Second opinion please on dead PC
Started by
acmatters
, Feb 05 2008 06:19 PM
#1
Posted 05 February 2008 - 06:19 PM
#2
Posted 05 February 2008 - 06:29 PM
Hi acmatters...
My first thought would be power supply, but without a little more information about your computer, it's hard to say.
Is this a laptop machine or a desktop machine?
wannabe1
My first thought would be power supply, but without a little more information about your computer, it's hard to say.
Is this a laptop machine or a desktop machine?
wannabe1
#3
Posted 05 February 2008 - 06:51 PM
Someone else said they thought it would be power supply. This is a desktop. It's an eMachine. "T2824cel" is what it says on the receipt. I bought it in August of 2004, and we've added some RAM since then. Does that help?
#4
Posted 05 February 2008 - 07:04 PM
I can't rule out the motherboard or the cpu, but I'd sure try the power supply first. Either have it tested somewhere else, or try a known good power supply on the machine and see if it powers up.
#5
Posted 05 February 2008 - 07:08 PM
were you there when they tested the psu...they would have unplugged the power supply connection on the mobo and plugged in a tester...that would let you know if the psu was good ... eMachines use cheap psu's and that would be my guess...
#6
Posted 05 February 2008 - 07:08 PM
Could you also explain exactly what happens when you push the power button,,,,,,,
Do fans spin?
Do the keyboard lights flash?
Or is it completely dead?
Do fans spin?
Do the keyboard lights flash?
Or is it completely dead?
#7
Posted 05 February 2008 - 07:10 PM
If the power supply is dead, nothing happens.
#8
Posted 05 February 2008 - 07:13 PM
Answered directly from the e-mail...sorry Doby........
#9
Posted 05 February 2008 - 07:24 PM
I was not there when they tested the psu. Nothing happened when I pushed the power button. I had it plugged into a power strip surge protector with other hardware. The monitor powered up, the printer powered up, but the tower was just dead. No lights, no fan, no nothing.
Ah, what's a mobo? And I'm assuming psu stands for power supply unit? Sorry ... don't speak the language. :-)
Thanks!
Ah, what's a mobo? And I'm assuming psu stands for power supply unit? Sorry ... don't speak the language. :-)
Thanks!
#10
Posted 05 February 2008 - 07:30 PM
There should be a fan on the power supply. If it doesn't spin up, chances are good that the power supply is shot.
mobo = motherboard
cpu = central processing unit or processor
psu = power supply unit
mobo = motherboard
cpu = central processing unit or processor
psu = power supply unit
#11
Posted 05 February 2008 - 07:32 PM
So if the power supply was shot, how could the tech have determined that the mobo was shot?
#12
Posted 05 February 2008 - 07:35 PM
E-machines have a lot of motherboard issues, so the tech may not have done a though check.
It is an easy test. Do you have a known good power supply?
It is an easy test. Do you have a known good power supply?
Edited by hfcg, 05 February 2008 - 07:38 PM.
#13
Posted 05 February 2008 - 07:42 PM
Answered directly from the e-mail...sorry Doby........
No problem wannabe1
The tech should have tried a known working psu in it and that would be a good question to ask.
If you are comfortable with removing parts there is a simple test to see if the psu (power supply) is dead and will explain it to you, but this test only will show it its dead it could still be the motherboard (mobo) is bad, emachines are notorious for blown psu's and taking the motherboard with it
#14
Posted 05 February 2008 - 08:05 PM
My husband will be home tomorrow and is comfortable with removing parts. Me - not so much. What is the simple test to see if the psu is dead? They still have my tower, but we can pick it up in the morning and give it a try.
#15
Posted 05 February 2008 - 08:25 PM
Remove the side of the case,work on a tile or wood floor no carpet, this is because of static that is harmful to parts, touch the metal part of the case before touching anything inside.
In the rear upper part of the case is the psu, it has wires with connectors on the ends that lead to the drives and motherboard. Disconnect all of these, the drives just pull out but will be snug, rock back and forth slightly.
The connectors on the motherboard have a snap on the side you have to pinch with your finger, again gently rock back and forth and pull off.
When everthing is disconnected plug the power cord into the wall outlet now look at the 20 pin power connector that connected to the motherboard(the big one) using a paper clip touch the green wire and any black wire, this should start the psu and you can tell by the fan spinning. If the psu does not start it is dead and you may want to try another one.
Again though this only tests if the psu is dead or not, the motherboard could have been damaged. Also even if the psu turns on this test does not guarantee that the psu is producing the required voltage to start the computer but this is the first step to determining whats wrong and with a shop telling you that the motherboard is bad you have nothing to loose and you can use this as a learning experiance
In the rear upper part of the case is the psu, it has wires with connectors on the ends that lead to the drives and motherboard. Disconnect all of these, the drives just pull out but will be snug, rock back and forth slightly.
The connectors on the motherboard have a snap on the side you have to pinch with your finger, again gently rock back and forth and pull off.
When everthing is disconnected plug the power cord into the wall outlet now look at the 20 pin power connector that connected to the motherboard(the big one) using a paper clip touch the green wire and any black wire, this should start the psu and you can tell by the fan spinning. If the psu does not start it is dead and you may want to try another one.
Again though this only tests if the psu is dead or not, the motherboard could have been damaged. Also even if the psu turns on this test does not guarantee that the psu is producing the required voltage to start the computer but this is the first step to determining whats wrong and with a shop telling you that the motherboard is bad you have nothing to loose and you can use this as a learning experiance
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