Inspiron 2330, boot issues

I suspect the memory modules are not the issue.  Next time just reseat a cable or two and see if also powers on after that.

When you replaced the power brick, did you get another (new) Dell of the same wattage (or higher)?

Have you tried replacing the motherboard battery?

Hello,

I got a used power source the same model same specs. I know it works because the computer when it goes on, it works properly. The issue is trying to get it on once I shut it down.

Yes, I replaced the motherboard battery with a new one. I check voltage and it was fresh.

It is so weird to me that it powers just fine after I remove and replace the memory modules.

Thank you very much for your suggestions.  

I also tried different power external cords and still has the same problem

I wouldn't rule out the used power supply. 

We have seen some boot (no boot) problems with the smaller power supplies and upgrading to a higher wattage has fixed those.  Something to consider.

Forgive my ignorance but what are the video cards called in the online manual?  

@Ptanwin- What PC model?

If it's an all-in-one, a "discrete video card" probably won't be listed separately in the manual since it's permanently attached to the motherboard and can't be removed/replaced by the user.

There may have been an optional upgrade to a "discrete video card", but that means the AIO comes with a different motherboard (with the card attached) than the same model AIO without the optional video upgrade.

Does that answer your question?

Yes it does, thank you. 

I have an Inspiron One 2330 AIO with a wireless keyboard and mouse. I've been reading here about all the very similar issues, trying what worked and following troubleshooting guides. I finally found a wired keyboard with light indicators which the wireless one does not have. I tested it on my old Dimension 4700 where it worked fine. No response from it when I hooked it up to the Inspiron.  

New motherboard indicated? The hard drive is about three years old but everything else is original. 

@Ptanwin  - Are you connecting the wired keyboard to a USB2 or USB3 port on back of PC? USB2 ports are the two just to the right of the Ethernet port. Have you also tried the two USB3 ports in the top row?

Does the USB mouse still work?

Do the wired keyboard's LEDs light up when connected to the AIO, or not even that response?

You could try using a externally powered USB2 hub with its own power adapter. Plug the adapter into a wall outlet and the hub into a USB2 port on rear of PC. Connect the keyboard (and mouse) to the PC via the powered hub. Then boot the PC. If that works, a hub costs a lot less than a motherboard and would be a work-around.

BTW: When was last time the motherboard battery was replaced? It's not so easy to work inside an AIO, so only attempt to replace the battery if it's within your capabilities and read/follow the instructions in the Service Manual carefully. You don't want to cause any additional problems And always lay the LCD panel face down on a soft cloth so you don't scratch the screen.

First, sorry for delayed response. A cold virus attacked me. 

I have tried the wired (and the OE wireless) keyboard in all six of the usb ports of the AIO. While the power on light of the wireless will flicker, the wired one has no response. As to the wireless mouse, clueless when plugged into the AIO (again, all ports) but it works well when plugged into the Dimension both with its monitor and when connected to the AIO via VGA. 

The button battery was the very first hands on repair strategy (lessened learned with Dimension). I changed it 3 yrs back when the hard drive exceeded a parameter .... so when no amount of f key pushing or power cycles got a response, I opened the online manual and installed a new battery. And repeated everything from the beginning, advancing to the reseating the RAM then powering on with it removed. I was rewarded with the appropriate beep code with no RAM but with a single card in all possible installs the AIO returned to comatose. 

Next came the reseating of every cable and the very thorough spring cleaning including replacing the thermal paste. I have not disturbed the touchscreen except for connections. I replace broken screens on hand held devices as a hobby so that tied with buying a new pc on my list.  

Your suggestion of an independent usb hub is on today's to do list. I decided long ago that computers are more than a little like cats. Thank you for your suggestions! Have a fun weekend! 

@Ptanwin - So you're the one who gave me this bug...      

If you tried all RAM modules in all slots and cleared BIOS each time to make sure it saw the changes, then it sounds like a motherboard issue. Might still be worth trying the externally power USB hub, but not promising.

BTW:  Are you waiting for the OS to load or have you tried tapping F2 (opens BIOS setup) or F12 (opens the boot menu) when you see the Dell Splash screen? If the keyboard works at the splash screen then there's a possibility the USB drivers that the OS is loading are corrupted, and that's an entirely different issue...

What Dell splash screen? 

I have tried the recovery drive (same one created when the hard drive wheezed out 3 yrs back) in all of the sub ports with no effect. Side note: a small LED task light works in all six ports. 

Sorry about the bug Ron. Those sneaky critters have no respect for security protocols.

I appreciate your attention to this annoyance. Perhaps you could advise on my next desktop? I'm even considering building it from scratch. The Dimension 4700 is a wonderful Frankenstein for digital restoration of old family photos with a separate partition devoted to audio files. But I am certainly not up to date on new technologies. 

Silly me thought an AIO would be an easy pet. 

Are you saying you don't see the Dell logo (splash screen) when you turn the PC on and it attempts to boot?

Don't know what your intended use would be for a new PC, and that makes a difference. I personally would stay away from an AIO. I'd also stay away from anything called a "slim" or "small" desktop because they tend to have limited expansion capabilities and heat issues, even though they tend to be less expensive.

You want at least an Intel i5 CPU, or an i7. You'd want at least 8 GB of RAM and, depending on usage, an add-in video card. The onboard Intel Graphics is ok, but not great, especially if you want to play games, edit photos, stream videos, and/or need additional video port options vs onboard Intel Graphics.

You'd probably want to have an SSD where to store Windows and apps files (256 GB or 500 GB) for speed plus a large (1T or 2T)  hard drive to store you data files.

If you use WiFi, you probably want a 802.11ac WiFi+Bluetooth card, assuming your router is "ac"...

A DIY is always an option because you can build it exactly the way you want. Poke around on the Sales site to get an idea about different configurations. You might want to look at Vostro and the Optiplex desktops, even though they're considered business PCs because they may offer more configuration options so you can get an idea of what's really out there and how much it might cost to buy an OEM PC vs a DIY...