Problems powering on

Recently after no known issue that may have caused it, my computer has
issues booting up from an off state and standby. It won't turn on
unless I turn the power switch in the back off for a few minutes, then
back on and wait for about 20 minutes (less than or more than that
doesn't work. It will power on for about 3 seconds and then shut off.)
Setup is as follows:

Windows XP Pro SP 2
AMD Athlon 64 3200+
1 GB dual-channel OCX RAM
Nvidia GeForce 6600 GT 256MB
ABIT AT8 32X 939 Mobo (added within the last year)
160 GB IDE HDD
20 GB IDE HDD
Acer 17" LCD (recent addition, although I don't see how it would
cause problems like this)
Unknown wattage PSU (I'm fairly certain it's at least 450 watts,
though.)

A friend of mine built the computer about 2 years ago and sold it to
me last summer and that is why I'm not sure of the PSU wattage. My
temps are between 30-40 degrees Celsius on average during low usage
(Web browsing, IM, etc.) so I don't think it's an overheating problem,
especially since I leave it off overnight. Any suggestions would be
useful.

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt no@spam.invalid (mystik2005) wrote:

>Recently after no known issue that may have caused it, my computer has
>issues booting up from an off state and standby. It won't turn on
>unless I turn the power switch in the back off for a few minutes, then
>back on and wait for about 20 minutes (less than or more than that
>doesn't work. It will power on for about 3 seconds and then shut off.)
>Setup is as follows:
>
My guess is that you need a new power-supply.
Quite a few things can go wrong with one that would cause such a
problem. Power-supplies are relatively cheap; and a good thing to have
on hand as a spare anyway, even if that's *not* the problem.

>Windows XP Pro SP 2
>AMD Athlon 64 3200+
>1 GB dual-channel OCX RAM
>Nvidia GeForce 6600 GT 256MB
>ABIT AT8 32X 939 Mobo (added within the last year)
>160 GB IDE HDD
>20 GB IDE HDD
>Acer 17" LCD (recent addition, although I don't see how it would
>cause problems like this)
>Unknown wattage PSU (I'm fairly certain it's at least 450 watts,
>though.)
>
>A friend of mine built the computer about 2 years ago and sold it to
>me last summer and that is why I'm not sure of the PSU wattage. My
>temps are between 30-40 degrees Celsius on average during low usage
>(Web browsing, IM, etc.) so I don't think it's an overheating problem,
>especially since I leave it off overnight. Any suggestions would be
>useful.

--
_____
/ ' / â„¢
,-/-, __ __. ____ /_
(_/ / (_(_/|_/ / <_/ <_

The first thing I would do is use a voltmeter to measure the +5Vsb
from the power supply.

On Mon, 21 May 2007 01:56:48 -0000, no@spam.invalid (mystik2005)
wrote:

>Recently after no known issue that may have caused it, my computer has
>issues booting up from an off state and standby. It won't turn on
>unless I turn the power switch in the back off for a few minutes, then
>back on and wait for about 20 minutes (less than or more than that
>doesn't work. It will power on for about 3 seconds and then shut off.)
>Setup is as follows:
>
>Windows XP Pro SP 2
>AMD Athlon 64 3200+
>1 GB dual-channel OCX RAM
>Nvidia GeForce 6600 GT 256MB
>ABIT AT8 32X 939 Mobo (added within the last year)
>160 GB IDE HDD
>20 GB IDE HDD
>Acer 17" LCD (recent addition, although I don't see how it would
>cause problems like this)
>Unknown wattage PSU (I'm fairly certain it's at least 450 watts,
>though.)
>
>A friend of mine built the computer about 2 years ago and sold it to
>me last summer and that is why I'm not sure of the PSU wattage. My
>temps are between 30-40 degrees Celsius on average during low usage
>(Web browsing, IM, etc.) so I don't think it's an overheating problem,
>especially since I leave it off overnight. Any suggestions would be
>useful.

On Mon, 21 May 2007 01:56:48 -0000, no@spam.invalid (mystik2005) put
finger to keyboard and composed:

>Recently after no known issue that may have caused it, my computer has
>issues booting up from an off state and standby. It won't turn on
>unless I turn the power switch in the back off for a few minutes, then
>back on and wait for about 20 minutes (less than or more than that
>doesn't work.

Press the front power switch with the AC power turned off. This should
discharge any capacitors on the +5VSB rail. Then you may be able to
reduce your 20 minute wait time.

>It will power on for about 3 seconds and then shut off.)

Do the fans spin during those three seconds?

>Setup is as follows:
>
>Windows XP Pro SP 2
>AMD Athlon 64 3200+
>1 GB dual-channel OCX RAM
>Nvidia GeForce 6600 GT 256MB
>ABIT AT8 32X 939 Mobo (added within the last year)
>160 GB IDE HDD
>20 GB IDE HDD
>Acer 17" LCD (recent addition, although I don't see how it would
>cause problems like this)
>Unknown wattage PSU (I'm fairly certain it's at least 450 watts,
>though.)
>
>A friend of mine built the computer about 2 years ago and sold it to
>me last summer and that is why I'm not sure of the PSU wattage. My
>temps are between 30-40 degrees Celsius on average during low usage
>(Web browsing, IM, etc.) so I don't think it's an overheating problem,
>especially since I leave it off overnight. Any suggestions would be
>useful.

Disconnect the HDs, optical drives, and graphics card (?) and then try
to start.

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

mystik2005 wrote:
> Recently after no known issue that may have caused it, my computer has
> issues booting up from an off state and standby. It won't turn on
> unless I turn the power switch in the back off for a few minutes, then
> back on and wait for about 20 minutes (less than or more than that
> doesn't work. It will power on for about 3 seconds and then shut off.)
> Setup is as follows:
>
> Windows XP Pro SP 2
> AMD Athlon 64 3200+
> 1 GB dual-channel OCX RAM
> Nvidia GeForce 6600 GT 256MB
> ABIT AT8 32X 939 Mobo (added within the last year)
> 160 GB IDE HDD
> 20 GB IDE HDD
> Acer 17" LCD (recent addition, although I don't see how it would
> cause problems like this)
> Unknown wattage PSU (I'm fairly certain it's at least 450 watts,
> though.)
>
> A friend of mine built the computer about 2 years ago and sold it to
> me last summer and that is why I'm not sure of the PSU wattage. My
> temps are between 30-40 degrees Celsius on average during low usage
> (Web browsing, IM, etc.) so I don't think it's an overheating problem,
> especially since I leave it off overnight. Any suggestions would be
> useful.
>
You are describing the start of a classical power supply failure. You
can trouble shoot all day with a DVM and won't find anything. One of
the capacitors in the power supply is leaking badly. Don't fool with it
buy a new supply.