# Abit BE7 Motherboard. I can't figure out where the power switch goes.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 8, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515 "2009-12-08T21:32:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/1 "2009-12-08T21:32:13Z")
I’m attempting to build an extra computer with all the parts I have laying around. Basically, I just want it to be able to run Hulu and Netflix instawatch to a TV in the workout room since we have no cable and the digital rabbit ears don’t work in the basement.
I’ve got the computer mostly assembled, but have no idea of any or all of the components still work. I wanted to power it up, but can’t really make out where the two wire from the power switch hook up.
I’ve built many computers, but have always had the users manual that comes with the MB - not the case here.
So, firstly, does anyone have a manual for an ABIT BE7 motherboard or know where I can download one? I’ve tried Abit’s website with no luck. Googling it sends me to a bunch of crummy sites that all end up in dead links.
My other option is to try to decipher the motherboard. I’m not sure if my camera is up to the task of getting the tiny print, but I’ll try to post a pic.
TIA for any help.
---
### Author:  [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/2 "2009-12-08T21:39:33Z")
That board may have a standard front panel header on it. Here is the spec:
> **[Support for Intel® Boards & Kits](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/products/78586/boards-and-kits.html)**
>
> Support product highlights, featured content, downloads and more for Intel® Boards & Kits.
Good luck!
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### Author:  [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/3 "2009-12-08T22:07:06Z")
That looks promising.
```auto
xxxx x xxx
xxxxx xxxx
```
^SP\_LEDPWR\_ONPWR\_LED
HDD\_LEDRESET SPEAKER KEYLOCK
That’s the best description I can do in text. The first bank looks like the standard header. I’ll see if that works.
Thanks for the quick response!
---
### Author:  [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/4 "2009-12-08T22:32:03Z")
Here’s a pic
[ ](https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w320/gravityisnotmyfriend/powerbuttoncrop.jpg)
I tried to jump the two wires based on the standard header and nothing happened. do I need to do anything else to power it up? What am I missing here?
---
### Author:  [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/5 "2009-12-08T23:20:49Z")
I have an Abit AB9 with a similar jumper layout, and the power connector on that is jumper 3 and 4 starting from the upper left corner.
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### Author:  [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/6 "2009-12-08T23:23:48Z")
Is there no legend on the board?
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### Author:  [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/7 "2009-12-09T00:26:53Z")
> [@Telperion](#):
>
> I have an Abit AB9 with a similar jumper layout, and the power connector on that is jumper 3 and 4 starting from the upper left corner.
So, if I jump 3 &4 together - and by that I mean I touch both of them at the same time with a screwdriver - it should power on, right?
There is one light on on the MB. So I know power of some type is getting there. And the fan on the CPU did start to spin once while I was touching the pins, but I’m not sure which two I touched and I can’t recreate it. Maybe more than one pin has to be grounded? It’s just frustrating.
> [@Myglaren](#):
>
> Is there no legend on the board?
Yes, there is - but it’s unclear which text goes with which pins. See the pic a couple of posts up.
---
### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/8 "2009-12-09T00:46:02Z")
The pins across the top, from left:
Suspend LED +
Suspend LED -
Power switch
Power switch
blank
blank
blank
Power LED +
blank
Power LED -
Keylock
Keylock
Across the bottom, from left:
HDD LED +
HDD LED -
Reset switch
Reset Switch
unused
blank
blank
Speaker
Speaker
Speaker
Speaker
blank
---
### Author:  [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/9 "2009-12-09T00:52:14Z")
Awesome! Thanks.
So, there must be something else wrong here. AFAIK, the power switch is just a momentary push switch. So, when you hit the power button, you momentarily connect the two pins. So, if I touch both pins at the same time with a screwdriver, it should come on. Right?
---
### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/10 "2009-12-09T00:59:37Z")
Yes.
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### Author:  [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/11 "2009-12-09T01:45:31Z")
any suggestions on what to try next? The power supply has an on/off switch. If I turn that on and push the power button, the cpu fan spins for about 1/2 a second.
The power button does nothing unless I switch the ps off and on again. Then I can get the fan to spin again - but that’s it.
I tried different sticks of ram in different slots. Not sure what else to try next
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### Author:  [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/12 "2009-12-09T03:23:02Z")
No idea on how to make it work at this point, but I have an old ABIT BE6 computer (450MHz PIII) that originally ran Windows 98 SE. Trying to install XP always failed, I could not find drivers for the ATA 66 hard drive controller on that motherboard. If the BE7 has a similar hard drive controller, save yourself some headaches and skip trying to install XP if it fails more than a couple of times. That board had no problems with Ubuntu though, except for the sound card. It works for e-mail and browsing, but watching video is right out. Good luck with it though, trying to overcome the obstacles is half the fun, right?
---
### Author:  [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/13 "2009-12-09T14:14:32Z")
Well, here’s the full story - my brother upgraded his computer. His old one was better than the one I had so he gave it to me. It had this MB and a Pentium 4 2.56Ghz processor. It started getting glitchy so I finally gave in and built my current computer. I gutted my brother’s case and installed everything new. After rebuilding my new computer - I had exactly the same problems that I was having with the old one. Turns out the culprit was the switch on the case that I was reusing. I replaced that and everything was shiny. Which meant that I had dismantled a perfectly good (though a bit out dated) computer.
Now, I’ve gutted my old computer and am attempting to install all the guts out of my brother’s computer in it.
But, I wasn’t very careful about storing the MB and components out of my brother’s computer. No static proof mylar bags - no foam protecting the pins - just kinda stacked in a box. So, I may have wrecked something - I don’t know.
---
### Author:  [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/14 "2009-12-09T17:08:59Z")
When I assembled a computer it would not start (press button = nothing). I was advised that the likely problem was a short. I took it apart and reassembled it, eliminating any unnecessary connections. It started. Apparently I had misconnected the fans.
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### Author:  [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/15 "2009-12-09T17:57:24Z")
This may sound silly but the first PC I ever built used an Abit mobo (BP6? Whatever their dual celeron board was) and when I assembled it I could not get the thing to power on.
After some investigating it turned out that I had accidentally left the “clear CMOS” jumper in place. Check and see if you’ve got anything like that going on.
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### Author:  [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/16 "2009-12-09T23:32:05Z")
ethelbert, I’m trying that next. I don’t think anything’s shorted - but it’s worth a shot.
Valgard, Without a user manual - I have no idea where that jumper is. But, I haven’t changed anything since it was working before. There are 3 jumpers on the MB, but I have no idea what they do!
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### Author:  [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/17 "2009-12-10T01:09:36Z")
Wahoo! I think I got it!
I took the MB out of the case and set it on wood to eliminate any chance of grounding - and
IT WORKED!
Now I just gotta get it to work in the case.
Thanks for the help guys.
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### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/18 "2009-12-10T01:41:20Z")
Are there any mounting studs in the case that don’t line up with a hole in the
MB?
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### Author:  [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/19 "2009-12-10T01:46:52Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#):
>
> Are there any mounting studs in the case that don’t line up with a hole in the
> MB?
You guys ever hear about that one farmer and his dog? I believe BINGO! was his name-O
Stud removed - she powers up like a champ. Time to hook her up to some peripherals and load some software.
---
### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abit-be7-motherboard-i-cant-figure-out-where-the-power-switch-goes/520515/20 "2009-12-10T02:20:46Z")
Excellent!
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