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Hey all,
Got a problem with a desktop machine and before I go splashing what little cash I have on a new component I'd really appreciate some input from people that know more about it than me. You are those lucky people.

So about a week ago there was an earthquake in Jolly Old England y'see, and since then the desktop that the family uses has been playing up. I put it down to a loose component that had been shaken loose or maybe something more serious but now I'm thinking it's just coincidence that it happened when it did and it's actually the PSU that needs replacing.

When I plug the computer in the blue LED around the on button will start flashing rapidly (it's meant to stay off until I push the on button, at which point it lights up but does not flash) and the blue illuminated USB cable connecting the printer to the PC also starts flashing (again, this is meant to be off unless the PC is powered up at which point it stays on.)

And the fans in the PSU starts spinning, all this before I've turned the PC on, just plugged it in.

When I do press the power button a variety of things can happen.

o Nothing - LEDs continue flashing and fans continue spinning but nothing new.
o The fan on the mobo spins very slowly or in very shorts bursts.
o The PC boots up as normal but this has now become a rarity and the last time it did it turned itself off again after a minute or so of use.
o The blue LED around the on button stops flashing and the fans continue spinning.

Any suggestions as to what my problem may be? I'd guessed at the PSU - because of the fans spinning constantly, even when the PC is off - but I'm not sure and I'd feel a lot better about spending money on a new one if I'd had a second opinion.

Quite an old system by the way, say 4 years give or take. No new components added since purchase.

Any input would be much appreciated, thank you in advance.

Could be your PSU. Do you have another to check it's not your motherboard?

When my PSU died it had a flashing light on the back of the PSU. It would somtimes spin the fans but not boot up so sounds a bit similar.

No spares for testing unfortunately. Thanks for your thoughts.

See if you can take it to a mate's place and swap out the PSU there.
It's really worth the effort to test it.

The next best thing I can suggest is to look up your Mobo's manual and look for the error codes.
They generally are represented as beeps, but if there's lights, they may be represented as flashes.
Your Motherboard could be trying to tell you something.

For example, one of my mates thought his PSU was playing up - his Motherboard has a little LED display (2 digit) to show error codes - I booted up, wrote down everything it showed, then referenced it in the manual.
Turns out his RAM chip was corrupt.

Replaced it, and everything went smoothly from then on

What I did was get another PC in my house and put them side by side then took the power cables from one over to the other to double check it was really the PSU before buying a new one.

It can always be something different, mine had a problem simelar and I bought a new processor (was planning on it anyway) when I installed it it returned to normal, quite strange.

Quick question: If I buy a PSU from a UK website and it turns out that this isn't the problem am I within my rights to return the PSU to the website and get a full refund? Providing the PSU was still as good as new and I returned it within a few days obviously.

Maybe this question would be better googled but I'm thinking people here would have some experience with this kind of thing.

You should expect to pay return shipping and a restock fee if they require it. If you tested your other psu then you don't have much to worry about.