PC won't boot up

My computer is totally dead. It won't even turn on. I tried swapping out the power cable, but no luck there.

I went ahead and opened up the case, unplugged everything from the PSU, and then jumped the green and black pins on the motherboard connector with a paperclip. The fan spins up, so I guess the power supply might actually be fine... I'm just stumped as to why nothing happens when I hit the power button.

What should I try next to troubleshoot this? Any idea what could be going on? 🙂

As long as the PSU is hooked up to the motherboard, you can trigger a boot by briefly bridging those two pins on the front panel connectors using a screwdriver or a wire—just make sure you're holding it by the insulated part. You could also just swap the power and reset connectors since they’re identical. Hit it with the reset button instead. That way, you'll know if the switch itself is busted. If it isn't, then you're likely looking at a dead motherboard.

Whenever I plug everything back into the power strip, my PSU starts making this weird whining noise. It just keeps going until I completely unplug it...
By the way, I tried that trick urbanheron4 suggested, but it didn't really do anything.

If anyone has any other bright ideas, let me know... I'm not quite sure how to test the CPU or the motherboard yet, so I'll probably just Google it... 😁

What components are we looking at here? You got a multimeter on hand? I guess you could try powering up the PSU to see if you're getting those key voltages—like 3.3V, 12V, and 5V. Maybe just crack the casing open and check the capacitors for any bulging or leaks,

Larry Taylor3 said:The computer isn't showing any signs of life at all..

Honestly, you probably just need to swap out the power supply for a new one and call it a day.

Does anything actually happen when you hit the power button? Any twitch from a CPU fan, the case fans, or the PSU? Does an LED blink at all? If it’s completely dead, check the power supply first. Just because a fan spins doesn't mean the voltages are actually stable. You'll need a multimeter to test it like this:



It wouldn't hurt to plug in a couple of fans while you're measuring just to give it some sort of load—try connecting them directly via SATA or PATA rather than through the motherboard.

The other thing to test is the switch; I already walked you through that process.



If it isn't those two things, there's a 99% chance the motherboard is shot. You can inspect the tops of the capacitors to see if any electrolyte has leaked out—that brown residue—but honestly, you rarely see that anymore. It's unlikely to be the CPU, RAM, or GPU, because if one of those were the culprit, the system would likely trigger some kind of boot sequence or throw beep codes depending on the error.
Try plugging it into a different outlet or using a different power strip, just to rule out something stupid like a bad socket.

Looks like the motherboard is toast.
If you’re looking for someone who actually knows their way around a circuit board, I’d suggest checking out:

local repair shop in a small town - they really know their stuff when it comes to electronics
They handle everything from desktop PCs and laptops to tablets, phones, and all that other IT gear