Pc won't damn well start

Waltons

Right. Last night I was adding some fans, a new heat sink and cpu fan and a controller to my PC. After hooking it up, I turned the PC on and it wasn't booting properly. The on/off button on the case had suddenly decided to stop working, so i hit the off button on the psu. I took the newly added stuff out, and hooked up my old configuration. Pc won't start.
There's a little light on the motherboard which lights up when the mains is connected and the psu is on, so I don't think it's either of them (Could be horrible wrong though) I had a read around and it could be the switch, but that seems awfully convenient. And I would've thought that a problem with ram or cpu would just manifest itself with a number of beeps upon bootup.
Any help would be really appreciated.

gre_soul

try taking memory/cpu out and if you dont hear any beeps (depending on manufacturer) the Motherboard could be the problem.

Ebonyks

Well if the motherboard is getting power and the power switch is not working...maybe you just disconnected the jumper from the switch to the mobo? (can happen)

Look for the simple things first and work up, there's no need to go to drastic measures just yet

BloodBath

Yeah that would be my guess as well. You probably disconnected the power button switch from the mobo. It's easily done.


BloodBath

Col_Loki

Yea have a look at that, or watch to make sure the heatsink is fitted correctly (ie not backwards, have a look at where the slot is and match it with the bump on the socket).

The Heatsink can cause the PC to start for a second and then cut off, if its doing nothing then prob the power switch like the guys said.

Waltons

I thought that the switch to mobo connecter could've been jostled when I was moving about inside, so I disconnected and reconnected it a few times to no avail. It's not that the comp is turning on and beeping, or not beeping. It's that when I hit the power on button, absolutely NOTHING happens. I'll have a look at the heatsink, cheers Col.
I read up about some similiar cases last night and one guy recommended shorting the power switch, so I might try that later if the heatsink and connector aren't the problem.
Thanks for the help so far guys

Waltons

Ok. I've disconnected and reconnected the power switch connector (correct position attained from the mobo manual). I also reseated the heatsink. No difference :mad:

Col_Loki

That light on your motherboard is most lightly giving you some sort of a warning (or it might be the motherboard indicating that power is in). If its not powering on at all id have a look at the CPU and Ram.

Mabye check to see what that light means (manual should have it) and it might be a help. I dont mean to sound silly but did you plug the power into the motherboard? Ie if there is a 4pin connector that your motherboard might have and you forgot to plug it in?

Did you effect any of the little jumpers? Wierd problem.

Waltons

What a weird experience....
Well, the little light on the motherboard is always on, so i doubt it displays a problem. Anyhow, after extensive fiddling with different things, I decided to have a look at the heatsink. The bloody cpu wasn't properly in place! I'd always thought that the motherboard would've powered anyway....strange.
Anyway guys, thanks for all the help. Especially Col, without you I wouldn't have found the problem! Cheers

Col_Loki

Good to hear you got it sorted, its very odd that the CPU can be pulled out of the socket on an AMD XP machine (mainly happens on AMD64 , P4's) ....... damm sticky thermal compound.

Waltons

Actually it's appropriate that you mention the thermal compound. I had to actually physically pry the CPU off the heatsink when I was switching em.

Col_Loki

Yea well thats what done it alright. Funny the way the CPU didnt come out fully and stick to the under side of the heatsink........ ahh well , lessons to be learned i suppose!!