HP Pavilion Desktop won't turn on

[Jessssuhh]

Not sure which specific make it is as the dumb thing doesn't have any ID stickers on it. Midrange black HP Pavilion desktop, anyway. 

Computer wouldn't boot up. Took it to a repairman, who plugged it in to test it.. and it turned on. Brought it home again, it won't boot up.

The green line at the PSU turns on, so it's definitely getting power. And it's not a part, or else the repairman wouldn't have been able to make it work. The fan doesn't spin up, there's no bios beep. I've tried switching cables, surge protector (or lack of). I've even tried multiple power points in my house.

Literally within two hours it went from broken to fixed to broken. What the?

[CF4]

Hi

So there are possibilies, like your house voltage is low, ridiculous I know, but how much power?

Other possibilities are a Beer Mat (coaster) in that moving it onto a different surface has flexed the Main Board and made/broken a track/circuit or similar.  So are all 4 feet firmly planted?

So remove/dis-connect as many of the internal devices as you can, leaving only the CPU. 

You should get a Beep with no memory fitted.

Go from there.

[Jessssuhh]

Hi again! No, no voltage problem. There are two other computers in the house running fine, and an office set up running in the same room (modem, printer, monitors, speakers etc).

I believe it may be static, somehow? The desk it was on is acrylic and steel. Tower was surrounded on four sides acrylic and metal on all edges. Anyway, I discharged it by pulling the cable and holding power down; which previously did nothing. But, this time I moved it to a wooden side table, and it turned on!

If it is static, it makes me wonder. If a metal desk in an all wood house is enough to render the computer useless, is the product fit for sale?

[Jessssuhh]

Sorry, to clarify: the wooden side table is next to the desk. Used to support a printer. It uses the same powerpoint.

[CF4]

Hi

Yes, static is a Killer, Lightning fast.

One of the MUST HAVE's on a multi-level installation is Grounding/Earthing so that all eqipment is at the same voltage/potential.

Think anti-static wrist bands for IT techies and nylon carpets or clothing.

Some parts of the world only have 2 pins in their outlets, No Earthing.

Is the product fit for sale?  Well all around the world there are Wooden Houses, so I guess Yes.

[Jessssuhh]

Well we have three pin plugs here in Australia. Whether or not the earthing is actually connected to the outlet is another question.

Wood doesn't carry static very well, where as most carpet, wallpaper, plasterboard etc do tend to. The only parts of this house that isn't wood are the windows and foundations.

Ummm.. I suppose I'll do some research to see if there is some kind of grounding I can put underneath the computer or something. Otherwise, I guess I'll have to look at buying a new desk.

[CF4]

Hi

I have an OZ plug here beside me that is indeed 3 flat pins, 3mm thick, an AU10LS3 that had a Cloverleaf socket at the other end. Marked N L and Earth.

So you most likely have an IEC or Cloverleaf rather than a Figure of 8 2 pin, that should ground everything out nicely.

[Jessssuhh]

Mmm, there's no problem when it's on. When we turn it off, it wouldn't turn back on again. Quite frustrating as you can imagine, we've had it for only a few days. So I guess the little start up button cell in there is collecting static while the computer isn't running. Once power runs through the PSU proper, it earths itself.

Hmmmmm

[CF4]

Hi

What state (I don't mean Queensland) is the CMOS battery in, original or renewed recently?

https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-cmos-2625826

[Jessssuhh]

Yes, it's in Queensland!

The computer is only a few days out of the box. So I'd presume original. Can't tell you how long it was sat on the showroom floor though.