Power supply problem

[ffutures]

I'm having a weird problem with this PC.

To save electricity and reduce the chance of surge damage I normally switch the electricity mains off after I've finished using it. Lately the PC won't switch on if I press the button, unless I let it sit for a while after I've switched the mains on - looking at the back of the ATX PSU, the light that indicates it's getting power flashes for several minutes before settling down to a steady glow, at which point it's possible to switch the PC on. Once it's switched on it's fine.

Any thoughts on what this might be?

If, as I suspect, it's the PSU itself that's on its way out, are the connections for ATX powers supplies completely standardised? The PC is an HP Pavilion, the existing power supply is a Bestec ATX 250 12-Z.

Comments

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Do you have a surge protector?

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Naturally, it's an eight socket block and currently seven sockets are used for the PC, scanner, monitor, label printer, powered speakers and chargers for two PDAs. All are only used when the main PC is on, it seems silly to power them the rest of the time.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

I had a surge protector once that seemed to have issues about taking a while to provide full power to the computer it was plugged into. Might it possibly be a fault with your protector?

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Doubt it - everything else seems fine.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it does seem unlikely. It just seemed like one of the few things you could isolate and test.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

It's a good idea - I've got a multimeter at home, I'll give it a go.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

No, it isn't that - I ran a cable from another socket on the other side of the room and it's still flashing.