Old Desktop PC, will only go to start screen then shutdown

[-Demosthenes-]

I recently got an old pc and I'm trying to get it to work. Well, I air-dusted the inside and pressed the "on" button, such is the extent of my pc skills

 

Anyway, when I push the "on" button it starts making a horrible noise (upon further study this noise comes from the fan on the CPU, I think) and it starts, but then only flashes the first screen that comes up when you start it and then shuts down.

 

So, having the computer skills I have, I figured I could hit it in the right place and it would work (don't worry didn't break anything ). After some experimentation I found that it would work if I hit it on the side just right. What's more, if I hold it diagonally on it's side while I hit I could get it to start every time. This is not what I want to do every time I start it, unless I need to. What can be wrong with it?

[insane_alien]

busted fan, over heating. the heat sink might be loose or needing a reapplication of thermal paste as well(if its new enough to need a heatsink).

[cpwmatthews]

you haven't said anything about the construction of the computer, Some older cpu's have an electrical connection to the fan which may be loose, also with time some of the cards themselves may come loose from their mountings, push Em back in, also the cables to the power supply. Lastly check the connections at the rear of the case for fit.

[5614]

Yeah, the banging thing sounds as if there's some lose wire or a faulty electrical contact somewhere that you are knocking into place.

 

If the fan is faulty then it could be short circuiting the computer, or maybe the computer was made not to work without an operating fan... so maybe removing or replacing that would be worth a go. NB: removing the fan would only be a temporary solution - but the computer should be alright as long as you don't do anything which requires a lot of processing power such as games or graphics (but you have to keep the heatsink on).

[-Demosthenes-]

I wiggled some parts inside the computer, but it didn't work. I don't have quite the expertise to do much more than that, I rather hoped I needed to oil the fan or something easy Thanks for the help though. Sry about that, I think I'll take it in really quick.

 

Edit:

 

I feel like an idiot, I tried one more time. This time I pushed the fan harder into it's place, it struck. It ran without the noise perfectly. The sticker on the fan ("Do not Remove Fan or CPU will be Destroyed" or something like that ) scared me so I only nudged it before. Oh well, it works now. Now I can put Kubuntu on it Thanks for the help!

[mooeypoo]

"What doesn't work with force, works with more force." -- though it usually is wrong to inner-computer-workings, it sometimes is quite true

 

Welcome back Demonsthenes

 

I had the same problem once with the internal fan, but I am a scardycat.. let my friend nudge the thing forcefully (and successfully) into the base of it.. that way i could blame him if something went wrong haha I'm such a coward.

 

~moo