Dell E310 boot problem

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CaptGR Posts 1 Registration date Saturday September 8, 2012 Status Member Last seen September 8, 2012 - Sep 8, 2012 at 11:34 AM
adr8767 Posts 5 Registration date Saturday September 8, 2012 Status Member Last seen September 8, 2012 - Sep 8, 2012 at 05:28 PM
Hi,
I am working on a Dell E310 tower which will not not complete the boot sequence, but tries to reboot continually.
Owner says power went out at home and machine was performing oddly after that.
Later a new internet set up was established and machine never booted afterward.
I installed a new power supply and new cord. Machine starts to boot when plugged in, regardless of front switch position (on or off). Boot up checks CD drive (light) which spins up, then tries HDD which also has spun up. Both fans run until machine powers down by itself after a few seconds. Sometimes gets to Dell OS screen or even to Windows XP but then shuts down. Light on motherboard stays on all the time until unplugged from power, even when machine continues to reboot. I'm thinking either a screwed up BIOS or possibly bad front switch. #3 & 4 error lights (green) and HDD symbol light up during boot attempts. Beeps repeatedly the entire time. I occasionally (when it gets far enough) see an error message saying "Failed to initialize due to Windows Station Shutting down". Any ideas? I'm bumfuzzeled!
Thanks!
GR
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3 responses

Ambucias Posts 47310 Registration date Monday February 1, 2010 Status Moderator Last seen February 15, 2023 11,163
Sep 8, 2012 at 04:17 PM
Hello,

I have a had a similar issue some 4 years ago which happened, like you, after a power failure followed by a surge. It was stranged as if I let the power on, during the night the machine, on its own would try to loop boot.

A technician narrowed down the problem to the motherboard's power entry.

However, before you get engaged in hardware investigations and expenses, have you tried to boot on your Windows (whatever version) and attempt a repair? Who knows some files may have got damaged.

Good luck
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adr8767 Posts 5 Registration date Saturday September 8, 2012 Status Member Last seen September 8, 2012
Sep 8, 2012 at 05:20 PM
I think it means it has to be taken apart. I wrote a list beneath, but it hasn't e.g. the right order

--- Cut the powerswitch wires and repair afterwards or unplug the connection to the switch if available when enough booting, at the right time. And see what happens. Put back together temporarily if wrong timing.

--- Save personal files somewhere else from the harddisk and reinstall windows after a format. (call the owner where all important data is located)

--- The BIOS: take out the BIOS battery long enough, deletion of the BIOS in combination with that and a new one copied in.

--- put in another harddisk, check the one inside in another pc

--- If it wasn't the power supply reinstall the old one

I think one of these things. But first: a new Windows installation and backup of personal files. But I take you already tried that? But it won't start from cd/dvd? To me it seems the undoubtedly first thing to do.

With a new power supply already installed nothing else can be the problem. Except one thing I happen to know something about: something with ghosts. But the owner would most probably know about that if that is the case. When doubt of telling the truth right answer should be there after asking several times. Only to be done if the problem is really out of line.
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adr8767 Posts 5 Registration date Saturday September 8, 2012 Status Member Last seen September 8, 2012
Sep 8, 2012 at 05:28 PM
Wrote a mistake above: something else CAN be the problem, like a powerproblem in the motherboard, processor or a (pci) card. I think taking apart is the right vision on matters. To me personally comes to mind: what would it do with as little hardware installed possible, for a boot. But that is not nessisarily the most efficient first thing to do.
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