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OEM HP case, power button failed. Best solution?

VirtualLarry

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
I have a client, with an older P4 2.6 400FSB rig made by HP. Card reader and floppy drive. DVD and CD burner. 500GB IDE HD (upgraded by me some time ago).

Power switch evidently went kaput. Client wanted me to order another one. I told the client that sourcing individual parts for OEM cases was not possible, and offered a solution of taking the existing parts from that computer, and installing them into a new, custom case.

Only thing is, that OEM case includes a card reader and floppy drive. I haven't had a chance to examine the case in detail yet, but it has been my experience that the card reader is built into the front of the case, and is non-removable. The floppy drive is generally removable, but lacks a front bezel, because the front bezel is part of the OEM case.

So I will have to pick up a floppy drive and a card reader (have them already picked out at microcenter, should run me $21 plus tax).

Is this the right way to go for something like this? If I knew where my toolbox and soldering iron went from my last move, I might jerry-rig something up, but that would probably entail removing the proprietary front-panel header connector, so the client would lose the HD light. I haven't checked if it has a reset button, but since the front-panel wires are all one block, I couldn't just easily switch that with the power button.
 
Larry, look at this link .. Ebay Item number:360240754108
It may be similiar to or the same as what is currently in there.

Or provide the Model # of the HP so more detailed parts
searches can be done.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...fdc7cbe&itemid=360240754108&ff4=263602_263622

[
HP_401616-001N8%20004.jpg
HP_401616-001N8%20002.jpg


Also try here: http://www.cygnussupply.com/HP-20.htm

He has a lot of HP parts listed. May have what you need.
 
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Thanks bruceb. But that looks like an AT power switch (four conductors to switch AC power). This is an ATX case. Just a standard momentary switch. Like I said, if I had my soldering iron handy, I'd cobble something up. But I don't.

I'll find out the model number later tonight or tomorrow, and I'll update the thread.
 
There's a lot of ways to solve the problem. Put in a generic switch, switch cases and use a addon card reader. Switch cases and use the HP card reader. find an old HP on Craigslist. Build him a whole new computer....
 
VirtualLarry said:
Thanks bruceb. But that looks like an AT power switch (four conductors to switch AC power). This is an ATX case. Just a standard momentary switch. Like I said, if I had my soldering iron handy, I'd cobble something up. But I don't.

I'll find out the model number later tonight or tomorrow, and I'll update the thread.
Click to expand...

Go to Walmart and buy a $10 soldering kit? Would be faster than Ebay and useful to have anyway.
 
Radio Shack still carry switches? Get a round, momentary contact switch and drill a hole to mount it. Guess you would need to pickup a cheap soldering iron too, then remove the switch wires from the fp block and attach to the new switch.
 
theevilsharpie said:
This is not true. I had a power button mechanically fail, and HP sent me a replacement for the case's front panel which included a new power button.
Click to expand...

Was this done under warranty or did you purchase it?
My guess would be that a P4 2.6 system is out of warranty.
 
The main problem here is finding out what the HP part number is for the computer case he has. Until he posts the model # of the HP, we can't do research to find the correct part and hopefully, a part # to order.
 
Modelworks said:
The old switch is probably an alps SPPH model
These are the ones I use on the HP that have the gray looking cases.
http://mouser.com/ProductDetail/ALP...iMZZMvxtGF7dlGNpgVREzJxOB116q9sVWDYV1I%3d
Click to expand...

Thanks, those do look like the switch that is in this machine. It's an HP pavilion a342n.

The electrical switch appears to be functional, it's the plastic front button that appears to be broken. It's just a piece of plastic, a square, attached on the top left+right, and bottom left+right, to another piece of plastic that flexes. Well, eventually, it broke, on both the top-right and bottom-right. So the plastic power button is not popping back out. Stupid design defect. It was like it was designed to fail eventually.

I might be able to simply remove the front plastic button, and expose the electrical switch behind it.

Edit: That's what I did. I removed the square plastic power button from the faceplate, leaving a square hole that allows access to the power switch behind it. Cheapest, easiest, kinda-hackish solution. I might investigate getting another front panel from HP if she wants it to look nice.
 
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theevilsharpie said:
This is not true. I had a power button mechanically fail, and HP sent me a replacement for the case's front panel which included a new power button.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I didn't know that they stocked faceplates for computers this old.

Edit: Thanks bruceb, those links are useful. I don't know how you crossreferenced the model number and found those, but it looks like either of those front bezels would work. A little more pricy than a case + floppy + card reader though.
 
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