Alienware Aurora R3 - Start Button Won't Work

It did occur to me, that the Area-51 top I/O PCB board may be similar to Aurora, but I've never seen an exposed PCB for that model; I do have an A51 board which I photo'd. Be mindful that these are removeable & replaceable when u can find them, whereas Aurora may or may not be removeable

SW1 is the (momentary) power switch button

I have an R4, so your / my top trim piece may have a plunger-type thing that helps press this button down. It is possible the actuator mechanism is broken or tentative, but I do not know how to fix them until I research that, which I'd do if mine ever goes south. A natural fix is to replace the Top I/O Panel of course, the whole thing

I post the photo in the event the Aurora PCB can be removed & inspected

You read me go over testing the power on button, but that is with the top trim still on, using the 'plunger' if it has one. If you get a fail for that test, it occurs to me, that if you can get at the actual PCB as you see above, you could physically press the button down, see if the button & pcb are still ok (if so, the 'plunger or similar may be damaged or need adjusted or 'helped' with an emergency repair of some sort).

Last, in Area-51, these PCBs can go bad (diode/resistor fails), where the button tests good but system spazzes out regardless (symptom: system turns on then off after 5seconds). Again, I haven't seen what my Aurora pcb looks like, do not know if they can go bad too, but, there are sources to buy a new one, meaning replace your top I/O as advised here & in my 1st post as a likely fast cure to all this.  best of luck 

R3 Service Manual

PDF Service Manual can help remove the Top I/O, either to try to fix it, or replace it. Top I/O Panel, see page 63 --> the R4 Owner's manual also has these steps, p.141

Let's see, in my travels here I've come to learn from other owners that the power on button is a bit flimsy as compared to Area-51's; knowing this before I purchased mine, I've been careful with it. I know how I would approach things if mine spazzed out, but I've Googled alienware aurora power button broken & got some forum hits that I can't read before posting, but you can since this seems to be old ground:

<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

Not knowing what the advice is in any given post, here is my advice:

front panel header

PWSW +/- are the power on switch poles

I might back my 5x5 connector off, & with my voltmeter set to continuity tester with audible alarm, probe these slots in the 5x5 - press the top power button down - & listen for it. The top button is a momentary switch, so in a working system it should register when pressed then not register when not pressed; I suppose an OHMs test is just as good (when pressed, read the resistance value, any value over 0 when pressed would be a good button, & read 0 Ohms when not pressed: 0 Ohms when pressed would be a bad button / switch, ok?

If you need your computer working in the meantime? Option #1, back your 5x5 front panel connector off of the header, take a flat-blade tool, a needle, something metal, &  touch (short) the PWSW +/- poles, & when your system kicks on, pull the tool away. To shutdown, use windows or yank your wall cord. This scenario, you leave your 5x5 off until a repair is attempted

Option #2, the best way I suppose: leave the 5x5 on, & short the exposed metal pins with a tool until the system kicks on; this method will simultaneously kick the MIO board on, since they're jumped over the BLINK connector (both turn on when the top power button is pressed)

shorting the pins / poles with a metal tool replicates your top momentary switch

____________________

Typical Top I/O available here used, be mindful the R4 top i/o has USB3.0, & these may be found on eBay under a different search aurora panel

If you have a bad or iffy top button, I've yet to have my top i/o off to know how to best try to fix one, if they're fixable of course; these details might be found in forum posts using that google search link, so please consult more than just my post here to help get the best explanation towards a long-term fix in the event I left something out, as I post about a subject I've yet had to deal with in person

I suspect the the broken piece is the physical switch or mechanical helper.  Will try seeing if I can successfully take this apart.

I tried the work-around but was not successful.  The layout on the R3 is a bit different.  Access to the connector is blocked by the graphics card.  My hand won't fit in the space.  Using a pliers and a paper clip I was not able to jump start the machine.  It may be because I cannot properly bridge the connections on the pins (option #2).

Will option #1 work if I completely unplug the front panel cord?  

this appears to be a typical R3 motherboard; front panel rainbow header

All R1-R4 mthrbrds should have an identical JFP1 header as we saw in the 1st post, in the drawing & color photol there should be mocro-text at the header & larger block-text (circled green) to help ID what the pins / poles are. Above, the pair of 'black pins' are the Pwr Swtch / Pwr On pins.

Ok, I've never had to jump start my Aurora on, & it never occurred to me how limited the space is, but doing something as simple as yanking out a USB connector from the header with my 290x installed, is a chore now that I think about. Ok, what to do what to do.

The preferred method is Option #2, jump starting the system on with the 5x5 connected: to do so I imagined needlenose pliers (or a hemostat etc) gripping a tiny u-shape piece of metal to short the pins

How about this: two needles inserted into the top row pin assignments, call them #3 & #4 ... from there, pliers or just your two fingers squeeze the needles together quickly, to short the system on; afterwards, remove the needles

If you can brainstorm away to access #3 & #4, you would have a viable way to turn system on

Option #1 --> yank 5x5 off the header. take a long screw driver tip & short #3 & #4 together, if space permits. From uTube: jump start motherboard ... yes this should work, yes

'easier said than done'

Option #3 --> what I'm about to say may be obvious, but with 5x5 connected, disassemble top I/O to gain access to your SW1 switch, the actual button on the PCB & simply press it: if the button / pcb / wiring are all ok, the system should turn on as normal. I do not know the ease with which a person can or can't access the pcb under the outer plunger / press-down-mechanism (the flimsy silver button). However, gaining access to the switch, exposing everything to see what went wrong in the 1st place with the power button mechanism, you need to address that & maybe even fix it

If the top trim with the silver button can be removed, & if you can press the actual SW1 switch down, that could be a temporary fix until a new top I/O assembly is purchased

most motherboard power on switches reduce to some form of momentary switch as seen above

Available eBay for example: in this scenario, the 5x5 is layed aside, the owner connects the two-wire switch to pins #3 & #4 & manually starts the PC as a work around, a nagging one until top I/O issues is solved

last resort: jump start power supply on

in this scenario, we take advantage of the power supply 'on' feature & jump start it

• in the 24pin ATX connector, there is only one green wire, on pin#16 PS_ON
• with a 'paperclip', insert a metal 'tool' into pin #16 green & ANY black ground pin (COM = common = common ground), normally pin 15 or 17 are used
• when pin 16 is shorted to ground (15 / 17 etc) the system kicks on, & quickly remove your 'paperclip', shutdown happens with windows

Report back

I replied, with a link that needs approval, which should publish soon, but yes, Option #1 is viable

The reply I gave included a piece of wrong info I need to correct now before you see it.

It is possible to jump start a motherboard on, by using the power supply 'on' feature, I called it a last resort method which it is, also known as 'the paperclip method':

Take a paperclip or similar item, u-shaped or make it u-shaped, insert it into pin slot #16 & a ground pin, 15 or 17 usually. In my 1st post I said to shirt it then remove it; however, it's been a long time since I did this trick, so after I posted, I shutdown my PC, I grabbed a paper clip & tried this method to double-check

the paperclip / shorting tool has to STAYIN pins 16 / 15 (or 16 / 17 etc)

• plug it in (I held it with needle nose pliers) & the system turns on, but it has to stay plugged in
• if it is removed the power supply cuts off / system cuts off (shut off will happen because the front panel header pins / power on button were by-passed)
• to turn off the PC = yank the wall cord (a hard shutdown) or yank the shorting tool

again, this is a last resort method to get a system tuned on

after my reply publishes soon, I will go back & make an edit that includes this info (that post will disappear for a bit, until staff re-publishes the edit)

with 24pin ATX seated, pop a paperclip into the green-wire's slot & any black ground slot

the orientation of the 24p may be different from R4: if so, locate your green wire & find a black

again, the 'paperclip' is inserted & left there, since it & only it is what keeps the power supply on

wait for the post I made a bit ago for further info, & attempt option#1 from yesterday's post