mimpey
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I can't get any power to my pc tower. Please tell me it's just the switch that's gone!
Hi
I hope I'm posting this in the right place.
I have a E machine 410 2.4 gb hz 512 ram running windows XP and it has been giving me grief over the last year on and off. Crashing and freezing but I've always been able to recover from it. I have had a virus or two that Norton IS has fixed or quarantined but last month decided that Norton was too costly and let it run to its expiry date. I decided to install a free virus protection and installed it before Norton had run out but should have known they wouldn't get on and had to uninstall the new one. (I don't know if any of this is relevant but thought I'd mention it)Then Yesterday it kept freezing and everytime I went to turn it off the front switch seemed strange and I thought I'd turned it off and it came back on and other strange things. The next time it I couldn't turn it off at the front switch as nothing would happen so I turned it off at the wall socket and now horror of all horrors it won't come on at all. The front switch feels different but no amount of pressing it will produce even a glimmer of life. I have tried a new lead in the hope that it had fused but that didn't work.HELP please! Stupid here has nothing much backed up and of course I need it urgently! Thanks
I hope I'm posting this in the right place.
I have a E machine 410 2.4 gb hz 512 ram running windows XP and it has been giving me grief over the last year on and off. Crashing and freezing but I've always been able to recover from it. I have had a virus or two that Norton IS has fixed or quarantined but last month decided that Norton was too costly and let it run to its expiry date. I decided to install a free virus protection and installed it before Norton had run out but should have known they wouldn't get on and had to uninstall the new one. (I don't know if any of this is relevant but thought I'd mention it)Then Yesterday it kept freezing and everytime I went to turn it off the front switch seemed strange and I thought I'd turned it off and it came back on and other strange things. The next time it I couldn't turn it off at the front switch as nothing would happen so I turned it off at the wall socket and now horror of all horrors it won't come on at all. The front switch feels different but no amount of pressing it will produce even a glimmer of life. I have tried a new lead in the hope that it had fused but that didn't work.HELP please! Stupid here has nothing much backed up and of course I need it urgently! Thanks
Can you elaborate more on "strange things", there could be some clues there as to whats gone wrong.
ASKER
HI
Thanks for posting so quickly.
It seemed as though it was all to do with the switch, sometimes when I pressed and held it in to turn it off, nothing happened, once it did a restart and a couple of times, it shut down as if I had told it to shut down. The switch click definitely doesn't sound right either.
Hope this tells you something.
Thanks for posting so quickly.
It seemed as though it was all to do with the switch, sometimes when I pressed and held it in to turn it off, nothing happened, once it did a restart and a couple of times, it shut down as if I had told it to shut down. The switch click definitely doesn't sound right either.
Hope this tells you something.
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ASKER
Have tried looking but seems encased is it ok to just take it apart gently? There are screws there. Also if it isn't hitting the mechanism will it be easy enough to a) get another switch and b) fixing it in? Never had anything go wrong with this sort of thing before. All I've managed to do is install a new dvd player and add new ramm.
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ASKER
Thanks I'll do some inspection and thanks for how to retrieve from hard drive. Will get back to you later, probably with more questions.
My father's computer (E machine) had this behavior; less the viruses. After troubleshooting, he discovered it was under warrenty for 1 more week.
A return to manufacturer proved a problem with Mobo (capacitors were not bulged).
A test with a known good powersupply was not effective.
A return to manufacturer proved a problem with Mobo (capacitors were not bulged).
A test with a known good powersupply was not effective.
ASKER
Hi
Have checked the capacitors and they look fine no bulging or leaking that I can see. Not sure how to do a new power supply - can I take one out of an old computer to try? I am not sure how to wire up the old hard drive to one in a different computer in order to slave it either.
Having looked at the pc again it seems impossible to get the front compartment off to look at the switch. The screw I thought was there is not the head end of the screw. Can't find a way of opening it up at all at the moment. Will check out E machine's website.
Have checked the capacitors and they look fine no bulging or leaking that I can see. Not sure how to do a new power supply - can I take one out of an old computer to try? I am not sure how to wire up the old hard drive to one in a different computer in order to slave it either.
Having looked at the pc again it seems impossible to get the front compartment off to look at the switch. The screw I thought was there is not the head end of the screw. Can't find a way of opening it up at all at the moment. Will check out E machine's website.
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ASKER
So would I hate to see me fry the mobo, which is what? Sorry not heard of this before.
ASKER
OK OKOK I realise now it's not monkey boy, I've worked it out for myself! Mental slap on the side of the head! What an idiot! Sorry guys forget my last post.
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ASKER
Right thanks will try one of those safe methods, if I can find my way to the reset plug etc. I will have more time over the weekend to look. I would like some diagrams like those in helpwithpcs.com on how to install a new psu (getting clued up here a bit now!) I did try to locate the same on that website but got lost somehow. Will get back to you soon when I've tried everything you've suggested well except for shorting the pins thing... no fried mobo for me thanks!
ASKER
Hi
Well I've got the hard drive into another computer as the slave and found everything just not quite sure how to get things like old outlook express to open in the host computer but I'll figure that later. I'm happy that data is safe anyway. Thanks for that. BTW The first hd on host computer was set to cable select so I left it like that and set the old hd to that as well as the support for the hd said this was ok if using the same cable. As it is working I am assuming this is ok with that type cable, is that right?
The reset button on this emachine 410 is the same as the power as far as i can see unless keylock is power? The three wires coming from front switch say keylock, reset, speakers. So decided not to try changing that till was sure. I tried power to machine while side off and front panel off to see if switch would work and the first time I switched on the fan started to spin for about three seconds then stopped and nothing from after that. Haven't located son's multimeter yet so can't try that either.
Do you think a new psu if I can find one the same or one of the equivalent ones, will be the answer or are they hard to install? They look quite complicated. I've borrowed the host computer so will have to either get new tower or get this other one fixed. Any suggestions?
Well I've got the hard drive into another computer as the slave and found everything just not quite sure how to get things like old outlook express to open in the host computer but I'll figure that later. I'm happy that data is safe anyway. Thanks for that. BTW The first hd on host computer was set to cable select so I left it like that and set the old hd to that as well as the support for the hd said this was ok if using the same cable. As it is working I am assuming this is ok with that type cable, is that right?
The reset button on this emachine 410 is the same as the power as far as i can see unless keylock is power? The three wires coming from front switch say keylock, reset, speakers. So decided not to try changing that till was sure. I tried power to machine while side off and front panel off to see if switch would work and the first time I switched on the fan started to spin for about three seconds then stopped and nothing from after that. Haven't located son's multimeter yet so can't try that either.
Do you think a new psu if I can find one the same or one of the equivalent ones, will be the answer or are they hard to install? They look quite complicated. I've borrowed the host computer so will have to either get new tower or get this other one fixed. Any suggestions?
Cable select is fine. The outlook issue is bit dicier as there is probably an emil account already on the second computer, but you can make a backup of the outlook folders and import them to the outlook on the second computer if you need to refer to them.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/270670
As far as replacing the Power supply, it may be in your best interest to bring it to a shop and have them do it as it would only take 10 minutes. If it still doesn't work then you don't need to buy the PSU , but its probably going to be a motherboard replacment in that case.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/270670
As far as replacing the Power supply, it may be in your best interest to bring it to a shop and have them do it as it would only take 10 minutes. If it still doesn't work then you don't need to buy the PSU , but its probably going to be a motherboard replacment in that case.
ASKER
Thanks so much for all your help everyone. As I've taken on oard a lot of what everyone said I split the points. Hope this is ok. Thanks for advise I think I'll just get new tower and be done with it!
I managed to import all my old emails into the New oulook express once I located them in local settings/application data!!! Drama over very quickly thanks this site is the best.
I managed to import all my old emails into the New oulook express once I located them in local settings/application data!!! Drama over very quickly thanks this site is the best.
Glad to help.