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PC boots ONLY if totally powered off (e.g., unplugged)

Tags: Hardware, Windows

PC runs fine. But if only turned off with the normal Windows shutdown, it will not boot up Windows next time (it hangs after the motherboard logo). If we turn off the power supply at the little switch in the back, or unplug it, then it will boot up next time just fine. We have replaced the power supply and it did not solve the problem. Suggestions?

Topic

Next up?

In reply to PC boots ONLY if totally powered off (e.g., unplugged)

The motherboard.

Reply To: PC boots ONLY if totally powered off (e.g., unplugged)

In reply to Next up?

Yes, it could easily be the motherboard. It is hard to tell just what part of the motherboard is failing. It could be as simple as a failing cable, but it could be much more complicated.

Let me write from the view of

In reply to Reply To: PC boots ONLY if totally powered off (e.g., unplugged)

I don’t own or run a PC repair shop but did in the 1980’s. Sold it as it was way too many hours as I kept my day job. The shop would operate during the day taking in new work, returning repaired units and selling the usual stuff.

So in decades I have only repaired a few dozen boards. These were rare because the damage has to be visible or something that isn’t a thing today like the PS/2 keyboard fuse.

Even if you know what part of a motherboard was failing you have to find parts and be very skilled at the solder station. Motherboards are too cheap to be repaired today. You see some high end gamer and Apple laptops getting board repair but little else.

And for the person at home, they are in a pickle since they won’t have spares to swap in so they are usually stuck trying to find out if it’s this part which you rarely can’t tell without swapping.

Was afraid of that…

In reply to Let me write from the view of

…but sometimes it’s something like “update the BIOS!” so always worth asking.
I live in a tropical climate with salty air, and electronics corrode incredibly fast. So that’s probably what’s happened. I’ll get the board changed out.
Thanks!
Dave

Reply To: PC boots ONLY if totally powered off (e.g., unplugged)

In reply to Was afraid of that…

Sorry, that we couldn’t offer better news. Sadly, with motherboard issues it usually requires taking the computer to a shop and rarely resolved via phone or internet guides. As rproffitt pointed out it is rarely taken to the shop due to cost.

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