Odd power problem.. computer won't turn on- kinda. *FIXED*

ripthesystem

Senior member
Mar 11, 2002
571
0
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Machine in question:
Intel OR840 Mobo
2 x 933 PIII
512mb PC800
350 Enermax
Win2k SP3
(see sig for rest)

OK I first started having problems about 5 months ago when I got a Linksys KVM switch so that I could play with a linux box in my spare time. Got everything hooked up and all was well.. Then I noticed on occasion the PC would reboot itself (never while I used it though - every 3-4 days maybe during the night)

When it would reboot it would hang at the black Windows starting screen until I pressed a key then it would boot into Win2k and look fine but the mouse and keyboard wouldn't work. I would have to hard reboot it and then it would work fine. this happened like clockwork- it would hang at start and the 2nd try it would work A+.

Pain in the butt but I figured that had to do with the KVM and Win2k not seeing the peripherals when it was supposed to. It was an inconvenience but since mostly everything was ok I just let it be and dealt with it.

Then about 2 months ago I held the power button to shut it down after it hung on me and then the PC wouldn't power on. Kinda. I would press the ON button and the HDD light stays on, no Power light, the PSU's fan is running and the SCSI CDRW light comes on. None of the case fans or the CPU fans came on and the monitor stays off. No bios or attempt to load.

I turned it off and let it sit for about 20 hours or so and then before I started to troubleshoot I hit the ON button and it started up and worked fine. Been working fine (with the KVM exception) until last night when the Exact same thing happened.

I can't get it started at all and I don't know what the problem is.
I've looked the whole forum over and can't find anything similar..
Suggestions are welcome

thanks!
 

Chadder007

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
7,560
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Ive had bad RAM that caused similar problems.....AND a bad power supply on another system that did the same.
Take it off the KVM and test out the memory on the system with the program on this page... www.memtest86.com You will need a floppy disk of course
 

ripthesystem

Senior member
Mar 11, 2002
571
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Cool- If it's the memory that could be not that big of a deal- I'm not sure how I can test the memory though if I can't get my computer to even show a BIOS.

the PSU is coming on.. the HDD light is on but it's not attempting to boot.
 

thunderhorse

Member
Oct 23, 2003
156
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Brake the problem down.

Then about 2 months ago I held the power button to shut it down after it hung on me and then the PC wouldn't power on. Kinda. I would press the ON button and the HDD light stays on, no Power light, the PSU's fan is running and the SCSI CDRW light comes on. None of the case fans or the CPU fans came on and the monitor stays off. No bios or attempt to load.

Pressed ON button HDD light on, power to HDD but is it spinning. No power light either PSU not working or power button broke. PSU fan working and CDRW light on, something on the PSU is working. No case fans, PSU is out. No monitor, unpluged, video card out, motherboard going out or just dead. No bios and no attempt to load means no POST;motherboard going out, elcetrical connectors are loose or no PSU so nothing is working.

Sounds to me like you have loose connections or the PSU is giong out. NO power to; power on light, case fans, or the CPU fan. Monitor, no juice to the motherboard to fire up the video card no pretty colors. Nearly everything is low voltage, that comes from the PSU. Try pulling and reinstalling all the electrical connectors and expansion cards. If that doesn't work try borrowing a PSU and see if that works. I know it could be anything but it's a place to start.

Good luck.

"Edit" leaving a computer on 24/7 can sometimes create a non-audible vibration. Fan or HDD going out. This can shake an electrical conector loose.

 

ripthesystem

Senior member
Mar 11, 2002
571
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0
fixed. believe it or not... I think I may have been overloading my PSU. All the connections were good.. but unplugging the KVM switch (which draws it's power from my PSU) let it start right up... thx for all your help thunderhorse.