I engaged "Dave's Computer" to build a new custom build Windows 11 computer as replacement for the Windows 10 machine. I presented my thoughts and needs to Dave about the new unit and he asked some basic questions as to my needs and want for the new unit. We touched on cost for the unit and I left...
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No-Power Desktop Repair · Dave's Computers, Somerville NJ
Desktop PC Won't Turn On? No-Power Repair in New Jersey
You pressed the button and nothing happened: no lights, no fans, or a half-second twitch and then silence. Here are the three safe checks to do at home, what I test at my Somerville, NJ bench when those don't fix it, and what each outcome costs. It's part of my desktop computer repair service for New Jersey, and the shop is drop-off, no appointment needed.
⭐ 4.8 Stars · 430+ Google Reviews
🏆 On the Bench Since 2011
📍 Somerville, NJ · Drop-Off Shop
🔧 $75 / $149 Diagnostic, Credited Toward Repair
📞 Call (908) 428-9558
🚗 Directions to the Shop
Three Safe Checks Before You Bring It In
Five minutes, no tools, and a fair number of towers go back to work without a trip to Somerville.
If the fans spin and the lights come on but the screen stays black, you want my no-display page instead. This page is for the tower that is dead, or that wakes for a second and dies.
1
The outlet and the power strip
Plug a lamp into the same outlet the tower uses. If the strip has a reset button, press it. Surge strips fail quietly, and a tripped one looks exactly like a dead PC. Plug the tower straight into the wall for the test.
2
The rear switch and the power cord
Next to where the cord plugs in, most supplies have a small rocker switch marked I and O. It gets knocked to O when a tower is moved. Flip it to I, then reseat the cord at both ends, or try the cord from your monitor, which is usually the same type.
3
The front-panel button
Press the button once, firmly. Then hold it ten seconds to clear any stuck state and press once more. If it feels mushy, sticks in, or has no click, the button is a suspect. On many prebuilt towers it's a cheap switch on a thin ribbon cable, and it fails before anything expensive does.
Do not open the power supply. Taking off the side panel to look is fine. Opening the metal box of the supply itself is not. The capacitors inside hold a charge long after the cord is out, and there is nothing in there you can fix. I don't open them either; a failed supply gets replaced, not repaired.
What I Test at the Bench, in Order
Cheapest and most likely first. I stop when a test explains the symptom.
| Order | Test | What it rules in or out |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Power supply load test | The supply goes on a load tester so I can watch the 12V, 5V and 3.3V rails and the power-good signal under a real draw, not a paperclip. A supply that reads fine at idle and sags under load is the classic start-and-stop cause. This step closes most no-power tickets. |
| 2 | Front-panel switch bypass | I unplug the case's power-button lead from the header and short the two pins directly. If the board starts, the button or its ribbon cable is the problem. |
| 3 | Board out of the case | The board runs on the bench with a known-good supply and one memory stick, which rules out a shorted standoff, a pinched cable, or a case USB header dragging the standby rail to ground. |
| 4 | Memory and CPU | One stick at a time, then a known-good stick, then a test CPU where the socket allows. Bent socket pins show up here on AM5 and LGA boards that have had a cooler swap. |
| 5 | BIOS recovery | A failed BIOS update can leave a board that powers up and instantly drops. Where the board supports flashback, I reflash from USB before calling it dead. |
A debug LED or beep pattern narrows this list fast; see my debug LED and beep code page. If you built the tower yourself, the sequence is the same: fixing a custom-built PC that won't turn on.
Common Outcomes and What Each One Becomes
Four results cover almost every dead desktop I see.
Power supply replacement. The most common result by a wide margin. Budget supplies in family towers and some prebuilt gaming PCs age out, usually failing after a shutdown or a storm. I replace it with a quality retail unit sized for the tower with headroom for the graphics card; if a bigger card is in your plans, that's the power supply upgrade service. The warning signs are on my failing power supply page.
Front-panel wiring or switch. Cheap fix, quick turnaround. A worn button, a ribbon cable cracked where it bends, or a header lead that walked off its pins during a move.
Motherboard replacement. A blown VRM, dead standby circuitry, bent socket pins, or damage from a leaking AIO means the board gets replaced. On a current AM5 or LGA1851 platform that's a straightforward swap that keeps your CPU, memory and drives. On an older platform the board may not exist new anymore; see the honesty section below and my motherboard replacement service.
Surge damage. After a storm or a utility fault I see towers where the supply died and took the board with it, sometimes the drive too. I test every component separately, and I'm most careful about your data on these. More on my power surge damage page.
The dead-tower rule. A tower is not fixed until it powers on, posts, boots to Windows and runs under load on my bench. A supply that starts the machine but can't hold it under a game or a render doesn't leave the shop.
What No-Power Repair Costs
One diagnostic fee, one flat quote, and you approve it before anything else is charged.
| Item | What you pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic, standard desktop | $75 | Dell, HP, Lenovo, office and family towers. Credited toward the repair when you approve the work. |
| Diagnostic, custom or gaming PC | $149 | Custom builds, boutique prebuilts and gaming towers. Credited the same way. |
| The repair | Quoted flat after the diagnostic | Parts and labor in one number, no hourly billing. Parts supplied by the shop with a manufacturer warranty. |
| Turnaround | Most repairs 24-48 hours | Same-day rush available. Board replacements that need an ordered part take longer; I'll give you the date up front. |
| Warranty | 30-90 days on labor | On most repairs. |
$75 diagnostic for a standard desktop, $149 for a custom or gaming PC, credited toward the work when you approve it. Figures as of this writing. How the quote step works: quote after diagnosis.
When I'll Tell You Not to Spend the Money
Some dead towers should stay dead. I'd rather say so at the counter than on the invoice.
A power supply is worth replacing in almost any desktop: the part is reasonable, it's a clean swap, and the tower gets years more use. A front-panel repair is the same. Those are easy yeses.
A dead motherboard is where I slow down. On a tower two to five years old, the replacement board is available and matches your CPU and memory, so the repair makes sense. On a tower that's eight or ten years old, the board usually isn't made anymore, and a new board means a new CPU and memory to go with it. You'd be buying most of a new computer and bolting it into an old case. I'll tell you that, with the number a replacement would run, so you can compare. My worth-repairing page walks through that math.
✓ Your data survives either way. Your files are on the drive, not on the supply or the board. If the repair goes ahead, the drive isn't touched. If the tower isn't worth fixing, I pull the drive, confirm it reads, and hand it to you or move your files to the new machine. If the failure took the drive with it, which happens with surge damage, I move to data recovery, from $199. You'll know where your data stands before you approve anything.
On a custom build or gaming PC with a dead board or supply, it's often the moment to look at what else is due. That's the custom PC repair and upgrade service, and I only raise it if the numbers justify it.
What I See on the Bench in New Jersey
Composite examples, built from the kinds of jobs that come across my Somerville counter.
A Bridgewater family's Dell tower, dead after a storm. No lights, no reaction to the button. The supply failed the load test outright, with no power-good signal. Board, memory and drive tested clean on a bench supply. New supply, a full boot and load run, and the family had the tower and every photo on it back in two days.
A Hillsborough customer's HP office tower that would start and stop. Fans twitched for half a second and quit. The supply looked healthy at idle but the 12V rail sagged under load, the classic start-and-stop signature. Supply replaced. The customer had been ready to buy a new computer.
A Piscataway gamer's custom AM5 build, dead after a cooler swap. Supply fine, front-panel bypass no help. With the board out of the case I found bent socket pins from a CPU that had lifted with the old cooler and been reseated off-center. The board was under two years old, so a replacement made sense; CPU, memory and drives carried over.
If the three home checks didn't wake it up, bring the tower to Somerville. $75 diagnostic for a standard desktop, $149 for a custom or gaming PC, credited toward the repair when you approve it.
📞 Call (908) 428-9558Drop-off shop at 75 N Bridge St, Somerville NJ · Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat 9-2
Bring just the tower and its cord; my drop-off guide covers packing it for the ride.
Directions to Dave's Computers in Somerville, NJ
Downtown Somerville, one block off Main Street, behind Bank of America.
Dave's Computers, 75 N Bridge St, Somerville, NJ 08876Drop-off shop, Mon-Fri 10-5 and Sat 9-2. Street and municipal-lot parking around Main Street.
Directions to the ShopFrom Bridgewater
3 miles · about 10 minutes
Route 22 or Route 202/206 to the Somerville Circle, then Route 28 east (West Main Street) into downtown. Left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Hillsborough
5 miles · about 12 minutes
Route 206 north into Somerville, right onto West Main Street, then left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Bound Brook
4 miles · about 12 minutes
Route 28 west straight into downtown Somerville. Right onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Piscataway
10 miles · about 20 minutes
I-287 north to Exit 17 (Route 202/206 south), then Route 28 east into downtown Somerville.
Open in Google MapsFrom Flemington
15 miles · about 25 minutes
Route 202 north to the Somerville Circle, then Route 28 east into downtown. Left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Princeton
18 miles · about 30 minutes
Route 206 north through Montgomery and Hillsborough into Somerville. Right onto West Main Street, then left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsTimes are typical drives outside rush hour. Call 908-428-9558 before a long drive if you want to confirm I'm at the counter.
Google Reviews
What Customers Say on Google
Live from the Dave's Computers Google listing. Tap any review to read it on Google Maps.
4.8
★★★★★★★★★★Based on 434 Google reviews
I have been going to Dave's Computers for years because he always fixes my problems. I also use his anti-virus and it is as good as any, if not better, than others that I would have to pay much more for. If you're having problems, go to Dave's. He doesn't break the bank and he solves the problems.
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Over the last decade or so, whenever I had a computer problem, I went to Dave. I recently had a very worrisome crash; the system failed to boot up. (I hadn't needed to use him for about 3 years.) I paid the "rush fee" on Saturday when dropping the machine off with the weekend agent. By Monday...
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"As a Broker of over 40 years in New Jersey I rely on my computer help", which is the artery to my success and business. Thank goodness Dave's is here for me with the messes I get into with scammers, land grabbers and just uneccesary things that I pick up. The most effective virus program have ever...
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I had previously tried to build my own PC to no success. Even though right now it is really tough to get a PC built due to the price increases with RAM’s, GPU’s and other parts because of AI, I still really wanted to get one for myself. I came across Dave’s Computers online and went in for a...
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Desktop Won't Turn On: Questions From NJ Customers
What people ask at the counter before handing over the tower.
Why won't my desktop turn on at all?
On a desktop with no lights and no fan movement, the power supply is the most common cause, followed by the front-panel button and its wiring, then the motherboard. Surge damage after a storm can hit any of those. I test the supply under load first because it is the cheapest part to rule in or out.
How much does it cost to fix a desktop that won't turn on in NJ?
The diagnostic is $75 for a standard desktop and $149 for a custom or gaming PC, credited toward the work when you approve it. After the diagnostic I quote the repair as a flat price, parts and labor together, no hourly billing. Nothing beyond the diagnostic is charged until you say yes.
Is it safe to open my desktop and check the power supply myself?
Opening the case to look is fine. Opening the power supply itself is not. The capacitors inside hold a charge after the unit is unplugged, and there is nothing user-serviceable in there. The checks worth doing at home are the outlet, the rear switch and cord, and the front button.
My PC fans spin for a second and then stop. Is that the same problem?
It is a close cousin. A start-and-stop tower means the supply is producing something but a rail is sagging or the board is refusing to continue. That points to a weak power supply, a short on the board, or a bad CPU power connection. It gets the same bench sequence as a fully dead tower.
Will I lose my files if the power supply or motherboard is replaced?
No. Your files live on the drive, not on the supply or the board, so a straight part swap leaves them untouched. If the failure took the drive with it, which happens with surge damage, I move to data recovery, starting at $199. Either way you know where your data stands before any work is approved.
How long does a no-power desktop repair take?
Most repairs are done in 24-48 hours once you approve the quote. A motherboard replacement takes longer if the board has to be ordered, and I'll give you a realistic date when I quote it. Same-day rush is available if you need the tower back for work.
What if my desktop is old and the motherboard is dead?
Then I'll tell you not to spend the money. A dead board in a tower that is eight or ten years old is a replace-the-computer situation, because the replacement board usually needs a new CPU and memory to go with it. I'll pull your drive, confirm the data is intact, and send you home with it.
Bring the Dead Tower to Somerville, New Jersey
Bring the tower and its cord to 75 N Bridge St and I'll put the supply on the tester. The diagnostic is $75 for a standard desktop or $149 for a custom or gaming PC, credited toward the repair when you approve it, and it's the first step of my desktop computer repair service for New Jersey.
📞 (908) 428-9558Mon-Fri 10am-5pm · Sat 9am-2pm · 75 N Bridge St, Somerville NJ · Drop-Offs Welcome