My computer refuses to power on.

Prisoner · 09 Oct 2010

(It's not 7 compatible so I can't post in the hardware section.)

My Dell Dimension 4500 will no longer power up. I was playing some games (nothing high end...) on it when it locked up. Didn't blue screen or anything, the entire computer wouldn't do anything. Mouse wouldn't move. I tried the caps and num lock keys to make sure, no responce.

I shut it off and turned it back on, and the power light came on, but I didn't hear the hard drive cycle up, I didn't hear the CD drive cycle up, nor did either's power lights turn on. My screen was blank. I didn't hear any system "beeps" and the diagnostic lights didn't turn on (for my model, that usually means that the system started properly...) and neither did the ethernet port lights.

I opened it up and checked all of the connections; hard drive, CD drive, the main connector to the motherboard, etc. All were good. There's a single light on the motherboard, and I can't find what it is, but it was turned on. Everything else was off.

The specs are here: Documentation.

This is my only computer and I can't afford to upgrade, nor can I afford it to be out of comission. If anyone has any ideas on how to fix it, please share. I'm desperate here. Thanks.

EDIT: got a tip to remove the CMOS battery. I'll try that now.
EDIT 2: Didn't work. Still open to suggestions.
EDIT 3: Okay, I've discerned that now it's the power supply. I guess this was a useless thread, but oh well. XD

stormy13 · 09 Oct 2010

Okay, I've discerned that now it's the power supply.

Which now means you have to hope for two things,

1. That the 20 pin connector isn't one of Dell's famous proprietary ones (they liked doing this sort of garbage so you could only get a power supply from them). Looking at the pinouts for the power supply here,

Documentation

and the standard ATX 20 pin connection here,

ATX PC Power Supply Pinout and Connectors

unless I missed something it should be OK with any ATX power supply.

2. This one is even bigger than the pinouts above. Power supplies have a very bad habit of taking out more than just themselves when they go. In a lot of cases they will usually take at a minimum the motherboard with them, unfortunately there is no way to know this until a new power supply is connected.

spinifex · 10 Oct 2010

Some extra info you may need to be aware of. Found it here.

The 4500 can use most standard generic ATX power supply with either a 20-pin or 20+4-pin main motherboard power connector, that has no power on/off switch.

Because the 4500 has a closed back panel, if a PSU with the on/off switch is installed, you would need to modify [cut a hole] the back panel for it.

Hope this helps. :)

Prisoner · 10 Oct 2010

Thanks to both of you. I might do that, or end up getting a new computer. I've been overdue on an upgrade for many years now.