Pc doesn't switch on. (suspected power switch issue)

McGraw · 14-09-2011, 13:30

Hi there.

My friend's pc doesn't want to switch on at the moment.

A while ago a drink was spilt in the front of it and the front on/off switch is very sticky.

Assuming the switch is broken, can anyone recommend a temporary fix until she gets a new case?

For instance, would a permanent jumper on the on/off switch mobo pins mean you can just turn it on with the main psu switch?

Also, I was thinking about wd40ing the power switch. Can anyone foresee any problem with this or suggest a better solution?

Thanks a lot.

14-09-2011, 14:29

try jumping it with a screwdriver ( pin header front panel connector) if it boots then your diagnostic is correct if not then your not

roger skillin · 14-09-2011, 15:39

you could disconnect the wire from the switch end and then hang the wire outside the case and she would just have to touch the wires together to get it to turn on, like hot wiring a car lol, and no you wouldn't get a shock from it either

McGraw · 14-09-2011, 16:35

Thanks.

Will try shorting and see what happens

Kymmy · 14-09-2011, 16:43

Swap round the POWER and RESET jumpers on the board, that way he can use the reset button as the power button for now

qasdfdsaq · 14-09-2011, 17:13

Assuming he *has* a reset switch

Kymmy · 14-09-2011, 17:40

It's a PC designed for windows

so it's probably a sure thing

---------- Post added at 18:40 ---------- Previous post was at 18:38 ----------

WD40 though won't harm the switch but it also may not clean it either. If you can remove it then IPA or switch cleaner spray is the sure choice then a little wd40 to lube it up before putting it back in.

qasdfdsaq · 15-09-2011, 08:13

Heh, much to my chagrin, it's been impossible to find a reset switch on almost any major OEM built PC for the last half a decade. Now the same major OEMs are even removing the HDD status lights and anything else they can get away with short of the power button itself...

The number of times in the past month I've had to hold down the power button for 5 seconds, wait 10 seconds, and then press it again when a reset button would have done the damn job twenty times faster...

Anyhow, either contacting the wires together or shorting the green connector on the ATX to ground would do it. Just don't try either if it's an AT PSU (highly unlikely)

Kymmy · 15-09-2011, 08:18

Shows how often I've bought a major built OEM PC..

All that's just cheap casings especially as I don't think that there's a motherboard yet without a HDD/PWR/RST connectors on it

qasdfdsaq · 15-09-2011, 08:32

Yeah, I don't buy them myself and my case has a reset switch as it's an aftermarket case... On the other hand our national selectpc agreement at work means we can buy nothing but HP/Dell/Apple (well we can, but it takes weeks of arguing to do it for each individual machine) And none of them have had reset switches for yonks.