Member Avatar for dreamz4u

i have a computer (emachine) that when u turn it on u can hear it booting up and then it stops the fan stops and it doesnt go any further....nothing comes up it doesnt get anywhere... u cant turn it off u have to unplug it from the back...and even after u unplug the POWER SOURCE the lil blue light at the button is still blinking...any suggestions?

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Thread context: an eMachines desktop that briefly shows the boot splash (the quick "E" flash), then the fans and activity stop and the front power-ring LED continues to blink even after the unit was unplugged. reports a recently added network card and a prior CMOS battery reset; other members pointed at the PSU and suggested basic reseating. The checklist below expands those ideas with ordered, diagnostic steps and safety notes to isolate the failure without guessing at a cause.

  • Remove external power sources: unplug any power strip or UPS and plug the PC directly into a known-good wall outlet. Confirm the rear PSU switch is off before touching anything. If the front LED still blinks with all mains removed, unplug the front-panel LED/power-switch connector from the motherboard to see whether the case wiring is the symptom or the board itself.
  • Minimal outside-case POST: with power removed, move the motherboard onto a non-conductive surface (cardboard), install only CPU + cooler, one RAM stick in the recommended slot, and the video output (or onboard video). Leave drives, expansion cards and peripherals disconnected. Power on to see whether POST progresses beyond the brief splash.
  • Front-panel switch check: remove the power-switch header and momentarily short the two power-on pins on the motherboard (use a non-conductive handled screwdriver lightly). This rules out a stuck/shorted case switch.
  • PSU verification: use a commercial PSU tester or a multimeter to check +12V, +5V and +3.3V rails (roughly within ±5% of nominal). A paperclip start only proves the fan spins; it does not prove the PSU is healthy under load. If available, swap in a known-good ATX PSU.
  • Visual and audio clues: fit a system speaker to read beep codes and inspect the board/PSU for bulging or leaking electrolytic capacitors, scorch marks, or a PCB short from a misplaced standoff or the new network card.

Safety and next steps: always work with the PSU unplugged when touching internals and wait a few minutes for capacitors to discharge. If voltages are out of range, the PSU or the motherboard is suspect; if all rails look stable but the machine still dies mid-POST, the motherboard (or CPU) is likely failing and a shop-level diagnostic or component swap is the next practical move. This expands on and by giving a safe, ordered isolation procedure that distinguishes wiring/shorts, PSU weakness under load, and board-level failure.

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All 13 Replies

Member Avatar for jbennet

bad powe supply, ram or video card i think

you mean the light on the motherboard? thats meant to stay on - the psu keeps residual power

Member Avatar for hughv

I'd start with the power supply.
Power supply testers (And power supplies) are cheap, or any shop can give you a quick diagnosis

Member Avatar for dreamz4u

no i dont think it is the light on the motherboard..u kno where you turn the power on..it has a light around the button..that is the light i was talking about...

Member Avatar for Serunson

Are you sure that all the correct Power supply cables are plugged in everywhere that they need to be?

Member Avatar for dreamz4u

it worked the night before but then i turned on the power strip. After I turned the strip on i waited a couple seconds and turned on the computer it wouldnt boot up...it would just START to boot up then everything stops...cant turn it off unless u unplug the power cord ....

Member Avatar for Serunson

Have you replaced any hardware recently? Or opened up the case for any reason?

Member Avatar for FloFox

Gotta be the internal power supply which is 40 pct of pc failures.

Member Avatar for dreamz4u

i opened it up a week ago to put in a network card... which after i put it in the computer wouldnt boot up..but i was able to fix that by take out the battery and redoing hte bios... now i cant even get it too boot up to where i can get to that point

Member Avatar for hughv

Open it again and check every connection. Reseat all the cards and look for anything loose.

Member Avatar for dreamz4u

ok i already did that... now i can get a very QUICK image of the E on the screen for less than a sec just like a flash... which it wasnt doing before...so i dont kno

Member Avatar for hughv

You have to tell every symptom-you get a quick flash and...?
If I were you I'd buy a power supply.

Member Avatar for dreamz4u

it would do a quick flash and the e would appear then it would go away ..then nothing the fan and everything would stop just wouldnt boot up

Member Avatar for hughv

Open the case and see if the CPU fan is coming on. This sounds like an overheating or power supply problem.
Blow out the dust bunnies while you're in there. Check the PS fan blades for resistance-they should turn very easily.

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