powering up PC

[deadmoney5]

I can't seem to find what I want from searching (I know next to nothing about hooking up things to a motherboard to power on the pc)..

Does anybody have any pics or a very in-depth how-to that shows hooking up a microswitch to the pc power button so I can power on without actually pushing the power button physically located on the pc?

I have a power button on the keyboard, but that doesn't work to power up the pc at all...(can't find anything in the Bios, either)

Do you need to solder...because that would suck for me..

thanks for all your help!

[seoushi]

This is actually really easy depending on if you have a specialized power switch (I have a Dell like this)..

In the front of your computer look to see where the power switch is wired, it should just be two wires that are bundled together. They connect on a place on your motherboard (a pin header) and it can be detached easily. if you want you can cut your power switch wire and wire in another power switch or you can take out the whole switch/wire and get/make your own pin header and a new switch.

Now if you have a proprietary connector (like my dell) for your power switch you gonna have to just short random pins to see which two turn on the machine then you can wire it up.

you shouldn't have to solder anything except maybe the wires to the new power switch, but defiantly nothing small and hard to do.

[bigle]

i'm not sure but you could probably use wire taps from the original power button wires and extend them to a momentary switch that you mount somewhere on the outside of the cab.  they just clamp onto the existing wires so you don't have to cut or strip anything.  you can get them at parts express and i would guess that radio shack would probably have them as well.

[pointdablame]

you'd have no problems using wire taps.

Basically just take the 2 wires that are connected to the motherboard and extend them as long as you need to.  Then hook them up to a microswitch.

[JCKnife]

Really a momentary-on? I thought the power switch was a 2-position switch...

[crashwg]

Realy old ones were 2-positions switches but I'm pretty sure that went the way of the dodo when ATX came to town...

[JustMichael]

Does anybody have any pics or a very in-depth how-to that shows hooking up a microswitch to the pc power button so I can power on without actually pushing the power button physically located on the pc?

Why not just hook the button up to the power pins on the motherboard directly?  Connect one pin to the COM (Common) tab and the other pin to the NO (Normally Open) tab.

[elvis]

AT power supplies use ON/OFF, ATX uses momentary ON.

The advantage of ATX is that under modern OSes like WinXP, the ATX power ON switch will also initiate the soft shutdown command for the system.  Very handy.

For ATX folks, just wire up a standard microswitch (a typical arcade fire button and microswitch works fine) to the ATX-power-ON header on your motherboard.  It's as simple as that.  One click for startup, and one click for clean shutdown.

Just remember to disconnect it when removing the PC from your cab!

[JCKnife]

AT power supplies use ON/OFF, ATX uses momentary ON.

How can I tell which one I have (in a Dell Dimension 3000)

[paigeoliver]

Is your keyboard plug the same size as your mouse plug? If so then you have ATX.

AT is long dead. My friend Ryan has a K6-2 500 mhz and that had one of the last AT motherboards around, atx had already been more common for a couple of years.

[JCKnife]

Thanks, paige. You are obviously quite the guru around here and I sincerely appreciate it.

[deadmoney5]

thanks all...I'll give it a shot...

[elvis]

New ATX motherboards have a neat feature whereby they can automatically power up after a "power failure".  That's how my cab powers up.

When I exit from MAMEWah and shutdown, I turn the power off at the wall socket.  (My cab has lights and a car audio amp that also take separate power from the actual computer unit).  Then when I turn the wall socket back on, the ATX power supply deems that a "power failure" and the system starts up without the need for me to push a button.  Very handy.

[Dougmeister]

I have one of the non-standard Dell connectors.

Does it matter what size/gauge wire I use from the pins to the switch?

[ALeX K]

does anyone use the 'press spacebar three times to power on feature' of some newer motherboards, where button 3 is encoded to the spacebar from your control panel? Is it any good in practice?

[Darth Nuno]

Have a look at my solution :



... all the story here : http://www.dragonslair.be

[SirPeale]

Have a look at my solution :

... all the story here : http://www.dragonslair.be

Where?  Your site is very confusing.

[Gunstar Hero]

I think all the details are in the forum.

[Darth Nuno]

right here : http://www.dragonslair.be/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6 

[Dougmeister]

Now if you have a proprietary connector (like my dell) for your power switch you gonna have to just short random pins to see which two turn on the machine then you can wire it up.

I have one of these.  Once I find out which pins turn the machine on, how should I wire it up?  Use a connector of some sort, which kind, etc.?

[Lakersfan]

Why not just hook the button up to the power pins on the motherboard directly?  Connect one pin to the COM (Common) tab and the other pin to the NO (Normally Open) tab.

On my motherboard, it has a PW+ and a PW- for the power switch. When hooking up a microswitch, does it matter which is connected to NO and which is connected to COM?

[SirPeale]

On my motherboard, it has a PW+ and a PW- for the power switch. When hooking up a microswitch, does it matter which is connected to NO and which is connected to COM?

No.  All a switch does is complete a circuit.

[notaburger]

i purchased an atx "style" switch from frys for 2.99
all it is, is a white pushbutton (very skinny)
i concealed it on the back of my arcade, no one can see it but it could be just as easily mounted on the top (i just like turning it on with my foot because i'm lazy)

[Lakersfan]

Thanks gents! Very much appreciated. 

[badkitty]

i just cut my leads to reset and power..on motherboard to front of case switches...i wired up my happ buttons straight to them. works just fine.  now if i can only wire my TV to a button and not have to hit power on the stupid remote.

[DaOld Man]

Cant you take your tv apart, and solder two wires onto the power pushbutton?
It might be one of those tiny micro buttons soldered to a circuit board, so it may sound easier than what it will be.
I have also seen on here where people have taped the button in, so the tv comes on when the power is applied.
Have you tried that?