"Kick-Start" PC !?!?!

[KeyTech]

hey all, I have a strange question, so I hope I can explain it well!!
I had a call out to a client who had a server that wouldn't start up at all....when you push the power button at the front of the PC and nothing at all happened, no fans no hard disks no processor etc...
So when I was out looking at it I thought there was a problem with the PSU first off, then I thought it was the connection of the power button wires to the mother board.

NOW!!...There is an on/off switch at the back beside the power cable socket...which I was turning on and off and still nothing was happening, until I noticed when I filcked the switch a couple of times in quick sucession, the processor fan would spin for a sec and the network card light would flash on.???
So I tried this again and same thing...so I tried flicking the switch rapidly for 7 or 8 times and the fan stayed on longer as did the hard disks start to boot....SO!! I FRANTICALLY flicked the switch for a while and eventually.....the PC started to boot and stoped I flicking and it stayed on and its working fine now...??????? They havent turned the PC off since and its grand...
does anyone know what's the prob....I think its the power button or connections with it....

But better still can any one explaing how on earth flicking that switch started the PC?!?!?!....Kick-starting!?!?!
Jay~

"I have to think of a funny footer to
put in here!!!???"

~KeyTech

 

[ceh4702]

I do not know if I would trust this power supply.

Have you considered that the power supply could be a fire hazard waiting to happen?

Maybe the power supply wouldnt start because at first it could not keep a stable level of power. It could be fluctuating and be damaging the CPU.

Turning off a unit over and over could have adverse effects on the components when it sends that surge of power over and over again.

Power supplies do not cost much, but a building costs a lot to replace when it burns down. If you have insurance on your servers it might be worth using it.

 

[hotfusion]

It sounds like the PSU is stalling under the startup load. By switching the power on/off as you did (I would never have suspected that would work!) you allowed enough power to get through to reduce the load and allow the PSU to operate normally. I dread to think what that did to the hard drives though! Get the PSU tested - it's the prime suspect. My suggestions are what I would try myself. If incorrect, I welcome corrections to my rather limited knowledge. Andy.