Extending and replacing my PC's power button - how to?

[markronz]

Hey there everyone, I am working on putting the power button onto the back of my arcade cabinet.  I have a Smart Strip power strip that everything will wire into.  I plan to change the Windows Setting so that the PC shuts down when the power button is pushed.   So what I need to do, is extend the power button so that the button can be placed on the top back of my arcade machine.   I took apart the PC case that I am using and found the power button.   In picture 1 below is the front view of the power button.   Then in pictures 2 and 3, you can see the back of the power button, where all the wires are.  The orange-ish and white wires in picture 3 are the two wires that I believe I need to work with.   And in picture #4, I am just showing my push button that I intend to use for the new power button.   

Now I have a few questions here.   I'm assuming I just need to cut the orange-ish and white wires, and then add some wire to make them long enough to reach.   Once I do this, does it matter which color wire that I connect to which side on the push button?  I wouldn't think that it would, but I just wanted to be sure before I start clipping wires.

Thanks for the help!

[BobA]

If you are using a momentary contact switch that is NO an closes when pushed it will work fine if you have identified the right wires on your PC switch.  No need to worry about which wire is connected to which contact.

[markronz]

What does NO mean? And what do you mean it closes when pushed?

And it is a momentary contact switch.  It is "type A" shown here:
http://www.happcontrols.com/pushbuttons/49057700.htm

Will this button work?

[ragnar]

I had to re-read your post to see what NO was to but I am pretty sure that it is this:

" Once I do this, does it matter which color wire that I connect to which side on the push button? "

[markronz]

Seems like a weird way to phrase it...

If you are using a momentary contact switch that is NO an closes when pushed it will work fine

So it just needs to be a momentary contact switch, which I believe is what I have now, correct?

[markronz]

OK, after reading around a bit, I have found that a power button needs to be "momentary" and "normally open".  So I am pretty sure he meant NO as in "Normally Open".

So does anyone know how I can tell if this button I have is normally open?

[tykenfitz]

hook up the button to an led circuit, if the led goes on when you push the button and it's off when you don't  it's normally open.

(I'm 99.99999999999999% positive its NO anyway)

[shfifty]

hook up the button to an led circuit, if the led goes on when you push the button and it's off when you don't  it's normally open.

(I'm 99.99999999999999% positive its NO anyway)

This is pretty unnecessary. Just snip the old one and wire it up. It will work.



also, there should be more power options (instant shutdown etc) in the MB bios in case you want to change them too

[markronz]

I did wire it up and it worked, thanks so much for the help guys!