DonsDeals Blog: Did You Check the Switch???

Did you notice, the Kind of Cool Looking Pic?... It has an Accidental Reflection of me, in the Shiny PC Start Button Panel...

I replaced the Power Switch on my Mom's Computer Case. It's a PowerUp ATX Black Mid-Tower Case - Clear Side, 2x USB, Audio Ports, 4x 5.25" Bays, 6x 3.5" Bays, 450-Watt Power Supply MPN: TC3J-4050 P. It was sticking, in the On Position. It is a "Momentary Switch". So, this caused the Computer to Shut Down. Just a few seconds after Trying to Boot Up the Computer. This was an intermittent problem. So, it took me a while to figure it out. I finally realized, that every time you turned on the Power Switch on the Power Supply (PSU). It would always, Eminently Try to Boot Up. Or it started doing this after a few weeks of trying to figure out what was wrong with this thing. When it worked. It worked perfectly and ran just like it should. But, it finally got to where it wouldn't Boot Up at all. I finally borrowed a Multimeter, that has a Beep on Continuity feature. So, it was easier to test the switch. Actually, I don't remember testing the Switch, by it's self, before this. On the first Test. The Switch was always on. Then I tested it again, after a few dozen Presses and it worked like it should. I decided it was ok. But, as a Precaution. I Hooked up a Working Switch from another Computer to the Motherboard to make Sure. Boy, I'm glad I did! The Computer Booted up perfectly on the Replacement Switch! I knew that Processor wasn't Bad! But, it was the only thing that I hadn't Removed and Replaced so far... I had just Put in a Brand New Motherboard, you see. An AS Rock FX Socket AM3 Plus NVIDIA GeForce 7025 A V GbE Micro ATX Motherboard N68C-GS FX. That's what I had decided was wrong with it. I had decided that the original Motherboard. A Biostar MCP6PB M2+ Motherboard - Socket AM2+, µATX, Audio, GeForce 6150 Graphics, SATA, RAID. MPN: MCP6PB M2+. Had stopped working, because of a Bios Bug. That BioStar has an update for on the Biostar We b Site. What's that old saying? About Occam's Razor?... Well, I thought that the Bios Bug was the Most Likely Problem. But, in this case... I was wrong!:O But, I'm very Glad that I figured this one out! Why, do these things only happen to Mom's Stuff??? When it makes me really look bad:O... I mean, I really do know what I'm doing with these things, Mom. At least when your not waiting for me to fix yours and wondering why it's taking so long... First I checked the Memory. I put in a known Working Memory Module. Then the Power Supply. I checked the voltage on all of the wires. I even put the Power Supply in another System to see if it was putting out enough Amps to Run a working System. Later, a couple of weeks later. I even put an identical Power Supply (PSU) from one of my Computers in this Box. To maker darn sure, that it was not the Power Supply. I tool the Video Card out and put it back in. I don't know how many times. I Unplugged all of the lights. The Case Fan. I tried it all! But, I saved the Best for Last... The Switch... Now, to put that BioStar Motherboard, Back in there and see if it really is still working... And Yes it is, working just as is should. Now, on to installing that Bios Update (Trying Again). If your running Linux, like me and Can't run the Windows Bios Update Utility... Would it really hurt them to Support Linux too? And NO, it won't work in Wine (the Windows Emulator) either. Believe me, I've tried. Several times and used every trick that I know! The Biostar MCP6PB M2+ Motherboard wont update the Bios from a USB Stick, like the Biostar Web Site Says (PDF) Says, either. "3. Insert the USB pen drive that contains the BIOS file to the USB port. 4. Power on or reset the computer and then press Clt;F12; during the POST process." Pressing F-12 during Boot up, Does Nothing. But, I did find a way Built into the Bios. To do an Update from a Floppy Disk. But, who has Floppy Drives, these days? Well, I do... Just not in this Box. I tried 3 different Floppy Drives, that I had on hand and none of mine worked. The Bios Update Utility. Kept saying that it couldn't Read the File. It showed up in the window list. But, no go... So, finally I dragged an old Win98 Machine out of the Garage. Wrote the Bios Update file to the Floppy Disk. Took that Floppy Drive and the Disk out. And Put them in the BioStar System. And then the Darn Computer would Not Boot Up Again! Not even one more time!:( Not until I finally found the Real Problem... The Very Cheaply Made Factory Power Switch. I installed a Brand New Switch, that I already had. I really wanted to put in that "Slightly Used" Switch, that I had. It was one, from a 10 year old PC. Those Computers were made allot better than the one's they Produce Today. I have only seen a couple of those old Switched go bad, in the last 14 years. But, that Switch was going to take some real work and modification to get it to mount in the Case and stick the right distance into Plastic Front Cover. In order to work with the Shiny Silver Button. So, I went with the New Barrel Style Switch, that I had. I just had to Drill out the Square Hole in the Plastic Cover. And Hot Glue it in Place. Like they did with the Original Switch. I think I got my New Switch from Parts Express. Don't remember now, for sure. But, they usually sell better quality stuff. Than what you get in Production Model PC's, these days. So, from now on. The first question I should ask my self, is... Did You Check the Switch???

Don