Girlfriend's computer decided not to start up anymore. When you push the power button, the red light stays on instead of switching over to the normal green light. It never loads a screen or anything, you can only hear the fan running, never attempts to start the HD, etc. I don't know much about computers but I was thinking it could either be a bad power suppy or motherboard. I took everything out and cleaned all the dust off, reconnected everything, etc.. Didn't help. Thanks

7/3/2006 6:16:09 PM

Does it beep or have diagnostic lights? If it does you could use the beep codes or lights to figure out whats wrong.


One thing to try would be removing or disconnect everything except for power, ram and video and see if it boots.

7/3/2006 6:23:54 PM

probably a bad power supply

pull the ps plug off the mobo, short out the green wire to the black wire, the power supply should turn on. if it doesnt, then you have a bad ps. if it does, then the ps is probably good (but you would have to test voltages etc to be sure)

Quote :

"the red light stays on instead of switching over to the normal green light."

that normally indicates some sort of power problem. is it a dell? whatever model it is, google:
dell dimension XXXX service manual (or whatever make model it is) and see what that red light means.

[Edited on July 3, 2006 at 6:27 PM. Reason : ]

7/3/2006 6:25:52 PM

It doesn't beep and as far as I know it doesn't have any diagnostic lights. Just the typicaly power light and "busy" light in the front. I am thinking something could have shorted out b/c I've never seen so much dust in my life. I'm pretty sure shes had it for like 5 years and never dusted it out once

7/3/2006 6:27:17 PM

thanks for the tips, i'll give it a try

7/3/2006 6:27:41 PM

i seriously the dust caused any problems...except that it might have made the ps crap itself.

7/3/2006 6:27:57 PM

It's not a dell, some local shop built it for her

7/3/2006 6:28:20 PM

I have a power supply tester that checks all the individual voltages. If you bring it by I'll test it out for you.

7/4/2006 4:52:40 AM