Computer starts..sometimes?

Ok, I have this pre-made computer from China. I can tell you the motherboard model but I don't know how much info you could get from it.

The thing starts like once or twice every 48 hours. I leave it alone for 2 days and it starts as if it was working perfectly fine. I checked the PSU at my local computer store. They said it was fine.

Since the computer started before..but doesn't now, I'm pretty sure it's not the Power Switch.

So, all that's left is the motherboard? If I get this computer back on, is there a way to solve this problem? Thanks for any advice.

 

What make and model is the computer? (if it is a manufactured unit)

What happens when you press the power button normally?

 

Not a manufactured unit. Pre-built in China and they suck with customer service.

When it is not working, nothing happens when I press the power button

 

Are there any loose connectors inside the computer?

If you gently rock the PC from side to side whilst trying to start it does it start?

Can we have the system specs as well please?

 

Is it plugged into a battery surge protector? If yes, try plugging it right into a wall socket and see if that does it.

 

No loose connections. I disconnected and reconnected everything.


I don't know the exact system specs but I got this from the boot up screen:
CPU: AMD Athalon 64 processor 3000+
Speed: 1.80 Ghz
DCTO: 667 MHZ (don't know what this is)

From looking inside I can see it's a Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 40Gig Harddrive
Power supply says it's a switching power supply, MODEL: LR-FLX300w (then some chinese letters).


More info:
When I connect the power plug to the computer, sometimes the HD LED and PWR LED light on the motherboard will light up (that means power is being connected to the mobo?). However, when there is no light, the computer will just not power up.

Additional info:
I don't know if this will help but last night (when the computer actually turned on), I put the computer into hibernate. However, when I tried to start it up again (no lights on the mobo), no response came after I pressed the power button. Unplugged it and left it alone.

Next Morning, I plug the a$$hole of a computer and the mobo light came on. I press the power button and the computer says "Resuming Windows" and has that progress bar on the bottom. I don't know if this information helps, but it kept some sort of memory of being hibernated even while unplugged?
So, I'm changing the power settings (to take it out of Hibernation Mode) and *click* computer just shuts off. Once again, the mobo lights are not on...repeating the original problem.

I don't know if this information is helpful, but I figure I shouldn't leave any small details out.


Heyyou, I will try to plug it into a wall socket. But I'm pretty sure this problem originally occurred on a wall socket.

Thanks for the replies thus far! Keep em coming

 

This sounds like a dodgy power connection to the motherboard.

Leave the computer powered down but with the power connected and wiggle the 24-pin ATX connector a bit and see if the motherboard power light comes on.

By the way, if you hibernate a computer, it basically takes everything that is in the RAM and writes it to the hard drive, enabling it to be stored without power being connected.

 

Hi, ronj...

You might try reseating whatever RAM is installed, if you haven't already done so...I'd also try to run a Memtest, if the machine will cooperate...

What kind of RAM, and how many sticks? If there's more than one stick, you might try switching them...

***Oops - sorry, collinsl - didn't see you there...

 

Wiggled and no light

 

Reseating means just taking it out and putting it back in to the same slot? If so, I did that already. There's only 1 stick of ram and how do I do a Memtest? Also, what does the memtest do?:confused

 

I think your motherboard may be shot.

Sorry!

 

I'm tending to agree with collinsl: the light inconsistency is pretty much telltale...

Memtest is a memory reliability checker - if you want to try it, it's here: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Memtest86_d4226.html