Q&A for How to Diagnose and Replace a Failed PC Power Supply

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When I turn on my computer it shuts down after about two minutes. It doesn't even boot up to Windows. What should I do?

Adrian

Top Answerer

It is probably a BIOS error. When it is starting up, read the BIOS screen, it may be telling you there is an error and shuts down because it cannot boot.

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Question

Where is the motherboard?

Community Answer

The computer motherboard is the large flat piece, usually in the middle of your computer. If you do not know what a motherboard is, you should probably not be fixing your computer yourself.

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Question

What can I do if my power supply cord is damaged?

Community Answer

Buy a new cord to replace the damaged cord.

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Question

How can I tell whether my power supply cord or the PSU is damaged?

Community Answer

Mostly there will be a beeping sound coming from your PSU and it won't turn on if it is damaged. Nothing will happen if the cord is damaged. Check if the power cable is damaged by replacing it with your monitor's cable and trying to turn it on. If your computer still doesn't work, it's likely the PSU.

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Question

How can I diagnose and repair a broken pin in the Intel microprocessor chip?

Community Answer

Sorry, but it may be toast. It is very difficult to repair a broken CPU pin, as there are many pins and it is very difficult to re-solder the pin back.

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Question

If I smell burning wires, does that mean the PSU is burned?

Community Answer

Not necessarily. It could be a number of things. If you smell burning, unplug the computer and press the power button, discharging the motherboard. Open the case and look for any visible damage, such as scorch marks, or smoke.

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What should I do if my computer turns on, but is silent and BIOS is not displaying?

Community Answer

Check the booting sequence on your computer, by rebooting your system as soon as you see small dot flashing just press f2 key to enter bios setup of your computer. Click on boot to see the booting sequence.

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Question

When I add another HDD to the computer it switches off, could it be the power supply?

Community Answer

No, chances are, on the new HDD, you've got the jumper set to boot instead of slave.

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Question

What do I do if the Windows icon comes on my screen, but the screen goes black afterward?

Community Answer

You can try pressing F8 right before the Windows logo shows up and choose to start in Safe Mode. If this works, you should check if there were any recently made hardware or software changes, including Windows updates, and undo that to check if the problem is solved. If it doesn't even boot in Safe Mode, you might have to reinstall Windows. And, if reinstalling the OS doesn't solve the problem, then it's very likely you have hardware issues, like faulty memory sticks.

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Question

What can I do if the computer is functioning very slowly?

Jean Yves HEMLIN

Community Answer

There are a few things to verify: How old is your computer? Under 5 years is usually good. 5-10 years might be OK if your computer was originally a very good one. Verify that you are using an SSD instead of an HDD. If it is the size of a small book, it's an HDD. If it is the size of a thin wallet, it is an SSD. If you don't see it at all, it might be an NVMe (which should be very fast in itself). If you have an HDD, upgrade it to an SSD or an NVMe. If you already have an SSD or an NVMe, verify that you still have empty room on it. Ideally, you should have free at least 10% of its total capacity. Finally, verify how many programs/plugins/extensions are loaded at startup. Too many will slow you down.

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Question

Green power light inside the PC is on, so I press the front power button. Nothing boots up. I’m thinking the power box is dead. Any suggestions?

Jean Yves HEMLIN

Community Answer

If the light is on, that means you have power. No light = no power. Verify the CPU and heat sink. Also verify that the RAM is correctly plugged in. It's unlikely to be the cause but still possible. Ideally, plug in the speakers and listen for the chime at power. Manufacturers use it for troubleshooting hardware issues.

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