Question Pc won’t boot after re-applying thermal paste

Jan 29, 2019
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I bought new thermal paste because my cpu was to hot. I used arctic silver mx-4 and i have an a8 5600k with a stock cooler. When i had put the thermal paste on and i put the cooler back on it did slide a bit. All power connectors are plugged in. When i push the power button all fans start spinning but the cpu fan goes on then off then on again. Nothing happens on my screen when i turn it on. What could be the problem why my pc won’t boot?

Edit: i used the jumpers to clear the cmos but it is not fixed. If i can’t fix it is there a way to get a word file of the hdd because i need it soon and its really important.

Update: i fixed it, the problem was that there was a piece of dust on a cpu pin. I dont know how it got there because the cpu was never out of its socket.
 
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Sir_Lagsalot

Honorable
Mar 19, 2017
125
2
10,865
Take out the cpu and examine the socket. Make sure no bits of thermal paste are in it, or on the cpu pins. It's a bit unlikely, but it could definitely keep the system from booting. As for the hard drive, you can try removing it from the system and hook it up to another machine like a laptop if you have one. But you would need a sata to usb adapter for that.
 
Jan 29, 2019
36
1
35
Take out the cpu and examine the socket. Make sure no bits of thermal paste are in it, or on the cpu pins. It's a bit unlikely, but it could definitely keep the system from booting. As for the hard drive, you can try removing it from the system and hook it up to another machine like a laptop if you have one. But you would need a sata to usb adapter for that.
I took out the cpu but there werent any pins bent and there wasnt any thermal paste inside the socket.

For the hdd i do have an adapter but the hdd doesnt get enough power from it. Do you know how i can give it power? Because the sata power slot is blocked by the adapter.
 
Double check that the cpu fan is plugged into the cpu fan header if there is one on the motherboard. Some motherboards won't boot if there isn't anything plugged into that header as a precaution against overheating the Cpu. Just a thought.
 
Jan 29, 2019
36
1
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Double check that the cpu fan is plugged into the cpu fan header if there is one on the motherboard. Some motherboards won't boot if there isn't anything plugged into that header as a precaution against overheating the Cpu. Just a thought.
Thanks, but the cpu fan is spinning but it turns on and off and on and off. It’s very weird.
 

PdxPetmonster

Reputable
Mar 14, 2017
217
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4,815
There's a bit on the cooler....where? Try and clean it as much as possible, then reapply an amount the size of a pea on the middle of the cpu. Make sure that no thermal paste got anywhere outside of the area around the heat spreader. I'm just about positive that arctic silver is non-conductive, but no harm in checking. Also, check for bent pins on the CPU as well, removing the cooler could have pulled the cpu out a smidge, then re-tightening the cooler potentially could have bent a pin as the pressure tried to reinsert the cpu.
 
Thanks, but the cpu fan is spinning but it turns on and off and on and off. It’s very weird.

Make sure the heatsink fan is plugged in to the CPU fan header, not a different header on the motherboard.

The easiest way to access the hard drive would be to buy an external hard drive dock and hook the dock up to a different computer/laptop. It's a good thing to have around anyway.