My computer won\'t fire up...

Ok, I\'m currently typing this on my parents computer...

Now... I get home one day and I walk into my room and notice my computer is "humming"... It is a customly built computer and has a lot of fans inside of it.

Now I turn off the power switch, and turn it back on again and the computer starts up but then dies.

Did it overheat? Is a fan not working? What should I do?

the power supply went bad or there a short on your mobo or something

1.) Should I open up the case, and look for particular things?

2.) Is this something I can do on my own (considering I have a pretty solid background with computers)? Or should I seek professional help?

3.) How much to repair a problem of this nature?

Grab your parents PS and throw it in your comp and see if that does the trick.  If not, and it won\'t boot to your system check then chances are it\'s the mobo

I\'ll give these things a whirl possibly tomorrow night when I have free time... For now I have moved my parents computer (which is never used) into my room... Its okay except it has none of my songs on it, and is Win98...

Its a Compaq Presario...

[Paul2]

Hmmm, if the power supply died.  Try to connect the power supply to your parent\'s computer, (kinda like switch power supply) and see if it runs on your parent\'s computer.  If it didn\'t run on your parent\'s computer, then, it maybe the power supply is dead.  Replace it with a new one.

I already said that

[mm mode] I swear, no one listens to me

I\'ll try it out, even though I\'ve never seen a power supply or know anything about it.

look for the big boxy thing in there.

[Living-In-Clip]

Originally posted by SwifDi
2.) Is this something I can do on my own (considering I have a pretty solid background with computers)? Or should I seek professional help?

 

Originally posted by SwifDi
I\'ll try it out, even though I\'ve never seen a power supply or know anything about it.

Don\'t these two statements contradict each other?

If you have no clue on how to switch PS\'s out, then either find an FAQ online or take it to someone.


Also - just in case no one mentioned, it may be the power supply. Just switch them out with your parents computer. If not, it may be the motherboard. Don\'t think anyone suggested that!

Check also the processor\'s fan, it\'s possible that it died and when you switched on the computer, the cpu burnt.

you don\'t have a solid background in computers if you can\'t crack open the case and name every single piece of hardware inside.

I\'d guess it\'s a power supply gone bad.  Is your computer a Compaq or your parents\'?

Parents = Compaq

And by "solid background" I mean that I am capable of doing  new things without too much of a hastle.

[Living-In-Clip]

Originally posted by SwifDi
Parents = Compaq

And by "solid background" I mean that I am capable of doing  new things without too much of a hastle.

That\'s hardly a "solid background" , if anything that is just a low learning curve.

Here is what a typical one looks like.  It\'s the box that your power cord plugs into to power your case.  They typically have a fan as well.

You\'ll probably need a phillips screwdriver and you are gonna need to removed one of the side panels.  It shouldn\'t take you more than 10 mins to get out.  Just make sure you remember where all the wires go, although that dosen\'t matter much as they are all the same for the most part.