8. Check for signs of electrical shorts inside your computer. If you find then, then you'll need to investigate the causes of those electrical shorts.
9. Test your power supply. Just because your computer's fans and lights are working doesn't mean that the power supply is functioning properly. The PSU tends to cause more problems than any other hardware and is often the cause of a computer's components to work selectively or intermittently.
Replace your power supply immediately if it fails any test you perform.
Tip: After replacing the power supply, assuming you do, keep your PC plugged in for 5 to 10 minutes prior to turning it on. This delay provides time for some recharging of the CMOS battery, which may have been drained.
Important: Do not skip a test of your power supply thinking that your problem can't be the PSU because "things are getting power." Power supplies can work in varying degrees—one that isn't fully functional needs to be replaced.
10. Start your computer with essential hardware only. The purpose here is to remove as much hardware as possible while still maintaining your PC's ability to power on.
If your computer starts normally with only essential hardware installed, proceed to Step 11.
If your computer still isn't displaying anything on your monitor, proceed to Step 12.
Important: This step is easy enough for a novice to complete, takes no special tools, and could provide you with a lot of valuable information. This isn't a step to skip if, after all the steps above, your computer is still not turning on completely.
11. Reinstall each piece of hardware that you removed in Step 10, one piece at a time, testing after each installation.
Since your computer powered on with only the essential hardware installed, those components must work properly. This means that one of the hardware components you removed is causing your PC to not turn on properly. By installing each device back into your PC and testing them each time, you'll eventually find the hardware that caused your problem.
Replace the defective hardware once you've identified it.
12. Test your computer's hardware using a Power On Self Test card. If your PC still isn't displaying information on your monitor with anything but essential computer hardware installed, a POST card will help identify which piece of remaining hardware is causing your computer to not come on completely.
If you don't have and are unwilling to purchase a POST card, skip to Step 13.
13. Replace each piece of essential hardware in your computer with an identical or equivalent spare piece of hardware that you know is working, one component at a time, to determine which piece of hardware could be at fault. Test after each hardware replacement to determine which component is defective.
14. If you don't have a POST card or spare parts to swap in and out, you're left not knowing which piece of your essential PC hardware is faulty. In these cases, you have little option than to rely on the help of individuals or companies that do offer these resources.
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