Show no life A computer that shows no life exhibits no lights on the front of the case, gives no sound of disks whirring and the cooling fan on the back of the machine does not turn (check this by putting your hand in back and feeling for the presence of air being moved by the fan). You have a power problem and need to isolate the problem.

First, if the computer, monitor and printer are all showing no life, suspect the power strip or the power coming out of the wall outlet. Plug a lamp into the wall socket to ensure that there is power at the socket. If there is not you may have tripped a circuit breaker or blown a fuse. If there is power coming from the wall socket try by-passing the power strip by plugging the computer components directly into the wall outlets. If this is successful you need to replace the power strip.

If only the computer is showing no life but the monitor light comes on, try unplugging the power cord from the back of the monitor and plugging it into the back of the computer. Ensure that the small (usually red or orange) switch on the back of the chassis has not accidentally be moved (will usually be set to the 115 volt rather than the 240 volt position).
Sometimes a power switch located on the front of the chassis will fail. When this happens, it is usually due to a mechanical problem where the plastic external button has lost the ability to move far enough to toggle the electrical switch to which it needs to activate in order for the computer to start. Try pushing the on-off button a little harder than usual. If this does not work, remove the front of the case and use a small wooden or plastic utensil to push the small switch which is supposed to be activated by the large plastic button.

If you have an ATX style and feel comfortable opening up the case, ensure that the connector to the system board is seated firmly.

If the above does not work, it is likely that the power supply has failed and needs to be replaced.
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