Diskette Drive 0 seek failure and keyboard failure, cannot change BIOS settings - please help

Did you clear CMOS using the jumper on the mobo.  You should be able to take the password jumper and place it on the RCTST (something like that)  and then remove the jumper and fire of the system.  Then you will need to press F2 and turn off your floppy drive.  make sure you are using the rear USB ports.

Power off and unplug

Press/hold power button on tower for ~15 sec

Open the chase and remove the motherboard battery

Press/hold power button again for ~30 sec

Leave it unplugged for a couple of hours

Reinstall the battery (right-side-up!) and see if it boots now with only mouse, monitor and keyboard attached. Make sure you use a rear USB port for the keyboard.

You obviously did reset the BIOS settings because the floppy drive controller got turned ON (that's default setting), even though you don't have an intenal floppy drive. So that's why you're getting the floppy drive error now. After you get the keyboard working again. you can just go into BIOS setup and disable the floppy controller and that error will go away. It's not a big deal.

Ron

Hi

No luck so far I am afraid. I did clear CMOS but it didn't help.

I also tried fixing the USB ports, took out the battery and booted just with the mouse, keyobard and the monitor but all in vain.

I know exactly what to do once I am in BIOS, but the problem is to get there. I cannot strike F2 as I get the keyboard failure error together with the diskette drive failure.

I have tried all rear USB ports and 3 different keyboards but nothing is working. With one of the keyboards, somehow I got to BIOS but then it stopped working and the up and down arrows were not working. I am totally stuck here but I think this is Dell that should have given a bit more thought when they were getting rid of the PS2 ports on their motherboards.

I have actually tried to contact them direct to get some help on that but no answer.

I would greatly appreciate any help here, please.

Thanks a lot

Anna

Have you tried replacing the CMOS battery with a new one?  It's a CR2032 and can be found at any drug store.

Assuming the battery isn't dead, you might try this...

Buy (or borrow) an externally powered USB hub - One that's got its own external power brick. Plug the brick into the wall and the hub into a rear USB port on the PC. Plug the mouse and keyboard into the hub. Boot the PC.

If you get to the desktop with a functional keyboard, disconnect the keyboard from the hub (leaving the hub connected to both the PC and to the wall) and reconnect the keyboard to a different rear USB port. If you're lucky Windows will recognize the keyboard (You may get a "New Hardware" alert).

If the keyboard still works when moved to a different port, shut down normally and reboot normally. If the keyboard continues to work, disconnect the hub from the PC and connect the mouse directly to the PC. Reboot again and assuming the keyboard and mouse work after rebooting, you don't need the hub any more (Maybe you can return it? :emotion-5:)

If the keyboard only works when connected through the powered hub, at least you have a work-around...

Ron

Ok im not only one with issues with this dell dimension 8400. My lights do not light. They did once than stopped working no keyboards or mice work it will not boot up. Had new hard drive put in. It booted once than that was it. I used 3 monitors 4 keyboards reset memory and battery7 and left plugs out etc...Changed power supplies plugs ...you name it. And the darn thing now starts in high speed...FAN SOUNDS LIKE A LEAF BLOWER....I will never buy another dell been up 5 nights trying to figure out. Its not power supply its not fan wirfes are ok. Any ideas?

You did replace the power supply? If so, it may be a failing motherboard.

Dells are good machines, but like all hardware (including Apple) they won't last indefinitely. The older the machine, the more likely that something will go wrong, but still, I see lots of good used Dell parts on eBay that were retired for reasons of obsolescence, not failure.

The Dimension 8400 is at least 6-7+ years old and things eventually do fail.

I agree with rdunnill, it's either the power supply or the motherboard.

Inspect the motherboard for bulging and/or leaking capacitors. They should look like perfectly round little cans with perfectly flat tops. If any are bulging or leaking, the motherboard failed. There are D8400 motherboards here, here, and here. Always ask about condition (new, used, refurbished) and warranty, if any.

Only you can decide whether it's worth putting any money into this old system or toward buying the newest technology...