power suddenly cuts off 1

[quickblueink]

I read the FAQ about freezes and stalls, but this doesn't seem to fit the bill.

It DOES happen in moments of heavier usage, but it also happens when the thing is just idling. I am running red hat, and have something like 200 Megs partitioned into swap, so i doubt its a memory thing. it did the same thing before with win 98 installed (can't remember Virtual Memory specs).

what happens is suddenly the whole thing just shuts down, like a fuse blows inside of it. The surge strip it's plugged into doesn't blow, and if i jiggle the power cord some, it usually turns right back on.

initially i thought it might be a heat problem, but it even happens with the box open in an air conditioned room (60 degrees!). so the only other thing i can think of is that maybe it's the power box. But surely the manufacturer would put enough power to run its own machine? no new parts have been put in, so the whole thing is factory built except for linux.

If you can figure this out i am indebted to you, and the only other question is what to bear in mind when looking for a bigger power box?

Thanks, M.austin

 

[Neo81]

Have you thought of changing the power cable, maybe it could be faulty.... Other then that I would have to say it could be a power supply issue like you were thinking, why not just change one thing at a time and see if the problem is consistant.....


Later
NEo81 >:O>

 

[paparazi]

The fact that you say you "jiggle the power cord some and then it usually comes back on" surely indicates a bad connection with that power cord!
I have seen some power cord cables where the terminals have been set TOO FAR into the plug, so that even when pushed fully into the power supply the terminals barely touch, try swopping it for the monitor power cable.
Also, don't ask me why but the usual 5amp fuse isn't enough for a modern high powered Athlon or P4, use a 13amp fuse in the main cable. Martin Just trying to help, sometimes falling short, I am only human after all.

 

[MA5]

Hi quikblueink (M Austin)
Please repost letting us know of you hardware, in your case make and model.
You might get specific help from people who have your type of system.

One thing that could cause a sudden shut down is a faulty power on/off button or its assembly or loose contacts attaching the power switch to mobo. It is only evident when (in BIOS) immediate shut down is chosen.
To test this, make sure “pressing power button = Shut down with 4 second delay” option is chosen.
Another one is a faulty PSU, Power lead, loose wiring etc.

Good luck

 

[quickblueink]

alright, working backwards.
the computer was built about four years ago (1998ish) by a small freelance company here in atlanta. it's a pentium II with a 2.1 gig hard drive (i know, out of date), a cdrom, 3.5 disk drive, and a zip drive. the power source is has 250 watt max output. the company that built it is now out of business.

initially i thought it was the power cord itself. I tried five different ones, some of them i know work fine. so it isn't the power cord itself. i tried putting the power cord in only so far, but that doesn't seem to help either.

also i thought that it might be the actual button itself. i pulled it out, airdusted it, checked the connection, and put it back. still no love.

i have checked every connection from the power box into the computer, and as i said i know the external power cord is ok. here's the other thing i noticed since i wrote the first note: it seems like it has power drain issues. what i mean is, if i use it to surf the net, and i click on a link, it makes a noise, like the power is being drained, while the page loads. It's kinda like if you have the lights on on your car before you start the engine, the way the lights dim when you crank it. except its a noise.

ive been trying to do what neo81 suggested all along, play it one piece at a time, and all i can see is that the box isn't pushing enough power. maybe I'm just looking for someone to agree before i buy another one.

what do you think?
M.austin

 

[Neo81]

that would be your best bet..... I am backing a new power supply will fix your problems but get some more resonces b4 going out and buying one like you said .... but yeah power supplies these days don't last long unless you pay big money, the amount of p/s problems I have fixed under waranty is huge...... It might just be on its way out.....


Later
NEo81 >:O>

 

[quickblueink]

thanks neo, just needed the second opinion. how do you know what to buy as far as wattage and whatnot? should i just ask somebody at the computer store?

 

[garwain]

A 250W should be fine for that computer. I would also agree that it sounds like a Power supply problem.

I would like to mention that just because the room is air conditioned to be cool, doesn't mean that it's cool inside the computer. If the CPU fan isn't working then the processor will still heat up. Also, if the airflow in the case is poor, then the hot air inside the case won't be exchanged with the cool air outside, but the jiggling the cord to get power back would indicated that it's a PS problem.

 

[Neo81]

Thats very true garwin .... yeah a regular 250w Atx will do it fine allthough if you are intending on adding more fans to increase airflow then a 300watt would do the job perfectly .....
Later
NEo81 >:O>

 

[paparazi]

Could be AT and not ATX?
Make sure you buy the right one! Martin Just trying to help, sometimes falling short, I am only human after all.

 

[quickblueink]

ok, dig this. i bought a new PS box. put it in and turned on the power...nothing. its a 300W ATX. I fiddle with it, wiggle the power cord, take the connectors on and off once or twice, nothing. I pull out the power button and click it. nothing.

I plug back in the old one and get the same thing, nothing. so with the old one in i jiggle everything the same way, even switch the power outlet i'm plugging it into. This time the old PS box starts up for a second. literally, one second and then shuts off. I realize that when it turns on the fan in the PS box isnt turning (its old and has lots of dust in it). Anyhow, i thought maybe i had a faulty power button, so i went and bought a new one. Still nothing, from either power box.

the PS box i bought the other day was from a used computer store, so theres a chance it is bad, and monday Ill take it back to them to check. but in the meantime, i thought i would ask if it could be anything else. i dunno much about hardware, but it seems to me that if it would be anything else, the thing would at least start to start, right?

--M.austin

PS--the thing has a fan at the bottom and a fan on the processor and a fan in the PS box, and mostly Ive been running it with the cover off. so it shouldn't be a heat problem, right?