I use an ancient desktop computer. Since its purchase, it has been struck by lightning and consequently had its main board replaced. I since added 2GB of RAM to bring the total memory up to 2.5GB.
(At this point, I realise, it might be sensible to add all the specifications of all the different parts of this computer. But I don't feel like figuring that out now, so this paragraph will just serve as a reminder to maybe add it later.)
One day the house power tripped suddenly. I reset the trip switch, but when I returned to my computer, I found that it would not switch on. Normally, when I press the power button it and would light up in red and later become green. When I now press the power button, only the red light would light up, both the computer's fans would start running, but the computer would not boot up.
So here is the trouble shooting process I followed:
1. I checked the computer's fuse (located near the main power supply). It was still intact.
2. I disconnected and reconnected all the cables. Still: red light, fans running but no booting up.
3. I unscrewed the cover and checked for any loose cables or obvious signs of problems inside the tower. Found none.
4. I heard somewhere that the main board might make a specific sound when you press the power button, which could help diagnose the problem. When I pressed the power button, I heard a single peep sound. Google revealed that this sound implies that the main board is not blown. I took this as good news.
5. Something else I read advised me to press the power button and keep it depressed for 10 - 15 seconds when you switch the computer on/off (? I cannot remember which one.) Apparently this is some kind of reset function. But it made no difference to my computer.
6. So, I dug up the main board's diver and documentation. Something else I read suggested that the power button's red light might mean that something is wrong with the CPU. The main board documentation described how to install the CPU, so I uninstalled and re-installed it, in an attempt to check all the connections. Still no difference made to the computer.
7. The main board documentation also described how to reset the CMOS. In my case, this entailed putting a two-pin bridge that was connected on the left and middle pins of three pins, on the right and middle pins. Wait a few seconds and put the bridge back into its original position. This worked! The computer booted up. The green light replaced the red light. And all my data was just as I left it.
So, I learned quite a few computer trouble shooting tricks from this experience (since in this case you cannot exactly switch it off and back on again...).
Other pieces of useful information I found in my reading:
When exploring the insides of a laptop, remember to disconnect the power and also remove the battery
It is just as simple to replace or increase laptop RAM as desktop RAM, just unscrew the screw on the bottom of the laptop...
Before touching RAM, it is advisable to ensure that your hands are static-free. Apparently, this can be accomplished by touching the screw on a light switch. I am not exactly sure why (yet).
I still don't know what went wrong with the computer and why it happened. Maybe I will find out...
There. I wrote it down for future reference. And just maybe I can help someone else googling “fans are running but computer won't boot up” - which is basically what I did.
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