Tech Support Forum - View Single Post - Can I replace a broken power button? (Dell Dimension 8200)

archeometer · 11-12-2007, 02:39 PM

Hi all. I have a 5-year-old Dell Dimension 8200 that held up really well for a long time, but the power button recently stopped working. So I took it apart: took the plastic button out, wrestled with the front panel with pliers, and finally got to the small circuitboard on which the "real" power button is. Pressing this didn't do anything either -- totally dead. So I took the small button on the circuitboard apart, and tried connecting the tiny metal parts that were connected by pressing the button -- but no luck. I figure this circuitboard is fried? (BTW the power supply is fine, the light on the motherboard lights up when it's plugged in.)

So my question is -- I have an old Dell PC, a Dimension L_r, and I could plunder it for parts. Can I stick its power button into my 8200 and see if this works, or will it fry the circuits or not work at all?

I certainly don't want to spend much money on new parts. I know it was kind of bold tearing apart the front panel, but I wanted to figure this thing out... Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

11-12-2007, 02:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
archeometer Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 8 OS: Windows XP SP2	Can I replace a broken power button? (Dell Dimension 8200) Hi all. I have a 5-year-old Dell Dimension 8200 that held up really well for a long time, but the power button recently stopped working. So I took it apart: took the plastic button out, wrestled with the front panel with pliers, and finally got to the small circuitboard on which the "real" power button is. Pressing this didn't do anything either -- totally dead. So I took the small button on the circuitboard apart, and tried connecting the tiny metal parts that were connected by pressing the button -- but no luck. I figure this circuitboard is fried? (BTW the power supply is fine, the light on the motherboard lights up when it's plugged in.) So my question is -- I have an old Dell PC, a Dimension L_r, and I could plunder it for parts. Can I stick its power button into my 8200 and see if this works, or will it fry the circuits or not work at all? I certainly don't want to spend much money on new parts. I know it was kind of bold tearing apart the front panel, but I wanted to figure this thing out... Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!