Computer wont boot up!

[hippiechick]

Help!  My mom called me last week and said the computer won't turn on, it keeps trying to but it won't.  I told her to leave it alone for a day and then see.  She said it worked fine.  I went to their house yesterday and tried to use the computer and it wouldn't boot up.  It would turn on for about 2-3 seconds and then turn off.  It would continue to do this until you hold the power button down to turn it off.  Any ideas?  It's a 2 1/2 year old dell, which they use for microsoft word mostly and to check email.  Barely any downloading done.

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

Welcome to ComputerHope.

Quick question. You said she left it for a day and it worked?

Can you ask if they did anything to it (such as downloads, installs, hardware changes, ect...)

[hippiechick]

No, my parents are pretty computer-illiterate.  any updates, downloads, anything - i get a phone call.  They did recently get at&t high speed internet - but i wanna say that was two months ago.

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

All right.

You missed this question:

You said she left it for a day and it worked?

[hippiechick]

yeah, i told her to leave it alone - cuz I didn't have the time to deal with it that day - and the next day I talked to her she said it had turned on and was working fine again. 

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

But the problem continues?

Download and install Speed Fan.
When you run it, post all the temperature readings.