PC Plays Dead

[Taffycat]

My PC is behaving oddly - not virus-oddly, just... well here's the thing...

Intermittently, over a period of several months, I get the aforementioned odd occasions, when I cannot switch it on. The scenario is that I switch on (rear switch) then use the front button to power-up. Mostly, it hums into life, just fine.

But there are occasions when I switch on (rear) and absolutely nothing happens when I use the front power button. Dead! Not a flicker.

At first, I suspected that the power unit had failed... but then I tried the switches a couple more times (as you do...) and hey presto, it came to life again. Powered-up normally, no error messages, etc.

Naturally, I have ruled-out human error (such as accidentally switching the rear power button off, instead of on, or something...) but that's not it.

This morning, it was dead again. No amount of switching switches seemed to make any difference. So then, when still "dead" I used the re-set button... then pressed the power button and... it came to life again!

This might happen around once, maybe twice in a month.

What the heck guys...? Everything works as it should normally, I just have this occasional "glitch" but have no idea what, if anything, I should inspect, or do.

<<<--- PC specs below avatar. Thanks very much for looking.

 

[nivrip]

Naturally, I have ruled-out human error

I like that.

It's NEVER human error.

Maybe, now you've used the reset button, it may never happen again. I assume you hadn't tried resetting before.

 

[muckshifter]

The only time I power off the PSU, is if I'm going to be working on the 'inside' of the PC.

Yes, I know it is then technically in 'standby' mode, but I have no little LEDs staying lit when PC is powered down, but it is still live.

My new headset is USB, it has red lights on it ... if I had realised it was that gimmicky I wouldn't have bought it ... when I power down the PC the headset remains lit up. Most annoying.

I put them back in their box, I use me webcam mic for TS & Skype now.


You could replace the PSUs rocker switch with a new one, or, replace the PSU.

 

[TriplexDread]

Could be issues with dry solder joints on the board, the power switch, inside the psu?

They have a habit of being intermittent and only working in certain temps due to the expansion of the solder.
Unfortunately the Non leaded solder that is used nowadays is usually the culprit and is the cause for many problems in all sorts of equipment including the very well documented RROD in Xbox 360 and YLOD in PS3

If yo u have access to the switch on case look where the wires goto and bridge them with a different piece of wire carefully to see if PC boots.

If no luck check on board where switch connector goes to and try carefully bridging those to connectors on the header.

You can also purchase a tester that allows you to connect the 20+4 connector onto the board. You then press a button on the tester and it checks all the voltages if the PSU starts up similar to this http://www.amazon.co.uk/PIN-SATA-PO...F8&qid=1415036729&sr=8-12&keywords=psu+tester

 

[Taffycat]

Many thanks for all of your replies guys.

TXD your linky is very helpful, I think I'll purchase a tester, just to make checking-out the PSU a bit easier.

My PC started very sweetly today... as it probably will, for the next week or two, until it plays-dead again.

Not sure if this makes any sense, but last night I switched-off my PC's audio speakers before shutting down the PC itself; (no problems this morning) but the previous evening, I switched them off after shutting-down, which produced the play-dead thing next morning.

Surely that couldn't be relevant, could it...?

 

[muckshifter]

Surely that couldn't be relevant, could it...?

are they USB? if not, then I highly doubt it.

I suspect TD has hit the nail on the head with the a probable 'dry solder' joint ... something we cannot fix, these days.


I do love mains sockets that are individually 'switched', even my extensions has them.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I haven't a clue what the problem is, gotta be honest

 

[floppybootstomp]

I haven't a clue what the problem is, gotta be honest

It could be a dry joint in the PSU but I think that's doubtful, that could cause other anomalies during the computer running imo but stranger things have happened.

And dry solder joints can be repaired usually, as long as you can access where they are, usually the base of a PCB (printed circuit board). Also leaded solder is still freely available, I use it myself.

FWIW I never turn any of my PC's off at the PSU switch, never have done, though I can understand the reasoning that people want to.

On my main i7 machine I sometimes have a similar problem. Often good old Windows Operating System can throw a hissy fit and freeze, burp, shiver, wobble and sometimes throw up informative little windows that say stuff like 'Windows Explorer has stopped working'. So I hit the reset button but the machine won't reboot, giving me a message that it can't find the HDD with the OS on it.

Only way I can reboot is turn off the PSU, wait a minute or so for caps to discharge, then restart the computer via PSU switch and motherboard switch. Then all is fine. Doesn't happen often, once every coupla months on average I suppose, but it has done that for the computer's life which is now a little over either 3 or 4 years, can't remember.

So, dunno what to suggest except perhaps PSU substitution or the loudspeaker/computer switching sequence, though I seriously doubt loudspeakers could influence the problem.

Of course it could be a motherboard fault or it could be...

Good luck.

 

[Abarbarian]

I do love mains sockets that are individually 'switched', even my extensions has them.

Same here.

absolutely nothing happens when I use the front power button.

Could be a faulty front switch ?????

 

[floppybootstomp]

Could be a faulty front switch ?????

Now there's a thought, could be, couldn't it?

An unlikely contender though cos that switch is just a low pressure momentary and is not subject to much stress.

But...... never rule out the obvious.

If this was my prob, to prove or rule out front switch I'd just short the motherboard contacts on start for a month or so and see if the problem repeated.

Good call oh Longship passenger and mighty axe wielder

 

[Taffycat]

Many thanks for the additional replies and ideas, they are all much appreciated.

I must admit that most of the time, it's hard to think that anything is actually "wrong" or faulty with the switches... They always feel very positive, if you know what I mean?

It's even tempting to think that it's merely a weird little glitch, which could be happily ignored... but of course, there is always that little niggling feeling, that it might just stay dead, rather than just play dead one day lol.

 

[Abarbarian]

my main rig blacked out on me. All it does is beep once and then just sits there. I have been to stressed out to investigate further. Happened a couple of weeks after I fitted that secondhand cpu that I lovingly polished and which was supposed to allow me to play Skyrim with maxed out graphics.

 

[crazylegs]

Just read through this thread and first thing I thought was maybe front power switch on pc itself maybe not making a contact every time, can't help any further than what most of the other guys have already said..
Good luck TC