I recently lost the use of an additional HDD in my Dell XPS desktop. So I switched off the machine to check. Finding nothing obviously amiss, i boxed it up and switched the power on - to find it was totally dead. No problems with power cables or sockets and there is a yellow led on the main-board that is lit, but no indication that the C:/ drive or fans are even attempting to start. Are there usually any fuses on motherboards that I can check?
Here's a quick test for the power supply:
How To Test A Power Supply - PCTechBytes
Check and make sure the power button cable from the case where it plugs into the motherboard did not get knocked loose.
I've never seen a fuse on a motherboard.
There is a main fuse on the PS but if there is a led lit on the MB, the fuse is OK.
Some MB has a yellow led just to remind that the MB has power on it (5VSB - Pin 9) . This doesn't mean that the PS is good as the other supplies (+5 & 12V) may be defective.
First thing to test is the PS as Navy suggested.
Google the paper clip test for the PSU to check that the PSU turns on when commanded to do so. If that test fails then you need a new PSU. Check the power cables to the motherboard are firmly connected.
If you're even the slightest bit technically inclined why not try to borrow a digital multimeter from a friend or purchase an inexpensive one for yourself.
They're simple to operate and an invaluable tool for troubleshooting psu faults or endless other household items. I'd spend a couple of dollars (or pounds) before playing musical psu's.
I'm confident there are many members who might provide a bit of guidance if required.
You say you "lost the use of an additional HDD". Do we assume that this drive stopped working and could not be read?
Did you disconnect both the power and data cables from this bad hard drive?
Thanks everyone for your help. I've checked the power supply as suggested, which is OK, and discovered that the power supply button was flashing amber (I hadn't noticed this before) indicating a component fault. Will now remove all components and replace them one at a time to resolve the problem.
It's worth removing the CMOS battery for minutes then insert a new one and load the BIOS defaults
I had already tried that, when the issue first appeared. But I must admit I didn't wait very long to between removing and replacing the battery. I'll try that again, now. Thanks
Quote