Homebuilt won't turn on - guesses why?

[Kenneth Byerly]

I came home from work to find a blank screen the other day. I pretty
much leave my computer on all the time. It has never entered a
hibernation mode or anything like that in the past. Tapping the reset
button, holding the power button down 7 seconds don't do anything. No
lights on the front are lit. I took off the side, and tried the power
button again, and noted that the fans (both on the processor and in
the side of the case) twitch, and that is all. No smell of burned
plastic. Just sits there. Any suggestions on which component I
should try to replace first? Power supply? CPU? other? I have
another computer, and was wondering, could I put the HDD from the dead
on in the good one to see if I can access it?

Thanks for helping me. I am pretty much a hardware newbie and was
thrilled when my homebuilt turned on the first time I tried!

Thanks again to all who reply.

Best Wishes,
Ken

 

[JAD]

give every thing a shove into thier respective slots. more than 1 memory
stick? take one out...trade after a bad boot. no go? remove all except cpu
w/cooler vid and memory stick

my guess PSU (power Supply) is history

 

[Mac Cool]

Kenneth Byerly:

Any suggestions on which component I
should try to replace first? Power supply?

Get a good one:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=792566

 

[Andrew James Alan Welty]

I came home from work to find a blank screen the other day. I pretty

much leave my computer on all the time. It has never entered a
hibernation mode or anything like that in the past. Tapping the reset
button, holding the power button down 7 seconds don't do anything. No
lights on the front are lit. I took off the side, and tried the power
button again, and noted that the fans (both on the processor and in
the side of the case) twitch, and that is all. No smell of burned
plastic. Just sits there. Any suggestions on which component I
should try to replace first? Power supply? CPU? other? I have
another computer, and was wondering, could I put the HDD from the dead
on in the good one to see if I can access it?

Power supply would be the most likely cause. Could be something on the
motherboard causing a short though. You can move the HDD if you need to
access something on it, no need simply for testing purposes though. Could
try removing all the add in cards from the motherboard and turning it on
though not likely to be the cause.

 

[Peter]

I came home from work to find a blank screen the other day. I pretty
much leave my computer on all the time. It has never entered a
hibernation mode or anything like that in the past. Tapping the reset
button, holding the power button down 7 seconds don't do anything. No
lights on the front are lit. I took off the side, and tried the power
button again, and noted that the fans (both on the processor and in
the side of the case) twitch, and that is all. No smell of burned
plastic. Just sits there. Any suggestions on which component I
should try to replace first? Power supply? CPU? other? I have
another computer, and was wondering, could I put the HDD from the dead
on in the good one to see if I can access it?

Thanks for helping me. I am pretty much a hardware newbie and was
thrilled when my homebuilt turned on the first time I tried!

Thanks again to all who reply.

Best Wishes,
Ken

Are you happy to remove the cpu? If you are, and it is the cpu, then
removing it should at least allow the fans to start spinning when you
turn the computer on.

 

[Gary Hendricks]

Hi

My guess is that the power supply blew. Happened to me before.

Gary Hendricks
www.basic-digital-photography.com

 

[Bob M]

I came home from work to find a blank screen the other day. I pretty
much leave my computer on all the time. It has never entered a
hibernation mode or anything like that in the past. Tapping the reset
button, holding the power button down 7 seconds don't do anything. No
lights on the front are lit. I took off the side, and tried the power
button again, and noted that the fans (both on the processor and in
the side of the case) twitch, and that is all. No smell of burned
plastic. Just sits there. Any suggestions on which component I
should try to replace first? Power supply? CPU? other? I have
another computer, and was wondering, could I put the HDD from the dead
on in the good one to see if I can access it?

Thanks for helping me. I am pretty much a hardware newbie and was
thrilled when my homebuilt turned on the first time I tried!

Thanks again to all who reply.

Best Wishes,
Ken

Check for bulging caps on the motherboard. I had an MSI board a few
years ago do the same thing. Had to replace the board.

Bob

 

[GTS]

I came home from work to find a blank screen the other day. I pretty
much leave my computer on all the time. It has never entered a
hibernation mode or anything like that in the past. Tapping the reset
button, holding the power button down 7 seconds don't do anything. No
lights on the front are lit. I took off the side, and tried the power
button again, and noted that the fans (both on the processor and in
the side of the case) twitch, and that is all. No smell of burned
plastic. Just sits there. Any suggestions on which component I
should try to replace first? Power supply? CPU? other? I have
another computer, and was wondering, could I put the HDD from the dead
on in the good one to see if I can access it?

Thanks for helping me. I am pretty much a hardware newbie and was
thrilled when my homebuilt turned on the first time I tried!

Thanks again to all who reply.

Best Wishes,
Ken

Any lightning in the area that day? I had the same syptoms after returning
home when there had been a storm during the day. Testing of each component
proved the motherboard to be a gonner...

 

[Kenneth Byerly]

my guess PSU (power Supply) is history

Spot on. Replaced the PSU today with a 400W I got from CompUSA (OK,
it had the benefit of being close to home) and the machine started
right away.

Thanks!

Best Regards,

Ken

 

[larrymoencurly]

Replaced the PSU today with a 400W I got from CompUSA (OK, it
had the benefit of being close to home) and the machine started
right away.

It's an even better benefit to live close to a Fry's -- no 15%
restocking charges, no fraud committed by lying about re-sealed
returns. Fry's does sell lots of junky PSUs, but they also carry the
better brands as well (still NewEgg.com is usually cheaper for the
latter). With a CompUSA brand PSU you don't know what quality you're
getting, and I've seen them range all the way from Powmax (awful) to
Win-tact (great -- a supplier to PC Power & Cooling).

 

[Mike Kirkland]

Spot on. Replaced the PSU today with a 400W I got from CompUSA (OK,
it had the benefit of being close to home) and the machine started
right away.

Thanks!

Best Regards,

Ken

Now you know why it is not such a great idea to leave your PC on while
you are out. What if the PSU caught fire? I know it's highly unlikely,
but it is a possibility. And that's the #1 reason children why you
don't leave electronic devices running unattended. ;-)