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loose power cord
There is play in the power cord of my Inspiron 660s computer. You have to make sure it is centered just right, because it will not power on. The power cord should not wiggle, it should fit snugly. Does anyone know what the cause of this is? The computer is a year old. I have only moved it once or twice, out from under the desk. I put in a new HDMI cord for my monitor. When I moved the tower back into position there was no power. I almost didn't get it to power back up. I thought I had it in securely, and I powered it back up. When I did, it must not have been in there just right, even though the plug was all the way in. The power quit, and the computer went dead. I had to readjust the power cord again. I turned the computer on, but it would not boot. Luckily I got it to boot of a a Macrium Reflect rescue cd. Now I am worried.
osprey4
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January 28th, 2014 10:00
Hi Kkay59,
No, that's not good. I assume this is a standard C13 female end that fits into the back of your desktop.
Let me make one suggestion for troubleshooting purposes. Instead of letting the computer boot to Windows, go directly into the BIOS (F2). That way if there is a loss of power, the OS and hard drive are not going to be compromised.
The problem is very likely to be either the power cord or the socket, which is part of the power supply. The cord is easy to swap for a different cord, so try that first. Don't push the desktop back into place, but turn on the PC and try wiggling the cord. Also note the socket in the power supply to see if it's moving.
shesagordie
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January 30th, 2014 12:00
kkay59
You can use the following cord @ $4.99 Free S&H, for the Inspiron 660s power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812270406
Bev.
kkay59
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January 28th, 2014 13:00
Yes, it is a female power cord. I do not have another just like it. The bios boot is a good idea. As long as I don't move the computer again, it is fine. I hope it is not the socket. I don't think the socket is moving, just the power cord. I appreciate the advice.
osprey4
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January 29th, 2014 17:00
Well, the power cords are very cheap, maybe $5 on Amazon. That might be the place to start.
kkay59
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January 29th, 2014 18:00
Thank you. I am going to see what I can find on that. C13 huh? I'm gonna look that up.
kkay59
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January 30th, 2014 11:00
I wasn't sure which power cord to buy. I called up C13, C-13, but did not see that specifically. I contacted Dell via one of their chat support folks. I spent 20 minutes in chat with this guy. He said the cord was a 250v power supply cord. It was $9.99. I asked how much shipping was, but didn't get an answer. I said just email it to me with the quote. (also asked for information on the exact power supply unit I have) I never received the quote last night, nor this morning. It is after 1pm, still no quote. So then I contacted sales support, still no answer. (yet) Can someone tell me the exact cord I'm looking for? I saw a lot of cords, but don't want to buy the wrong one. I also need a 6ft cord, or close to that. Dell does not show cords in their website. It also won't tell me if I look at my exact computer on their site either. He said the problem was definitely my cord. He also said this cord, would go on the 125 or 250v power supply. In other words, it would fit either.
kkay59
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January 30th, 2014 12:00
Thank you Bev!! :emotion-2:
shesagordie
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January 30th, 2014 12:00
kkay59
You are welcome.
Bev.
kkay59
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January 30th, 2014 13:00
Good to know for future reference. It may also help someone else. Thanks for the info.
shesagordie
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January 30th, 2014 13:00
kkay59
:emotion-21:
Bev.
RoHe
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January 30th, 2014 13:00
Guess I'm too late, but Walmart also has the same 6ft cord for $4.99 and they'd ship to your local store for free too.
kkay59
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January 30th, 2014 13:00
The cord has officially been ordered now. I will cross my fingers this is all I will be out money on. Thanks for the help on this.
kkay59
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February 5th, 2014 10:00
Well I got the cord in. It works like a champ. The power supply was not loose. The Dell supplied cord was just faulty. I tried it again, just to see, and it was very wiggly. The new power cord is secure. I am thrilled that I didn't have to buy a new power supply. Thank you all for the help!
shesagordie
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February 5th, 2014 12:00
kkay59
Please to hear a new cord resolved the issue and I'm happy to have helped.
I've had bad PSU cords myself in the past, but luckily I have several new cords on hand saved from the power supplies I've replaced. :emotion-5:
Bev.
kkay59
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February 5th, 2014 14:00
This was my first power cord failure, out of all these years I've had a computer. I guess I have been very lucky then. Keeping other cords is a good idea. Thanks again Bev. Oh, and you know...I never did hear back from Dell on that cord quote, or the power supply. So Bev, you saved me, and found me a good deal!