76 Troubleshooting
• If the power light is steady amber, a device may be malfunctioning or
incorrectly installed.
– Remove and then reinstall the memory modules (see "Memory" on
page 104).
– Remove and then reinstall any cards (see "Cards" on page 109).
• Eliminate interference. Some possible causes of interference are:
– Power, keyboard, and mouse extension cables
– Too many devices on a power strip
– Multiple power strips connected to the same electrical outlet
Diagnostic Lights CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the
safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.
To help troubleshoot a problem, your computer has four blue lights labeled 1,
2, 3, and 4 on the top bezel (see "Front View" on page15). When the
computer starts normally, the lights flash before turning off. If the computer
malfunctions, the sequence of the lights help to identify the problem.
NOTE: After the computer completes POST, all four lights turn off before booting to
the operating system.
Light Pattern Problem Description Suggested Resolution
The computer is in a
normal off condition or a
possible pre-BIOS failure
has occurred.
The diagnostic lights are
not lit after the system
successfully boots to the
operating system.
• Plug the computer into a
working electrical outlet (see
"Power Problems" on page69).
• If the problem persists, contact
Dell (see
"Contacting Dell
" on
page200).
A possible processor failure
has occurred.
• Reseat the processor (see
"Processor" on page154).
• If the problem persists, contact
Dell (see
"Contacting Dell
" on
page200).
book.book Page 76 Tuesday, November 27, 2007 10:29 AM