I can't boot my Dell Optiplex GX520..

Before you try reinstalling the OS, it might be helpful to do a little  troubleshooting to determine if this is a hardware or software problem. Reinstalling Windows means you'll lose all your data on the hard drive, unless it's backed up on external media first. And you may not even be able to reinstall if this is a hardware issue.

1. What form factor is this system: Desktop, Minitower or Small Form?
2. What version of Windows?
3. What color is power button when it won't boot? Green or Yellow? Steady or Blinking?
4. Any beeps from the tower when it won't boot?
5. What color are the 4 diagnostic LEDs when it won't boot? The LEDs may be on front or rear, depending on the form factor
6. Do you see anything on the monitor?  Error messages? Blinking cursor?
7. Did you recently install any new software or hardware?
8. If you reboot and press F8, does a menu open? Select "Last Known Good" on the menu. It might be under Advanced Options, if this is Vista or Win 7.

Hi Guys..

I have a Dell Optiplex GX520 that won't respond to the restore disk. Now........is there a simple free utility

disk that I can just 1. put into the drive 2. Let it run on it's own....? It's shouldn't be that hard, honestly :emotion-1:

So if you are aware of such a program, please write me. Thanks Carl:emotion-11:

PS....happy to d/l and install, thanks again

You can upgrade to Windows 8 for $40 if you're on XP or Vista. If you're on 7, I suggest downloading the install disc ISO from Digital River, deleting all the partitions, and clean-installing.

There isn't a need to wipe the disc unless you're parting with the machine.

Did you do any of the things I suggested above, before you got hostile in your duplicate thread (now deleted)?

Which Windows version is involved? Are any error messages reported?

If you're not running Windows 7 or 8, it's a good time to upgrade (8 is available for $40 through the end of the month).

Hey guys, but I am having the same problems as the original poster. I just recently bought a Optiplex520 off Overstock no more than 2 months ago. It is a refurbished machine with Windows 7, Phoenix ROM BIOS Plus Ver. 1.10 A01, Intel 3.2ghz, 2 gig ram,  nothing in the PCI slots. Win 7 preloaded onto the machine.

When I 1st fired up the machine I tried to partition the drives, so I could have main files on one, and other stuff on another, but either I did something wrong, or the CPU eff'd, and I was never able to see both of my partitioned drives, only one drive missing the amount of space I allotted for the other partition. With school and life, I managed to forget about this issue, and forgot. Also I dont have the skills to really mess with HDD's. Which is why I am here.

Everything was working great until this morning; when I was not using my CPU, but it was at the desktop and just rebooted itself.

After it loads the Dell screen, I get 3 beeps with an Error of "floppy diskette seek  failure, Strike f1- con't f2- run utility.

I have red a lot of Rons posts, but seem in this endless circle.

I put in the Windows CD, after waiting a good deal of time, I get the choice to install windows, or repair windows. Both of which wont do anything. I have tried attempts to restore from a point, but there are no restore points. I try to find any file on the DVD and I cannot get it to work.

I have tried to download a ISO, and set a tumb drive to a boot drive, but I must be missing steps, because I cant get it to load DOS.

Once I hit F12, and choose   perform IDE- I get this and this only its like my HDD just dissapeared.

Performe IDE-

Drive2-CDROM

Drive3-CDROM

Where are the other drives? These are times I wish I was better at computers, and I am a total novice when it comes to BIOS, ISO's, Formatting, partioning.

I will try to provide as much info as I can, but I hope I can get this resolved.

Thanks everyone,

Mike

@literocola - 3 beeps is not a listed error code for the 520. The beeps should come as 3 groups , eg 1beep-3beeps-1beep, with a short pause between groups.

If you're getting a floppy diskette error, it sounds like BIOS might have gotten reset to the factory defaults which would enable the floppy drive controller. Assuming you don't have an internal floppy drive, go into BIOS setup and disable the Diskette Drive controller.

Do you have an IDE or SATA hard drive? Check the "Drive 0 to Drive n" settings in BIOS setup and make sure the port where the boot hard drive is connected is turned on. Turn off any ports that don't have a drive attached. Be sure to leave the port(s) for your optical drive(s) (probaby IDE drives) turned on.

Also check the setting for the "Drive Controller" option, and make sure "SATA Operation" is set to Normal.

Be sure to save any settings changes before exiting setup.

If the system sat unused somewhere for a long time, it's possible the motherboard battery died which would cause BIOS settings to revert to the factory defaults. So you might need to replace that battery at some point in the near future.

Hey Ron,

I went into the BIOS and turned off the floppy.

For my drives in BIOS it is listed like this

--Drives

Diskette Drive

Drive 0: SATA-0 (off) when turned on CPU cant find and forces me to turn it off

Drive 1: SATA-2 (off) "    "

Drive 2: PATA-0 (On) *Controller=Parallel ATA *Port = PATA-0(PRI IDE Master) Details= Sony DVD-ROM DDU1615

Drive 3: PATA-1 (On) * "    "  *Port "    " (PRI IDE Slave) DR ID- GCR-8485B

SATA Operation (Normal)

SMART reporting- off

It seems like I am making progress, Windows installer loads a lot faster, but when I get to "Where do you want to install windows?" The field is blank. Refresh does nothing, and when I hit Load Driver- I cant find any workable file- I dont know what I am looking for here.

Am I missing a driver? I have the windows CD, made a USB to boot, and it gets stuck here.

I also got the computer to boot into safe mode, by now getting the F8 option that was not avail before the changes I just made.

I have also taken photos, if that could potentially help, if I am missing something.

Thanks for your help, it means a lot to me.

take a brake and go back after a day or so, ifound this verry helpfull some times/

hopes this might help,

                                      4ROB

Do You get begging of boot Wher you can enter F2/delete To Get into BIOS If can try to SET TO BOOT From C_D?

Hard drive might need to be refortmated,if won't go in to bios/and just black screen.might have bad hard drive/also check ifHard Drive Set to Master and at edd of cable/Might be cable select.

Just A shot in the dark/reseat all connector/memmory and battery for bios memmory might be bad/

good Luck      4ROB

If you turn SATA0 and SATA1 off, BIOS can't see any SATA hard drives so there's no place to install Windows. Sounding like maybe the hard drive is dead.

Thanks for the quick reply Ron.

I am thinking the HD is dead, but what would cause this in a new (refurb) system? I have been thru 3 systems in two years, never having this kind of CPU issues before. My older HP tower, my pops gave me to get sschool work done, and I had a power outage, and it fried the power supply- it only blinks.

So, I bought a netbook, and one day- it just reboots itself- just like the new Dell. Not even on the system when it reboot itself and crashed.

Now its the new Dell, I have it hooked up to a power protector, but could it possibly be the current in my rented house that is frying computers? Its an old house, and a crappy town. Not known for their quality construction, hell the Harley building has blown apart twice in two weeks.

Now moving on to my next question. Can I take the HD out of my HP and stick it into the Dell? As far as I know the HD from the HP is fine, its only the power supply that died on taht system. Unplug the HD from the dell and swap drives over? Could it be taht easy? The old HD has XP on it, so I dont know if that will cause conflict. Or if I use my Win7 DVD and upgrade to 7 from XP? Is any of this possible? Or am I just crazy?

So if thats not an option, would you reccommend a new HD? I dont need a lot of space, just for college work and my photography stuff. This is a whole new world of computers that I have never gone to, and I am scared to take any more steps, that may just total my new system. Would I have to install some HD drivers to get the system to reconize it?

All this stuff is so complex to me, and I am sure very mundane to you, as I am sure you have been asked thses questions a million times.

Again, thank you for your help.

Mike

There are no stupid questions, so don't be afraid to ask. That's the way to learn! :emotion-5:

Is this a GX520?

Did you get any warranty from overstock.com? If it's still covered, contact them ASAP. Some credit cards may extend warranties, so if o.co doesn't help, maybe your credit card company will pay for repairs?

First thing you might want to do is check the hardware inside. Power off, unplug and press/hold power button for ~15 sec. Then open the case and carefully reseat the power cable from power supply to hard drive, and both ends of the data cable at hard drive and motherboard. While you're there, carefully reseat the RAM modules and PCI cards in their slots too. Then close the case and reboot with only mouse, monitor and keyboard connected. Go directly into BIOS setup and make sure the SATA port is turned on so BIOS can see the hard drive.  

Since you live in an old bldg, it might be prudent to get a surge protector, if you don't already have one.

Is the hard drive in the HP a SATA drive and what size? You would have to install that drive in the Dell, reformat it and do a clean install of Windows because the hardware is different and the Windows probably won't be able to boot the Dell without reinstalling. Everything on the HP hard drive will be lost by reinstalling Windows so your data must be backed up on external media first.

If the Dell came with XP, it's not legal to install Win 7 on it, unless you bought a separate license for Win 7 and haven't used the Win 7 product key on another PC. Dell doesn't support Win 7 on the GX520, so you'd have to do some hunting for Win 7 hardware drivers. That may be doable, but without knowing exactly what hardware is installed (eg video card, network card, audio card, etc) I can't promise you'll find Win 7 drivers.

Do you have a geeky friend who can help with the hands-on? Or do you know a reputable PC shop in the area, if you can't do this yourself? I can't see your PC from here. :emotion-4:

GX520 manual

Step-by-step Windows reinstallation guide

Hello , I have an old Dell tower desktop. The one with the blueblack Case. It was working perfectly until last night i heard a beeping sound and the 

machine restarted . But it couldnt boot to the windows . I am using Windows XP 3 . I have tried formating it and re-instaling new windows but still the same . 

The monitor goes to standby just few seconds of loading the XP logo . And then that is it . I dont know what to do now . Any help ?