From: wwm@wwmartin.net   
      
   On 2/3/26 07:18, Harvey Sanenbum wrote:   
   > On 2/3/26 2:00 AM, wmartin wrote:   
   >> On 2/2/26 16:36, Harvey Sanenbum wrote:   
   >>> On 2/2/26 4:02 PM, Bennett Price wrote:   
   >>>> On 2/2/2026 7:49 AM, Harvey Sanenbum wrote:   
   >>>>> On 2/1/26 3:28 PM, Harvey Sanenbum wrote:   
   >>>>>> On 2/1/26 1:43 PM, legg wrote:   
   >>>>>>> On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 13:32:39 -0500, Harvey Sanenbum   
   >>>>>>>  wrote:   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> On 1/31/26 12:46 PM, Bennett Price wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>> On 1/31/2026 6:22 AM, Harvey Sanenbum wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>>> I have an old Dell XPS 420 desktop that wouldn't power on   
   >>>>>>>>>> today.  I   
   >>>>>>>>>> had a hunch that it might be the front power switch, so   
   >>>>>>>>>> disconnected   
   >>>>>>>>>> the power from the motherboard and then located the green wire   
   >>>>>>>>>> on the   
   >>>>>>>>>> power supply.  However, much to my surprise, there were two green   
   >>>>>>>>>> wires.  When I jumpered one to ground, nothing, but when   
   >>>>>>>>>> jumpering the   
   >>>>>>>>>> other, power supply fan started up.   
   >>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>> Before reconnecting power to the motherboard, I cut the green   
   >>>>>>>>>> wire   
   >>>>>>>>>> that did work and temporarily extended it with a jumper wire.   
   >>>>>>>>>> Power   
   >>>>>>>>>> was reconnected and the jumper wire to ground.  The power supply   
   >>>>>>>>>> started, but it was only after I then pressed the front power   
   >>>>>>>>>> button   
   >>>>>>>>>> on the desktop that it started right up.  In fact, I'm sending   
   >>>>>>>>>> this   
   >>>>>>>>>> message from it now.   
   >>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>> I'm a little confused about the wiring and power switch type.   
   >>>>>>>>>> The   
   >>>>>>>>>> switch must have only partially failed since it still works   
   >>>>>>>>>> with the   
   >>>>>>>>>> aforementioned configuration.  However, I think the option, to   
   >>>>>>>>>> get   
   >>>>>>>>>> things back to normal, is to either replace it, which I think   
   >>>>>>>>>> would be   
   >>>>>>>>>> next to impossible given the old age of the PC, or simply wire   
   >>>>>>>>>> up a   
   >>>>>>>>>> toggle as a substitute, but not sure of the wiring.   
   >>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>> Might it be as simple as snipping that additional green wire,   
   >>>>>>>>>> splicing   
   >>>>>>>>>> both green wires together, and have that go to ground for   
   >>>>>>>>>> start up/   
   >>>>>>>>>> turn off, or is it something more?  I almost think a temporary   
   >>>>>>>>>> switch   
   >>>>>>>>>> is needed somewhere since the front power button is only   
   >>>>>>>>>> depressed   
   >>>>>>>>>> until power up and then released.   
   >>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>> trying to keep everything simple, but it seems a little   
   >>>>>>>>>> complicated to   
   >>>>>>>>>> me.  Thanks in advance for any help.   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> Correct me if I'm wrong but it sounds like you fixed the   
   >>>>>>>>> problem and   
   >>>>>>>>> there's no need to replace the front panel power switch.   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> Sort of.  I have a SPST toggle switch that connects the one   
   >>>>>>>> green line   
   >>>>>>>> to the power supply and ground.  I cut that green line to the   
   >>>>>>>> motherboard.  If I enable the toggle switch, the power supply   
   >>>>>>>> fan begins   
   >>>>>>>> to turn at a rapid pace until I press the button on the front of   
   >>>>>>>> the   
   >>>>>>>> desktop, then boot up as normal.   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> So, by activating the toggle switch I added, and then pushing   
   >>>>>>>> the PC   
   >>>>>>>> power button on the front of the desktop momentarily, the PC   
   >>>>>>>> boots up.   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> If no other solution, I guess I could use it this way either   
   >>>>>>>> until I   
   >>>>>>>> find out the correct wiring data for replacing with a single   
   >>>>>>>> switch or   
   >>>>>>>> obtaining an original replacement PC switch board.  I really   
   >>>>>>>> need to   
   >>>>>>>> have this desktop functional.   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> I'm unclear, however, whether the power switch is, by design, a   
   >>>>>>>>> momentary contact switch - only on while depressed, or a toggle   
   >>>>>>>>> switch -   
   >>>>>>>>> on when depressed and remains on until pushed again when in   
   >>>>>>>>> turns off.   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> Response to power-on is in bios - check coin cell battery on mobo.   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> RL   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> Ahhh, good point.  Something I hadn't thought of because my system   
   >>>>>> auto syncs to the correct time everyday once I connect to the   
   >>>>>> Internet.  In the BIOS however, just checked the date and time.   
   >>>>>> Date is fine (today) but time is slow by 8 hours.  Time to do a   
   >>>>>> battery swap I think.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> No fresh batteries on hand, so ordered one today.  Once installed,   
   >>>>> will rewire as normal, see what happens, and report back.  I'm also   
   >>>>> going to save this thread for future reference because I have   
   >>>>> another desktop that refused to boot up one day that I'm wondering   
   >>>>> whether or not had the same problem.  Going to check it out later   
   >>>>> this week.   
   >>>> If the time was off by exactly 8 hours the time zone setting is   
   >>>> wrong; perhaps defaulting to Greenwich time.   
   >>>   
   >>> Fresh battery installed and still no boot up, so went back to the   
   >>> modified configuration.  Any more ideas welcome.   
   >> If your cmos content is clobbered, a new battery will not magically   
   >> restore them. Can you boot into bios mode? If so, look for messed up   
   >> cmos content, reset to defaults if it's scrambled. Then you may have a   
   >> chance to set the correct values. That 8 hr time error is a clue, it   
   >> looks as if the timezone offset has gone to "0", GMT zone.   
   >   
   > I took screen photos with my digital camera for each and every current   
   > setting before switching out the battery.  Then it was just a matter of   
   > going back through the images and copying those settings in BIOS after   
   > battery replacement.  Everything is as it was before swapping out the   
   > battery.  Unless you are saying that a setting was somehow off before   
   > the battery switch in which case I would have no idea which one and   
   > would appreciate some clues.  Yes, BIOS is easily accessible.   
   >   
   A previous to battery change error is exactly what I suspected, given   
   the time zone problem. So putting back the settings you found may be   
   suspect still...most likely you will have to "discover" what is correct   
   for the installed disks, etc. Do you have any way to find the specs on   
   your disk drive, so as to confirm what the bios thinks is correct is   
   actually correct? Or something else to plug the disk into to see if has   
   a valid boot sector?   
      
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