Anyone's PC ever do this?

[Incandenza]

My PC flat refuses to turn on.

I've reconnected the cables, plugged it in to a different outlet, checked to make sure the voltage stitch was on the right setting, checked to make sure the power button wasn't sticking, even checkedinside to make sure the cable from the power button was connected to the motherboard.

guess I have to take it in to someone. Any idea how much this might cost?

[JtS]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

It might just be the Power Supply Unit (PSU), which isn't too expensive. Is there any noise when you try to turn it on?

[Ginger Yellow]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

The most likely options are a bust PSU and a fried motherboard. Try the PSU first, it's cheaper. If you can borrow one, all the better.

[Incandenza]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

Is replacing a PSU something a hardware novice like myself could do?

I sure hope it's not the motherboard. It's not even two years old, and everything else was running fine before.

[Crusoe]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

Inca - as a fellow hardware novice, yes. I did it recently in about 20 minutes while quite drunk and it worked fine. It was just a case of taking the side of the PC case off, paying attention to where all of the cables from the existing PSU plugged in, then taking it out and slotting the new one in (tighten a couple of screws, make sure all of the cables are plugged in to the right places).

[Andy C]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

Yeah, just about the most difficult thing about replacing a PSU is making sure the new unit is the right physical size for your computer.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

I always find something disturbing about the term "motherboard". I think it triggers memories of "mother", the computer on board the Nostromo in Alien that had been programmed to sacrifice the crew in order to bring the alien back to Earth.

[Ginger Yellow]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

The only thing to worry about with the PSU is that some have 110v/240v switches so they can be used in the US and Europe. Make sure it's switched to the right one before you turn it on.

[boris]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

Have you tried changing the fuse in the plug?

[Incandenza]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

boris wrote:

Have you tried changing the fuse in the plug?

Uh...no. Doesn't sound like something I'd want to try, and I don't think my landlord would want me poking around with that. Besides, everything else plugged into the outlet worked (you are talking about the outlet, right?).

[Ginger Yellow]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

Most US plugs don't have fuses, boris.

[Gangster Octopus]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

Is this the place for :

It's a plug to you, but it's a socket to me?

[Pinback]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

I don't think US standard plugs even have fuses, do they?

[Incandenza]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

Okay, I don't think they do. Even someone as clueless as me thought it was strange to hear about a fuse in the outlet/plug/socket. We have one fuse box for the whole place.

[Pinback]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

Oops. Short circuit.

[ursus arctos]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

Indeed, this kind of thing was a complete mystery to me the first time I encountered one:



Ours look like this:

[boris]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

blimey, it's like a foreign country.

[anton pulisov]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

If you buy a new PSU make sure it has enough Wattage. And buy a quiet one, it's the noisiest bit of a PC.

[Tactical Genius]

Anyone's PC ever do this?

alot of PSU's have an onoff switch on them so check that is not switched to off.
Where you plug the power cord in to the back of the PC you should see it there if you have the switch.
There tend to be more commmon on Tower PC's.