Help really needed with faulty power supply unit

totalsolutions

Why not do a practice removal and refit of the power supply. It's free, and also you get to release all the plugs/cables and refit (also free). If it was a loose connection it might now be fixed. Its only 4 screws and look for the small plug release clips. Also locate that loose screw in there.

veruccasalt

Keep it to a whisper (cos I dont want my processor to hear me) but it is now working absolutely fine and has for a few weeks now.

Thanks to everyone for your advice-I think I am going to go down the 'if it aint broke, dont fix it' route at the moment, but if it goes wrong again, I will feel a lot less paniced.

Thanks to you all for your good advice

Verucca xxx

bookduck

you could remove the cover, place in there a bootable cd/floppy and start it up.

Now with a thin wooden/plastic stick or the non-brush side of a DRY toothbrush GENTLY poke around the mboard and connectors if it still running and working try drumming on the psu with the brush and I'm sure you'll isolate the problem.

If it is the psu then it is probably a loose connection inside and this most likely could be soldered by someone who knows what they are doing as after power removal there still may be some very high voltages stored in the capacitors.

the problem often with loose connections that the (a) can cause voltage spikes (b) can cause heat/melitng/fire (fires are very rare)