Desktop PC Problem

decibelmusic

OSNN Newbie
Joined
29 May 2008
Messages
2
Hi all, I hope you can please help :(

We are currently housesitting for a mate and his wife. My girlfriend asked could we use her computer while she is away, just for internet and her emails etc.

It turned itself off earlier, so she restarted and it worked ok

Then about 30 minutes later it turned itself off again

We've tried to restart it, however the power indicator on the front just flickers intermittently, it makes the sound like the HDD spins up but wont keep spinning. I've taken off the side panel and the fan over the processor seems to be spinning fine, but it just wont "bite" properly so that it starts up

Its just a bog standard desktop pc, probably pentium 3/4 or a celeron, i'd say with 512mb ram or maybe only 256, I'm really not sure. Its running Windows XP Home (I think)

PLease help :(

They get back Sunday and we need to fix it by the time they get home

cheers

desperate
 
Make sure that everything is plugged in properly. If the power cable and all items are not plugged in properly, you may have some issues.

And make sure that the power strip connections are solid too. Just push all the cables inside and outside the computer back into place and see if that helps.
 
It could be that it just finally died. Some times that happens.
 
Pretend to by the Fonz and whack the pc and go "aaaayyyyyyy" - see if that works :p
 
lol, carpo. I was thinking about that ...
 
was there anything you were doing right before the problems started?
any sites you were visiting or questionable e-mails?
did you plug in any USB drives or ipod?
(a friends ipod was infecting every computer he connected it to)
you may not want to say, but it could definately help
 
Sounds like the power supply to me. Possibly the motherboard itself, but more likely the power supply.

Try using compressed air cans to blow any dust out of the computer, especially on air intakes and wherever there's a fan or heatsink, especially the CPU and power supply itself. If that doesn't do it, I'd bet it's the power supply or the actual power switch on the computer case is faulty.
 
Just turn it off, and leave the house sharp-ish when they get back. I do always love using the line "Sorry.. what's broken? the computer? Hmmm, I never used your computer... no idea why it'd be broken.. maybe something you did before you went away?"
 
hi guys thanks for the responses. yeah I tried the power supply and replaced it with one from another computer, but to no avail

ive dropped it into a computer shop this morning, they say it could be either the motherboard or the hdd, I really hope its neither

thanks for the tips

cheers

mike
 

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