PC doesn't power down after holding power button for 4 seconds

[HTC]

Not even for much longer then 10 seconds.

This is my sister's PC, which is a Llano PC with a single HDD, 1 DVD drive and it uses Windows 7 x64 : she doesn't game and that PC is more then enough for her needs.

Unfortunately, it's "acting" finicky and now, after BSODing (i don't recall the exact error, so i can't search that), it didn't restart as it should so i tried powering down the PC forcefully by pressing power button for 4 seconds but that doesn't work @ all: had to remove the power cord for the PC to shut down.

I thought the problem might be the HDD and was planning to do a full diagnostic but this power issue makes me think the problem is elsewhere. Tried searching but didn't come up with anything similar.

Anyone heard of this?

EDIT

Seems fixed: hopefully, for good!

Unrelated ... how can i change the topic title by adding "(fixed) to the end of it?

 

[Jetster]

Holding the power button is not the proper way to power down. It's a hard power off on some but not all PCs (just like pulling the power cord)
Pushing it one time should power it down. Just as the start/shut down does from the desktop (does it power off from the desktop?)

List the complete specs. If its the hard drive you can check the smart data
Sometime a PC will hang on shutdown from programs that lock up

 

[Folterknecht]

Might be a BIOS setting that is off

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Could be the switch

 

[therealmeep]

How much you wanna bet it aint plugged in?

 

[HTC]

Holding the power button is not the proper way to power down. It's a hard power off on some but not all PCs (just like pulling the power cord)
Pushing it one time should power it down. Just as the start/shut down does from the desktop (does it power off from the desktop?)

List the complete specs. If its the hard drive you can check the smart data

This is the 1st time i'm aware of a PC (with a fully working power button) that, when pressed for 4 seconds, doesn't power down. Isn't this OS independent?

- it has this board (still have the BIOS download page in favorites)
- Samsung spinpoint F3 1TB HDD
- GSkill F3-12800 CL9Q-16GBZL (4*4GB sticks)
- PSU Corsair CX 500M
- onboard GPU
- LLano A8-3850 CPU
- Windows 7 x64 professional

Could be the switch

Not the switch: thought of that and already ruled that out.

Might be a BIOS setting that is off

Had checked the BIOS the previous day and nothing seemed off. My memory of this BIOS is a bit off (this board was in my old computer about 4 years ago) but everything seemed to check out.


The PC is acting strangely lately. While typing (anywhere), the active program changes often and it gets really really annoying when you're typing and, suddenly look @ the screen only to notice half of what you wrote isn't there ... and the HDD is "working" all the time, which made me think of a virus but AVG didn't report any. A closer inspection of task manager and resource monitor showed "svchost" with around 500 MBs usage but i couldn't figure out which program exactly was causing the high HDD usage.

Was actually planning to do a full Windows re-install later this month but this issue ... i figure i need to get to the bottom of it before continuing: may have a hardware issue i'm not aware of.

 

[Jetster]

This is the 1st time i'm aware of a PC (with a fully working power button) that, when pressed for 4 seconds, doesn't power down. Isn't this OS independent?

-

It is OS dependent to power off on a single push. If the OS power options is set too power off on the power button. Does not require to hold the button (this is a reset option when held)

So your settings in in the Windows power options not the BIOS

 

[infrared]

Yup, the hard power off is motherboard/bios not OS.

 

[eidairaman1]

Hard locks wont respond just by tapping the switch as that setting commands windows to shut down. Holding the switch should force a hard shutoff. If it does not, a finniky power switch or board fault/ psu issue could be cause.

 

[Jetster]

So you want it to shutdown or hard power off?

I was thinking he wants it to shut down from the power button

 

[HTC]

Yup, the hard power off is motherboard/bios not OS.

Anyone ever heard of this one not working?

Because that's what i'm talking about: the PC BSODed and then blocked (instead of restarting like "normal"). I tried a 4 second power down but that didn't work, which is quite odd and indicates a potential hardware problem, i think.

Since then, i took the PC to my room for inspection but i forgot a "small detail": the monitor doubles as a TV screen and is currently in use. My monitor doesn't have VGA nor DVI so i can't hook it up to her PC.

Will have to get another monitor to troubleshoot this and that could take a while ...

 

[eidairaman1]

Anyone ever heard of this one not working?

Because that's what i'm talking about: the PC BSODed and then blocked (instead of restarting like "normal"). I tried a 4 second power down but that didn't work, which is quite odd and indicates a potential hardware problem, i think.

Since then, i took the PC to my room for inspection but i forgot a "small detail": the monitor doubles as a TV screen and is currently in use. My monitor doesn't have VGA nor DVI so i can't hook it up to her PC.

Will have to get another monitor to troubleshoot this and that could take a while ...

Clear cmos first then test.

 

[HTC]

Hadn't thought of that: will do.

 

[Sasqui]

Anyone ever heard of this one not working?

The power button on a PC is temporary push switch. It makes contact as long as you hold the button down. Quick press and release triggers a smart relay on the MB to turn on or off, depending on default or OS state, such as cold on, sleep on, turn off, sleep off, etc. Holding the button down for a long time is a default hardware power kill switch. If it's not working, suspect the MB. Reset the BIOS is a good suggestion, but prolly won't work.

 

[eidairaman1]

Only other solution is to use the reset switch as a power switch.

Clear cmos is just to ensure all is at defaults, helps determine hardware or software fault.

 

[qubit]

This is the 1st time i'm aware of a PC (with a fully working power button) that, when pressed for 4 seconds, doesn't power down. Isn't this OS independent?

Yup, it's hardware based with no sofware override that I've ever heard of. As it doesn't work I suspect that the mobo is faulty.

Try the following:

1 To absolutely rule out the switch (I know you said it works, but still it could be intermittent) remove the power switch leads from the mobo and touch them together with a screwdriver and hold for 4-6 seconds.
2 If that doesn't work, disconnect everything but the bare minimum for it to boot and show a picture eg one RAM stick, no HDD/ODD etc and try again. If that still fails you likely have a bad mobo.

How old is the PC?

 

[HTC]

The power button on a PC is temporary push switch. It makes contact as long as you hold the button down. Quick press and release triggers a smart relay on the MB to turn on or off, depending on default or OS state, such as cold on, sleep on, turn off, sleep off, etc. Holding the button down for a long time is a default hardware power kill switch. If it's not working, suspect the MB. Reset the BIOS is a good suggestion, but prolly won't work.

Suspect t's a hardware problem but it could be something other then motherboard, which is why i asked if anyone ever heard of this type of thing, since searching didn't yield results.

Only other solution is to use the reset switch as a power switch.

Clear cmos is just to ensure all is at defaults, helps determine hardware or software fault.

My sister had called me earlier in the day and, when i said to her to press the power button and hold for 4 seconds, she told me she had tried that with no results, which i found quite odd: she then couldn't start the PC.

When i arrived, i tried starting the PC and it went to Windows ... seemed OK for about 15 minutes ... then it BSODed ... so i powered it down for 4 seconds and it worked. Started the PC again but this time it didn't reach Windows and BSODed before entering, and that's when it hung and power down didn't work: that's why i know the power button isn't the problem. After that, i couldn't start the PC, which is why i took it with me.

Yup, it's hardware based with no sofware override that I've ever heard of. As it doesn't work I suspect that the mobo is faulty.

Try the following:

1 To absolutely rule out the switch (I know you said it works, but still it could be intermittent) remove the power switch leads from the mobo and touch them together with a screwdriver and hold for 4-6 seconds.
2 If that doesn't work, disconnect everything but the bare minimum for it to boot and show a picture eg one RAM stick, no HDD/ODD etc and try again. If that still fails you likely have a bad mobo.

How old is the PC?

The PC's board, CPU, RAM, monitor and HDD are about 5.5 years old: maybe a bit older. Case is about 8 years old or so. Those were once in my computer. The PSU, keyboard, mouse, OS are about 1.5 years old: maybe a bit older.

I usually try doing that with the screwdriver to start the PC when the mobo is not in the case but i never tried to hold the contact for that long: i'll try to do that once i get a monitor to test.

Correct me if i'm wrong but i can reset CMOS right now, right? I just need to hit the CMOS contacts using the screwdriver with the PC connected to the wall but not turned on, right?

 

[eidairaman1]

Find out the bsod, sounds like a memory issue or Windows is messed up.

Clear cmos means taking the jumper off the cmos header and putting on the other pins.

Look at your motherboard manual.

 

[HTC]

Find out the bsod, sounds like a memory issue or Windows is messed up.

Clear cmos means taking the jumper off the cmos header and putting on the other pins.

Look at your motherboard manual.

It has no jumper: only 2 pins.

After checking the manual, it says it must be done with the PC not hooked up to the wall.

I have no jumper but shorting the pins with a screwdriver should do the trick, no?

 

[eidairaman1]

It has no jumper: only 2 pins.

After checking the manual, it says it must be done with the PC not hooked up to the wall.

I have no jumper but shorting the pins with a screwdriver should do the trick, no?

View attachment 90104

It should, just its safer to have a jumper block, you have the clrcmos jumper pins which is good.

(Im used to cmos jumpers having 3 pins vs 2)

 

[MrGenius]

You can also just remove the battery for a minute. If that's any easier.

 

[HTC]

You can also just remove the battery for a minute. If that's any easier.
View attachment 90105

It should, just its safer to have a jumper block, you have the clrcmos jumper pins which is good.

(Im used to cmos jumpers having 3 pins vs 2)

Found a jumper from my previous board (before this Ryzen system): used that, so no need to remove the battery.

Now, just have to wait until i get a monitor that i can use. Will probably just take the PC back and test it there using the monitor / TV, but have to wait several hours before i'm able to do that.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

I've seen this before, if you have a spare switch you can test with, something newer and better quality, plug it in and try to duplicate the issues. Assume its the case switch contacts if you cant.

 

[Sasqui]

I have no jumper but shorting the pins with a screwdriver should do the trick, no?

Yes, and you can also test the power switch by shorting the two power pin headers as well.

 

[Bill_Bright]

This is the 1st time i'm aware of a PC (with a fully working power button) that, when pressed for 4 seconds, doesn't power down. Isn't this OS independent?

It is OS dependent to power off on a single push.

No, it is NOT OS dependent! This is an "ATX" function and is established in the BIOS Setup Menu and will be shown in your motherboard manual. It does not matter what OS you have installed. It can be Windows, DOS, or Linux.

The "ATX" default is to power off after holding for 4 seconds. There are usually 2 or 3 options you can set in the BIOS for this and the other two are Immediate off and Suspend or something similar. In my Gigabyte manual, this option is called "Soft-Off by PWR-BTTN" and there are two options, "Instant-Off" and "Delay 4 Sec".

As for the switch itself, if it turns on your computer, the switch is fine. If shorting the two pins turns on the computer but pressing the power switch does not, the switch is bad, or disconnected. What I often do if bad is swap the wires going to the motherboard with the Reset button switch. Then just use the Reset button from then on.


Edit comment: fixed typo.