HELP! pc wants to start but doesnt

[ZeeOne]

Hi everyone!
The other day i tried to turn my computer on and well... it didn't. So i opened it up, tested the RAM, took out the graphics card, reset the bios (by taking out the battery) and all kinds of stuff. But the best it did was:
1) the green harddrive light would just stay on
or 2) the fans would start up for like a second and just go off again.

I got fed up and just left the computer for about a week. Tried to put it on again and... voila - it fixed itself!!

Unfortunatly two days ago... everything happened all over again!!!!

And this time it doesn't want to fix itself going kinda crazy

[sweeper2]

possible bad power supply... also, have you dble checked all your connections to make sure there is not a loose wire somewhere giving you this problem..?

[otakuslayer]

Be descriptive. Use the split methodology. Or get a new MB since your one is D.E.D

[BipolarBill]

Great advice. I advise you to take a hike, otakuslayer. By the way, they are spelled "throne" and "where". Never start a sentence with "Or". You need a new CPU or better memory.

Check the motherboard for bad caps, ZeeOne.

Badcaps.net - Badcaps Home

[ZeeOne]

Thanks everyone!!!
Yeah i did check all the connections, they seem to be fine. I tested the power supply and it seems to be fine. I'l try some more stuff tonight and see what happens.

[mic_chay]

hi

did you try remove all connect, like hard disk, cdrom and all other pci card, except if you use graph card.

see where can you see the initial start up logo, monitor have to be connected in order to see the logo, if u can see the logo, try put in 1 by 1 see which device causing it.

[BipolarBill]

Did you check the capacitors?

How did you test the power supply? Honestly, you should try another one.

[ZeeOne]

Well, I used another power supply and it did exactly the same... so i assumed my power supply is fine? and it does work. If you connect the right parts with a wire.. it goes on and works for fans etc, o.k true... not to say it supplies enough power. But wil try it on another computer tonight

[#43 fan]

Sounds like a bad motherboard.
Check for bad capacitors.

[ZeeOne]

uhm... o.k this might be a stupid question, but how do you check the capacitors?

Thanks everone for trying to help really appreciate it

[JPMiller]

lets start with some basic specs...
power supply brand and the anmperage on the +12V rail
And a list of all the components
We dont even know what were dealing with here
were there any recent upgrades?
changes?
Moves?

[sweeper2]

uhm... o.k this might be a stupid question, but how do you check the capacitors?

Thanks everone for trying to help really appreciate it

really you can't test them.. but you visually inspect them for bulges on the top... they should all be "flat" on top and not "rounded" and nothing comming out of them...

[BipolarBill]

My first reply to you has a link to how to check your capacitors. Please re-read the thread.

[ZeeOne]

o.k so yesterday I tried a brand new power supply, took out the graphics card, left one stick of good RAM and - the computer switched on YAY!!!
it actually booted YAY!!

being very pleased with myself, I put the whole thing together again. Including the new Power supply. It switched on a few times, but at times it didn't even pass the blue Intel screen, and I had to reboot it. and other times it WIZZED through the whole startup!!!

I switched it on and off a few times just to make sure everything is o.k and decided to play HL2 a bit to test it . not 5 minutes and the computer started to go The Matrix style : lines and stuff all over the screen. After restarting it, it happened again. twice. so i just left it off again. Wondering if I might have damaged the Graphics card - as my hand slipped and knocked it when I was removing the power connection from the Hard drive.

Plus im unsure if the power supply was the problem at all... after all the computer is still acting weird, and last time this happened it fixed itself without a new ps. Gee wizz computers confusing sometimes

Thanks BipolarBill. I'l go check all the caps tonight!

o ja and my specs, just quickly, requested by Miller (u guys better not laugh ):
Its an Intel Motherboard and CPU, kinda old. Still has AGP graphics - 5700 Nvidia. 4x 256Ram Sticks, Dual Core Cpu (2.4 ghz i think) and a 230V PS.
hmmm. hope thats right.

Its not a super computer, but it does what it has to

[BipolarBill]

If the video card has a fan, make sure that it's spinning. and that it's attached firmly. That "Matrix style" screen corruption is often caused by an overheating card.

Be aware that the bad capacitor problem extends to video cards and power supplies too. At least with the video card, you can see the caps. The same can't be said of the PSU.

[sweeper2]

wow.. a 230 volt PSU ..?? even still, it is possible it's a bad graphics card now... and still possible that the 230 volt psu isn't enough to power the PC ... i would at least have a 300 watt to 350 watt psu in there...??

[sweeper2]

make sure everything is clean.. (dust free)... fans are clean , if the video card (as suggested) has a fan.. make sure it is spinning and clean , no dust bunnys in it.....

[ZeeOne]

Thanks guys will do and let u know whats happened 2moro

[BipolarBill]

otakuslayer - if you are not going to help, please stop cluttering the thread. How would you like someone to do this to you?

[sweeper2]

is anythng being "overclocked" ... can you get into the bios screen and in there... set your bios to "default" .. to make sure everything is working at "original speeds"...?