From: legg@nospam.magma.ca
On Tue, 3 Feb 2026 10:18:14 -0500, 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.
refer to the user manual.
RL
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