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Power button on desktop case not working


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#1
debodun

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It's an HP Compaq case like in the attached photo. The power button use to click when pressed in, but the last few weeks it felt soft but turned on the power. Today I went to press it and it went in ad stayed in and didn't turn on the computer. I opened the case and jiggled it from behind, then the computer power came on, but the button is still, pressed in. I never had this situation before and not sure what to do. Any suggestions appreciated.

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  • computer case.jpg

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#2
zep516

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Hello debodun,

You're going to need to replace that button button. There's a mechanical failure happening that you really can't fix. When the power button clicked that was probably the spring working, once it went soft the spring failed. The spring action is what pushes the button out after being pressed.

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zep
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#3
Kemasa

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Often there is a plastic piece which is the button that you press and it pushes on the real switch. They tend to make it cheap, so it is often plastic and that is the means of the "spring". Over time, the plastic will fail, often by cracking. You might be able to glue it, depending on how it failed, but that involves taking the case apart so that you access all of it. You might not be able to fix it though, depending on where and how it failed. Another possible option is to remove the plastic button and then you can access the actual switch, which tends to be small, but this might not work either due to the limited space to reach in to press the button, perhaps with a tool (like a pencil or something non-conductive) Replacing the case might be required, but getting a used, broken model of the same computer might be cheap if it is available.

 

If they used a real switch without the plastic in front, the switch might have to be replaced, which is likely to involve soldering and trying to find a replacement switch that will work with it.


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#4
debodun

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I was able to fix it. I opened the case and found that the "real" button had popped out of it's casing. Simple matter of pushing it back in. I did have several false starts, but it was because I hadn't pushed it in far enough - it has to snap to be seated properly. Working fine now, the power button is snapping spritely like it did when I got that system (as a refurb).

 

Thanks for the advice, though.

 

 

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  • computer power switch.jpg

Edited by debodun, 16 December 2019 - 12:34 PM.

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