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computer won't start

By hofmaster2001 ·
my computer was having video issues, when I close a program the image would remain on the window under it.

then a couple weeks later it started to reboot over and over withought getting to the sign on screen. I powered it down manually and it would not come back on.

I tested the power supply with a power supply tester it tested OK. The fans do not come on and nothing else works. I have removed the RAM and installed one at a time to test that theory.
NOTHING.
someone said it could be my video card.

I am thinking I should changeout the power supply just to make sure.

anyone have any suggestions? It is an HP media Center PC with windows XP media edition.

The guy that suggested I reinstall windows. just for the few that do not get it...There is NO power.

any intellegent options will be explored.

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crack open the HP and do a physical connectivity check

by netforce In reply to computer won't start

I believe HP has their own proprietary Power supplies units...which suck!

So if it's under warranty you can just replace it. But what I would do just for consistency is crack open the HP and do a physical connectivity check. Insure the PSU's 21 pin is completely connected to the motherboard.

You may even want to unplug it and re-connect it too.

If and when your able to power up your system the first thing I would run is memtest.

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No Power

by bincarnato In reply to computer won't start

If you tested the power supply with a tester and it passed but you still get nothing when you have it pkugged into a known good power source, then it is pribably the system board. Is this machine less than a year old? If so, I would call HP and arrange for a warranty repair. If you have data on the drive you do not want to loose and isn't backed up, I would take it to a local PC service center to get the data backed up before sending to HP. If it is older than a year than do you know if you have an add-in video card or is it integrated on the system board? Open the case and see if there is a LED light on when you have the power connected to the PC. Disconnect all drives and remove any add-in cards from the PC. Power the PC on, still no lights or activity? System board needs replaced. If you get activity and lights, add devices back one at a time, doing the add-in cards last, until you have failure. Remove the last device you installed and see if it works. Then whatever device you added last is probably the culprit.

Also, there will be a battery on the system board that looks like a watch battery, look at how it can be removed, and remove it with the AC power cord unplugged as well. Wait ~ 30 seconds and put back in. Then try it again.
Is there and excess of dust in the machine, on the heatsink for the processor? Run compressed air through it to remove it.

Odds are that it is a system board failure but that is assuming that you tested the power supply and it passed and that the power switch hasn't failed, which has happened, but not very often.

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