Solving power problems

Common causes and solutions for power problems are listed in the following table.

Table D-2Solving Power Problems

Power supply shuts down intermittently.

Cause

Solution

 

 

Voltage selector switch on rear of workstation chassis (some

Select the proper AC voltage using the selector switch.

models) not switched to correct line voltage (115V or 230V).

 

 

 

Power supply will not turn on because of internal power supply

Replace the power supply.

fault.

 

 

 

Workstation powered off automatically and the Power LED flashes Red two times, once every second, followed by a two second pause, and the workstation beeps two times. (Beeps stop after fifth iteration but LEDs continue flashing.)

Cause

Solution

 

 

 

Processor thermal protection activated:

1.

Ensure that the workstation air vents are not blocked and

A fan may be blocked or not turning.

 

the processor cooling fan is running.

2.

Open hood, press power button, and see if the processor

OR

 

fan spins. If the processor fan is not spinning, make sure

The heatsink is not properly attached to the processor.

 

the fan's cable is plugged onto the system board header.

 

 

 

3.

If fan is plugged in, but is not spinning, then replace the

 

 

heatsink/fan assembly.

 

 

 

Power LED flashes Red four times, once every second, followed by a two second pause, and the workstation beeps four times. (Beeps stop after fifth iteration but LEDs continue flashing.)

Cause

Solution

 

 

 

Power failure (power supply is overloaded).

1.

Check that the voltage selector, located on the rear of the

 

 

power supply (some models), is set to the appropriate

 

 

voltage. Proper voltage setting depends on your region.

 

2.

Open the hood and ensure the 4- or 6-wire power supply

 

 

cable is seated into the connector on the system board.

 

3.

Check if a device is causing the problem by removing ALL

 

 

attached devices (such as hard, diskette, or optical drives,

 

 

and expansion cards). Power on the system. If the system

 

 

enters the POST, then power off and replace one device

 

 

at a time and repeat this procedure until failure occurs.

 

 

Replace the device that is causing the failure. Continue

 

 

adding devices one at a time to ensure all devices are

 

 

functioning properly.

 

4. Replace the power supply.

 

5.

Replace the system board.

 

 

 

126 Appendix D Troubleshooting without diagnostics

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