Computer won't turn on or off....???

[AML]

Okay, this is basically what happened two nights ago:

The computer won't turn on or off. I can't explain it well since I'm not much of a computer person when it comes to this stuff. Press the power button, and all the lights and fans come on, but it doesn't seem like te CPU is on at all...? Sometimes it'll come on, but after about 5 minutes later, it shutdowns on me.

Which brings me to the next problem, whenever I try turning it off, it'll do all that "Saving settings" stuff, but at the very end, when it tries to turn off, all of a sudden the CPU (?) light on the tower and the E: drive lights will start blinking, and something inside the tower starts turning on and off and goes with the lights. The only way I've been keeping it off was unplugging it.


Now here is an explanation of things that happened tonight:

Now the computer won't even turn on. Whenever I plug the cable back in, the CPU light flashes, and something in this box makes a noise that goes with the flashing. The cooling fan does turn on. Those are the only things that turn on as much as I can see.

I also found this at the bottom inside the computer tower. I put it on a peice on lined paper for size comparisons. Any chance this may have something to do with it?

I have a lot of family photos on the computer, what are the chances of recovering them, if possible?

Please ask me questions for clarifications on things. I appreciate the help.

Computer is an eMachines T2245 desktop.

 

[keyser09]

ummm maybe its the psu?gone hay wire...

 

[FlashDude]

Yeah it sure sounds like the power supply is gone (It may have taken other components with it) Emachines are notorious for bad power supply's. As far as your other question, you can hook the hdd to another PC and transfer your files that way.

 

[CrazeD]

That second picture almost looks like a piece of solder....

 

[AML]

Thanks for the help guys!! Well, my dad did some investigative work. The power supply unit was fried.

Replaced this:

with this:

It's got 4 LED lights in the corners, and I took the pic without the flash, which keeps the shutter open a little longer, that's why it looks like that.

Oh, is it okay to leave the computer in stand-by mode whenever it's not in use, instead of shutting it down? Any pros or cons of this?

 

[talldude123]

Oh, is it okay to leave the computer in stand-by mode whenever it's not in use, instead of shutting it down? Any pros or cons of this?

There is nothing wrong with putting the computer on standby at night, as long as the computer isn't doing anything, like downloading...because everything on the computer is put to sleep.

 

[FlashDude]

I don't agree at all. To me its like leaving your car idle in the driveway while you sleep. There are moving parts and the longer you leave them on the quicker they wear out. Not to mention the more crap your Fan's will suck into the case the longer it is left on.

 

[AML]

I don't agree at all. To me its like leaving your car idle in the driveway while you sleep. There are moving parts and the longer you leave them on the quicker they wear out. Not to mention the more crap your Fan's will suck into the case the longer it is left on.

Doesn't that stuff "shut down" or turn off when it's in Stand-By mode though?

 

[FlashDude]

no

 

[sPlAtOiD]

Well I leave my computer on 24 hours a day. I've never lost any components this way as long as you keep it clean it will run for years this way. I just blow the dust out and use new thermal paste every 3 to 6 months. Anyway by the time you burn something out thisway it will be out of date anyway.