Problem
My Dell PowerEdge R510 abruptly shut down and would not power back on.
Diagnosis
Checked iDRAC and found a voltage issue. It reported a bad voltage reading for “System Board 5V PG.”
Googling the error led me to this page, whose resolution steps I followed:
- Shut down the server.
- Unplug both power supplies.
- Remove and re-seat the power supplies.
- Hold the power button for ~20 seconds.
- Plug the power supplies back in.
- Press the power button.
Was the problem resolved?
Not permanently. The server booted and all checks passed, but the issue recurred about a month later.
Update: 2024
The issue has persisted, the server occasionally powers off abruptly, roughly once every few months.
Attempted solutions since the original post
- Swapped the RAM back from 8GB sticks to the original 4GB sticks.
- Removed Power Supply 1.
- Reinstalled Power Supply 1 and pulled Power Supply 2.
- Checked the motherboard for failing capacitors.
- Updated everything from BIOS to iDRAC, including both power supply firmware.
Nothing has fixed it. I’ve decided to live with it until I can upgrade to better hardware.
Update: 2026
The server is still kicking. The power failure happens about once every 3-4 months. The server hard shuts down, then reboots normally and Unraid does its parity check.
No issues with corruption or otherwise, which is incredible for a sever I bought for $300 in 2018