PC wont start

[dariobrathwaitepilot22]

Hi Guys

I have a custom build pc that I've had for about 3yrs now and I've ran into a rather peculiar problem that i've never experienced before and unable to find anything on the net for it.

Just the other night I was gaming about 10PM and decided to shutdown pc as normal....the next morning pressed the Power Switch and nothing.

Well, I was like ok, what's goin on here? Turn off PSU switch, pulled out cord and re-attached....nothing.

I spent about 4hrs pulling my hair out trying to find out what went wrong. I didn't install or remove anything prior to pc not starting.

Now here's when it got better. After about 4hrs trying to resolve issue I had to go to work for 12PM. About 3PM I got a phone call from my dad that I left the PC on and asked why I didn't turn it off. I was like, you gotta be kidding me, right? I mean how in the world did it power on wihout anyone being home at the time and after all my efforts trying to retify the problem. Anyways, I told my dad leave on, I'll deal with it when I reach home.

Got home about 9PM...PC running fine and no errors of the sort. I browse the net for about 1hr, called it a night and shutdown normally. Next morning about 8AM pressed the Power switch....nothing.
This thing was turning ugly real fast. I was pressing Power Switch multiple times and pc wont come on.

Got frustrated and grab a drink. Came back press swich, VOILA! PC started.
Ok, so l've checked bios for anything unusual and found nothing. Booted to desktop ran Malwarebytes, Event Viewer, rechecked Power Options...nothing unusual. At this point in time I didn't even wanted to turn off system. After a couple hrs being on, I decided to shutdown as normal...press switch pc started fine. Tried this multiple times even restarts in between and pc started to my surprise.

Next day my vacation started...excited....pressed power switch....dissappointment.
Now I got really serious.
Here what I tried that didn't work. Tried another PSU, that didn't work, replace CMOS battery, pulled out all USBs cords, replaced Power Cord, jumping Power switch header with screw driver as I thought It was a switch issue. Tried 1 RAM module, removed GPU...nothing.

Eventually I took everything out to look for clues and clean as I had the chance to do so now. Checked MOBO for bust CAPS, check CPU, checked Liquid Cooling sys/Radiator, fans, rechecked all RAM, GPU, SSDs.....rebuild with excitment....nothing. Then I decided to fiddle with PSU. Used paperclip to see of it works and It did. I do know paperclip test isn't a real-real test but had to try something as I couldn't anything on the net for the problem I'm having.

Last night after several hrs attempting to start pc...it wont start.
Decided to just plug in just the 24pin connector, a 8pin EATX12V and an EZ plug connector.
Then about 2hrs later, all of a sudden it started on its own. My dad and I moniterd it cafefully then....It shut down on its own. Press Power button and it came on just fine, repeated shutdown/startup/restart process multiple times....pc work like nothing happened.

Ok, so then I went ahead reattached all cables and clean up untidy cables pressed switch and nothing.....again! Unbelievable man!!!!

Tomorrow I'm taking my PSU to get tested and hope that's the issue.

Here are my specs off the top of my head:

ASUS Rampage iv Extreme
i7 4820k @ 4.6ghz
GTX 960 SSC
Coolmaster Liquid Cooling (can't remember model)
16GB G-SKILL clocked @ 2133
HMW - XG-H800 ATX PSU 800watts
2 Samsung SSDs: 250/120GB
Windows 10 Pro.

Really need help on this one guys...I thank you.

Regards,
Dario

 

[Blas]

All that sounds quite strange indeed! You say that when it wasn't booting up, you "Tried another PSU, that didn't work": so with a different PSU, it would not turn on? In that case, i think the problem could be from the case itself? It's just a hypothesis, but maybe the case's power button is not making good contact? In order to test this hypothesis, you will need to bypass the power-on button: see the case cables that go from the front panel to the lower-right corner of the mobo? One of them is for the power button: unplug it, and just as you did the clip thing with the 24 pin power plug, make contact between the 2 pins of this plug with something metallic (holding that metallic thing by an insulated end!). If the computer boots normally, but when plugged it doesn't, the problem might be the power button (or the cables coming from it). It's the only thing i can think of... Hope it helps!

 

[DLB20]

Thx blas...ill try that. Since my last post it started on its own again so i double check my bios setting and saw my vcore @ 1.550 yikes! Can't imagine how that got there but i'll monitor the situaton.

 

[DLB20]

All that sounds quite strange indeed! You say that when it wasn't booting up, you "Tried another PSU, that didn't work": so with a different PSU, it would not turn on? In that case, i think the problem could be from the case itself? It's just a hypothesis, but maybe the case's power button is not making good contact? In order to test this hypothesis, you will need to bypass the power-on button: see the case cables that go from the front panel to the lower-right corner of the mobo? One of them is for the power button: unplug it, and just as you did the clip thing with the 24 pin power plug, make contact between the 2 pins of this plug with something metallic (holding that metallic thing by an insulated end!). If the computer boots normally, but when plugged it doesn't, the problem might be the power button (or the cables coming from it). It's the only thing i can think of... Hope it helps!

 

[DLB20]

Tried shorting power headers but still nothing. Took psu to repair shop and said psu was fine. So what now? Mobo or cpu done for? I mean this is so strange, it's like the pc has a mind of its own....randomly starting up on its own without my doing. Now I can't replicate it just so I can get in and do a fresh reinstall of os and go from there.

 

[DLB20]

So I took the pc to another repair shop for testing and the blasted pc started...can't believe it. They start/shutdown number of times it worked. Took it back home didn't work....took to my aunt's house as she doesn't live to far...didn't work. Wtf is goin on man!!! Why did it work at the repair shop and not at my house? Came across a guy on another forum who had a similar issue and turned out to be psu but my Psu was tested
twice and was fine.

 

[Blas]

When you took it to the shop where they were able to make it start (damn, how the $%&!, right?), did they open the case and touch anything? Maybe some component is not well plugged, some cable inside is slightly out of its socket? A friend of mine, everytime he moved the PC, it wouldn't start anymore, "no system disk" error, it was a SATA cable that was simply loose, so he has to open the case, re-sit it, and voila.

Other idea: some problem with the electrical installation at your home (and your aunt's! damn, again!)? But that is beyond me.

Another: did you bring the power cable from your PC to both shops, or did they use theirs? (fingers crossed it's this one, it's the only thing i can think of that really makes sense...).

In any case, that has to be bad luck, and frustrating as hell... Let me know

 

[DLB20]

Repair guy started pc on 1st attempt and all he did was cleaned my RAM and it started. I thought that was the issue intially. They used my own PSU & cords but won't start at home. One thing that's bugging me is last time it came on on its own my vcore was set @ 1.550 (crazy!!).

 

[Blas]

I'm sorry, but i'm out of ideas, i hope you can find a solution! Best of lucks!

 

[DLB20]

Since then I returned to the repair shop....guy plugged it in nothing. Now he's baffled now and was glad he actually saw what I've been experiencing. He then grab a screw to start disassemble but before he can twist the 1st nut....pc started on its own.

No that its on, diagnostic lights showed 00 on mobo for Bios 1 with no signal on monitor then he switch to Bios 2 and we gotta signal with diag lights doing its self test.

Everything ran well and noted the Bios could have been corrupted. Took it home again just connected 24pin to see if it started....it started...fine then. Reattached everything....pressed power switch....nothing again.

About 2 mins later pc came started on its own so i went straight into the Bios. I copied the working Bios 2 over to Bios 1, tried Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool and passed it and also reflashed too thinking that would work...It didn't.

Now, after a frightening dream I had in the wee hrs of this morning I couldn't get back to sleep...so I decided to do some more research on this issue.

Came across this "RAMPAGE IV EXTREME - WILL NOT TURN ON" here on ROG forums (up til now I can't believe how I missed this thread) and found an interesting post that can possibly work for ppl experiencing the same exact issue with R4E. Here's the link http://youtu.be/OyNeP8Kkl9s

Workaround is a little wacky but it works!! A blow dryer...I kid you not!!!
I was watching this vid and reading the comments I got all excited and couldn't wait till for the sun to break out and try this thing.

At first, It didn't work when I used my old CMOS Battery , so I took 1 from my Mom's Blood Tester (gotta replace that tho!) fired up the Blow dryer and the Bloody thing work! I can't believe it. I mean, I had already changed my CMOS Battery with a New 1 and I didn't work but somehow the heat from the Dryer jump-started it. That explains why it work as soon as I get to the repair shop, the extreme heat trapped in my car somehow juiced the Mobo/CMOS Battery area.

Problem solved!! But will eventually have to replaced this Mobo as it has a big flaw. I just wanted to be sure It was the mobo and in the end it was.

 

[Blas]

Well, glad to hear you found the culprit and a workaround, and yes, you should start looking for a new mobo Wish you better luck onwards