Hp Desktop Failure

[top_driver]

hi. ih ave a hp tower pc tonight it failed started flickering at the home screen but now it turns on doesn't start up and also none of the usb or anything responds what could be wrong with it first time i'v ever had a problem diagnosing a computer

[top_driver]

i honestly have no idea to your question about the headroom though but what gets me is i didnt even have it plugged at full power as in the main cable to turn it into a hard drive functioning hard drive if that makes sense

[Hypognosis]

@top_driver

//i only attached the hard drive as secondary hard drive so it started up as normal until i got pass the login screen //

I have been labouring under the impression that you have either built or upgraded PCs with additional drives before now. Am I wrong?

If it is a plug-n-play USB external HDD, then please say so.

Note the HP specification says its ports are USB 3.0. This is beyond my personal experience but, even so, I have to ask if the 6Tb drive will accept USB 3.0. If it needs a lot of juice - and USB carries power to external devices - is 3.0 up to the task.

Remind me; how old is this PC and how new is the 6Tb drive?

[SlackAlice]

Sorry for butting in, but when you say you only have a fan running. Is this a case fan or is the CPU fan running as well? If no CPU fan then check your main Mobo connector from the psu is fully home. Check the connector with the pc switched off at the plug.

You might have dislodged it slightly whilst doing other things.

Other than that I'll leave you in the hands of Hypognosis ☺☺☺

[top_driver]

i have done a bit of computer repairs and upgrades. no it is an internal hard drive and connected to an internal port however i hadn't connected the main power to the hard drive just the reader cable as it is split into two cables the pc is about a year and a half old

[top_driver]

it was 2 fans going i made sure the connections are fine it might be a case i need to bring it in to a specialist because though the answers seem good i don't have a moniter that will allow me to see if i can get into recovery mode

[Hypognosis]

SlackAlice must be a mindreader.

My next question was going to be about the SATA cables. I've only encountered cables with two ends on and am mulling on whether a split cable could be problematic.

My knowledge is a bit outdated but, at one time, master/slave was configured by either, or both, of (i) a jumper setting on the drive chassis or specially modified data cable and which socket went where.

I just hope this split SATA isn't fussy about what is plugged where.

Main thing though, is there any creasing or signs of folding in the cable? Tight spaces may make this unavoidable. Once or twice (at the factory or at maintainance/repair times) might be okay but repeated flexing will eventually crack the copper.

Have the mobo connectors sustained any damage?
Any dust in the, previously unused, connector?

(Reaching a bit, but...) Any screws, tools, wire fragments, dropped inside the case during disassembly?

I was going to mention dust in general but an 18 month machine should still be pretty clean, except for the heatsinks and fan vents. Dust + humidity = weakly conducting bridge between mobo component contacts.

[Hypognosis]

@top_driver

//however i hadn't connected the main power to the hard drive just the reader cable as it is split into two cables//

Erm, how do you expect the secondary drive to function at all, with no power going into it?

Connecting the data cable may be triggering the master/slave configuration side of the BIOS but then finds itself trying to communicate with an unpowered component.

Just because a drive is formatted and has data on it does not mean you can skip the manual BIOS settings changes, to tell the mobo what it has plugged into it and supplying power to it, using the spare PSU lead.

[top_driver]

ye i know most hdd is just one cable but this is 2 separate cables. no damage that i can see and no screws or any excess dust the computer doesn't have a whole lot in it so it has plenty of free space

[top_driver]

i had someone take it but they couldn't do anything

[Hypognosis]

@top_driver

So does the secondary HDD have a 4-pin power socket on it, or not?

I have HDDs in my machine which have SATA data cables but also require a power cable connection.

My knowledge may well be out of date but I have never heard of HDDs which draw their power _solely_ from the data cable*! By all means put me right but, first, get a shufty at the drive's installation instructions, if your brother hasn't put them in the bin.

* USB Plug'n'Play HDDs (external) do work this way, since USB supplies 5V power, to external devices, as standard.

Anyway, the long and the short of it is that you are going to get nowhere with this installation if the PC case has not got at least one unused power plug, for you to connect to this drive.

I am going to hazard a guess that the Power supply has 4 of the 4-pin outlet plugs (that is I'm not including the special motherboard and CPU power leads) and 3 of them are already in use, as follows
1) HDD 1
2) CD-RW/burner or DVD-RW/burner
3) high-end video card, with onboard fan

Am I right about that?