Member Avatar for blueeyesjust

:( My dell inspirion won't start-up, I just replaced the Cmos battery, and I also bought a new battery[kd476, 85w] If I try to boot with or without the battery, same thing happens. After pressing the power button, the 3 green lts come on but then turn off after a few seconds, nothing appears on the screen nor is their any noise. Seems dead! Any suggestions? Thanks, Debby

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Brief, practical diagnostic addendum for the Dell Inspiron 6400 thread (builds on ’s reseat suggestion and ’s power-cycle idea). The symptoms reported — three green lights for a second, no fan/noise, blank internal and external displays — point to a power-delivery or early POST failure rather than a simple HDD or OS issue. The following steps prioritize low-cost checks that often isolate the fault before considering a motherboard swap.

Suggested diagnostic sequence:

  1. Check the AC adapter with a multimeter. Confirm the adapter’s printed output and measure DC volts at the tip/barrel (observe the printed polarity). The measured voltage should be within roughly 5% of the rated value; a large drop or zero indicates a bad adapter.
  2. Inspect the DC inlet and jack. Look for play, corrosion, or a loose center pin. Wiggling the plug gently while trying to power can reveal intermittent contact. A broken jack is a frequent, inexpensive repair compared with a full board replacement.
  3. Power-drain reset. Remove battery and AC, press-and-hold the power button for 30–60 seconds, then plug in AC (no battery) and attempt startup. This clears residual charge and can revive stuck EC power states.
  4. Minimal-configuration POST test. With AC only, remove the HDD, optical drive, wireless card and leave only one RAM module in the first slot (try each module/slot individually). Listen for beep patterns or watch LED blink codes and note their count/timing — these are diagnostic.
  5. Data-safety step. If the HDD is healthy, remove it and access it via a USB adapter/enclosure to recover files before any invasive repairs.

Cautions and next steps: use basic ESD precautions, do not use adapters from other makes unless they match the exact Dell specs, and avoid soldering or board-level work unless experienced. If the adapter and DC jack test good but the laptop still shows no POST or beeps, the likely culprits are the motherboard power circuitry, EC, or CPU/GPU — at that point a professional diagnostic or sourcing a used motherboard/part is the most practical route.

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Member Avatar for Rik_

The only thing to try is to remove and re-fit the ram and the hard drive. If that has no effect, you will need to take it to a professional.

Member Avatar for reliesje

:( My dell inspirion won't start-up, I just replaced the Cmos battery, and I also bought a new battery[kd476, 85w] If I try to boot with or without the battery, same thing happens. After pressing the power button, the 3 green lts come on but then turn off after a few seconds, nothing appears on the screen nor is their any noise. Seems dead! Any suggestions? Thanks, Debby

try 2 change the power supply or disconect it for about 20 sec and put it back on also try2 put the old battery back in

Member Avatar for blueeyesjust

I tried my son's HP power supply, doesn't turn it on either. I did put the old battery back in, hooked up a monitor to it, still nothing. Besdies the 3 lights that come on for a second when you press the power button, it just seems like the computer is dead. It is only 2 yrs old exactly.
Thanks,
Debby

Member Avatar for Rik_

You should never ever try a power supply from another make of laptop. The voltages, wattages, and pin outs vary greatly.

Member Avatar for blueeyesjust

Just curious, you know how people can order different generic items instead of paying the rediciulous prices for the Brand-name products, I thought if it wasn't compatible then it would not fit. For ex, you can't put a HP battery in a Dell laptop, it just wouldn't fit, but you can order a generic battery and it will fit. Is it just the AC adapter's that can not be generic? I'm trying to learn as much as I can, so thanks for letting me know about the AC Adapter.
Thanks,
Debby

Member Avatar for froggus

Same problem here. Did you find a solution?

Member Avatar for blueeyesjust

No, sorry, I unfortunately did not.
I tried everything, completely stripped it down, put it all back together and still the problem exists.
So I think it is either the processor or the motherboard.
I was looking at prices for an used processor, but haven't ordered any as of yet. If I didn't already buy the new laptop battery, I definitely would have bought the used processor.
If it is not that, then I have to assume it is the motherboard.
If that were the case, it isn't worth replacing that part. Too expensive, it would be cheaper to buy a new laptop, since the prices have come down so much.
I wish you luck with yours.
Thanks,
Debby

Member Avatar for froggus

Thanks Debby I have written it off to a bad mobo.

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