Asus CM1745 Troubleshooting

The computer does not respond when pressing the power button.

Firstly check if the power cord is installed correctly and does not feel loose in the socket. Next, check the power supply switch on the back. Ensure that it is switched to 1. If everything checks out and it still does not boot, you may have a bad power cord. You can find a compatible one here.

If your power cord and power supply look good, check the internals of the computer to ensure all the internal components are plugged in. Key areas would be:

• Four-pin CPU plug
• 24-pin ACX Plug
• Power button plug

Computer will not boot into Windows. This can include but is not limited to a blue screen with an error, or Windows never loads in.

Sometimes the RAM sticks stop functioning correctly. When this happens, the computer will not display anything and the fans will run at medium speed. You can check the RAM` by:

1. Unplugging the power cord in the back and holding the power button for 10 seconds. This is to ensure that there is no residual power in the power supply as this can potentially damage the components or even cause injury to you.
2. Unplug any cables that may be in your way like the hard drive cables (but be sure to put them back when you’re done).
3. Open the latches on the top and bottom of the RAM stick(s) to allow you to pull the stick out and examine the gold contacts.
4. If the contacts look dirty or dusty, try taking a slightly-moistened cotton swab with rubbing alcohol and cleaning the contacts. Then allow to dry before testing.
   • Note: If the RAM sticks still show marks or mars on the contacts, it may be damaged beyond repair and must be replaced.
5. Replace the RAM stick by opening the latches on the top and bottom of the slot and ensuring that the notch in the middle is aligned with the notch in the slot, slide the stick in by applying equal pressure to both ends of the stick.

If the RAM sticks still do not work, replacement sticks may be found here. We recommend staying with the OEM RAM sticks as they are guaranteed to be compatible with the motherboard; however, other DDR3 sticks may work.

After Windows fails to boot three times, the system will attempt to fix itself but will bring you to the Automatic Repair. When this happens, try going to Advanced Options and walking through:

1. Startup Repair
2. System Image Recovery (If Applicable)
3. System Restore

If all of these options fail, you may have a corrupt Windows installation.

Windows will not boot after working through the Windows Automatic Repair. If this is the case, you may have to reinstall Windows. Microsoft has a rather comprehensive guide here.

If you have reinstalled Windows and still cannot boot into it or receive the message “No bootable devices found,” you may have a faulty hard drive. Unfortunately, this is something that cannot be repaired and needs to be replaced. We have a replacement guide here.

The computer turns on, but overheats after running for a period of time.

1. Turn the computer on.
2. Remove any and all dust on the fan vents using a clean lint cloth or clean dry rag.
3. Find the fan on the rear of the computer, an 80mm fan with a silver grill below the power supply fan.
4. For the fan blowing air out of the computer, place a hand near the fan to feel if there is any air blowing out or use a piece of paper to see if it is pushed away from the grated area.
   • If the paper is not moving the fan is bad and needs to be replaced (see replacement guide)

Note: This will require opening up the side panel of the computer. There is a void any warranty you may still have.

1. Open up the side panel of the computer by unscrewing the screws located at the rear of the computer.
2. Ensuring that the computer is off and unplugged, dust off the fan connected to the CPU with either a clean lint cloth, clean dry rag, or using a can of compressed air.
3. Re-plug the computer and turn it on to see if the CPU fan spins.
   • If it does not spin, check the power cable to ensure that it is connected to the motherboard’s CPU fan pins.
   • If it does spin and still overheats, you may need to replace the thermal compound for the CPU.

If all of your fans work in you computer but it still overheats, you may have to replace the thermal compound. We have a replacement guide here.

The computer’s plugged in, but the screen doesn’t look right.

The most common display issue is that the current resolution is not the native resolution of the monitor. To fix this, all you have to do is right click on the desktop and select “Display settings” or if you’re running an older version of Windows, “Change Resolution”. From there, you just have to select the display resolution that says “(Recommended)” or “(Native)” next to it.

Sometimes Windows doesn’t install the newest graphics drivers, so the screen can look incorrect. This is easily fixed by:

1. Right clicking on the Windows Icon in the bottom left corner and selecting Device Manager. Give that a few seconds to pull up the Device Manager page, then…
2. Double-click on Display adapters.
3. Right click on whatever device is listed and select Update driver.
4. Select Search automatically for updated driver software and allow Windows to find the newest drivers.

Pressing the Open button makes the drive respond, but it won’t open.

More than likely, the external flap that opens up for the CD tray is stuck. You should be able to take an iFixit trim tool and open the tray from the top of the flap. If the flap opens just fine, the CD tray may be jammed internally from a CD that is inside. This would require disassembly to fix.

Pressing the Open button doesn’t seem to make the drive respond and/or the drive doesn’t show up in Windows.

A cable may have come loose and must be reseated by opening up the case. Check to make sure the two cables coming out of the back, power and data, are plugged in securely. If both of these wires are secured and the CD Tray still doesn’t work, it might be damaged and you may need to replace it. We have a replacement guide here.