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Question

HP Pavilion 743g power supply

Jun 12, 2013 7:55AM PDT

I installed a "used" 300 watt power supply in my HP Pavilion 743g desktop. After approximately 8 years the 200 watt power supply burned out and I purchased the computer used. Since installing the replacement power supply, I now have "no" Windows XP start-up or shutdown sounds although the sound for everything else still works. There is also a long (12 minute) boot-up time when I turn the computer on and programs are opening slowly. It is a Pentium 4 with 1gb memory and a 2.4 GHz processor. When I go to control panel sounds for Windows exit and start up, I get a "Windows cannot find %SystemRoot%/media/Windows XP Shutdown.wav. Do you want to use the file for this event anyway? Yes or No" message with neither choice fixing the sound issue. Do you have any suggestions for the slow boot-up and opening of programs. I can live with the sound issue if I have to. THANKS!!!

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Did you try the usual?
Jun 12, 2013 8:14AM PDT

At that age the heatsink compound dries and will crack. You can see what happens in the video to follow it can slow down. Errors can occur all over the map as well.

If this was mine, I'd pull the heat sinks to wipe off the old compound and apply the new compound as I clean the machine up.

Video -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y39D4529FM4 the first 35 seconds shows the typical slow down.

As this is usually met with folk replying "it's not heat" or they trot out CPU heat software measurements, I nod and carry on. It's their machine.
Bob

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Answer
Long overdue
Jun 13, 2013 12:25AM PDT

Since this is an older PC, wear&tear issues arise over time. As already suggested to you, besides the PSU replacement, during the downtime, replace the heatsink paste as well and clean the case overall. NEXT!!! and unfortunately common at the time, 300W PSU's weren't all that great. Many cheap and plain not ready 300W units didn't deliver the goods. In comparison to the 200-250W OEM type PSU that got replaced, it didn't make sense. The 200W+ units simply were better build and many users didn't add that much and usually they lasted a long time. As for sounds, make darn sure the case spkr. is attached as there is also in some cases a smaller spkr. on the mtrbd. also making sounds but dedicated to the system side not pure optional audio or visa versa as it were. So recheck your work and make sure any spkr. connections are OK. Older audio cables from CD/DVD drive to mtrbd. were common, check and verify plus location. If it all worked before it sure seems like "fat fingers" problem, somehow you did something, IMHO. As for the PSU, I would try yet another one if at all possible, new or at least 400W unit. Let's not forget the "bad caps" issue, google for examples, but good link below.

http://www.badcaps.net

Understand bad caps happen anywhere they're mounted, so even a PSU, could have them.

tada -----Willy Happy