Turning off and on

[chellebubblz]

Ok, so i've kind of tried to do searches but I'm really a noob when it comes to doing stuff inside the computer and I'm afraid if I just start unhooking stuff I won't know how to hook them back. My system was custom built in Feb 2010 by a local computer place. I do know how to do some things. I did the video card myself and the LAN card.

So I went to bed last night and locked my computer using Windows-L. This morning when I clicked the mouse button to wake it up like usual, it didn't come on but turned off. Then a few seconds later it turned back on, the lights and fans started, then a few seconds after that it turned back off. There were no beeps, and the internal LED said 17 for the short time it was on. All the fans were on and it seemed as if it would start, but it just didn't. So I opened it to make sure everything was connected properly, since I was already in there, I took the fan off the motherboard and cleaned it and put it back on, it had accumulated some dust so I thought that may help. But it didn't. After reading on here a little bit, I decided to try the clear the CMOS as suggested in other posts. So I reseated the battery since I didn't see anything that I thoguht could be a jumper. Then I unplugged the PC and let it sit for a few mins. Then I tried again. This time it started to boot up, there was one beep and it started, got to the BIOS screen, then to the boot selection screen. But then it turned off before I could select it. And now it is doing the same thing, turning off and on. Only now the internal LED says 11 but still no beeps. Here's my specs I was able to find, because I had them uploaded online:

OPERATING SYSTEM:
Windows 2.6.1.7600
CPU TYPE:
Intel® Core™ i5 CPU 750 @ 2.67GHz
CPU SPEED:
2.68 GHz
SYSTEM MEMORY:
3.99 GB
VIDEO CARD MODEL:
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250
VIDEO CARD DRIVER:
nvd3dum.dll
DESKTOP RESOLUTION:
1920x1080
HARD DISK SIZE:
931.41 GB
HARD DISK FREE SPACE:
778.19 GB (84%)

I have an Antec 650 PSU. I'm not sure the mobo except that it says intel on it. I do know a little about computers. But when it comes to unhooking things and hooking them back in order to test things, I feel a little dumb about that. And my fiance, he is a little less knowledgable than I am. But I am willing to try things if someone explains it to me, or can show me a link to a picture or something. There's just so many cords I'm scared I'd mess something up.... But any help you can give me on what could be the issue would be wonderful!

 

[chellebubblz]

Just to add, it is now powered up like normal. I just let it keep going thru the cycle and about the 5th time it booted up. I made sure to push enter to boot up quickly and it did like nothing was wrong. I would still like to know what is failing to cause this in the first place so that I can fix it. I don't know if it's going to happen again next time I try to reboot or whatever. I have a feeling it may be the mobo since that seems like the most common thing, and it did finally start up a few times later after reseating the CMOS. Is there any way to find out what mobo is in there now? Where would I find that info, so that I know what is compatible? Thanks guys.

 

[inzone]

Usually the motherboard will have the name and serial number on it. Why not just shut the Pc off when not using it for an extended period of time like overnight? I turn mine off every night and turn it on the next day when I go to use it , the boot process from off to desktop is less than a minute so there should be no reason to have it locked or sleeping and I can't tell you how many p[osts that I come across in the forums about problems related to sleeping computers.

 

[chellebubblz]

That's what I was going to start doing. I went in and I *thought* I changed the settings to keep it from going into a sleep mode. But I went down to the basement to switch out laundry, came back and it was asleep. And now it's right back to the same old crap. So I guess I'm just going to be researching this all night til I figure out what I need to do to fix it. I don't have time to spend hours a day trying to get it to power on. So I suppose I will just try to unhook and go from there, since I can't use it anyways...

 

[chellebubblz]

Updating:

Well, after 2 days of trying and testing I got it on again and working like normal, though I have no idea how I did it and what the problem is. Anytime it goes to sleep mode, and I try to wake it up, it does it again. So although I'm turning it off when I expect to be away for any length of time, it still goes into sleep mode if I'm away for even 10 mins, even though I changed my option to NEVER go into sleep mode in the power control panel. Is there any sort of failure that is known for making the pc restart over and over when coming out of sleep mode. I have narrowed it down to PSU, mobo or CPU... Granted it is working and I can use it now, I still want to get the problem fixed so it doesn't happen again.

 

[inzone]

I would say that the ultimate solution would be to format and reinstall windows and after doing that it still does it then you may have a corrupt bios on the motherboard. As another thing to try is to update the bios or if you have the most current then go back to the previous one.

 

[chellebubblz]

Well, it turned itself off while I was playing a game and started doing it again. It won't boot, exactly like the other day. While it was on, I did update the BIOS through Intel website. Seeing how it won't even get to the BIOS screen now, I don't think it would boot a Windows disk. I ordered a power supply from Newegg so if that doesn't help, I guess I will know it's the motherboard. If the BIOS is corrupt can that be flashed, or do I need to buy a whole new motherboard?