Dell Optiplex GX150 Power Problems

Serbian

Hey,

I have a Dell Optiplex GX150 that I'm trying to format to put XP pro on. I hadn't touched the machine for a while, and previously it had been quite slow, but there were no other problems apparent.

When I went to turn it on today, nothing happened. The Power Switch on the front of the Dell was Flashing Amber and the Hard Drive light was green, but pressing the switch had no effect. No beeps or sounds were coming from the computer, it was just sitting there with the Power Switch flashing.

After a while it just seemed to switch itself on and it was grand for about 20 minutes, until it suddenly powered off and the behaviour described above appeared again.

It seems odd that this machine has developed some form of PSU problem through lack of use? It had been transported a fairly short distance in the past couple of months but I used it after that it seemed fine. Any ideas what the flashing amber light on the power switch means and any ideas on what I can do to fix it?

Thanks a lot!

Inspector Gadget

You transported it? Have you considered the possibility of condensation or moisture, especially if the machine went from indoors to outdoors while still warm?

Personally, I find a lot of things die at startup - it's the most stressful part of the computer's operating life (large inrush currents, disk/fan spinups, that sort of thing), so that's no surprise, I guess.

From what I remember, I wish you luck getting a replacement PSU for that oddball...
Gadget

Serbian

Thanks for the reply.

I did transport it, which meant I turned it off, carried it about 1 mile down the road then plugged it back in again . I suppose the possibility of moisture is there alright.

I would assume PSU's are independant of the Motherboard and all other hardware, the only challenge is to get them to fit into the Dell Case! The Power Button actually began to flash amber before I had even attempted to power the computer on, so it wasn't the startup that did it, but the plugging of the power cable into the power socket.

Also, the fact that it did work, albeit for a very short space of time, would that be a characteristic of a dodgy PSU? I'm just wondering if it might be a loose connection somewhere or something like that.

The computer was only going to be used for doing presentations on so it's not imperative that I get it fixed. It would be nice though

Any other ideas?

Inspector Gadget

Moisture-related problems are possible if it was a lot colder outside than inside (don't know much about Serbia in November, but I doubt it's that cold), and you didn't have the machine wrapped up in such a way that it was protected from the wind. I'd reckon that if you only transported it a mile (not on foot, I presume?) it's probably not that likely.

Silly question: is this machine set up to start automatically after a mains failure? This would explain the lights before you power the computer on, and has (in my experience) caused the death of a number of PSUs due to loose/ill-fitting cables arcing in sockets, that sort of thing. (Usually enabled/disabled in the BIOS, for reference; you may have some luck by clearing the CMOS (i.e. removing the battery on the motherboard for a couple of minutes while the computer's off and plugged out, then replace battery, replace power cable, and cross your fingers )

What I meant about getting a replacement was that I thought the PSU was an irregular shape, but I seem to be confusing the GX150 with another Dell case design. Beware though, as Dell power supplies appear to be wired in a non-standard way (the power connectors in Dells are wired differently to the ATX standard). I think you can get adaptors pre-made, or otherwise you could do a google for a wiring diagram and rewire a bog-standard supply to work it.

Other silly question: have you tried holding the power button down for four or more seconds, as well as just pressing it momentarily? It can help sometimes. Also, in case the machine got any bumps or jolts during transport, make sure all connectors are well-seated inside (esp. the power switch cable and the ATX power cable, RAM, CPU).

Hope this helps,
Gadget