- Sep 23, 2016
- 2
- 0
- 1,510
I have a really, really odd problem with my desktop computer.
Here's the background to the problem: Two days ago I took off the cover to clean out the dust with compressed air, replace one of the RAM modules and also try and replace the thermal paste on the CPU. When I took out the heatsink, the CPU was stuck to it and so I freaked out and tried to put the CPU back into its socket still attached- obviously this didn't work because the CPU wasn't set properly. So then I spent ages detaching the CPU and then cleaning and replacing the thermal grease, I re-sat the CPU with the lever up etc and put the heatsink on carefully with new thermal grease applied.
But then...
1. I switched the computer on and hurray, it worked! Everything was going fine.
2. I switched it off, then tried switching it on again... All the fans etc started whirring but absolutely NOTHING came up on the monitor (which works fine). Strange.
3. This is where it gets confusing... I unplugged all the cables at the back and re-plugged them in. Suddenly the computer switched on fine again!
4. The next day I tried switching it on but then again, all the fans work but there's nothing shown on the screen. I detach and re-attach the cables again- and then it boots up fine!
5. Then the same issue returns- so I remove the CMOS battery and wait five minutes and re-insert the RAM after blowing out some dust. Again, it boots up fine and then I re-start the computer 5-6 times over the course of an afternoon to make sure. All good, right?
6. No.... In the evening I shut it down and try and boot it up one more time and yet again the monitor is not showing anything.
7. So finally, this morning I blew out some more dust and moved the new RAM from slot 1 to slot 2, the computer booted up fine- but if I try and re-start it maybe it won't!
I really have no idea what the problem is, I'm almost certain it's hardware related since the issues have come about since I tried tinkering with the computer. But what could cause it to boot up but then not re-boot up, but then for it to re-boot up -sometimes - after un-plugging stuff and playing around with the internal components?
Could this be an old CMOS battery? The computer must be 5-6 years old now. But I guess that would be a big coincidence if the battery suddenly died just as I had fiddled with everything! So what else?
Thanks!
Here's the background to the problem: Two days ago I took off the cover to clean out the dust with compressed air, replace one of the RAM modules and also try and replace the thermal paste on the CPU. When I took out the heatsink, the CPU was stuck to it and so I freaked out and tried to put the CPU back into its socket still attached- obviously this didn't work because the CPU wasn't set properly. So then I spent ages detaching the CPU and then cleaning and replacing the thermal grease, I re-sat the CPU with the lever up etc and put the heatsink on carefully with new thermal grease applied.
But then...
1. I switched the computer on and hurray, it worked! Everything was going fine.
2. I switched it off, then tried switching it on again... All the fans etc started whirring but absolutely NOTHING came up on the monitor (which works fine). Strange.
3. This is where it gets confusing... I unplugged all the cables at the back and re-plugged them in. Suddenly the computer switched on fine again!
4. The next day I tried switching it on but then again, all the fans work but there's nothing shown on the screen. I detach and re-attach the cables again- and then it boots up fine!
5. Then the same issue returns- so I remove the CMOS battery and wait five minutes and re-insert the RAM after blowing out some dust. Again, it boots up fine and then I re-start the computer 5-6 times over the course of an afternoon to make sure. All good, right?
6. No.... In the evening I shut it down and try and boot it up one more time and yet again the monitor is not showing anything.
7. So finally, this morning I blew out some more dust and moved the new RAM from slot 1 to slot 2, the computer booted up fine- but if I try and re-start it maybe it won't!
I really have no idea what the problem is, I'm almost certain it's hardware related since the issues have come about since I tried tinkering with the computer. But what could cause it to boot up but then not re-boot up, but then for it to re-boot up -sometimes - after un-plugging stuff and playing around with the internal components?
Could this be an old CMOS battery? The computer must be 5-6 years old now. But I guess that would be a big coincidence if the battery suddenly died just as I had fiddled with everything! So what else?
Thanks!
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