Computer turns on then off

[lost at walmart]

I have recived a computer it runs on windows xp, it is a compaq pesario 6000. the person i recived it from was a smoker and when i turned the computer on smoke smell came out. so i was cleaning it and I couldn't get the fans clean so i replaced both fans and I opened up the power supply and cleaned it (but did not mess with parts inside). It worked when I first got it but after I was done cleaning it I turn it on and after a few seconds it turns off. I don't really have a clue what could be wrong besides it is not the power button sticking but any help would be appriciated.

 

[Tmagic650]

Carefully go over all the connections to the motherboard from the power supply. You could have disconnected something while cleaning. Also make sure all the fans especially the CPU fan, are connected

 

[lost at walmart]

the power connections seem to be fine, I checked them and for the breif moment the computer is on the fans are working.

 

[Rik]

Did you replace the cpu fan? If so is it a 3 wire fan?

 

[lost at walmart]

if the cpu fan is the one connect to the outside of the computer then, yes and yes

 

[Rik]

I have no idea what the other fan is so....

What i mean is does the cpu fan have 3 wires to it, yellow, black, and red?

Do all 3 wires match up to where the old one plugged in?

 

[lost at walmart]

its plugged in but the colors are black yellow & white

 

[link590o]

if i were you, i would double check your power supply. sure it worked when you got it. but for all you know it might have been on the verge of dying, or it might have gotten fried by accident when you were cleaning it on something. find a way to test the psu alone. i'm not sure how to do that since i've never done it and never learned how...

but yeah...make sure the psu itself is working first. then check all the connections again, and from there, move systematically to the cpu, ram, hard drive, video card if there is one, and eventually the motherboard. make sure it's all working.

i'm personally leaning toward a dead psu at the moment. perhaps replacing the fans with better ones maybe have been the last straw for it?

 

[lost at walmart]

i'll have to find another power supply buy dose the light on the power supply lighting up mean anything

 

[Ph30nIX]

There are such things as PSU testers, but unless its an expensive PSU which it wont be, you'd almost be better off buying a new one (assuming thats the problem). You could also try jumping the PSU by makng a short between the dark green wire and any black wire. This will cause it to boot the PSU with no motherboard attatched. However, because you said it turns on then off this test will likely not reap and fruit.

I have a similar problem which is caused by one of my hard drives (my master os) not letting the system POST. I fixed this by using a second PSU that is jumped (as mentioned before) and just using this to power that hard drive. In my situation it is very difficult to diagnose the actual problem so I have used this temporary solution until I can be bothered to check it all.

Regards,
Nic

 

[Rik]

That depends on what the light on the psu signifies really. All it usually means is that it has power going in.

 

[lost at walmart]

I went to switch psu out of the computer and i saw i had a better processor fan than the one in the computer so i switched them then i turned it on again and it works now. I don't know what was wrong because the old fan wasn't loose.

 

[lost at walmart]

now i have a new problem now the computer dosen't want to turn off.

 

[ravisunny2]

Magnificient name, lost at walmart.

 

[Tmagic650]

now i have a new problem now the computer dosen't want to turn off.

You will have to try a reinstall of XP... You may first want to try running a check on the hard drive for bad sectors