Altos G540 M2 wont boot, power supply and fans work but power button does nothing

Cam_D_1949
Cam_D_1949 Member Posts: 25 Troubleshooter
edited September 1 in Servers & Storage

Hi All,

I have just acquired a G540. The other day it booted up and I managed to get into the bios.
However now the power supplies (yes they both seem to work) fire up and the fans are working.
However if I press the power button nothing happens. I have checked continuity with the switch to the board and the power on part is working.

Any thoughts on what this newbie can do.

I would like to put Proxmox on it.

[Edited the thread to add issue detail to the title]

Best Answer

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,234 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓

    Yeah, it need to be another x54xx with the same front side bus speed. Luckily they are all old enough to be fairly cheap on the secondary market. I see a matched pair of Xeon X5450 on eBay for $17.99 including shipping as the first entry in an eBay search. That's a step up from yours, still on the 1333 bus and at 80W TDP.

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Answers

  • StevenGen
    StevenGen ACE Posts: 12,165 Trailblazer
    edited August 27
    https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/711532/cannot-turn-on-my-new-altos-g540-server

    The Alto G540 servers is a specialist Acer product as is the Proxmox OS, so consult Acer and the link about this product OS the Proxmox OS for best results is what I suggest to you, unless a community member has experience with the Alto G540 and can answer your post

    You can download here Acer Altos G540 M2 Series User’s Guide, I've included its PDF specs which I hope will help you out, Btw, its Intel Xeon X5550 CPU can be upgraded to the Xeon X5570 for more performance as for the ram it can't be upgraded as Acer fitted all the ram that the G540 can use. Good luck and hope this helps you out.

    Acer Altos G540 M2 server specs.pdf

    If this answers your question and solved your query please "Click on Yes" or "Click on Like" if you find my answer useful👍

  • Cam_D_1949
    Cam_D_1949 Member Posts: 25 Troubleshooter

    I still cannot get it to POST. Power supply fan(s) go on but I don't think any power is getting to the motherboard.

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,234 Trailblazer

    Does it show anything in the status indicators at the front? Do you get a splash screen on the display when first turning it on? I'll try an escalate to get access to the SG for those models to see if we can pin it down any farther as to where it might be failing… I assume this is a used system?

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  • Cam_D_1949
    Cam_D_1949 Member Posts: 25 Troubleshooter

    Yes it is used. Now setting up for my home server.
    On Mains power on I get the power supply fans turning on.
    Then The keyboard lights flash to show that they are working, then nothing.
    Nothing from the monitor or no fans at all.
    Yesterday it seemed to want o start for about 3 seconds then died again. Have changed the button battery.

    Also have done the bios reset.

    Also have ordered a used  Xeon X5570 cpu.

    Cam

  • StevenGen
    StevenGen ACE Posts: 12,165 Trailblazer
    edited August 30
    https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1294467#Comment_1294467

    Check the DDR3 ram (btw, this server is compatible with DDR3-800/1066/1333) take the ram out and clean the modules and its pins and replace the modules one by one by booting with only one ram module etc etc and see if the ram is faulty or its slots are faulty and it restricts the server from booting, as that could be an issue for no screen image also.

    If this answers your question and solved your query please "Click on Yes" or "Click on Like" if you find my answer useful👍

  • Cam_D_1949
    Cam_D_1949 Member Posts: 25 Troubleshooter

    Have cleaned the ram and tested one at a time. Still no go.

  • StevenGen
    StevenGen ACE Posts: 12,165 Trailblazer
    https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1294474#Comment_1294474

    Have you read Acer Altos G540 M2 Series User’s Guidethat I've given you a link to, as that manual has allot of information and troubleshooting in there for the Alto G540 server. Download that and see if there are any solutions.

    If this answers your question and solved your query please "Click on Yes" or "Click on Like" if you find my answer useful👍

  • Cam_D_1949
    Cam_D_1949 Member Posts: 25 Troubleshooter

    Yes I have gone through the troubleshooting areas. Are their any onboard fuses?

    I will now go through again and see what I can find.

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,234 Trailblazer
    edited August 30

    I'd start with the simple… Does the power button itself work? You should be shorted between the two pins when the button is pressed and open when not pressed…

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  • Cam_D_1949
    Cam_D_1949 Member Posts: 25 Troubleshooter
    https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1294598#Comment_1294598

    Yes, as stated in my first post I tested the power button with a multimetre. Al fine.

    Also Power supplies are both fine.

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,234 Trailblazer

    OK, the power button is turning on the power supplies, which should also power up the drives. The next step in the boot process is usually to validate the BIOS image, then initialize the CPUs and the bottom end of memory, so it can initiate running POST. You might have a corrupted BIOS due to the age of the CMOS battery. Try replacing the battery then do a CMOS reset and see if that gets it up farther.

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  • Cam_D_1949
    Cam_D_1949 Member Posts: 25 Troubleshooter

    I have put in a new cmos battery and done the cmos reset. When I press the power button I don't get any response from the server at all. Just the fans from the power supplies. The main fans do not come to life.

  • Cam_D_1949
    Cam_D_1949 Member Posts: 25 Troubleshooter

    Just did another check on the power supplies.

    They both show the yellow led not the green one.

    What should I be seeing?

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,234 Trailblazer

    Hmm, we're getting closer:

    image.png

    What power are you providing?

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  • Cam_D_1949
    Cam_D_1949 Member Posts: 25 Troubleshooter

    2 x 240v AC - I live in sunny Australia.

  • Cam_D_1949
    Cam_D_1949 Member Posts: 25 Troubleshooter

    BTW I have dual power supplies.

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,234 Trailblazer

    By any chance is there a 120/240 switch on the back of the power supplies? If not we'll have to look for shorts… You could disconnect both PSUs from the MB and try plugging them in without any load to see if the lights turn green.

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  • Cam_D_1949
    Cam_D_1949 Member Posts: 25 Troubleshooter
    https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1295238#Comment_1295238

    Just removed both power supplies.

    When they have been powered on the light green lights are on. (not dark green on the top)

    It is strange that a week ago the machine fired up as per usual.

    Does this mean that their was/is a short on the motherboard which has blown both power supplies?

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,234 Trailblazer

    If the power supplies show green when they aren't connected to the system, and amber when connected, the issue is with the system, not the power supplies themselves. Now comes the challenge, tracing down what's drawing too much power on the system itself. I'm still waiting for access to a service guide to try and help figure out what might be doing that.

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  • Cam_D_1949
    Cam_D_1949 Member Posts: 25 Troubleshooter
    https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1295438#Comment_1295438

    Any luck with the service guide.

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