Computer Won't Turn On!

wickedwench · 07-22-2008, 10:08 AM

Hey there,
I'm having a problem with my desktop pc... it hasn't been turning on for a few months. whenever i press the power button the the front, the light turns on for a second and i can hear the computer trying to start up, then it dies. a friend told me the problem is my power supply, so i opened up my computer and took out the power supply box. it looks like there's burn marks in it, and some components are melted. i took the information off of it, and went to a computer store to get a new power supply. now that i've hooked all the connections in and am trying to start my computer, it won't even turn on or do anything! any suggestions?

**tecknomage** · 07-22-2008, 02:12 PM

First, the burn marks should have = take PC into a service tech.

Your PSU MAY have burn marks because something burned up on your motherboard, OR your PSU burned up and damaged your motherboard

Then there is the issue of did you connect the new PSU correctly? You may have missed a connection OR use the wrong ones. Example, my PSU has 2 connections for CPU power, one that will work with my motherboard the other does not (you cannot tell from the wire colors, you have to use what the masking on the connector says).

Note on PSUs, as long as a new PSU meets the minimum specs for your system, you can use a higher spec PSU. Systems use ONLY what they need from a PSU, and operating a system with a high-spec PSU will just make the PSU last longer and more trouble-free. Like operating a system that uses 400w with a 600w PSU.

wrench97 · 07-22-2008, 03:28 PM

How about if we start with HI and welcome to the Forum!
Can you tell us the Brand and model of your pc and if you have upgraded a video card model of that also, or if custom built, the motherboard brand and model,Video card model. Also what brand and model PSU did you buy from the store?

BingoMorris · 07-24-2008, 09:11 AM

Yes welcome to the forum lol.

As wrench97 said we really would need some info about your PC but from first glance, Burn marks, melting... I'm going to take a wild guess that your power supply unit was quite small and you were getting your PC to do quite a lot at once probably without adequete cooling to prevent melting.

If you did "melt" some componants on your PC you may have damaged other parts such as your graphics card or processor. I'd have another look inside your PC and check for any phyical damage to your componants. Usually on top of your processor is a heat sync gel which keeps it cool, take out your processor and see if it has any left on and look for any burns. A fried processor is game over. Have a look at your graphics card to check for damages and also check if there is anything physically wrong with the motherboard itself.

It could also be your new power supply just isn't powerful enough to boot everything up, but I doubt it would be somthing that simple. Post your system specs and we'll have a propper look.

07-22-2008, 10:08 AM	#1 (permalink)
wickedwench Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1 OS: winxp	Computer Won't Turn On! Hey there, I'm having a problem with my desktop pc... it hasn't been turning on for a few months. whenever i press the power button the the front, the light turns on for a second and i can hear the computer trying to start up, then it dies. a friend told me the problem is my power supply, so i opened up my computer and took out the power supply box. it looks like there's burn marks in it, and some components are melted. i took the information off of it, and went to a computer store to get a new power supply. now that i've hooked all the connections in and am trying to start my computer, it won't even turn on or do anything! any suggestions?

07-22-2008, 02:12 PM	#2 (permalink)
tecknomage TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 734 OS: WinXP Pro SP3	Re: Computer Won't Turn On! First, the burn marks should have = take PC into a service tech. Your PSU MAY have burn marks because something burned up on your motherboard, OR your PSU burned up and damaged your motherboard Then there is the issue of did you connect the new PSU correctly? You may have missed a connection OR use the wrong ones. Example, my PSU has 2 connections for CPU power, one that will work with my motherboard the other does not (you cannot tell from the wire colors, you have to use what the masking on the connector says). Note on PSUs, as long as a new PSU meets the minimum specs for your system, you can use a higher spec PSU. Systems use ONLY what they need from a PSU, and operating a system with a high-spec PSU will just make the PSU last longer and more trouble-free. Like operating a system that uses 400w with a 600w PSU. __________________ Tecknomage Computer System Specialist IT Technician Mage Pages

07-22-2008, 03:28 PM	#3 (permalink)
wrench97 Tech Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 3,318 OS: XPSP2	Re: Computer Won't Turn On! How about if we start with HI and welcome to the Forum! Can you tell us the Brand and model of your pc and if you have upgraded a video card model of that also, or if custom built, the motherboard brand and model,Video card model. Also what brand and model PSU did you buy from the store? __________________

07-24-2008, 09:11 AM	#4 (permalink)
BingoMorris Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 70 OS: XP Pro SP2 My System	Re: Computer Won't Turn On! Yes welcome to the forum lol. As wrench97 said we really would need some info about your PC but from first glance, Burn marks, melting... I'm going to take a wild guess that your power supply unit was quite small and you were getting your PC to do quite a lot at once probably without adequete cooling to prevent melting. If you did "melt" some componants on your PC you may have damaged other parts such as your graphics card or processor. I'd have another look inside your PC and check for any phyical damage to your componants. Usually on top of your processor is a heat sync gel which keeps it cool, take out your processor and see if it has any left on and look for any burns. A fried processor is game over. Have a look at your graphics card to check for damages and also check if there is anything physically wrong with the motherboard itself. It could also be your new power supply just isn't powerful enough to boot everything up, but I doubt it would be somthing that simple. Post your system specs and we'll have a propper look.