5150 problems--worth fixing?

I've got a D5150 here that's just out of warranty. I've gone over it
every way I know how but I can't find an obvious problem so my guess is
the motherboard.

The machine sometimes boots into Windows but as soon as you do something
it restarts and just dies. The power button light turns amber.

Sometimes when trying to restart from there, the CPU fan will roar like
a jet engine and slowly spin back down to normal but the computer won't
reboot.

This is my dad's machine and I've already reformatted a 4550 I had here
for him. For web and email it's fine but I'd like to figure this one out.

Any guesses besides the motherboard? I don't want to lay out too much
cash on this thing since it could be replaced for about $300.00 new.

Bob

"Bob Levine" <fake@fake.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:iXNgj.3008$Z61.1606@trnddc07...
> I've got a D5150 here that's just out of warranty. I've gone over it every
> way I know how but I can't find an obvious problem so my guess is the
> motherboard.
>
> The machine sometimes boots into Windows but as soon as you do something
> it restarts and just dies. The power button light turns amber.
>
> Sometimes when trying to restart from there, the CPU fan will roar like a
> jet engine and slowly spin back down to normal but the computer won't
> reboot.
>
> This is my dad's machine and I've already reformatted a 4550 I had here
> for him. For web and email it's fine but I'd like to figure this one out.
>
> Any guesses besides the motherboard? I don't want to lay out too much cash
> on this thing since it could be replaced for about $300.00 new.
>
> Bob



Check the vents and fan underneath for dirt and dust. That model is prone to
serious overheating (uses a desktop P4 rather than a P4M chip).

In theory, overheats - dumps. Won't restart until it's cooled down enough
to repeat the cycle.

Any chance it's really filthy?

Stew, i thought by D5150, he meant a desktop, not the laptop.

Bob, you may as well check the cmos battery...
northing would surprise me.


S.Lewis wrote:
> "Bob Levine" <fake@fake.com.invalid> wrote in message
> news:iXNgj.3008$Z61.1606@trnddc07...
>> I've got a D5150 here that's just out of warranty. I've gone over it every
>> way I know how but I can't find an obvious problem so my guess is the
>> motherboard.
>>
>> The machine sometimes boots into Windows but as soon as you do something
>> it restarts and just dies. The power button light turns amber.
>>
>> Sometimes when trying to restart from there, the CPU fan will roar like a
>> jet engine and slowly spin back down to normal but the computer won't
>> reboot.
>>
>> This is my dad's machine and I've already reformatted a 4550 I had here
>> for him. For web and email it's fine but I'd like to figure this one out.
>>
>> Any guesses besides the motherboard? I don't want to lay out too much cash
>> on this thing since it could be replaced for about $300.00 new.
>>
>> Bob
>
>
>
> Check the vents and fan underneath for dirt and dust. That model is prone to
> serious overheating (uses a desktop P4 rather than a P4M chip).
>
> In theory, overheats - dumps. Won't restart until it's cooled down enough
> to repeat the cycle.
>
> Any chance it's really filthy?
>
>

Jay B wrote:
> Stew, i thought by D5150, he meant a desktop, not the laptop.
>
> Bob, you may as well check the cmos battery...
> northing would surprise me.
>

Thanks, guys.

I think I may just tear this apart for spare parts. I just don't think
it's worth the time or energy.

Bob

did you at least swap the power supply?
its an easy attempt.
such a shame, the 5150 is a reliable machine.
never seen one die yet.

Bob Levine wrote:
> Jay B wrote:
>> Stew, i thought by D5150, he meant a desktop, not the laptop.
>>
>> Bob, you may as well check the cmos battery...
>> northing would surprise me.
>>
>
> Thanks, guys.
>
> I think I may just tear this apart for spare parts. I just don't think
> it's worth the time or energy.
>
> Bob

i think stew was referring to the inspiron 5150 laptop and that the op was
talking about a dimention 5150 desktop.
i hate this model for the ambiguity of the name alone, almost as bad as
calling a desktop an inspiron after over a decade of only calling laptops
that name...
if the question is about a desktop then i suggest this... look on the rear
of the system for the four leds labeled abcd to see if they are all green or
show and error code (some amber or off) before or after you experience the
problem. also you can simply try running diagnostics on the system to see
what they cough up as the source of the problem. you may want to remove all
accessories, optical drives, usb devices, floppy, internal card reader, even
most of the memory to see if it eliminates the problem. let us know if you
happen to get any clues that we can build on...

"Bob Levine" <fake@fake.com.invalid> wrote in message
newsmPgj.5730$EN6.366@trndny07...
> Jay B wrote:
>> Stew, i thought by D5150, he meant a desktop, not the laptop.
>>
>> Bob, you may as well check the cmos battery...
>> northing would surprise me.
>>
>
> Thanks, guys.
>
> I think I may just tear this apart for spare parts. I just don't think
> it's worth the time or energy.
>
> Bob

"Christopher Muto" <muto@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:13o7hq4kldpdr2e@corp.supernews.com...
>i think stew was referring to the inspiron 5150 laptop and that the op was
>talking about a dimention 5150 desktop.
> i hate this model for the ambiguity of the name alone, almost as bad as
> calling a desktop an inspiron after over a decade of only calling laptops
> that name...
> if the question is about a desktop then i suggest this... look on the rear
> of the system for the four leds labeled abcd to see if they are all green
> or show and error code (some amber or off) before or after you experience
> the problem. also you can simply try running diagnostics on the system to
> see what they cough up as the source of the problem. you may want to
> remove all accessories, optical drives, usb devices, floppy, internal card
> reader, even most of the memory to see if it eliminates the problem. let
> us know if you happen to get any clues that we can build on...
>

Guys -

~~~~~~~~ Mea culpa. I was thinking notebook versus the OP's Dimension.
Carry on. ~~~~

Sorry for the confusion.

-Stew

Christopher Muto wrote:
> i think stew was referring to the inspiron 5150 laptop and that the op was
> talking about a dimention 5150 desktop.
> i hate this model for the ambiguity of the name alone, almost as bad as
> calling a desktop an inspiron after over a decade of only calling laptops
> that name...
> if the question is about a desktop then i suggest this... look on the rear
> of the system for the four leds labeled abcd to see if they are all green or
> show and error code (some amber or off) before or after you experience the
> problem. also you can simply try running diagnostics on the system to see
> what they cough up as the source of the problem. you may want to remove all
> accessories, optical drives, usb devices, floppy, internal card reader, even
> most of the memory to see if it eliminates the problem. let us know if you
> happen to get any clues that we can build on...

I'll give that a go when I get a chance. I had to take the HD out to get
the data off.

Bob

To Chris' point, 5150 is ambiguous, either a Dimension or an Inspiron. So
which one are we all trying to talk about? D for Dimension? ... Ben Myers

On Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:56:46 GMT, Bob Levine <fake@fake.com.invalid> wrote:

>I've got a D5150 here that's just out of warranty. I've gone over it
>every way I know how but I can't find an obvious problem so my guess is
>the motherboard.
>
>The machine sometimes boots into Windows but as soon as you do something
>it restarts and just dies. The power button light turns amber.
>
>Sometimes when trying to restart from there, the CPU fan will roar like
>a jet engine and slowly spin back down to normal but the computer won't
>reboot.
>
>This is my dad's machine and I've already reformatted a 4550 I had here
>for him. For web and email it's fine but I'd like to figure this one out.
>
>Any guesses besides the motherboard? I don't want to lay out too much
>cash on this thing since it could be replaced for about $300.00 new.
>
>Bob

Ben Myers wrote:
> To Chris' point, 5150 is ambiguous, either a Dimension or an Inspiron. So
> which one are we all trying to talk about? D for Dimension? ... Ben Myers

Yes, D for Dimension...sorry about the confusion.

Bob