Computer problem - HELPl

[silverdaler]

I have just tried to turn my computer on after the holiday and it will not work. It has been plugged into a power surge lead. When i try to switch it on at the computer the orange light comes on, and should then go to green, but it just stays orange. The same thing happens to the monitor. Anyone have any idea what it could be please - URGENTLY ! thankyou.

[jake-the-peg]

If the light just comes on but there is no other sign of life, beeps, whirring, disk lights etc. Then it's most likely a dead power supply.

Replacing them is fairly easy but a bit scary because there are an awful lot of cables to disconnect and reconnect but they are all keyed so you can't connect the wrong ones up.

here's an idiot guide with pictures: http://www.fonerbooks.com/r_power.htm

[silverdaler]

HI jake, thanks for your speedy response. No i cant see or hear any sign of life apart from this orange light. Would that light still come on then if the power supply had failed ? Will changing it affect anything on my computer, as it has all my accounts on there ? Thank you for your help.

[jake-the-peg]

Yep normally when they fail they still let through enough to light the LED and sometimes even the fan - although sometimes the reason they fail is that the fan stops and the powersupply overheats.

No replacing the power supply won't affect anything on your computer it's all on the hard disk.

Look in the back of your local paper for a PC repair bod if you don't fancy doing it yourself. But it's pretty trivial.

Calm down though and don't panic - if the hard disk with all your data had died, the machine would have started up gone through all it's checks and then died with a message on the screen just before starting windows

Just take note to back up your important data in future you've had a warning. Remember PCs can be stolen too they don't have to fail

[silverdaler]

hi jake. i did back up onto a memory stick, but i left the stick in, and i am so computer illiterate that i cant get my head round how stuff is stored and where. thankyou for your advice though, i will see if i can get someone to replace it for me. Happy New Year !
P.S can i have your phone number for future ref, you sound like a very useful guy !!!!!!!!!!! L O L

[jake-the-peg]

Ah well if you back up to a CD/DVD or memory stick and leave it in the computer and your computer were to get stolen........

Here endeth todays lesson :c)

There are a few other possibilities for your problem but the power supply is by far the most likely. The other possibilities though do not include the hard disk because you would get further than this if that were dead.

Best of luck

[silverdaler]

It was the power supply !!!!!!!!!!! All fixed now thanks very much to all you clever people !!!!!!!!!!!!