ribbit2
Member
I have a very strange problem with a PC Specialist-built desktop machine, which has been running beautifully since Dec 2009. The machine had not been used for a few months and would not power on properly. The symptoms are as follows:
Turn on the power and the red light on the built-in card reader comes on (along with the green light on the motherboard). Press the power button the front of the case and nothing happens. Then slowly the fans will begin to kick round, first a little nudge, gradually building to a short spin. The DVD drive will make its usual disk detection noises. This goes on for a while and eventually the blue light on the power button will come on briefly, then for longer and longer periods. Eventually the BIOS screen will appear, then it will power off and start again. This keeps going until it gets as far as the Windows boot, then typically it will power off half way through and start again. After a long time it eventually gets the point where Windows will start, after skipping through the Windows failed to start normally screen.
I have replaced the button battery for the CMOS, but that has made no difference. My initial thought is that there is rechargeable battery somewhere which is not holding charge - this is further confirmed by leaving the machine plugged in for half an hour before attempting to start it - it will then start up first time as normal. If you only leave it for 5 minutes it gives up halfway through starting Windows. I am unable to find a rechargeable battery anywhere on the motherboard (or indeed anywhere inside the case) and I can find no mention of one in the motherboard manual, or after repeated Googling of the motherboard.
In 30 years of computers I have never encountered such a strange power issue.
Does anyone have any idea what it might be?
Many thanks,
Robert
--
Asus P5QL/EPU | Intel Core™2 Duo E8500 (3.16GHz) | 4GB Corsair XMS2 Dual-DDR2 800MHz | 500GB SATA Hard disk | DVD writer | 512MB nVidea GeForce 8400GS | Internal 52-in-1 Card Reader | Silver/Black Trident Case + 2 Front USB | 350W Dual Rail PSU | Windows 7 Home Premium 32 Bit
Turn on the power and the red light on the built-in card reader comes on (along with the green light on the motherboard). Press the power button the front of the case and nothing happens. Then slowly the fans will begin to kick round, first a little nudge, gradually building to a short spin. The DVD drive will make its usual disk detection noises. This goes on for a while and eventually the blue light on the power button will come on briefly, then for longer and longer periods. Eventually the BIOS screen will appear, then it will power off and start again. This keeps going until it gets as far as the Windows boot, then typically it will power off half way through and start again. After a long time it eventually gets the point where Windows will start, after skipping through the Windows failed to start normally screen.
I have replaced the button battery for the CMOS, but that has made no difference. My initial thought is that there is rechargeable battery somewhere which is not holding charge - this is further confirmed by leaving the machine plugged in for half an hour before attempting to start it - it will then start up first time as normal. If you only leave it for 5 minutes it gives up halfway through starting Windows. I am unable to find a rechargeable battery anywhere on the motherboard (or indeed anywhere inside the case) and I can find no mention of one in the motherboard manual, or after repeated Googling of the motherboard.
In 30 years of computers I have never encountered such a strange power issue.
Does anyone have any idea what it might be?
Many thanks,
Robert
--
Asus P5QL/EPU | Intel Core™2 Duo E8500 (3.16GHz) | 4GB Corsair XMS2 Dual-DDR2 800MHz | 500GB SATA Hard disk | DVD writer | 512MB nVidea GeForce 8400GS | Internal 52-in-1 Card Reader | Silver/Black Trident Case + 2 Front USB | 350W Dual Rail PSU | Windows 7 Home Premium 32 Bit