PC Won't Turn On After Power Outage

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TerryFawkes

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Dec 18, 2013
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So I was running the computer when suddenly a loud lightning has caused an immediate power outage for about 4 hours. To cut the long story short, the pc itself won't turn on. No signs of electricity in the computer when being tried to turn on. However, there is that one try I had that made the fans spin and lights go on for about .5 seconds. Any thoughts on this? Thank you in advance
 
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TerryFawkes

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Dec 18, 2013
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Are you 100% sure? If so I will have to purchase a new one immediately.

It was really an unlucky day. Our UPS got beeping simultaneously and I had to use the regular AVR.
 
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Smallfilou

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Feb 25, 2014
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Maybe you got lucky. There is probably a fuse (if not more) on that PSU. You can open it up and check. If you live in a country like UK, there is probably a fuse in the socket plugged into the wall as well...
 
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TerryFawkes

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Well, that sucks since I have things to do in the computer today but thank you for saying so.
Tomorrow morning I will buy a new PSU. Sadly, I dont have enough knowledge about PSU's. Are there any types of PSU I should be aware of before buying it?
 
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Smallfilou

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You need a few things actually:
- Is your computer an industrial one that uses a special PSU with its own cabling? Google the "fried" one.
- Provided your PSU is a standard ATX one with normal 20 or 24 pin wiring, you will need to check how many watts your hardware needs. So see about your processor and especially your graphics card. Once you got that, post this information, and we can recommend CPU models or types at least...
 
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TerryFawkes

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1. Our PSU is a locally made one, most like similar to this: http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj33/marjories_pcnet/Photo0640.jpg
Its cables are coming itself and connected to the motherboard, optic drive, and fans.

2. I really don't know if I need to know the wattage I need, all I know that this PSU is 500w meaning I need to get at least 500w, right?

I am really not sure if the motherboard is fine since there is a possibility that it may be damaged as well. Can anyone confirm on this?

And I forgot, upon trying to revive the computer, aside from that .5 second boot I got, there was also a single spark I saw inside the computer
 
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Smallfilou

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Sorry, no. I cannot vouch for the motherboard either. And that spark is a rather unpleasant sign as well. Especially if PSU is not great, overvoltage can possibly have destroyed anything (or even everything) inside that computer which was directly attached to it. Maybe try another PSU on your unit before buying a new one.
500W is more than enough for 99% of the people who do not have a powerful graphics card... but you still have to check how your psu connects to motherboard for compatibility!
 
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TerryFawkes

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Dec 18, 2013
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I have a 1GB GT430 if you wan to know that.

Unfortunately, there are no available PSU's for me to use. I guess I'll have to try this one last step to check if the PSU is really dead, and I need someone to verify if this one is safe thing to do:

1. Open PC case
2. Unplug power cord
3. Disconnect all power leads from PSU to computer
4. Bend a paperclip into a "U" and short the GREEN lead and any BLACK lead on the PSU/motherboard connector
5. Plug in power cord and turn PSU on.
(don't worry, you won't get shocked if you touch this short)

If the fan on the PSU comes on, then the PSU is not dead and your problem is most likely a failed motherboard.
Click to expand...

UPDATE: I have tried the procedure above. It made the extension cord to which the AVR is plugged in to spark a little, and the fans, lights, HDD's, etc did not power up. Going to assume that the PSU is dead.
 
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westom

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That solution based only upon speculation. For example, if that computer was connected to a protector or UPS, then the surge also had potential paths that bypassed protection inside the PSU. Then damage would be on the motherboard or on some peripheral device (ie NIC card). Later, ask about protection that would have made a surge irrelevant to everything in the house.

Your symptoms define a classic power controller problem. A PSU only does what the controller tells it. If the controller does not see all things proper, then it will order a PSU off (ie fan spins for 0.5 sec). What is defective? It could be the PSU. It could be other inputs to the controller. It could even be the controller.

Your computer is clearly not consuming anywhere near to 500 watts. Most only intermittently consume maybe 250 watts. But most computer assemblers have no idea how electricity works. So we keep it simple. We tell them then need twice as much power - ie 500 watts.

More watts do not mean better quality. In fact, to hype an inferior supply and increase profits, the manufacturer will increase wattage. Selecting a better supply gets more complex. But apparently you do not have time to learn. So just buy any supply that is at least 500 watts - with similar electrical connectors to the motherboard. To hopefully get the machine working again.
 
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