Dead Dell

AJ

Distinguished
Apr 1, 2004
288
0
18,780
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Help! Have a Dell 4500 p4 that won't boot. The local shop says its the mobo.
So they order an exact replacement.
I install and still won't boot. Swapped power supply with known working one.
No boot. Took front cover off and
the light below the on switch comes on and stays on only after I push the
button to power up. Disconnect power
and all lights go out. All connections checked and rechecked. This system
was dropped and don't know what else
to look at besides the little board that the on switch is plugged into.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
AJ
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 18:04:28 GMT, AJ wrote in
<news:MsW8d.6391$Vm1.2522@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>:

> Help! Have a Dell 4500 p4 that won't boot. The local shop says its the mobo.
> So they order an exact replacement.
> I install and still won't boot. Swapped power supply with known working one.
> No boot. Took front cover off and
> the light below the on switch comes on and stays on only after I push the
> button to power up. Disconnect power
> and all lights go out. All connections checked and rechecked. This system
> was dropped and don't know what else
> to look at besides the little board that the on switch is plugged into.
>
> Any thoughts?

Are you using the most updated BIOS?

Dave
Being a smart ass.
--
You can talk about us, but you can't talk without us!
US Army Signal Corps!!

http://www.geocities.com/davidcasey98

Remove IH8SPAM to reply by email!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

try to boot the machine with the bare minimum of devices connected...
processor, ram, hard disk, video card or even just a floppy instead of the
hard disk and then check the led error code on the back of the system for a
clue as to the source of the problem. here is a chart of what the codes
mean:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim4500/advanced.htm#1118998

"AJ" <kircaldy@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:MsW8d.6391$Vm1.2522@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> Help! Have a Dell 4500 p4 that won't boot. The local shop says its the
mobo.
> So they order an exact replacement.
> I install and still won't boot. Swapped power supply with known working
one.
> No boot. Took front cover off and
> the light below the on switch comes on and stays on only after I push the
> button to power up. Disconnect power
> and all lights go out. All connections checked and rechecked. This system
> was dropped and don't know what else
> to look at besides the little board that the on switch is plugged into.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Thanks!
> AJ
>
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Christopher Muto" <muto@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:zB_8d.610$Ua.609@trndny03...
> try to boot the machine with the bare minimum of devices connected...
> processor, ram, hard disk, video card or even just a floppy instead of the
> hard disk and then check the led error code on the back of the system for
> a
> clue as to the source of the problem. here is a chart of what the codes
> mean:
> http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim4500/advanced.htm#1118998
>


Like Chris said, strip it to the CPU/heatsink, power supply (2) connectors,
and power switch connector.

See if it will then attempt to boot and produce beep(s) codes....

The computer shop owes you some money, btw....

Post back.

Stew
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

I agree with the other two posts concerning stripping the machine to bare
minimum. I had a CDRW just go bad while not even using it. Until I
disconnected all the periprials the machine would not try to boot. I then
plugged one drive in at a time, powered up until I found the culprit. The
CDRW apparently felled and loaded the system buss rendering the computer
useless while it was connected.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Yeah, really! For a moment I thought that you were Ron Reaugh! And that's
getting as low as they go around here... Ben Myers

On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 20:53:44 -0600, David Casey <sgtcasey@IH8SPAMcableone.net>
wrote:

>On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 18:04:28 GMT, AJ wrote in
><news:MsW8d.6391$Vm1.2522@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>:
>
>> Help! Have a Dell 4500 p4 that won't boot. The local shop says its the mobo.
>> So they order an exact replacement.
>> I install and still won't boot. Swapped power supply with known working one.
>> No boot. Took front cover off and
>> the light below the on switch comes on and stays on only after I push the
>> button to power up. Disconnect power
>> and all lights go out. All connections checked and rechecked. This system
>> was dropped and don't know what else
>> to look at besides the little board that the on switch is plugged into.
>>
>> Any thoughts?
>
>Are you using the most updated BIOS?
>
>Dave
>Being a smart ass.
>--
>You can talk about us, but you can't talk without us!
>US Army Signal Corps!!
>
>http://www.geocities.com/davidcasey98
>
>Remove IH8SPAM to reply by email!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 03:26:35 GMT, ben_myers_spam_me_not wrote in
<news:4164b734.1067059@news.charter.net>:

> Yeah, really! For a moment I thought that you were Ron Reaugh! And that's
> getting as low as they go around here... Ben Myers

Oh, now you're just being wacko. ;-)

Dave
--
You can talk about us, but you can't talk without us!
US Army Signal Corps!!

http://www.geocities.com/davidcasey98

Remove IH8SPAM to reply by email!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

You stole my post!


"David Casey" <sgtcasey@IH8SPAMcableone.net> wrote in message
news:4ebbrkfwi9e5$.dlg@sgtcaseycableone.net...
> On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 18:04:28 GMT, AJ wrote in
> <news:MsW8d.6391$Vm1.2522@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>:
>
>> Help! Have a Dell 4500 p4 that won't boot. The local shop says its the
>> mobo.
>> So they order an exact replacement.
>> I install and still won't boot. Swapped power supply with known working
>> one.
>> No boot. Took front cover off and
>> the light below the on switch comes on and stays on only after I push the
>> button to power up. Disconnect power
>> and all lights go out. All connections checked and rechecked. This system
>> was dropped and don't know what else
>> to look at besides the little board that the on switch is plugged into.
>>
>> Any thoughts?
>
> Are you using the most updated BIOS?
>
> Dave
> Being a smart ass.
> --
> You can talk about us, but you can't talk without us!
> US Army Signal Corps!!
>
> http://www.geocities.com/davidcasey98
>
> Remove IH8SPAM to reply by email!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 07:10:51 -0400, Tom Scales wrote in
<news:CdydnTqo7M86ufjcRVn-sg@comcast.com>:

>>> Help! Have a Dell 4500 p4 that won't boot. The local shop says its the
>>> mobo.
>>> So they order an exact replacement.
>>> I install and still won't boot. Swapped power supply with known working
>>> one.
>>> No boot. Took front cover off and
>>> the light below the on switch comes on and stays on only after I push the
>>> button to power up. Disconnect power
>>> and all lights go out. All connections checked and rechecked. This system
>>> was dropped and don't know what else
>>> to look at besides the little board that the on switch is plugged into.
>>>
>>> Any thoughts?
>>
>> Are you using the most updated BIOS?
>
> You stole my post!

Sorry. I was trying to beat Ron and Brian to the punch. ;-)

Dave
--
You can talk about us, but you can't talk without us!
US Army Signal Corps!!

http://www.geocities.com/davidcasey98

Remove IH8SPAM to reply by email!
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Gary,
Good point. My Dell Inspiron 7000 wouldn't complete boot up.Tech support
had me remove one component at a time and try to reboot, finally got down
to the extra ram chip. Removed it and the computer booted! Put all the
components back in one at a time and tried rebooting. The tech support
person stayed with me all the while. Finally got down to the ram chip, he
told me to reinsert it. Figured this wouldn't work, low and behold the
computer booted up. I've been running the same ram chip for a year without
further incident, go figure.
Paul

"Gary Avrett" <designer852@sbcglobal.net_nospam> wrote in message
news:FI19d.7436$Rf1.3719@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com...
>I agree with the other two posts concerning stripping the machine to bare
>minimum. I had a CDRW just go bad while not even using it. Until I
>disconnected all the periprials the machine would not try to boot. I then
>plugged one drive in at a time, powered up until I found the culprit. The
>CDRW apparently felled and loaded the system buss rendering the computer
>useless while it was connected.
>