My POWER BUTTON ON MY GATEWAY BWILL NOT WORK, I HAVE SOLVED THIS PROBLEM BY PUMPING THE POWER BUTTON AND MOVING THE SCREAN AT THE SAME TIME

The wire has simply broken off of the inside of the connector where it goes into the laptop or the pin in the middle has pushed itself in or is loose inside. The top of the laptop must come off starting with all the screws on the bottom of the laptop and sometimes under panels and when the dvd drive is removed look upward in its hold for screws.

then get a credit card and pry the keyboard up gently but the plastic piece above it towards the screen may have to be removed first then 3 screws holding the keyboard down perhaps, or perhaps is just the keyboard and if you look along the edges of it you see black tabs that can be pushed inward using plastic tools and with a pointy object get under the corner of the keyboard gently and lift it but not too far until the ribbon clip is lifted. Then remove more screws and clips gently and with credit card pry the top section or mousepad surround from the rest of the body, but the screen may have to be removed firstly which entails undoing all it's wiring to the wireless card, the webcam and the screen cable itself and unrouting these cables gently.
Movies on youtube.com can aid in this process.

Clark and mdgdougan,

Clark,
You haven't stated if your problem deals with a desktop computer, or a laptop computer.

If it's a Gateway desktop compute,r you can replace the Power On switch with this generic ATX power on switch,

http://www.directron.com/atxswitch.html

The Power On switch is located inside the plastic Power On button assembly.

The plastic Power On button assembly has 'fingers', or tabs, which hold the Power On switch in place.

Computers heat up inside when operating.
After repeated heating, the plastic of the Power On button assembly becomes brittle.

In my shop I use a hairdryer set to low heat, (And keep the nozzle moving around), or a real warm bowl of water to soften the plastic 'fingers'.

Computer off, and unplugged from power. Remove the wires of the Power On switch to the Front Panel header on the motherboard.

Make SURE you make notes, and perhaps a drawing, as to what pins in the Front Panel header that those wires connect to, BEFORE you remove the wires from the pins on the motherboard!

(Power On button assembly in hand, place it in the bowl of very warm water. The switch is bad so it doesn't matter if it gets wet. You're going to throw it away)

mdgdugan,

The Power On switch for a Gateway NV54 laptop is mounted to a Power Board.
The entire Power Board is replaced.

This is a pictorial guide for disassembling the Gateway NV series of Notebook PC's,

[The Gateway NV54 laptop is one of the Gateway NV series of Notebook PC's.
A Gateway NV53 Notebook PC is used for the example],

http://www.insidemylaptop.com/disassemble-gateway-nv-series-laptop-fix-power-jack/

This link takes you to the Service Manual for the Gateway NV53 models. The information should directly crossover for your NV54,

http://www.tim.id.au/blog/tims-laptop-service-manuals/#toc-gateway

Where it starts with Gateway 400 go to the second line down, and click on NV53.

[This is a PDF file. Allow up to 30 seconds to see the first page, and additional time may be needed to fully download the file]

Here is one place from a quick search which sells the Power Button Board,

http://www.skyline-eng.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=7394

For additional questions or to clarify anything I have stated, please post in a Comment.
Regards,
joecoolvette

Clark, I'm having the same problem with my Gateway NV54. From what I've researched it seems the power button needs to be replaced. I see you posted this in February. Has your problem been resolved since then? I'd appreciate if you told me how if you did. Thanks.

Try pressing the power button in and holding it for four seconds , the gateway will turn off