Computer nerds.....assemble!

[andrew2010]

really? If this is true then my customers really hate me lol

Where did you take your A+ exam? ( or a++ or Cisco cert or sun micro cert?) jk

If he is not even posting why are we even discussing the cmos batt?
he is saying the pc will not even power anything.....

If the pc was at least powering some components or post beeping then the cmos battery death WILL NOT cause your pc to not boot (on pc's in the last 15 ys) a cmos battery does not prevent a pc from booting up period. if he was posting we would be having a cmos batt debate.

 

[andrew2010]

really? If this is true then my customers really hate me lol

Where did you take your A+ exam? ( or a++ or Cisco cert or sun micro cert?) jk

If he is not even posting why are we even discussing the cmos batt?
he is saying the pc will not even power anything.....

If the pc was at least powering some components or post beeping then the cmos battery death WILL NOT cause your pc to not boot (on pc's in the last 15 ys) a cmos battery does not prevent a pc from booting up period. if he was posting we wouldnt be having a cmos batt debate.

 

[andrew2010]

Dattong , I jest , no hard feelings - but you should take a basic A+ test if you think the cmos is preventing a power up on a desktop(for your customers sake (btw there is a hardware and software side to the test)) . He should be getting a checksum error if it was just the cmos battery anyway.

 

[andrew2010]

I will bet it is the power switch cully, from your description.

 

[dattong]

don't worry andrew, no hard feelings exist at all lol. I was just giving him something to try out to help trouble shoot, and I don't really wanna bet 'cause I hate it when I lose lol

 

[Capt_Cully]

hp service class taught me this. (BTW 6+ yrs as IT network tech @ seneca allegany casino)

With the power cord disconnected , press the power button on the front of the computer and wait for ten seconds

With the power cord removed, flip the red voltage selector switch to the opposite position. Wait about five seconds, and then switch the red voltage selector switch back to its original location. Ensure that the voltage selector switch is on the correct setting.

this will ensure that the next step is the issue..

With the power cord disconnected, press the power button on the front of the PC. The button should release easily and not stick in the socket.
If the button sticks, it should be replaced or serviced.

if the green light is solid green there is a motherboard issue if it is blinking it is the PS.
If it solid green then you can check the power outputs on the PS connectors if you want to make sure it is definitely the PS, otherwise i would call the time of death for your compac/hp

The light is on, solid green.

I switched the voltage selector. Then back to original position.

Tried power button. No sticking.

Plugged back in.

No action.

Should I start shopping?

 

[NirvanaFan]

Should I start shopping?

NEVARRRRR!!!!

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/ht/power-supply-test-multimeter.htm

 

[andrew2010]

I just pm'd you an hp troubleshooting guide for the PS (not POS) . make sure you expand the blue links in the guide. if you cant find the issue after that it would be cheaper for a new pc rather than pay bench fees for repair. If you were closer I would do a free service on it. btw.. I had some SU tix i couldnt use.. I should have offered them to you. If I cant go to another one I will give you first dibs. (free of course) We were not thinking when we bought the season ticket pkge.. lol (engagement gift for my fiance who is a cuse native and die hard su fan.)

 

[Ciscokid]

Try this, turn off power strip. Unplug power plug from PC. Push and hold power button for 10 seconds.. I know it sounds funny being unplugged and all. Try plugging the PC power into a different outlet. Try to power on.

I have even seen a few cases where all I had to do was unplug and re-plug the 25 pin molex connector inside the PC. It is the one with all the different color wires and a locking tab on one side. Of course, i would try this one without power being connected.

Otherwise, usually its the power supply.

 

[Capt_Cully]

I unplugged. Held power button for 10 seconds. Green light went on, then off, then on again. Plugged er in, blammo....we got juice! WTH? Should I still replace the PS? Or just treat it like the 72 Olds Cutlass my brother had. If you slammed the door, the radio came on. He just lived with it.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Btw, the last guy that cured my computer woes, Dgonci, was rewarded handsomely with frags. Too bad no ones local. If you're in town, feel free to stop. Coral is my currency :thumbsup:

 

[Neoz]

Good Job Cully. At least your up and running. Let me ask, do you power off your computer at night?

 

[Capt_Cully]

No just usually sleep mode but it powers down after a while and can't get it going again. This time it was down over 2weeks.

 

[andrew2010]

I still think its your power switch. common hp issue, unplug your pc ,open side find power switch leads . if you could short the two wires safely i bet it turns on/ off everytime when you short between the two. seems to be consistantly inconsistant which would lead me to belive it is a simple bad switch (it does not have to stick as per my troubleshooting if it is shorted internally).

 

[Capt_Cully]

Ok, when I dissect it, I'll post pics so I don't remove a kidney instead of a lung.

 

[Ciscokid]

I unplugged. Held power button for 10 seconds. Green light went on, then off, then on again. Plugged er in, blammo....we got juice! WTH? Should I still replace the PS? Or just treat it like the 72 Olds Cutlass my brother had. If you slammed the door, the radio came on. He just lived with it.

Drive on soldier.

I have only had it happen 3 times to me in the last 10+ years after replacing at least 100 power supplies. All 3 computers never had power issues since. When power supplies go out, they go out.. period.

I would open the case and look for a fan that blows horizontally. Make sure the fan isn't clogged with dirt/dust. You also may want to check the heatsink below the fan for any dust buildup. Blow out with a can of compressed air.

Glad it worked out. :fish2:

 

[jolopy409]

Easiest thing to do is take it all apart and start from scratch. Only attach hard drive to power supply. Do you hear spinning yes no. If no could be power supply or hard drive. Next unplug hard drive plug in motherboard. If you have a video card take it off unless its on board. Does the processor fan spin or case fan yes or no. You have to trouble shoot each thing in your case once you know one thing works you can write it off as ok. But if your getting a green light on the back of your your pc then you cant write off your power supply as busted bc it is clearly supplying power. If you have questions send me a pm and ill give you my number and you can call and hopefullybi can walk younthrough on the phone.

 

[SkiFletch]

Cully, and anyone else reading, power supply issues can be really really nefarious. While yes, power supplies can fail spectacularly with that textbook burnt tronics smell, they can also mostly work. They can even work but still send out occasional voltage spikes damaging other components.

Many moon ago a former incarnation of my computer started acting funny. I was slowly loosing components over a course of a few months. Hard drive, RAM, video. Eventually I figured something was up and busted out the mutlimeter. Things looked fine with it. SLIGHTLY high voltages, but all within 10% but I knew it was someting. So I retured the multimeter and busted out the scope. YIKES. Power spikes, dirtier than hell on the 12V rail. That POS was killing my computer slowly from the inside.

Had a friend once who had a computer acting nefarious as well. Occasionally restarting, bluescreening, crashing, just general ****ing him off. Multimeter said the PS lookd fine, same with the scope. But, throw a load on it, and the 5V rail just fell off the face of the planet. Looked good, but it couldn't support the hardware.

So Cully, I wouldn't write the PS off just yet. If you can, boot the computer with a multimeter attached to the 12, 5, and 3.3v rails. The voltages should remain pretty stable while it's running and actually thinking. If those look fine under load, then you can proceed to checking other components. In order of easiest to test, RAM, hdd, video, motherboard/pocessor

 

[Zombiecowmeat]

I would just build a new setup and transfer everything over and have some piece of mind haha.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Is the box in the upper left hand corner the power supply?

I tried to remove it but its attached to a birds nest of wires. I don't want to remove it if its the wrong component. Any tips for testing or replacing it?

Am I better off taking it in?