PC fails to upload, occasionally succeeds but often pauses or waits for a long time before posting again.
PC fails to upload, occasionally succeeds but often pauses or waits for a long time before posting again.
Hi, I'm keeping it short. My PC specs are on my signature. Here’s what happened:
- About two months ago, the system would restart randomly, showing kernel 41 error.
- Within two days, after the first random crash, the PC wouldn’t even POST—just turned on but no display, whether GPU or integrated. Sometimes it would start but shut down quickly.
- I thought the power supply might be the issue because my laptop and PSU feel conductive when touched. I sent the PSU for replacement.
- Last week they delivered a new PSU, saying it was fine, so they didn’t fix anything or replace it.
I’ve tried several troubleshooting steps: updating software and drivers, disassembling everything, testing with one RAM stick, cleaning CMOS, re-seating CPU and cooler, testing on a different motherboard, swapping PSU cables and outlets, and even sending the motherboard for RMA.
My goal is to figure out what’s wrong before deciding on repairs. Since I live in a remote area without easy transport, I’m considering borrowing parts or asking friends who play laptops. Sending the motherboard for RMA seems unlikely to help. What advice would you give me first?
It's recommended to try using another power source. I've observed similar issues caused by power supply failures before. You might want to look for someone willing to test it on a different unit to skip the return process.
Do you have any external devices connected to the PC? Are there SD card readers with a loaded card, USB drives, or thumb drives present? If yes, disconnect everything and restart the system. You might also consider resetting CMOS; remember to save any BIOS changes before doing so.
For those reading this, I resolved the problem by changing the motherboard. Following the instructions I provided, you might need to visit a repair shop or buy a replacement part without knowing exactly what’s faulty. In my situation, it was either the motherboard or CPU since I couldn’t confirm the issue. The signs pointed to a motherboard failure: 1. Frequent shutdowns 2. Unable to boot, sometimes it works but rarely 3. Small physical damage from malfunction or your own action. Before concluding the motherboard was bad, I ran several tests: 1. Cleared all software and drivers updated that week (BIOS updated over five months ago) 2. Fully disassembled the system, reinserted every connection 3. Started with just one RAM stick in each slot, excluding GPU, SSD/HDD, extra RAM, and tried a new stick after clearing CMOS 4. Replaced CPU and cooler placement 5. Followed the same steps except mounting it on the motherboard case for testing 6. Swapped all PSU cables with their replacement parts, tested different power outlets. I also sent the PSU back for return merchandise authorization.