Hardware Issue

[BGregoire]

A few months ago I shut my computer down for the night and the next day I tried to turn it on. The case fans, processor fans and everything else lights up and works, but I just get a black screen. I shut it down and tried to turn it on again a few times. After a few times, it comes on, everything's fine, no problems.

I kept getting the same problem trying to get the computer to come on after I've shut it down, so I started to just leave computer on all the time. Everything seemed to be working fine doing this, I wasn't having any issues.

I recently contracted a virus and I'm in the process of trying to remove it (some malware I contracted, keeps coming back. Another issue not for here...) and if I have to manually shut down the system, or even power down properly through Windows, the computer takes more and more tries to come back on. I can restart the computer without a problem too.

Not sure what the problem is here. Any help would be appreciated.

My system is:
Mobo: Albatron PX925X
Proc: Intel Pentium 4 3.4Ghz
Mem: 2gig ddr 2 RAM
Windows XP on a 750gig HDD

[Atomic Rooster]

I'd venture to guess that your power supply is having problems. It may have a bad power circuit that lets just enough energy through to power up the fans and such, but not enough to power up the entire system.


When dealing with malware, remember to shut off the system restore. They like to hide in there and return after the next boot. A really good program to use to get rid of the nasties is Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware.

[BGregoire]

Yeah, I'm using Malwarebyte's program. It removed it once, seems to have come back on me I guess.

That's not my big issue though. So if there was a problem with my power supply, wouldn't the computer NEVER come on? I can get it to come after literally turning it on and off a few dozen times. I remember spending about two hours doing just that, and just like that, it powers up the system. It seems I'm just having to turn it on and off more and more times each time it does this.

[Atomic Rooster]

Yup, that definitely sounds like the power supply is going south. Eventually, it will just quit.

I had an Antec power supply do that. I would have to push the power button many times to get it to start. Each day, it took longer and longer to start. Luckily it was still under warranty and was able to get it replaced.

[BGregoire]

Alright then, figures the one piece of hardware I DIDN'T check was the power supply and that's the culprit...

I'll see about getting a new one or a loaner from a friend to see if that's it. Thanks for the help.