ok this problem has been around for a month or so... press the power button, lights flash on then off again.. have to unplug and reconnect and try again..well this morning it took about 25 attempts, ive had the thing apart and all the connections seem sound enough, im getting the feeling that it might just be a fault power supply

Current Power Supply = Q-TEC PSU 550W DUAL FAN GOLD ATX

If anyone thinks this is not the problem let me know...coz im gonna look for one to buy a new one now.

Q tec PSUs are crap. It says 550w, but put it under load and youd be lucky to get 200w out of it. Replace it with a fortron supply.

Q tec PSUs are crap. It says 550w, but put it under load and youd be lucky to get 200w out of it. Replace it with a fortron supply.

Agreed, but there are other brands....who are Fortron, never heard of them!?

I use Tagan in my server and main PC and they're very good.

Fortron Source, AKA FSP, AKA Sparkle. Probably the best cheap supply you can get, IMO.

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=20985887461&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X3Jldmlld3M=&product_uid=102994

what about that?

how much for the fortron?

Cheap rubbish. Again, rated at 550w, but giving nowhere near that under load conditions. Whats in the system youve got? Because most systems dont need anywhere near 550w, unless its very high end or has a high overclock. You can get away with a quality 350/400w supply easily. Something like this one (http://www.microdirect.co.uk/ProductInfo.aspx?ProductID=13775&GroupID=505)

Cheap rubbish. Again, rated at 550w, but giving nowhere near that under load conditions. Whats in the system youve got? Because most systems dont need anywhere near 550w, unless its very high end or has a high overclock. You can get away with a quality 350/400w supply easily. Something like this one (http://www.microdirect.co.uk/ProductInfo.aspx?ProductID=13775&GroupID=505)
PROCESSOR
AMD Athlon™ XP 2600+
Model No: AMD ATHLON XP2600+ 333MHZ FSB 256Cache - Thoroughbred CPU

MOTHERBOARD
MSI K7N2G-ILSR Skt A Geforce4 Intergrated MX440 USB 2.0/Lan/Firewire/SATA And Raid Motherboard

MEMORY
2x Crucial 512 DDR333 PC2700 DIMM

HARD DRIVE
Maxtor Diamondmax Plus 9 120Gb

Advice welcome :) im leaving comp on overnight for a few days coz i dont want to power it down til i have new one in!

the one I linked to will do that lot fine, and a lot more besides

Hi MTheo.

This sounds like the same problem I'm having. See my thread at http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=130714. Sounds exactly the same. The computer guy at work tried mine out with a different power unit and it was still the same so it might not be that.

It's taking me a good 10-15 minutes to get mine started up now - it only actually engages the BIOS about 1 in 5 goes, and each time it does so it gets a bit further through and then the screen goes black and I have to start all over again.

Mine's been doing this for about 3-4 weeks as well. I just wonder whether some sort of Windows update has conflicted with something else that we both happen to have.

Your specs sound suspiciously similar to mine too. Is yours an Evesham by any chance?

Your specs sound suspiciously similar to mine too. Is yours an Evesham by any chance?

what is a evesham? .. at the moment im gonna leave my computer on all the time until i can be sure the problem can be fixed...by me. :|

mine doesnt start and give a black screen like you stated thou.. mine just shows a flick of life (2seconds) and goes off again... like a bulb when it blows.

Before you go changing power supplies, check out

1. The hard disk drive.
Check cabling at both MB and HDD ends - may be loose. Unplug and plug back in again.
2. Motherboard
Check power supply plugs. Unplug PC from the mains first then disconnect MB power connectors and reconnect.
3. Check memory is seated properly. Remove and reseat simms/dimms.
4. Check Graphics card is seated home fully and held to the case securely - wear and tear on the graphics cable can cause the graphics card to become loose. PCI graphics cards are especially prone to this.

Any of these things can cause a PC not to boot up.

Could also be a dry joint on the MB which opens when pc is cool but closes up and makes contact once it warms up enough. Cure - new MB.

Give your case a good hoover (gently) inside. Dust can act as a conductor and cause a short-circuit.

Make sure any other cards (sound card, network card etc.) are fully seated and secure.

Unplug and plug back in any other cables (power supply to HDD, CDRW etc. FDD cable, CDRW cable).