PC wont restart if shut down for more than approx 5 minutes

  • Thread starter Thread starter eli
  • Start date Start date
E

eli

Hello:

When I restart my Dell PC via that option at the Start menu, it restarts
flawlessly.

Howver, if I choose the Turn Off option there, it will shut down , but fail
to resart if it had been off fro more than ~5 minutes.

If I press the ON button within ~5 minutes, it'll turn back on smoothly.
But if I leave it turned off for longer, i'll se the green lights and hear
the whirring sound. However, the monitor won't sho anything. No error
messages either.

When this happens, I can get it turned bck on if I hold the button long
enough to complete it's shutdown again. And then press again. sometimes I
need to repaet this a few times. Or I can simply unplug the power source and
replug it. Then press the ON button again. it'll powe up as usual, and work
OK.

I'm puzzled as to why this only happens when I elect "Turn Off", and not
when I choose "Restart". Also, why does it restart smoothly after shutting
it down if I restrat it within a few mniutes of the shutdown.

Whats the problem here, and how would i go about solving it?

TIA

-Eli

***********************************************

Dell PC 640 Meg RAM

Windows XP Professional Edition

Zone Alarm Security Suite 6.1.744.001
 
eli said:
Hello:

When I restart my Dell PC via that option at the Start menu, it restarts
flawlessly.

Howver, if I choose the Turn Off option there, it will shut down , but fail
to resart if it had been off fro more than ~5 minutes.

If I press the ON button within ~5 minutes, it'll turn back on smoothly.
But if I leave it turned off for longer, i'll se the green lights and hear
the whirring sound. However, the monitor won't sho anything. No error
messages either.

When this happens, I can get it turned bck on if I hold the button long
enough to complete it's shutdown again. And then press again. sometimes I
need to repaet this a few times. Or I can simply unplug the power source and
replug it. Then press the ON button again. it'll powe up as usual, and work
OK.

I'm puzzled as to why this only happens when I elect "Turn Off", and not
when I choose "Restart". Also, why does it restart smoothly after shutting
it down if I restrat it within a few mniutes of the shutdown.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a hardware component is failing. Sometimes hardware will
work when it is warm and the metal has expanded and vice versa. Here are
general hardware troubleshooting steps. I'd start with the power supply.

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Hardware_Tshoot

Standard caveat: Testing hardware failures often involves swapping out
suspected parts with known-good parts. If you can't do the testing
yourself and/or are uncomfortable opening your computer, take the
machine to a professional computer repair shop (not your local
equivalent of BigComputerStore/GeekSquad). Have all your data backed up
before you take the machine into a shop.


Malke
 
Malke wrote:

<<<<Sounds like a hardware component is failing. Sometimes hardware will
work when it is warm and the metal has expanded and vice versa. Here are
general hardware troubleshooting steps. I'd start with the power supply.
[SNIP]
==============================

Thanks Malke.

I had a certified technician look into this today.Initially he suspected the
PSU. Then he discovered the problem to be in the monitor [Dell E770s: CRT]

He tested this by plugging in another monitor [Compaq] I had lying around.
The failure on restart I had described in the original post didn't
happen. So he concluded that the hardware at fault was the monitor--
possibly some failing power supply within the monitor itself...He felt it
wasn't worth trying to repair it.

I'm continuing to use the "defective" Dell monitor because I've grown to
like this particular model alot. Will keep my eyes open for a replacement
though.

Another workaround is to simply detach the monitor's from the PC's port and
boot up that way. When I later plug it back in , it shows Windows XP
successfully loading

-Eli

*************************************************************
 
My guess if that if the computer was running but would not
restart after 5 minutes, it is a weak power supply or bad
wire to the hard drive. The power required to start the
drive [any electric motor] is much higher than the power to
keep it running. The monitor would not "light up" with a
bad power supply in the monitor, but a computer will start
and boot up just fine with a connected monitor that is
turned off. but after 5 minutes a hard drive would have
spun down and stopped. It could also be a combination of
low voltage and current to run the drive and heat.

Maybe your monitor is bad, but I think you have a weak main
PSU, or a bad wire. It is also possible you have a bad hard
drive. The voltage on each bus of the PSU should be
measured, some software can do this and show you "on screen"
or to be sure, a DVM and a dummy load [to trigger the
computer] can be used.

Also, how many devices are installed, each drive needs power
at startup, your power supply might just be under-sized.
Have you added any new drives or video cards?


| Malke wrote:
|
| <<<<Sounds like a hardware component is failing. Sometimes
hardware will
| work when it is warm and the metal has expanded and vice
versa. Here are
| general hardware troubleshooting steps. I'd start with the
power supply.
| [SNIP]
||
| ==============================
|
| Thanks Malke.
|
| I had a certified technician look into this
today.Initially he suspected the
| PSU. Then he discovered the problem to be in the monitor
[Dell E770s: CRT]
|
| He tested this by plugging in another monitor [Compaq] I
had lying around.
| The failure on restart I had described in the original
post didn't
| happen. So he concluded that the hardware at fault was the
monitor--
| possibly some failing power supply within the monitor
itself...He felt it
| wasn't worth trying to repair it.
|
| I'm continuing to use the "defective" Dell monitor because
I've grown to
| like this particular model alot. Will keep my eyes open
for a replacement
| though.
|
| Another workaround is to simply detach the monitor's from
the PC's port and
| boot up that way. When I later plug it back in , it shows
Windows XP
| successfully loading
|
| -Eli
|
|
*************************************************************
| | > eli wrote:
| >> Hello:
| >>
| >> When I restart my Dell PC via that option at the Start
menu, it restarts
| >> flawlessly.
| >>
| >> Howver, if I choose the Turn Off option there, it will
shut down , but
| >> fail to resart if it had been off fro more than ~5
minutes.
| >>
| >> If I press the ON button within ~5 minutes, it'll turn
back on smoothly.
| >> But if I leave it turned off for longer, i'll se the
green lights and
| >> hear the whirring sound. However, the monitor won't sho
anything. No
| >> error messages either.
| >>
| >> When this happens, I can get it turned bck on if I hold
the button long
| >> enough to complete it's shutdown again. And then press
again. sometimes I
| >> need to repaet this a few times. Or I can simply unplug
the power source
| >> and replug it. Then press the ON button again. it'll
powe up as usual,
| >> and work OK.
| >>
| >> I'm puzzled as to why this only happens when I elect
"Turn Off", and not
| >> when I choose "Restart". Also, why does it restart
smoothly after
| >> shutting it down if I restrat it within a few mniutes
of the shutdown.
| >
| > Sounds like a hardware component is failing. Sometimes
hardware will work
| > when it is warm and the metal has expanded and vice
versa. Here are
| > general hardware troubleshooting steps. I'd start with
the power supply.
| >
| >
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Hardware_Tshoot
| >
| > Standard caveat: Testing hardware failures often
involves swapping out
| > suspected parts with known-good parts. If you can't do
the testing
| > yourself and/or are uncomfortable opening your computer,
take the machine
| > to a professional computer repair shop (not your local
equivalent of
| > BigComputerStore/GeekSquad). Have all your data backed
up before you take
| > the machine into a shop.
| >
| >
| > Malke
| > --
| > Elephant Boy Computers
| > www.elephantboycomputers.com
| > "Don't Panic!"
| > MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
|
|
 
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