Computer won't start up first time, but will second time

shanepez · #1 Apr 8, 2006, 10:15 PM

So this is a completely different computer first off.

When I press the power button, everything powers up, but the computer does not post, or beep. If you leave the computer on for like 10 seconds, turn it off, and then turn it immediately back on, it turns on, posts, beeps, boots into Windows just fine.

Any clues? I've had this problem with computers before, and usually if I just reseat the motherboard, it fixes the problem, but thats a no go with this one.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks a ton!

Tommyp!972 · Apr 8, 2006, 10:55 PM

power supply not putting out enough juice....try a better quality supply than stock...antec,enermax...costs around $50-70...good luck

shanepez · Apr 9, 2006, 12:04 AM

Hmm, nope didn't help.

Its only a 1GHZ machine, without many peripherals, so it doesn't use much power at all.

I put in my Fortron 550W Active PFC PSU, and still had the same problem.

Thanks though.

StuMegu · Apr 9, 2006, 06:01 AM

try changing the CMOS battery??

shanepez · Apr 9, 2006, 02:35 PM

Ran and got a new CMOS battery, didn't do it. Strange strange problem. It even does it when I take the motherboard out, and put it on a piece of cardboard.

StuMegu · Apr 10, 2006, 11:49 AM

I would guess that you have some kind of hairline crack on one of your components (RAM, CPU or Mobo) that quickly expands and makes contact after 10 seconds of power on time (CPU?) thereby solving the boot problem for the second try. If you don't want to replace the components you might just want to live with it for now.

Do you have similar components you can swap into the machine to test?

shanepez · Apr 10, 2006, 02:23 PM

Yeah, tons. I've tried switching out everything, it might be the motherboard though.

Hmm. What a pain. I guess I will just have to live with it.

streinhardt · May 31, 2006, 07:33 PM

Had the same issue as above, only ever wants to start on the second go.

Unfortunately i don't know what causes it......i replaced all essentials components as i upgraded my computer.

Brand new power supply, brand new motherboard, brand new CPU, brand new graphics card etc.

The only things that are the same is the Case, and Cd/dvd drives, hard drives

Note i still have the bloody issue, am wondering if it is a faulty switch in my case???

Intuit · Jun 7, 2006, 12:40 PM

Streinhardt, try booting without the surge redirector or power strip. Also make sure that all devices, including the keyboard & mouse are disconnected before you power on. If the issue never appears again, then the problem is connected to one of the devices plugged into the PC. I had a PC/power-supply that fault-checked it's devices and refused to power-on before there was even an opportunity for damage to occur. Probably saved it from a good fry'n when I connected a badly wired controller.

To the author of the thread, sounds like they/you've covered all the bases. Try testing your power to ensure that it is 120v 60Hz and that the power supply is properly switched. The above person also mentioned his switch as a possibility and that brings to mind that you need to make sure that there is ZERO circuitry between the physical switch and motherboard. I've run into people before who had issues due to some piece of hardware being installed between the power/reset switch and motherboard.

I had a video card where windows would boot into 4 bit, 16 color mode for the first boot when powering on the PC. Reboot and it was fine.

Gradually over time, the amount of time that I had to wait before this issue disappeared grew and grew and grew. One day, Windows just flat out told me, 'hey buddy, there's something wrong with your video card'... okay, not in those precise words, but the result was the same. It got so bad that I'd have to pause it at the BIOS screen for fifteen minutes.

It was likely just a bad RAM chip on the videocard but the computer was ANCIENT. The vidcard was near death when I finally bought a new computer.