My desktop has started shutting off instantly, with no blue screen, warning, or normal Windows shutdown. Afterward, pressing the power button does nothing unless I unplug the PC, hold the power button for a while, reconnect it, and then try again. At first this happened only once every several days, but recently it began shutting down again within a minute of startup. Leaving it unplugged for about 30 minutes allowed it to work normally again, at least temporarily.
The CPU fan is running, there are no obvious burn marks or disconnected cables, and temperature-monitoring software has not shown overheating. The PC shares a power strip with my monitors and other devices, but those remain powered when the computer shuts off.
The computer has worked reliably since 2023. I moved from France to Spain two weeks ago, where the mains voltage should be the same, but the PC was transported in luggage and the case arrived with a dent. Could the power supply or some internal component have been damaged during transport?
4 Answers
Confirm that the PSU is configured for the local mains voltage and that you are using an appropriate power cable. France and Spain both normally use around 230 V, so the country change itself should not be a problem, but a damaged power supply or cable could still be. The fact that the monitors stay on makes a whole-room or power-strip outage less likely.
This does not sound like a typical Windows crash or overheating issue. An instant loss of power followed by a temporary inability to start is more consistent with PSU protection, a motherboard fault, or a short. Check the event logs if useful, but they may only record an unexpected shutdown and will not identify the cause. Back up important files and prioritize testing or replacing the PSU.
The power supply is the most likely suspect. A failing PSU can trigger its protection circuits and completely cut power, which would explain why the system will not start again until it has been unplugged and discharged. Try testing with a known-good PSU of suitable wattage, or have a repair shop test yours. Avoid repeatedly running the PC if the PSU may be damaged.
Since the case was damaged during shipping, shut the computer down, unplug it, and inspect it carefully. Check that the graphics card, memory, power connectors, and motherboard are firmly seated and that the dent is not pressing against a component or causing a short. Look for cracked boards, loose screws, or damaged cables. If you are not comfortable opening it, get it inspected rather than continuing to power it on.
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