Question Any suggestions before I take PC into shop??

Sep 12, 2024
5
0
10
I dont know anything about computers other then what ive learned today trying to fix mine. Idk the specs other then it is pretty basic and has a cx500 power supply. My power went off for a millisecond and PC would not turn back on but instead beeps 5 times in a sequence of 5. I've tried to take out the battery on motherboard to reset, I've tried to take out the Ram sticks and try one at a time turning ot back on, unplug things and plug them back in. (Suggestions from youtube and reddit). There's a green light on the motherboard idk if that means much. I just honestly don't have the money to take it in to be fixed right now. It will probably just have to sit which sucks because it's my photography and video editing computer.

Any tips/hints/suggestions for me to try??

----UPDATE of what ive figured out so far responding to Ralston18----

I'm not sure what the motherboard is. There's a hp logo on it. (closer picture in link)

The VGA box is a EV3A GeForce gtx650Ti

There's also 2 500gb Western Digital boxes (link/first picture/bottom right)

I'm not sure what my operating system is. Maybe windows 10.

The 500 Watt PSU is at least 5-6 years old.

I took some pictures here View: https://imgur.com/a/vfU4ivc


Power went off for a second because I was inside when it went off and all the kitchen appliances, tvs, etc rebooted.
 
Last edited:
For the moment - do not take the PC to a shop.

A power outage can (and does) corrupt files which, in turn, can lead to boot failures.

Likely that the green light is simply the network adapter - is that light on the back I/O panel?

= = = =

In any case the motherboard's User Guide/Manual can be used to help with troubleshooting such problems.

The beep codes are a clue but knowing the motherboard's manufacturer is important.

As is knowing the installed components....

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

How old is that 500 Watt PSU?

Photographs and screenshots can be posted here via imgur (www.imgur.com).

Add more details and explanation regarding "My power went off for a millisecond" - how is that known?
 
For the moment - do not take the PC to a shop.

A power outage can (and does) corrupt files which, in turn, can lead to boot failures.

Likely that the green light is simply the network adapter - is that light on the back I/O panel?

= = = =

In any case the motherboard's User Guide/Manual can be used to help with troubleshooting such problems.

The beep codes are a clue but knowing the motherboard's manufacturer is important.

As is knowing the installed components....

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

How old is that 500 Watt PSU?

Photographs and screenshots can be posted here via imgur (www.imgur.com).

Add more details and explanation regarding "My power went off for a millisecond" - how is that known?
I'll try my best to identify the parts and upload some pictures for further help
 
For the moment - do not take the PC to a shop.

A power outage can (and does) corrupt files which, in turn, can lead to boot failures.

Likely that the green light is simply the network adapter - is that light on the back I/O panel?

= = = =

In any case the motherboard's User Guide/Manual can be used to help with troubleshooting such problems.

The beep codes are a clue but knowing the motherboard's manufacturer is important.

As is knowing the installed components....

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

How old is that 500 Watt PSU?

Photographs and screenshots can be posted here via imgur (www.imgur.com).

Add more details and explanation regarding "My power went off for a millisecond" - how is that known?
I'm not sure what the motherboard is. There's a hp logo on it. (closer picture in link)

The VGA box is a EV3A GeForce gtx650Ti

There's also 2 500gb Western Digital boxes (link/first picture/bottom right)

I'm not sure what my operating system is. Maybe windows 10.

The 500 Watt PSU is at least 5-6 years old.

I took some pictures here View: https://imgur.com/a/vfU4ivc


Power went off for a second because I was inside when it went off and all the kitchen appliances, tvs, etc rebooted.
 
Nicely done withe photos and additional information.

I found a number of links that provided differing meanings regarding "5 beeps".

Even among HP beep code listings...

For example:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Deskt...n-Power-on-5-beeps-from-the-BIOS/td-p/8407126

You must listen closely to the beeps and the pattern - there may a combination of long and short beeps.

= = = =

The PSU is a likely suspect.

I believe that because of the PSU's age and relatively low wattage. The PSU is a critical component that provides 3 different voltagage (3.3, 5, and 12) to various system components

The PSU may have been nearing or even at its' designed in EOL (End of LIfe). A failure with respect to any one of the three voltages can and does prevent the system from being able to boot. Yet some components may seem to be working but actually are not working.

Your photographs show that the system includes 2 hard drives, a SSD (solid state drive), and an optical drive Probably more drives than the system originally included. More drives, especially hard drives, require more power. So the PSU may have been continually supplying power near or at its' max wattage.

And the power outage (more likely the power spike afterwards) simply was too much for the PSU to absorb and the PSU failed accordingly.

Do you have a knowledgeable family member or friend who could help you swap in another known working PSU?

That is where I would start. (Remember to use only the cables that come with the swapped in PSU.) Increase wattage to at least 600 watts if possible. Do not go lower than 500.

Leave the boot drive (C) connected but disconnect the other drives during the swap.

Objective simply being to determine if the system will boot again.

During the swap process clean out dust and debris. Verify that all connectors, cards, RAM, jumpers and case connections are fully and firmly in place. Inspect for signs of damage, cracks, missing or loose screws, etc.. Pinched or kinked wires, browned or blackened components, bare conductor showing, melting, moisture, corrosion. Anything at all. Use a flashlight and look carefully.

I did not note anything immediately amiss but some housekeeping is needed. And do install a new, fresh CMOS battery as soon as possible.

That all should be done with the PC powered off and unplugged.

If you do not have anyone available to provide a donor PSU and help you swap it in then you should take the computer to a shop that is known to be competent and trustworthy.

The shop should be able to swap in a test PSU and do additional diagnostic testing as necessary.

The other concern is your data. If you have important data on those drives and if that data is not backed up elsewhere you could lose that data. One way to help protect that data is to remove the data drives. Be sure that the shop (and or whoever helps you) is aware of that beforehand.
 
Nicely done withe photos and additional information.

I found a number of links that provided differing meanings regarding "5 beeps".

Even among HP beep code listings...

For example:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Deskt...n-Power-on-5-beeps-from-the-BIOS/td-p/8407126

You must listen closely to the beeps and the pattern - there may a combination of long and short beeps.

= = = =

The PSU is a likely suspect.

I believe that because of the PSU's age and relatively low wattage. The PSU is a critical component that provides 3 different voltagage (3.3, 5, and 12) to various system components

The PSU may have been nearing or even at its' designed in EOL (End of LIfe). A failure with respect to any one of the three voltages can and does prevent the system from being able to boot. Yet some components may seem to be working but actually are not working.

Your photographs show that the system includes 2 hard drives, a SSD (solid state drive), and an optical drive Probably more drives than the system originally included. More drives, especially hard drives, require more power. So the PSU may have been continually supplying power near or at its' max wattage.

And the power outage (more likely the power spike afterwards) simply was too much for the PSU to absorb and the PSU failed accordingly.

Do you have a knowledgeable family member or friend who could help you swap in another known working PSU?

That is where I would start. (Remember to use only the cables that come with the swapped in PSU.) Increase wattage to at least 600 watts if possible. Do not go lower than 500.

Leave the boot drive (C) connected but disconnect the other drives during the swap.

Objective simply being to determine if the system will boot again.

During the swap process clean out dust and debris. Verify that all connectors, cards, RAM, jumpers and case connections are fully and firmly in place. Inspect for signs of damage, cracks, missing or loose screws, etc.. Pinched or kinked wires, browned or blackened components, bare conductor showing, melting, moisture, corrosion. Anything at all. Use a flashlight and look carefully.

I did not note anything immediately amiss but some housekeeping is needed. And do install a new, fresh CMOS battery as soon as possible.

That all should be done with the PC powered off and unplugged.

If you do not have anyone available to provide a donor PSU and help you swap it in then you should take the computer to a shop that is known to be competent and trustworthy.

The shop should be able to swap in a test PSU and do additional diagnostic testing as necessary.

The other concern is your data. If you have important data on those drives and if that data is not backed up elsewhere you could lose that data. One way to help protect that data is to remove the data drives. Be sure that the shop (and or whoever helps you) is aware of that beforehand.
Thank you I bought a new power supply and it seemed to do the trick. Thank you again for taking the time to help out here!