PC won't power on - Solved!

[Muse]

I've been troubleshooting a problem with these symptoms:

BSOD's in Windows 2000 SP4

160 GB IDE Seagate Barracuda HD suddenly not recognized or writes to it fail after the system warms up. After a BSOD the drive disappears from Windows and isn't seen in the BIOS (Primary/Slave)

I thought the HD was going bad and I got an RMA number from Seagate but swapping the Seagate for a Western Digital 80 GB drive also caused a BSOD. I pressed the power button to turn off the machine and swapped the IDE cable to test if the cable was at fault. If not, I figured the IDE controller was failing.

After swapping the IDE cable the PC will not respond to a press of the power button. It has an Antec Tru430 PSU. I know the PSU is getting power because I swapped the cord that's powering the box I'm typing on and it still wouldn't power on. The system is Beauty in my sig. What could be wrong?

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

http://www.theflyingpenguin.com/ > My Blog > 09/17/05, read it in total.

Odds are, if the TP is over two years old.......

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
http://www.theflyingpenguin.com/ > My Blog > 09/17/05, read it in total.

Odds are, if the TP is over two years old.......

Uh, yeah. Good chance of that. I will open the Antec and have a look at the capacitors ... if I can get it to work anymore. If I can't (putting it in my other ATX case), I guess I'll just have to toss it. It's out of warranty, I'm almost positive.

 

[Muse]

It was the power button. Shorted the pins on the MB and it started right up.

I have an old AT case in the garage. I bet I can use the button on it. Will give it a look.

Don't you hate it when 2 things go wrong?

 

[Frintin]

A good troubleshooting flowchart works no matter how many things go wrong!

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Frintin
A good troubleshooting flowchart works no matter how many things go wrong!

Any good ones online? I probably have some of that in a book I have, actually two:

Upgrading and Repairing PC's

PC Upgrade and Maintenance Guide.


They are kind of old but would work for most stuff.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Get rid of that TP430. 😉

http://www.fonerbooks.com/pcrepair.htm

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
Get rid of that TP430. 😉

http://www.fonerbooks.com/pcrepair.htm

Thanks for the link!!

If it ain't broke don't fix it doesn't apply to the Tru430? You should see my other PSU - It's an L&C that came with an ATX case, all for under $30! I bought it because Mikhailovich said it was damned good for a cheap PSU. So far so good. I modded it - replaced the fan with a Panaflo and drilled dozens of holes in the bottom to increase ventilation.

 

[jackschmittusa]

Power switch from the AT case will not work with ATX. ATX requires a momentary contact switch, AT is on/off.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
Power switch from the AT case will not work with ATX. ATX requires a momentary contact switch, AT is on/off.

Yep, that occurred to me finally. Well, my plan is to use the reset button from the AT case. I think that will work fine. Just have to figure out a way to mount it.