# Where can I find a website with motherboard/DIP switch info? (HELP!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 14, 2001, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-website-with-motherboard-dip-switch-info-help/61968 "2001-04-14T17:32:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-website-with-motherboard-dip-switch-info-help/61968/1 "2001-04-14T17:32:58Z")
Okay, here’s the story: I got my computer on the cheap, from a small custom-build store that was going out of business. I just recently acquired a nearly-new HD from a friend who was upgrading his own computer, and he offered to install it for me. Normally, I’d do this myself, but it was (I thought) quicker to let him do it when he was working on his own computer. So far, so good. Here’s the problem: When installed the HD, he had to disconnect the DIP switches for my power-on LEDs, etc., in order to get at the disk bay - my case is rather crowded, as I knew beforehand. While he swears he reconnected them exactly as they were before, my computer no longer works- it won’t even power up at all. Problem 2: While there’s a good chance it’s just a fried power supply, I want to be able to rule out some problem with the DIP switch settings. However, I’ve got a no-name ATX motherboard (there’s literally no company name stamped on it, just a serial number), I don’t have the documentation for it, and the place that sold it to me has gone out of business. So, does anyone know of a site that might have any info on my motherboard at all? I’ve tried looking, but any search I try just ends up returning a bunch of hits for companies hawking \*\*their[b/] generic ATX motherboards, and none that I’ve seen looks like mine. Needless to say, until I can repair my computer, I’m going to feel worthless and incomplete. Thus, I will be indebted to anyone who can help me out. Please? ::desperate, large-eyed stare:: ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-website-with-motherboard-dip-switch-info-help/61968/2 "2001-04-14T18:11:35Z")
Not sure if these places will help but it’s worth a try: [http://www.overclockers.com/](http://www.overclockers.com/) > **[AnandTech: Hardware News and Tech Reviews Since 1997](https://www.anandtech.com/)** > > News and reviews of PC components, smartphones, tablets, pre-built desktops, notebooks, Macs and enterprise/cloud computing technologies. And of course: [Extreme Computing formerly known as Tom’s Hardware](http://forums.delphi.com/extremecompute/start/) Let us know if any of these help you! ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-website-with-motherboard-dip-switch-info-help/61968/3 "2001-04-14T18:18:11Z")
BTW, just for future reference…anytime you mess with DIP switches, one should always diagram the original settings before preforming computer surgery. It’s a lot easier to reset your machine to it’s initial settings if things get all boogered up. But it’s kinda late for that now I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-website-with-motherboard-dip-switch-info-help/61968/4 "2001-04-14T18:49:14Z")
An ATX power supply will not power up anything until the connector for power on is attached and pushed. I don’t think you are refering to dip switches on the motherboard. It sounds like you trying to say he removed the connectors from the motherboard that go to the front panel, as in power, reset switches, and leds. In that case, the mother board will usually have abreviations by the connector pins, and you can trace the wires back to the switch or led that they go to. A led may not light because of the polarity. Give the connector a 180 degree turn around. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-website-with-motherboard-dip-switch-info-help/61968/5 "2001-04-15T03:43:06Z")
Per Harmonius Discord’s point what you are calling “DIP switches” are likely to be simply the connection pins for the PS and reset etc. It is very unlikely that hooking these up incorrectly would fry the PS. The easiest way to test what pair of pins to attach the front panel power connector to (assuming it’s not labeled on the board) is to use the tip of medium sized phillips head screwdriver to bridge the gap between adjacent pins until you locate the pair that turns the machine on. Make sure the on/off switch on the back of the PS (if there is one) is “on”. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 : : : : : : : : : : 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 The wired connector ends will typically go on the bottom and top rows so you will typically be bridging 1-2 or 2-3 etc NOT 1-11 or 2-12 etc so the metal screwdriver tip test connections should be used to test 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 … 19-20 ie 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 not 1 | | | | | | | | | | | 11 Preview shows me that this number and pin aligment I am trying to show is not going to show up well after posting but hopefully the point will be conveyed. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-website-with-motherboard-dip-switch-info-help/61968/6 "2001-04-15T05:46:08Z")
Per Harmonius Discord’s point what you are calling “DIP switches” are likely to be simply the connection pins for the PS and reset etc. It is very unlikely that hooking these up incorrectly would fry the PS. The easiest way to test what pair of pins to attach the front panel power connector to (assuming it’s not labeled on the board) is to use the tip of medium sized phillips head screwdriver to bridge the gap between adjacent pins until you locate the pair that turns the machine on. Make sure the on/off switch on the back of the PS (if there is one) is “on”. ```auto 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 : : : : : : : : : : 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 The wired connector ends will typically go on the bottom and top rows so you will typically be bridging 1-2 or 2-3 etc NOT 1-11 or 2-12 etc so the metal screwdriver tip test connections should be used to test 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 ... 19-20 ie 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 not 1 | | | | | | | | | | | 11 ``` Preview shows me that this number and pin aligment I am trying to show is not going to show up well after posting but hopefully the point will be conveyed. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-website-with-motherboard-dip-switch-info-help/61968/7 "2001-04-15T15:25:44Z")
Another good source is [hardware central’s discussion board](http://discussions.hardwarecentral.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro). ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-website-with-motherboard-dip-switch-info-help/61968/8 "2001-04-15T15:35:22Z")
If you don’t know who made it then you might not be able to find any info on it. Usually they put the info on the board itself. BTW: ATX cases have two power switches, not one, one in front, one in back & both have to be on! ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-website-with-motherboard-dip-switch-info-help/61968/9 "2001-04-16T12:07:18Z")
also try advanced search at [windrivers.com](http://windrivers.com) it will let you search for manuf. by FDD ID# that should be printed on hte MB