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712001
Dell Studio 540 won't power up
I have a Dell 540 Studio, running Windows 7.
Last night, I went to bed and the computer was in sleep mode. Everything was working fine. But then I woke up this morning and the computer will not power up at all.
1. I tested the power cord. It works.
2. I tested the outlet. It works.
3. Monitor and all other devices have power.
4. Green light is ON, on the back of the tower for the power supply unit.
5. I unplugged everything (including the power cord) except the keyboard and monitor, held down the power button for 1 minute, then I plugged in the power cord again, tried to power up and still, I got nothing.
6. The fan will not spin when I first plug in the power cord into the power supply unit.
I'm at a loss for why all of a sudden the computer will not work. The computer has no extra parts and the hardware configuration is exactly the way it came from Dell. This computer is not used for any intensive applications other than Google Earth, Open Office writing, and surfing the internet.
What do I do next? How do I fix this issue?
shesagordie
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October 7th, 2010 10:00
e3_e3
As the power switch LED is not lite, this could indicate a power supply failure.
Does the power supply fan work?
Try removing the power cord and hold power button in for about three minutes, reconnect power cord and power system on and see if this makes a difference.
No difference, try the following, if you are comfortable working around computers:
Note: The only 100% method of testing a PSU, is to install a know working power supply.
Unplug the cord from the power supply, hold the power button in for about 15/20 seconds, open the case, unplug the 24-pin power connector from the motherboard and jump the Green wire to one of the Black wires, reconnect the power cord and power the system, if power supply's fan and the hard drive run, then the PSU should be good.
Note: Do not remove any wires from the plug, use a small piece of wire or a paper clip as a jumper.
The Studio 540 Service Manual, is HERE
Bev.
shesagordie
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November 25th, 2010 14:00
Xpari
Have you tried a different power supply?
Other than that, I'm out of ideas, maybe another member can help and could step in.
Bev.
omakad
7 Posts
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March 30th, 2011 19:00
I had this same problem few months back as you can see from my post and for me it was PSU. However, when I have tested the PSU it was able to push the HD's and some fans, bud it did not have enough juice to power the mb and CPU. I was just about to order refurbished mb when buddy of mine told me he has found the same PSU at work. (He's in IT). Tried it and the PC started working right away. I went to local comp usa the same night and got a $15.00 replacement. That saved me a lot of money and aggravation.
joeyaudeeo
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July 4th, 2012 10:00
Hey there, I dont know if you fixed your problem yet, but I was able to fix mine using the jumper, but by doing it with the 24 pin connector plugged into the motherboard. Once I did that the entire computer booted up normally and worked. As soon as I removed the jumper the computer shut down. But, the switch on the front of the computer operated normally again and my computer was back to life. The dell tech support person was so impressed that they had their boss come on the phone and asked me how I did it. So my thery is that when we had a power outage a few days ago, the current inrush made the relay on the motherboard that is attached to the front switch hang up. By hitting it with current by jumping the power supply on, it freed up the relay and the problem was solved! This should solve your problem!
shesagordie
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October 7th, 2010 10:00
e3_e3
Check the reading of the power button LED, is it Steady White, Blinking White, Steady Amber, Blinking Amber?
The Studio 540 Troubleshooter is HERE
Are there any 'Beep's, or error messages, if there are, please post the exact text of them?
Bev.
e3_e3
21 Posts
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October 7th, 2010 10:00
The button on the tower has no light indication at all. The GREEN LIGHT is ON for the back of the power supply though.
Also, I can't hear any noises when I press the power button to turn the computer on.
Thanks.
e3_e3
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October 7th, 2010 11:00
I tried the first thing, by removing the power cord, holding down the power button for 3 minutes and reconnecting. It produced no results.
How do I 'jump the wire' for the second method?
I have the 24-pin unplugged. I see one green wire going into the connector, and may black wires.
Do I take the paper clip and put one end into the green, and then the other end into one of the black wires on the cable? Then remove the paperclip after it has been jumped and plug the connector back into the motherboard and then try to start it again?
shesagordie
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October 7th, 2010 12:00
e3_e3
Take a paper clip and straighten it out and then bend in the shape of a U, push one end into the green connector and the other into any of the black connectors, touching the metal inside the plastic housing, to complete the circuit and see if the hard drive and fan work, leave the jumper connected until the testing is complete.
Bev.
e3_e3
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October 7th, 2010 12:00
Ok, I did exactly what you said and the power supply turned on and the fan came on. So I pulled the paperclip out and it stopped.
What does this mean, or what can I do next then?
Thank you.
e3_e3
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October 7th, 2010 13:00
I forgot to mention that with the paperclip trick, the hard drive also started up.
So does that mean my harddrive and power supply are ok?
How do I test other things now?
shesagordie
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October 7th, 2010 15:00
e3_e3
The only method I know of checking the processor, is to install it a compatible working PC, or use a known working processor.
But, as very few processors fail, the prime suspect should be the motherboard.
Bev.
shesagordie
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October 7th, 2010 15:00
e3_e3
As the power supply seems to check out, again remove the power cord, hold the power button in for several seconds to discharge the residue power, reconnect the 24-pin connector to the motherboard.
Remove all PCI cards from the system, take out the video card [if applicable], disconnect power & data cables from all drives.
Reconnect the power cord and power system on, see if you get a different LED indication on the power button, or 'Beeps'.
No difference, remove the memory from the system and try again.
Still shows no signs of life then you are looking at a motherboard replacement & maybe a processor.
Note: The processor could have failed, but the only method I know of checking it, is to install it a compatible working PC, or use a known working processor.
Bev.
e3_e3
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October 7th, 2010 15:00
Dang. That is frustrating, as the motherboard will cost quite a bit money. It's especially frustrating since I just had a motherboard fail in my Dell Laptop Inspiron 1520 a few months ago. I think I am through buying Dell computers.
Thanks for your help today. Where can I find an exact replacement motherboard?
e3_e3
21 Posts
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October 7th, 2010 15:00
I tried all of that.
I unplugged the power cable and discharged the system.
Then I removed the video card and tv-tuner card.
Then I disconnected the power and data cables going into the hard, as well as the dvd player.
Then I plugged in the cable again and tried to power up, I got nothing. No lights came on for the power button.
Then I unplugged the power cable, discharged the motherboard again.
Then I removed all 4 memory sticks that were plugged into the motherboard.
Then I plugged in the cable again and tried to power up, I got nothing. No lights came on for the power button.
I'm guessing that means I need to order another motherboard and/or processor in order to get the computer up and running again? I don't understand how it could just go bad like that. I had a motherboard on my Dell Laptop go bad recently too, and I hard ever use my laptop. Probably less than 50 hours total. And for this computer, it's always been in a cool room, and I don't any truly intensive programs.
Is there any way to test whether or not it's the motherboard and/or CPU that is causing this problem?
Thanks.
shesagordie
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October 7th, 2010 16:00
e3_e3
A Dell OEM refurbished Studio 540 motherboard can be purchased from HERE
You could try browsing eBay for a Studio 540motherboard that costs less.
Unfortunately, while you can make an informed diagnosis, sometimes computer troubleshooting is diagnostics by substitution.
Bev.