Argh

[Caliga]

When your PSU failed, did it fail completely?  The reason I'm doubting PSU is that it is clearly providing some juice.  The fans are spinning for a very little while, and the mobo light is on.

I don't recall for sure now, but I think that's what was happening in my case too.

[Vricklund]

A PSU saldom fails completely. If you want to _know_ then you'll need to unplug all power connectors from the PSU and hotwire it (shortcut pins 15 and 16). Basicly you're tricking the PSU into thinking the computer is up and running. You can then measure the 3.3V, 5V and 12V cables with a simple multimeter.

[Neil]

I had this problem once with a brand new computer.  Turns out that due to shoddy workmanship, they had set up the motherboard so that it wasn't insulated from the case.  Any time the case staticed with the environent or my body, it fried the motherboard.

[Vricklund]

set up the motherboard so that it wasn't insulated from the case

Yeah, I bent a small spacing myself once inserting a new stick of RAM. It caused me quite a headache so this is always the first thing I think of when seeing a problem like this. He said he hadn't touched the thing though...

[DGuller]

FFS, disconnecting all the connectors is a bigger pain in the ass than even I expected.  The 24 pin connector eventually gave up, but the fucking 8 pin connector just won't budge at all.  I fear that if I pull any harder, I'll just rip out the mobo socket.  It doesn't help that for some inexplicable reason, they put the socket in the tightest place possible.

[DGuller]

Desperate times call for desperate measures.  I put the flathead screwdriver between the connector and the clip, and twisted it. One of the clips finally snapped off, and the connector was freed.

[DGuller]

Whew, it was the PSU.  That almost makes the torture worth it.

[Caliga]

Whew, it was the PSU.  That almost makes the torture worth it.

me = genious

[DGuller]

Languish comes through yet again.

[Vricklund]

Did they glue it on there? Usually a fair bit of jiggling it does the trick!

[DGuller]

Did they glue it on there? Usually a fair bit of jiggling it does the trick!

This was a PC I built myself, so no, they didn't.    The problem was that the two connector clips were overly tight, coupled with virtually no working space.  I just couldn't keep both clips open enough and pull at the same time, there wasn't enough space to do these finger acrobatics.  When I snapped off one of the clips, the problem was solved.

[DontSayBanana]

This was a PC I built myself, so no, they didn't.    The problem was that the two connector clips were overly tight, coupled with virtually no working space.  I just couldn't keep both clips open enough and pull at the same time, there wasn't enough space to do these finger acrobatics.  When I snapped off one of the clips, the problem was solved.

Yeah, cable management can be a bitch. Sometimes, the right components just don't fit together, physically.  The cable for my CPU fan attaches directly under the top-side case fan, the CPU power cable is stretched tight (methinks my PSU was designed for a top-side mounting, not a bottom mount like in my case), and the front panel audio jacks have to run completely across the mobo to connect by the backside audio jacks.  Oh, and my Radeon is currently laying on top of ports 2 and 4 in the SATA bank- something tells me Biostar never intended a full-size video card for that PCIE slot.

[DGuller]

This morning my work PC had similar symptoms.  Turns out its PSU failed as well.    I must have reverse Midas touch.