PC struggles to boot.

Tony EH

So in the last week or so, the PC has been doing this weird dance where when I press the on button on top of the case, the PC appears to be starting a boot and then just gives up. It'll try again for an indeterminate number of times until eventually it'll go through with booting. I'm unsure why this is happening and there's been no changes made to the machine for over a year.

1. It's not the HDD, as this is happening on another HDD too. I've also run chdsk to see if it could fix any sector errors.
2. It's not a heat issue.
3. It's not a Windows 10 thing.
4. It's not a RAM issue.
5. It's not a BIOS issue, and I have loaded the defaults on the motherboard and still the problem persists, plus I've never altered the BIOS in any case.
6. It's not a cable issue, cos I've replaced the SATA cables into the back of the HDD.
7. It's not a sleep, hibernate, restart or shut down issue. Although restarting the PC causes no problems.

I am thinking it might be a sign of a failing PSU (currently a Super Flower Leadex Gold), but I am unsure. And if it was that, I think it wouldn't just be struggling to start. It probably just wouldn't start at all. Or would switch off half way through operation as well as struggle to start?

Any ideas?

Grimwar

Hi, i may have a related problem as i posted in this Tread https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058270818/pc-struggles-to-boot#latest

Awhile back my PC was doing what you are experiencing now. Took 2/3 boots to load and i had to restart my monitor too? Then last week it would reboot after starting up. I did a new reinstall of Win 10 (new) removed the GDU (used the intel CPU built in) i have 4 x 4GB mem sticks, removed and tried replacing 1x1. As you i never messed with the BIOS, but i reset that too. At this stage i was tearing my hair out.

But one thing i did notice, before my PC went into the Restart loop was after i had removed the GDU and just had 4GB of mem the CPU and the Intel GPU were at over 95% power usage on a basic app (650 Watt Seasonic G Series Modular 80+ Gold)

Not sure if this is true, but i have read that the PSU will degrade over time. (1) New Message! (afphila.com)

I think if you have high power usage in Task manager on a basic app while you're on simple PC components. Probably the PSU

I hope my experience helps

Tony EH

There's no problem in Task Manager and when idle or using low power draw programs the PC runs just fine. When I'm converting video and whatnot, the PC is obviously under a heavier load, but again there doesn't seem to be any issues there either.

Basically, once the PC does its little boot up song and dance it runs perfectly fine. It just the 3 or 4 efforts to start up when I switch it on that's happening?

I've never seen anything like it before TBH.

Flinty997

Will it start from a restart or sleep or hibernation?

if it posts something then stops, I would suspect the motherboard rather than the PSU. But thats just a guess.

Tony EH

Starts from both sleep and hibernation but does the same song and dance where it looks like it's booting then it switches off. It'll repeat that several times and then it finally catches and completes the boot.

Flinty997

Does it fail at the same point in the boot sequence?

have you quick boot turned off?

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119849918#Comment_119849918

So, at the very beginning when I press the on button on the top of the case, the fans whir up the little blue light comes on for a second and then the PC switches off. It'll do this several times until it eventually seems ready to complete the boot, if you know what I mean.

Quick boot had been both on and off and the same thing occurs.

VinLieger

Is it the same number of failed boots each time?

Probably a physical issue with the switch itself, something loose, some contamination perhaps.

smuggler.ie

I do have faulty ON switch - it might not always work(does not "engage" 1 out of 10 times), but when it does, it starts PC.

Effectively, there is need of "short" for split second to engage PSU for a startup, all it does as you would short pins 4&5 to jump-start PSU , but it would not "cut-off" once started(providing no fault on PSU)

By description provided, it start PC, only then to cut-off.

PSU or MoBo or connection between would be my guess.

Re-seat power to Mobo is free, other tests might cost unless you have "donor"

Jayd0g

Has the CMOS battery ever been replaced?

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119850239#Comment_119850239

No. It varies. But recently she seems to be booting within 2 - 5 attempts?

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119850248#Comment_119850248

The switch at the back is always on. I never turn that off, except when I'm changing components which hasn't been done in a long time.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119852222#Comment_119852222

No.

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119852563#Comment_119852563

Have you opened the case and watched to see if there's anything infrequently moving to cause this?

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119852726#Comment_119852726

Case has a window on the side. But, yeah I've opened her up too.

Upon pressing the ON button, the fans will whir, the HDD spins up and it looks like everything is about to get going. But then she'll just stop the boot. That's all I can see.

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119852898#Comment_119852898

Yeah I was thinking that if its not a regular number maybe its a physical issue somewhere, maybe try switch the cmos battery? Otherwise best try get a loan of a PSU to see if your original theory is correct. Beyond that with no logs or errors its tricky to diagnose.