Most newer models of Dell computers now have a diagnostic LED surrounding the power button on the from of the computer. When you press the power button to boot the PC, the light should be green and remain green under normal circumstances. Any other lights will help you troubleshoot the power issue you are having.
A solid green light means the computer is operating normally.
A solid yellow light indicates the power supply is operating normally but the computer is not processing data. This could mean there is a problem with the CPu or another component on the motherboard.
A blinking yellow light indicates the power supply is receiving power from the wall, but not functioning properly. This generally means the power supply itself is bad and should be tested or replaced.
A blinking green light means the computer is in standby mode.
So use the LED power light codes if your Dell computer has them. Also pay attention to any unusual beeps or sounds coming from the computer. Then join us in our free computer tech support forums and we’ll try and help you solve your PC problem. Sometimes, however, a service call to Dell will be required. If your system is still under warranty, you should always just call them first, as tampering with your computer may void your warranty.
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I have a question about my dell computer. Sometimes when i turn it on my computer it will beep pause beep pause will do it 6 times, the led light stays green and blinks. Sometimes i have to unplug the cord from the back to get it to work and sometimes it wont work for weeks at a time. Can you please let me know what you think could be wrong with it.
Thank you
Natisha
Your best bet is to look in the support section of the Dell website. You computer is generating a beep code that could mean something different depending on your model.
I have seen from you’re suggestions that a blinking orangey yellow light means there is something wrong with the power supply. However, it has always been working fine and i’m not sure how i could replace this.
Could this also be happening because my PC has been on for more than a week and a half, and never on standby mode but full power.
Also, Sometimes people accidently press the main power off and on again, could this be the reason that it is not turning on? Or is it simply the power supply?
Thank you
Try unplugging the power cable and then hold the front power button for abut thirty-seconds. This discharges capacitory that might be retaining power. Plug it back in and try powering it back on normally.
My daughter has an inspiron 1520. It works well when using the adapter to charge the battery, but it will not operate with the cord attached. I think it might be a battery or cord problem but am not certain.
I have dell inspiron 1525. It does not charge the battery and shows a message 0% available ‘plugged in not charging’ but sometimes after a month or two it starts charging the battery.
Any suggestion plzz
Thanks
I have a solid green light, and I hope its the fan because one day last week on a very hot day the fan was going pretty hard, but no more than usual on summer days then the power was cut and i fear it is a component on the motherboard.
how do i locate the broken component?
at a guess im hoping it is the component that goes to the fan, but there is no life in the computer other than showing power is going to the motherboard. also i have a fat flat cable from the diskette drive, but i have no diskette drive so this cable goes nowehere, instead i have a flash drive that goes to a component slot on the motherboard next to the green light
Just to add, its the diskette slot I have a cable which preusmable is for a diskette drive, but thats not the porblem obviously.
The LED light on the motherboard is solid green. and everything else feels dead. it basically feels like something on the motherboard is stopping all power. The power box where the main cord is, again I was hoping it was this as it could be a straight replacement, but power must be coming from here to the motherbnoard, but that small fan inside the power box too is lifeless.
i have one problem with my dell vostro 1014
when i start it change the display in very bright mode and we cant able to see clearly what can i do for this to avoid color problem
At first my pc was working then our kettle was on and the computer was turned on and off a few times inbetween the kettle hitting the switch. Once we had found the kettle was faulty we unpluged it and got a new one. and booted my pc, the next day it showed no signs of being alive apart from the little light on the motherboard. a few days later the computer’s processor fan reved up very slowly. so i pulled the plug in case the processor was going to pop. i tried it today, aflash of a yellow light and nothing, for some appearent reason i pluged my network cable in to it from my 7 pro Toshiba laptop. all the protocols were acting as they would normaly. when it had finished doing what it does. it paused for a few seconds and then suddenly the broken computer reved to life with a yellow light and a processor fan that keeps revving so i pulled the plug. help
There should be a key on the keyboard with a display icon or a sun icon that controls the brightness up and down. I have never see it go so bright that it can wash out a display, though.
The yellow lite on the front of my Dell is a constant yellow. On the mother board there is a capacitor that has a little bulge at the top. I know that capacitors should be flat on top……….could that be the problem ?
435t i get the run around from dell about upgrading my processor to an i7 950, 960 and how these will effect my psu. I want to take my psu from the standard 475 watts to 700, 750. I do not want injure my mother board. What would be a safe upgrade in psu?
I recently took my motherboard out of my Dell Dimension 3000 and put it in another case and plugged everything back in the right way it turns on i get the green light for a second and it goes to solid yellow. I have two power boxes and I have tried both of them and now I’m clueless the monitor wont come on but is says its working correctly I am so lost.
Did you use the power supply from the old Dell case? Also, the connections from the old Dell’s front panel and the new case may be different–confirm that these are correct. You can “jump-start” the mobo by shorting the two power on pins with a flathead screwdriver. If that starts the computer, then you know the switch wires are connected wrong.
My power connection jack into my laptop is not going all the way in. I have checked it and there is no obstruction. A message keeps coming up saying the AC adaptor cannot be determined. It then says my system will slow down (which it is doing) and the battery won’t charge. Would you direct me to someone who can repair my power jack.
My computer was working fine. I moved it to another location. When I tried to re start it, my monitor has a notice on it. ( going into power save mode.) and then my screen goes completely out. Nothing will work.
Thank you so much for any help.
Scincerly
Sheron
My Dell Laptop all of a sudden doesn’t recogonize my battery. If I unplug the ac cord it shuts off immediately.
My dell inspiring 1420. Does not have a light problem but just will not go past the bootup menu. It just continues to start itself over. I really need some help thanks
Hello,
I have got an amber light blinking everytime i try power the PC on. I have replaced PSU and a working one does the same thing. Called DELL tech support and they advise could either be IO Panel or Mobo. The tech guy said they would send me some links to my email to help me troubleshoot but havent heard anything as yet.
Can anyone here please suggest anything else I may have missed. Where to buy IO Panel to try or even mobo?
Thanks
Gone
Here are some suggestions for testing the Dell I/O panel http://www.pctechbytes.com/2010/04/30/dell-io-panel-test/
my dell loaded up normally for a few seconds then the screen went blank with only its product number and a message saying disabling is prohibited. esc didn’t work to get off the screen and neither did ctrl alt del didn’t either so i turned it off at its power button. after a few seconds i tried to turn it back on again but the soft ware was unresponsive. also the disk drive started to flash, it started beeping and the lights 3 and 4 where lit. these numbers where located between the power button and the disk drive almost at half way.
any ideas on how to solve the problem? i believe it to be either a virus or a problem with the hard or firm ware but dont know how to fix such a problem
please get back to me
rohan
My Dell Inspiron 1150 has been blinking dim every so often. Today it just stayed dim. Any ideas of my problem and correcting it. Thanks