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XPS 8930, will not power up
XPS 8930
Hello,
My Dell XPS 8930 will not power up. The power button on the front of the machine is dark. I first thought it was the PSU because when I pressed the check button on the PSU the green light would not come on. I ordered a new PSU and after installing it has the same problem. Then I plugged my power cord into the old PSU while it was out of the PC and pressed the check button and the green light came on. So, not a bad PSU?
I then reinstalled the old PSU and reconnected everything and still no power and now the green light on the back of the power supply will not come on.
So I thought is must be a connection somewhere. I left all my connections to hard drives, fans and such in place but left the P1 connection on the mother board off. Then pressed the check power button on the back of the PSU and the green light came on and the fan and HD started spinning. What does this indicate? Bad mother board? Bad CMOS battery?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
redxps630
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January 3rd, 2023 11:00
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
bwrellim
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January 4th, 2023 11:00
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?
Anonymous
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January 4th, 2023 12:00
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:
bwrellim
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January 4th, 2023 15:00
Thanks for your help.![20230104_161745[1].jpg 20230104_161745[1].jpg](https://prod-care-community-cdn.sprinklr.com/community/687062f5-603c-4f5f-ab9d-31aa7cacb376/communityasset-cde824d3-3d04-46a4-aaaa-7ff8ffba60ca-843465895)
![20230104_161842[1].jpg 20230104_161842[1].jpg](https://prod-care-community-cdn.sprinklr.com/community/687062f5-603c-4f5f-ab9d-31aa7cacb376/communityasset-900139a8-3aae-4197-99ee-1a94d00612b9-843465895)
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?
Anonymous
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January 4th, 2023 17:00
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
[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
bwrellim
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January 5th, 2023 06:00
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.
Anonymous
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January 5th, 2023 09:00
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
Anonymous
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January 5th, 2023 09:00
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
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.
============================
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.
tdkinman
1 Message
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November 29th, 2023 23:07
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?
DeejayINFP
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December 14th, 2023 05:34
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.
damonblank
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June 3rd, 2024 16:34
@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.