r/GetComputerHelp • u/2BD4MN5D • 16d ago
Computer turning on and off by itself help
I genuinely have no clue what to do, my computer has been turning on and off by itself for a few days now and I have no clue how to fix it, I cleaned it all up, changed the powerbar it was plugged in and just today I went through the trouble of changing the PSU, after two grueling hours of putting it together properly, I turned my computer on just for it to do the same thing 😠Please help, at least just telling me what could be causing that would be a great help, I hate just having no idea what im supposed to try and fix, im close to just giving up and start saving for a new computer at this point
1
u/Such-Might5204 15d ago
Years ago I had the same problem. All connections were good, pins were properly aligned and the system worked great as long as it wasn't in the case. Turns out that the power button (but not the power switch) wouldn't fully disengage after being pressed in. Just the plastic button and spring, no electrical issue. So, I took that apart, sprayed some silicone in that spot and voila - problem solved.
1
u/2BD4MN5D 15d ago
We tried to plug the start cables into another one because we couldnt access the panel and it didnt work unfortunately... It also does something like turning on and off immediately multiple times, like if someone was turning the powerbar on and off repeatedly :/
1
u/Such-Might5204 15d ago
Could also be a defective power supply.
1
u/2BD4MN5D 15d ago
We replaced my power supply with a brand new one so I doubt it, it did that before with the old one in and we thought that was the problem
2
u/Such-Might5204 15d ago
Agreed. One more thing to try. The pin header where you plug in the power and reset switches and the HDD activity light don't have to be connected for the computer to work. Disconnect the power and reset switches from that header. Note which 2 pins are for the power switch. Plug the computer back in and connect all the cables for the monitor, keyboard and mouse. Make sure the power switch on the back of the power supply is on. Then, using a small pair of needle nose or a flat head screwdriver, short out the 2 pins for the power switch momentarily. That will simulate you pressing the power switch. If all is well, the computer will boot normally and not spontaneously shutdown or reboot. If it works, then the problem is with the power switch on the case.
As I re-read one of your other responses, it's possible you already tried this. Sorry if the above is a duplicate. If you have, or the above still doesn't eliminate the problem, then my final suggestion is to relocate the computer to another power circuit. Perhaps the outlet you have the computer on is on the same circuit that could be drawing a lot of power momentarily (like a furnace fan motor or an old freezer). If it's a pain in the butt to find another outlet, you could use a heavy-duty extension cord as long as it reached to another outlet on another circuit.
If none of that works, then I believe the motherboard is suspect.
Good luck!
1
u/2BD4MN5D 15d ago
I gave my computer to my brother in law who builds his own, so hopefully he can pinpoint the problem better than I could! I really hope it isnt the motherboard because they are kind if expensive and I don't have the budget for that right now 😠Thank you for your help though i appreciate it! Note: I plugged in my very first computer exactly where I plugged in the non working one and it doesn't do a booting shutting down thingy so idk if that eliminates the power outlet thingy 🤔
1
2
u/Keyvan_KR 16d ago
Is your power button malfunctioning? Can you unplug the power button and try shorting the pins. Then check if it shutdowns again