Cube623

i'm now having to post this on my old pc.

I've come home and turned on my pc. I loaded up the internet and went on DH. Literaly 2 mins after i made this post http://www.hardwareheaven.com/showthre...370#post934370 my pc switched off. It didn't BSOD or anything it just switched off (fans stopped, monitor started saying no video input, neons turned off - basically it was like i just pressed the off button on my pc)

At first i thought we had a power cut but my printer, speakers, projector, landing light, tv etc were still on so it was something on my pc.

I then checked to see if the power lead had come loose but that was in tight and the ethernet light and a light on the motherboard that indicates if there is power connected were still on so i had power.

I then turned it on and my pc started (neons came on, fans started spinning etc) but my BIOS didn't beep (normally beeps once when i start it) and my monitor displayed nothing and my hard drive was doing nothing.

I then left my pc off and got changed came back down tried again and it turned on, the BIOS beeped and my pc started up like normal so i thought it was just a glitch but then i went out of the room for a minute came back and my pc had gone off again!!!

PLEASE someone tell me whats happening. My pc has never done anything like this before and i'm panicing really bad help!

Cheers
Cube623.

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Dyre Straits

Check all the fans....CPU, especially.

Sounds like a possible overheating problem.

Check also the fan on the PSU.

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Zardon

if you can get into the bios you need to go immediately into the monitoring section and check the temperatures of the machine. also a little check inside the machine to make sure your cpu fan is spinning is a good first course of action.

Many people leave their machine untouched for years and the dust builds up so thick that fans stop working.

H3X4D3C1M4L

Try dusting out the PSU, that might do something for it... could be the PSU getting so decroated that it just gives up the ghost. The fact that it started up after being off a while supports this

Cube623

i've managed to get my computer working and i've gone to the BIOS and monitored the temps for 1 minute (after 1 minute my pc switched off again) the temps were

CPU Temp - 41°c
System1 - 28°c
System2 - 27°c

it doesn't display CPU RPM in my bios (there isn't an option) but both system fans are spinning at about 3,000RPM
is that overheating? doesn't look it to my imo

i'll get my pc open tonight and look at the PSU and i'll re-seat everything and clean it out. i'll report tonight

Cheers for the help so far

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Dyre Straits

If the system is shutting off without any motherboard error beeps, then, I would just about bet the bank that it's your PSU.

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Cube623

Well i've had someone round who i know who is very knowledgable with computers, we've had a look, cleaned out the pc, re-seating some components and it still didn't work. He reckons it's the PSU or the motherboard that has become faulty. He's taken it away as his job is to fix pcs so he has some spare PSU's to test. I'll tell you the results ASAP

As for now i'm back stuck with my old Hp Pavilion 434.uk with a Radeon 9000!!! Man these weeks will be painfull!!!

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Dyre Straits

WEEKS? EEK!!!

I hope you're not serious that this person will take that long to troubleshoot this problem. A DAY would be plenty with the right stuff to test.

But, good luck.

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Cube623

well this person i've handed it over to is a very very busy man who also has a family to look after and also he has to find these extra parts (he doesn't have them in is house but he could find some from where he works) and test them. Then he would have to work out whats wrong and i've also told him not to do this asap. After that we then need to buy the part thats faulty.

The reason why i've handed it over to him is that he knows a damsight more about computers than i do and he can try to borrow parts to test, i can't i would have to buy them and hope the part i buy is the one that will work!

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Cube623

since i pretty mich know that my psu or motherboard has gone i though this would be a good time to ask people what would be a good replacement PSU or motherboard?

I would really like a psu or motherboard that has got some good features buit defenatly doesn't break the bank as i am really skint and i'm very pissed off that this happened at this time as i've just spent my last bit of spare cash left on another HDD to back stuff onto just incase this happened. It was a good idea except it arrived a day after this problem started!!!!!

For the PSU i would just really like something that would be able to power my current pc up, maybe be powerfull enough if i choose to upgrade anything in the future and for it to be reliable so something like this doesn't happen again.

For the mobo i would like something that currently supports my parts (i have a PCI-Ex card, socket 754 processor etc), something that has some good features and good upgrading possibilities and something thats reliable so something like this doesn't happen again.

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Dyre Straits

With today's demands growing, I wouldn't get anything under a 500W PSU. You also need to make sure that the 12V Rail has at least a 20A rating. Mine has 28A.

As for motherboards: From my own experience, I avoid anything with a VIA chipset. I've just found them to be more trouble than they're worth. I haven't used AMD, so, can't offer particular suggestions in that regard.

Good luck, though.

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Cube623

right as far as i know my pc is fixed but the cause of the problem is a weird one i don't understand why nor does my m8 who is having a go at fixing it for me.

It's my floppy drive thats been causing this???

My m8 said he tried cleaning it out and re-seating it - turned off after 3 mins
he then took everything out except processor, ram, video card and tv card - stayed on
he plugged back in the Hdd - stayed on
he then plugged in my DVD drive - stayed on (we left it on for 9 hours)
plugged in my floppy drive - turned off after 3 mins
unplugged my floppy drive - so far (as i type) still on.

he says if it's still working he will drop it back round to me in the morning but why would a floppy drive be causing my computer to turn off?

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H3X4D3C1M4L

It could be shorted out or you have a bum floppy cable/controller.

Dyre Straits

Did he try another floppy drive? If any other one does the same, then, try a different cable. If it doesn't matter which floppy drive or cable is used, then it's the controller on the MoBo.

However, it sounds to me like a short in the floppy drive that's drawing too much juice from the PSU and causing it to shutdown.

And, yes, it's an unusual problem. Not sure I've ever encountered that one.

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