my PC wont boot up

[super_mumbles]

Today I was using my computer then turned off whilst I went to eat. I came back and tried to turn it on but nothing happened. If I plug it in at the wall the heat sink for the processor and the indicator light on the mother board work but the light flickers. I've looked at my brothers pc which is exactly the same build as mine and when its turned on his MoBo light is solid. Also, when I turned my front case lights on they just flickered on and off.

This sounds like a power supply issue to me, can anyone back this up or is it something else that Ive missed completely?

All help appreciated, especially seeing as Im due to start my uni course in 2 days time.

***update***
Tried switching the PCU with the one in my brothers machine and it worked, so I've bought a new one which will hopefully be here in the next few days.

Thanks for the suggestions

Appreciated

 

[tk1989]

You could've blown your PSU i guess. Try your brothers PSU in your PC. Also check that all the power connections are in place, check that there arent any hanging or not fully plugged in etc. Considering that the light is flickering one of the connections could have potentially come loose.

 

[super_mumbles]

You could've blown your PSU i guess. Try your brothers PSU in your PC. Also check that all the power connections are in place, check that there arent any hanging or not fully plugged in etc. Considering that the light is flickering one of the connections could have potentially come loose.

I've had a thorough check and everything is plugged in securely. Theres stuff hanging but that didn't affect it before hand. As for testing with my brothers PSU, I would do but I don't want to risk his PC dying as well.

 

[Nepeccel]

Do you clean your PC? It may have had an excess amount of dust in it causing it to overheat.
Other than that try using your brothers PSU to see if that's the problem. Another thing, it could be a nasty virus/trojan but I think that would be unlikely.

I hope you can sort it, nothing worse than having a dead PC! (well there is but you know what I mean)

 

[headshotcatcher]

You could've blown your PSU i guess. Try your brothers PSU in your PC. Also check that all the power connections are in place, check that there arent any hanging or not fully plugged in etc. Considering that the light is flickering one of the connections could have potentially come loose.

I've had a thorough check and everything is plugged in securely. Theres stuff hanging but that didn't affect it before hand. As for testing with my brothers PSU, I would do but I don't want to risk his PC dying as well.

Really, try swapping components, you can put a dot of tipex on all his components so that you dont mix them up. That way you can find the issue wih yours, unless your still under warrenty, then just send yours back and dont touch his!

But if theres something in the computer shorting out the other parts it'd just make it worse, right?

 

[Starnerf]

Is the motherboard light blinking with a discernible pattern or just flickering randomly? If there's a pattern it may be an error code that will tell you what's wrong.

 

[Ridley200]

I actually have a very similar issue, but mine still works, only sometimes freezing and shutting down. My thoughts are a Power Source issue, get a new one, or a bigger one (that's why i'm sure 'tis my problem, since i recently put in a new GPU and HDD)

 

[-AC80-]

take it to a pc shop they will fix it. if it is a relatively small job it should for free laybor but may cost for any parts a very small cost. if all parts are still in warranty they can diagnose and replace part for free (cost for laybor) if not well it will cost allot if the problem part is expensive.

 

[tk1989]

You could've blown your PSU i guess. Try your brothers PSU in your PC. Also check that all the power connections are in place, check that there arent any hanging or not fully plugged in etc. Considering that the light is flickering one of the connections could have potentially come loose.

I've had a thorough check and everything is plugged in securely. Theres stuff hanging but that didn't affect it before hand. As for testing with my brothers PSU, I would do but I don't want to risk his PC dying as well.

If you put his PSU into your computer then there should be no consequences. We are trying to work out whether your PSU is fried or not. If his PSU is ok then you should be able to plug it all in properly. The Motherboard wont do anything to harm the PSU. The PSU will be surge protected, so your motherboard should hopefully not be fried or anything if that is the source of the problem, its most likely that it just died from overuse or something, just got too hot if the ventilation wasn't good enough and something melted....

I have had a similar problem where the PC would just not turn on. I used my mates PSU on my PC and it worked fine, turned out that my PSu had died.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

i'm going to have to say you're PSU is dead and you need a new one

 

[Laughing Man]

The OP got the problem at the end of his post.

His PSU has died, I know because I had the exact same problem with a new build, some cheap crappy PSU supplied with the case I bought. Switched the PC one everything would flash and, lights would come on, fans would spin and then the whole thing would die.

Everything else is crazy talk

Shorts, doubtful, the chances of an unmoved un modded PC that worked perfectly before hand suddenly developing a short are frankly tiny, beside most Mobos are smart enough to shut down to protect themselves if they detect a short so the OP is more likely to get a totally dead PC rather than one that does something but doesn't boot.

Heat or dust build up, nope you need a hell of a lot of dust inside a PC to even have a partially noticeable effect on the computer's overall running temp. Besides all the major components in the PC will have thermal protection so the PC would have shut down itself long before any real damage had occured.

Can the OP tell us exactly what brand of PSU it is that is inside his PC, chances are if it's a no name piece of trash then the PSU has gone. If it's blown it will be very obvious, as an electronic engineer I can tell you that the smell of failed electronic components is something you can't miss. Remove ther PSU and get a nostril full of the insides via one of the air vents, if it's gone you'll be able to smell it.