Q: there is power going to it and the power switch on the back is on, but it just wont start up. Its been a bit hit and miss for a while, i dont tend to use it much anymore as i have a laptop. managed to start it up yesterday and it was running fine. the power lead definitely works. any ideas? psu? probably a dumb question but its been quite a few years since i really did anything with computers lol. yes the switch on the back of the tower is on... have tried both poistions as well.
A: There's a chance it's the actual socket that it's hooked up to. Try plugging something else in and turning it on. If it's having problems, then it's most likely faulty wiring. If it's working fine, then it might be the power supply in the computer. What exactly happens when you push the power button? If nothing happens at all, it's most likely the PSU. If it comes on for a few seconds, then immediatly shuts off with no warning, then it's most likely a problem with the computer itself. Maybe a corrupted data file, or a virus, or something else that's causing your computer to shut off prematurely. EDIT: Don't listen to "kevin ? gent"'s advice unless you have a lot of computer knowledge. If you open up the case and mess around, you have a chance of sending a static electricity discharge through your computer, and frying it completely. One thing I've tried is using a Q-Tip to wipe some of the dirt and gunk off of the visible fan in the back of the computer when it's turned off and unplugged. That could help your efficiency a bit. But, unless you're experienced enough in computers to know what to and what NOT to do, then opening the case yourself is a bad idea.