Member Avatar for smjordan

My beautiful HP Media Center desktop has stopped working.
When I turn on the computer, fans start revving fast, but nothing happens. The fan will simply continue to rev.
I have tried all electricity sources, plugged and unplugged everything, but to no avail.
I have WindowsXP installed, my computer is 1 year old.
I really need to help troubleshooting this problem. Any advise?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by BeastOverlordH6

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Quick summary for (and anyone finding this thread later): fans running full speed with no POST usually point to either power-delivery problems (PSU/motherboard) or the system failing early in POST (CPU, RAM, or a short). is on the right track — don’t rush to buy parts. Follow a short, ordered diagnostic flow to isolate the fault before swapping hardware. (blog.silverpc.hu)

Non‑destructive triage (do these first): unplug every external device and the power cord, press and hold the case power button 15–30 seconds to discharge capacitors, then try powering with just the essentials. Listen for beep codes or watch any motherboard POST LEDs. Do a “minimal boot”: motherboard + CPU (cooler attached) + one known RAM stick in the primary slot + PSU (+ GPU or onboard video). If that posts, add components back one at a time. Reseating RAM and GPU is a very common fix. (blog.silverpc.hu)

Power‑supply checks next: do a safe PSU sanity check (paperclip/jumper to force the PSU on) only to see if the unit starts, but that does not prove it’s healthy under load. Prefer a multimeter or a dedicated PSU tester and confirm rails are within ATX tolerances (+12V ≈ 11.2–12.6V, +5V ≈ 4.75–5.25V, +3.3V ≈ 3.14–3.47V). If rails are wildly off or the Power Good (PWR_OK) pin never asserts, the PSU is suspect. Don’t open the PSU — dangerous capacitors inside. (corsair.com)

If minimal boot still fails: bench the board outside the case on a non‑conductive surface (to rule out standoffs/shorts), inspect for bulging capacitors, burn marks, or bent pins, and try swapping one known‑good part at a time (PSU, RAM). Record each step and result — it will save time and money. If uncomfortable with testing or if the board shows physical damage, consider professional repair or the vendor’s support. (blog.silverpc.hu)

Short, prioritized troubleshooting like this reduces needless replacements and usually points to the real culprit quickly.

Member Avatar for BeastOverlordH6

If this just happened out of nowhere, chances are you're facing:

1.) Loose heatsink/Dead processor
2.) Power surge/Dead motherboard
Heatsink

For whatever reason, the heatsink has become loose, and therefore the heatsink has touched the motherboard, causing a short. Processors are found to not work unless they have a metal device on them to prevent heat damage. If the heatsink falls off during usage, the processor is exposed to open air, and no conductive protection. This condition does not explain the accelerated fans.


Power

This is a little more unfortunate.... Power damage can be fatal to any component, but it's almost always the processor, power supply, or motherboard that get whooped upside the cranium with an aluminum baseball bat (metaphorically). In other words, time to buy a new device. The fan speed thing you're facing could be a deficiency that is caused by the power supply, or the motherboard, delivering power in weird places or not able to control fan speed anymore (regulated by the motherboard's BIOS).

Solutions:
-Try new heatsink, if reattaching fails.
-Test with different power supply (my Antec has yet to fail me).
-Replace fans, or take 'em out.
-If you have a different processor, give it a go.
-Try new motherboard if possible. Replace the motherboard as a last resort. :\

I'll post something else if I get new ideas

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