I'm on a library computer as I write this, recently my computer has suddenly stopped working. In this situation I'm really confused because I really don't know what happened. It started yesterday, when I was on the computer watching a video. I suddenly notice that the monitor is a little blurry, there are lines near the top of the monitor and I have an LCD screen comp, so I am like wtf? I try to change the screen settings, alas to no avail. Suddenly, like 2 minutes later, my comp suddenly stops, and before I know it, the screen turns white, and there is like this white solar light thing flashing on the screen and my comp turns off. I try to turn my computer back on, but its not turning on at all!!!! I unplug, re-plug several times, and the damn thing is still not starting. My monitor seems to be working because on the on/off switch on my monitor, there is orange light that indicated whether my monitor is powered and is ready to use but my CPU doesn't seem even seem to be turning on. What is going on?

VarmVaffel

Norway378 Posts

August 10 2009 18:43 GMT

Unfortunately, there can be a lot of different errors from that explanation. My first bet would be that it have something to do with your videocard, as the problem seem to have started there. This might be overheating or maybe static electricity from, for example, when the computer was put together. You might wanna search google for the same sympthoms on various forums also.

Personally I have an almost similiar experience with my videocard, which turned out to be that the fan had fallen off. I was flabbergasted.

General questions to help with the problemsovling:

How old is your computer?
What brand is the different hardware in there?
Did you put it together yourself, or have you swapped any hardware in there after you bought it?

omgbnetsux

United States3749 Posts

August 10 2009 19:56 GMT

Sounds like a video card heat issue. Open up your computer and give it a good compressed air clean and see if that helps.

Agro_Z

United States138 Posts

August 10 2009 20:00 GMT

It looks like something caused your computer's power box to stop working.

Would a faulty graphics card prevent a computer from turning on entirely? Go buy a new Power Supply, preferably one that is more powerful than your previous one and try using that. If your computer has a bad power box, it won't turn on. Your moniter gets it's power from a different source than the tower, so that's why it can turn on while the rest of your computer is dead.

Scorch

Austria3371 Posts

August 10 2009 20:07 GMT

My guess, too, is the graphics card. Can you borrow a friend's graphics card and see if it works? Or try a different monitor and see if it still produces the weird flashing and stuff?

nimysa

United States383 Posts

August 10 2009 20:54 GMT

I bought the computer in 2005, and it's HP, I am going to look at what model it exactly is. Anyway, I cleaned out the inside of my computer because there was so much dirt inside, and I cleaned out the fans, as well as the insides right after the incident happened, it still isn't turning on sadly.

imBLIND

United States2626 Posts

August 10 2009 21:44 GMT

graphics card is my guess too. u didn't mention smelling anything and a beeping sound...last guess is the graphics card

GoSu

Korea (South)1773 Posts

August 10 2009 22:24 GMT

I guess temperature of your grafic card was too high so it was over hot. so I guess you need to test your computer with another graphic card and yuu will see.

If I don't see anything with that, maybe the RAM...

falls

United States168 Posts

August 10 2009 23:16 GMT

Since you have a HP computer, I'd contact their customer support anyways, though since you bought it in 2005, its probably not under warranty anymore and they won't help you.

I don't know, but as Agro_Z said, probably you blew your power supply, however, it might just be your gfx card. Hopefully it isn't an integrated gfx card X_X.

Judicator

United States7270 Posts

August 10 2009 23:28 GMT

#10

On August 11 2009 05:00 Agro_Z wrote:
It looks like something caused your computer's power box to stop working.

Would a faulty graphics card prevent a computer from turning on entirely? Go buy a new Power Supply, preferably one that is more powerful than your previous one and try using that. If your computer has a bad power box, it won't turn on. Your moniter gets it's power from a different source than the tower, so that's why it can turn on while the rest of your computer is dead.

Yeah, overheated graphics card rarely creates a situation like the OP described. I am more inclined to say it was a faulty part somewhere (I know it's not helpful, but you have to pop your case anyways to take a look), because if the PSU was acting up, I highly doubt all the things the OP described BEFORE the crash would occur.

It can't be the RAM because RAM errors is very distinct; some series of beeps will occur AFTER the computer turns on.

When the computer doesn't turn on at all, I would say to unslot anything you don't need and try to turn it on then. This would include things like the modem, sound card, etc.

Frankly though, without some more info we can't really help you.