[SOLVED] What's wrong with my computer?

Aug 1, 2021
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I have a Dell optiplex gx200 that I can't get to run.

It starts up as soon as I plug the power cable in and I have checked all cables to make sure they are plugged in. Even when I hit the power button it does not power on and send a picture to display like many support websites say it should.

Does anyone know what the problem could be?
 
Solution
Could need a new motherboard or power supply. Probably better to just get a known working system rather than guessing and buying parts for this one.
Aug 1, 2021
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What do you mean by this. Do the fans start spinning? Any lights?
So whenever I plug the power cable into the computer it acts like when I push the power button, so lights turn on, fans run, even the disk drive and hard drives spin. But the power button is never hit and it does not boot into bios or windows, even if I hit the power button.
 

alexbirdie

Respectable
I looked into the manual, because your picture shows old IDE-flat-cables.

And the last revision of the manual is from 2000.

Some link: https://www.dell.com/support/home/de-at/product-support/product/optiplex-gx200/docs

I do hope for you, that somebody might remember such old PCs.

It was one of my first builds 20 years ago with that hardware, additional with Adaptech-SCSI-card for connection of a yamaha 400 - cd-writer and some disks. But it was not dell.

About a dell-computer I do not know anything.
 
Aug 1, 2021
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Supposedly the last owner of the system upgraded some parts of the computer, such as replacing the cd drive with 2 dvd drives instead, upgrading ram to 512 mb and a bigger hard drive but they told me that the last time that they used it, 10-15 years ago, it worked perfectly fine with all of the upgrades. It was just sitting in their storage collecting dust in that time.
 

carocuore

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Jan 24, 2021
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It didn't want to send to the forums from imgur but here's a link that should work View: https://imgur.com/a/meYc3pF

Oh, nice.

Given its age I'm certain the power supply is the issue. Unplug the power cables from the ODDs and remove the wireless NIC from the riser card. What's the other in there? a graphics card? remove it as well, the onboard graphics should be enough to get you into the BIOS setup.
You could try removing the entire riser card just in case, it should boot without it.

Other than that you'll need a new power supply if it still refuses to start.
 
Aug 1, 2021
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I was thinking the problem with the starting up as soon as the power cord plugs in was the power supply. But then why isn't bios coming on when I hit the power button?

I took out the power cables to the ODDs and took out the things plugged into the riser card, I believe the other was a modem card it had a phone jack. I was thinking the hard drive is maybe not working right anymore but then that wouldn't explain why BIOS isn't coming on.
 

carocuore

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Jan 24, 2021
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Is there a button battery on the board? if it's 15 yo it might have leaked and corroded the PCB traces, and that's bad.
any white/brown-ish residue around the battery socket or in the board indicates a leak
 
Aug 1, 2021
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Is there a button battery on the board? if it's 15 yo it might have leaked and corroded the PCB traces, and that's bad.
any white/brown-ish residue around the battery socket or in the board indicates a leak
I do not see any signs of corrosion on either side of the board at that spot, and I replaced that battery when I opened it up.