Question:
The on/off button on my computer is starting to go...i shut it down last week as normal...then found it wouldn't turn on again,finally managed to get it going after two very long days...now i daren't turn the thing off..any advice ??
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Turn the computer off using start>'turn off computer'>'turn off computer'
Assuming you're using XP that is?
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Turn the computer off using start>'turn off computer'>'turn off computer'
Assuming you're using XP that is?
Am i being thick ..but thats how i always turn it off...but when you come to turn it on again you have to press the on/off button ...don't you??
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Yep, didn't think that through too well, did I? I'm having a think!
Does your power button have a power LED on it, if so, does it come on when you try and turn your PC on?
You also said that you got it going after 2 very long days. How did you get it going, or did it just finally decide to spark up after repeated presses?
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Yep, didn't think that through too well, did I? I'm having a think!
Does your power button have a power LED on it, if so, does it come on when you try and turn your PC on?
Yes it does have a power led on it...had to take the panel off to get it started last time...what kept happening was the other switches/LED kept coming on for a quarter of a second then dieing...like a car trying to start
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Could be a dodgy connection from the switch to the motherboard - if you are comfortable fiddling inside the case, then open it up and swap the on off switch's cable for the reset switch's and then just use the reset button instead. This should show wether it's the switch at fault or not.
It could just be a knackered motherboard or something else though.
Some motherboards will let you turn the PC on by pressing a key (or combination of) on the keyboard, it might be worth looking in your BIOS settings to see if you can do this and so not have to bother with the switch again.
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Could be a dodgy connection from the switch to the motherboard - if you are comfortable fiddling inside the case, then open it up and swap the on off switch's cable for the reset switch's and then just use the reset button instead. This should show wether it's the switch at fault or not.
It could just be a knackered motherboard or something else though.
Some motherboards will let you turn the PC on by pressing a key (or combination of) on the keyboard, it might be worth looking in your BIOS settings to see if you can do this and so not have to bother with the switch again.
Cheers it is over 5 years old....will have a go with that..What is BIOS
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Cheers it is over 5 years old....will have a go with that..What is BIOS
(Basic Input Output System) is the software that is used for the initial stages of boot-up.
Usually when you first turn your pc on it will say 'Press DEL to enter BOIS' or similar, pressing the specified button will then take you to an old school menu where you MAY be able to set 'wake up on key' or similar. hope this helps!
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is the button on the case touching the microswitch properly? Packard Bell?
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is the button on the case touching the microswitch properly? Packard Bell?
when i took the panel off i tried pulling the switch out of the socket it is in and turning it on it still didn't work...so i think its not a problem with the microswitch...saying that my daughter finally got it started by pressing the screen button and computer button together.
Not sure if its packard bell....its a old Time computer
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do you turn the power off at the wall as well normally? i.e. computer with no power at all when your not using it?
If so your problems are caused by your Bios backup battery going flat, which is used when the computer is isolated from the mains.
A short term fix for this is to leave the computer plugged in all the time (but not on obviously!)
If this fixes your problem, you need a new battery.
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Normally leave the mains plug on..not off...but saying that just before i had the problem,my son was messing around on the computer and i turned it off at the mains because i was so irate ...the following day was when i couldn't turn it on.I haven't turned it off for 3 days...is that ok?
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I have never turned my pcs off, is that bad??
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Its better to leave power to the PC all the time, when you isolate the power to the PC the BIOS has to use the internal battery on the motherboard (a coin cell) to make it keep its memory.
If you have a nearly flat battery you can get some very strange effects from the bios.
If the battery goes completely flat you will lose any user configurable settings you have made to it (the pc may not boot)
Answers:
It really does sound like its one of the following (some others have mentioned):
- Switch connection shorting, either poor connection with the cable and switch on the front of the PC, cable and the motherboard connection or it may be exposed somewhere and contacting with the case - therefore shorting out.
- Something, probably your motherboard could be shorting on the PC case.
Even though you may not have moved the PC recently, this can also be caused by dust buildup in the system, sometimes behind the motherboard.
- Other motherboard issue, such as capacitors 'bloating' or even popping, but in the case of a capacitor actually popping you will find the motherboard won't work at all.
If you can, check the top of all the capacitors to make sure they are FLAT and not "risen" or "domed".
- PSU problem, namely it could be dying or simply there is too greater load on the PSU from the system than it can supply, although usually in this case it causes the system to be unstable, or just not turn on at all.
I've seen this problem quite a few times, you turn the PC on and it "flickers" on briefly, 80% of the time it tends to be the motherboard shorting on the PC case.
A dying BIOS battery* WILL NOT stop your PC from booting.
If your battery is dead, all that will happen is that - since there is no charge in the battery, the BIOS will not store its settings.
It WILL turn on, but it will probably beep a few times to tell you that there are no defined BIOS settings and ask you to configure the BIOS.
Although not always, sometimes it will just beep the first time, then just boot normally.....but then your BIOS settings will still be out of whack, which will cause issues, such as your processor speeds not being set up correctly.
* - This is usually a 2032 battery, its a standard battery used in some watches, you can always replace it if you want to make sure but if you do replace it buy a reputable named brand such as VARTA and not some cheap batery from a cheap shop/market.
The last thing you want is a battery leak on your motherboard.
Also don't pay more than £3 for one, since they cost about 23p wholesale (I should know...I have a few hundered )
:!:
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Thanks for that skyhigh
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I would pay you 25p to come and fix it then
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Hi Skyhigh,
yup you are right, until a few weeks ago I would have agreed, until I had to fix my fathers computer (which I made in the first place)
He had the same symptoms as above, the battery turned out to be nearly flat (measured with a volt meter) replaced the battery and everything has been fine.
Also this computer in question is five years old, so its very very likely to be low
Good advice with the cap's not so sure about the dust though, conductive thick dust ??? I think dust has quite a high ohmic value and computers only operate at low voltage..
its not likely to be a "shorting" switch as you call it, computer power switches for the ATX format board require monetary connection between two pins (one being neutral) if there was a short in the neutral it wouldn’t care as it was neutral anyway and if there was a short in the live the computer would randomly turn its self on and off.
I would go for battery, then power supply