My Bad-My DELL

[Chas]

I know I'm in the wrong group but this is near my last resort.
.. . . .I just received a used Dell Optiplex GX280 Desktop and the thing
won't power up. It appears the power switch is bad and it doesn't return
when depressed and there is no 'click'. After many wasted attemtps with
email, and chat with Dell, a chat agent told me they don't have that switch
anymore. I know if I sent the machine into Dell they would replace the
switch.
.. . .Does anyone here know where I can locate new/used Dell parts? Or even
how the damn switch works. There are no wire or contacts visible behind the
button.. .
.. . .in advance. . to 1 & all, thanks. . . chas

 

[Tom Biasi]

I know I'm in the wrong group but this is near my last resort.
. . . .I just received a used Dell Optiplex GX280 Desktop and the thing
won't power up. It appears the power switch is bad and it doesn't return
when depressed and there is no 'click'. After many wasted attemtps with
email, and chat with Dell, a chat agent told me they don't have that switch
anymore. I know if I sent the machine into Dell they would replace the
switch.
. . .Does anyone here know where I can locate new/used Dell parts? Or even
how the damn switch works. There are no wire or contacts visible behind the
button.. .
. . .in advance. . to 1& all, thanks. . . chas

Tim is correct, you are just pushing a mechanical rod. I can't remember
if the switch in actually on the PSU or not. Take it apart and look at
it. If the front cover is loose or has broken tabs the lever won't
engage the switch.
You can buy a replacement PSU for about 25 bucks on eBay.

Tom

 

[Tom Biasi]

I know I'm in the wrong group but this is near my last resort.
. . . .I just received a used Dell Optiplex GX280 Desktop and the thing
won't power up. It appears the power switch is bad and it doesn't return
when depressed and there is no 'click'. After many wasted attemtps with
email, and chat with Dell, a chat agent told me they don't have that switch
anymore. I know if I sent the machine into Dell they would replace the
switch.
. . .Does anyone here know where I can locate new/used Dell parts? Or even
how the damn switch works. There are no wire or contacts visible behind the
button.. .
. . .in advance. . to 1& all, thanks. . . chas

Just took a look at the GX280. The switch in on a card that connects to
the motherboard by cable.

Tom

 

[T]

I know I'm in the wrong group but this is near my last resort.
. . . .I just received a used Dell Optiplex GX280 Desktop and the thing
won't power up. It appears the power switch is bad and it doesn't return
when depressed and there is no 'click'. After many wasted attemtps with
email, and chat with Dell, a chat agent told me they don't have that switch
anymore. I know if I sent the machine into Dell they would replace the
switch.
. . .Does anyone here know where I can locate new/used Dell parts? Or even
how the damn switch works. There are no wire or contacts visible behind the
button.. .
. . .in advance. . to 1 & all, thanks. . . chas

I do believe that Dell had a problem with power supply capacitors on the
Optiplex line and I believe it covered from the GX270 to GX280 batches.

They even settled a class action because of the bad caps.

So it may not be the switch but the power supply itself.

 

[Chiron]

I do believe that Dell had a problem with power supply capacitors on the
Optiplex line and I believe it covered from the GX270 to GX280 batches.

Yes. They bought a batch of electrolytics from some disreputable
manufacturer, and the electrolyte leaked in a large proportion of them.
This caused all sorts of mysterious failures as the power supply began to
lose regulation, surprise reboots, shutdowns, and other fun stuff.

They tried to ignore the problem for about a year, until people started
to file lawsuits. It was a real mess.

 

[Cliff H]

I know I'm in the wrong group but this is near my last resort.
. . . .I just received a used Dell Optiplex GX280 Desktop and the thing
won't power up. It appears the power switch is bad and it doesn't return
when depressed and there is no 'click'. After many wasted attemtps with
email, and chat with Dell, a chat agent told me they don't have that
switch
anymore. I know if I sent the machine into Dell they would replace the
switch.
. . .Does anyone here know where I can locate new/used Dell parts? Or even
how the damn switch works. There are no wire or contacts visible behind
the
button.. .
. . .in advance. . to 1 & all, thanks. . . chas

Most PC's have a momentary switch mounted behind the front panel with
wires that lead to a connector on the M/B.

Yes among the hundreds of computers I have seen, I have never seen a
computer where the switch on the front was nothing more than a momentary
switch telling the motherboard to boot the computer.

Computers as long as they are plugged in are never off. There is a little
bit of code running looking for that button press.

I'm 99% sure you have a bad power supply. Though in the late 90's Gateway
had a style of case where the plastic thingy that pressed the actual switch
broke.

 

[Cliff H]

The power supply is still producing +5.0 V SB as long as the computer is
plugged into the AC line. There is no "code" running---all the switch does
is to use the +5V available to turn on the rest of the power supply. The
switch is a simple SPNO momentary contact switch. Once the power supply
is "on", holding the same switch closed for a couple of seconds will turn
it off.

Ok no code but its definitly not a real "power switch". Its not like the old
IBMs with the big paddle switch on the side. Now that was a switch.

 

[T]

Ok no code but its definitly not a real "power switch". Its not like the old
IBMs with the big paddle switch on the side. Now that was a switch.

Yeah - I tend to hate soft switches. That whole parasitic power drain
makes me crazy.