Dell XPS 1 A2010 No Post / No Video Problem

Yes. I  toggled the LCD power using the keyboard function keys (press and hold the Fn key and tap on the right arrow). I had read a few posts on the internet from people who had experienced the same problem, but they never followed up with what component was bad / fixed the problem. One person wrote a similar description in a forum and then followed up by posting "Problem Solved" without any further information. I hope to used this forum to let people know about my computers issue and then follow up with what solved the problem. I purchased the computer from Dell in February 2008 and I hope this is not going to be a common problem for this model. I like the computer very much and have never had an issue with it until now. I think Dell Tech Support was very helpful and I am glad I bought the extended warranty to cover the expenses.

I also wanted to let people know that when I took the computer apart, I noticed the heat sink for the CPU (the copper finned block connected to the metal tube where the fan blows into) was jam packed with a thick dust. The power supply, which has a fan blowing into it, was also filled with dust. There was no other dust in the rest of the computer. This still makes me wonder if the BIOS update, which made the fans run at full speed, had something to do with the computer failure.  

autopilot28,
You're the first person I know of who has had a no POST/no video problem with an A2010. Does the "everything" you did while trying to turn the screen on include toggling the LCD power using the keyboard function keys (press and hold the Fn key and tap on the right arrow)? If it did & that had no effect and all the other troubleshooting you did with Dell tech support didn't resolve the problem then I'd say the mobo is the most likely culprit. Including the video card and power supply is a good move on Dell's part though just to cover all the bases.

Speaking as someone who helps out with technical problems on several forums, it's really annoying when someone either doesn't return at all or just posts a quick message saying the problem is solved but doesn't mention how.    Unless your no POST/no video really is connected to the BIOS update that has caused the system fan on A2010s to constantly run full tilt (which is the only real problem I've seen posted about the XPS One to date) then I doubt this is going to be a common problem for this model. I bought mine in December of 2007 and have yet to have a single hardware issue with it. I'll note that I didn't flash my BIOS to the problematic version & tend not to update the BIOS on any computer unless there's a newer version that specifically fixes some issue the system is experiencing.

PROBLEM SOLVED. The Tech replaced the VIDEO CARD and all is back to normal for my XPS 1. The fans are even running correctly.

Good to read that your system is operating normally again after the parts replacement.

The Video Card is easy to replace and I wouldn't pay the money for someone to install it for you.  Just take off the back cover, pull out the video card and push in the new one. Check ebay for a replacement video card.

Best of Luck!

Well you can add me to the list, as i have exactly the same issues with the computer. Again they went through all the usual problems, but it's got all the same symptoms, so i know i need to change the Video Card, thing is i'm out of warranty, and i got quoted £201 for parts and labour, which for me when i just payed for our summer holidays seems a lot.

Do any of you clever people know a way i can buy one off the shelf and fit it myself???

Get the replacement. Take a look at it. Open the back and look for the same thing. Swap them out.

Jeff

Here is a picture of the computer with the back cover off. The video card is at the bottom right with nothing to get in the way of replacement.

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2007/10/dell-xps-one-backside.jpg

Here are some pictures of the video card. $35 US dollars on Ebay vs. $300 US Dollars for part and labour. You can do it!

http://www.google.com/images?rlz=1T4GUEA_enUS364US364&q=xps%20a2010%20video%20card&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

is it under the big metal heat sink, or right in the bottom right corner

A2010 Video cards on Ebay. Inexpensive!!!

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=dell+a2010+xps+video+card&_sacat=0&_dmpt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&_odkw=dell+xps+video+card&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313

the only issue is if you've opened the back, everything's on top of each other and if i'm honest, i'm not 100% sure what the video card actually is. any schematics on the net?

I bought an XPS all-in-one approximately Sept 2009. July 2011 I heard a pop sound and then a puff of smoke came out the top of the computer and then the screen went black. They sent a tech out to replace the mother board. It worked fine after that for a year until May 30, 2012, when I noticed the fan seemed to be working overtime, the screen was black and the blue light on the bottom right is constant blue. A tech is coming out tomorrow to replace the mother board again. All I can say is I'm glad I bought the extended warranties as it hasn't cost me anything except the inconvenience.

This answer is a bit misleading. I am experiencing exactly the same issue (XPS One A2010 with no Post beeps and a black screen, fans running, power light on). It took me a while to figure out that the graphics card is actually behind the point where the stand connects to the back of the computer. It is not terribly hard to get to, but it is not in the lower right as stated above. You need to remove about six fairly big screws to remove the stand. That exposes the heat sink covering the card itself. There are another six or so spring loaded screws on the heat sink and maybe two on the board itself. Remove all those screws and the board comes free.

I pull the board and powered up the computer. Presto! I had post beeps and it sounds like it is booting (of course there is nothing on the screen).

I had a chat with Dell about buying a replacement board and they are checking to see if any are available. There are a few sources for new and used boards online but none from major vendors (at least that I found).

If I replace the board (which I may not given the age of the computer), I will report whether it solved the problem.

Overall, I really like this computer. I have upgraded the RAM, the HD, and installed Windows 7. It has been a great machine that I hate to let go.

I purchased a replacement video card (p/n XT299) on eBay and installed it. That fixed this problem. It also was not very difficult. After getting the back off (two small screws on bottom) and removing the stand assembly (about six large screws), I removed the heat sink covering the graphics card. The card pops up and pulls out. I cleaned the heat sink and new card with rubbing alcohol to remove old thermal compound and put new thermal compound on the heat sink. Then I screwed the heat sink back on. With the stand and back off, the system then booted up fine but the resolution was all wrong. I closed up the machine. It turns out that the part I bought is not a direct replacement of the Radeon HD2400 that was in the machine. It is a lower-end card. I needed new drivers to make it work. Given the age of this computer, I can live with the slightly lower image quality. If I eek out six more months on this computer, I will be happy.