The switch on my computer has broken so that if I push it in, it gets stuck and cannot turn on the computer. Can it be fixed or do I need to get a whole new computer? Nothing else wrong with it...

Annie, February 2011

The switch on the front is held on a plastic web which flexes when the switch is pushed in, this usually breaks within a short time and either needs a complete replacement which will mean the removal of the front panel. This is actually quite difficult so here is a quick fix.

The switch usually triangular is held in place by a plastic web which is quite brittle on each side, take some gaffer tape - the silver kind used for all sorts of houshould used and using the gap underneath the front cover to get you hand in put a square of gaffer tape on eother side of the button so it holds together the plastic web, if poss try and get this to stick to the front cover as well, do this on both sides and you should find that the button is held fairly firmly in place, just remember not to use too much force when switching it on.

warris, August 2012

Yes of course taking it to a repair shop will get it fixed but also a rather large bill yet if you are not bothered about pretty you can fix it for a couple of £'s if that

now i am assuming its the front switch rather than one on the power supply! dont mess with the mains side.

ok how many switches is there on the front panel just the power switch or is there a reset button simplest and cheapest fix if there is a reset button and the computer is a standard atx design is to swap the cables from the reset and power switches so swaping their functions around reset to turn on and power when it works to reset. now some computers have all the wires in one assembly so you cant do that easily or if you dont have a reset button then you need to look at the switch there is a couple of solutions either buy a new switch assembly designed for that computer or fit a new switch and connect the wires from the old switch to it. the wires from the switch should be very thin and go to the motherboard and the switch just be a very small pushbutton type in which case the voltage is low if they are thick electrical type wires going to the power supply as in old computers then dont mess.
So if its a new switch well the easiest to fit with the minimum of tools is of course a doorbell non illuminated of course and not a wireless one, as they have screw terminals rather than solder
it sure aint pretty but as long as its a moden computer it will work there may well be better solutions it depends on the case design of course you could just buy a new case and transplant everything across but thats more work a reasonable case would be £25-30 but that means your pc has to be a standard design

i cant see a shop fixing it for less than £80 then i think you will have been lucky but if its its some wierd design it will be far far more!

Your best bet is to unplug and remove the front panel and have a look some hp's have a design where the switch gets pushed off its mounting you may find something just needs reseating.

if you need any more help then post back here and i will reply an email may be good then can send pics if you have a digi cam its so much easier when you can see the design. so create a disposable email on the likes of hotmail rather than posting your real one on here i dont know medion computers but they will be fairly standard but have been doing IT support for over 15 years and working on all sorts of wierd and wonderfull designs so it wont be to hard

Andrew, February 2011

sure it can be fixed , go to a pc repair shop and ask them for a price , if your happy with it give it to them to fix ,

k, February 2011