Computer not working need some help...

Customgamer1 · Apr 14, 2009, 05:04 AM

Ok so I get a call from my aunt today saying when she hits the power button she gets nothing... I am like

I had to already replace the power supply over the phone with them once and my guess is that's the problem once again, but I am not sure...

What do you think the chances are that the motherboard is toast or even the CPU if the PS popped?

They don't really know anything about computers and at the moment don't have a lot of money so I would love to be able to nail this the first time...

Is there any quick easy ways to tell what the problem is? I would highly think that if they get nothing that it is the power supply. It worked the night before and today they get nothing... I would love to be able to just say replace the powersupply and I can walk them through that easy enough.

It is not a very powerful computer. AMD 3500+ with 1gig of ram and a lower end video card. Also has 1 hard drive with Windows XP on it.

Mac Daddy · Apr 14, 2009, 12:30 PM

Sounds like the PSU even if the cpu and possibly the mobo are damaged you should at least get fans running. Have them try and reset the breaker on the PSU that's all I can think of doing over the phone. When a PSU goes though there is no telling what else was damaged .. but think positive

There is a way to test the PSU itself but it involves grounding a pin on the main ATX power plug(usually green).

Tyrsonswood · Apr 14, 2009, 12:57 PM

It could be the psu, but my question would be "why two PSU failures in such a short time?" Bad power in the house? Problematic mobo? Something else?

It would be a tough one to sort out over the phone........

ET3D · Apr 14, 2009, 03:11 PM

What kind of a PSU do they have? Can it be that it's too taxed? My wife's previous PC had a PSU that was fine for it until the day I tried running City of Heroes on it. It fried immediately. That was with a GeForce 5200, which I thought shouldn't be too taxing on the PSU.

Customgamer1 · Apr 14, 2009, 03:23 PM

Well the first one I think was an Antec and I figured it died because they put it in the desk with a door. So to me I was thinking it was just getting to hot.

The one that is in the system now is the one that had came with the case when I built it for them. I had replaced that about a year (maybe longer) ago.

So if I get them another powersupply I would think a 500W Antec would be fine.

Cow_160483 · Apr 14, 2009, 03:24 PM

It would be hard to figure out the problem without having a look at the system, but since you have recently replaced the PSU (a year ago

) and it got fried (am assuming) that the power at the house fluctuates and as such it would be a good ides to check if anything else got toasted

as well

Customgamer1 · Apr 26, 2009, 07:29 AM

Ok well they bought a new powersupply. I picked out a Antec one that is 80%+ to try and maybe save them a few bucks each month!

Anyways I helped them through the change out over the phone and they were able to boot it up and it is working fine.

2 strikes with power supplies blowing up. This next one might be the one that pops everything... Can't keep getting lucky lol. I really hope it was just a fluke the last 2 times. The first one can be explained from being in the desk with the door shut, but not the second one...

Mac Daddy · Apr 26, 2009, 12:49 PM

Glad you got it sorted

You may want to have them buy a proper surge protector as well and I don't mean the 10 dollar ones at Best Buy. The one I have here is made by Tripp Lite called the ISOBAR. Not sure what they have available now but that one cost me 100 bucks. (Again I understand they don't have much money as you said but even something in the 30-50 dollar range.

Welcome to Tripp Lite

Tyrsonswood · Apr 26, 2009, 01:11 PM

Tripp Lite makes good stuff...... I have 3 units, an LCR2400 in the loft and 2X LCR1800 in the basement. Overkill for the application in this post but I can vouch for the quality of their products.

Has anybody checked the wiring in your Aunt's house...... or the voltage at the wall socket? Going constantly over rated voltage can kill electronics like power supplys in a short time. (Under voltage isn't that good either) The reason for my getting the units above was because my house voltage was swinging above 145v on a regular basis........ bad regulation by the power company.

Tipstaff · Apr 26, 2009, 09:54 PM

Forget the surge protector, and go straight to a UPS. If they've popped 2 PSUs it's obvious that the power line to that computer is bad. A good UPS, one that has a line conditioner built into it, can help to prevent further dead PSUs, as well as warn you if the line is bad (which will be an obvious kick in their ass to get their outlets checked). You can get separate line conditioners from Tripp Lite such as the LC1200 or LC1800 for about $100, but a UPS does have other features that make it worth while getting, including being able to adjust for sudden drops/spikes in power, and so fourth.

Cow_160483 · Apr 27, 2009, 02:51 PM

yup Get a UPS like tipstaff said APC make some really affordable ones

Nunyerbiz · Apr 27, 2009, 06:56 PM

Can't argue with a decent UPS, at least it would help to eliminate dirty power in their house as being the cause of the issue... However, stuff like this can really throw you for a loop from a troubleshooting perspective... Lots of components could be flaky or have a short or something... and when the moons align, boom, the PSU takes a dump.

A few years back, my father-in-laws PC appeared to have dropped two power supplies in about six months... Once the second one went, I decided to get involved. Although I always tell him I don't need his keyboard and mouse, he dropped them off anyways... and this was the lucky break I needed. It turned out that the keyboard had developed a short of some kind and apparently had caused the problems. Sounds crazy, a short in a PS2 plug completely stopping a system from posting... but that was the case. I plugged that same keyboard into one of my bench PCs and it wouldn't turn on... I then used a different keyboard on my father-in-laws PC and it worked! This second PSU hadn't yet fried, and I'm not really sure if the first one ever did. I'm guessing this short in the keyboard had always been hit or miss in the past, leading to the appearance of a PSU failure when it actually did "hit". A bad keyboard probably wouldn't have been in my top 20 for troubleshooting options... but that's what it was.

Mac Daddy · Apr 28, 2009, 12:43 AM

Great posts by Tipstaff and the others above mine and I also thought UPS. As I read a few times his Aunt doesn't really have a lot of cash to spend on this even a quality 30-50 dollar surge protector would be a good start without breaking the bank.

I have had this Tripp Lite ISOBAR since before the Niagara Mohawk power outage and NEVER had a piece of computer equipment damaged using it.

(The ISOBAR isn't just a surge protector it has 50 and 75dB isolation between outlets and some regulation)

Tipstaff · Apr 28, 2009, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac Daddy

I have had this Tripp Lite ISOBAR since before the Niagara Mohawk power outage and NEVER had a piece of computer equipment damaged using it.

Holy crap, guy, wasn't that about 6 years ago?

Mac Daddy · Apr 28, 2009, 12:04 PM

Yep June 2003 at the exact same time I went to ATI in Markham and it's still running fine

Apr 14, 2009, 05:04 AM	#1
Customgamer1 Fell off the tech wagon Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,273 Rep Power: 74 System Specs	Computer not working need some help... Ok so I get a call from my aunt today saying when she hits the power button she gets nothing... I am like I had to already replace the power supply over the phone with them once and my guess is that's the problem once again, but I am not sure... What do you think the chances are that the motherboard is toast or even the CPU if the PS popped? They don't really know anything about computers and at the moment don't have a lot of money so I would love to be able to nail this the first time... Is there any quick easy ways to tell what the problem is? I would highly think that if they get nothing that it is the power supply. It worked the night before and today they get nothing... I would love to be able to just say replace the powersupply and I can walk them through that easy enough. It is not a very powerful computer. AMD 3500+ with 1gig of ram and a lower end video card. Also has 1 hard drive with Windows XP on it. __________________ Asus Laptop: 2.5 Intel Core 2 Duo, 4gigs DDR 2, Windows 7 64bit! Windows 7 > OSX!

Apr 14, 2009, 12:30 PM	#2
Mac Daddy DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 7,950 Rep Power: 79 System Specs	Re: Computer not working need some help... Sounds like the PSU even if the cpu and possibly the mobo are damaged you should at least get fans running. Have them try and reset the breaker on the PSU that's all I can think of doing over the phone. When a PSU goes though there is no telling what else was damaged .. but think positive There is a way to test the PSU itself but it involves grounding a pin on the main ATX power plug(usually green). __________________ "My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen

Apr 14, 2009, 03:11 PM	#4
ET3D Hopeless Dreamer Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dreamland, near the pool of infinite graphics cards Posts: 3,057 Rep Power: 105 System Specs	Re: Computer not working need some help... What kind of a PSU do they have? Can it be that it's too taxed? My wife's previous PC had a PSU that was fine for it until the day I tried running City of Heroes on it. It fried immediately. That was with a GeForce 5200, which I thought shouldn't be too taxing on the PSU.

Apr 14, 2009, 03:23 PM	Thread Starter #5
Customgamer1 Fell off the tech wagon Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,273 Rep Power: 74 System Specs	Re: Computer not working need some help... Well the first one I think was an Antec and I figured it died because they put it in the desk with a door. So to me I was thinking it was just getting to hot. The one that is in the system now is the one that had came with the case when I built it for them. I had replaced that about a year (maybe longer) ago. So if I get them another powersupply I would think a 500W Antec would be fine. __________________ Asus Laptop: 2.5 Intel Core 2 Duo, 4gigs DDR 2, Windows 7 64bit! Windows 7 > OSX!

Apr 14, 2009, 03:24 PM	#6
Cow_160483 HH's only cow moooooo... Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: BOTSWANA Posts: 6,817 Rep Power: 300 System Specs	Re: Computer not working need some help... It would be hard to figure out the problem without having a look at the system, but since you have recently replaced the PSU (a year ago) and it got fried (am assuming) that the power at the house fluctuates and as such it would be a good ides to check if anything else got toasted as well __________________ Decode! Muhahahahah!

Apr 26, 2009, 07:29 AM	Thread Starter #7
Customgamer1 Fell off the tech wagon Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,273 Rep Power: 74 System Specs	Re: Computer not working need some help... Ok well they bought a new powersupply. I picked out a Antec one that is 80%+ to try and maybe save them a few bucks each month! Anyways I helped them through the change out over the phone and they were able to boot it up and it is working fine. 2 strikes with power supplies blowing up. This next one might be the one that pops everything... Can't keep getting lucky lol. I really hope it was just a fluke the last 2 times. The first one can be explained from being in the desk with the door shut, but not the second one... __________________ Asus Laptop: 2.5 Intel Core 2 Duo, 4gigs DDR 2, Windows 7 64bit! Windows 7 > OSX!

Apr 26, 2009, 12:49 PM	#8
Mac Daddy DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 7,950 Rep Power: 79 System Specs	Re: Computer not working need some help... Glad you got it sorted You may want to have them buy a proper surge protector as well and I don't mean the 10 dollar ones at Best Buy. The one I have here is made by Tripp Lite called the ISOBAR. Not sure what they have available now but that one cost me 100 bucks. (Again I understand they don't have much money as you said but even something in the 30-50 dollar range. Welcome to Tripp Lite __________________ "My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen

Apr 26, 2009, 09:54 PM	#10
Tipstaff HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Real capital of Canada: Torauna Posts: 6,773 Rep Power: 190 System Specs	Re: Computer not working need some help... Forget the surge protector, and go straight to a UPS. If they've popped 2 PSUs it's obvious that the power line to that computer is bad. A good UPS, one that has a line conditioner built into it, can help to prevent further dead PSUs, as well as warn you if the line is bad (which will be an obvious kick in their ass to get their outlets checked). You can get separate line conditioners from Tripp Lite such as the LC1200 or LC1800 for about $100, but a UPS does have other features that make it worth while getting, including being able to adjust for sudden drops/spikes in power, and so fourth. __________________ Portal: The Flash Version _________________________________ Brain: So, you sacked the cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker? Mr. Sackett: The second cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker I've sacked since the sixth sitting sheet slitter got sick. Last edited by Tipstaff; Apr 26, 2009 at 10:04 PM.

Apr 27, 2009, 02:51 PM	#11
Cow_160483 HH's only cow moooooo... Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: BOTSWANA Posts: 6,817 Rep Power: 300 System Specs	Re: Computer not working need some help... yup Get a UPS like tipstaff said APC make some really affordable ones __________________ Decode! Muhahahahah!

Apr 27, 2009, 06:56 PM	#12
Nunyerbiz DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Detroit, MI, USA Posts: 9 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: Computer not working need some help... Can't argue with a decent UPS, at least it would help to eliminate dirty power in their house as being the cause of the issue... However, stuff like this can really throw you for a loop from a troubleshooting perspective... Lots of components could be flaky or have a short or something... and when the moons align, boom, the PSU takes a dump. A few years back, my father-in-laws PC appeared to have dropped two power supplies in about six months... Once the second one went, I decided to get involved. Although I always tell him I don't need his keyboard and mouse, he dropped them off anyways... and this was the lucky break I needed. It turned out that the keyboard had developed a short of some kind and apparently had caused the problems. Sounds crazy, a short in a PS2 plug completely stopping a system from posting... but that was the case. I plugged that same keyboard into one of my bench PCs and it wouldn't turn on... I then used a different keyboard on my father-in-laws PC and it worked! This second PSU hadn't yet fried, and I'm not really sure if the first one ever did. I'm guessing this short in the keyboard had always been hit or miss in the past, leading to the appearance of a PSU failure when it actually did "hit". A bad keyboard probably wouldn't have been in my top 20 for troubleshooting options... but that's what it was.

Apr 28, 2009, 12:43 AM	#13
Mac Daddy DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 7,950 Rep Power: 79 System Specs	Re: Computer not working need some help... Great posts by Tipstaff and the others above mine and I also thought UPS. As I read a few times his Aunt doesn't really have a lot of cash to spend on this even a quality 30-50 dollar surge protector would be a good start without breaking the bank. I have had this Tripp Lite ISOBAR since before the Niagara Mohawk power outage and NEVER had a piece of computer equipment damaged using it. (The ISOBAR isn't just a surge protector it has 50 and 75dB isolation between outlets and some regulation) __________________ "My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen

Apr 28, 2009, 12:04 PM	#15
Mac Daddy DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 7,950 Rep Power: 79 System Specs	Re: Computer not working need some help... Yep June 2003 at the exact same time I went to ATI in Markham and it's still running fine __________________ "My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen