Member Avatar for Shiro_1

All my 3 fans are working BUT my PC's power button doesn't light up and, I have checked on the cables/fans/motherboard everything seems fine though as I press on the power button nothing comes up as it usually is green the desktop is blank WHAT SHOULD I DO!?

Edited by Shiro_1
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Quick summary tied to the thread: has an HP Pavilion where the case fans spin but the system does not boot and the power-button LED stays dark after cleaning a fan; already suggested stripping back to basics and refreshing thermal paste/CMOS battery. Below is a focused, safe diagnostic plan that fills gaps in the replies and can be followed step‑by‑step.

Start with the safe, obvious checks. Unplug mains and flip the PSU rocker off. Open the case and verify the 24‑pin ATX and the 4/8‑pin CPU power leads are fully seated. Look for loose screws, a dropped metal shard, or a cable trapped in a fan or touching a heatsink — a dropped screw can short the board and stop front LEDs while fans still spin. Check the front‑panel connectors: swap the power and reset switch connectors (or momentarily short the two power‑switch pins with an insulated screwdriver) to rule out a bad case button. Ground yourself before touching anything.

Minimal boot (breadboarding) next. Remove all nonessential devices (HDD/SSD, optical, add‑in cards) and try to boot with just CPU+cooler, one RAM stick (try each slot), and onboard video. Attach a system speaker if available to catch POST beeps; note any beep pattern. If there are beeps, use the motherboard manual or HP docs for their meaning. If there is absolutely no activity beyond fans, test the PSU: either swap in a known‑good PSU or use a PSU tester/multimeter to confirm the 5VSB and main rails — avoid the paperclip test unless comfortable with mains work.

If the loud noise was followed by failure, inspect the CPU socket (bent pins on PGA sockets), motherboard caps (bulging/leaking), and the area around where the fan was cleaned. Replace the CMOS battery and clear CMOS per the manual (power removed) as suggested. If breadboarding and a different PSU still fail, the likely culprits are a shorted motherboard or a failed PSU; at that point a local tech or warranty service is safest.

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Member Avatar for rproffitt

Remember to post the details you would want to know if you were going to work on your PC. You have 3 fans and a PC. That's not going to help must. Try tell the rest of the story like "It worked fine until I installed a new __!"

Member Avatar for Shiro_1

I was cleaning my fan and when I put it back into the PC it made a high noise then stopped working altogether though my fans are still working.

Member Avatar for rproffitt

Sorry if I was too subtle. Finish telling about this PC, make, model, and why is this fan needed at all? Why did you clean it? Overheating much?

Member Avatar for Shiro_1

Yeah the PC was overheating it's a pavilion hp. It had shutdown repeatedly after a 10 min period because of the dust it was gathering.

Member Avatar for rproffitt

I take it you won't reveal further details. At this point treat it like the dead PC and strip it down to basics, replace the usual heatsink compounds, the CMOS battery and see if it comes back. All that work is on youtubes and more. If this is your first foray into PC repair, then let's hope you have a wing man.

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