What to Do If Your Computer Doesn’t Turn On

Step 4 – Removing Bad Contacts (Cont’d)

If you have an Intel CPU based on sockets 775, 1155, 1156, 1366 and above, you can use the eraser to clean its contacts and then use the toothbrush wet in isopropyl alcohol. If your CPU use pins (e.g., AMD CPUs, old Intel CPUs), then you can’t use the eraser as you would break the pins. In this case, go ahead and use the toothbrush wet in isopropyl alcohol.

Figure 9: Clean the CPU contacts with an eraser (only for socket LGA775, 1155, 1156, 1366 and similar CPUs)

Figure 10: Then clean them with a toothbrush wet in isopropyl alcohol

Figure 11: Cleaning an AMD CPU with a toothbrush wet in isopropyl alcohol

After cleaning the parts, you need to clean their sockets on the motherboard. This should be done with the toothbrush wet in isopropyl alcohol. Never use the eraser on the motherboard.

Figure 12: Clean the CPU socket with a toothbrush wet in isopropyl alcohol

Figure 13: Clean the memory sockets with a toothbrush wet in isopropyl alcohol

Figure 14: Clean the video card slot with a toothbrush wet in isopropyl alcohol

After cleaning everything as instructed and giving enough time for the parts to get dry, install the CPU, the CPU cooler, the memory module, and the video card back to the motherboard and try turning the PC on.
If it turns on, great, you solved your problem. If it doesn’t, then proceed to the next step.