Boot Up Problem With Dell Dimension 4500

Hi

Your system is working normally. When you first turn ON the Power Switch, the monitor gets the power and would display an amber light to indicate the same. The monitor displays “No Signal” as long as it is getting power from the wall socket alone. The monitor light turns green the moment system tower is turned ON.

It would be a good idea to run the hardware diagnostics in order to check if there is a hardware issue. You may follow the steps mentioned below:

1. Restart the computer
2. Press at the Dell Logo Screen
3. Highlight ‘Boot to Utility Partition’ and press at the boot device list
4. Choose 'Extended Test' option at the ‘Dell Diagnostics’ main menu screen (see image below)

 

'Extended Test' is a detailed test on all the devices. This test may take upto an hour to finish and may prompt you to answer few questions periodically.
An error message may appear if the diagnostics encounters a faulty hardware component during the test. It may also display and error code with problem description. Would request you to make a note of the same.
You can close the test screen and return to the main menu. Restart the system to exit dell diagnostics

If the hardware diagnostics pass successfully, then the issue might be within the operating system. Do keep me posted with the status.

Thanks & Regards
Vishal S
#iworkfordell

Hi Tony

Accept my apology for the late reply.

As you have mentioned that the “Utility partition” is not found, it’s evident that the utility partition might have got deleted if the hard drive was formatted in the past. At this point, you may boot the system using the Dell resource CD to run the 32-Bit Dell diagnostics to check if at all there is a hardware error.

Thanks & Regards
Vishal S
#iworkfordell

Hi Vishal,

Last year my Maxtor hard drive failed (a loud clicking sound) and was replaced. After replacing it my computer seems to have been working fine. The present 'fault' only started a few weeks back.

I have 5 Dell disks that were supplied with the computer and one is titled: Drivers And Utilities and states: Dell Dimension Resource CD for Reinstalling Device Drivers and Using Diagnostics, Utilities and System Documentation.

When I inserted this CD (with the computer booted-up in the normal way) it shows a list of all items on my system and, when I scroll down - amongst that list, there is: Sysytem Diagnostics-Dell 32-bit Diagnostics for Dell Resource CD Rev:A1101.

When I click on this it brings up a Read Me file that is 2 pages of gobbledegook (well it is to me) but it looks like a list of data info.

So what do I do with this information and what do i do next?

Thanks,

Tony

Hi Tony

Thanks for the detailed response. We surely need the same disc (Dell Dimension Resource CD) to run the 32-Bit Dell diagnostics. However, you need to shut down the after inserting the disc in the drive. Please follow these instructions to launch the Diagnostics:

1. Turn ON the system
2. Tap F12 key at the Dell logo screen
3. Highlight CD/DVD drive option and tap enter

You will see 2 options on the next screen. (a) 32-Bit Dell Diagnostics (b) exit.

Please highlight the 32-Bit Dell diagnostics and hit enter. Please note down the error code if you get any. I am also sending you a private message; please reply with the required details so that I can assist you better.

Thanks & Regards
Vishal S
#iworkfordell

Vishal, Thanks for your reply & I confirm that I have also received your PM & I will reply to that later.

In the meantime, I was able to carry out your instructions: 1, 2 & 3 but I was not able to see the next 2 options as I only got a message (see pic 4) which would not let me go any further.

Just to confirm that I was following your steps: 1, 2 & 3 I have provided photos I took of the screens as that came up (see below):

NB: Sorry for the quality of pics but these were taken on my digital camera.

First Screen With Menu:

Second Screen With My Selection:

3rd Screen Showing Option I Chose:

4th Screen With Message:

Tony

Vishal,

I have sent you a reply to your request for my details.

Tony

Anyone there ?

Ozwald, it appears from the screen photos you have provided that you are trying to boot from a Windows 98 installation CD.  What you needed to do was boot from the Dell Resource CD.  If you boot from that disk you should be guided to a diagnostics menu similar to the screen photo that was provided by the Dell representative.  When you reach the diagnostics menu you may need to run a quick test first.  After that test has completed, you should have the option to customize a test; select the tests for the hard disk drive.

The disk you were using is checking for an acceptable volume for the installation of Windows 98, and is reporting that the first hard drive, C:, does not have a FAT partition.  What operating system are you using on the computer?  If you are using Windows XP, the partition is most likely an NTFS partition and that is why the Win 98 installation disk is complaining.

I was using the Dell Resource CD, as supplied with the computer by Dell, see pic 1.

The only other main CD is the Windows XP Installation CD, see pic 2.

Pic 1:

Pic 2

If I may, I'd like to return to the original problem that brought me to this forum.

The problem only started a short while back, before that, there wasn't this problem.

The problem is, unlike before, when switching on the computer from the mains & pressing the "start" button on the Tower there is no response for about 2-3 minutes before any LEDs light up on the tower: DVD, CD, Floppy Disk, Keyboard etc and, only then, will the computer boot-up.

Whereas, before this happened, all LEDs & boot-up took place as soon as the start button was pressed.

Also, since this fault started if, after a successful boot-up and use of the computer I then switch off the computer, if I then switch it on again....say within no longer than an hour, it will boot up straight away. But, if I leave the computer off for longer than two hours or more, then the fault re-occurs.

Surely, this indicates a problem with the Power Supply & not the operating system?

Taking your complaint first, I note that you turn off the "master" switch when you shut the computer down.  This has the advantage of making power usage zero when the machine is off, but you should recognize that the On button of the computer does not actually switch the power on.  It provides a signal to the power supply to tell it that it needs to bring the primary power on-line.  In order to do this, and also to provide power to the circuits that provide this control, the main AC power must be on before the button is pushed.  Have you tried leaving the power strip on over night and then pressing the power button to see if the symptom is the same?

Another possible issue is the back-up battery for the NVRAM, often termed the CMOS memory.  These batteries last for about three to seven years, and usually more like three if you unplug or switch the main power off between uses.  When the computer is left plugged in so that the power control circuits are left energized, the battery lasts longer.  When the battery voltage drops below a certain value, strange things begin to happen as the NVRAM begins to forget various elements of the computer configuration.  One of my Dells used to forget entirely that it had a diskette drive installed when the battery failed.  Took me a while to figure that one out, but everything was fine once the battery was replaced.  If you haven't replaced your back-up cell in a while, you might consider doing that as well.

I'm sure you know what the label of the disk you are using says, but I've never seen a Dell Resource CD boot to Windows 98.  All of mine have gone straight to the diagnostics menu, which does not care if C: drive has a valid FAT partition.  Either the disk is not a Dell Resource CD, or you aren't really booting from it.  Since you have Windows XP installed, it obviously is not coming from the computer hard drive.  You appear to have more than one CD ROM; which are you using to boot the CD?  Given the vintage of your computer, you must have IDE/ATA optical drives.  Only the master drive on an IDE channel will normally support booting.  You can force booting from the second, slave, drive by going to System Setup (F2 during the self test after starting the computer) and disabling the master drive.  I've seen computers that have trouble booting from a disk when two optical drives are installed.  To get around that I have disconnected the slave drive so that the master is the only one on the channel.  If you can reach the diagnostics menu, you should try to run the diagnostics to verify there isn't anything strange happening.

Sorry for the delay in relying but a spell in Hospital prevented me from having access to my computer.

"Have you tried leaving the power strip on over night and then pressing the power button to see if the symptom is the same?"

Yes, I have now tried that and the computer boots-up immediately the button on the tower is pushed. But I'm loathed to leave my computer in this mode (nor any electrical system in my household). Here in the UK we are a very ECO & Energy conscious.

Thanks for all the other advice you've provided but, as I explained in my first posts, I'm not computer literate and so, it went over my head.

The two discs I provided the pics of are the only discs I have for activating or testing the computer (as advised & confirmed by an earlier contributor)

Best regards.

You need not leave the power on all the time; I advised it this once to confirm my suspicion.  You should be able to turn the power off overnight, but remember to switch it back on two minutes or so before you press the power button on the tower.  That should allow enough time for the stand-by power to come up and energize the circuits that control the main power.

An examination of the labels shown on your photos reveals that you do have the Utilities disk, and why that one would need to examine the hard drive is a puzzle to me, assuming that you booted from it.  I used one of these disks for years on a Dimension 2400, which is of the same vintage as your Dimension 4500, and not once did I see it examine the hard drive for a valid Windows 98 partition.  It simply booted and presented me with a Diagnostics menu.

I have looked again at the series of photos you have provided, and see that you have reached the point at which you must press 1 to attempt to boot from the hard drive, or 2 in order to boot the diagnostics.  If you simply press "Return" at this point, the disk will attempt to boot from the hard drive.  Since the disk is based on Windows 98, I suspect this is where you ran into trouble.  You did boot from the CD, but once having done that you have a Windows 98 system running which recognizes nothing on the hard drive (since that is an NTFS format loaded with Windows XP).  Try again, but this time when given the choice of selecting "1" Boot from Hard Disk or "2" Boot from CD ROM, press 2 and if it doesn't start up immediately, press "Return" after entering the "2".

QED

Sorry for the delay in responding but, as before, hospital visits & illness prevented me doing so.

As I said in my latter replies:

"Surely, this indicates a problem with the Power Supply & not the operating system?"

It's seems I was right as I've just acquired a replacement PSU and the problem is solved.