>
> In the meantime, I do not understand why I don't always get a beep code.
> That implies to me that the power switch on front is not working - I realize
> it
> may not be the switch itself but could be the circuit on the mobo or
> something
> in between. But if the mobo were getting power, wouldn't I hear some beep
> codes when I remove everything???
>
It may not apply to all motherboards, but the ones I know about,
rely on the execution of CPU code to cause the beeps. The CPU
can execute code, even when the RAM is missing. (As long as
the code uses CPU registers to hold intermediate results. And
it is possible to write code that way.)
If the cooling fans are spinning, when you press the power
button, that means the power supply has responded. A lack
of beeps at that point, means there could be a problem
elsewhere, like motherboard or CPU. Or, a power supply
voltage could be out of spec. Or the power_good signal
from the power supply did not get asserted. (Power_good,
and associated logic tree, prevents things from starting
until the power is determined to be stable. So even
if in fact, all voltages are proper and stable, a
failure to send power_good can stop it from beeping
or POSTing. Things like the motherboard Vcore circuit,
may contribute a status signal, to the power_good
logic.) Even a stuck reset switch, can prevent beeps
or POSTing.
I was hoping, if there were diagnostic LEDs, that they would
help. They're almost as effective as a Port 80 POST
status card.
joe wrote:
> "Paul" <nospam@needed.com> wrote in message news:g31jg0$8ef$1@aioe.org...
>
>> If the cooling fans are spinning, when you press the power
>> button, that means the power supply has responded.
>
> The cooling fans are not spinning. Nothing happens except
> the yellow led's flash.
>
>
The fans run off +12V, and the yellow LEDs could be on a
+5V rail. It would be pretty strange for only a part of
the power supply to fail, as they do share a certain amount
of common circuitry.
There is a sample power supply schematic here. The common output
transformer supplies power to more than one rail, and there are
few components after that, that could affect the power. Of course,
the motherboard could short out an output, but then the power
supply would likely shut off in seconds, due to the
overheating.
According to the Dell manual on their web page, item #8 in this
picture, is supposed to be four diagnostic LEDs. They may have
a pattern on them, indicating the failure type. If the CPU is
not able to execute BIOS code, then the lights cannot be updated
under program control. Normally, if there was a problem during
POST, and the BIOS code found a problem, then you could look up
the light pattern on the web page.
On Jun 14, 6:32 pm, "joe" <bry...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> In the meantime, I do not understand why I don't always get a beep code.
> That implies to me that the power switch on front is not working - I realize
> it may not be the switch itself but could be the circuit on the mobo or
> something in between. But if the mobo were getting power, wouldn't I
> hear some beep codes when I remove everything???
Your question can only result in speculation. With numbers from the
power supply wires and numbers from the battery, then this post could
have answered these and previous questions AND probably identified the
suspect. A useful reply exists only if you provide those relevant
facts.
Do not cut a green wire. Don't remove anything. Don't replace
anything. As posted:
> Better is to first see a problem before removing or
> replacing things.
and
> That simple measurement reports massive quantities
> of useful facts - especially if you did not yet remove
> or replace anything.
What was your beep code reporting (from provided web site)?
Irrelevant if beeps only happen sometimes. Relevant is what the beeps
actually reported. What do those four diagnostic lights report? What
are functions of two front panel yellow lights (what does the manual
call them) and what is their flash pattern (in numbers)?
Forget the switch for now. Anything about that switch already was
provided. Nothing new will be provided until important facts are
posted.
Paul has explained how relevant functions work. Better appreciate
what he has posted by providing the requested facts and numbers.
Significance of requested information will remain completely unknown
until after posted. Then irrelevance of a power switch or spinning
fan will be appreciated. To understand a computer has two separate
power supplies and other posts from Paul, provide results from all
those recommendations. Anything that can be known from observations
and speculations was provided in first posts. To learn more, collect
and post those requested facts without knowing why.
The point of every paragraph in this post. Your replies will only be
as useful as information provided. Your help is being starved of
anything that would result in a useful reply. Requested information
has near zero significance until resulting replies occur. Do those
diagnostic lights ever glow? Is CMOS battery voltage measured without
even removing the battery? Your replies will only be useful if you
provide the many requested facts and numbers.
"Paul" <nospam@needed.com> wrote in message news:g31jg0$8ef$1@aioe.org...
> It may not apply to all motherboards, but the ones I know about,
> rely on the execution of CPU code to cause the beeps. The CPU
> can execute code, even when the RAM is missing. (As long as
> the code uses CPU registers to hold intermediate results. And
> it is possible to write code that way.)
>
> If the cooling fans are spinning, when you press the power
> button, that means the power supply has responded. A lack
> of beeps at that point, means there could be a problem
> elsewhere, like motherboard or CPU. Or, a power supply
> voltage could be out of spec. Or the power_good signal
> from the power supply did not get asserted. (Power_good,
> and associated logic tree, prevents things from starting
> until the power is determined to be stable. So even
> if in fact, all voltages are proper and stable, a
> failure to send power_good can stop it from beeping
> or POSTing. Things like the motherboard Vcore circuit,
> may contribute a status signal, to the power_good
> logic.) Even a stuck reset switch, can prevent beeps
> or POSTing.
>
> I was hoping, if there were diagnostic LEDs, that they would
> help. They're almost as effective as a Port 80 POST
> status card.
>
> Paul
I just got in from the weekend and tried again. Once again I get the beep
code
mentioned previously and now I am getting two green lights. There are a
total of
6 lights, 3 on the left side and 3 on the right. Of the 3 on each side, the
middle
light of each is about 1/2 inch higher on the front panel. If you number
the lights
1-6 left to right, only 4 and 5 are solid green. None of the others are
lit. The lights
stay green even though there is no POST or any indication that the video is
working.
The screen is dark and the power light is yellow (on the monitor screen
power switch).
Last time, the diagnostic lights did not go green. They just flashed yellow
although I
didn't notice which ones flashed. Until you mentioned that there were
multiple lights, I
did not notice that. You have to take off the dark plastic front piece to
see the individual
lights.
joe wrote:
> "Paul" <nospam@needed.com> wrote in message news:g31jg0$8ef$1@aioe.org...
>
>> It may not apply to all motherboards, but the ones I know about,
>> rely on the execution of CPU code to cause the beeps. The CPU
>> can execute code, even when the RAM is missing. (As long as
>> the code uses CPU registers to hold intermediate results. And
>> it is possible to write code that way.)
>>
>> If the cooling fans are spinning, when you press the power
>> button, that means the power supply has responded. A lack
>> of beeps at that point, means there could be a problem
>> elsewhere, like motherboard or CPU. Or, a power supply
>> voltage could be out of spec. Or the power_good signal
>> from the power supply did not get asserted. (Power_good,
>> and associated logic tree, prevents things from starting
>> until the power is determined to be stable. So even
>> if in fact, all voltages are proper and stable, a
>> failure to send power_good can stop it from beeping
>> or POSTing. Things like the motherboard Vcore circuit,
>> may contribute a status signal, to the power_good
>> logic.) Even a stuck reset switch, can prevent beeps
>> or POSTing.
>>
>> I was hoping, if there were diagnostic LEDs, that they would
>> help. They're almost as effective as a Port 80 POST
>> status card.
>>
>> Paul
>
> I just got in from the weekend and tried again. Once again I get the beep
> code
> mentioned previously and now I am getting two green lights. There are a
> total of
> 6 lights, 3 on the left side and 3 on the right. Of the 3 on each side, the
> middle
> light of each is about 1/2 inch higher on the front panel. If you number
> the lights
> 1-6 left to right, only 4 and 5 are solid green. None of the others are
> lit. The lights
> stay green even though there is no POST or any indication that the video is
> working.
> The screen is dark and the power light is yellow (on the monitor screen
> power switch).
>
> Last time, the diagnostic lights did not go green. They just flashed yellow
> although I
> didn't notice which ones flashed. Until you mentioned that there were
> multiple lights, I
> did not notice that. You have to take off the dark plastic front piece to
> see the individual
> lights.
>
>
Do the best you can, to compare the green LEDs, to the diagnostic LED web
page I posted. For example, maybe it matches the third code down, memory
failure.
I put it all back together, and gave it one more try. This time it
started.
It has done this before. The computer will run and run but if I cut it off,
it might not start again. It has been doing this for months. However, this
most recent time I have had the most trouble getting it to start up. I
thought
for sure the power supply was faulty but obviously, that is not the problem.
On Jun 15, 10:32 pm, "joe" <bry...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> I just got in from the weekend and tried again. Once again I get the
> beep code mentioned previously and now I am getting two green
> lights. There are a total of 6 lights, 3 on the left side and 3 on the
> right. Of the 3 on each side, the middle light of each is about 1/2
> inch higher on the front panel.
How did you know a power supply was defective? How do you know a
new power supply is good? You did not and you do not. Wild
speculation does not identify any defect and is not sufficient to
replace any part. Furthermore, a defective supply can boot a
computer. A perfectly good supply can fail in some computers. If you
did not take voltage measurements, no numbers means you know nothing
about either power supply.
Nobody is going to tell you what those beep codes report. Those
beeps are reporting facts that were provided. What exactly does the
beep code complain about? You must compare those beep codes to error
messaged in the charts.
It is a Dell. It has diagnostic lights. Meaning of those lights
were provided in Dell documentation AND in a URL provided by Paul.
Nobody is going to do what only you can do best. Compare those charts
to your lights. Report error messages for beep codes, for diagnostic
lights, and what those voltages are.
It is a Dell. It comes with comprehensive diagnostics - provide
free on a CD-Rom, in a diagnostic partition on the hard drive, and
from Dell's web site. Comprehensive hardware diagnostics are for
solving your problem. What did diagnostics report? But again, you
must do the work and report back.
Information from each paragraph, if provided, means the very next
post answers your question. Getting you to perform such simple tasks
has become more difficult than pulling teeth. Until you do these
simple things (without knowing why), then you will never solve the
problem. That computer is not the problem. You are. You are not
doing what works for an immediate solution.
Rather than waste time describing light locations, instead, you have
the chart. Read it. What do diagnostic lights report? What is that
beep code error message? What are those power supply voltages? What
do comprehensive hardware diagnostics report?
Stop entertaining emotions or psychic suggestions. No reason exists
to suspect the power switch. Time was wasted (maybe making the
problem worse) by replacing the power supply. Posters have described
how to 'follow the evidence'. Stop with the wild speculation. Post
answers to every sentence in that above paragraph to obtain a
solution.
"w_tom" <w_tom1@usa.net> wrote in message
news:305c6659-95a5-4b8f-8a7f-773d29e4b39d@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> On Jun 15, 10:32 pm, "joe" <bry...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>> I just got in from the weekend and tried again. Once again I get the
>> beep code mentioned previously and now I am getting two green
>> lights. There are a total of 6 lights, 3 on the left side and 3 on the
>> right. Of the 3 on each side, the middle light of each is about 1/2
>> inch higher on the front panel.
>
> How did you know a power supply was defective? How do you know a
> new power supply is good? You did not and you do not. Wild
> speculation does not identify any defect and is not sufficient to
> replace any part. Furthermore, a defective supply can boot a
> computer. A perfectly good supply can fail in some computers. If you
> did not take voltage measurements, no numbers means you know nothing
> about either power supply.
>
> Nobody is going to tell you what those beep codes report. Those
> beeps are reporting facts that were provided. What exactly does the
> beep code complain about? You must compare those beep codes to error
> messaged in the charts.
>
> It is a Dell. It has diagnostic lights. Meaning of those lights
> were provided in Dell documentation AND in a URL provided by Paul.
> Nobody is going to do what only you can do best. Compare those charts
> to your lights. Report error messages for beep codes, for diagnostic
> lights, and what those voltages are.
>
> It is a Dell. It comes with comprehensive diagnostics - provide
> free on a CD-Rom, in a diagnostic partition on the hard drive, and
> from Dell's web site. Comprehensive hardware diagnostics are for
> solving your problem. What did diagnostics report? But again, you
> must do the work and report back.
>
> Information from each paragraph, if provided, means the very next
> post answers your question. Getting you to perform such simple tasks
> has become more difficult than pulling teeth. Until you do these
> simple things (without knowing why), then you will never solve the
> problem. That computer is not the problem. You are. You are not
> doing what works for an immediate solution.
>
> Rather than waste time describing light locations, instead, you have
> the chart. Read it. What do diagnostic lights report? What is that
> beep code error message? What are those power supply voltages? What
> do comprehensive hardware diagnostics report?
>
> Stop entertaining emotions or psychic suggestions. No reason exists
> to suspect the power switch. Time was wasted (maybe making the
> problem worse) by replacing the power supply. Posters have described
> how to 'follow the evidence'. Stop with the wild speculation. Post
> answers to every sentence in that above paragraph to obtain a
> solution.
"joe" <bry333@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:HDG4k.4669$Nr.1353@bignews6.bellsouth.net...
> I found batt that I am sure is fairly new, and reset cmos jumper.
> Reseated ram and video card.
> At some point it tried to start and I got the following error code.
>
> Error code
> long beep, long pause, then three long beeps with short pauses between
> them, then long pause and then two long beeps with only a short beep
> between them. That is it. A total of 6 beeps.
>
Consult the manual for your motherboard to see what that error code means.
If you do not have a manual, it will be avail on-line.
(Most beep codes are for either RAM or video errors.)
> "philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:7--dnZbjZu88bc_VnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@ntd.net...
> >
> > "joe" <bry333@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
> > news:btB4k.5003$LL4.4910@bignews7.bellsouth.net...
> >> It is a dell E510. I know this isn't a dell forum but still the
smartest
> >> forum around and so here I am with this question. The dell was
> >> not starting. I changed out the power supply and no luck. With
> >> either ps, the green light on mobo is on.
> >>
> >> I press start button and there is a yellow light that blinks inside
just
> >> behind the switch.
> >>
> >> I have been working on this for weeks because after a day or two,
> >> it will start fine.
> >>
> >> What do you all think??
> >>
> >> Right now it is in state where it will not start. I put the new ps in
> >> again and still it won't start.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> > Things to do:
> >
> > Try resetting the cmos.
> >
> > Also check the voltage on your cmos battery...
> > funny things can happen with a low (but not totally dead) battery.
> >
> > Also check that all your cards and RAM are properly seated
> >
> >
>
>
Re: computer won't start - no sounds 
Linear Mode
