Let’s take a moment to make sure that you’re on the right page. If you can hear your computer’s fans and drives whirring, but you don’t see any video on the monitor screen, turn to “What To Do When: Your Monitor Is Blank,” on page 58. In this article, we’re strictly interested only in PCs that are pushing up the daisies, metaphorically speaking.

Cheap Fixes

Fortunately, this type of problem isn’t all that difficult to solve. The troubleshooting process is fairly linear. First, rule out simple but understandable mistakes. Next, look for something that isn’t hooked up as it should be. Finally, if all evidence begins to point inexorably toward the conclusion that a bit of hardware has shuffled off this mortal coil, direct your efforts toward isolating and identifying the decedent.

But, first things first. Even the best motherboard (the largest printed circuit board in your PC) has quirks. Perhaps yours has developed a slight flutter (that’s a highly technical term for “boo-boo” or “whoopsie”). Try pushing the Power button again. If nothing continues to happen, as is nothing’s occasional wont, push and hold the Power button down for a leisurely count of five seconds.

Still nothing? Shoot; we thought that would do it.

OK, OK. We’re kidding. Reach behind your computer and make sure that the power cord isn’t loose or disconnected. Sometimes cables and cords get kicked and stepped on under a computer desk, so a loose power cord isn’t as far-fetched as you might think.

The part of your PC into which the AC power cable plugs is called the PSU (power supply unit). It’s basically a transformer that turns AC (alternating current) into DC (direct current) at voltage levels your computer can use. When broken hardware is to blame for your PC doing absolutely nothing when you try to turn it on, the PSU is the prime suspect. But that’s a matter for the next section in this article, “Not-So-Cheap Fixes.” Here, we’re more concerned with finding free or nearly free solutions to empowering your computer.

On the back of most PSUs, often near the power receptacle, there’s an on/off switch. Flip it and then try starting your computer again in case the switch was in the wrong position (hey, humor us). Next, leave the switch alone for 30 seconds or so and then toggle it back to the original position. If your motherboard has indeed picked up a flutter, perhaps the 30-second period without electricity will allow any residual charges to drain out of the capacitors. With the switch in the “on” position, try to start your PC once more.

If there’s still nothing doing, spare another glance behind your PC or under your desk at your power strip/surge protector. When it’s receiving power from the wall outlet, it probably has an LED (light-emitting diode) or switch lamp that lights up to tell you so. Sometimes a power strip can be unplugged, as can anything plugged into it. Pets and feet can also trip the rocker switch on a surge protector, shutting down power to everything connected to it.

Something else can shut down a surge suppressor, and that’s an electrical surge. Lightning, load changes, and other anomalies can cause enough disruption on a power line to trip the surge protection cutoff on a power strip. Usually, if this happens, you’ll see a brightly colored button sticking out unusually far or some other reset mechanism. In practice, you can press the button back in to reset the device, but don’t continue to use a surge protector if there’s any chance that it really did stop a lightning bolt or other power spike. It probably won’t be able to do it again. Buy a new one.

Other things can happen upstream of the power strip. Sometimes wall outlets go bad after many years. Try plugging the strip into a different outlet (and your PC into a different outlet on the surge protector, for that matter). If lamps or appliances plugged into the same house current circuit don’t work, either, check for a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse in your home’s power distribution panel.

If you’ve recently moved your desktop computer from one location to another, it’s possible, although not terrifically likely, that an internal power cable has come loose. Make sure all power and data cables are tightly connected and that all expansion cards are fully seated in their slots. If your PSU is modular, meaning that it has detachable power leads, check both ends of its cables for snugness.

There’s also a small two-wire cable from the case’s front Power switch that connects to two pins on the motherboard. If this has popped loose, the front switch won’t be hooked up to anything. You can slip the thin connector labeled POWER SW back into place, if you can ascertain where it goes. Consult your motherboard or computer manufacturer for a diagram of the front panel connections if you can’t read the tiny print on the board itself.

Finally, if the last thing you did before your PC would no longer start was to install the motherboard, verify that you connected all the power cables the board requires. Also, if a new board has fewer than 10 mounting holes, double-check that there are no metal (and electrically conducting) spacers or stamped mounting standoffs under a part of the board without a hole. If there is, it could cause a short circuit. Unscrew the spacer or put two pieces of electrical tape over the stamping and then reinstall the motherboard. Loose screws can cause the same problem, so remove any you find.

Not-So-Cheap Fixes

Now, we’ll get into some potentially expensive territory. If something’s busted, you’ll need a new one.

If you have a spare AC power cable, such as from a monitor or another PC, try it. Next, if you have an extra power supply, try running your PC with it. You don’t need to physically install it in the case, but you do have to attach its power connectors to your motherboard, hard drive, and video card if necessary. An inexpensive power supply tester from an electronics store can give you a verdict, too.

If your PC boots with the spare PSU, or if the power supply tester indicates a problem, you’ll need to replace the PSU in your case. You don’t have to spend a ton, but you do want to buy a quality brand with a good reputation and the 80 PLUS logo for efficiency.

In rare cases, a problem in another device can cause your computer to play dead. The motherboard should be second on your list of suspects (behind the PSU), but an expansion card or the CPU itself could be to blame. Unless you have the spare parts on hand to try a mainboard or processor swap, it’s a good idea to ask a repair shop or geeky friend to help you isolate the bad device.

Finding a broken part is cathartic. Not only will it let you avoid the shame of giving up, but it will also give you something to blame for your troubles, which somehow always makes adversity easier to bear. Plus, you’ll get to buy a shiny new thinga-mabob, which probably will give you more power efficiency, speed, and/or other features than the last one.

by Marty Sems