Need Power Button for my Dell Inspiron 518 Desktop

[mic2074]

Hey - can anyone tell me where I can get a power button for my desktop, a Dell Inspiron 518... sucker stopped powering up - from what I have read online and some self diagnoses, it might simply be the power button. Called Dell, comes to $22 after taxes and shipping. Didn't want to pay that much to test out if it's the power button or not.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Mr Nobody]

Can't you just short the two ends to test?

[xalex0]

If you are careful you can use a screwdriver to short the necessary pins on the motherboard. However, it's extremely unlikely that it's the power button that has failed. Usually it is the power supply or the motherboard.

[mic2074]

would you be able to tell me how I can diagnose if it's the mother board ? right now, there's an led light that is lit up on the mother board, and the back led on the power supply is lit, as well... I take it that those are good signs that they are both functional and not fried.

[xalex0]

right now, there's an led light that is lit up on the mother board, and the back led on the power supply is lit, as well... I take it that those are good signs that they are both functional and not fried.

Standby LEDs don't matter much, since it takes very little circuitry to produce 5V standby voltage by the PSU and send it to the LED on the motherboard.

would you be able to tell me how I can diagnose if it's the mother board ?

Try with a confirmed working PSU. If you want to eliminate the possibility of the button failing then either short the power switch pins or replace the switch with another one, e.g. the reset switch from the same computer (if available).