40 Quick Reference Guide
Diagnostic Light Codes During POST

The power light displays a solid green for diagnostic light codes during POST.

(blinking)
amber A possible failure has been
detected in a plug-in
component such as a graphics
riser card or memory
risercard.
Verify that any required power cables are
connected to the memory and graphics
risercards.
Perform the procedure in "Power Problems" in
your User’s Guide.
(blinking)
amber A possible power supply
failure has occurred.
Verify that both power supply cables are
plugged in to the motherboard.
Light Pattern Problem Description Suggested Resolution
A possible processor failure has
occurred.
Reinstall the processor and restart the computer.
A possible expansion card failure
has occurred.
1
Determine if a conflict exists by removing a card (not the
graphics card) and then restarting the computer.
2
If the problem persists, reinstall the card that you
removed, remove a diff erent card, and then restart the
computer.
3
Repeat this process for each card. If the computer starts
normally, troubleshoot the last card removed from the
computer for resource conflicts (see "Resolving Software
and Hardware Incompati bilities" on page 32).
4
If the problem persists, contact Dell
.
A possible graphics card failure
has occurred.
1
If the computer has a graphics card, remove the card,
reinstall it, and then restart the computer.
2
If the problem still exists, install a graphics card that you
know works and restart the computer.
3
If the problem persists or the computer has integrated
graphics, contact Dell
.
A possible floppy or hard drive
failure has occurred.
Reseat all power and data cables and restart the computer.
Diagnostic Lights Power
Light
Problem Description Suggested Resolution
book.book Page 40 Tuesday, January 10, 2006 2:58 PM