desktop computer sticky on/off switch

Fightsback

*j* wrote: »

240 Rupees...about £2.60. plus postage of course.

That's the pre-referendum exchange rate you are quoting, it's now 1 rupee to the pound, especially after Mark Carney's most unhelpful statement about QE and interest rates.

John_Gray

Me, I'd turn it so the push button faces downwards, and spray a small amount of WD40 round the edges of the button. Press the button in and out until bored. Wipe surplus liquid off with kitchen towel.

Oh, I'd power it down and remove the mains plug from the back first...!

Fightsback

John_Gray wrote: »

Me, I'd turn it so the push button faces downwards, and spray a small amount of WD40 round the edges of the button. Press the button in and out until bored. Wipe surplus liquid off with kitchen towel.

Oh, I'd power it down and remove the mains plug from the back first...!

No, don't mix WD40 and electronics or I could tell you the story of the technician, one can of WD40 and £4k worth of damage to a HP1100 HPLC.

Robisere

It's a very long link, but these are all Google images of your PC. It's a SFF (Small Form Factor) about 1/3 smaller than a mid-tower desktop, so has different ways to strip the case.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=acer+aspire+x3900+desktop+pc&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&imgil=Qb3dPmL4FMLruM%253A%253BgPZG3tPon8OLAM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fworthstuff.blogspot.com%25252F2010%25252F05%25252Facer-aspire-x3900-mini-itx-desktop-pc.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=Qb3dPmL4FMLruM%253A%252CgPZG3tPon8OLAM%252C_&usg=__U9tspAhMgaX8duqgaLEfh4UuC-w%3D&biw=1536&bih=708&ved=0ahUKEwj-sNGqwNLNAhUhAsAKHVcmBp0QyjcIZQ&ei=wIF2V_7QAaGEgAbXzJjoCQ#tbm=isch&tbs=rimg%3ACUG93T5i-BTCIji21l0q_1KnoTdyU1Xlepv4M5w-WPDZE6DawrxE40ChDn0eh_1g9ogW2-ZsjbXBrd3nDZtZbdDHPYNyoSCbbWXSr8qehNEfR5edDsHX7vKhIJ3JTVeV6m_1gwRRYAobsfLTY8qEgnnD5Y8NkToNhEvTYqsuDUFQioSCbCvETjQKEOfEdaJngJsclTYKhIJR6H-D2iBbb4RZ3szNXIKKhoqEglmyNtcGt3ecBFbbAGDJfmpzCoSCdm1lt0Mc9g3ETA0VErkhTw4&q=acer%20aspire%20x3900%20desktop%20pc

Hope that helps!

John_Gray

Fightsback wrote: »

No, don't mix WD40 and electronics or I could tell you the story of the technician, one can of WD40 and £4k worth of damage to a HP1100 HPLC.

I wouldn't really call a push-button switch electronics, and I haven't come to grief yet with a system unit and a monitor on-off button.

Your Kilometerage May Vary.
Use suggestions at your own risk.
Etc.

kwikbreaks

It may need cleaning but the chances are it's had a mechanical failure.

esuhl

chipp wrote: »

I'm more nervous about opening up the case than anything else! Will it be OK to work on it upside down (to give easy access to these screws which are all underneath)...

Yeah -- as long as you're not heavy-handed, it doesn't matter which way up the PC is.

chipp wrote: »

Should the case slide off easily once I've undone all the screws I can see or will I need to wiggle it or open it out slightly (it doesn't have removable side panels like many desktops)? Are there retaining clips behind any of the screws that are likely to drop out onto any critical components? Someone must have taken apart one of these machines or something pretty similar, there must be loads of them out there!

No idea -- have a look online. There might be an engineers' manual showing how the thing comes apart.

chipp wrote: »

Once I've managed to get inside, I'm hoping it will just be a bit of fluff on the contacts, easily cleared, because I have no soldering skills or kit.

Me neither! For things like switches, you can just wrap the bare wire ends round the contacts, then use duct tape to keep everything in place.

Fightsback

John_Gray wrote: »

I wouldn't really call a push-button switch electronics, and I haven't come to grief yet with a system unit and a monitor on-off button.

WD40 classic eventually forms a sticky horrible residue. If you going to use WD40 then use the correct WD40 product:

John_Gray

Now that's something I haven't come across. Thanks!

chipp

Very helpful youtube link, googler, having taken a closer look at mine (it helps to have your specs on when groping around in the dark under the desk!) I do appear to have this case, with a removable side panel that I'd been completely unaware of. Thanks to all you lovely people I feel much more confident about tackling things now.