Older computer won't start

[Kompu Kid]

Hello All:

I am trying to refurbish an older computer before I give it away. Will
be loading Ubuntu Linux on it.

This computer won't start. It has been sitting in storage for a couple
of years.

When I press the start button, I get a flicker of light on various
led's but nothing happens afterwards. When I press the on button a
second time no flickers. Wen I unplug the power cord, then I can get
the flicker again.

What may be wrong with this computer?

Thanks!

 

[JFG]

dead CMOS battery...

The CMOS battery may well be dead. After sitting up for so long, I wouldn't
be surprised. The behavior you describe puts me in mind of a defective
power supply. HTH, JG

 

[Dan C]

dead CMOS battery...

Nope. CMOS battery being dead wouldn't stop the computer from powering
up. It would only cause the BIOS settings to be lost/defaulted.

Absolutely NOT the answer. It's either the power supply, the mobo, or
the cable connection between the two.

 

[Paul]

Nope. CMOS battery being dead wouldn't stop the computer from powering
up. It would only cause the BIOS settings to be lost/defaulted.

Absolutely NOT the answer. It's either the power supply, the mobo, or
the cable connection between the two.

I'd check the power supply. I had one power supply, where the capacitors
leaked while the computer was stored. When I opened it up, I found the
brown stains, same as the four or so defective capacitors in this photo.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/PSU_Caps.jpg

Paul

 

[Greg Onyshczak]

Almost certain to be the power supply.
Possibly the motherboard or dodgy plug in parts (leads, card, RAM etc)
Won't be the power switch going by your description.
CMOS won't stop it starting, may give odd results, but it won't stop it
starting.

Best
Paul.

Try replacing the CMOS battery first its cheap anyway.
It may not prevent your pc from coming on it just won't boot to windows.
I've had the same kind of problem replaced the battery everything works.

 

[Buffalo]

Hello All:

I am trying to refurbish an older computer before I give it away. Will
be loading Ubuntu Linux on it.

This computer won't start. It has been sitting in storage for a couple
of years.

When I press the start button, I get a flicker of light on various
led's but nothing happens afterwards. When I press the on button a
second time no flickers. Wen I unplug the power cord, then I can get
the flicker again.

What may be wrong with this computer?

Thanks!

On the back of the tower, find the 115v-230v selector switch on the Power
Supply and make sure it is in the proper position.
Move it from one voltage setting to the other several times (computer
unplugged, of course) and put it in the proper position.
If that's not the problem, remove and reseat the various conenctors in the
computer.
Does it beep at all?
Buffalo

 

[Pennywise]

I'd check the power supply. I had one power supply, where the capacitors
leaked while the computer was stored. When I opened it up, I found the
brown stains, same as the four or so defective capacitors in this photo.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/PSU_Caps.jpg

First be sure to ground the power supply! You can do this with one
hand holding an incoming water pipe, and with the other slide a
fork...

- Just a play on Dan C's format.

You can purchase a good power supply tester for really cheap
http://www.google.com/products?q=power+supply+tester&aq=0&oq=power+supply
read the reviews on the $8 Thermaltake Dr. POWER A2358 ATX power
supply tester.

 

[Paul]

First be sure to ground the power supply! You can do this with one
hand holding an incoming water pipe, and with the other slide a
fork...

- Just a play on Dan C's format.

You can purchase a good power supply tester for really cheap
http://www.google.com/products?q=power+supply+tester&aq=0&oq=power+supply
read the reviews on the $8 Thermaltake Dr. POWER A2358 ATX power
supply tester.

I don't recommend opening the power supply.

In my case, the warranty had expired, so there was nothing to be
lost by opening it. Since my power supply was making noises, I was
as much interested in where the noise was coming from, as anything
else. I wasn't expecting leaking caps, but there they were. The power
supply did not have a lot of operational hours on it, but still the
caps leaked.

I remove the lid on the power supply casing and look. But don't touch!

There are a couple capacitors that run at line voltage. C5 and C6 in this
schematic, received rectified voltage from the line. Those are the
ones to stay away from. R2 and R3 are present, in that schematic, to
discharge the capacitors, when the user turns off the power. But if, for
any reason, R2 or R3 is open circuit (i.e. the safety resistor goes bad),
the caps can retain a lot of energy. Which is why they must be treated
with respect.

http://www.pavouk.org/hw/en_atxps.html

If the supply has a warranty, and the warranty stickers are still intact,
you may be able to get warranty service. But some companies use the dodge,
of providing no contact information, so you cannot get in touch with them.
That is a sure way to avoid providing warranty support

Paul

 

[Mike Easter]

the four or so defective capacitors in this photo.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/PSU_Caps.jpg

That's from a nice article on bad mobo caps with several links to some
badcaps websites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague
http://www.capacitorlab.com/visible-failures/index.htm Visual Signs of
Capacitor Failure

 

[§ñühw¤£f]

kony <[email protected]> pinched out a steaming pile

I've seen motherboards where it wouldn't run if it had a
dead CMOS battery. Surprised me too the first time, but
replacing the battery and then having it work was proof
enough.

Apple Power PC's are like that.

Power supply is most likely, then motherboard. Bad cable
connection between the two not so likely as that would
usually cause failure to post but the PSU would stay live,
fans running and LEDs continuing to do something.

Plug the sucker into the wall socket?

^_^
--

cageprisoners.com|www.snuhwolf.9f.com|www.eyeonpalin.org
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[Pennywise]

I don't recommend opening the power supply.

With that Power supply tester you don't need to.

But I always take the power supply apart, or the lid off at least,
I've come across some real dogs, and check the fuse to insure it's
still good http://www.pavouk.org/hw/en_atxps.html very top left, and
the picture of the bad caps very top right and you can just make it
out.

 

[larry moe 'n curly]

Nope. CMOS battery being dead wouldn't stop the computer from powering
up. It would only cause the BIOS settings to be lost/defaulted.

Absolutely NOT the answer. It's either the power supply, the mobo, or
the cable connection between the two.

I'm sure you're right about Kompu Kid's computer problem, but I had an
ancient VisionTop Otto VT586TX mobo that would do nothing but beep-
beep-beep when run without a battery because it had only one diode in
the battery circuit, between the battery and power pin of the clock
chip, and lacked a second diode to connect that pin to the +5V. An
ECS brand mobo made with the same Intel 430TX chipset had that diode.
VisionTop had to be the only company to make ECS seem classy in
comparison.