Ok, I sure hope someone out here knows where I overlooked... I hope someone can either tell me my conclusion is right or wrong. Please, if I am wrong I hope you can steer me in the right direction.
Problem: At first the computer would come on, but sudden vibrations like hitting the table or even a load shout would turn it off.
Friend gave me the computer and showed me what was happening and asked me to fix it. Now all I normally do is search out and destroy viruses and spy ware and run a few reg fix programs. I've built my own computer but I have never come across this problem before
Here is what I have done so far:
1. I tested the power supply. First I just put one of mine in his computer and at first thought problem solved until I deliberately bumped the table and poof, the computer shuts down.
2. Ok, so he is a smoker and this thing is NASTY. So I clean everything with my coffee filter pads (they don't leave any lint or fuzz) are coming back black and dark brown. Very gross. I cleaned the connectors well thinking if this thing is that nasty, well it just might not be getting a good connection, hence the bumping and shutting off. I also checked the capacitors while I was at it and they look great.
3. There could have been a heat sink problem and the cpu is overheating, kind of explains the accelerated rate of failure. So I get my tube of artic silver 5, compliments of a buddy also baffled by this monster, and go to town. The cpu actually looked like the owner had removed the heatsink before and didn't clean / replace the paste so maybe it was that...
Nope
4. Checked all my cables for shorts and then connectors. Well heck it could be any of them because the second I go to wiggling the mass the shutdown occurs.
5. oh yeah, also ran a disk check, took the hd out and put in one of my computer to run a good diagnostic on it and it passed with flying colors.
6. Finished all of the above and go run a test to see if I can get it up in bios long enough to see what the problem is but now the dang thing won't turn on at all.
I probably just tired but I know I put the darn thing back together right.
Now I plug it in, the cooling fan for the cpu and the fan in the power supply automatically turn on, the power ind. light on the mb turns on, button doesn't work at all to turn the thing on...
My conclusion: Button was the friggin' problem the entire time, along with a short in the mother board and now the mb is probably fried. and I need to tell the dude to either get a new motherboard and switch or get a new computer.
This thing is a Dell p4 running with windows xp home ed.
100 gig hd, and a puny 135 w powersupply (at least that is what the thing says on the bottom with a max output of 200)
Please help, at this point I'm getting tired, cranky, and thankful I don't work on a pc assembly line.
Big thanks, in advance
Casia
Problem: At first the computer would come on, but sudden vibrations like hitting the table or even a load shout would turn it off.
Friend gave me the computer and showed me what was happening and asked me to fix it. Now all I normally do is search out and destroy viruses and spy ware and run a few reg fix programs. I've built my own computer but I have never come across this problem before
Here is what I have done so far:
1. I tested the power supply. First I just put one of mine in his computer and at first thought problem solved until I deliberately bumped the table and poof, the computer shuts down.
2. Ok, so he is a smoker and this thing is NASTY. So I clean everything with my coffee filter pads (they don't leave any lint or fuzz) are coming back black and dark brown. Very gross. I cleaned the connectors well thinking if this thing is that nasty, well it just might not be getting a good connection, hence the bumping and shutting off. I also checked the capacitors while I was at it and they look great.
3. There could have been a heat sink problem and the cpu is overheating, kind of explains the accelerated rate of failure. So I get my tube of artic silver 5, compliments of a buddy also baffled by this monster, and go to town. The cpu actually looked like the owner had removed the heatsink before and didn't clean / replace the paste so maybe it was that...
Nope
4. Checked all my cables for shorts and then connectors. Well heck it could be any of them because the second I go to wiggling the mass the shutdown occurs.
5. oh yeah, also ran a disk check, took the hd out and put in one of my computer to run a good diagnostic on it and it passed with flying colors.
6. Finished all of the above and go run a test to see if I can get it up in bios long enough to see what the problem is but now the dang thing won't turn on at all.
I probably just tired but I know I put the darn thing back together right.
Now I plug it in, the cooling fan for the cpu and the fan in the power supply automatically turn on, the power ind. light on the mb turns on, button doesn't work at all to turn the thing on...
My conclusion: Button was the friggin' problem the entire time, along with a short in the mother board and now the mb is probably fried. and I need to tell the dude to either get a new motherboard and switch or get a new computer.
This thing is a Dell p4 running with windows xp home ed.
100 gig hd, and a puny 135 w powersupply (at least that is what the thing says on the bottom with a max output of 200)
Please help, at this point I'm getting tired, cranky, and thankful I don't work on a pc assembly line.
Big thanks, in advance
Casia
