Brewology

the title explains it....
this is what happened, I accidentally pulled the power wire, and the computer shut off(duh).. so then i put the wire back on, except now my pc restarts in less than a sec... infact it keeps restarting so damn fast that my monitor doesn't show anything, my dvd drive doesn't open(almost does, then the pc restarts)... i cant even get to the bios screen or anything...

the other thing is that, the pc restarts sofast that pressing the button(that starts or shuts down your computer) doesn't shut it off... I have to shut it off by pulling the wire..

I really need ur help... I have some really imortant files, and an important DVD in there... plz reply as soooon as possible..

Thanks in advance

-Da Cool Man- (Thanks DPM )

You may have damaged the power supply. The best way to find out:

1. shut down PC
2. unplug from wall
3. hit the power button to expel any charge left in the computer
4. turn off the power supply manually from the switch on the back
5. press the power button again a few times
6. plug back in, turn power supply back on, and power up the computer.

If the problem still happens, then try doing those steps again, but instead, removing the 20/24 pin connector from the power supply on the inside that connects to the motherboard. This should be the single-most largest connector in the computer and if you're unsure of what it looks like, it'll look something like this.



After you unplug the motherboards main power, also unplug the processor's power plug. The plug looks like the middle picture in the image below.



This plug is normally located near the processor somewhere and is an 8-pin connector. After doing that, try plugging the computer back in normally, turn on the power supply, and try booting up the computer again. Check to see if the power supply turns off quickly like before. If the problem keeps on occuring then you almost assuredly have a bad power supply and you shouldn't try using it until you get another. If it works "fine" and doesn't shut off instantly then the answer is one of two things. A.) the power supply might be good after all or B.) You could have damaged one of the power supplies ways of powering something major, like the processor or the motherboard, and again, the power supply should be replaced.

If you feel the power supply is going out, be careful! Don't use the computer at all unless you absolutely have to. I say this because the power supply is like the heart of the computer. Without the juice flowing, the computer won't work, but equally as damaging, the power supply can cause all sorts of problems by frying additional components inside the computer and you don't want to take that risk.

Lemme know how it goes. I might not be able to respond again until around 7-8:00 PM Eastern Time today.

-DarkPacMan77-

tried the first 6 steps... still the same prob

I thought it would be better if i didn't do anything with the power supply so i left it...

I'll change the power suply (or maybe get a new pc after a couple of days) and post the results..

other then that :

Someone told me that something (possibly a virus) could have erased my bios, so thats why the computer keeps restarting.. dont know that though...

Thanks to anyone who has or will help...

-Da Cool Man-

Hmmmmm.....
I've had a similar problem on an older pc.
Check any components near the edges of your motherboard.

What roxfox is leading into is that there is a chance that something is causing a short from the motherboard. This is possible. The virus idea is slim... but possible as well. It's rare to have viruses like that now. Try taking out the battery for your computer's bios. It should be a lithium CR2032 or similar battery. Leave it out for a few seconds and then try turning the system on without the battery. It might work - if it does, just put in the battery again and enjoy.

-DarkPacMan77-

Indeed. A short would cause a mini-panic, and have the motherboard force a reboot.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wasn't able to remove the battery but managed to pull it up and put it back, and now pc is working fine....

Really guys, my deepest thanks...

-Da Cool Man-

What happened is that a component was failing to initialize when booting up since it was shut down inappropriately, so the bios was killing the bootup to prevent damage. Glad you got if all figured out and happy to help

-DarkPacMan77-

I have a soution......Get a mac lol

I like mac's.

I also like 2 clicks on my mouse and the standard keyboard.

Nice try, but this can happen to Mac's just as easily as it can PC's

-DarkPacMan77-

I know i just playing around lol

Thanks DPM My comp screwed up and had to do this.

Along with my friends on the same day!
Why it's doing that to us I dont, know.

Hey, awesome, glad I could help. Basically, this is a problem that can happen pretty easily. It happens so easily mainly because it can happen for so many different reasons. Since almost everything has something to do with the motherboard, sending information to and from the motherboard to other components is essential. Most of these problems are going to occur during times of power cycling, that is, turning the computer on/ off. Chances increase if the power is abruptly cut or a power supply fails or for VARIOUS other reasons. Pulling the motherboard battery makes the BIOS of the motherboard change to the safest default settings that are known to operate functionally. That, however, DOESN'T mean that those settings are optimized when they are reset. This is most useful to someone who has built their own computer or doesn't have their "standard" motherboard from say... a Dell or Gateway computer that was store-bought. This is because aftermarket motherboards can usually have extra settings for voltages, timings, speeds, etc.

This usually happens to older (store-bought) computers (5+ years old) for two reasons. 1.) the computer can have parts that are "slowly failing" at different rates from one another and there are inconsistencies in the way they are operating together, and 2.) newer hardware, like RAM and CPU usually have enough time to send an accurate crash log to the hard drive, even during abrupt power failure, and this usually means that the system won't need the motherboard reset (usually) because nothing gets corrupted or operates out of the norm.

-DarkPacMan77-

when and if u decide to get a new computer. run laptops by me. i mean, u dont have too, but its a good idea.


hey that caps lock button, on my old computer, says BILLY MAYS for a really damn good reason. also, did any one miss me for the week i was out. busy with my xbox and i forgot all about it.