Strange PC problem

Syxx_Killer · 02-21-09, 06:07 PM

My brother called a little bit ago and his computer is giving him strange problems. It is a 4 or so year old Gateway. At first he said that it is shutting itself off randomly and when he goes to restart sometimes it doesn't do anything. It doesn't even make it to the beginning Gateway logo screen (or whatever the first screen is). It has to be turned off and on multiple times before it does anything. When it doesn't do anything the computer sounds like it's on and running. This lead me to think it may be the power supply. Now I learn that when it "shuts down" it doesn't actually shut down. It seems more like it is sleeping. He cannot wake it. He has to manually turn it off. Then it may do what I said above about it not getting to the initial boot screen. I wonder if it could be the motherboard? If it was the hard drive or something else, wouldn't it at least get to the initial boot screen and the BIOS settings?

02-21-09, 06:07 PM	#1
Syxx_Killer Admiral Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 2,387 Downloads: 21 Uploads: 0	Strange PC problem My brother called a little bit ago and his computer is giving him strange problems. It is a 4 or so year old Gateway. At first he said that it is shutting itself off randomly and when he goes to restart sometimes it doesn't do anything. It doesn't even make it to the beginning Gateway logo screen (or whatever the first screen is). It has to be turned off and on multiple times before it does anything. When it doesn't do anything the computer sounds like it's on and running. This lead me to think it may be the power supply. Now I learn that when it "shuts down" it doesn't actually shut down. It seems more like it is sleeping. He cannot wake it. He has to manually turn it off. Then it may do what I said above about it not getting to the initial boot screen. I wonder if it could be the motherboard? If it was the hard drive or something else, wouldn't it at least get to the initial boot screen and the BIOS settings?