Member Avatar for internets=life

what happens is i turn it on and it starts starting then the yellow light below the power button stays on and the power light goes off. the screen goes blank and the moniter goes into stand by mode.

this happens instantly or after few minutes. when i start it i get this screen telling me to press F1 to set up stuff or press F2 to continue so i press F2 and then a screen tells me that the computer failed to start up and stuff and ask me to make a choice of a couple of safe mode start ups , start up with last known good configuration or normal start up. i choose last known good cofiguration. then it goes to start then just stops. i am clueless.
it started happening after my friend attempted to put it in stand by mode and it wouldnt and thats the last time i saw my desktop.

somebody please help me figure out how to get back my computer the stuff on it is one of my reasons to continue living. i would be so gratful to get some help.

  • 3 Contributors
  • 5 Replies
  • 130 Views
  • 2 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by internets=life

Dani AI

Generated

Short summary and plan: the F1/F2 BIOS prompt you mentioned and the machine powering off after the boot sequence most often means an early hardware or firmware problem rather than a normal Windows crash. already gave useful detail (the BIOS prompt and monitor entering standby). Building on and , the next steps should focus on non‑destructive isolation so data can be preserved and you can tell hardware from software failure.

Try these targeted checks (power off and unplug before opening the case):

  • Boot from a USB/Linux live environment on another USB stick. If the live desktop runs and stays up, the problem leans toward the installed OS or drivers; if it still dies quickly, it’s very likely hardware.
  • Breadboard the system: remove all nonessential drives and cards, leave only CPU, one stick of RAM, PSU, and video. Swap the single RAM stick into each slot one at a time. If it stabilizes, add parts back one at a time to find the culprit.
  • Run a memory test (Memtest) from USB for several passes. Repeated memory errors point to bad RAM or a failing motherboard slot.
  • Check the power subsystem: listen to fans and drives at power-on, look for non-spinning fans, and consider swapping in a known-good PSU or using a PSU tester. PSU faults often cause a system to start then die.
  • Inspect the motherboard for swollen or leaking capacitors and ensure the CPU cooler fan is firmly attached and spinning. Overheating or failed caps are common causes of abrupt shutdowns.
  • Clear CMOS (remove coin cell for ~30 seconds) to reset BIOS settings that might be misconfigured.

Data-first note: before any reinstallation, mount the drive in another PC or use a USB-SATA adapter to copy personal files. Record the exact BIOS text or any beep codes and the motherboard model — that information will make remote diagnosis much easier. If uncomfortable with the above steps, ask a technician specifically to recover/clone the drive first, then proceed with repairs.

Recommended Answers

All 5 Replies

Member Avatar for Serunson

have you tried booting it in safe mode?, just to make sure that works, if not come back to us and we'll help you some more.

Member Avatar for internets=life

yeah i tried that but then it shuts down still. i dont know whats up

Member Avatar for Serunson

Take it to your local PC store and ask them for help! This sort of problem requires the hands on approach.
Also did you knowingly have a virus on the machine? problems may lie there. Also check inside the machine that all of the power cables are properly connect in ~ loose connectors = shut down.

Member Avatar for Miacol

I have actually experienced the same problem loading XP onto an NEC that has XP on it orginally. The problem was resolved only when I did a checkdisk, then re-formatted, then re-loaded XP. Seems to be some issue with power settings on the motherboard. Nobody knows the answer but everybody knows the problem.

Member Avatar for internets=life

thank you guys for your help. i had hoped there was a salution that didnt require that but i guese there isnt. i guese its time to take it in for a check up thank youvery much

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.