Summary: This article is a guide to identifying and resolving start-up / power issues with your Dell personal computer. (These include No Power - No signs of life, No POST - Diagnostic LEDs or Beeps, No Boot - Cannot load Operating System and No Video - personal computer starts but nothing that is seen on the display.)See less This article is a guide to identifying and resolving start-up / power issues with your Dell personal computer. (These include No Power - No signs of life, No POST - Diagnostic LEDs orSee more Show
This article may have been automatically translated. If you have any feedback regarding its quality, please let us know using the form at the bottom of this page. Article ContentSymptomsThis video is a great starting point to help identify which of the following sections you should use to troubleshoot further: My Computer Does not StartDuration: 01:21 CauseNOTE: Click the title of the section that you want to open below, to see the contents. No Power For Desktops or All-in-One PCs:Computers have a power light LED that glows when it is receiving power. On Desktops, the front panel of the computer case has LED near the power button. Try these quick steps to recover your Dell computer from a power issue. Try the following steps to resolve a desktop not-powering situation (There are more detailed instructions in the troubleshooting link below.): Problem DescriptionSuggested ResolutionThe computer is either turned off or not receiving power.
NOTE: Certain Dell All-in-One PCs may have a separate power adapter. If you have identified a No Power issue? You can find out more information and troubleshooting help on this issue by using the article that is linked below: Here is a quick video that covers all the reasons why your desktop is not starting up. Power issues on Desktop computersDuration: 01:15 NOTE: Power cords that are supplied for a monitor may be different based on the Vendor, Dell Monitor power cables are interchangeable with the Dell Desktops. No Power For Laptops:On laptops, the indicator that power is reaching the computer can be a lit LED power button. Alternatively, it may be an LED located in the upper part of the keyboard or along the front edge of the computer itself. Try these quick steps to recover your Dell computer from a power issue. Try the following steps to resolve a laptop no power situation: NOTE: Some models of Notebook such as the Ultrabook models may not have a removable battery. If you check your manual and it does not have your battery as a removable part, then move straight to step 5. Here is a quick video that covers the reasons why your laptop is not starting up. My Dell in 99 seconds: Cannot turn on your laptopDuration: 01:46 Once you have identified a No Power issue, you can find out more information and troubleshooting help by checking out the articles that are linked below: NOTE: The M-BIST test has been built into the Dell family of laptops starting with the Latitude XX90 series of computers. M-BIST - Built-in Motherboard Self-Test toolEvaluates the health of the motherboardM-BIST is designed to operate even if there is no video, no fan, or no hard drive spin-up (new mainboard diagnostic). These symptoms are typically described as No Power, No Video, or Dead System.Press and hold the M key and the Power button down simultaneously:
The term POST refers to Power-On Self-Test, which is a series of checks the computer goes through whenever it starts. If the computer fails any of these tests, it stops the start-up process and report a fault. Troubleshooting across Desktops, All-in-One PCs and Notebooks use the same procedures, but different reference material. Try these quick steps to recover your computer from a POST or startup issue. No POST For Desktops or All-in-One PCs:Indications of a failed POST include:
For information about running and using the ePSA Diagnostics, please check out our: No POST For Laptops:Indications of a failed POST include:
For information about running and using the ePSA Diagnostics, please check out our: If you are looking for more information and troubleshooting help to continue resolving this issue, you can use the article that is linked below: After the computer completes the Power-On Self-Test, it will attempt to boot the operating system. If the computer advances past the Dell logo screen and then hangs attempting to load the operating system? It is most likely a No Boot issue. Troubleshooting this issue uses the same procedures across Desktops, All-in-One PCs, and Notebooks. Try these quick steps to recover your computer from a boot problem. Follow the Video Guide Below. My Dell in 99 Seconds: System Frozen at the Dell LogoDuration: 01:46 To rule out any hardware problems, you should run the integrated ePSA diagnostics. Most No Boot issues come down to operating system issues. Choose the article appropriate to your Operating System and troubleshoot this further: If the computer is reporting a specific fault on-screen about the Hard Disk Drive, then you can Troubleshoot further on one of the links below: If the power indications are normal, but there is never any video that is seen on the computer's display during the startup process? This probably indicates a No Video issue. NOTE: For Desktop computers - Remember that the monitor has a separate power supply. Ensure the monitor has a power LED indicator showing that it is turned on. NOTE: Certain Dell All-in-One PCs can be connected to an external monitor using VGA, HDMI, or DisplayPort connectors. This feature may vary across different models. See the User Manual of your Dell personal computer. Try these quick steps to resolve video issues on a Dell computer. Troubleshooting a No Video issue: Problem DescriptionSuggested ResolutionThe desktop computer is in a normal on condition.
NOTE: For Notebooks, press and hold the key and then press the power button. This starts the preboot testing and will launch the ePSA diagnostics. The ePSA's will test your video with a series of patterns. My Laptop Display Will not Turn onDuration: 01:46 If they look fine, but you want to test more? You can respond to the video test by pressing the letter and ePSA will then launch the LCD BIST test. If you have a no video issue? You can either run the keyboard shortcut to enter the ePSAs or keyboard shortcut to run the LCD BIST from POST. How to Test Your Dell Laptop ScreenDuration: 00:24 NOTE: Two new diagnostic BIST tests have been built into the Dell family of laptops, starting with the Latitude XX90 generation of computers. M-BIST - Built-in Motherboard Self-Test toolL-BIST - Built-in LCD Power Rail Self-Test tool.Evaluates the health of the motherboardChecks if the motherboard supplies power to the LCD.M-BIST is designed to operate even if there is no video, no fan, or no hard drive spin-up (new mainboard diagnostic). These symptoms are typically described as No Power, No Video, or Dead System.L-BIST is designed to test when seeing the symptom of No Video.Press and hold the M key and the Power button down simultaneously:
ResolutionFurther InformationClearing CMOS/NVRAM on your personal computer:The RTCRST jumper allows you to clear NVRAM. The NVRAM is cleared when the jumper is closed. (You can use the jumper from the password bridge.) Remember that it is always best practice to remove the power cable from the personal computer before opening the lid or access panel and going inside. To clear the CMOS, AC power must be applied to the computer for about 10 seconds while the jumper is closed. (This does not necessarily mean turning the computer on, putting power across the motherboard is enough.) Browse to Clearing CMOS via removing and reseating the CMOS battery for visual guides to this process. Pins 1-2 shorted clears NVRAM Warning: Resetting CMOS on most platforms clears the Management Engine BIOS Extension (MEBx) settings including the MEBx password and all configured settings.
Common issues:These 4 (four) issues are the most common reasons why you would be troubleshooting a problem outside of your Operating System. They break down into 3 (three) outcomes:
Additional InformationVisit our Battery and Power site for additional resources and information.More information and support for your Dell monitor, laptop or tablet screen can be found on our Monitor Support site. Out of warranty? No problem. Browse to the Dell.com/support website and enter your Dell Service Tag and view our offers. NOTE: Offers are only available for US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, and China personal computer customers. Server and Storage are not applicable. Article PropertiesAffected ProductChromebox, Alienware, Inspiron, Retired Models, OptiPlex, Vostro, XPS, G Series, Chromebook, G Series, Alienware, Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Retired Models, Fixed Workstations What are the main causes of a failed power on selfIf the power-on self-test is unsuccessful, it generates a beep code to indicate the error encountered and the computer will not boot up. All computer POST errors are related to hardware issues with one of the components in the computer.
What controls the Power On SelfPOST doesn't rely on any specific operating system. In fact, there doesn't even need to be an OS installed on a hard drive for it to run. This is because the test is handled by the system's BIOS, not any installed software.
What does the POST Power On SelfPower-on self-test (POST) performs tests on workstation core components such as CPU and memory. POST checks low-level interaction between the CPU, caches, memory, JBus, and the I/O bridge chip. Typing the post command from the ok prompt initiates tests that check the CPU, I/O bridge chip, and memory modules.
What is the POST Power On SelfThe POST (power on self-test) is a set of procedures that a computer runs through each time it is turned on. It ensures that all of the system's hardware is working properly before trying to load the operating system. If the computer does not pass POST, it will not boot.
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