I'm hot as Fire!

[japerritt]

this is my first time attempting to build a pc. followed the quide sysopts has. i connected the mb , video card , and nothing! i notice right of my power suppy fan did not start running. i removed all connections from the power supply and powered up and still no fan.. when i power up it does act like it wants to run, it moves an inch and thats it! i check voltages and and have 5 volts dc on purple and 4.5 dc on green thats it. shouldn't i have more voltages?
now, i am a complete begginer.. i am almost 100 percent positive the power supply is bad, but need reassurance. when reading "how to build your own pc" from sysopt it says nothing about diconnecting everything from the power supply. it just says check power cable, which i have, and power and reset cables.
this is a brand new case from stricly bussiness products. of course the power supply says if i open the warranty is void.
never buy from this company! i caught them in two lies! and my case does not work.
SHOULD THE POWER SUPPLY FAN SHOULD RUN WITH NOTHING CONNECTED BESIDES THE POWER CABLE IT'S SELF? THANKS JODY

[This message has been edited by japerritt (edited 02-17-2000).]

[Target]

It sort of depends on the Power Supply, I have seen some that will do what you describe yours as doing. Usually those I have seen exhibit that behavior required that they (1) be plugged into the motherboard, and that (2) the electronic "on" switch also be connected to the mobo in the proper location.

[japerritt]

target, but shouldn't it supply other voltages to the motherboard besides a 5vt dc and a 4.5 volt? i'm no pc experert by no means, but most power suppies i've worked with (ATM's)supply the voltage.. it is a deer computer co. supply. model-250atx. label says outputs of 3.3v, +5v, and 12v..
thanks , jody

[daveleau]

You may have already gotten this suggestion but...
You say it moves an inch
Has it seized up? Does it run freely or does it move slightly when you turn it by hand (or insturment if it is hard to get to through a grill)
Dave

[AdamP]

Japerrett,

The power supply may not be working when you disconnect it because it is automatically shutting down to protect itself. You can damage some power supplies when you turn them on without any kind of load. They are designed to work under a load. I had a problem with my PIII/600 that I built not powering up when I installed the Mobo. and it turned out that I had the power switch on the case connected to the wrong pins on the Mobo. You can also try turning the power switch connector around. The polarity might have been wrong. You said it moves an inch. Make sure the CPU is completely seated. It won't boot if it isn't. I hope this helps!

[Target]

AdamP stated exactly what I was getting at...... he just said it better than I did http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[Steve R Jones]

The two lines that connect to the mobo both have black wires....The black wires should be side by side.

[Rich H]

Does the power supply make a grinding noise? Like the previous posters have said some cases exhibit this behavior. It's pretty unlikely that the power supply is not working, but if in doubt replace if for a new one.

[This message has been edited by Rich H (edited 02-18-2000).]

[Paul V]

Is the PS AT or ATX style? Easy way to figure this is how many connectors go to the MB -- one, it's ATX, 2, it's AT. Newer PCs use ATX style cases and fans.

To repeat a point made earlier, do NOT test the PS without a motherboard and about 2 or so drives attached! Power supplies cannot regulate voltage without adequate load on them, and most will stop working a second after power on if you tried.

Come to think of it, if it's an ATX supply how could you ever power it on without the motherboard connected, the power button goes to the MB, which will signal the power supply. Some ATX power supplies have a little power switch on them -- this is NOT to start the computer, it's rather a way to DISABLE all power when you work inside the PC. To boot the PC you need to have this power switch on (in fact it should always be on except when you need to work on the PC) then you need to hit the switch on the case.

[japerritt]

hey guys, thanks for all your info.. i'm an idiot, thats all i can say.. i was mad as hell when powered up and nothing happened! it was a simple power switch problem like most of you said.. 0ne things for sure , i want get bit by this again..
i have had many problems.. i got windows loaded properly.. i had all kinds of trouble with my modemn, which tech support straightened out.. NOW I AM HAVING TROUBLE LOADING MY VOODOO3 3000 SOFTWARE! I WILL POST A NEW TOPIC FOR THAT.. THANKS GUYS , JODY