XPS 8930, will not power up

If after removing the cables from the system board and the PSU LED illuminates, one of the attached devices or components could be faulty. Remove all attached components, reattach the PSU cables and using the PSU test button, install each component individually to test.

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000125609/resolve-no-power-no-post-no-boot-or-no-video-issues-with-your-dell-computer

That is exactly what I did.  The PSU test light came on with all components attached except the PS1 connection from the power supply to the mother board.  When I connect the PS1 connector from the power supply to the mother board, the test light does not illuminate. Does this indicate the motherboard is bad?  Is there another way to test the mother board?

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@bwrellim wrote:

That is exactly what I did.  The PSU test light came on with all components attached except the PS1 connection from the power supply to the mother board. . .  

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You already confirmed after you removed the PSU from the chassis and with the power cord connected, the LED test light came on

So redxps630's suggestion was:

• disconnect all components from the PSU
• Connect both power cables from the PSU to the motherboard
• Install and connect each component/ device and press the PSU test button after each component /device, eg, hard drives, fans etc, is added one by one       

Thanks for your help.

Ok.  I disconnected ALL the components from the power supply and tested the PSU.  The green light came on.  Then I connected both power sources to the mother board and the tested again.  The green light did NOT come on. I then disconnected the P1 power source but left the P2 power source connected and the the green light on the PSU came on.  See photos.  Thoughts?

So with the main motherboard power cable (P1) connected, and the CPU power cable (P2) connected, your desktop has no signs of power when pressing the power button. The LED on the Power On button is dark, there're no LED diagnostics lights blinking in a pattern, no fan noise heard, and if you have a secondary disk drive that's an HDD, no sound of it spinning up.

Basically there's no sign of power with either one of the two PSU's installed. Right?

 If you haven't already, its worth trying to drain the residual power to see if it might be causing the power problem  

• Turn off the desktop
• Disconnect all peripherals e.g, printer, USB drive, etc  
• Leave connected only the USB mouse, USB keyboard, and monitor
• Unplug the power cable (won't hurt waiting a while after you unplug from the main source)
• Press and Hold the Power button to drain the power (approx 15-20 seconds)
• Connect the power and see if the desktop powers On       

[EDIT] : On my XPS8930, I have to turn the lights off in the room and cup my hand around the light to see since its so dimly lit  

Thanks

I did the power drain procedure as suggested but no change.  

No. If P2 is connected there is power. The fans will run and the disc will spin when pushing the test button on the PSU.  If P1 is connected there is no power at all when pushing the test button on the PSU.

I forgot to mention that after replacing the motherboard battery, keep in mind that it will require setting the correct time in the main TAB of the BIOS. The date may stay correct, but check to see if that also needs to be changed   

So some things you can look to try so you eliminate these possibilities first as being the power problem are (in sequential order) :

1.Reset the BIOS

2.Replace the power button module     

I don't know when or "if" you replaced the CMOS battery. By ruling out the CR2032 (3 V) battery first you can then move on to replacing the power button module.

When you reset the BIOS, the same BIOS version will remain that you're at now. All that will change are any BIOS settings you might've made, i.e, the BIOS settings will return to the default settings. Its better to buy a battery in a store so that you can see the expiration date (ED) on it. Maxell, Panasonic, Sony are very good. 

Steps to Reset the BIOS

• Power off the desktop and unplug the power cord
• Press and Hold the power button on the front bezel for ~15 sec
• Remove CMOS motherboard battery following the directions in the service manual
• Press and Hold the power button on the front bezel for ~30 sec
• Reset the BIOS by installing a new battery (CR2032)
• Connect the mouse, keyboard, and monitor
• See if you can power ON the desktop

BTW, while you're replacing the battery, re-seating the RAM modules would be a good idea too if you haven't tried that. If the desktop power still doesn't come ON, install only one module in the second slot from the CPU. Continue to test all other RAM modules, one at a time, in the second slot to identify which might be a bad module.

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Removing the Power Button Module

Replacing the power button module involves quite a bit of dismantling - the optical drive, the top, & the side panel, and the front bezel. . . 

The Dell Part number is 37JGH. The thing to keep in mind when buying this is that you're ordering from re-sellers who may or may not be selling the the entire assembly e.g,  switch, cable, front panel connector plug, and the housing piece that secures the button to the chassis. . . 

This recent thread on the XPS Desktop fourm includes a link to purchase on Ebay. But as @redxps630  mentioned in that thread, it would be prudent to contact the seller first and ask what all is included.       

I am seeing exactly the same issue. Is I removed the system board connector then the BIST shows green and the CPU fan come on.

I tried re-seating the memory boards, reset all other connectors... but same issue. 

How did the other person on this thread resolve their issue?

Two weeks ago, after my UPS alarm went off and I carefully shut my XPS 8930 down, the computer wouldn't power on. I plugged the PC into a separate power source to make sure the UPS wasn't preventing the system for starting. 

The power button light was dark and there wasn't the slightest peep or whirr. 

I followed the procedures for testing the power supply unit and determined it was dead.

I found I could get a replacement PSU from Dell for $39, I so I decided to try to fix the PC.

I installed the replacement PSU and at the first push of power button nothing happened. For some reason I tried a second time and noticed the light on the optical drive came on, the power button light flickered, and I head the fans and drives start to spin up. The minute I let go of the power button, the start up process stopped. A third attempt holding the button until I was sure everything was running (the Dell logo on the monitor was a sure sign), and the computer booted up up and ran fine.

So, while I am pretty sure the original PSU is dead. I'm guessing the power button is also faulty. Power gets through as long as I hold the button. Once the PC is fulling up and running, I am assuming the power button is not required to keep it going.

Now I need to see if I can get a replacement power-button module. The advice given in this discussion is very useful and I will make sure I get the complete assembly. I have also removed the whole assembly and agree with Anonymous that it is challenging to get the cable detached and snaked through the other cables and out of the top of the chassis. 

I'll let you know if I am successful at returning my computer to a fully functional state or not. I have already ordered and received a new XPS 8960 so the repair of the 8930 is more for the challenge of getting it working again. If successful I will likely donate it to a kid who could use it for school.

I am also thinking it makes sense to replace the CMOS battery while I am messing around inside the computer.

@DeejayINFP​ I'm interested in what the outcome of this issue was. 

I'm currently working with a XPS8930 that when powered down periodically, has to have the reset button (test button) on the power supply held down while the PC is powered up. If I release the test button prior to the PC completely booting up, it dies. All components have tested good. 

No rhyme or reason for this phenomenon.