This PC is Dead

[lewm]

Very tempting to slip into the Parrot sketch, but ...

The PC is dead - no I saw the fan move just a little when power was applied. I have changed the Power supply for a working one - same results. I have re-seated all the Memory and the processor - still same results.

The fan only moves a quarter turn, and only once, ie if I switch on again - nothing. But if I remove the power cable and start all over I get the fan movement (and a flash of lights on the front panel)

Any ideas gratefully accepted.

Thanks

 

[paparazi]

You will probably find that it is something that is plugged into the motherboard that is preventing boot.
The hard drive, a bad CDrom or addon card, take the system back to basics (remove everything apart from ram, graphics, CPU with cooler and PSU, pull out front panel wires and bridge PW terminals to start.
It is also worth resetting the cmos
If the old PSU did go bad then my bets on the hard drive.
Martin

Replying helps further our knowledge, without comment leaves us wondering.

 

[edfair]

The quarter turn of the fan and the flash of lights is probable indication of crowbar shutdown of the PS. Happens when something is drawing more than it should.
Over the long haul I've found that I create it by plugging the floppy power one pin off in dim light. But other things have caused it, blown CPU chip, shorted HDD power, blown serial line driver, shorted floppy power, grounded M/b, screw loose under the M/B, and shorted memory strip.
So you start with minimal configuration, PSU and M/B. Then add components until it crowbars again. And hope that the problem stays solid because if it is intermittent it is one of the harder items to discover.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[lewm]

Big thanks to all those who replied - have now tried all those tricks to get it going - anyone want to buy a used PC

 

[T1MB0]

Could be a blown voltage regulator on the mobo, which would mean a new mobo if you wanted to resolve it...


Tim

 

[ceh4702]

You could also test the motherboard after you remove it from the case by placing it on some cardboard and shorting the two pins on the motherboard that go to the on switch. This is a way to test the motherboard so you know that it works. Sometimes a motherboard is touching the mounting plate and shorting out or a mounting standoff comes up in a place wherer there is no mounting hole and shorts it out.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.