Everyday Concepts

You're in the mood to surf the net and maybe gain some knowledge or just idle on your favorite social cyber network (facebook, friendster, etc) but unfortunately when you turn on the computer, the power comes on but apparently there's no boot. Have you experienced this in your modern computer life? This could be a real pain especially if you're really excited to be online.

A friend of mine had this problem with her desktop and I have to troubleshoot it. If you know someone who has knowledge with computers, it might be a good idea to ask for his help. If you don't, then bring it to the nearest computer repair shop.

Here are the signs and symptoms I noted for the problem:

1. Power Led ON.
2. HDD (Hard Disk Drive) Led ON.
3. HSF (Heat Sink Fan) works perfectly fine
4. All wires intact.
5. PSU (Power Supply Unit) turns on.
6. No Display on Monitor.

Now, here's what I did to solve the problem. I'll guide you through all the work that needs to be done.

1. Check all the wires and connections. See if every single wire is connected and if it is still working. If you see a non-working wire, replace it and see if the system boots.
2. Replace your PSU with another one that is in working condition. If it still doesn't boot, then your previous PSU is working properly.
3. Check every single component from the CPU, HDD, Memory, Video Card, Optical Drive, etc. Here's a tip, try to disconnect your HDD and Optical Drive then try to boot. If it still doesn't boot, then you can eliminate those as the non-working parts.
4. After seeing that, take out all your components from the computer casing and place it in a safe area (observe grounding rules).
5. Backlash your unit. Test if the motherboard, processor, memory, and PSU (with connected monitor in VGA port) can boot in the safe area. If it boots without any problem, then the problem lies in your casing. Your casing maybe short-circuited. If doesn't work, then one of your components is defective, test those components on a separate setup.

If the cause of your problem is not within the components, it must have something to do with your computer casing and mounting. This can only mean one thing --- The system is short-circuited.

Now, try to check if all your motherboard standoffs and screws are properly mounted. Here's a tip -- To prevent short circuiting, I usually cover my standoffs with masking tapes after putting them into the case. After doing so, remount all your hardware back to the case. See to it that everything is properly placed. Once done with that, your system unit should boot just fine. And if it doesn't, you remounted it all wrong.