PC problems.

[Tidus]

I have had this problem for about 3 weeks, but haven't even had time to post about it.  Anyways...one glorious day i decide to clean my computer.  in doing so i decide i also want to upgrade my ram.  So i pull them out go to the store and search for more ram of the same kind...but mine being a dell they have their own type of ram that i can't find in the store... so i go home..put the ram in the machine.  Now my computer won't turn on.  There is power to the MB but when pressing the switch nothing happens.  Working one sec, take the ram out and put back in, not working.

[thekidnick]

Pull all the ram out and try powering on the PC.  The PC should atleast post without RAM.

[Xclio]

Agreed try it without Ram, if it POSTs then it shoud simplky point to a bad set of ram, otherwise we can troubleshoot it further.

[Cerveza]

Get the online manual and verify the RAM positions. Often the RAM doesn't go next to each other.

If you have 4 slots, the RAM could go 1 and 2 or it could go 1 and 3. You might have put it back into the wrong slots.

If it still doesn't work, disconnect EVERYTHING. That includes power to the hard drive/CD/etc... and the IDE/SATA cables also. You can take out the Video card, sound card, lan card or anything else you have.

Try booting with a bare naked mother board. See what type of code you get then. If the problem still exists, then it could be a fan or power problem, or even a motherboard itself. If you get a different code then you know there is something wrong with the config or equipment you disconnected. Reconnect one thing at a time, starting with cards.

Since you cleaned it up, make sure the fans are plugged into the right headers on the motherboard. Some BIOS looks for certain RPMs of the fans before it will allow booting. If you accidentally put your CPU fan into a normal fan header, then the BIOS thinks your CPU fan is not spinning at all, and it won't allow boot.

Just FYI, most system failures are power supply. If you have a spare laying around you can plug into the MB and try to boot up it would help a lot.

[Tidus]

Problem was:  Wouldn't turn on.

Solution:  I unplugged the switch from the motherboard and plugged in the computer with no ram to see if it would automatically turn on and POST.  It did that.  So i plugged back in the ram, tried it again.  It went through post and booted.  Cleaned the connectors and the cable that plugged my switch to the MB.  Plugged it back in and success.  This was after cleaning all my other connections and everything granted.

Other problem was that i had only 15 minutes in the day to troubleshoot my computer.  So a good cleaning will do a computer well.

[buldozerlotr]

check tension (electric) on your PC box (if you have aluminiumbox, sometime is shunt fault)