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From: jearly@lehi3b15.csee.Lehigh.EDU (John Early)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Mom's PC Died
Message-ID: <1004@lehi3b15.csee.Lehigh.EDU>
Date: 3 Jul 90 20:13:03 GMT
References: <44260@brunix.UUCP> <1990Jul2.152841.27127@cbnewsk.att.com>
Distribution: na
Organization: CSEE Dept. Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Lines: 38
In-reply-to: rdu@cbnewsk.att.com's message of 2 Jul 90 15:28:41 GMT

In article <1990Jul2.152841.27127@cbnewsk.att.com> rdu@cbnewsk.att.com (ranjan.dutta) writes:

>   In article <44260@brunix.UUCP> djp@cs.brown.edu (Abdullah The Butcher) writes:
>   >Hey folks. . .
>   >everything hung.  The computer has had sporadic problems on startup -
>   >sometimes it just wouldn't boot until it was switched off and back on.
>   >Once everything hung, mom gave up and turned it off.  Since then, it
>   >will not boot.  Period.  From floppy or hard disk.  When it is turned
>   >
>   >Dave Pawson

>   Dave,

>     Power Supply looks like the best bet.
>   Before booting, PC checks for the stability
>   of the power supply. If the power supply is
>   flaky, it just might lay dormant.
>     Hope it helps,
>   Ranjan

I missed the begining of this thread, so I don't know whose motherboard it
is, but here are a few thoughts:  mis-seated cards can cause this same
probelem, as will a bit of metal falling into the case and shorting.
I had a PC (DTK motherboard) which had a flaky keyboard connector and
would shut down if you were too rough with it.  Don't give up on the
power supply just yet...try this:  disconnect all the power supply connections
to hard and floppy drives (and anything else) as well as the motherboad.
Turn it on.  If the fan runs the powersupply is fine, and the problem is
(most likely) on the motherboard.  Try shorting the power-good line to the
supply and see if it boots then.
Hope this helps,
John.

----------------------------------------
John Early                             |
jearly@lehi3b15.csee.lehigh.edu        |  I was just a child then;
JPE1@Lehigh.Bitnet                     |  now I'm only a man.  [pf]
LUJPE@VAX1.cc.lehigh.edu               |