Power supply issue, or power issue?

A forum for computer hardware and software issues
Deslock
Retired Admin
Retired Admin
User avatar
Posts: 4275
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:13 am
Location: Iowa

Games Played

Ville Awards

Deslock.TVR’s avatar
Loading…

Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by Deslock » Mon Aug 25, 2014 7:40 pm

This one has me stumped. I'm trying to donate one of my older computers
to my son's scout troop. I reinstalled windows, did all of the updates,
installed all of the software they will need, and ran it for a couple of
days to insure everything worked. I took it to them at their next
meeting, plugged it in, and it would only turn on the green power
light. No fans, no drives, just the light. I brought it home and
plugged it in and it booted up just fine. I went over all of the
connectors just to be sure everything was connected, stressed tested it,
and took it back today. Same thing. I tried 12 different outlets in 5
different rooms. Yet the old computer they have (Compaq Evo, P4 socket
478) starts up ok. The power supply in the computer I am donating is a
PC Power and Cooling 350W ( I don't remember the model).

Let me repeat: It works just fine at home, but not in their building.
Dog isn't Evil, he's Canadian. There's a difference. :lol:
CV 6 USS Enterprise 12 May 1938 - 17 February 1947
CVN 65 USS Enterprise 25 November 1961 - 1 December 2012
CVN 80 USS Enterprise 2025

Boss Llama
Site Admin
Site Admin
User avatar
Posts: 10153
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:45 pm

Games Played

Ville Awards

<eVa> Boss Llama’s avatar
Loading…

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by Boss Llama » Tue Aug 26, 2014 4:21 am

That's incredibly strange. The fact that you could go back and forth with it and repeat those results makes it even stranger (eliminates something getting jostled in transit, for example).

I'm no electrician, but I wonder if it's possible the troop's building has a power issue that the PSU is detecting and based off of which it is refusing to operate? Something like a shorted ground wire or something? Or perhaps the building has a an incredibly weak feed and can't supply the amperage needed? Electrical Engineers, ho! Come save us?
-Boss Llama

Deslock
Retired Admin
Retired Admin
User avatar
Posts: 4275
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:13 am
Location: Iowa

Games Played

Ville Awards

Deslock.TVR’s avatar
Loading…

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by Deslock » Tue Aug 26, 2014 8:23 am

I'm taking a meter to the next meeting.
Dog isn't Evil, he's Canadian. There's a difference. :lol:
CV 6 USS Enterprise 12 May 1938 - 17 February 1947
CVN 65 USS Enterprise 25 November 1961 - 1 December 2012
CVN 80 USS Enterprise 2025

Inner
Server Admin
Server Admin
Posts: 1475
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:38 pm
Location: North Carolina

Games Played

Ville Awards

=USV= Inner’s avatar
Loading…

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by Inner » Tue Aug 26, 2014 3:39 pm

Yes. I agree with the above. Voltage, current, frequency. Or of course, demonic possession.

Might have to submit power supply to ALS ice bucket challenge. If it's good it will pass.

Older PC may have less sensitive power supply.

Flash
Site Admin
Site Admin
User avatar
Posts: 6356
Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 12:01 pm
Location: Houston, TX
Minecraft name: FlashTVR
Contact:

Games Played

Ville Awards

Flash.TVR’s avatar
Offline

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by Flash » Wed Aug 27, 2014 7:08 am

Take a UPS to the scout building and see if it'll boot with the UPS between the wall and computer?

Deslock
Retired Admin
Retired Admin
User avatar
Posts: 4275
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:13 am
Location: Iowa

Games Played

Ville Awards

Deslock.TVR’s avatar
Loading…

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by Deslock » Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:39 am

Flash wrote:Take a UPS to the scout building and see if it'll boot with the UPS between the wall and computer?

Yeah...I think I might know someone who would loan me one for the day. Outlet tester, volt meter, and a UPS.
Also looking at a new PS....just in case it might be the problem.
Dog isn't Evil, he's Canadian. There's a difference. :lol:
CV 6 USS Enterprise 12 May 1938 - 17 February 1947
CVN 65 USS Enterprise 25 November 1961 - 1 December 2012
CVN 80 USS Enterprise 2025

The Spanish Inquisition
Villun
Villun
User avatar
Posts: 697
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:32 pm

Ville Awards

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by The Spanish Inquisition » Wed Aug 27, 2014 5:05 pm

It's most likely a safety device in the power supply because there is voltage on the ground line. Break off the ground prong or use an adapter for sockets that don't have a ground and see if that will work. Turn off when not in use.
Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition!

Deslock
Retired Admin
Retired Admin
User avatar
Posts: 4275
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:13 am
Location: Iowa

Games Played

Ville Awards

Deslock.TVR’s avatar
Loading…

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by Deslock » Wed Aug 27, 2014 9:58 pm

The Spanish Inquisition wrote:It's most likely a safety device in the power supply because there is voltage on the ground line. Break off the ground prong or use an adapter for sockets that don't have a ground and see if that will work. Turn off when not in use.

Ah! Good idea. I'll try that too.
Dog isn't Evil, he's Canadian. There's a difference. :lol:
CV 6 USS Enterprise 12 May 1938 - 17 February 1947
CVN 65 USS Enterprise 25 November 1961 - 1 December 2012
CVN 80 USS Enterprise 2025

Inner
Server Admin
Server Admin
Posts: 1475
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:38 pm
Location: North Carolina

Games Played

Ville Awards

=USV= Inner’s avatar
Loading…

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by Inner » Tue Sep 09, 2014 12:45 pm

Any updates on this mystery?

kallous
Villun
Villun
User avatar
Posts: 1086
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:05 am
Location: No, really...Where am I?

Games Played

Ville Awards

=USV= kallous’s avatar
Loading…

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by kallous » Tue Sep 09, 2014 3:48 pm

"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." - Peter Drucker

Deslock
Retired Admin
Retired Admin
User avatar
Posts: 4275
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:13 am
Location: Iowa

Games Played

Ville Awards

Deslock.TVR’s avatar
Loading…

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by Deslock » Wed Sep 10, 2014 4:13 pm

Have not been able to get back to the building as I have not been able to get mondays off, but I am suspecting that the voltage at the outlets is under 100 volts. The P/S I have in that computer has passive PFC and I think the minimum voltage on that unit is 100 volts.
Dog isn't Evil, he's Canadian. There's a difference. :lol:
CV 6 USS Enterprise 12 May 1938 - 17 February 1947
CVN 65 USS Enterprise 25 November 1961 - 1 December 2012
CVN 80 USS Enterprise 2025

Deslock
Retired Admin
Retired Admin
User avatar
Posts: 4275
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:13 am
Location: Iowa

Games Played

Ville Awards

Deslock.TVR’s avatar
Loading…

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by Deslock » Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:49 am

Update:

I have found out that the voltage at the outlets averages about 122V. The power supply does have a switch for 115/220, and I made sure it was set to 115. I think the P/S has passive PFC, so would anything over 120V cause it to not power up? Also, I plugged in an outlet tester, and the outlets seem to be wired correctly.
Do you think I should update the P/S with one that has active PFC and has automatic voltage selection, or maybe try a UPS?
Dog isn't Evil, he's Canadian. There's a difference. :lol:
CV 6 USS Enterprise 12 May 1938 - 17 February 1947
CVN 65 USS Enterprise 25 November 1961 - 1 December 2012
CVN 80 USS Enterprise 2025

M's
Server Admin
Server Admin
Posts: 7550
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 6:09 am
Location: Vilonia, Arkansas

Games Played

Ville Awards

<eVa> M's’s avatar
Offline

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by M's » Sat Sep 13, 2014 4:05 pm

Most of the incoming AC power these days is going to be 120ac with a varience of + or - 3 %. The old allowable voltage was 115 ac with + or - 3%
If it's an older PSU I'd look into replacing.
And with the voltage being 120 it will cause the PSU to over volt and not power up.

Deslock
Retired Admin
Retired Admin
User avatar
Posts: 4275
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:13 am
Location: Iowa

Games Played

Ville Awards

Deslock.TVR’s avatar
Loading…

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by Deslock » Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:27 pm

<eVa>mlite wrote:Most of the incoming AC power these days is going to be 120ac with a varience of + or - 3 %. The old allowable voltage was 115 ac with + or - 3%
If it's an older PSU I'd look into replacing.
And with the voltage being 120 it will cause the PSU to over volt and not power up.


I kinda suspected that when I saw the voltage numbers. At home I'm running about 116V. *sigh* It was a good P/S for years without a hiccup. Only reason I updated it was for a new video card.
Dog isn't Evil, he's Canadian. There's a difference. :lol:
CV 6 USS Enterprise 12 May 1938 - 17 February 1947
CVN 65 USS Enterprise 25 November 1961 - 1 December 2012
CVN 80 USS Enterprise 2025

Deslock
Retired Admin
Retired Admin
User avatar
Posts: 4275
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:13 am
Location: Iowa

Games Played

Ville Awards

Deslock.TVR’s avatar
Loading…

Re: Power supply issue, or power issue?

Post by Deslock » Mon Nov 17, 2014 10:02 am

FIXED.

I finally replaced the P/S with an Antec VP450, and it's working just fine.
The old P/S (PC Power and Cooling Turbo Cool 350 ATX) will still power up at home, though. I have to assume that it's on its way out, as I can't see why a 6 volt difference would cause it to not power up at the church (116V at home vs 122V at church). :-?
Dog isn't Evil, he's Canadian. There's a difference. :lol:
CV 6 USS Enterprise 12 May 1938 - 17 February 1947
CVN 65 USS Enterprise 25 November 1961 - 1 December 2012
CVN 80 USS Enterprise 2025

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests