Power up Problem

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I'm a student working in an IT department at my college that i'm attending and I have been brought a gateway LUX E4300 seires computer made in 2005, with a boot problem. When brought, the ticket stated that it had a memory error (the three beeps) and that the Computer wouldn't boot. I took the RAM out and tested it in other machines and concluded that the RAM was good and working fine. However the computer still wouldn't boot. The Mobo was getting power but when you hit the power on button in the front nothing turned on in the machine accept the light for the power button. The fan didn't initiate and the ethernet USB orange light didn't turn on. One of my Co workers gave me some advice to unplug the power supply from the computer and "pump" the power button for about 15 seconds to drain all the power out of the computer then plug the computer back in and see if it turned on. After doing this I plugged it in and the fans kicked on, brings up display on the monitor, and runs like nothing has happened at all. However when my Superior whom I have to give all computers to before they are sent back out into the field tried to power it up. He got the same problem without the memory errors. The power button turning on and no fans running or anything else. I took the computer back, "pumped" it again and it works perfectly fine. Any advice on to what to check or what might be going on?
 
I dunno, It's an intermitten problem that only arises when the computer is unplugged from a power supply for more than two hours at a time. Otherwise it just needs to be pumped once replugged in and it works? That's a power supply issue?
 
I agree with Tmagic650. The symptoms you describe are classic psu failure.
The thing about "pumping" the power switch has no basis for making a difference, but having it unplugged for a while then it working later is.

The psu is probably going into thermal overload or short circuit protection because of a faulty component.
 
Rik said:
I agree with Tmagic650. The symptoms you describe are classic psu failure.
The thing about "pumping" the power switch has no basis for making a difference, but having it unplugged for a while then it working later is.

The psu is probably going into thermal overload or short circuit protection because of a faulty component.

I think you may have misunderstood what I posted, After being unplugged for a while is when i have to do the "pumping" method to drain all the power from the machine after being while unplugged, to get it to work. Once i get it up and working and don't unplug it from the power supply is when it works fine. It's only when its unplugged from the power supply for an extended period of time (more than two hours), And then plugged back in, That i have to resort to "pumping" the machine.

However I'll talk to my superiors and see if they'll let me replace the power supply.
 
I have worked in the electronics field for over 15 years and am one of the few that will repair pc psu's.

Electronically there is no way "pumping" the powerswitch can make a difference, it's just physically not possible unless that pc and psu have been designed differently to all the other pc's and psu's out there.

"Pumping" the switch cannot drain all the power from the pc as there is a bios battery in there (a cr2032) which will keep the clock and part of the bios active at all times.
 
Rik and I are experienced computer techs, and we couldn't stand around waisting valuable time debating just what component to change first. In this case a quick power supply change would be the first thing to do... No questions asked
 
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