PC has died - I think

[Tony]

My WHS PC appears to have died.
When I power on, the disks spin up, but no POST, no beeps, nothing on the screen, nada.

Suggestions?

[wainuitech]

Got another power Supply to try, sometimes they turn turtle but have enough output to spin fans but that's all.

[Tony]

Got another power Supply to try, sometimes they turn turtle but have enough output to spin fans but that's all.

I don't have a spare power supply since the great PC meltdown of a few months ago. What I need to is to open it up and check everything out.

[piroska]

I don't have a spare power supply since the great PC meltdown of a few months ago. What I need to is to open it up and check everything out.

The easiest way is to start with PSU. You should always have a spare.
90% of the time it's PSU.

Buy one.
Then test, you don't have to actually install it, just unplug the other from components, sit new one next to PC and plug in the board plugs and boot.
If all good, then install it.

If still dead, move on....

[Tony]

The easiest way is to start with PSU. You should always have a spare.
90% of the time it's PSU.

Buy one.
Then test, you don't have to actually install it, just unplug the other from components, sit new one next to PC and plug in the board plugs and boot.
If all good, then install it.

If still dead, move on....

I don't think it is the PSU. I have the beast open at the moment, and when I power it up, the fans run and the disks appear to spin up, but it just doesn't POST. I'm trying the disks on another PC and so far the main data disk appears to be OK, with my data files accessible. The WHS data on another disk is there but inaccessible via WIN 11 of course. I have one more disk to look at but I expect it to be OK.
I'll jiggle the memory and other connectors etc, but I suspect the mb has died, in which case I think I'll follow psycik's advice and send the whole unit to the great PC graveyard in the sky.

[wainuitech]

I don't think it is the PSU. I have the beast open at the moment, and when I power it up, the fans run and the disks appear to spin up, but it just doesn't POST.

How do you know if you dont try ??

As piroska mentioned its often the case, if its not the PSU then more than likely the motherboard.

One way to tell (or test) remove the Memory completely, press the power button it should beep/ squeal complaining of no Memory.

Seen many (hundreds) of problems relating to a bad power supply, not till you actully confirm its not, you can throw out perfectly good hardware. ( All techs know this) hence usually the 1st point to test

[Tony]

OK, this may be a strange question, but how much of the power supply do I have to connect to be able to prove what we need to know? The 4-pin ATX from another PC will reach to the dodgy one without removing it from the case, but the 24-pin connector won't. Do I need both of them to get a basic POST?

[psycik]

That’s a pretty good run. Have any other hardware you can attach the disks to?

[Tony]

That’s a pretty good run. Have any other hardware you can attach the disks to?

It's not the original hardware. Its a bit like the woodsman's axe that had two new heads and three new handles, but was still the same axe.

BTW and totally OT for this thread, I'm still working on the mailbox notifier. There have been untold interruptions and setbacks, but I just wanted to tell you that I ended up using a reed switch like you suggested, after several blind alleys. It seems to be doing the trick - I should have listened to you in the first place. It is just waiting for a final push from me when I can get round to it.

[Tony]

I very nervously connected the PSU from the dead PC to the working PC. I powered on and it booted up no trouble, so I am satisfied that my problem is not with the PSU.