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Optiplex 7010 SFF suddenly no power
We have an Optiplex 7010 SFF which will not power up. The power light flashes - very quickly or dimly - every seven seconds or so.
When I push the power supply diagnostic button (the black button next to the power in jack), the adjacent LED lights green and the fans start spinning. When I release the button, everything stops. (No LED, no fans - just the power button flashing dimly every 7 seconds.) Pressing the power button does nothing - it doesn't light up and nothing spins. Holding the power button down does nothing as well.
I have tried all of the following:
- Pull and reseat all four memory DIMMs
- Pull two, then three, DIMMs, with the one remaining in slot 1
- Try a different DIMM in slot 1
- Unplug each fan and the speaker from the motherboard
- Pull the four pin connector from the motherboard
- Pull the video card and its fan connector
- Pull the network card
- Try a different power cord
- Remove the CMOS battery, check with VOM (3 volts), replace
After each, I plugged the computer back in and pressed the black diagnostic button, which still lights the adjacent LED green. The power button continues to flash every seven seconds but pressing it does nothing.
Based on what I have seen in other posts, I am guessing it is the power supply. Flashing amber is supposed to be a bad PS (I think), but...I'm not sure the light is amber. (My wife and I disagree on the color - seriously! 8*) - but she thinks it is amber.)
I've tried to be thorough. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
@mthtchrwrote:
Unfortunately, I don't have a power supply tester
Well, if you are going to be fixing this (or any) computer, I suggest you buy one (or borrow one from one of the techs at the office).
Dell Rockstar
Microsoft Windows and Apple iOS Developer (Retired)
- Like many of you, I can appreciate a good game-engine.
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- Click "Mark as Accepted Answer" on any post that answers your question best.These sell very cheap because when the PSU dies they are junk. Buy a 7010 Tower on Amazon/Walmart/Ebay and transfer your hard drive to it. With tower units if the PSU dies you can purchase a COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) EPS 12v power supply and it works fine.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/381463128
@speedstepwrote:
These sell very cheap because when the PSU dies they are junk. Buy a 7010 Tower on Amazon/Walmart/Ebay and transfer your hard drive to it. With tower units if the PSU dies you can purchase a COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) EPS 12v power supply and it works fine.
Yeah, mini-towers with conventional-sized power-supplies are better in the long run.
The in-laws had a Dell Dimension 4600c (c=compact ... it's a consumer SFF).
First, the metal clip-holder for the chipset heat-sink got so hot it actually un-soldered itself from the motherboard. I pulled the MB and did the board-level soldering repair.
But after the baby Power-Supply blew two years later, and I saw the cost (even for used "working-pulls" on eBay) I was done with this little Pentium-4 XP system. We got them a new $300 Lenovo Intel dual-core desktop at Office-Depot running Windows-7/64bit. Free upgrade to Windows-10/64bit and that little computer is still going strong. I'm thinking of dropping-in a $50 SSD for them (via quick clone).
Dell Rockstar
Microsoft Windows and Apple iOS Developer (Retired)
- Like many of you, I can appreciate a good game-engine.
- I answer questions here, but I'm not a Dell employee.
- Consider giving posts you like a "thumbs-up"
- Posting models-numbers and software versions speeds trouble-shooting.
- Click "Mark as Accepted Answer" on any post that answers your question best.Jay Reynolds
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Posted September 21st, 2019 04:00
Hey, I'm having the exact same problem right now, i have the flashing amber light on the power button every seven seconds or so. Did u fix it and if so please can you tell me how you fixed it
Help would be appreciated
gee if the strip down tests fail, and fans are dead, you never told fans dead,/????
the fan on the CPU must stay up (spin) or the PSU is bad or the PSU sees shorts, (see 2 problems simple )no"
did you do the hard reset first. this is always first. did you? seen on the linked page, all that.
then the strip down tests. if PSU dead stripped down tested, called MINIMUM SYSTEM TESTING !
the next act is new PSU.
you can bench test any PSU ( to see if works , you have load banks like me so is simple test not full)
The PSU is cheap buy one on fleabay.?? why not do that first, lacking tools or skills to test.?
or if it was me , id pack it up, HDD erased and give it to Goodwill for ship to IRAN.
buy newer FULL SIZED PC, so it has vastly more easy parts to buy and upgrades.
buy PCs that have future and SFF are NOT IT. ok?
get MT. minitowers, even 3020MT can be hand for 50 bucks. why send money on crummy sff when MT is so good and so cheap. used.? why?
stripdown testing after the hard reset steps fail. (also known as removing your shorts, LOL)
a 7020 does gen 4, the wiki on OptiPlex covers all this, GEN# and sizes sold and years made. why hot read that.
get real PC, not some , voodoo shrunken head PC. SFF or worse USFF
for sure ID buy Gen4 intel grade PCs and newer Gen4 is MINIMUM. ok.? (for a future)
no really I would, as age matters in PC, and is first in my book, age. then GEN intel.
Same thing happened to me and it was a dying CMOS battery. Took a multimeter to it and saw it was putting out way less than the expected 3.2V. Swapped in a new one and the pc booted just fine, did have to reset me bios settings though. Had the same thing happen on an HP years ago, CMOS dies and it would not power on. Ripped it all apart testing components individually before realizing that's all it was.
Tesla1856
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Posted March 28th, 2018 19:00
The PDF manual should explain how the test button on the Power Supply works and reports.
I've found that the best way to test a PC Power-Supply is with a $25 DIGITAL PC Power-Supply Tester. If it tests good, there is a good chance you have a motherboard problem.
Also, check any harnesses and ohm-out the computer's front on/off switch (or use a known good one, or dis-connect it completely and "jump-start-it" ...old-school)
https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware-General/Alienware-Desktop-General-Hardware-Troubleshooting/m-p/5555517#M57436
Dell Rockstar
Microsoft Windows and Apple iOS Developer (Retired)
- Like many of you, I can appreciate a good game-engine.
- I answer questions here, but I'm not a Dell employee.
- Consider giving posts you like a "thumbs-up"
- Posting models-numbers and software versions speeds trouble-shooting.
- Click "Mark as Accepted Answer" on any post that answers your question best.