A500 Power Switch Broken, then Fixed

Mrhelper

Senior Member
Apr 29, 2012
216
57
My power sw stopped working with the power ON. Now I can't turn it OFF. Can I use the reset button to restart/reboot?
That should work just fine. That's what the button is for. Just be gentle though. The reset button may even be more fragile than the power button, considering it was designed for very infrequent use. If the tablet is rooted, you can alternately open a shell in a terminal, su to root, and then type the "reboot" command. (I'm not suggesting that this is a good reason to take the risk of rooting a tablet, but merely suggesting that it is an option if the device is already rooted.)
 
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Jchick

Member
Nov 3, 2012
1
0
i have a question, what do i need to solder?
Also, is this problem common among other A500 tablets?
 
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Douvie

Senior Member
Jun 10, 2011
1,030
71
i have a question, what do i need to solder?
Also, is this problem common among other A500 tablets?

Some users have just used glue. Another used a cable tie with an application of glue from a "hot glue gun". Some previous threads have repaired theirs with minimal downtime. And contary to Icebike's suggestion, I have always turned mine OFF. I'm very careful with the amount of pressure I apply to the switch. I also take care in storing my tablet - I have the standard ICONIA cover which is then housed in a padded net book case. Goes a long way in protecting the screen and the buttons on the side.
 

emag

Junior Member
Apr 12, 2014
1
0
I just completed repairing the switch. Twice. First time I used only hot glue, the switch didn't make electrical contact with the MOBO and the hot glue enveloped everything. I dug out the hot glue and was able to re-tack the three solder joints on the bottom of the switch with a butane-powered, fine-tipped torch from Harbor Freight. Scary moment, that. I've never attempted such a job and felt it was way above my abilities. Small dab of hot glue between the switch and vibrator and it's working fine. Definitely a design/construction flaw, I hope it's been corrected. Reading all the previous posts helped quite a bit.
 
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