Computer Shutting Off and Turning On Without Any Screen Visible - What's Going On?
Computer Shutting Off and Turning On Without Any Screen Visible - What's Going On?
Hey there! I hope everyone had a great Halloween today.
I’ve been dealing with some odd computer problems lately. It all began when I purchased a gaming PC on eBay. The seller from Custom Makes PC was a bit of a mystery—I wasn’t sure if I should go with him or try building it myself. I’ve been a bit worried, though, because the graphics card I bought seemed to have some sagging. I managed to find a workaround without using any brackets: just place two PCIe cover slot brackets on the slot below the card. Surprisingly, the card didn’t sag at all with this method, so it was a bit of a mistake at first, but I decided to go ahead and use the one that came with it.
After removing the card, I realized the bracket wasn’t compatible with my motherboard. So I reassembled everything and gave up. When I turned the computer on, it would randomly power on and off, with nothing displayed on the screen and no BIOS activity. That really surprised me—I thought something serious might have happened.
I reached out to the seller, who suggested trying to remove the RAM one at a time in slot 1. Eventually, taking out all the RAM helped me see something: the M.2 NVMe hard drive was visible, but the GPU stayed in place. I accessed the BIOS screen and thought it might be a corrupted hard drive. For a while, I considered the power supply unit (PSU) as the culprit, but he explained that failing hard drives could cause issues like this.
This was frustrating because I’d only bought the PC two months earlier and hadn’t backed up my data using any imaging software. I decided to buy another M.2 NVMe drive and reinstall everything. After doing that, the old hard drive worked fine—booting into Windows hard disks without any problems.
Now I’m curious: if the hard drive was the real issue, why did it work with an external reader? Could it be failing inside the motherboard but still readable enough? Or is there something else wrong with the PC?
I’m hoping for your advice on what to do next.
Update your update with complete hardware details and operating system specifics. Provide full specifications for the hard drives—manufacturer, model, and capacity—along with their current usage levels. If feasible, share a few photos of the makeshift support bracket using imgur (www.imgur.com). The observed behavior indicates a short circuit; the system powers on, vibrates, experiences a short, then stops and restarts repeatedly in a loop. It’s important to gather more information, such as RAM type and motherboard slot requirements, as well as any conflicts with PCIe devices. My initial assumption is based on a thorough review of the motherboard’s user manual. The goal is to verify all component setups and configurations accurately. Please pay close attention to every detail, warnings, and notes. It’s advisable to consult the manufacturer’s official website for the most current data.
Initially, I appreciate your assistance. Here are the details you provided:
The specifications are as follows:
CPU: Intel i9 14900KS CPU, NVIDIA RTX 4090 24GB GPU,
RAM: DDR5 RAM 64GB (T-Force)DDR5 RGB! 5600Mhz!
PSU: Vetroo 1000W White Power Supply ATX 3.0 Ready Dual PCIe 5.0, 80 Plus Gold Full Modular
Motherboard: MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI LGA 1700 (Intel12th&13th Gen) SATA 6Gb/s Micro ATX Motherboard: (PCIe 5.0, DDR5,2xM.2 Slots,WiFi 6,Intel ® 2.5Gb LAN)
Cooler: AMA 240mm Infinite Mirror All-in-one CPU Liquid Cooler Tirple Quiet PWM Fan Water Cooling AIO PC Water Cooler for AMD/Intel ATX/MATX Case Cooling System (240mm White)
Case: Sama AR01-RGB-W White Dual USB3.0 and Type C, Dual Tempered Glass Micro-ATX Tower Gaming Computer Case w/ 4 x ARGB LED Fans (3 x120mm xSide,1 x120mm x Rear) Pre-Installed
Operating system is Windows 11 professional. Below are images taken using the trick from the rear PCIe brackets. It functions quite well in maintaining performance as shown in the photos. (There are several bracket covers below the graphics card area at the back). I also have additional pictures of the PC after removing components.
Please note: Currently, there are no issues; in fact, I’m using this system for gaming and typing.
The previous hard drive appears to be quite inexpensive based on the specifications. I replaced it with a 2TB WD Black SN770 NVMe SSD offering 5150 MB/s speed, which is significantly faster.
I’m puzzled as to why a hard drive would cause such performance drops. Since the replacement, I haven’t encountered any problems. I prefer not to attempt repairs on what’s functioning correctly, but I’m curious about the situation. Could it be that the issue was simply the drive being faulty? Looking forward to your insights. The links below contain images demonstrating its operation with the graphics card connected via ETC.
https://ibb.co/kQFfLPW
https://ibb.co/k0JVRBY
https://ibb.co/CPDt7Cg
https://ibb.co/gP5cSgP
https://ibb.co/qdvVyLZ
https://ibb.co/DtdpkgC
https://ibb.co/DCtDjty
Currently, if everything is fine, just let things be. The hard drives are intricate and need very precise specifications with tight tolerances on each part and assembly. A clean room environment is essential. Even a single human hair could cause serious issues. Detailed post-mortem analysis using the right tools and equipment might reveal the issue. It's possible the reader was simply adjusting the drive slightly or causing some movement that affected performance. It's hard to say for sure.
Absolutely correct! I wasn't aware a hard drive could lead to such issues or start and stop a computer without seeing any BIOS display. It does sound strange, but maybe it's not. What tools are you talking about? Also, it's even more unusual that the first hard drive functions inside a reader, which is great because it helped me recover my data!
Hard drive makers offer certain user tools to help diagnose issues with their hard drives. There are also third-party solutions available. Examples include links such as https://www.lifewire.com/free-hard-drive...ms-2626183. The tools in question are typically used in controlled settings like a clean room to open and potentially repair or recover data from a hard drive. These methods are generally costly, come with no guarantees, and are not suitable for DIY projects. If a drive fails on one host but works on another, the fault is likely in that original host, requiring further troubleshooting. Replacing or moving parts is often a practical approach to identify the source of the problem. It’s wise to recover data promptly and implement regular backups, keeping copies in multiple locations—ideally at least two verified and readable ones. Many useful insights are shared in the Storage Forum.
Absolutely, I'm in agreement and I see your point. The fact that the PC is now working perfectly without any issues makes me wonder if it's just a coincidence or something else. Until it happens again, it seems like the guidance here is simply to "leave it alone." That's my take, and it looks like this is the perspective you're coming from.
I managed to get it running smoothly for free and without much effort. You're making the most of the PC you purchased, so it's a good idea to back up your data and just let it run. That's what I'm thinking. There might have been a problem with the original host as well—perhaps something like a small obstruction in the M.2 port or an unknown factor.
EDIT
The situation gets more complicated. It seems related to both the hard drive and the host, since this PC doesn't read the hard drive at all on my laptop or another machine, but it does on mine. In short, there appears to be an issue with the drive that might be connected to the host, though I don't know why.
You meant to clarify that the reader in this PC is not intended to access the hard drive at all. You referred to "reader" earlier as a type of device used to insert a drive for use. For instance:
Docking Station / Reader
When issues arise, check Reliability Monitor/History and Event Viewer for any error codes, warnings, or informational events just before or during read failures.
= = = =
What you're experiencing suggests the external USB M.2 reader isn't detecting the drive on your PC anymore. It functioned properly on your laptop but not on this system, which points to a potential issue with the hard drive itself. This could mean something is seriously wrong with the drive, and you might have had a lucky read that saved your data before it was too late.