Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
7 Posts
0
43778
Dimension 5150 Won't Boot Unless CMOS Battery is Reseated (Blinking Amber Lights)
I've got a problematic Dimension 5150 that randomly refuses to boot up. When it does this, I'll get a flashing amber light (which seems to plague this Dimension model) on the front of the tower after pushing the power button and all drives and fans are silent.
After some trial and error, I've found that removing the battery from the motherboard and reseating it will usually allow the system to boot again. It starts up with the same flashing orange light after doing this, but then boots up afterwards.
Any ideas what the problem might be here and if there's a long-term fix? I have suspected that it may be related to the onboard USB ports. I seem to remember reading that boot issues stemming from USB shorts were more common on the 5150 than other systems, and the front ports on this system are used frequently. At this point, it seems like the most likely explaination, but I'm not sure of a fix. Is there a way to just completely disable or disconnect the front USB ports to see if the problem goes away?
Thanks in advance for any insight!
xpkrys26
12 Posts
0
September 3rd, 2009 10:00
additional to that you should also check if the power supply is set to 115volts...reply if you have done that already..
xpkrys26
12 Posts
0
September 3rd, 2009 10:00
hi..try these steps:
I. have you already tried to reseat the power supply voltage to 115v?
II. Try a Different Known-Good Wall Outlet
Test the device using a known-good wall outlet:
III. Remove All External Devices
Turn the system off.
Unplug everything from the front and back of the system except for the power cord or AC adapter, including:
Attempt to turn the system on.
iIV. after that the system led should change...pls reply if it does or it does not...
Tomeeboy
7 Posts
0
September 3rd, 2009 13:00
Thanks for the reply. I've already gone through all of these steps (I even reconnected/reseated the internals of the computer, such as the RAM and cable connections). The ONLY thing that has allowed the computer to boot again is to remove the CMOS battery from the motherboard, then put it back in and power the system up. It works every time this happens.
On a side note, I also visually inspected the motherboard for corrosion (which seems to be a common issue with these) and did not find anything. I also inspected the USB ports for bent pins, or something that might be causing a short, and couldn't find anything there either.