[SOLVED] PC Won't Boot After Using New Thermal Paste

[Denganim20]

So I decided to replace the thermal paste to my Ryzen cpu with the Artic Silver paste. I powered off the PC as usual, took parts out, and cleaned CPU and cooler. Then put the CPU back in and put some paste on and reset the cooler. PC isnt booting now.

All it does is make a electric kind of noise and the light in my room dims as usual, which means its drawing power. But no fans are spinning, no lights are on, and there's no beeping. So took cooler off and cleaned CPU and cooler again and tried just the CPU and still the same result. Really at a loss because I did everything cautiously and how I usually do it and the system just isnt starting. I can tell its drawing power but that's it. It's almost like the PC wants to start but some kind it protective feature or something is preventing it from booting.

 

[CountMike]

So I decided to replace the thermal paste to my Ryzen cpu with the Artic Silver paste. I powered off the PC as usual, took parts out, and cleaned CPU and cooler. Then put the CPU back in and put some paste on and reset the cooler. PC isnt booting now.

All it does is make a electric kind of noise and the light in my room dims as usual, which means its drawing power. But no fans are spinning, no lights are on, and there's no beeping. So took cooler off and cleaned CPU and cooler again and tried just the CPU and still the same result. Really at a loss because I did everything cautiously and how I usually do it and the system just isnt starting. I can tell its drawing power but that's it. It's almost like the PC wants to start but some kind it protective feature or something is preventing it from booting.

Did you plug cooler fan in right place ?

 

[Denganim20]

Did you plug cooler fan in right place ?

In the CPU_FAN slot right? I tried that one

 

[vMax]

I would double check your CPU to make sure the paste did not accidentally go any where else like into the socket or around it on the motherboard. Also if all else fail, try clearing the CMOS and booting with just one RAM stick. I am assuming you have double checked all your cables including power and the PC case front panel header at the bottom right of the motherboard. Just double check all cables are in again, including GPU as one might have accidentally been pulled out.

 

[Denganim20]

I would double check your CPU to make sure the paste did not accidentally go any where else like into the socket or around it on the motherboard. Also if all else fail, try clearing the CMOS and booting with just one RAM stick. I am assuming you have double checked all your cables including power and the PC case front panel header at the bottom right of the motherboard. Just double check all cables are in again, including GPU as one might have accidentally been pulled out.

Yeah I tried reseating all front cable pins to no avail. And cleared CMOS by battery and jumper pin. I dont see any paste lying around either.

 

[vMax]

Yeah I tried reseating all front cable pins to no avail. And cleared CMOS by battery and jumper pin. I dont see any paste lying around either.

Had to just double check and fingers crossed a solution will be found. Hopefully others will jump in shortly. Have you also tried checking your Power Supply? As you are getting no lights, power etc to the motherboard even though you can hear something, I would still check..

https://www.howtogeek.com/172933/how-can-i-test-my-computers-power-supply/

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/fo...;-makes-high-pitched-buzzing-when-plugged-in/

 

[GrandSACHI]

You removed your cpu from the mother board to clean it? I would check for bent pins. Just in case.

 

[Denganim20]

Had to just double check and fingers crossed a solution will be found. Hopefully others will jump in shortly. Have you also tried checking your Power Supply? As you are getting no lights, power etc to the motherboard even though you can hear something, I would still check..

https://www.howtogeek.com/172933/how-can-i-test-my-computers-power-supply/

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/fo...;-makes-high-pitched-buzzing-when-plugged-in/

Can confirm PSU works

 

[Denganim20]

You removed your cpu from the mother board to clean it? I would check for bent pins. Just in case.

I also checked for bent pins and found none

 

[PC Tailor]

I would cover each and every step in this guide as a first port of call (even though you would have already done some of them) - as it never hurts to triple check and it does cover 90% of problems: https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...ng-about-post-boot-no-video-problems.1285536/

Following that I would breadboard the system entirely and see if you can boot.
When you say confirmed PSU works, was it tried in another system or just a paperclip test?

 

[Denganim20]

I would cover each and every step in this guide as a first port of call (even though you would have already done some of them) - as it never hurts to triple check and it does cover 90% of problems: https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...ng-about-post-boot-no-video-problems.1285536/

Following that I would breadboard the system entirely and see if you can boot.
When you say confirmed PSU works, was it tried in another system or just a paperclip test?

Ok I'm making progress. When I tried breadboarding, just the cpu, 1 ram stick, and the cooler, the system powers on completely. So I need to see what's hooked up wrong.

 

[vMax]

Ok I'm making progress. When I tried breadboarding, just the cpu, 1 ram stick, and the cooler, the system powers on completely. So I need to see what's hooked up wrong.

Good as that is a positive sign...

 

[Zitizen]

Check everything that they are plugged in and seated especially the modules in the slots. You probably bumped something.

 

[Denganim20]

I would cover each and every step in this guide as a first port of call (even though you would have already done some of them) - as it never hurts to triple check and it does cover 90% of problems: https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...ng-about-post-boot-no-video-problems.1285536/

Following that I would breadboard the system entirely and see if you can boot.
When you say confirmed PSU works, was it tried in another system or just a paperclip test?

Turns out my system was being shorted out by one screw on the motherboard. I figured that out through breadboarding and now all works as it should!

 

[Zitizen]

Loose screw?

 

[Denganim20]

Loose screw?

Not quite sure how but it was a really tight screw. I tested everything and every screw, and for some reason this specific screw was just preventing the system from operating. Mind you it was a screw that goes into a standoff to keep the motherboard in the case

 

[InvalidError]

Not quite sure how but it was a really tight screw. I tested everything and every screw, and for some reason this specific screw was just preventing the system from operating. Mind you it was a screw that goes into a standoff to keep the motherboard in the case

If the board had a trace running close to the screw hole, an excessively tight screw may have caused the trace to short against another PCB layer.

 

[Zitizen]

If that's the case then the standoffs are too big. Some serves as a grounding lug and the rest get a card/plastic wafer glued on.

 

[InvalidError]

If that's the case then the standoffs are too big. Some serves as a grounding lug and the rest get a card/plastic wafer glued on.

Or 3) the board layout person didn't provide sufficient clearances around mounting holes. Ideally, you'd put a ground pad on all layers where a mechanical hole is present so the board won't crush as easily and traces cannot come anywhere near the hole. If internal pads were made smaller, omitted or on a different power plane on some layers, then you can run into issues with internal shorts. Would need to x-ray the board to find out without destroying it. Putting plastic/cardboard washers would spread out the force, reducing but not eliminating the chance of shorting between layers if stuff other than ground is present between the screw head and stand-off in the PCB stack-up.

Screws and stand-offs larger than screw pads can be issues too but those are uncommon and would be problematic even without over-tightening.

 

[Zitizen]

I remember my friend who had a computer shop put masking tape over the standoffs.