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25. Troubleshooting Your New Computer

05/04/14

  06:00:00 pm by Admin, Categories: How to build a Computer

Having problems with your newly built PC? We have categorized different kinds of basic problems, and offer some tips to try below. Some of the answers may seem obvious, but you should always start troubleshooting the easiest things first, and work backwards. Many times cable connections will be a cause of failure, so always check first and don't assume!

For more detailed help and to ask questions, call us

Power Problems

My computer will not power up

  1. Check to make sure the power cord is plugged in securely to both the computer and outlet. If using a power strip, it needs to be turned on.
  2. Try another power cord and/or power strip.
  3. Try plugging it into another outlet.
  4. If you are confident that your outlet and cord are fine, then replace the power supply.

Computer shuts itself off

Does the computer shut off at the same time consistently (after opening a certain application), or is the problem intermittent?

If you notice the computer shutting down specifically when running certain software, then there may be some corrupted files or the windows registry has problems. You should try and uninstall the software and reinstall.

Many times when a computer shuts itself off randomly it is a hardware related problem, either having to do with the CPU getting too hot, or the power supply starting to fail, or perhaps you are running a power supply that is not supplying enough power for all of the hardware that you have. Open the case and make sure all fans are running properly. Go into the BIOS and view the hardware monitor for your motherboard and processor. Look at the temperature readings. If they are much higher than normal, or exceed what the manufacturer recommends as acceptable, then try replacing the CPU Fan. If everything seems ok, you can try hooking up a different power supply if you have one handy.

Video Problems

When I turn on my computer there is no video

  1. Check to make sure the monitor is plugged in securely to the video card, and that the monitor is powered on.
  2. Is there a light on the monitor at all? Generally an orange light or message on the screen indicates that there is no video signal, while a green light means that the signal is OK.
  3. Try to hook up a different monitor to see if you have video. If you do then the monitor is failing.
  4. Install a new video card if possible to determine whether or not the current one is faulty.
  5. Some motherboards come with onboard video, you can use this to test as well. The onboard video must be disabled in the BIOS and/or Windows usually, so you might check to make sure that it is. This could be the cause of not seeing the video to begin with.
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