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October 28th, 2017 03:00
Optiplex 3020 - fire risk?
Hi - I'm a newbie to this forum, also to using a Dell Optiplex 3020 Compact Tower. I'm running Win7 Home Premium on an SSD.
My PC is working OK, but should I switch off all mains power when my PC shuts down - something I've always done with previous PCs, as a safety thing.
When I shutdown the Dell in the normal way, an amber motherboard LED still glows, which proves power is still being supplied to the PC. I then switch off the mains supply at the wall.
The next time I put the wall switch on, the Dell did a little beep, the PC's power button & hard drive lights flashed, & the amber LED glowed - but the PC didn't power up until I pressed the front panel power button.
Is it OK to turn off all power after the PC shuts down, or better to leave the power on? Could this be a fire risk if something went wrong?
I'd appreciate the opinions of all you experts out there! Many thanks for your thoughts, Niloc1017
RoHe
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October 28th, 2017 11:00
Yes, it's ok to turn off the power at the mains after you shut down normally through Windows. The LED on the motherboard only means that the PC is getting "flea" power which is a very small amount of energy.
The behavior you're seeing when you turn the mains on again is perfectly normal. The PC thinks that it's recovering from a power failure so it turns on for a second or two to see what it's supposed to do when recovering. If BIOS is set to "do nothing", it turns off again. If it's set to "reboot", it automatically reboots without you having to press the power button.
If you're lazy me, you can set BIOS to reboot when recovering from a power failure. So as soon as you turn the mains on, the PC boots and you don't have to do anything else. I have PC, monitor and speakers connected to the same surge protector which I turn off every night. So when I turn the surge on, the PC boots, and the monitor and speakers turn on at the same time.
If you decide to use a surge this way, just make sure that it's capable of handling the power demands for all the devices connected to it.
speedstep
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47K Posts
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October 30th, 2017 05:00
All Dell products are UL listed so there is no fire risk leaving them plugged in.
You will consume CR2032 cmos batteries faster than normal if you cut power at the mains.
Niloc1017
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October 30th, 2017 04:00
Hi Ron - you are a real star! Not only responding the same day as my post, but you were so very helpful & comprehensive in your reply. Thank you so very much. I now understand a bit more how these Dells work! But I'm puzzled by a green LED & a push button on the rear of the tower, near to the PSU. I guess it's some kind of reset?
I'd never heard of 'flea power' before! All my previous PCs were pretty basic types, with simple BIOS settings.
In my Optiplex, I went to the Power Management in the BIOS, then AC Recovery. I had 3 options: Power Off, Power On & Last Power State. I set it to Power On. And this morning, when I switched the mains power on, the Dell booted - just as you said it would! Brilliant result!
Like you, I have a surge protected power strip with 6 sockets. The main Master socket is for the Dell, & the 5 Slaves are for monitor, printer, speakers etc. When the Dell is shutdown, the Master socket automatically powers off the Slave sockets. Equally, when the Dell is turned on, all the Slave sockets get turned on. Nice & simple!
My only problem was a concern about the fire risk in leaving power on to the Dell. I always turn all gadgets off at the mains to avoid fire etc. I read that in the UK, most fires in the home are caused by electrical items going faulty, when on standby.
Thank you again RoHe for your excellent explanation. I'm so pleased I joined the Dell forum. I love your panda icon - it's the same as my anti-virus app, Panda Free AV !!
Thanks again & kind regards, Niloc1017
RoHe
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October 30th, 2017 12:00
Glad to have helped and welcome to the forum.
The LED and button on rear of the PC for the power supply.
"Green light — The power supply is turned on and is functional. The power cable must be connected to the power connector (at the back of the computer) and to the electrical outlet."
If PC won't boot and that LED isn't on, press the button to test the PSU.
You didn't say which 3020 you have, but the manual for the 3020 Desktop version is here:
topics-cdn.dell.com/.../optiplex-3020-desktop_owner's manual_en-us.pdf
And manual for the Small Form Factor version is here: topics-cdn.dell.com/.../optiplex-3020-desktop_owner's manual2_en-us.pdf
(Note: the 3020M has a different manual.)
Niloc1017
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October 31st, 2017 04:00
Hi SpeedStep - thanks for your helpful & reassuring comments, I have read about cmos batteries being used more if the PC is completely powered off. And you have confirmed it. Thanks & kind regards, Niloc1017
Niloc1017
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October 31st, 2017 04:00
Hi Ron - thanks again for another detailed answer, & also for the link to the manual, which I've now downloaded. My Dell Optiplex is the 3020 Mini Tower - not Compact Tower as I described it earlier!
I have to say that this forum is the best I've ever come across in many years of looking for expert help.
Many thanks & kind regards, Niloc1017