power supply troubleshooting

power supply troubleshooting

Check your power supply with technician perfectly, if not ok then replacing it with a new one. 

Symptoms of Power Supply Problem 

There are some common symptoms for power supply failure. Sometimes the symptoms are hard to correlate with the power supply problem. The power supply problem symptoms below:

Group A: The problems directly related to the power supply. The followings are some obvious symptoms that point right to the power supply as a possible cause:

• System is completely dead (no fan, no cursor)

• Smoke

• Blown circuit breakers

Group B: Other computer problems due to power supply failure or problems. They can be described as follows:

• Any power-on or system startup failures or lockups.

• Spontaneous rebooting or intermittent lockups during normal operation.

• Intermittent parity check or other memory-type errors.

• Hard disk and fan simultaneously failing to spin (no +12v).

• Overheating due to fan failure.

• Small brownouts cause the system to reset.

• Electric shocks felt on the system case or connectors.

• Slight static discharges disrupt system operation.

Group C: Symptoms hard to correlate with the power supply failure. Apparently the symptoms seem to have very little connection to the power supply. Only experienced technicians can deal this sort of problems. For example, a parity check error may indicate power supply problem. Initially it may seem very strange since the parity check message specifically refers to memory failure. But the fact is that the power supply powers the memory and memory with insufficient/faulty power fails.

Solution: If you suspect a power supply problem, some of the simple and straightforward measurements and the more advanced and sophisticated tests outlined in this section can help you determine if the power supply is faulty. Because these measurements might not detect some intermittent failures. Intermittent failures occurs rarely without any particular pattern or frequency of occurrence. In this case a spare power supply helps a lot for a long-term evaluation. If the symptoms and problems disappear when a known good spare unit is installed, you have found the source of your problem.

Following is a simple flowchart to help you determine common power supply related problems:

i) Check AC power input. Make sure the cord is firmly fixed in the wall socket and in the power supply socket. Try a different good and working cord.

ii) Check DC power connections. Make sure the motherboard and disk drive power connectors are firmly seated and the contact is good. Check for loose screws.

iii) Check DC power output. Use a digital multimeter to check for proper voltages. Replace the power supply if it is below the specified level.

iv) This is the final and most important step of the entire system. Check the installed peripherals. Remove all boards and drives and retest the system. If it works, add back in items one at a time until the system fails again. The last item added before the failure returns is likely defective.

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