Member Avatar for Skwirt

Just received Dell Optiplex GX1 with Windows XP installed. Plugged it in, turned it on and it worked. Installed modem, sound card, plugged it in and the power light turned on by itself, the fan started working, but it never booted up. The only way to turn it off is by disconnecting power supply. Any suggestions on where to start? Thanks, Skwirt

  • 2 Contributors
  • 2 Replies
  • 91 Views
  • 10 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Skwirt

Dani AI

Generated

Good call by to try a minimal configuration first. When an added expansion card causes a system to power but not complete POST, the card can be shorting or latching the PSU. Treat any card salvaged from a failed machine as suspect and isolate it before putting it into a working system.

Minimal-boot checklist (do these in order): remove all add-in cards and nonessential drives, leave only the motherboard, CPU, one stick of RAM, and video (or onboard video). Confirm the front-panel power connector is seated correctly. Power the system and listen for POST beeps. If there is no POST, clear CMOS (battery removal or jumper), reseat RAM, and try a different RAM slot. Test each suspect card only in a known-good system or with a bench PSU; do not reinsert multiple suspect cards into the same machine at once.

Inspect hardware carefully: look for burned components, darkened PCB, bulging or leaking capacitors, cracked connectors, or a burnt smell. Check that motherboard standoffs are correct so the board is not shorting to the case. If the system only turns off when mains is removed, the PSU can be latching because of a shorted card or a failed PS_ON circuit; swap in a known-good PSU or use a PSU tester before replacing parts.

If a card shows visible damage, retire it. Follow basic ESD precautions when handling boards. For background reading on ATX power control and POST behavior, see ATX specification and Power-on self-test.

Recommended Answers

All 2 Replies

Member Avatar for Thong_Ispector

The obvious place to start is by removing the cards you just added and see if it will boot.

I have had a couple of unusual occurances with modems causing boot problems...

Member Avatar for Skwirt

Hi Thong_Ispector,
Thank you for the timely advice. I removed both cards and it worked. I tried out each card seperately and neither one works. I took them out of my old computer which "blew up". On closer inspection I discovered the modem card got fried, too. I can't see any obvious damage to the sound card so I will check it out in town. Now I will hook up my printer. I hope my speakers didn't get zapped, too. This is a great site. Thanks to everyone. Skwirt

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.