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Dell not starting and figuring out A B C D error codes
Horus
Los AngelesRegistered User regular
Los AngelesRegistered User regular
Friend asked me to fix his computer. Under his explanation the computer showed a screen saying Unknown Disk. When I started looking at the computer it did not boot at all. All I get is the LED light sign it is getting electricity and after few minutes I get two consecutive beeps. I found on google about the A B C D led lights on the back of the computer. So far I got the sequence and a translation but was based on the XSL Dell models since I don't know what model is my dell. It looks like those corporate Dell computers the big kind. It was made during Windows 2000 so its very old.
I am wondering if all this is caused by the battery but I can't find on Dell nor google a sign that says
"Time to replace internal battery"
A B C D - Memory
A B C D Does not list this light order
A B C D Expansion Card
A B C D Does not list this light order
A B C D - Floppy or HD problem
A B C D Does not list this light order
A B C D Memory configuration
I am wondering if all this is caused by the battery but I can't find on Dell nor google a sign that says
"Time to replace internal battery"
A B C D - Memory
A B C D Does not list this light order
A B C D Expansion Card
A B C D Does not list this light order
A B C D - Floppy or HD problem
A B C D Does not list this light order
A B C D Memory configuration
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!
Horus on
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Find the service tag. It will be on a label somewhere on the computer. You may have to lift up the plastic flap in front to find it. Or it might be on a barcode label on the back. It'll be a seven-digit sequence of numbers and letters, like A123BDE.
Then go to Dell's Support site and enter the service tag number. That will tell you the model of your Dell. The light sequence is more or less useless without knowing the model.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Uh....which ABCD code does his machine have?
Edit: I've worked for Dell before and can likely be able to help. So tell me the light code and what meaning it translates to (I really don't feel like looking it up, and I assume you've narrowed it down.)
Edit2: And what Feral said...forgot all about that. The support site will generaly tell you all the light sequences and what they mean. Some of them are vague though so come back here with it.
Forum Post
Legend for the Light error sequence
Seems that D is the one that stays the longest and according to this site, means other error...dum...dum....dummmmm
I guess the computer is dead, nothing shows up on the lcd, no activity, no processor noise. I think the HD is dead.
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!
Okay, unplug the power and open the computer up. Look for any capacitors... they look like little colored aluminum cylinders. The tops of all of those cylinders should look flat. If any of them are rounded upwards, it means the capacitors blew and your motherboard is toast.
It was a common problem on a lot of Dell desktops of that era. Their supplier sold them bum capacitors. There's nothing you can do about it except a motherboard replacement.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
From what I inspected non appear bloated at all. I am trying to get spare ram and graphics card see if that shed any light.
Still open if any to ideas to check on.
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!
It's also the only incidence where they will replace parts out of warranty currently. However the fact that your system actually turns on negated that in the first place. A board with blown capacitors doesn't power on. They never have.
The error codes mean nothing unless it stays on one. The fact that you're getting an unknown disc error means its centric around the HDD or the IDE/SATA bus itself.
There should be a key you can press during POST to bring up a menu that leads you to hard drive diagnostics or just general diagnostics as well as a boot menu...I think it's F12, keep your eye out for it and follow it. Report any error codes and messages you are able to get from these respective diagnostic programs. They might be absent if that hard drive has been wiped or reimaged since it's been bought from Dell....but try anyway if you know that's happened...it may have the HDD tester which isn't built into the drive itself.
Thank you everyone for the help.
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!