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Weirdest problem ever, PC works but shop but doesn't work in my house

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OK I had a problem of the PC not starting up, tried all the POST n bread boarding and no help. Four days of experiementing and gave up.

I took it to the PC store (pay him to check it out approx US$20), it works perfectly.

He restarts it again to show me because I couldn't believe my eyes.

I take it back home and same problem it doesn't work.

It will power on for a few seconds and I hear a click from the PSU and it goes off. Then I try again and no movement at all. Wait a few minuted and power up and again powers on for a few seconds and click and everything off.

I am thinking its an electrical problem coming from my electrical sockets.

(its the same problem I had in the first place and reason i took the PC to the store)

specs of PC are as follows:
Windows 7 Ultimate
ASRock 770 Extreme 3
Gigabyte HD 6850
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition
A-Data Gaming Series DDR3 2GB x2
Western Digital 640 GB HD
Antec Earthwatts 650W

I think my wall outlet isn't giving power to my PC is this a possibility? I try and even power the plug directly to the wall socket to no avail same problem and it gives me 5 seconds at max.

Any suggestions would really help...

Thanks

Edit: The PC has been working well since December 2010. New editions are a Dell 27" monitor (although it did work with the monitor for about a month) , i have tried connecting the PC and monitor to different power extensions as well but no difference.

Really need somehelp as I have no clue what to do.

More about : weirdest problem works shop work house

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I live in a flat, but I have tried it in different rooms (although the PC wasn't connected to a monitor as its a big monitor to lug around). even with different rooms same problem occurs.
Homebuilt system Authority

Hmm, look at your electrical box, the one with tripswitches, how many of them say 'sockets'?
if its just one you're doomed on that route,
the shop says its fine as you witnessed, maybe ask your neighbours if they are having any power issues, it seems to be something to do with the flats wiring to my eyes
Moto
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This problem has just started even tho the PC has been working since i got it in 2010. I moved into this flat in November 2011. All working till few days ago.

Checked the electrical box and there a number of different switches with 20A/15A/10A on them.

macten said:
Is television and everything else working ok?

The way i see it, something might be coming loose during transport... The shop might of just opened up the casing and push on everything to make sure memory, video card, etc was well seated and during transport back to your house, something loosened.

Hard to imagine its your power in your house unless the breaker on the power supply is tripping (it it has an internal breaker)

Don't even know my neighbors here.

Yes every other electrical appliance works in my house...

Its a three room flat and everything works... I am so confused now... I could just take it to the shop again but if it will just automatically work there what am i doing wrongly?

@lafontma - This is the same problem I had before i took it to the shop to repair. He didn't touch anything inside the PC, just plugged the power n monitor and it worked. straight up.

He was smirking because i had to pay him to plug wires and press a button.

peetal said:
@lafontma - This is the same problem I had before i took it to the shop to repair. He didn't touch anything inside the PC, just plugged the power n monitor and it worked. straight up.

He was smirking because i had to pay him to plug wires and press a button.


I looked at PSU specs..

CircuitShield™ — Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Under Voltage Protection (UVP), Short Circuit Protection (SCP), Over Power Protection (OPP), Surge & Inrush Protection (SIP), No Load Operation (NLO) & Brown-Out Protection (BOP)

I guess you do have a power issue in your building that is tripping one of the built in sensors in the PSU... Your other appliances dont have all those sensors builtin to them.

Guess you reall need to test it at a friends house or buy yourself a UPS which would give a clean electrical signal.

Hmmm.. I really do not know what all that means...

Is there someway besides buying a UPS where I can bypass that problem. perhaps a better extension cord with those safety features?

I do have a friend who lives quite near, I can bring my PC there tomorrow. (its 11:35 PM in Hong Kong now).

yeah I will test it out at a his place tomorrow.

But if doesn't work > take it back to the shop

If it does work there then what next?

Also I think it could be a problem of the wiring however, it was working for 4 months since moving to this flat.
Homebuilt system Authority

I'll say wait until having tried it at your mates house, but I am 99.999999% certain theres nothing wrong with the Pc here
**Edit What did you do to fix this? ** in your case I would contact your landlord/ building officer to get them to fix the wiring

Moto

lafontma said:
I looked at PSU specs..

CircuitShield™ — Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Under Voltage Protection (UVP), Short Circuit Protection (SCP), Over Power Protection (OPP), Surge & Inrush Protection (SIP), No Load Operation (NLO) & Brown-Out Protection (BOP)

I guess you do have a power issue in your building that is tripping one of the built in sensors in the PSU... Your other appliances dont have all those sensors builtin to them.

Guess you reall need to test it at a friends house or buy yourself a UPS which would give a clean electrical signal.


@lafontma - Where did you find this information because I can see it for the Antec PSU i have.

@moto - I am renting here for a year, I don't think my landlord will fix wiring when my PC doesn't work and everything else works...

Would a good quality surge protectors or something work for me? really want a more simple solution

I had simular problem where my shop PC would not work right due to bad voltage,
had to buy Voltage stabilizer like this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
or have to buy with UPS that includes AVR like this one that i have now
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

also use smaller one i got on sale in my car to smooth voltage from 12v to 120v inverter
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
its rated 500w

thanks for the info I will look into that once I check my PC in a friend's house.

Also, any idea on why all of a sudden I would have this problem, I mean I have been at this flat since November last year and it only happened now... ?

I have tried my PC at my friends place finally and it has the same problem...

I am sure both our houses cannot have bad wiring so the volatge problem should be out??

What now?

Try again to the repair shop?

if its still doing this
"It will power on for a few seconds and I hear a click from the PSU and it goes off. Then I try again and no movement at all. Wait a few minuted and power up and again powers on for a few seconds and click and everything off"

I would start by replacing PSU, or if you can get one to test your computer.

ok update: i was going to go to the repair shop again but i decided to try it again at my house.

i connect it and all works. (seriously...)
I even restart it and it works no problems

I then use it for a good 12 hours. switch it off and go to sleep. wake up the next day and it doesn't switch on again.

same problem as before start running for 5 seconds and off again...

really frustrated now..

Modern PSU's test their voltages with the motherboard when they startup. If the voltage isnt clean enough, it will turn back off. This sounds like what you are experiencing. The voltage in your house/area may not be of sufficient grade to pass the power on self test. It may be good enough at times and it runs this test at startup only. A good UPS may fix this if the voltage is dipping/drooping, but too high of a voltage can do this too. Surge protectors do not protect from slightly high voltages, just large enough increases. Your power supply like most others out there is trying to keep the computer from killing itself. Or I should say likely. I have seen failed motherboards do this because their VRM's are failing and cant give the proper voltage needed either, and this can be intermittent enough to cause the problem. Only other thing I think it might be is a grounding problem that exists at your place and not elsewhere. Could not be receiving a proper ground signal and wont post intermittently. Good luck. If you are in a flat, you might be able to check with your landlord and have them send an electrician to test the wiring, it should be relatively inexpensive and COULD even save your life or at the minimum, your electronics. Dont literally play with fire.

ok... I have got a power supply tester from a friend and have tried it with my PC.

readings are quite spot on target except for the -12V which is a bit high 12.7-12.8? It doesn't show the HH nor beep but from the readings only this deviates from the standard.

Does this affect from what Voltage comes into my flat?

Sorry, power is something I do not know anything about.
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