Computer Won't Power Up

[Insomn1a]

I think that it might be the motherboard. I tried a different PSU in the computer that isnt working aand it wouldnt power up. I also have tested the PSU that was currently in the computer with the paperclip technique to see if it would turn on and it turned on just fine. Looks like im in for a new computer I wish I didnt have to. Thankfully black friday is right around the corner!

Try Clearing out your CMOS by removing the CMOS battery form the motherboard, do this with no power connected, the CMOS battery is a coin shaped battery on the mainboard. usually you can use a ball point pen or something else similar to pop it out.

[mardybear]

I think that it might be the motherboard. I tried a different PSU in the computer that isnt working aand it wouldnt power up. I also have tested the PSU that was currently in the computer with the paperclip technique to see if it would turn on and it turned on just fine. Looks like im in for a new computer I wish I didnt have to. Thankfully black friday is right around the corner!

Hi Musick Man...

Probably the last thing i would try before giving up totally would be to remove and reseat the processor but me thinks this is a long shot. Do you feel lucky punk? (dirty harry).

mardybear

[Musick Man]

Try Clearing out your CMOS by removing the CMOS battery form the motherboard, do this with no power connected, the CMOS battery is a coin shaped battery on the mainboard. usually you can use a ball point pen or something else similar to pop it out.

I tried that out. I went out and bought a brand new CMOS battery and it didnt turn on with the new one in it.

Probably the last thing i would try before giving up totally would be to remove and reseat the processor but me thinks this is a long shot.

If I removed and reset the processor would I have to buy new heat sink to connect the fan, right?

[Insomn1a]

I tried that out. I went out and bought a brand new CMOS battery and it didnt turn on with the new one in it.



If I removed and reset the processor would I have to buy new heat sink to connect the fan, right?

No you would need some thermal paste though to reseat the heatsink properly. You can reseat the heatsink without it but I wouldn't recommend it. There should be either some screws or a toggle that is holding down the heatsink onto the processor. Even so. I dont think that any of this is going to help. I'm 90% sure its a motherboard issue. Aside from the power button going bad or something like that.

[robtygart]

You do not need to buy a new Heat-sink.

Make sure you have some thermial-compound, you put it on before you put your fan and heat-sink back on. You don't need much just a think layer. You should see the old stuff when you take it off.


Also make sure your cpu fan is properly connected, both wire and sitting on the cpu or it will not turn on.

[robert shearer]

How old is this desktop machine...?

Given how long and often you ran it hot then it is possible that some components have suffered premature aging due to thermal stress.

Yes, could be the processor, or any of the larger value capacitors nearby the heatsink...these can dry-out quickly with increased temperature and fail or change value alarmingly. (google 'bad caps' for some more info ) and then there are the onboard regulators that could have been stressed.

From your description and the history it seems the board is failing to supply the 'power good' signal to the psu.
If you can find another mobo second-hand cheap then move the processor heatsink fan etc over you may get running again. Or maybe not.

Sounds like you have a rainy day project and an excuse to buy a new computer now..

[lazarojhr16]

maybe your power supply died.

[Musick Man]

No you would need some thermal paste though to reseat the heatsink properly. You can reseat the heatsink without it but I wouldn't recommend it. There should be either some screws or a toggle that is holding down the heatsink onto the processor. Even so. I dont think that any of this is going to help. I'm 90% sure its a motherboard issue. Aside from the power button going bad or something like that.

Thank you for the info! It really helped a lot. I know its not the power button because I did the screwdriver technique to tap the powerSW pins, and when I did that it didnt turn on.

I am going to try remove the processor and put it all back on before I get a new computer.

From your description and the history it seems the board is failing to supply the 'power good' signal to the psu.
If you can find another mobo second-hand cheap then move the processor heatsink fan etc over you may get running again. Or maybe not.

Sounds like you have a rainy day project and an excuse to buy a new computer now..

I will look for a new mobo to test the components on. My computer is about 3 years old so fairly new still, shouldnt be hard to find something all my stuff works in. but I like your rainy day project idea more black friday coming up... might be time to start saving up for a whole new computer!

Addon: Doing a visual inspection of the mobo, it does not seem like there are any bad caps. looking at some of the images online, none of the caps on my mobo look like that. So I dont think that is an issue but I read online some of the symptoms of bad caps and my computer fits into some of those symptoms so it could be some of the caps are bad, just they aren't showing it visibly yet

[s1baker]

I was going to suggest re-setting the bios to default but Insomn1a mentioned something about re-seatting the battery.

I would try a new ribbon first before putting in a MB, and check the power connectors to the HD and MB.
Do you have any mem chip(s) you can try, or if you have a set that is in the box, take one then the other out and try that.
Also, check the seating of the CPU.

[robtygart]

I was going to suggest re-setting the bios to default but Insomn1a mentioned something about re-seatting the battery.

I would try a new ribbon first before putting in a MB, and check the power connectors to the HD and MB.
Do you have any mem chip(s) you can try, or if you have a set that is in the box, take one then the other out and try that.
Also, check the seating of the CPU.

Ribbon? Are you talking about an IDE/SATA cable?

Your bios and power should prompt with nothing but a graphic card and RAM.