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I had this problem before, press the button and nothing happens, then my brother was messing with the switch and all of a sudden it started. Worked fine for 6 months and yesterday it stopped, all of a sudden.

I opened it, played with the switch, moved it around but this time I can't get it to start.

Can someone tell me if it's the mother board or the switch?
If it's the switch, where can I get a new one?

Thanks

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Dani AI

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As reported by , the system sometimes powered on when the front panel was jiggled and now fails completely. Intermittent startup like that most commonly narrows the fault to three areas: the front‑panel switch/wiring, the power supply (including the standby rail), or a motherboard hardware fault (bad electrolytic capacitors, damaged VRMs, or shorts). is correct to push a wiring/test approach; the sequence below isolates components safely and avoids guessing.

  1. Safety & quick visual check. Disconnect AC, open the case and look for bulging or leaking capacitors, burn marks, loose standoffs touching the PCB, or damaged front‑panel wiring.
  2. Standby power check. With the PSU plugged in to AC (but system off), a motherboard standby LED or 5VSB presence indicates the PSU supplies standby power; absence points at the PSU. Do measurements with a meter if available.
  3. Minimal‑boot test. Remove drives and add‑in cards, leave CPU and one RAM stick, then attempt to start. If it runs, add components back one at a time to find the culprit.
  4. Isolate the switch. With the PSU unplugged, inspect the front‑panel connector for broken wires or bent pins. Temporarily use the case reset switch or a spare momentary pushbutton to see if the original power switch is faulty.
  5. PSU swap or test. Try a known‑good ATX PSU or a PSU tester to confirm the supply is healthy.
  6. When all else fails. If a known‑good PSU and an alternate switch still produce no signs of life, board‑level failure is likely; professional repair or motherboard replacement is the practical path.

Replacement front‑panel switches are inexpensive and generic (salvage an old case, buy at a PC parts shop, or online). Avoid probing live pins with metal tools, do not short powered headers, and seek professional help if uncomfortable working around mains or delicate board components.

Member Avatar for high heels

1. Do you have a light on the mother board?
2. To test the switch a continuity test is best, but if you want a cheap and dirty test you can do the following:
Look in your user manual and find the 2 pins on the board that are for the power switch. If the book does not tell you, you can trace the wires from the switch back to the mother board. With the power supply plugged in momentarily short the pins "like the switch would do". If the system comes on, then it is the switch.

Again a continuity tester or power supply tester is best and only do the way I stated if you feel comfortable doing so as you can damage your system.

I had this problem before, press the button and nothing happens, then my brother was messing with the switch and all of a sudden it started. Worked fine for 6 months and yesterday it stopped, all of a sudden.

I opened it, played with the switch, moved it around but this time I can't get it to start.

Can someone tell me if it's the mother board or the switch?
If it's the switch, where can I get a new one?

Thanks

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