660s Won't Boot (Service Tag: )

Hi Bklyn123,

There could be multiple scenarios on why the system would turn off automatically.

Few questions: When did the issue start? Were/Are there any bluescreens? System crashes? Errors while working on the system? What components are connected to the system when it turns off? Is there a specific time period when the system turns off or is it random time intervals? Any new hardware installed on the system?

Based on these, we can guide you further.

Reseat all the RAM modules and any discrete video card.

Reseat the HDD/ODD cables

Use the system with only limited required peripherals and check how it works.

Update the BIOS from support.dell.com - http://dell.to/1Pwntme - enter the service tag and select drivers and downloads and run the BIOS update.

Restart the system and keep tapping on f12 key and select diagnostics. Run the test and make a note of any errors that you might possibly encounter and reply with the error details.

If the issue is not resolved, send us the event logs at the time the system turned off and a copy of the reliability history of the most recent week the issue persisted.

Keep us updated.

Hi, Rishi-

Thanks for the quick response!

As I mentioned, this is a neighbor's computer, but I got some face time with it today before receiving your reply.  Here's what I found:

• When it refused to boot at all, the green LED by the power inlet was generally off, even with the power cable connected.
• When I disconnected the power cable and held in the power button, after about ten seconds the green LED would light briefly and then go off.
• When I then reconnected the power cable, about 90% of the time the green LED would light and the machine would boot, but it then shut down within about a minute, leaving the green LED off.  The other 10% of the time, it didn't boot at all.

I removed the top panel and verified that the fan was spinning when the machine was booting and running, and that it stopped when the machine shut down.  I also observed that the case of the power supply was warm to the touch.

To answer your specific questions as best I can:

• The issue started about five days ago, after the machine had been unused for a day or two.  I do not believe that there were any blue screens, crashes, or other indications of error.
• The behavior I described immediately above occurred with only the monitor and keyboard connected.  I believe that I then tried with no peripherals connected at all, with the same result.
• No new hardware has been installed since the machine was purchased.  External USB devices such as an HDD and a printer/fax were not connected when I tested the machine.
• The first few times this occurred, holding in the On button and then booting allowed the machine to run for as long as fifteen minutes.  It currently runs for less than a minute before summarily shutting down, which makes a BIOS update, running boot-time diagnostics, and examining logs hard to do. 

Does this information, particularly the behavior of the green LED, give you any further clue as to what's wrong?

Thanks again for your help.

Best,

Alan

ETA:  There are no beep codes issued during boot.  When the machine fails to boot, it doesn't even try, that is, the fan doesn't begin to spin and there's no indication of activity (light, sound) from the machine.

Hi Alan,

Thank you for the update.

Have you tried another power cable and another wall socket? Is the system connected directly to the wall or is there a spike buster/surge protector involved? Try this and proceed further below.

I would primarily suspect the RAM modules or the graphics card causing this issue.

Download the service manual - http://dell.to/1JKmhWr - strip the system down to only the motherboard, psu and processor, i.e. disconnect all peripherals, remove the RAM modules, graphics card, disconnect the HDD and ODD cables and turn on the system and leave it on. See if it stays on all the time. If the system stays on for as long as you do not turn it off, then one of the components you have disconnected is causing the above issue. You would have to put each component back and test the system and isolate the part causing the issue.

If the system turns off automatically while running on the bare minimum i.e. motherboard, psu and processor, then reseat the 12v and ATX connectors and check. If it still goes off, connect the ODD power cable, turn on the system and press the ODD eject button. If the tray ejects, the PSU is fine. If not, the PSU is faulty and needs to be replaced.

If the PSU is fine, then the motherboard is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Keep us updated.

Hi, Rishi-

Thanks again for the quick turnaround.  I've never opened a minitower before, and the reason I didn't initially do the simple things like reseating the memory and cards and connectors is that it wasn't obvious how to remove the fan shroud without injuring it.  The manual makes that clear.

There's no one home right now, but I'll have a whack at all of this tomorrow,

Best,

Alan

Hi again, Rishi-

I'm not sure why, but sometimes my responses post immediately, and sometimes I get a message that they need to be approved first by a moderator--so today's may be out of sequence.

I got a knock on the door, so I just performed the diagnostics you suggested.  I removed both RAM cards, disconnected the power and data cables for the HDD and ODD, and unseated and reseated all other connectors, even the ones that seemed irrelevant.  There was no separate video card to remove.  The result, alas, was exactly as I described above.

In no case did the system remain running for more than a few seconds.  Pressing the ODD eject button had no effect, but I wouldn't expect it to if the system had shut down.

I also confirmed with the owner that there were no warning signs preceding the failure.  In the morning it ran fine, and in the evening, it shut down after about thirty minutes.  The time it remained up decreased with testing to the current consistent few seconds.

Is there anything else remaining to check or to do?  It doesn't seem proper that a two-year-old system should fail in this way when its predecessor Dell desktop lasted slightly over ten years.

Thanks again,

Alan

Edit: Typo corrected.

Hi Alan,

Thank you for the update.

However, I need clear confirmation of the following query:

• strip the system down to only the motherboard, psu and processor, i.e. disconnect all peripherals, remove the RAM modules, graphics card, disconnect the HDD and ODD cables and turn on the system and leave it on - What is the result of this?

The motherboard failure could be caused by several instances - power disruptions, short circuits, addition of incompatible hardware, etc. Now, there are many systems that last for a long time(my work desktop Optiplex lasted for several years - without being switched off) and there are few systems that fail on the very first day or in this instance 2 years later. The failure is however, inevitable. Machines do fail, but it is not possible to guess the event of failure.

Having said this, if the system is under warranty, please send me the service tag of the system and the contact details of the customer, we shall set up a service call and have it fixed on site / as per the warranty.

Hi, Rishi-

"strip the system down to only the motherboard, psu and processor, i.e. disconnect all peripherals, remove the RAM modules, graphics card, disconnect the HDD and ODD cables and turn on the system and leave it on - What is the result of this?"

I am certain that with no external peripherals connected, both memory modules removed and the HDD and ODD power cables disconnected, the machine behaved as described: Initially, it wouldn't boot, but after I disconnected the power cable, held in the On button until the rear-panel LED flashed green and extinguished, and reconnected the power, it would run for a few seconds and then shut down.  By "run for a few seconds" I mean that the fan would spin and then shut off, and pressing the On button would have no effect until I repeated the reset cycle.  (The machine has no separate video card to remove.)

I am also certain that I performed the same test with the HDD and ODD data cables disconnected (and no memory or external peripherals), but I am not certain that the data cables and power cables were disconnected in the same test.  I can repeat this if you wish.

Since I see that the forum's privacy policy prohibits my posting it here, how do I send you customer info?  When I enter "DELL-RISHI" into the Messenger box, I receive a message that "No matches were found."

Once again, many thanks.

Best regards,

Alan

Hi Alan,

When you disconnect all peripherals, disconnect the RAM modules, HDD and ODD cables, the system will not boot. It will only post, indicating that the motherboard, PSU and processor are working fine.

I hope you have tried another power cable and another wall socket. Please confirm the same in your reply.

Please disconnect both the power cables and data cables of the HDD and ODD, remove the RAM modules and the CMOS battery and turn on the system and check if it stays on. If the system still turns on (fans spin for a few seconds) and turns off automatically, I would suspect the motherboard.

I have sent you a friend request, accept that and send me the contact details.

Hi, Rishi-

I'll check the service manual to find out how to remove the battery, as I didn't see it when I had the case open, and repeat the tests once more precisely per your instructions.  I'm beginning to see some light at the end of this tunnel!

Once again, thanks so much.

Best regards,

Alan