My PC won’t Turn ON? Why and How to Fix it

Do you have a newly assembled PC and it does not turn on? If you have just assembled your computer and you see that there is no way to start it, and it does not directly react to the power button, this article is for you.

We are going to advise you by explaining the most common causes of this problem. Let’s go there!

My PC Won’t Turn ON? Problem with Solutions

This article is aimed at computers where there is no response at all when trying to turn it on. No to other cases like partial starts, etc.

1. Check Front Panel Connections and bypass Power

To turn on your PC, what is done is to send a signal to the source from the motherboard. In fact, you will send it yourself if your PC still does not turn on after trying this point.

See Also: How to change RAM memory on PC

The power button that we press is on the case, so there is a cable from the case to the motherboard to serve this purpose.

If you haven’t connected the front panel cables, you’re already at fault, but even if you have, you may be doing it wrong.

The cables we are referring to are PWR_SW, PWR_LED, HDD_LED, RESET, etc. and have a very small connection. They certainly do not go unnoticed when setting up a team.

These cables go to the connection on the front panel of the motherboard, which is usually right in its lower right corner.

It is identified by the name “F_PANEL”, “FRONT PANEL” or “JFP1”, depending on the manufacturer of the board.

If you can’t find it, look in the same manual for a diagram of the motherboard, and you’ll see where it is located.

Now, the important thing is to know how the connections are made. Here what interests us is to see the position of the PWR_SW on which two specific pins are connected.

It will be what we will use to try to turn on the PC. These positions can be seen both in the manual and motherboard itself, even if it’s hard to read.

Disconnect everything you have on the front panel and, with the PWR_SW position learned, take a metal screwdriver, or any metal object, and make a jumper by touching those two pins.

If the equipment turns on, you have already identified your problem either you are making the connection from the box wrong, or the switch on the box does not work.

If the PC still won’t turn on, read on…

2. Check if your Power Supply is working Properly

One of the star methods to try to diagnose why your newly built PC does not turn on is to bypass the power supply.

This basically consists of causing the source to turn on without the need for a motherboard, and thus we will know if our source is not working.

See Also: How to see Power consumption on PC: Is this a Problem

How to do this? It is very simple. The first thing you should do is get a clip or any similar object, which is a metal wire.

For plastic clips, trim both ends a bit to expose the metal. Another interesting option can also be the typical bread wire.

So, what you need to do is jumper two pins on the ATX cable from the source, such as the fat cable that connects to the board with a 24-pin connector. Hardly any power supplies currently carry colored wires, so you should locate PS-ON.

Look closely at the tab and take advantage of the empty pin that you will see in the connector to locate yourself.

Once that bridge is made, keep it, don’t do it halfway or “put it on and let go”. If you’ve done the process rightly and the source is connected to power, one of two things should happen:

• Fan should turn on, even if it does so only at first because it is a semi-passive source.
• If it’s a modern font, you should hear a clicking noise that corresponds to a relay. This noise sounds once when turned on and once when turned off.

If your newly assembled PC still does not turn on but the power supply responds, then you should already rule out a culprit, almost in all probability.

Now what happens if the source does not give any response, then it means you bought the wrong power supply you have received a DOA (Dead on Arrival).

This is usually happened due to problems with the transport, presumably from the factory. When the PC is faulty but initially works, so at the time shifting from factory to end users, such problems may occur.

3. Wire Everything right if you have a Modular Power Supply

This point may seem elementary, but it is not for everyone. We have seen in recent years many people do not connect the connectors of a modular power supply correctly.

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And with the newly assembled PC they see that it does not respond at all, it does not turn on, and they think (with all legitimacy) that there is something wrong.

We should see how connectors are sometimes partially inserted, which obviously leads to the PC not working properly.

There is a very specific case of misconnecting the ATX cable, that is, the 24-pin “big cable” that goes to the motherboard.

Turns out, on any power supply, this cable has two different connectors on the end that goes to the modular part.

For some reason, many people only connect one end, leaving the other (usually the small one) unconnected.

This means that the source can be bypassed, but the PC will never turn on, and leads one to think that the problem is somewhere else.

So, now you know, be very careful to avoid these types of errors.

4. A short in your box?

We continue with the possible problems that can occur in the assembly of the PC. There is a case that is quite unlikely and somewhat “extreme”, but it can happen sometimes.

It is possible that there is some kind of short in the assembled PC, you could have (for example) a loose screw somewhere that causes it.

So, to check this the best alternative is to take the motherboard out of the box and put it back on a hard non-conductive surface.

For example, on top of the motherboard box itself (never on top of the antistatic bag). Then, try making the manual jumper on the board, to see if the equipment responds that way.

See Also: What Power Supply do I need for my Gaming PC

“Both at this point and at the bridging of the source, it is advisable to turn your switch off and on. If the protection against short circuits acts, it means there is a problem and you need to fix it.”

Take this opportunity to check all the connections thoroughly, and maybe even take the complete PC out of the box as well.

5. Incorrectly Installed CPU

Unfortunately, we are getting into somewhat uncomfortable solutions, since if the PC still does not turn on after these above-mentioned tests.

It is possible that you are facing a much bigger problem, and having to disassemble parts with the newly assembled PC that is not something satisfactory.

Well, one of the things that can happen is that the assembly of the CPU has been incorrect, causing the pins to bend, which leads to short circuits and, ultimately, to the PC not turning on.

“Remember that it can happen as the CPU remains stuck to the heatsink when removing it, but not in a case of freshly assembled PC.”

So, we invite you to remove the heatsink and the processor from the PC, we already know that it can be somewhat tedious.

If you are sure that you have assembled the CPU correctly, you do not have to do it. To find out if a processor is properly mounted, check:

• You have aligned the CPU correctly, using the “triangle” on one corner of the processor and board as a guide, aligning them. For example, in socket AM4, the CPU is not mounted “right”.
• Putting down the CPU and closing the lever was a simple process, which did not require you to apply force. The processor stayed still in place and you should have any trouble in closing the lever.

Even if you are sure, sometimes a processor or board can arrive with broken pins, especially if it is refurbished.

In case you have thermal paste to replace, check the CPU or board pins (as applicable), and make sure they are good.

One of our last options is to assume the fact that the DOA (Dead on Arrival) component is the motherboard.

See Also: How to Test Your Motherboard with a Multimeter

It is not something very common, but it is not impossible either. It could be said that less than 1% of motherboards arrive defective.

The point is that the lottery can hit anyone, especially if it’s for something bad. You may need to order a motherboard replacement if you run out of options.

Also, considering the 14-day return (minimum) it might be reasonable to return it and buy a replacement to rule out the problem.

If your Newly Assembled PC still won’t turn on…

If you can’t find any solutions or alternatives to these problems, then your problem may be deeper, or there is something too specific that we are missing.

The last possible option is to go towards the technical support of the store where you bought the PC, although in most cases they will not provide support for parts purchased separately.

Conclusion

When your newly assembled PC won’t turn on, it’s normal to panic. But, on many occasions, the problem is very simple and can be fix easily.

In this article, we have collected what we consider to be the most common causes, focusing on:

1. Improper front panel connection: We recommend by passing the PC power directly on the motherboard, using a screwdriver.
2. A defective power supply: we check it by passing its ignition.
3. ATX connector incorrectly inserted in a modular source: we have seen many cases of people who connect this connector partially, since in modular sources it has 2 different connections.
4. A short circuit in the case: it is checked by removing the board (and the supply) from the PC case. It is possible that we are left with a screw or something short-circuiting the equipment and preventing it from turning on, due to protections on the board or PC.
5. An incorrectly installed CPU – could even have bent pins (or the board).
6. A defective motherboard: It is a much less common case, but it can happen.

We hope that all this information has been helpful to you, and you have been able to solve the problem. If not, feel free to comment below.