Diagnostic Lights - Dell Dimension 5100 Service Manual

Blinking amber
Solid green and a beep code
during POST
Solid green power light and no
beep code and no video during
POST
Solid green power light and no
beep code but the computer
locks up during POST
Hard-Drive Problem Description
Activity Light
Solid green The hard-drive activity light is on when the computer reads data from or writes data to the hard drive. The light
might also be on when a device such as a CD player is operating.
Diagnostic Lights
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.
To help you troubleshoot a problem, your computer has four diagnostic lights labeled "1," "2," "3," and "4" on the
normally, the lights flash. After the computer starts, all four lights display solid green. If the computer malfunctions, the color and sequence of the lights
identify the problem.the patterns or codes on the lights change as the boot process completes. If the POST portion of system boot completes successfully, all
four lights display solid green. If the computer malfunctions during the POST process, the pattern displayed on the lights may help identify where in the
process the computer halted.
Light Pattern Problem Description
The computer is in a normal "off" condition,
has successfully booted to the operating
system, or a possible pre-BIOS failure has
occurred.
A possible processor failure has occurred.
Memory modules are detected, but a memory
failure has occurred.
A possible graphics card failure has occurred.
A possible floppy or hard drive failure has
occurred.
A possible USB failure has occurred.
No memory modules are detected.
Memory modules are detected, but a memory
configuration or compatibility error exists.
A power supply or system board failure has
occurred.
A problem was detected while the BIOS
was executing.
The monitor or the graphics card may be
faulty or incorrectly installed.
An integrated system board device may be
faulty.
Suggested Resolution
Plug the computer into a working electrical outlet and press the power button. Also see
"Power Problems" in your computer Owner's Manual.
Contact Dell (see your computer Owner's Manual for information about how to contact Dell).
Reseat all power and data cables and restart the computer.
Reinstall all USB devices, check cable connections, and then restart the computer.
If the computer does not boot, contact Dell for technical assistance (see your
computer Owner's Manual for information about how to contact Dell).
Check the diagnostic lights to see if the specific problem is identified. Also,
see "Power Problems" in your computer Owner's Manual.
See "Beep Codes" for instructions on diagnosing the beep code. Also, check
the diagnostic lights to see if the specific problem is identified.
Check the diagnostic lights to see if the specific problem is identified. See
"Video and Power Problems" in your computer Owner's Manual.
Check the diagnostic lights to see if the specific problem is identified. If the
problem is not identified, contact Dell for technical assistance. See your
computer Owner's Manual for information on how to contact Dell.
If you have two or more memory modules installed,
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one module, and then restart the computer. If the computer starts normally, reinstall
an additional module. Continue until you have identified a faulty module or
reinstalled all modules without error.
If available, install properly working memory
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If the problem persists, contact Dell (see your computer Owner's Manual for
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information about how to contact Dell).
If the computer has a graphics card, remove the card, and then restart the
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computer.
If the problem still exists, install a graphics card that you know works and restart
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the computer.
If the problem persists or the computer has integrated graphics, contact Dell (see
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your computer Owner's Manual for information about how to contact Dell).
If you have two or more memory modules installed,
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one module, and then restart the computer. If the computer starts normally, reinstall
an additional module. Continue until you have identified a faulty module or
reinstalled all modules without error.
If available, install properly working memory
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If the problem persists, contact Dell (see your computer Owner's Manual for
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information about how to contact Dell).
Ensure that no special memory module/memory connector placement requirements
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exist (see "Memory").
Verify that the memory modules that you are installing are compatible with your
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computer (see "Memory").
If the problem persists, contact Dell (see your computer Owner's Manual for
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information about how to contact Dell).
Suggested Resolution
No corrective action is
required.
front panel. When the computer starts
remove the modules, reinstall
of the same type into your computer.
remove the modules, reinstall
of the same type into your computer.