If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
I have a Dell XPS 8500, with Windows 7 Professional, SP1,
with Spywareblaster, Malwarebytes, Avast , Windows Defender and Windows firewall. (1) TB HD Intel (R) Core (TM) i7-33-3770 CPU @ 3.40 GHz Ram 12.0 GB System type : 64-bit operating system I also have I have a Dell Optiplex 780 Tower, with Windows 7 Professional, SP1, with Spywareblaster, Malwarebytes, Avast , Windows Defender and Windows firewall. Intel (R) Core 2 Duo 2.93 GHz 4GB RAM, 750 GB HD System type : 64-bit operating system and (external hard drives) Seagate Backup Plus 1(TB) 2.5 USB Portable HD WD BLACK SERIES WD2003FZEX 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive The issue involves the Dell 780. I smacked my knee against it and when I went to power it up it beeped like(5)times and out of 1,2,3,4 lights only 3,4 appear. So is my HD gone? or how do I resolve the problem? Thoughts, suggestions? Robert |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
Mark,
Thoughts, suggestions? A quick search (DELL 780 beeps) turns up this: http://ebay.redplanettrading.com/des...M_DT/diags.htm Look under "beep codes" and see if you recognise the pattern. .... It could well be that your 'puters memory has become unseated (hopefully just that). Regards, Rudy Wieser |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
Thanks for the link,.
from the diagnostic lights it looks like it's a memory module problem. I may have unseated one when I bashed into it or something. What do you think? I don't have any spares. Thanks, Robert |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
Mark,
from the diagnostic lights it looks like it's a memory module problem. The beep code will give you a bit more certainty to that. I may have unseated one when I bashed into it Quite possible. If thats indeed the case than re-seating it (removing and placing it back) could solve the problem. Regards, Rudy Wieser |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
I just re-seated both RAM modules
and now it came back with more beeps (hard to tell a sequence) and the number 1 light is lit which indicates no memory modules detected. I made sure I push the clamps down on each end when re-seating the modules. Thoughts/suggestions? Robert |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
As I said, the beeps are hard to
follow but If I read the beeps correctly I have a master DMA register failure. That along with the 1 diagnostic light lit indicating no memory modules detected. Robert |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
Mark Twain wrote:
As I said, the beeps are hard to follow but If I read the beeps correctly I have a master DMA register failure. That along with the 1 diagnostic light lit indicating no memory modules detected. Robert Careful. You should not remove a DIMM with the power on. Even if the fans aren't running, the power supply +5VSB is still delivered by the supply. You should unplug the computer before working on DIMMs. That's the only way to be absolutely sure power is removed. On Asus motherboards, a green LED stops glowing, indicating it's safe to work. On motherboards without the green LED, wait at least 30 seconds from unplugging the power supply, until you work on the DIMM. To remove a DIMM, you rotate out the latches to 45 degrees, and that helps ease the DIMM up out of the socket a bit. Once the contacts aren't gripping the DIMM, it should then be able to be pulled straight out. When inserting the DIMM, the center notch has to align with the "key" in the slot. This prevents 180 degree reversal of DIMMs by accident. Visually verify when re-inserting, you're putting it in the right way. (I have to include these instructions, for the sake of completeness.) When inserting the DIMM, the latches go to the 45 degree position. The DIMM is then aligned with the "square" opening in the DIMM slot. The end-guides guide the ends of the DIMM for its downward trip. When you push down on the DIMM (to force the fingers between the contacts), it will cause the latches to rotate into the upright position again. You should hear a "click" when the DIMM is in place, from each end. The latch should be in the upright position, the protrusion on the latch should insert into the area reserved for it on the side of the DIMM. On DIMM slots which use one latch, and the latch nearest the video card is a dud, only one end will be heard to "click". I have a mixture of motherboards here - most have two latches, but at least one I own, has a single latch on each DIMM slot. With a flashlight, look at the fingers on the DIMM. The "gold" should mostly be hidden below the socket body, so you can't really see any gold. If you see a lot of gold glinting back at you, it isn't seated. DIMMs which are finished "flat" on the end, have high insertion force. It hurts your fingers to drive those into the socket. Some of the older memory standards, the insertion force wasn't nearly as high. I have some Kingston DDR2 here, it just about kills me inserting those. You can blow a DIMM or processor interface, if the DIMM falls out with the power on, and something gets shorted together. The most likely way this would happen, is if one end of the DIMM comes loose, while the other end stays in the socket. That should only happen, if the PC is dropped out of a second story window :-) Kneeing the PC should not do that. I wouldn't panic just yet, until thoroughly verifying the DIMM(s) are seated. Remember to unplug the computer. If there was micro-latchup, removal of power gives CMOS circuits a chance to recover. Verify with your flashlight, that each DIMM is fully homed into the socket, and no gold is showing. Paul |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
Hello Paul,
I was hoping you'd see the post,.. I turned all the power off before disconnecting the 780 and re-seating the DIMMS. However when re-seating it didn't click with the tabs going upwards. I had to do it manually. I'll try again. Thanks, Robert |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
I disconnected the computer and then reset
the DIMMS again and this time they both clicked in. However on restarted I thought it sounded like 4 beeps hen 2 beeps and 3,4 diagnostic lights are on. Also the monitor shows no activity. Thoughts/suggestions? Robert |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm the DIMM was loose because
it wasn't even in it's slot on one end,. which I must have done. so did that short it out? Yet, I had the problem before I even opened it. I honestly didn't think slamming my knee would cause it to not function. Not that I do that allot *L* However I now properly seated both DIMMS and still nothing. Hmmmmmmmmm Robert |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
Mark Twain wrote:
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm the DIMM was loose because it wasn't even in it's slot on one end,. which I must have done. so did that short it out? Yet, I had the problem before I even opened it. I honestly didn't think slamming my knee would cause it to not function. Not that I do that allot *L* However I now properly seated both DIMMS and still nothing. Hmmmmmmmmm Robert Now you must begin the grim task, of testing one DIMM at a time. Try placing the DIMM in an unused slot. Don't forget to power off and wait at least 30 seconds, before moving them around. If one DIMM doesn't work, try the next DIMM by itself. It helps to have an antistatic bag for storage of any DIMMs not currently being tested. This is why, for machines moved by couriers, you *always* take the side off and carefully inspect the machine for loose hardware. It was probably on an angle like that when you got it. If it was seated and latched, your knee couldn't do that. Paul |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
I took out one DIMM and re-seated the other in
a different location as you suggested. This time it booted and gave me a screen with the following: The amount of system storage has changed. aLERT! Previous attempts at booting this systems have failed at checkpoint [1thr]. For help in resolving this problem, please note this checkpoint and contact Dell Technical Support. Strike the F1 key to continue, F2 to run the setup utility Press F5 to run onboard diagnostics. I pressed F5 It's going through Pre-boot assessment build 4521 so far everything is OK... Should I click F1 afterwards to continue or put the other DIMM in and see what it does? Thought/suggestions Robert |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
After re-boot Assessment 34521 ran it said
it needed to re-start the system and came back with my normal sign-on page with icons and everything. So how do I proceed? replace this DIMM with the other? or put both in since it's now working? Thoughts/suggestions Robert |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
Mark Twain wrote:
After re-boot Assessment 34521 ran it said it needed to re-start the system and came back with my normal sign-on page with icons and everything. So how do I proceed? replace this DIMM with the other? or put both in since it's now working? Thoughts/suggestions Robert So it's not dead then. That's good news. I'm not familiar with the response you're getting, but it is an Optiplex, a "business" machine, and maybe it's designed to detect the surreptitious removal of hardware. You haven't indicated the count of items, but my test sequence would be: 1) Assume two DIMMs are present, one good, one defective. 2) Assume a four DIMM slot motherboard (two DIMM slots on each channel). Take the "good news" DIMM, the one that worked, and test it in each slot separately. This tells you which slots work. That would be four test cases, with four power removals, four boot cycles and so on. Maybe the snotty message will appear on the screen four times too. Now, say only one slot worked, and the other three were dead. You could then take the (presumed-dead) DIMM and put it in the one good slot. As a means to test whether the bad DIMM is really bad or not. You need to work out how many bad slots you have, and how many bad DIMMs you have. You only need to test enough slots, to get on with life - Paul would test all four, but suit yourself. When I test new computers here, it's an "epic undertaking" with lots of test cycles. If mixing the bad DIMM with a good slot yields "no-workie", then you know the DIMM needs to be replaced, or you might just run the machine with the one DIMM. Those are your choices. Once you know how many good slots you've got and how many good DIMMs, you can plan accordingly. But at least you've gotten a positive response from your testing, and that's good news indeed. No serious damage yet :-) A blown DIMM, you can deal with. Replacing a motherboard wouldn't be quite as much fun. I hate having to take all that stuff out of the machine, to do one of those. Paul |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
Dell 780 Problem:
I checked all the slots and 1,2, are OK
but I had to click F1 for 3 and 4 to get them to run. I then checked the other DIMM and it works fine. So should I put the other DIMM back in or would you like me to do something else? Robert |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|