It wont stay on

mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
edited June 2003 in Hardware
Well some of you might know but I have been trying to build a PC in a Nintendo box. Its a challenge and I am almost there. I got it all to fit and now its time to make it work.

The thing is to make it fit I had to take the case off the PSU so its just sitting there, out in the open. And since its gounded by the case its no longer grounded with no case. The third prong connects to a wire on the inside and is screwed to the case.

I have everything installed included OS, drivers and everything else for now.

The thing is it WILL NOT stay on. After a few minutes or before it even gets into windows it shuts down.

I installed the OS and drivers at school. It would stay on there but it wont in my room. At first I had it on the floor. Then I moved it onto a surge protector and now on a desk and it still wont work. Before it was on a desk at school on a surge protector.

I no longer have access to the school since school is out and I have graduated. The lab is being worked on anyway (construction).

I dont know what else to do. I have tried some anti-static spray to see if it was getting static and shutting off cause its not grounded. I have tried to screw a piece of the case back on while its in the open but that didnt work either.

I dont know what else to do. Its on a surge protector on a new outlet that was run to my room not too long ago just for my computers.

Does anyone else have any clues that might help it stay one or what the difference is between my room and school?
«1

Comments

  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited June 2003
    Sounds like a nifty project.

    Are you sure your problem is related to grounding? If it worked until you brought it home, I would suspect that something happened during the moving process. Have you checked that all the components are seated properly? All fans running, etc?

    Since it starts initially, then conks out, I wonder if it could be heat-related. If you're sure it's the ground, how much trouble would it be to temporarily run a grounding wire around to all the internal components which would normally be grounded through the case.


    Prof
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited June 2003
    It worked at school twice, which means it didnt work here, it did there, iy didnt at home, it did there and again it wont work at home.

    I have turned it all on and installed at school several times.

    It shouldnt ben heat related. Its a C3 800mhz which are known to be cool. Its integrated and came with the HSF on it.

    The other components are grounded thru the black wires that run everywhere. The red, yellow, and black ones you plug into each comonent. The PSU is what needs grounded.
  • Red-DawnRed-Dawn Been kidnapped and being held hostage in Edinburgh
    edited June 2003
    u could if theres space place the psu in a faradays cage, it could be em from the psu affecting it. its a shot in the dark but all i can think of at the minute.

    faradays cage would just be a shell of chicken wire or summit similar around the psu.
  • ClutchClutch North Carolina New
    edited June 2003
    So the capacitors and all are showing from the psu correct? It's just out in the open? Weird thing is that is worked at your school twice but won't at your house. Have you switched power cords? sockets? just a shot in the dark.
  • LincLinc Owner Detroit Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    There's always just the possibility the PSU went bad during that time I suppose... :(

    Is your room hotter than the lab was? Can you get temps during boot up? Maybe it shouldn't be overheating, but hardware doesn't always play by the rules ;)
  • dodododo Landisville, PA
    edited June 2003
    Seems like it could be power related, is it possible to try it somewhere else? (like a friends house, etc) Maybe try a UPS to power it?

    ~dodo
  • OldDogOldDog Whittier,Ca.
    edited June 2003
    Everything in your machine relies on the integrity of the ground
    supplied by the cord from the outlet in the wall. Just because it's
    new doesn't mean it's installed properly! I recommend buying
    an inexpensive tester, available at most hardware stores, the
    type that plugs in to the wall and has three little lights to tell you
    the status of the outlet. Test it before you start-up and presuming
    that you're using a standard duplex outlet leave it in the unused
    side when you start the machine so you can see if there's a
    problem under load. If your ground is weak it can look good to a tester without a load but have a problem with one. If you get even a flicker of the proper light arrangement under load you
    could have a problem. If tou want to check the connections on the
    outlet post again and ill talk you through it if tou wish.
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited June 2003
    I am running a P2 333mhz machine and a monitor off the same surge protector. Wouldnt that go down as well? The outlet the the surge protector is on is part of a 4-way outlet. My monitor is above the surge protector, this computer and speakers in the other 2 outlets. None of those pieces of equipment has had any power problems.
  • WuGgaRoOWuGgaRoO Not in the shower Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    well, here is what happened to me... I had a surge prtector...then out of nowhere my comp started to restart out of nowhere...i then learnt that the surge protector was the problem. It has like power levels, and the comp was set on line 4...when i set it on line 1 at home...it ran for days like a charm.
    in addition...this might just be a videocard error...many graphics card have SOLELY caused me crashes before and i blamed it on other parts...but it turned out just to be the graphics card. I
    n addition, overheating can be a problem in a plastic box such as the nintendo's... I think you should install a 5.25 bay cooler in the front..where u used to be able to put in the cartridge. That way there are two fans in place and it doesnt take away from the look of the nintendo
    The grounding does seem like an issue considering that at one point it was grounded to a nice peice of metal and now it isnt grounded to much...perhaps u should ground it to sumthing a bit bigger than what u have now
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited June 2003
    Its not in the case yet. Its all open on my desk. And I have a CD ROM in front of the case where the catridge would come out. I am going to install 2 40mm fans in the rear to take the heat away.
  • dodododo Landisville, PA
    edited June 2003
    mmonnin said
    Its not in the case yet. Its all open on my desk. And I have a CD ROM in front of the case where the catridge would come out. I am going to install 2 40mm fans in the rear to take the heat away.

    What are you doing to prevent static electricity with it all opened up? Are the ground wires connected to each device? What is the motherboard sitting on?

    ~dodo
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited June 2003
    The motherboard is sitting in the case. The PSU is on the plastic thingy that came under it. I did spray it with some anti static spray.

    But I dont see the difference between my room and the classroom. I mean I can use it and all at school but at home I dont even have to be in the room and it will suht off. Thats what I want to know right now.
  • WuGgaRoOWuGgaRoO Not in the shower Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    is there carpeting in ur rooms? is there carpeting at school? Your clearly using the same surge protector so that doesnt seem to be a problem. Perhaps sumthing got knowcked out of whack during te movie...try switching sum components around to see what is working and what isnt. I mean itll be a pain but it s the only way ull ever know for sure
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited June 2003
    Yeah there is carpet in my room but I tried it on the desk with the spray. And no the surge protector stayed at school. Thats not m property but the schools.

    Everything is working and its in the same arrangement as school. It just shuts off at home and not at school.
  • WuGgaRoOWuGgaRoO Not in the shower Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    kinda sounds like my problem back at school...does the comp just shut off or does it shut off them turn back on
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited June 2003
    Shut off. I can make it auto reboot I think. Its a jumper setting.
  • WuGgaRoOWuGgaRoO Not in the shower Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    did u try plugging it straight into the outlet?

    perhaps the antistatic coating screwed it up

    try setting the comp up in the basement...or
    sumplace without a carpet (its crazy but it might work)

    yet again...did u mix and match parts...it seems like sumthing you should atleast try
  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited June 2003
    consider moisture?
  • jj Sterling Heights, MI Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    take it to a friends house, and see if it works there. if it does then you know the problem lies in the outlet at home.
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited June 2003
    I had first tried it with not surge, I just found it the other day.

    I will try another room later today.
  • a2jfreaka2jfreak Houston, TX Member
    edited June 2003
    Yo! Where's the pics?
    /me wants to see this :D
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited June 2003
    I tried it in the kitchen and it didnt work there either.

    I dont know what else to do. I am about to just get another PSU and put it in a case.

    I _was_ going to write and article on it and havent posted any pics of it besides this one.

    attachment.php?s=&postid=1492
  • a2jfreaka2jfreak Houston, TX Member
    edited June 2003
    moremoremore! :)
    mmonnin said
    I tried it in the kitchen and it didnt work there either.

    I dont know what else to do. I am about to just get another PSU and put it in a case.

    I _was_ going to write and article on it and havent posted any pics of it besides this one.

    attachment.php?s=&postid=1492
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited June 2003
    Try hooking up a standard atx ps to it and see what it does...
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited June 2003
    It works fine. I have not done it in awhile but it worked fine with another that I have.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited June 2003
    well then I think you have 2 choices- either put a faraday cage around the PSU as someone suggested and see if that helps, or get a new psu...
  • jj Sterling Heights, MI Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    Your Nintendo computer look pretty cool.

    Put the caseing back on the PSU and see if it works fine. If it doen't then get a new PSU. Try taking it to another house, such as a relative or friends house, and plug it in. if it works then, well it's the wiring in your house. (I doubt if that's the case, but there is that posibility). I still think that the green wire has to be hooked up when not on a isolated supply.
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited June 2003
    The PSU will NOT fit with the PSU case on. Otherwise I would not be messing with all this crap.

    Well I tried 2 new outlets or at least ones with grounds in them.
  • WuGgaRoOWuGgaRoO Not in the shower Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    ive got an idea...why dont u buy one of those peltier PSU's...u know the ones that fit in the 5.25 bay....that way u have the casing AND the psu...or just buy a psu for one of those mini tower systems...its a little extra money but its better than having an exposed psu
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited June 2003
    Show me a few links of what these things look like.
Sign In or Register to comment.