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Broken Computer
deathnote666
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'll just start by saying that I am computer illiterate, hardware wise.
I took off the case, blew out some dust and put the case back on. It stays on for 20 seconds and then loses power. No error messages. All of the cables are in tight. The only thing is that I didn't get the fan attached to the motherboard attached completely securely.
It is a custom built pc and I am not the one that built it so I cannot give specifics.
Any general suggestions?
I took off the case, blew out some dust and put the case back on. It stays on for 20 seconds and then loses power. No error messages. All of the cables are in tight. The only thing is that I didn't get the fan attached to the motherboard attached completely securely.
It is a custom built pc and I am not the one that built it so I cannot give specifics.
Any general suggestions?
deathnote666 on
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Posts
Do you know how to use bios to check to see what's attached?
It only stays powered on about 20 seconds so I am not sure what I can do when it is on.
It still shuts down even if I just leave it set without confirming to start normally
If your chip is overheating, that will cause it to shut down pronto.
I don't know enough about the hardware to get the motherboard out to snap it in right. The motherboard is against a non-removeable side panel so I cannot get under it. Suggestions on getting it out?
I have tried starting it up pressing the fan against the board and still doesn't work.
I had a problem with a relatively old box, it turned out to be a short in the power button's wiring(on the front of the case). If you have ANY specs for the system, see if you can locate the wire that connects the switch (from inside the box, it's relatively easy to find, just look for a small bundle of wires, four pair tops, that enter the case from directly behind the power button on the front).
If you can locate these wires, try powering it on and then immediately disconnecting them from the motherboard. If it continues as it has been, that's not it. If it boots normally, that's your problem.
After beeping, typically it goes through some text and loads several drivers. During this point, most people are able to activate the Safe Mode menu.
After that, you get the Windows logo, followed by a login screen.
Sudden power-offs typically mean that your power supply is fried or a critical component is rapidly overheating. It sounds much more like your power supply is failing, but not having a secured fan with proper thermal gel/paste on the contact point between the fan and the central processor will pretty much cause the same problems. CPU fans work because a heat sink conducts heat away from the processor, and the fan circulates air around the heat sink.
It would be more helpful to know what your system specs are and what operating system you are running.
I agree, sounds like the heat sink on the cpu has failed somehow and it's overheating and shutting down. If you have any friends who know about computers you should ask them to take a look. Failing that take it to a shop. Messing around with thermal paste isn't a great idea unless you know exactly what your're doing.