replaced everything there is to replace that would cause this to happen so maybe the problem isn't with the comp.

OR

I noticed that you have done nothing with the ram. If I were you, I'd try a different stick of ram or something. The harddrive wouldn't keep it from starting but the ram would. good luck.
 
Sure you plugged it in right? Maybe another defective mobo? Plugged everything in right (had to say that again). Can't explain apart from those.
 
1. Tried a different outlet.

2. It worked outside of the case a few times, and it worked inside the case a handful of times. I wouldn't change anything, I would plug it back in..and nothing.

3. Motherboard is making contact directly onto the studs that the screws connect to. That's it. (The posts I mean)

4. I've tried different RAM as well. Nothing.

Something is causing the machine to not start up at all. (Thank you for your replies so far)
 
4keatimj said:
Did fixing the short fix the problem?
Click to expand...

I don't know if there is a short, like I said, it works 90% of the time outside of the case.

I even bought a new case to see if that would fix the problem. Didn't.
 
what about the vid card? does that work properly? Just i remembered that sometimes my computer doesn't boot up properly, because my vid card refuses to boot. Have you tried another vid card?
 
4keatimj said:
what about the vid card? does that work properly? Just i remembered that sometimes my computer doesn't boot up properly, because my vid card refuses to boot. Have you tried another vid card?
Click to expand...

Video card works fine.

I just had the fans spin up in the case, with the CPU only installed.

So I put everything else together. Turning it on/off after every addition. It died once I plugged in the HDD. I unplugged the HDD and tried again, no go.

Does the PSU have a ground fault or something to that effect...or the MB...but the MB isn't touching anything EXCEPT the posts it sits on. And sometimes it works in the case, sometimes it doesn't.
 
Something is shorting out.

Please give me a list of things it could be.

I'm pretty close to insane right about now.
 
Last ditch solution: try a new PSU. I now, you've done it, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Have you tried taking the RAM out and booting up? All other components? Does the MB work with other components and in someone elses computer? How about the other components. Busted caps on the MB? Do the screw holes have the protective metal covers? I'm just listing everything i can think of.
 
Okay, I figured it out.

Listen to this. It's the HDD.

Everything works until the HDD is plugged in. Then I turn it on. Nothing. Then I remove the HDD. Nothing. I have to reset the CMOS after I remove the bad HDD, then it works.

I used an old dying HDD, and it works fine. Jesus friggin CHRIST. It's weird. It's like the second I turn the machine on with the bad HDD, it puts it into a mode where it won't do anything until I reset the CMOS.

Any reason why this would happen? Looks like I need a new HDD now.

And 4keatimj, I was using two different PSUs back and forth to make sure it wasn't that.
 
oohhh, OK then. I was running out of ideas too ;) . The BIOS probably couldn't detect exactly what the HDD was and what was in it, and didn't boot because of this. I'm guessing, anyway.
 
4keatimj said:
oohhh, OK then. I was running out of ideas too ;) . The BIOS probably couldn't detect exactly what the HDD was and what was in it, and didn't boot because of this. I'm guessing, anyway.
Click to expand...

But the BIOS would work if the HDD wasn't plugged in at all.

That weirds me out because that means something must have died within the HDD and caused some type of short that wouldn't let the PSU boot.
 
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