Any Techies up? I got a question about hardware

[bleedingheart]

I have a Compaq Presario which won't turn on. Funny thing...when I turn it around there is a small flashing light near where the power cord is plugged in...

Not sure what the problem is, but it is actually plugged into a UPS unit and that UPS unit is plugged into a specially wired outlet that guarantees against surges...we had a power outage today due to wintery weather but other than lack of power..I doubt it was a surge...any ideas?

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Pull the power cord out for 30 secs, and then stick it back in...

Believe it or not, that sometimes works...:hi:

[bleedingheart]

3. tried that already...but I may try it again just to see...

[Maat]

2. My husband recommends pulling the battery out ..

if it is a laptop .. letting it sit for a few minutes ... and then attempting to turn it on again.

I did this with my laptop, and it worked.

Also, there may be a reset button.

[bleedingheart]

4. I am looking all over the crazy thing for a reset

it is a desktop model.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

7. There is no reset on a computer power supply.

If you unplug it, it's the same as a hard reset. Just push the power switch a couple times to make sure you turn it off and back on.

[bleedingheart]

11. I was looking for some sort of system reset button since I do see a light

on the back of the box that keeps flashing...but it is part of the power unit that contains both the power and the fan unit...

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

5. Does the power supply fan turn on?

The power supply has probably had it. They all die sooner or later-- they're designed to kill themselves if they have to in order to protect the computer. You can get a new one for about twenty five bucks, and it takes about five minutes to put it in.

[bleedingheart]

8. nothing there at all....the computer is just a little over a year old

if it is the fan I would be suprised at the short life...I have other machines that have run longer without any problems like that...but it might be it.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

10. The fan not coming on is just an indicator

that the power supply is not working. Your power outage probably did the trick. It did what it was supposed to do-- it sacrificed itself and protected your hardware.

[MindPilot]

6. it's probably in hibernate mode after the power failure

hold the power button in for five seconds; that will power it off completely. turn it back on and you should be ok

[bleedingheart]

9. I just unplugged it...for a while...

then I am going to go down, and try both powering off and your suggestion...

if it doesn't work I think I will be visiting a comp hardware store tomorrow.

[bufffbison]

12. try it without the UPS

plug the pc directly to the surge protector.

if that doesn't work, go to next suggestion

if you feel comfortable, take out the power supply and take off its cover (if the computer is still under warranty, and a piece of tap is on the cover, then disregard this suggestion and DO NOT open the cover or tear off the tape, this will void your warranty) if the computer is out of warranty and/or no tape then persue opening the cover. once opened, look for the fuse inside. if it appears black, brown, or discolored, then the fuse on the powersupply blew. you can replace the fuse, but it is recommended to replace the whole powersupply.....

...next suggestion

check to be sure all connections are secure. i.e motherboard's powersupply connections, and I/O connections from the case on button to the motherboard..

.... next suggestion

check to be sure all PCI and AGP cards are secured in the mobo.


+note... if none of these suggestions work then it is possible the powersupply may blew. if so, then you will need to buy a new one. you should first check if the powersupply for your pc has proprietary or industry standard connections.. this will determine the correct powersupply for your pc.... if you provide me the model number and date purchased, i can find the right one for it...

[progressor]

13. If none of the above work...

Try opening the case, removing the power supply (big box that should be in the top back corner) being sure to unplug its connections (and note where things go, so you can plug it back in).

Then take the power supply from a different computer and switch - see if yours turns on with a different power supply and if the other doesn't.

It is very likely that your power supply is fried.

Same thing happened to a friend of mine when he had an outage at home. He bought a new one. You can get them for $50 or so.

Knowing big computer companies like Compaq or Dell, it's probably got a crappy power supply and it isn't surprising that an outage could kill it.

[bleedingheart]

15. I think it is the power supply...

[Maat]

14. Sounds like good advice.

My advice worked with my laptop, but this does not involve a laptop.

[bleedingheart]

16. LESSON LEARNED --

First...thanks for the all the advice...

But I do want to say that when the power first went out my husband went to check on the machines and assumed that the outtage would not last long....instead of powering down the server and the other machines...which were just fine at the time...he left them be.

When the power came back on....he discovered this problem with our newest box which we bought a year ago....

So now he is feeling sick to his stomach that he didn't power it off when he went down to check on them...

[progressor]

17. Well...

Those things are really hard to prevent 100% of the time. I work in an IT department with around 100 servers (the humming drives me nuts!) and if our power went out and the UPS backup kicked on, I bet we'd lose at least one power supply. ;)

Don't take it too hard!

[bufffbison]

18. this PS will work for the Presario s6300nx

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=270015

[bleedingheart]

19. thanks for the info!!!

Hubby is going out tomorrow to buy another server and we will order this power supply to have the other one act as a backup..

[progressor]

20. Careful...

300 Watts is awfully low. It'll work, but I wouldn't put it in my machine (I use a 500W) - Antec makes good PSs, though.

There are much cheaper 300W power supplies over at Newegg.com - like $15 - but I wouldn't buy a $15 power supply! :D

[bufffbison]

22. the 300w is more than enough for this compaq

this model originally came with a 250w ps. so unless you have three+ hds, top of the line video card, all pci slots are filled, and multiple USB devices which relys on the computer's power, or bunch of ghey led lights running all over the case, then the 300w should be all you need....

[progressor]

23. Yes, you can get by with 300W...

I was merely suggesting that for a more stable supply of power, 350W or more is the way to go.

No need to get snippy or condescending.

But that seems to be the trend around here.

[Historic NY]

21. Check you surge protector they sometimes pop and need to be reset..

look for a small push button.