[Sausagecat]

Hello Geeks to Go! Hopefully you can help me as I'm really quite a novice when it comes to computers.

My HP Pavilion T3345.UK PC has been playing up of late! I turn it on and all the fans run overtime and the light on one of the CD drives comes on and stays on and that's it. Nothing else happens. I have had the cover off and have vacuumed all the dust out and cleaned the fans etc. The hard drive does spin as when I turn the computer off I can hear it stop. After many "on and offs" the computer will eventually boot up.

I'm thinking it might be something wrong with the PSU as when the problem first happened I gave the fan a good vac and spin at the back of the PC and the problem went away for a few weeks. Now its back but boots up ocassionally (like this morning after I fiddled with then fan on the PSU - with the power off!).

Does anyone have any other ideas before I try swapping (or getting a man to swap) the PSU?

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Hello Sausagecat.... Welcome to GeeksToGo,

I'm sorry to hear about your issue. We will try to help you resolve this as soon as possible.
Please understand we are all volunteers and we are not here all the time. Sometimes it may be a extended amount of time to get back to you. If it has been more then 3 days please shoot me a PM and I will try to get back to you quickly then.


If the PSU Fan is not turning on it's own then the PSU is failing.
Do you know what wattage it is?
There should be a sticker on the PSU that gives the wattage.
How old is the system?

[rshaffer61]

Hello Sausagecat.... Welcome to GeeksToGo,

I'm sorry to hear about your issue. We will try to help you resolve this as soon as possible.
Please understand we are all volunteers and we are not here all the time. Sometimes it may be a extended amount of time to get back to you. If it has been more then 3 days please shoot me a PM and I will try to get back to you quickly then.


If the PSU Fan is not turning on it's own then the PSU is failing.
Do you know what wattage it is?
There should be a sticker on the PSU that gives the wattage.
How old is the system?

[Sausagecat]

The PSU fan is turning on its own OK (it always did, sorry if my original post was a little unclear). I'm not sure which fan is in overdrive though. The PSU is a BESTEC ATX-300-12Z rev CCR (HP part no. *5188-2627*). The sticker says input 100-12 1V-7A 200-240v - 4A 50/60hz. There is loads on the output but it starts with =12V/19A 300w max.

I found another forum talking about the fans in overdrive issue (but on Dells) and they had traced their problem back to a CPU/heat sink issue. Something about coolant leaking and evaporating? The guy ended up getting a new PC instead. Hope I don't have to do that.

Thanks for your time and help.

Sausagecat

[Sausagecat]

Forgot to add, I think I got the machine in about 2006. Here is the HP webpage link to my machine: http://h10025.www1.h...=hpr_R1002_UKEN .

[rshaffer61]

I found another forum talking about the fans in overdrive issue (but on Dells) and they had traced their problem back to a CPU/heat sink issue. Something about coolant leaking and evaporating?

This I doubt is your problem because it sounds like they are talking abotu liquid cooling system.
Your system may be the PSU itself is failing. I misunderstood because you stated

Now its back but boots up ocassionally (like this morning after I fiddled with then fan on the PSU - with the power off!).

I figured the fan on PSU was not turning correctly.
It may be the PSU is just failing from use.

[Sausagecat]

OK, so I still have the problem but I have some more intel that might help a techie diagnose me. When I turn the machine on, everytime, the fans run in over drive and nothing else happens BUT evertime I tilt the computer backwards (almost onto its back) it will boot. What do you reckon? Something's loose?

[rshaffer61]

Strange but that would be my first thought.
Try going reseating the cables, power cords, connection to the MOBO.
Make sure the fan is seated correctly on the CPU. I just had something similar to that in my wife's system.
Took everything apart, cleaned it real good and reseated the cpu fan as it was loose and her system has been working fine since.
Good detective work on your part.

[123Runner]

BUT evertime I tilt the computer backwards (almost onto its back) it will boot.

. Thats very interesting. I can't think of anything that would "fall into place" to allow the computer to boot.
A possibility of a broken component in the PSU or on the main pwb that is touching when you tilt it.
The fact that you previously played with the PSU fan leads me in that direction.

As you look at all the cables and connectors and reseat them (with the computer unplugged), tilt the computer as you were doing and look for anything that is loose. Also listen for anything that might be rolling around and loose.