PC won't start when it's cold

[mrshotdog]

Hi Everyone:
Sorry, but I am new at this. I am having some weird problems with my computer and I have searched all over the net to find out what is wrong.

My computer is around 2 years old, and it has worked fine, until about a month now.
For some weird reason, it will not run right when it is cold. I turn it off at night for instance. And when I go to boot it up in the mornings. It will start with freezing up, and restarting, and it will come up with the blue screen that says system halted. It takes around 20 to 30 minutes for working with this thing to get it going. But it seems like once it warms up or whatever, it runs great. It also gives me a problem with trying to copy a cd. I can copy anything from my harddrive to the cdw. But it will not copy from the cdrom.

Ok, I have replaced the cdw. I have changed back and forth with the memory (512) I have unplugged everything and started with one at a time. I have changed the video card. I have taken the whole thing apart and cleaned it and all the fans, including the power supply. Which by the way also makes a noise for a while when it's cold. The main problem is that it is hard to find out what is going on, when the problem is only when it's cold.

My husband just ordered a power supply, but at this point I'm not sure what else to try. If any one could give me some ideas on what to try next or what could be going on. I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance. And sorry for such a long letter.

[▄▌▄ ∑]

It might not be the fact that the processor is "cold" but maybe your thermal tape or paste that you have on your heatsink is worn off and the chip gets too hot when you try to boot.

[Dark_Omen]

What are the conditions that your computer is in. It could be the environment that it is in. But I think Joe is right.

[mrshotdog]

Ok, LOL. Call me dumb. :o
But what and where is the heat sink and what can I do to fix it if anything.

[Killer_Typo]

Ok, LOL. Call me dumb. :o But what and where is the heat sink and what can I do to fix it if anything.

the heatsink is located above the processor, usualy under a big fan. you can find it by looking at your mobo manual for exact location, or just look for giant peice of metal with fan strapped to top :P

[mrshotdog]

Thanks, I found it. As I am sitting here with the sides off anyway. It has been sitting like this for a couple of days now. I was waiting till the power supply comes in. Hopefully tomorrow.

Now, can I just order this part and put it in. Or does it require a lot of work? From what I am looking at. It looks like it has some kind of clip behind it. I have worked on and rebuilt old computers before. But never had to work on this part.

Thank you.

[Killer_Typo]

Thanks, I found it. As I am sitting here with the sides off anyway. It has been sitting like this for a couple of days now. I was waiting till the power supply comes in. Hopefully tomorrow. Now, can I just order this part and put it in. Or does it require a lot of work? From what I am looking at. It looks like it has some kind of clip behind it. I have worked on and rebuilt old computers before. But never had to work on this part. Thank you.

what part the power suply or the heat sink? both are failry easy to remove, like all computer parts, its about learning the pressure required to take a part off. most fans and heatsinks come off with a little gruff because they are usualy strapped on pretty tight.

[mrshotdog]

The power supply should be here tomorrow. I had a 300 watt. And with the fan on it making a weird noise when it was cold. I thought I might have too much for it to carry. So my husband ordered a 400 watt. But I've been looking at the heatsink thing and hopefully I can get him to order one of those for me tomorrow also. I guess the main thing I'm worried about is putting to much money into this computer and something ends up wrong with the motherboard.

[hexstar]

Ok, LOL. Call me dumb. :o But what and where is the heat sink and what can I do to fix it if anything.

look on your motherboard for something that either looks like this: [IMG]http://www.joshwa1.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/epiam10000/epia_m_cpu_board.jpg[/IMG] or this: [IMG]http://www.tweakers.net/ext/i.dsp/1046960112.jpg[/IMG] or anything similar, that is your heatsink

[alc6379]

[IMG]http://www.tweakers.net/ext/i.dsp/1046960112.jpg[/IMG] or anything similar, that is your heatsink

Just curious... what type of chip is that? Is it recent? Last time I saw a passive heatsink was on an old Pentium chip that I had, and it didn't look like that...

[Killer_Typo]

The power supply should be here tomorrow. I had a 300 watt. And with the fan on it making a weird noise when it was cold. I thought I might have too much for it to carry. So my husband ordered a 400 watt. But I've been looking at the heatsink thing and hopefully I can get him to order one of those for me tomorrow also. I guess the main thing I'm worried about is putting to much money into this computer and something ends up wrong with the motherboard.

you dont need to get a new heatsink as of yet. just get the thing off and take a look at the white goobery stuff between the heatsink and CPU, it should be a nice not to thin, not to thick layer of goob to pass the heat just right. if its to thin to much heat and it cant escape heatsink and just heats up CPU more, to much and no heat can make it through super heating ur CPU (its like putting a blanket on it, when you dont want to do that)

[mrshotdog]

Hi Everyone:
Sorry I took so long to write back. But I've been working on this computer. And yes! It was the heat sink. Although I was afraid to mess with it. Without having a backup just in case. So my husband bought and new one for me. It has now been two mornings that this thing has started up. And not froze up or restarted the first time yet. It has run great. Better than it did when it was new actually.
So I would just like to thank you all so much for helping me out with this. I was starting to have computer withdrawal. LOL. :p

[scott808]

I'm having the same problem with mine. it starts ever time if i shut it down and and turn it back on, even after twenty minutes. but every morning it starts to start, but hangs as soon as it does so.

i can get it going by turning the power of at the mains and back on again straight away. and it works fine after that.

i have had a look at the heat sink and everything appears fine there. i have also tried reinstalling windows twice, removed the graphics card, and a 512mb stick of ram that i brought after the PC.

one other thing that i have noticed is that the light on the PC does not flash anymore when the PC is on standby.

the PC is a IE systems 5033 Pentium 4 3.06ghz, with 1GB Ram, and a nvidia 5600 256mb graphics card, and it is six months old.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

cheers,
scott808

[jbennet]

wait a min. My dells CPU has just a heatsink like the one shown (no fan). Its a P4HT from last year. Maybe it doesnt need one as its BTX?