Pc won't boot; Reaaly annoying !

zippo100

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Jul 13, 2011
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Hi everybody! So I have this BAD problem with my computer, I have had this problem for a while now but I'm just so sick of having this problem. So basically My computer won't boot, I've heard that this is a relatively common bug in windows 7. But I still want to fix it because I'm not sure where the problem comes from. Anyway I searched for the solution to this problem a long time ago and I found out that plugging out computer from it's power source and holding in the power button fixed the issue, but I have to do it like 5 times everytime I want my compute to turn on, and this happens EVERY time I turn on my computer, and I can't stand it anymore as it takes like 1 hour to get it on, any suggestions on how to fix it or what might be wrong?
 

Bubbahj

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Oct 31, 2011
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How big is your power supply? It might be worth while disconecting any unneccesary devices, extra hard drivers, DVD drives, fans, lights or anything else that draws valuable electricity from your main compnonents. If your computer boots up ok like this, certainly look in to investing in to a new power supply
 
A nonbooting system is seldom a Win7 software bug. It is usually related to a hardware failure or a misconfigured (BIOS) boot device.

I also would guess that the problem is caused by your PSU.

When you are asking for help, always start off with the system specifications.

Work systematically through our standard checklist and troubleshooting thread:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-read-posting-boot-problems
I mean work through, not just read over it. We spent a lot of time on this. It should find most of the problems.

If not, continue.
The following is an expansion of my troubleshooting tips in the breadboarding link in the "Cannot boot" thread.

I have tested the following beep patterns on Gigabyte, eVGA, and ECS motherboards. Other BIOS' may be different, but they all use a single short beep for a successful POST.

Breadboard - that will help isolate any kind of case problem you might have.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/262730-31-breadboarding

Breadboard with just motherboard, CPU & HSF, case speaker, and PSU.

Make sure you plug the CPU power cable in. The system will not boot without it.

I always breadboard a new build. It takes only a few minutes, and you know you are putting good parts in the case once you are finished.

You can turn on the PC by momentarily shorting the two pins that the case power switch goes to. You should hear a series of long, single beeps indicating memory problems. Silence indicates a problem with (in most likely order) the PSU, motherboard, or CPU. Remember, at this time, you do not have a graphics card installed so the load on your PSU will be reduced.

If no beeps:
Running fans and drives and motherboard LED's do not necessarily indicate a good PSU. In the absence of a single short beep, they also do not indicate that the system is booting.

At this point, you can sort of check the PSU. Try to borrow a known good PSU of around 550 - 600 watts. That will power just about any system with a single GPU. If you cannot do that, use a DMM to measure the voltages. Measure between the colored wires and either chassis ground or the black wires. Yellow wires should be 12 volts. Red wires: +5 volts, orange wires: +3.3 volts, blue wire : -12 volts, violet wire: 5 volts always on. Tolerances are +/- 5% except for the -12 volts which is +/- 10%.

The gray wire is really important. It should go from 0 to +5 volts when you turn the PSU on with the case switch. CPU needs this signal to boot.

You can turn on the PSU by completely disconnecting the PSU and using a paperclip or jumper wire to short the green wire to one of the neighboring black wires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FWXgQSokF4&feature=youtube_gdata

A way that might be easier is to use the main power plug. Working from the back of the plug where the wires come out, use a bare paperclip to short between the green wire and one of the neighboring black wires. That will do the same thing with an installed PSU. It is also an easy way to bypass a questionable case power switch.

This checks the PSU under no load conditions, so it is not completely reliable. But if it can not pass this, it is dead. Then repeat the checks with the PSU plugged into the computer to put a load on the PSU.

If the system beeps:
If it looks like the PSU is good, install a memory stick. Boot. Beep pattern should change to one long and several short beeps indicating a missing graphics card.

Silence, long single beeps, or series of short beeps indicate a problem with the memory. If you get short beeps verify that the memory is in the appropriate motherboard slots.

Insert the video card and connect any necessary PCIe power connectors. Boot. At this point, the system should POST successfully (a single short beep). Notice that you do not need keyboard, mouse, monitor, or drives to successfully POST.
At this point, if the system doesn't work, it's either the video card or an inadequate PSU. Or rarely - the motherboard's PCIe interface.

Now start connecting the rest of the devices starting with the monitor, then keyboard and mouse, then the rest of the devices, testing after each step. It's possible that you can pass the POST with a defective video card. The POST routines can only check the video interface. It cannot check the internal parts of the video card.
 

zippo100

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Jul 13, 2011
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Ok on the troubleshooting part, I'm afraid that I have no computer speaker ( the ones who beep error codes) and I've heard about the windows 7 bug and i'm guessing that's what I'm having. And even if it might be the PSU why is it that it works after a couple of tries ?
 

amd955be5670

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Nov 3, 2011
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From my experience, if you press the power button and the pc doesn't boot, you can directly say the PSU is guilty OR in some extreme cases the power connector of the chassis to the motherboard front panel.

Invest in a new proper PSU, according to your configuration, and take a branded one, e.g. from Antec, Corsair, etc