Can someone help me trouble shoot my old pc?

Do you hear beeps? If so count how many. Pay attention to how the beeps sound...some may be long beeps and others will be short beeps.

Then need to know the motherboard and cpu model and what sort of ram you are using.

Do you get the initial post screen when attempting to boot up or will it not power up at all?

Look for a short circuit...possibly something touching metal.

CPU may have either died or not seated properly. These are my initial thoughts anyway.

Here are some step-by-step instructions for troubleshooting booting problems. Some recommendations are not related to existing systems.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-ste...

No beeping sound what so ever. I did notice sometime the cpu fan attempted to spin for a quick second and die.

Here is what I would recommend...others please jump in if you think different.


1. Remove Heatsink

2. Clean Heatsink with cleaner of choice...I typically use rubbing alcohol and/or Oxy Pads. Either way make sure it's cleaned very well and no residue remains.

3. Check to make sure CPU is properly seated

4. Clean surface of CPU like you did with the Heatsink

5. Apply thermal paste such as ArticSilver (be sure not to get it on any other components or it will short out a mobo in a hurry) to both heatsink and cpu. It's always best to do a search on your particular CPU for specific directions on thermal compounds...I'm just throwing out some generic suggestions.

6. Remount CPU and Heatsink

7. Give it a go.


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Second option assuming there isn't an obvious grounding issue.

Remove Motherboard from case and do a "bread board" set up or in other words hook everything up on a cardboard box outside the case and see if starts up then. A grounding issue would do just what you describe, but so would a thermal issue or a cpu either bad or not seated properly.


Good luck.

Thanks Hunter, I will give it a try this weekend. I will post the result.

System specs - particularly both PSU's?

Well did you ever get it figured out?