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Computer power-on issues.
TetraNitroCubane
Not Angry...Just VERY Disappointed...Registered User regular
Not Angry...Just VERY Disappointed...Registered User regular
I've never quite had an issue like this, and I'm wondering if anyone's ever seen anything like it. Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask.
Tonight I was playing L4D when the game hard-locked on exit (Thanks for the new patch, Valve)! I couldn't manage to ctrl-alt-del or alt-tab my way out of it, even though I could still get some system response (windows noises, cursor response, etc). I was forced to hit the reset button on my tower, which promptly restarted my computer... And then my computer shut itself down spontaneously. After this, I couldn't get the thing to power on again at all by pushing the power button. I tried several times. Desperate, I unplugged the PSU for a few minuets, and then plugged it back in. It started up fine after that.
Now, I realize it's hard to figure out where one issue begins and another ends here, so I'm willing to overlook L4D until it's more stable, but I've never seen a hardware issue like this at all. Is this probably a sign of a dying PSU or mobo? I'm not sure what to make of not being able to power on the tower if I haven't fiddled with components inside the case. Obviously it's not a mobo grounding issue, and I can't even begin to think of what would cause the PSU to die when it wasn't under stress. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Tonight I was playing L4D when the game hard-locked on exit (Thanks for the new patch, Valve)! I couldn't manage to ctrl-alt-del or alt-tab my way out of it, even though I could still get some system response (windows noises, cursor response, etc). I was forced to hit the reset button on my tower, which promptly restarted my computer... And then my computer shut itself down spontaneously. After this, I couldn't get the thing to power on again at all by pushing the power button. I tried several times. Desperate, I unplugged the PSU for a few minuets, and then plugged it back in. It started up fine after that.
Now, I realize it's hard to figure out where one issue begins and another ends here, so I'm willing to overlook L4D until it's more stable, but I've never seen a hardware issue like this at all. Is this probably a sign of a dying PSU or mobo? I'm not sure what to make of not being able to power on the tower if I haven't fiddled with components inside the case. Obviously it's not a mobo grounding issue, and I can't even begin to think of what would cause the PSU to die when it wasn't under stress. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
TetraNitroCubane on
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If it isn't happening regularly, I wouldn't worry about it. It could be something dying, but until other symptoms show, you're not going to get far.
Probably just a random PSU glitch. Most PSU's have an internal breaker that is supposed to protect it from voltage/amperage spikes. These breakers are reset by disconnecting power from the system (either by unplugging it or using the rocker switch on the back of the PSU) for 5-10 seconds.
Lower end PSU's tend to trip more often for insignificant events. I had about five machines at my last workplace that would require manual power cycling after any brownout or blackout event at all.
Nope. I'm using an Asus P5K and an nVidia GeForce 8800 GTS.