Member Avatar for SoCalHoosier

I have a HP 753N 2.53GHz P4 Desktop System w/CD-RW/DVD.

When the power button is pushed it just makes a clicking sound but will not stay powered. The fans momentarily come on, hard drive tries to spin up, but when I release the power button it just shuts off. Have checked the internal cables (nothing appears loose).

Any thoughts to this?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by nsanejew

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A short, practical follow-up to the thread for future readers: the brief spin-up plus repeating click usually narrows the fault into two areas — the front-panel/power-on latch or the power-delivery chain (PSU/motherboard) that immediately goes into protection. and touched on the front-switch possibility; that’s plausible, but a weak or failing PSU or a shorted/failed board will produce the same behavior. The checklist below shows safe, ordered steps to isolate the cause.

  • Visual inspection (power unplugged): look for bulging or leaking electrolytic capacitors on the motherboard and at the PSU input (do not open the PSU can unless qualified). Burn marks, smells or blown components point to supply/board failure.
  • Minimal-bench test: with power off and unplugged, remove all nonessential devices (HDD, CD, extra sticks of RAM, PCI/PCIe cards). Place the board on nonconductive surface (cardboard) and try to power with only CPU, one RAM stick and video. If it stays up, a peripheral or case short was likely.
  • Isolate the front-panel: disconnect the front-panel header from the motherboard. If available, use a known-good momentary jumper or replacement switch to test the header. If the machine remains powered when the header is actuated, replace/repair the front switch or front-bezel harness.
  • Check the PSU: verify the 5V standby is present (or swap a known-good ATX PSU). If the supply starts then immediately collapses or the fan stops, the PSU’s protection is engaging — replace the PSU rather than repair it. If a swapped-good PSU fixes it, the motherboard is probably OK.

Safety/cost note: do not probe live mains or open the PSU unless experienced. For a Pavilion from this era, replacing the ATX PSU or the inexpensive front-panel switch is the usual fix; if multiple caps on the board are bad, weigh repair cost vs. replacement.

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Member Avatar for pizzafiend

If you hold down the button for a couple minutes, will your computer boot? If so, there's probably just something wrong with the switch.

Member Avatar for SoCalHoosier

Unfortunately holding it down will not power it up but instead will make a prolonged clicking noise. The hard drive spins but never boots as do the fans on the processor.

The clicking just repeats over and over like when you start a car that won't even turn over. The power switch never seems to quite catch.

Is this a problem with the switch as well as the power supply?
(Hard drive works fine... I've taken it out and tried it in another system)

Thanks for any input!

Member Avatar for cdt1983

Unfortunately holding it down will not power it up but instead will make a prolonged clicking noise. The hard drive spins but never boots as do the fans on the processor.

The clicking just repeats over and over like when you start a car that won't even turn over. The power switch never seems to quite catch.

Is this a problem with the switch as well as the power supply?
(Hard drive works fine... I've taken it out and tried it in another system)

Thanks for any input!

Have you added any devices to this computer? When did this problem first occur?

Member Avatar for SoCalHoosier

No new devices have been added.

The problem surfaced when I received the computer back from a friend who had borrowed it.

She also assured me that no other devices/software had been added.

Member Avatar for badboy54

I have a HP 753N 2.53GHz P4 Desktop System w/CD-RW/DVD.

When the power button is pushed it just makes a clicking sound but will not stay powered. The fans momentarily come on, hard drive tries to spin up, but when I release the power button it just shuts off. Have checked the internal cables (nothing appears loose).

Any thoughts to this?

Hello. I would like to know if you resolved this problem for i have the same problem. When i hit the start button and let go it powers momentarily then off over and over untill i unplug it. Im ready to throw it away. Thank you.

Member Avatar for nsanejew

Hello. I would like to know if you resolved this problem for i have the same problem. When i hit the start button and let go it powers momentarily then off over and over untill i unplug it. Im ready to throw it away. Thank you.

I am working on a 754n for a friend that has the same problem. I got it to power on by unpluging the power switch from the motherboard and leaving the powercord plugged into the power supply and connected the powerswitch cord to the mobo for an instant, just long enough to see a fan start turning, otherwise it would shuddown after 4 seconds. the problem is the switch, I took off the front panel and removed the switch. inspecting the switch, I noticed when I pushed it in, it didn't come all the way back out. I had to pull it out to hear the second click.

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