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os2tony

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20 years ago

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os2tony

21 Posts

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7487

October 9th, 2006 02:00

Dimension 4300 Won't Power On

This 4300 Dimension will not power on.
When pressing the button te unit will not power on, I checked the cables tried a different power cord still
it will not power on.

The LED on the Motherboard is on (amber) steady.
No back LEDs are on.

When I disconnect and reconnect the power cord, the Fans spin briefly then stop.

Earlier the unit would power on, now it will not power. It appears to be intermitting no pattern
to it.

Please Any suggestions or ideas?

Thanks!
Tony
  • M

    Majestic

    2 Intern

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    9371 Posts

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    Posted October 9th, 2006 12:00

    If the diagnostic lights are of no help then it is going to take a little trial & error on your part to find the hardware item which is preventing the system from booting.  Try the trouble-shooting steps I have listed below.......
     
    Try clearing the NVRAM (CMOS) to see if it resolves the boot problem.  Possibly the information stored in the NVRAM (CMOS) became corrupted which is not uncommon.  Normally you would clear the NVRAM (CMOS) by entering the BIOS Setup, but it would appear that you can not do so.  The alternative would be to remove the battery from the motherboard to clear the NVRAM (CMOS).  With the machine unplugged from the wall remove the battery from the motherboard.  Then with the machine still unplugged press the On button for 15 seconds to dissipate any remaining electrical charge on the motherboard.  Then re-install the battery, plug the machine back into the wall and see if it will boot normally. Given the age of the system I would try installing a new battery when clearing the NVRAM.  A failed battery can cause a variety of boot up problems. A new 3-Volt, CR2032, coin cell battery can be purchased for around $3 (US) and is available at any Radio Shack, computer stores and most discount stores.  Page #97 of your system's owner's manual will explain how to change the battery.

    If the machine still fails to boot then strip the motherboard down to the bare minimum.  By bare minimum I mean remove all expansion cards, disconnect all drives and leave just the processor, memory and graphics card in the machine after reseating them.  If the computer boots this way then start connecting each device one at a time until the no boot scenario returns.  This would then indicate which device has failed and is causing the problem.  Also try booting the system without the keyboard, mouse or any other device plugged into the rear of the system.  A faulty USB device has been known to cause problems. If you have more than one memory module (pair with RDRAM) installed then try booting with only one and then swap them around and try again. If you only have one memory module (pair with RDRAM) then try booting without any memory modules installed. Also try swapping the graphics card for another one.  If this procedure doesn't resolve the problem then you maybe looking at a situation where the motherboard or processor has failed.
  • O

    os2tony

    21 Posts

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    Posted October 9th, 2006 13:00

    Thanks.
    Okay, here's what I did.
    I removed the battery, held the button for 15secs and replaced it.
    The system powered on.
     
    I shutdown it down again.
     
    Now again it does not power on.
     
    How does the battery prevent the unit from powering on, I thought the battery was mainly to allow
    the system to keeps it's NVRAM config.
     
    Why removing the battery and reinstalling allow it to boot?
     
    I am going to Radio Shack to get another battery.
     
    Thank you very much for your help!
     
    Tony

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