Intel has been alerted to a glitch in some of its desktop motherboards which has left some recent PC buyers unable to boot up their machines, a company spokesman confirmed.
The problem affects Intel's SE 440BX-2 motherboards, which are designed for use with Pentium II-based desktop PC systems, Intel spokesman Robert Manetta said.
Only boards manufactured during the month of October were affected by the problem, and the issue only arises when the motherboards are used in conjunction with a certain type of power supply, Manetta said. Intel won't say how many motherboards were affected by the problem.
"Everything coming off the production line now is fine," Manetta said.
Users will know if they have one of the faulty motherboards because when they unplug their system from a wall outlet and then plug it back in again, there is a chance that the machine won't reboot, Manetta said.
Intel has given a test kit to its PC manufacturing customers to help them identify the affected machines, and will replace the faulty motherboards at no charge.
Users who think their is a problem with their system should contact the outlet they purchased it from, Manetta said.