Dell Dimension 4700 Will Not Start - B Diagnostic Light is Amber, others Green
Dell Dimension 4700 Will not boot. Fan is constantly blowing hard, but no other activity is seen. The B diagnostic light is amber and ACD are green. No video or HD activity. No Beeps. No other accessories plugged in. Removed memory and HD to no avail. Please no guesses here - I cannot just throw new parts at this thing in hopes it works again.
Thanks.
Thanks.
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With the Memory out (2x256mb), I power on the system with same result. NO BEEPS, B DIAG light Amber, the rest are green. Fans is constantly blowing hard.
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Of course the system is 39 days out of warranty so that is not an option.
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Disconnect/remove everything not needed for a basic boot. You should be left with mobo, CPU, PSU, RAM, video card (if not integrated), keyboard, and monitor. If it still won't boot, you have at least narrowed it down some. Swap memory modules and any other components you have available starting with PSU.
By swapping memory and PSU, you can narrow [roblem down to motherboard or CPU.
As BILLDL noted, the B diagnostic LED is associated with memory. There should be a second amber LED though. Absence of beeps is also unusual.
By swapping memory and PSU, you can narrow [roblem down to motherboard or CPU.
As BILLDL noted, the B diagnostic LED is associated with memory. There should be a second amber LED though. Absence of beeps is also unusual.
CPU fan? There isn't one per se. There's a 9cm rear mounted fan. PC should boot and run with fan disconnected. Don't run for long unless shroud is removed and case is open.
ASKER
I reseated CPU - no luck.
Removed fan - no luck
Cleared cmos - no luck
I think we all have it narrowed down to MB or CPU, but I am not interested in getting both if it is only one of them. Besides putting a known good unit in, what else could I do to narrow down the problem? The MB was replaced under dell warranty about a year ago.
Thanks
Removed fan - no luck
Cleared cmos - no luck
I think we all have it narrowed down to MB or CPU, but I am not interested in getting both if it is only one of them. Besides putting a known good unit in, what else could I do to narrow down the problem? The MB was replaced under dell warranty about a year ago.
Thanks
If it was your CPU you would get an error code beeping.
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OK. So it is the motherboard, right?
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Thank you all for your help.
Yes. The motherboard, and you SHOULD get high or low beeps with this model Dell if you have the memory removed and the CPU was bad. No willcomp, this is not the norm, but it is for this PC.
Thank you slsmith.
To save any others from hunting for the diagnostics light info:
http://www.webmadeeasy.net/ComputerDocs/Dell/Dimension/4700/ServiceManual/adtshoot.htm#wp1054305
I don't see a permutation that matches your lights. It's flagging up the Memory light (B), but not telling you why it's yellow, eg. D would tell you it's configuration issues.
Very puzzling, I'm thinking about this one.