HP Model: s5503w - WON'T TURN ON

[HPnewbie416]

Hi everyone, this is my first posting in this forum.

I inherited a computer from my Dad (RIP), and it's a HP Model: s5503w.   it's a slimmer Black desktop computer, which worked fine.

I've had it now for a few years since his passing, but never used it.   I wanted to power it up today, and the monitor said to check the video cable.  I did.   Unplugged and replugged everything.   After a few times, it actually turned on, and said it was updating etc....but then the screen went black and nothing.

Again i turned it off, and tried to reboot it, and it showed a screen (searching for video signal), and then it said "monitor going to sleep", or something to that affect.

It's running Windows 7, but not sure if it's 32 bit or 64 bit.

I know i have a back up of the photos / videos that my Dad had on the drive, and am debating to install Windows XP on it, as i know that XP was a far superior / more stable OS.

I'm mainly a Mac guy, so my knowledge of PC is not that great, but I do know some things.

I can't get the computer to "turn on" with something showing on the screen.    The blue light is on, on the computer where the "on" button is....but that's it.

Can anyone help me out please?

Greatly appreciated.   Thank you in advance.

[mdklassen]

> it showed a screen (searching for video signal), and then it said "monitor going to sleep",

Those messages come directly from the monitor, when it is not receiving any video-output from the computer.

Specifications for your computer:

   http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=c02153185

indicate that Windows 7 was originally installed.

So, if it does not start:

* power-supply has failed;

* or, motherboard has failed;

* or, on/off switch has failed;

* or, loose wires between the on/off switch and the motherboard;

The last option is the easiest to check.

For the second-last option, you might be able to briefly "touch" a "jumper" onto the 2 pins on the motherboard, where the wires from the on/off switch connect to the motherboard, to simulate the on/off switch.

For the first option, if you have a compatible power-supply, you can temporarily connect it, to try to see if the computer does anything (spin the internal fans, turn on some lamps, send video-output to your monitor) when you press the on/off switch.

> I know i have a back up of the photos / videos that my Dad had on the drive,

It's probable that the disk-drive itself is intact.  Remove it, and connect it as a "slave" disk-drive to another computer.

> debating to install Windows XP on it ...

The computer was "designed for Windows 7", which means that you probably will not find device-drivers for the hardware.  But, since it seems to be "dead" -- not powering-on -- how will you install anything?

> as i know that XP was a far superior / more stable OS [than Windows 7].

I strongly disagree.

[HPnewbie416]

Hi, thanks for the reply back.

A few things:

It did power up, and showed a screen, the desktop and all the icons.   It showed another pop up window, saying that it was updating.

So if that actually did happen, then would that not mean that the list of faulty issues, may not be relevant?  (Just curious).

This is the only PC computer that i have.   All my other computers are MAC, so i can try that slave drive to ensure i've done a backup...but at the moment, the contents of the drive are not my main concern.

Is this computer worth putting any money into - firstly - to get going, if these test procedures don't work?

Also, would this computer be worth doing any upgrades on, ram, processor speed etc??

Many thanks.

[HPnewbie416]

Just to add further:

The blue light is on, and anytime that I hit the eject button for the dvd / cd rom, it opens up no problem.

I hear the fan running, so the computer is on.    But there is no connection to the monitor, or something.

 UPDATE - I swapped monitors with my Night Owl Security set up, and the monitor connected to my PC computer does work on the other device...so i have elimiated that the monitor is the problem.

The monitor with my Night Owl security was pluggined into the PC, and it gave me a 'no signal' message.    So both my monitors are working.   the cables are working.    The computer is turn on, fan running, making a fan noise, and the blue light on the top front is illuminated, along with the power up / power down button on the front top.  Both blue in colour.

Any new suggestions, based on this newer info?

Many thanks.  (again).

[mdklassen]

> It did power up, and showed a screen, the desktop and all the icons.  

> It showed another pop up window, saying that it was updating.

Is that "current" information, or is that "past" information?

Just because your automobile once had a full tank of gasoline, it does not mean that today the tank is still full.

> Is this computer worth putting any money into - firstly - to get going,

If you hold down the ON/OFF button for 30 seconds, the computer will turn off.

Then, if you turn it on, does _anything_ show on the screen, within the first 20 seconds?

If not, then since the monitor is OK, and the video-cable is OK, then it must be video-card in the computer that is not working.

That video-card can be replaced, for from $50 to $500, depending on how "high-end" you want to go.

Once the computer detects the "new" video-card, it probably will not use the current video-card.

Connect your monitor to the "new" video-card.

> Also, would this computer be worth doing any upgrades on, ram, processor speed etc??

As they say in "drag-racing", "speed costs money -- how fast do you need to go?"

Try it for a few months, before deciding to spend money to upgrade it.