Power switch Aurora R1.

OK, further investigation shows that it is contained in a bundle of wires from the motherboard called the FRONT PANEL. There are 3 wires coming off the connector which have no label and a bundle of 6 wires labeled led and switch. There are 2 black and 2 brown along with a single red and a single orange. Can anyone verify if the red and orange are the correct wires to cut an install a new switch? I really don't want to tear the whole system down to get to the front panel wiring. I did see one posting where someone said they shorted the red and orange wires to get it to work.

Randy

I just sold my R1 mthrbrd, the picture I took barely captures the front panel header, but u can see the micro-text called PWSW

We can also use this drawing of same header, PWSW = pins 6/8

I've seen past complaints that the plunger on top of the front panel (that presses the momentary switch underneath) is weak & can malfunction, so I take care whenever I turn on my R4, since it does seem flimsy. It would be necessary to either repair the top on mechanism (by removing front panel trim) or replace it (ex. eBay search term = Alienware Aurora Bezel). See your PDF Service Manual for panel remove / replace on Dell.com Aurora support page

I would not ever cut the wiring harness

If you want to plumb a new switch in there (to by-pass the top switch), using a needle you would lift the black plastic 'tab' up on pins 6 / 8 - back the pins out - and insert a new basic switch (see eBay = motherboard power switch ... if it arrives with a 2pin connector, back the connector off and insert bare pins into your FP header connector). Alternative is a rear PCI slot switch (eBay search = atx power pci bracket)

See uTube > 'Jump start motherboard'

• back front panel connector off of header
• carefully short (bridge) pins 6 / 8 with a (flat blade) metal tool 'momentarily', until PC turns on

My R4 front panel header - which I can't access today for you - appears to have a red wire for pin 6, and a red/org wire-pair jumped onto pin 8 - if so - the jumped red wire probably goes to the MIO daughterboard as its power on signal. Therefore, regardless of everything I posted above, what I would do here is devise a small paperclip / small piece of solid metal > bend it into the shape of a U or a V > quickly touch pins 6 / 8 (touch the exposed parts of the brass / gold pins) & turn PC on. The green V represents a 'tool', the connector is on the header as pictured, the pin-tops are exposed and can be touched if u can access them. If you cut those wires u might regret it later, there are better ways to by-pass the top momentary switch plunger until a permanent fix is in place

Last resort, remove front bezel and simply depress the otherwise exposed switch

forum search term = Aurora power button or Aurora on off, where u might find past posts and possible fixes work-arounds

I live in a very rural area where electronic stores. If I can get one in a short time I'll order one otherwise I'll have to cut and patch. I can't have the machine down much longer. Thank you for you info it was most helpful. U was correct t it was the red and orange wires.

Randy

Ok, I've tried a separate switch. No luck. Any ideas what's next?

I posted a photo of the front panel header and a green V; so long as those two pins correspond to the micro-text on your mthrbrd which says PWSW (pwr switch), you've ID'd the correct two pins. The drawing also shows pins 6/8. Normally, if the external power switch fails to turn on the PC, you'd back the front panel connector off and try to jump start the PC on using a flat-blade tool, touch / bridge pins 6/8, the procedure for which can be found on Youtube as stated, search term = 'Jump start motherboard'. Because Aurora is so small, I might remove the Grfx Card 1st to gain better access to pins 6/8 (short 6/8 together with screw driver > if PC turns on, great - unplug PSU, reinsert Grfx Card and try to short 6/8 again > if PC fails to turn on, more troubleshooting must occur)

If you purchased a basic momentary switch and plumbed it directly onto pins 6/8 (which u can do) - pressed switch and nothing happened - I might take the on-board coin-cell battery out, test it for 3volts (I tend not to trust a battery under 2.65volts, if under that I replace it w/new batt of same part#), in otherwords a depleted battery can lead to a no P.O.S.T situation

There is also the Dell Power Supply Self-Test function which is to press the rear PSU button, using the rationale you can find in their video (google search term = dell power supply self test > video >  http://www.dell.com/support/contents/us/en/04/videos/videoPlayer/JzNzFqNTpnGF1VTuKI-CBALVWirB074O 

Power supply testers can be had for $6 / US (eBay search term = ATX power supply tester, or similar)

There are ways to force a power supply to turn on:

• short / bridge / 'jump' pin 16 (PS_ON) to any black ground COM (common)
• normally, take a paper clip to pin 16 green + pin 15 black (or 17 black etc)
• power supply + fan should kick on (to turn off, remove paperclip)
• Youtube search term = jump start power supply on (or: 'power supply paper clip on'

Normally, you disconnect all cables from motherboard, Grfx, hard drives, DVDs etc and jump power supply on with nothing connected to it (a stand-alone bench test as seen in videos); however, and I do not recommend you do this since I can only trust myself here, but one time here I have left EVERYTHING connected to the power supply and paperclipped (forced) the power supply / mthrbrd to turn on, see photo below

Example, everything about the computer is left connected, I take paperclip, jam it into green wire slot 16 + any black ground slot --> computer is forced to turn on and remains on until paperclip is removed. To be more exact, I used a small u-shaped piece of solid metal and popped it between pins 15/16 with needle-nose pliers (PC turned on, video produced on monitor, then I remove paperclip to shutdown, ponder result of what that means). I did that on a 100% working computer simply as a test. Therefore, you can try:

• Dell PSU Self-Test
• Buy a PSU tester
• disconnect everything, bench test power supply on (a voltmeter would then be used to test volts/ground against the photo of the ATX connector > uTube search = test PC power supply with voltmeter ... or similar term)
• last resort, connect everything, force PSU on by jamming paperclip into 15 blk / 16 grn if you dare

Google search = alienware aurora no power

Youtube search = Alienware: Troubleshooting No Power 

https://community.dell.com/message/25620-alienware-desktop-general-hardware-troubleshooting

If it did a 48hour test, it's assumed to have been in working condition - moved into other room - now will not power up, to me it means either a vital connection came loose when moving it -or- stress-test caused component failure / fatigue / heat-death etc. I'd be remiss if I didn't tell u to make sure the black power supply modular bulk connector is fully pushed into the PSU chassis (remove smoked-acrylic plastic PSU inspection cover, push PSU connector in / fully seated > test power on). From there I would be induced to back other connectors off then reseat them again (mthrbrd 24pin / CPU 8pin) and retry. If no good, I would remove Grfx Card and all memory, unplug / eject all Hard drives, unplug all keyboard/mouse/monitor/USB drives, turb power on and hope motherboard issues beeps (signs of life) in tandem with good coin-cell batt. If power supply is tested good / turns system on / motherboard fails to beep (if should beep if there is no memory installed) > silent motherboard = a bad sign 

OK, before turning in I pulled the 24 pin header and shorted the PSU-on and

a ground. It kicked on. Looks like I have to yank motherboard. Sigh, too

tired to continue tonight and test voltages. Should I do that before

pulling the motherboard?

OK, before turning in I pulled the 24 pin header and shorted the PSU-on and

a ground. It kicked on. Looks like I have to yank motherboard. Sigh, too

tired to continue tonight and test voltages. Should I do that before

pulling the motherboard?

I would test with a multimeter, yes. The basics would be a comparison against the 24pin Chart photo (3.3v org / 5v red / 5vSB ppl / 12v ylw / -12v blu / Pwr_Ok gry = ~5v). This can suggest the power supply is outputting the correct voltages, but may not indicate an internal component failure (ie immediately fails under a load, where motherboard = 'a load')

I did outline multiple other steps to take before yanking mthrbrd (check coin-cell batt > jump start mthrbrd on w/tool on pins 6/8, force mthrbrd on w/ u-tool - paperclip on pins 15/16 of 24p connector > dell PSU self-test > remove / disconnect everything + jumpstart on and listen for beeps). A local PC shop or knowledgable local person / friend / co-worker may be advised; this is normally a time when spare power supply / CPU / Mthrbrd comes in handy. Most tests can be performed w/out removal of mthrbrd of course, unless you'd care to explain why you think it needs removed at all. Testing outside of the case suggests to me a need to remove the case harness also, which is involved, especially with ALX models. Any tests I can conceive doing here myself would not involve removing mthrbrd, lest that be to take it to someone. Feel free to keep posting updates / questions

You'd do well to seek online video help, see Youtube:

• test motherboard without cpu and ram
• test motherboard without cpu
• 'test motherboard' 'motherboard will not turn on' 'motherboard no P.O.S.T.
• and various other search terms may come in handy
• disconnecting Master I/O daughterboard would be as simple as disconnecting its USB cable
• to power system on without giving 4pin Molex power to daughterboard might mean the radiator liquid pump has no power source = CPU begins to overheat (note that pump gets its power from top light strip ie direct from MIO board, ie MIO board 'needs 4pin power' if system / mthrbrd / CPU is turned on)

complicated thereafter > sometimes u need access to multiple spare parts, to troubleshoot with:

• power supply in Aurora normally pulled to test on different system to verify PSU ok
• new (known-good) power supply introduced into Aurora to try to get mthrbrd started
• cpu pulled from mthrbrd > introduced in different (socket 1366) mthrbrd to verify ok
• new (known-good) cpu put into Aurora mthrbrd to test if mthrbrd works with it
• PC repair shops tend to have those parts to test with

At your own risk: I'd be inclined to disconnect all external devices from rear case panel, remove Grfx Card + memory, eject hard drives > test just the PSU + mthrbrd + CPU by forcing them to come on, ie jam paperclip into 15/16 > listen for mthrbrd to beep twice (2 beeps = no RAM detected) &/or see if mthrbrd LED comes on:

• if so, I might re-install one memory stick + Grfx card
• force mthrbrd on, see if u get Alienhead logo & can enter Bios screen
• if so, power down (pull paperclip) and assess possible meanings (ie report back to forum)

I do not 'member about Aurora, but on the Area-51 R1 mthrbrd, there are two LED lights:

• one is simple Amber stand-by LED (PC plugged in but system 'off' = mthrbrd 'ready')
• other green LED comes on after system is turned on (system is alive)
• does yours have a stand-by (power signal ok) LED? LEDs such as that let u know the mthrbrd is getting power, a sign of life 

You can check to make sure the green jumper pin next to the CMOS battery (clear CMOS jumper) hasn't fallen off into the case

Jumped, 6-8 no go. Battery with a load 3.06V. Have fans as a load on PSU.

All harnesses removed reseated. 24 pin header pulled and PSU came on along

with MIO board and fans connected to axillary board when PSU-on and ground

shorted.

Think that's all I know at the moment.

Randy

If you have a voltmeter, you could test the top power-on button / plunger for functionality:

• back front panel connector off > insert probes into slots 6/8
• set voltmeter to Continuity Test or OHMs (lowest setting(s) ) > depress top power-on button
• a reading would verify the switch closed and still works

On the otherhand, when PC is plugged in, front panel connector installed onto header, you could jab red/blk probes into slot 6/8 red/org, see if you get a voltage reading, ie does the pin6 (+/pos) give a voltage signal at all? The idea is that when PC is plugged in / has power, pin6 red (+voltage) should be hot, and when it travels to ground (pin8), mthrbrd turns on. If pin6 tests positive for volts, that's a hmph. If no voltage at all coming off of pin6 = more of a hmph and would not be a sign the mthrbrd is doing ok, would lead me to inspect mthrbrd for any sign of a bad micro-component, if u get my meaning

OK, taking cooling unit off noticed a slight bit of moisture. Once out of way I found a damp spot on motherboard covering about a square inch of the motherboard below the R25's. Is the R1 using just water, if so would just drying the board out should the board be OK?Looks like I need a new cooler. Will one for an Aurora R4 work? That's all I can find online as I can't find the older version.

Worked fine until I shut it off closed it up and moved it. I think the

gasket between the heatsink and the pump allowed a little seepage to run

onto the MOBO. It was only after it had moved that the unit wouldn't work.

Randy