PC won’t boot?, interesting …

[archenemynl]

Hey guys, a 6 month old computer is having boot troubles. It shuts itself down 1 second after it’s powered on. Then it turns itself on again, only to turn itself off 1 sec later. No bios, no windows.

The trouble started after I installed an Intel graphics driver. First time after reboot I could use the pc for 10 minutes, the second time it shut down after 5, the third time only 1, now I can’t boot at all (see 1st paragraph). During the 3rd time it booted I managed to install a temp monitoring software, but did not detect anything special in the cpu temp (as far as I know). Oh ya: there are no beeps.

Here’s a List of sys specs:

Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz 6MB LGA1155 Quad-core
EVGA GeForce GTX670 FTW - 2GB HDMI/DVI/Display Poort
GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX Z77 LGA1155 Intel Z77 - 4 x DDR3 - SATA600/USB3.0
Corsair Vengeance 8GB Kit (2x4GB) DDR3/1600MHz C9 DDR3 - 240 pin - 1,5V - CL9 - 2x 4GB Kit
Corsair TX V2 Series. 650 Watt. ATX. Power Supply. EU Ver ATX12V 2.31 / EPS12V 2.92
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Evo CPU Cooler Socket
Antec One Mid Tower ATX - USB / Audio
Crucial 240 GB SSD

Here’s what I tried already:

Connected different PSU
Connected Video Card
Removed everything (yes even the processor), and reconnected.
Inspected processor/motherboard for damage
Reset CMOS/BIOS
Tired to launch with only processor and 1 memory stick

What do you guys think the problem could be? I’d sure love to know!

 

[JMer806]

Possible to reinstall Windows?

 

[PanicMaster85]

because you computer cant boot you cant do any of the (if possibles but do teh rest)

1) Update bios(if possible)
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/308518-30-update-bios
2) Clear Cmos, do this if you cant start or have messed with the bios (don’t forget to unplug the computer from the wall and let it sit for few minutes, if you don’t have a jumper than remove the battery make sure the computer is unplugged and let it for about10 minutes before putting the battery back in)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdp_L5IxaNI
3) Check your psu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FWXgQSokF4
4) Make sure your computer is hooked up correctly
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-post-boot-video-problems
5) Run memtest(if possible)
http://www.memtest.org/
6) Run Burnintest (if possible)
http://www.passmark.com/download/bit_download.htm
7) If all else fails then try a gpu, Ram, or psu from another computer
Hope this helped!

 

[PanicMaster85]

also what graphics driver did you install? you may have to reinstall windows(like Jmer806 said) if this persists if you still ahve the issue after this(and after what i recommended) then somehting is faulty

 

[dingo07]

if you've "breadboarded" the motherboard and parts, and you couldn't POST into BIOS, then either ur proc, memory or motherboard, or all 3 are shot

 

[archenemynl]

because you computer cant boot you cant do any of the (if possibles but do teh rest)

1) Update bios(if possible)
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/308518-30-update-bios
2) Clear Cmos, do this if you cant start or have messed with the bios (don’t forget to unplug the computer from the wall and let it sit for few minutes, if you don’t have a jumper than remove the battery make sure the computer is unplugged and let it for about10 minutes before putting the battery back in)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdp_L5IxaNI
3) Check your psu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FWXgQSokF4
4) Make sure your computer is hooked up correctly
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-post-boot-video-problems
5) Run memtest(if possible)
http://www.memtest.org/
6) Run Burnintest (if possible)
http://www.passmark.com/download/bit_download.htm
7) If all else fails then try a gpu, Ram, or psu from another computer
Hope this helped!

Thnx all for the reply !

1)Well since the computer shuts itself down within a second, I cant re-install windows or update bios.
2)I tried to clear the CMOS by the battery way, the jumper way and the clear CMOS button way, no results though
3)I've tried a different PSU, but it still wont boot longer than 1 sec
4)I'm 100% sure the pc is hooked up correctly since the problems started after installing some drivers for the Intel processor. Nevertheless I tried to disconnect and reconnect everything. Still nothing though
5/6) Pc shuts down before it can load anything, cd/dvd is out of the question.
7) Im running w/o gpu atm, and tried a diferent psu. I doubt it could be the ram since I haven't changed the settings on it.

Why cant computers just work ?

 

[archenemynl]

if you've "breadboarded" the motherboard and parts, and you couldn't POST into BIOS, then either ur proc, memory or motherboard, or all 3 are shot

I thought so. Is there a way to determine what part is shorted, w/o actually trying spare parts?

 

[JMer806]

Take out all of your RAM and try to boot using one stick at a time. Try the RAM in each slot. This might determine that one of your RAM sticks is bad.

Is your heatsink well-seated? You said you didn't detect anything unusual with the temps, but can you recall what they were?

 

[dingo07]

... Is there a way to determine what part is shorted, w/o actually trying spare parts?

unfortunately not, unless you have a separate memory tester for the memory- but then you're left with the proc and mb...

I would carefully, again, remove the motherboard from the case entirely- remove all memory and CPU. Make sure you have TIM to put the heatsink back on. Inspect the processor and the socket. Inspect each memory slot for debris.

Im imagining a cold-solder joint on the motherboard somewhere, which is impossible to find... Try to get into BIOS and see if it's stable for 6 hours, moving and wiggling cables to try and detect a bad connection somewhere.

You might want to invest in a good UPS before trying this again, which will eliminate bad power feed. Power sags (not spikes) account for killing electronics frequently.

My $0.02

 

[archenemynl]

thnx for the replys!

I've tested both my Ram's separately on different slots, yet it made no difference. I suppose we can cross out the possibility that the ram's the problem.

I already checked the cpu/socket, but nothing seems to be dirty/bent.

As for the cold solder: the pc has been running fine for 6 months, I guess I would've noticed that sooner ^^.

 

[PanicMaster85]

one question what do you mean by a proccessor driver? I didn't know that even existed...

 

[jacobsta811]

Anything you did in the software/OS except if you were updating the BIOS or overvolting/overclocking something is going to be irrelevant in a no boot/instant restart situation. You clearly have a hardware failure. Generally hardware failures after 6 months of working are going to be power supply or motherboard related, if the board doesn't boot at all/restarts so quickly. If it would boot and then shutdown/restart after a small amount of time, or only boot after being shut down for a while, you might suspect heat instead. If it were my system I would try a known good power supply, and if that failed, pull the mobo, processor, RAM and PSU from the case. Place in on something like a wooden cutting board. Remove and reinstall all of those items (ie, remove and replace processor & heatsink/fan, RAM, PSU connectors, Graphics card if no onboard VGA). Try to start it by either using a paperclip between the two power switch pins, or just connect the case power switch and leave the case nearby. If that doesn't work I probably RMA the motherboard on a system this new. On an older system I'd probably take it as a sign to upgrade.

 

[jacobsta811]

Adding - a cold solder joint/bad solder joint fails after repeatedly heating & cooling (ie after time), your board wasn't bad when you got it and you wouldn't have known you had a cold solder joint until it failed.

 

[JMer806]

Well, OP you said that you tried it with another PSU and had the same problem, right? So then it's probably your motherboard. Is it possible to test your CPU in another rig?

I am betting your MOBO is the issue - be ready to RMA it.

 

[archenemynl]

Thankfully all parts are well within the warranty period.
I'm thinking about buying a new mobo from a nearby store and returning it after I've done some tests.
In either case, ill keep you guys updated, thnx for all the help so far!