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Pc will not stay on - continuous boot


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#1
artfulmisuse

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Hey guys. I've read a lot of threads on here so I'll try to be as informative as possible.

I'm stuck in the dreaded continuous-boot cycle some pc's experience. I turn on the PC - the power button lights, all the fans come on, MB, GFX, PSU, etc. Lights on the MOBO as well. Everything seems normal then 2.5 seconds later it shuts down, only to continuously attempt.

I bought this refurbished Dell XPS 6 months ago and upgraded the PSU to a Corsair CX600 Builder's series. The GFX to a Radeon 6850. I added 8GB G-Skill Memory. The stock HD is 1TB, stock CDRW.

For 6 months, Everything has been perfect. Not a problem to dream of. Quiet, smooth, great framerates in games. Only 1 BSOD I can remember. No lockups aside from that.

I come to turn on the PC yesterday morning and all of a sudden there is this problem. After a couple boot attempts I felt like I smelled something - like a fuse burning almost. I shut it down and opened it up. I found a small receptacle at the end of a black wire which had fallen off and exposed what looks like copper. the wire seemed burned which would explain the smell. I traced this wire back and followed it to what appears to go up the top of the case toward the area of the power button. It's not in the regular harness cluster which leads to the F_Panel on the MB. It' s just a black wire which leads seemingly from the same place, down past the PSU and splits into two wires(one b one w), which both had this receptacle, or stopper at the end of each. It just hangs there above the CPU fan like some kind of end of some circuit, IDK.

Anyways, I used a crimper and tried to put the metal piece at the end back on the black wire, and sealed it with some elec. tape but no difference.

I'm wondering if my PSU punked out or if this little short is the cause of my problem.
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#2
phillpower2

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Hi artfulmisuse

Would it be possible for you to take a picture of the inside of your case (including the wires) and upload it for us, there are too many wires inside a case for us to even begin suggesting what the wires may be.
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#3
Macboatmaster

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I traced this wire back and followed it to what appears to go up the top of the case toward the area of the power button. It's not in the regular harness cluster which leads to the F_Panel on the MB. It' s just a black wire which leads seemingly from the same place,


Until you can tell us where this wire comes FROM it is more or less impossible to help.

As you say it splits into two wires, one the black and one the white, my guess is that the black is a screen and the white is the conductor.

Without knowing where it comes from, we are not I regret going very far, but you are correct of course when you say that the burning smell - was not good. Clearly something has burnt out.

Have you overclocked it.

I now see that my good colleague phillpower2 has posted and indeed a photograph is worth a thousand words.


MAY help
http://support.dell....g5/sm/index.htm
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#4
artfulmisuse

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Alright I'll take some pics tomorrow morning. I don't have a high quality camera, so we will do the best we can with my phone's camera.
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#5
artfulmisuse

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Ok guys, here's some pics:

The first one is just a general overlay of my setup:

http://www.mediafire...qzurdqfs4atkti2



The second one is the wire which splits into two, with the two receptacles(one jerry rigged back on, to no avail):

http://www.mediafire...i68uhydbv9apq3l



The third is where this wire leads back into, around the PSU:

http://www.mediafire...f35gsd2gg6xo3td



And the last is where the wires actually come from, the top of the case with the top panel removed:

http://www.mediafire...bqye8cye5t6kxgd



The white and black wires go to a couple of metal tabs located on the outside of the case. Anyone know what this is? Or how the other end somehow burned out?
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#6
phillpower2

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Thanks for the pictures :thumbsup:
Please check if there is a black and a white connection to the header on the MB which then leads to the power on button at the front of the case, also check if there are connections to the rear case fan header (see .jpeg below)

NB: Not all system wiring is the same and so colours may vary.
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#7
artfulmisuse

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This is the Header for the Power button wire cluster; on the mobo listed as F_Panel. There are black and white there:

http://www.mediafire...oimw0ui7i8oc0oc



It leads up the case to the top here:

http://www.mediafire...u7o1xk23nkpkqcm



This is the very front of the power button circuit on the front of the case; 2 inches before is where the actual button rests. Here you can see Yellow and Black:

http://www.mediafire...o3eb2dr3wlgevbn



This is the header for SYS_FAN3_PWR1 and SYS_FAN4. They go straight into the PSU:

http://www.mediafire...i4cp091c257c2mb



Here is what seems to be the rear fan header, labelled SYS_FAN1 and SYS_FAN2:

http://www.mediafire...7w6j9ckjj2b1bw0
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#8
phillpower2

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Is your CPU fan connected.
Does your case have a reset button, this may be located by the power button.
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#9
artfulmisuse

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The CPU fan Is connected, and if there is a reset switch by the power button, I don't see it.
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#10
Macboatmaster

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After a couple boot attempts I felt like I smelled something - like a fuse burning almost. I shut it down and opened it up. I found a small receptacle at the end of a black wire which had fallen off and exposed what looks like copper. the wire seemed burned which would explain the smell. I traced this wire back and followed it to what appears to go up the top of the case toward the area of the power button. It's not in the regular harness cluster which leads to the F_Panel on the MB. It' s just a black wire which leads seemingly from the same place,


Although our desire is to assist you as much as possible. I have a distinct feeling that we are not going very far with this
It really is one of those problems where someone needs to see the actual computer rather than trying to work from images.

As I said before the smell of burning was I suspect either the component overheating - ie: the small component which you say is on the end of the black wire, or it was the insulation of the wire itself burning, as a short has occurred.

It is impossible to say what damage has been done to components, on the front panel, or indeed to the motherboard itself if, as I and I think my colleague phillpower2 suspects, that this wire indeed is connected to that area of the computer - the front panel.

My recommendation, reluctantly, is that you should find a trusted computer repair business, or if possible, through your contacts, a person who is able to look at it and at least advise you.

It maybe, that all that is required, is a new front panel switch of some sort, but regretfully trying to solve the problem here on Geeks to Go is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

I am sure my colleague will reply as soon as possible and depending on how he views the issue, we can take it from there.

Whatever the outcome please do let us know and I wish you the best of luck with it.
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#11
phillpower2

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I concur with fellow Tech Macboatmaster a visual inspection is required.
You have done a very good job in taking pictures and tracing wires but this one eludes you, if not a reset button feed it is possibly a power supply for the power on or HDD activity LED or if present a SD card reader.
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#12
Macboatmaster

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I have just checked three repair manuals for the dell xps.
Which model of XPS is yours please because none of the three I have checked show those components behind the front panel, that appear on your image, showing the black and white wires connected, on your image one of the wires the white I think has a label on it.


What is on the front panel, where it would locate on the connections of what appear to be the two brass coloured metal projections
[attachment=58321:05.jpg]


I still do not think we are going very far, but it may help, us provide you with another clue as to what it may be -
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#13
artfulmisuse

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It's a Dell XPS 8300. I've utilized the online user manual as well.

Someone on another site mentioned he had the same model, and urged me to look at the WLAN chip on my mobo.

Oddly enough, there is a WLAN chip about 1" by 1", with two inputs on it. One with a black arrow, the other with a white. These receivers look like they'd fit those receptacles I mentioned earlier at the end of the wire that shorted.

To assume a bit further, could those brass mountings outside my case be antennae for the WLAN card? If so, does it not make sense that maybe those receptacles were meant to be connected to their dock on the MB's WLAN card? Instead of floating in midair in the case like I found them?

Sadly I can't remember if they were ever physically attached, if indeed this is the case. I've been in and out of my case many times and just really don't remember. I could be wrong; maybe they always were just hovering.

But this might explain the short. Wire gets hot, receptacle overheats, both receptacles dislodge from WLAN card, one falls off and starts burning. Just a theory.
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#14
Macboatmaster

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I would think that whoever it was on the other site has hit the nail on the head so to speak they will be the 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz antennae for the wireless LAN

In fact if you have looked you will know it is that

http://support.euro....d.htm#wp1195012
That however does not answer what damage has been done, when the apparent short occurred.
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#15
artfulmisuse

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Ok. Is there any way to deduce what exactly IS the damage that is causing the constant reboot?
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