Help obiwan18 fix his computer

[Ben Kenobi]

Here's the symptoms.

I have a monitor that seems to be receiving power, but no input from the CPU,

or I have a cpu that will not start when the power switches on. Either happens when I try to restart the computer.

It's not the first time, this has happened, I replaced the battery last summer which seemed to work, but all the other problems cropped up again.

If the computer is too far gone, it's quite old, I am amenable to purchasing a new cpu.

Everything else has been purchased/upgraded over the last few years.

[Asher]

By CPU, you're referring to the actual computer case thing itself, not the actual CPU, right?

When you turn the power on, do the fans turn on inside the case?

[Boris Godunov]

I had a similar problem with a Packard Bell 486 years ago. It was the power supply. Got it replaced, and then a few months later crapped out again. And that's why I'll never buy another Packard Bell anything ever again.

[Promethus]

Boris

Not that you could anyway even if you wanted to.

[Ben Kenobi]

When you turn the power on, do the fans turn on inside the case?

About half the time.

The other half nothing starts up.

When the fans start, the cpu picks up the hard drive, but the monitor does not seem to receive any input.

[Fve Crathva]

Check your motherboard for char spots and melted components.

SP

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Promethus
Boris

Not that you could anyway even if you wanted to.

Yeah, shoulda put that in the past tense...

[Promethus]

I think you have a bad power supply. Unplug everything from the power supply except the MotherBoard (remove all cards from the MotherBoard except the video card) and see if the Puter Boots OK. If so start adding the cards back in and then the drives, booting between every addition. If you get to a certian power load and start having problems then it is likely the Power Supply. Barrow a Power Supply if you can and see if it solves the problem.

[Ben Kenobi]

Prometheus:

I'll give that a shot.



Thanks everyone, including Boris, for their help.

[Fve Crathva]

Seriously, if that's inconclusive then take the motherboard into consideration, too. When I bought my current rig the company sent me a bum mobo and I had problems similar to yours. The monitor got a signal through the video card, the standby power LED was lit, the fans would usually start up, and the hard drive would usually spin up, but it would never POST.

SP

[Urban Ranger]

Seen that too.

[Ben Kenobi]

Tried turning my computer on again, it now seems to work just fine.

In any case, thanks again.