Why won't this pc turn on..?

[Alistair]

So I've had this SFF for about 3 years perhaps, when out of the blue it stops responding to the power on switch. Much random prodding of that switch and the power reset button eventually persuade it to turn on, but it takes a good 20 seconds or so. Sometimes there's a big delay between my hitting the switch and anything happening. I've changed nothing in the hardware or setup...

Any ideas?

 

[Anarchist4000]

Can you try a different power supply to rule that out? Then disconnecting all non essential hardware in the system to rule out any of those parts.

 

[mrboo]

Check all your power connections to and from the power switch, then check all the other connections. Then see if its the switch it-self is'nt broken

If its still broken then it beats the hell outa me

 

[SugarCoat]

sounds like a short or the contact switch (cheap peice of junk behind the power button) in the case isnt functioning properly anymore. You'll have to open the case to mess with it. One thing you can do to see if its the power button is switch the reset (RST) button connection to the motherboard 'power on' (PWR) of the Front Panel Switches and Indicators connections (FPIO) on the motherboard. Its the area on the motherboard where all the case stuff connects too, usually the bottom right hand side of the board. So in effect what you'd be doing is making your reset button becomes your power on. There should be labels in very small print near the FPIO telling you where everything is, or you'll need your motherboard manual with the layout.

one other thing you may want to do since it takes about 2 seconds is remove and replace (not with a new one) the motherboard battery, thought that usually wont cause a delayed response.


PSU might be going as well though thats the last thing i'd check.

 

[the maddman]

Last SFF I worked on that had this problem, I just added a new switch that shorted the green wire from the PS to one of the black ones.

It had a mobo problem that prevented it from turning on more than once. But you can hot wire an ATX power supply by shorting pin 14 to any ground.

 

[_xxx_]

HDD getting too hot? I had that problem a while ago. Let it run for a while and feel the temperature of the HDD with your fingers, if it's so hot that you can barely touch it, there might be your enemy.

 

[_xxx_]

Oh, and check out if any coolers are clogged up with dust, hair, whatever. Happens a lot.