Computer's power dies within 5 seconds of boot

  • Thread starter Thread starter Perdition
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Perdition

What's odd is that to power it up again, i need to disconnect the
power cable from the computer until the led on the mobo turns off, and
then reconnect it. The power supply is 330W. Do you think it's the
power supply or is it the mother board in your opinion? If it's the
power supply, awesome, a few bucks and a quick tutorial on how to
connect it. If it's the motherboard, well, a lot more bucks >_>
 
Perdition said:
What's odd is that to power it up again, i need to disconnect the
power cable from the computer until the led on the mobo turns off, and
then reconnect it. The power supply is 330W. Do you think it's the
power supply or is it the mother board in your opinion? If it's the
power supply, awesome, a few bucks and a quick tutorial on how to
connect it. If it's the motherboard, well, a lot more bucks >_>
Click to expand...

Good probability that it's the PS.

Easiest thing to do is to substitute it in another machine or try another PS
from the other machine.
 
Perdition said:
What's odd is that to power it up again, i need to disconnect the
power cable from the computer until the led on the mobo turns off, and
then reconnect it. The power supply is 330W. Do you think it's the
power supply or is it the mother board in your opinion? If it's the
power supply, awesome, a few bucks and a quick tutorial on how to
connect it. If it's the motherboard, well, a lot more bucks >_>
Click to expand...

First of all, good power supplies aren't cheap.
So 'a few bucks' is a bit of an understatement.

Is this a new machine or an older one which worked fine for a
long while?

If it's a new one, what other hardware is inside?
If it's a super game pc, 330W seems a bit low, but that's difficult
to say without more info.

Are all the fans spinning ok?
If it's an older computer, the fans could have collected too much
dust and unable to spin at an acceptable speed for the mobo to
give it a 'go'.
Try to clean them with a small brush, don't use a vacuum cleaner
or you will suck more than you hoped for :)

regards,
Marcel
 
What's odd is that to power it up again, i need to disconnect the
power cable from the computer until the led on the mobo turns off, and
then reconnect it. Thepower supplyis 330W. Do you think it's
thepower supplyor is it the mother board in your opinion? If it's
thepower supply, awesome, a few bucks and a quick tutorial on how
to connect it. If it's the motherboard, well, a lot more bucks >_>
Click to expand...

Currently, power supply 'system', motherboard, and so many other
parts are all 'unknown'. Your task is to move each system or
component from 'unknown' to either 'definitively good' or
'definitively bad'. That means numbers. That is not possible by
shotgunning.

Is it a power supply? Another recommended shotgunning. To replace
power supply. Well, it's called a power supply 'system' - more than
just a power supply. Replace a power supply and system still does not
work? What was accomplished? Everything is still 'unknown'.

Power supply 'system' can make everything else appear defective -
especially when supply is a cheap one that many computer techs (who
don't know how electricity works) recommend.

Do a two minute procedure using a tool "so complex" as to be sold
even to K-mart shoppers (and Wal-mart, Lowes, Radio Shack, Tru-Value
Hardware, Sears, and other 'guy' stores). Numbers from a 3.5 digit
multimeter obtained using "When your computer dies without
warning....." starting 6 Feb 2007 in the newsgroup alt.windows-xp
at:
http://tinyurl.com/yvf9vh

Numbers either put the entire 'system' (not just a power supply) into
'definitively good' or 'definitively bad'. AND numbers make possible
another, who has far more knowledge, to provide a useful reply.
Notice this poster does not post wild speculation.

If power supply 'system' is 'definitively good', then 1) there was
no reason to waste time and money buying and installing another
supply, 2) we move on to other suspect, 3) have not made the
problem exponentially more complex by shotgunning, and 4) would now
have more useful ideas from one who even designed computers 30+ years
ago.
 
w_tom said:
Currently, power supply 'system', motherboard, and so many other
parts are all 'unknown'. Your task is to move each system or
component from 'unknown' to either 'definitively good' or
'definitively bad'. That means numbers. That is not possible by
shotgunning.

Is it a power supply? Another recommended shotgunning. To replace
power supply. Well, it's called a power supply 'system' - more than
just a power supply. Replace a power supply and system still does not
work? What was accomplished? Everything is still 'unknown'.

Power supply 'system' can make everything else appear defective -
especially when supply is a cheap one that many computer techs (who
don't know how electricity works) recommend.

Do a two minute procedure using a tool "so complex" as to be sold
even to K-mart shoppers (and Wal-mart, Lowes, Radio Shack, Tru-Value
Hardware, Sears, and other 'guy' stores). Numbers from a 3.5 digit
multimeter obtained using "When your computer dies without
warning....." starting 6 Feb 2007 in the newsgroup alt.windows-xp
at:
http://tinyurl.com/yvf9vh

Numbers either put the entire 'system' (not just a power supply) into
'definitively good' or 'definitively bad'. AND numbers make possible
another, who has far more knowledge, to provide a useful reply.
Notice this poster does not post wild speculation.

If power supply 'system' is 'definitively good', then 1) there was
no reason to waste time and money buying and installing another
supply, 2) we move on to other suspect, 3) have not made the
problem exponentially more complex by shotgunning, and 4) would now
have more useful ideas from one who even designed computers 30+ years
ago.
Click to expand...

I can appreciate the logic of w_tom's suggestion and would easily recommend
it to the OP over my own first suggestion before either running for another
computer's PS or out to the nearest Best Buy for another one.

"Shotgunning" has its merits, especially when one has a hunch, or not having
specific knowledge (as you've provided) in the short run. But anyone using
electricity should learn to make use of a multimeter; if not for its
deductive value, but to just be aware of its potential as a diagnostic tool.
 
I can appreciate the logic of w_tom's suggestion and would easily recommend
it to the OP over my own first suggestion before either running for another
computer's PS or out to the nearest Best Buy for another one.

"Shotgunning" has its merits, especially when one has a hunch, or not having
specific knowledge (as you've provided) in the short run. But anyone using
electricity should learn to make use of a multimeter; if not for its
deductive value, but to just be aware of its potential as a diagnostic tool.

--
Jan Alter
(e-mail address removed)
or
(e-mail address removed)12.pa.us- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...
 
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