Member Panel

Hi all,

I need help. LOL This is my first time posting anything here, so bare with me please. I actually have a few issues with 2 separate systems, that just happen to be identical (imagine that LOL), they are both power issues but different.

A. Computer was working fine, then my daughter wanted to charge her ipod (which she has done many times before) but this time she was in a hurry and (not sure this has anything to do with the problem) plugged in the ipod (USB) while the computer was at the logon screen, she didn't wait till the OS loaded. Anyway, the next time someone logged on, it booted up to the desktop then said 'windows is shutting down' on it's own and shut down. After that they restarted it, but it shut down again. :o The next time she tried to power up, the led came on, cd light etc, but no beeps and it never went through the post, it just sat there. The last time she tried to power up, she couldn't shut it down with the power button, she had to unplug it.

Ok, so I thought I'd try the easiest thing I knew. I bought and installed a new power supply, no change. I'm thinking that either the mobo or cpu are fried. Any ideas?

B. My computer was working fine, no problems. I had to disconnect everything to connect a different system I was putting a new drive in. My computer was disconnected overnight, when I plugged everything back in the next day and I hit the power button... NOTHING! I mean, no led, no sound of any kind, absolutely nothing happens. I checked everything, all connections, etc. I have swapped out the power supply with a new one HAHA...and still nothing. I just don't get what could of happened overnight when it was just sitting here. :shocked: I don't even know how to try and diagnose this one, as I can't get anything to do anything. LOL Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!
Purrrr :kiss:

Hey there purrrrfection, and welcome to PCHF.

I presume you are a bit of a cat lover :grin:

Lets take a look at your problems:

I don't think the iPod had anything to do with this, seems like coincedence really.

• Can you currently get into windows?

Try boot into safemode and run a defrag/scandisk.
Check in your device manager and make sure there are no conflicts.

• Try shutdown your computer from safemode and see whether it works properly.
• If it does then boot into normal mode and try to shutdown from there.

The following may sound dumb but worth asking:

• Have you tried using another power cable?
• If you are using an extension lead then make sure that works.
• Try to disconnect everything from your motherboard (all the stuff you don't need e.g Hard drives/cdroms/pci cards)
• Try reslotting your RAM and if that doesn't work then reslot your CPU.

Hi Zimbo -

Thank you for the welcome and the response. And yes I do love cats. :smiley:

I cannot get into windows on either system. Neither of them goes through the post. I have tried new power supplies, new power cables, I'm not using an extension lead on either. Both systems are emachines, AMD processors with all but the network cards integrated. So aside from reslotting the RAM and removing the HD's, I can't really take out other things to check them..correct?

I am really at a loss as to how to diagnose these systems.

Thanks again,
Purrrr :smiley:

This is very weird,

Lets work on machine A for now.
Could you try and reset your CMOS by using the clear CMOS jumper on the mobo.

Might also be worth trying an additional video card in the computer to see if that helps.

When you say the system doesn't get through post, does the machine actually turn on e.g can you get into the BIOS (do you get anything on the screen?)

Ok, I reset the cmos by removing the battery for about 15mins. I also removed and cleaned the processor fan, looked at the processor while it was off (no visible damage or burns), reseated the RAM, and checked all connections to the mobo.
When I powered it up, the led came on, the processor fan came on, but no beeps. Also the (new) power supply fan was not running...I thought that was suppose to run all the time? Anyway it's still doing the same thing. It won't go past just powering up and I can't shut it down with the power on button, I have to shut off the power supply or unplug it. :cry:

Opps - No I can't get into the BIOS, the monitor stays in like a standby mode, like there's nothing connected to it.

When I hit the power button, the HD spins up and the fan for the processor is on, the LED on the front is on for about 30 seconds...then it goes black (not blinking like it would be if it was booting up). Any other ideas?

Thanks again!
Purrrr