# I pushed the start button. Nothing! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pushed-the-start-button-nothing/492056 "2009-04-05T17:11:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pushed-the-start-button-nothing/492056/1 "2009-04-05T17:11:54Z")
On my crappy old HP tower. I pushed that button a million times and yesterday, nothing. No lights, no startup, no moans and groans. It’s plugged in. The monitor and printer lights are on. I’m hauling it to computer repair shop tomorrow. What I want to know is, is this something that is easily fixable? A new switch, or wire jiggling? (I know nuthin’ about computers). Is it going to cost me a lot? If it is something major, I suppose I should just buy a new computer… ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pushed-the-start-button-nothing/492056/2 "2009-04-05T17:16:50Z")
Dead power supply, most likely. 30-40 bucks plus labour. Theoretically it could be the motherboard I guess, but then you’d hear hard drives spin up and such. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pushed-the-start-button-nothing/492056/3 "2009-04-05T17:25:08Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I pushed that button a million times… Could just be a dead power switch. A million cycles is a lot ask of electrical contacts. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pushed-the-start-button-nothing/492056/4 "2009-04-05T17:39:08Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Theoretically it could be the motherboard I guess, but then you’d hear hard drives spin up and such. Not necessarily. I’ve seen many dead motherboards that did nothing at all, even after replacing the the power supply. Sometimes it is both. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pushed-the-start-button-nothing/492056/5 "2009-04-05T18:11:17Z")
I haven’t pushed the start button literally a million times. That was hyperbole. Thanks for the information. I hope it isn’t the motherboard. If it’s something major, I’m just going to have to get a new computer. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pushed-the-start-button-nothing/492056/6 "2009-04-05T18:20:52Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I haven’t pushed the start button literally a million times. That was hyperbole. Yeah, I know, but switches do sometimes go bad, and it’s a lot cheaper to check stuff like that yourself than to take it into the shop. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pushed-the-start-button-nothing/492056/7 "2009-04-05T18:27:26Z")
Also, it could be as simple as the wire from the switch having come unplugged at the motherboard; they’re just pin headers with little in the way of positive engagement, other than the spring force of the contacts.