TROUBLESHOOT HARDWARE
If you’re unable to get as far as the Windows loading screen, determine if your PC’s hardware is to blame.
If you’re unable to get as far as the Windows loading screen, determine if your PC’s hardware is to blame.
Step one of the troubleshooting process is to identify whether your problem is hardware or Windows-related. If your PC powers on, passes its initial checks (known as the POST, or Power On Self Test) and gets as far as the Windows logo before things go wrong, your problem is likely to be related to your Windows installation – turn the page to find out how to diagnose and fix it.
If you can’t even get as far as this, then your problem is likely to be linked to your hardware – it may be a simple physical problem or something more fundamental like component failure. Here’s what you need to do.
PC WON’T POWER ON AT ALL
If nothing happens – literally – when you press the power button then start with the obvious physical checks: is the power cable plugged in at both ends and switched on? Is there a power switch on your PC that may have inadvertently been knocked to the off position? You’ll find it near the power socket on the back of your computer.
No luck? If your monitor cable is the same type as your PC’s, try using that to eliminate your PC’s cable (or its fuse) as the cause. Try a different plug socket (or try a different appliance in that socket). If after all this you’re still not getting anywhere, then you’ll need to switch off the PC at the socket, earth yourself – see box below right – and then open up your PC’s case to examine its innards – there may be a possible short-circuit (gently tilt the PC case in various directions to see if it dislodges a stray screw, for example).
Still no luck? Your power supply may have died – if the PC’s under warranty you’ll need to speak to
your manufacturer; otherwise open up the case and make a note of the current PSU, a square block that (if it’s a standard ATX PSU) should be straightforward to swap out and replace. Look for one with a power rating that’s at least equal to the original (and preferably more powerful – 500 watts or greater) and comes with enough connections to power your PC’s disparate components, and all the right plugs to connect to them.
Before unplugging and removing your old PSU, make a note of which sockets it’s plugged into on your motherboard as well as which drives are connected to it. Take a photo or two to help remind you where your new PSU will need to be plugged into after it’s been fitted.
OTHER HARDWARE PROBLEMS
If your PC’s fans start to spin and the lights come on, your PC should perform the POST to check all components are performing correctly. Listen out for beeps or an error code on-screen, which you can investigate on a working PC – try your motherboard or PC manufacturer’s manual or web site (look under Support) or view the generic guide to what beep codes mean at www. computerhope.com/beep.htm – this will hopefully help you determine where the fault lies.
The likelihood is that one or more components have failed or – if you’re lucky – become dislodged. Focus your initial investigation on your memory, graphics card, processor and motherboard. Check for ‘chip creep’, whereby components can work themselves free – push gently down on any cards and your RAM to see if they click back into place.
If you suspect faulty RAM, remove all but one stick and try booting again, swapping out one stick for another until things come back to life or you’ve eliminated it as the cause of your problem.
Next, try stripping back your PC’s components to the essentials: unplug all external peripherals except the mouse, keyboard and monitor. Still no luck? Open the case to unplug all internal drives and carefully remove any add-in cards (apart from your graphics card) to see if that brings things back to life. If it does, reconnect everything carefully to see if the problem has no cleared itself; if it returns, you’ll need to unplug everything and connect the bits back one at a time to pinpoint the troublesome component.
If you only get power, but no beeps, then the problem may lie with your motherboard (or possibly the processor). It may have have suffered from a component failure, in which case you can safely consider it dead, but you should probably get in touch with the manufacturer or enlist professional help to confirm the diagnosis and obtain a replacement. This may require a trip to the secondhand market if your PC is getting on in years and you don’t want to end up replacing motherboard, processor and RAM.