[msbug]

My sisters computer monitor when turned on says Power Saver Mode, but her tower will not turn on. She has an HP tower Windows 7 and a Dell monitor. Thank you.

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The reason the message is that the monitor is in power saving mode is because

her tower will not turn on.

If there is no sign whatsoever of power to the tower, without stating the obvious have you checked the following

1, Fuse in power plug

2. If connected via an antisurge bar connect direct to AC

3. Is there a power switch at the rear of the tower on the PSU

4. If there is NO response in anyway whatsoever from the computer by way of leds, fans spinning etc then one may after checking as above suspect the PSU inside the tower

[Macboatmaster]

The reason the message is that the monitor is in power saving mode is because

her tower will not turn on.

If there is no sign whatsoever of power to the tower, without stating the obvious have you checked the following

1, Fuse in power plug

2. If connected via an antisurge bar connect direct to AC

3. Is there a power switch at the rear of the tower on the PSU

4. If there is NO response in anyway whatsoever from the computer by way of leds, fans spinning etc then one may after checking as above suspect the PSU inside the tower

[msbug]

Thank you for answering. I disconnected everything and reconnected and plugged it directly into the wall. I checked the red switch on the back and it is set to 115. Nothing comes on, the fan, no light nothing. What is the fuse in the power plug?

[Macboatmaster]

What is the fuse in the power plug?

I realise now you are in the USA. I am in the UK

Power plugs in otherwords the one that plugs intio the wall socket - the Main supply have a fuse in the UK.

I think I am right in saying they do not in the USA

Therefore it is not that

One would suspect the power supply but it may be a dead motherboard OR the power button on the tower

Unfortunately these sort of faults are difficult to investigate in an online forum.

If you feel competant I would open the case and see if there is any indication of anything occurring when you press the power button on the tower

CAUTION be extremely careful of course investigating the possible causes.

Post the exact model details of the HP please.

This may help

an article by Digerati one of our staff members

I am not in favor of using multimeters on PSUs. See my canned text below on testing them. Sadly, there is often collateral damage when a PSU fails, and/or if the power anomaly is excessive. Let's hope it is only the PSU.



To properly and conclusively test a power supply unit (PSU), it must be tested under various realistic "loads" then analyzed for excessive ripple and other anomalies. This is done by a qualified technician using an oscilloscope or power analyzer - sophisticated (and expensive) electronic test equipment requiring special training to operate, and a basic knowledge of electronics theory to understand the results. Therefore, conclusively testing a power supply is done in properly equipped electronic repair facilities.

Fortunately, there are other options that are almost as good. I keep a FrozenCPU Ultimate PSU Tester in my tool bag when I am "in the field" and don't have a good spare power supply to swap in. While not a certain test, they are better than nothing. The advantage of this model is that it has an LCD readout of the voltage. With an actual voltage readout, you have a better chance of detecting a "failing" PSU, or one barely within specified ATX Form Factor Standard tolerances. Lesser models use LEDs to indicate the voltage is just within some "range". These are less informative, considerably cheaper, but still useful for detecting PSUs that have already "failed". Newegg has several testers to choose from. All these testers contain a "dummy load" to fool the PSU into thinking it is connected to a motherboard, and therefore allows the PSU to power on, if able, without being attached to a motherboard - great for testing fans, but again, it is not a true load or suitable for conclusive testing.

Swapping in a known good supply is a tried and trued method of troubleshooting, used for years even by pros. If you have access to a suitably sized, spare power supply, carefully remove the suspect supply and replace it with a known good one and see if the problem goes away.

I do not recommend using a multimeter to test power supplies. To do it properly, that is, under a realistic load, the voltages on all the pins must be measured while the PSU is attached to the motherboard and the computer powered on. This requires poking (with some considerable force) two hard and sharp, highly conductive meter probes into the main power connector, deep in the heart of the computer. One tiny slip can destroy the motherboard, and everything plugged into it. It is not worth the risk considering most multimeters, like plug-in testers, do not measure, or reveal any unwanted and potentially disruptive AC components to the DC voltages.

Note the required voltage tolerance ranges:

And remember, anything that plugs into the wall can kill. Do not open the power supply's case unless you are a qualified electronics technician. There are NO user serviceable parts inside a power supply.


This tells you how to test without the power switch on the tower

http://pcsupport.abo...-multimeter.htm

CAUTION - this is risky BE CAREFUL

My advice is IF YOU are not experienced enough to know what all this means DO NOT attempt it please

[msbug]

Well this is sounding way too complicated and over my head, so I think my sister needs to get someone to look at it. Thanks so much for your reply. I appreciate it.

[Macboatmaster]

Okay.

Sorry we cannot be of more help but as I said difficult to solve without actually having it in your physical presence.

Good Luck with it

[Xtreme930]

Have you tried to plug it in on another outlet? Is the power button on the tower blinking yellow or just plain blinking when is it plugged in?