Back to Contents Page
Advanced Troubleshooting
Dell Precision™ Workstations 450 and 650 User's Guide
Diagnostic Lights
Beep Codes
Dell Diagnostics
Drivers
Using System Restore
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities
Diagnostic Lights
System Lights
Located on the front of the computer, these lights can indicate a computer problem.
Power Light | Hard- | Problem Description | Suggested Resolution |
| Drive |
|
|
| Light |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Solid green | N/A | Power is on, and the computer is operating | No corrective action is required. |
|
| normally. |
|
|
|
|
|
Blinking green | Blank | The computer is in the suspended state | Press the power button, move the mouse, or press a key |
|
| (Microsoft® Windows® 2000 and Windows XP). | on the keyboard to wake the computer. See "Power |
|
|
| Button." |
Blinks green several times and then | N/A | A configuration error exists. | Check the diagnostic lights to see if the specific problem is |
turns off |
|
| identified. |
|
|
|
|
Solid yellow | N/A | The Dell Diagnostics is running a test, or a | If the Dell Diagnostics is running, allow the testing to |
|
| device on the system board may be faulty or | complete. |
|
| incorrectly installed. |
|
|
|
| Check the diagnostic lights to see if the specific problem is |
|
|
| identified. See "System Board Problems." |
|
|
| If the computer does not boot, contact Dell for technical |
|
|
| assistance. |
|
|
|
|
Blinking yellow | Blank | A power supply or system board failure has | Check the diagnostic lights to see if the specific problem is |
|
| occurred. | identified. See "Power Problems" and "System Board |
|
|
| Problems." |
|
|
|
|
Blinking yellow | Solid | A system board or VRM failure has occurred. | Check the diagnostic lights to see if the specific problem is |
| green |
| identified. See "System Board Problems." |
|
|
|
|
Solid green and a beep code during | N/A | A problem was detected while the BIOS was | See "Beep Codes" for instructions on diagnosing the beep |
POST |
| executing. | code. Also, check the diagnostic lights to see if the specific |
|
|
| problem is identified. |
|
|
|
|
Solid green power light and no | N/A | The monitor or the graphics card may be faulty | Check the diagnostic lights to see if the specific problem is |
beep code and no video during |
| or incorrectly installed. | identified. See "Video and Monitor Problems." |
POST |
|
|
|
Solid green power light and no | N/A | An integrated system board device may be | Check the diagnostic lights to see if the specific problem is |
beep code but the computer locks |
| faulty. | identified. If the problem is not identified, contact Dell for |
up during POST |
|
| technical assistance. |
|
|
|
|
Diagnostic Lights
To help you troubleshoot a problem, your computer is equipped with four lights on the front panel labeled "A," "B," "C," and "D". These lights can be yellow or green. When the computer starts normally, the lights flash. After the computer starts, the lights remain green. If the computer malfunctions, the color and sequence of the lights identify the problem.
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the System Information Guide.
Diagnostic Light Codes Before POST
Light Pattern | Problem Description | Suggested Resolution |
|
|
|
| No electrical power is supplied to the | Connect the computer to its electrical outlet. Ensure that the |
| computer. | If the power light is off, ensure that the computer is connected to a working electrical outlet |
