I have to say, the guide to troubleshooting your PC from Ars Technica is not half bad. As I read through it, I was surprised as to how much information was being crammed into such a small space.

On that note, the ideas for dealing with a troubleshooting situation may seem a little overly simplistic, yet they remain right on target. They manage to cover the basics plus some other slightly more advanced problems that need to be looked at as well. Overall, nice resource.

There are a number of solutions to this problem. Unfortunately, troubleshooting this seems to be the most difficult, since there are many things which could be preventing the system from starting. Here’s a list to get you started.

(NB: If your system is completely failing to give any power whatsoever, as in, “absolutely nothing is spinning up,” pay special attention to the power supply and motherboard troubleshooting steps.)

It is important to remember that parts, more often than not, fail individually. Therefore, once you find a bum part, you’re probably done. However, I strongly encourage you to follow all the steps of this troubleshooter, just to be on the safe side.