Desktop stopped working

[GhostRaider]

I was wondering if someone here who is more adapt with computers can help me out. Tonight my desktop stopped working. Up until tonight it was running perfectly as far as I could tell.

The only thing that I had noticed about it over the last week or two is the power supply sounded like it was running a little harder/louder than usual and somtimes the noise it made would get louder and then lower and louder and lower sorta like an engine revving up and down but not to an extent that one would raise their eyebrows at it or suspect anything.

Tonight I was in the process of visiting the AMD website with the intention of updating the drivers for my video card when the computer rebooted. This process occurred 3 more times over then span of the next 10 minutes.... once right after windows had completed bootup and the desktop had loaded, and then 2 more times after bootup and I had logged back onto the Internet.

After that final 3rd time I turned the computer off entirely. I clicked the on/off switch on the power supply off and unplugged it. I tried clearing CMOS by resetting the CMOS battery at this time. I then plugged the power supply back in and clicked the on/off switch back on. I go to turn the computer back on and now it will not post. No beebs, no video signal.

I am still getting power to all of the various fans and the DVD-RW burnner turns on and will eject and close. The only thing that I have noticed not working at this time (aside from the lack of post, and ect.) is that the blue light that lights up the on/off button to my mid tower and the hdd light is not working anymore.

I have tried reseating everything in the computer twice now but the results are still the same in the computer still won't post anymore.

Anyone got any ideas as to what could be wrong? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TVeblen]

It sounds like you've answered your own question Ghostraider. All indications are that your power supply has bit the dust. Do you have access to another one you can hook up temporarily to test?

Just think and be sure the noise was coming from the power supply. The loud and erratic fan noises can also come from the processor heatsink fan or one of the case fans. If it were a processor fan, some motherboards will not boot if these are not connected. A burned out fan may read as not connected.

If you are certain the creaking and groaning was coming from the PS then you can be pretty sure that's it. Replace it before it takes out any of the other components.

 

[GhostRaider]

Sorry for the lateness of this followup but as of yet I am still having problems. I replaced the powersupply with an Antec TP-650. After installation I got the same results as what I detailed in my first post.

Three days ago I ordered a new motherboard. I ordered an Gigabyte Ga-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Mobo. I installed it powered it up and still no post.

This time though the front panel LEDs lite back up again and are working properly as they stopped working after the computer started giving me problems.

That said I started taking things out and disconnecting dvd and hard drives and powering the computer up in the hopes of getting some error beeps. Got nothing.

All that is connected to the computer right is the CPU fan, the 24 pin, and the 12v 4-pin cpu connector and I am still not getting any type of error beep what so ever.

That said and do to the lack of error beeps is this a blown CPU I am dealing with here?

 

[TVeblen]

That is possible, of course, but very rare.

But if you have a new PS & MB, and have removed everything from the board (RAM, Video Card, All PCI cards, All drives, All input devices, All USB) and you do not get any post beeps then that may indeed be the reason. It can't be ruled out.

We will also sometimes do this diagnostic test with the motherboard out of the case. This eliminates any kind of short between the MB and case as a cause. Just the MB and processor, connected to the power supply, and sometimes you can get the case switch wires to reach.

Speaking of case switch wires, there have been instances where a bad case switch caused a no boot issue. You don't need the case switch to turn on a MB that is out of the case. Just use a small flat blade screwdriver and touch-connect the two pins for PWR-SW and it does the same thing as the case switch.

If you do get a post beep - should beep like crazy telling you there is no RAM - then you add the components back one at a time until you get to the offender.
Like this: RAM (one stick at a time), MB back in the case, case switches, video card, monitor, Look in BIOS, HDD, CD/DVD, then the rest. You should get POST error code beeps right up until you install the video card.

Let us know what you find.