Optiplex Gx270 problem

I was working on an IBM system last week and found out that the BIOS battery had failed and the BIOS was defaulting to the AGP video when the cust was using the integrated video. If replacing the battery doesn't work, it could possibly be your video card. Check your diagnostic lights on the back of your computer when it happens next and post what you see.

The power supplies in these are known to have bad caps as well as the motherboard. Check both and see if that resolves your problem

See above about bad capacitors. They should be perfectly round with flat tops and not oozing anything. The battery might also be a consideration.

 

During the earliest stages of capacitor failure, it takes exposing them to power a couple times before they will hold a charge. Diagnostics are of little use on startup issues, as the diag can only see the problem when it's happening, and you can only run the diag when it isn't.

 

Updates will never solve an operational problem with an otherwise-stable system that just suddenly developed a problem. If anything, it is inadvisable to update unless it solves problems like new hardware recognition, or there is a specific feature in the update that you know you need.  In other words, if it was working before and you didn't change anything, updating won't help.

Hi guys. Thanks for the replies. I have notice something else. When I start the PC in I see the Windows XP logo and then I get a blank screen and nothing else happens. I waited for like 5 minutes and shutdown the PC and turn it on again. The second time I didn't get the windows logo but onlys a blank screen. I turn the PC off and on for like 7 times and nothing happens the PC is on but no windows just a blank screen. After this I used a floppy diskette to start the PC and got a prompt screen. After this I rebooted the PC without the diskette and I got windows without any problems. Any ideas?

Any idea? Yes, look at the two replies you have. The Gx270 is a good little machine, once you replace the bad caps. Caps and power supplies, caps and power supplies, more caps, and sometimes a bad drive seems to be all that goes wrong with them

OK, that's a datapoint.  Between the XP logo and the desktop, Windows is loading drivers, required for any display beyond 640x480, the floppy boot screen.  You may be looking at a display adapter failure.

 

Remove adapter, revert to the chassis monitor connector, F2 at startup and under 'onboard devices' select onboard video, see if that changes anything.  If it does, replace video card.  If you're already using onboard video, the odds are narrowing towards defective motherboard. 

You can try a standard P4 ATX power supply in it and know immediately if it fixed your problem. Pick one up at the store, try it and if it's not the problem ,you can return it.  A bad power supply behaves exactly the wat you describe it.  A dead power supply would give no lights or drive spinning. Either way the replacement fixes your problem.

tr4, I have check the complet mb for any problems and it appears to be OK. I don't think is the power supply since the computer is able to turn on. When I turn on the computer the computer is on but I don't get anything on the screen. All I get is a blank screen. It takes a few cold reboots to get it going. Thanks for your help.

x_lab rat, thanks for your reply. But this morning I didn't even get the windows logo. After I did a cold re-boot for about 10 times I was able to get windows going. The interesting thing is that when I press the power on button the computer is on but I don't get anything on the screen. The screen is just blank! I have even left the PC on for like 10 minutes and I still don't get anything. Evntually I got a message about system failure at checkpoint [Emem] because you booted the system too many times message. But after this I was able to get the windows up and running.

Another interesting thing I forgot to mention is that the PC could be up and running the whole day and it would shutdown for no reason at all. But the interesting thing is that it doesn't do this everyday, so is very difficult to ping point the exact cause of the problem.

This PC is driving me insane! Thanks for your help and information.

Well, when I turn on the PC the power suplpy is on, the fans are on, the HD is on, the monitor is on but I don't see anything on the screen. The screen remains blank.

Another interesting thing that I have notice is that after I'm able to turn the PC on and sign on to windows I turn the PC off and leave it off for about 20 minutes. After this time I go ahead and turn it back on and the PC comes on with out any problems! This is really weird.

The power supply? Well, its worth the try. I'm going to get one and give it a try. Thanks for your help.

You didn't say what the power light and ABCD lights on the back are doing during these misadventures.  Or if the monitor is coming on (its power light).  There's just too many things that can cause blank screen to guess which one it is without more data.

I have to wait until tomorrow morning to test it again. I'll check the light tomorrow.

Everything comes integrated on the MB and the PC doesn't have any more external cards.

HD running confirms the main power rails, 5V and 12V.  Probably not power supply.  Monitor on confirms that the display card is generating vertical sync, so it's not 'dead'.

 

You STILL did not say if the power light is green or yellow when it's malfunctioning, or what the ABCD lights in the back register, or whether you are using a plug-in display adapter or the onboard one.  If power light is yellow, best chance motherboard is bad.  If you are using onboard display, best chance motherboard is bad.

 

If you are using a plug-in display adapter, unplug and replug it, or substitute a known-good one, or substitute onboard video.  You have to gather data before you can analyze it.  There is never one pat answer to these kinds of problems. 

You have the primary power rails working (HD works). You have onboard video which does not produce a display. From just this evidence, confidence is roughly 87% that you have a motherboard failure. It may be more practical to replace the entire system than to spend the money replacing the motherboard.

 

Alas, you only missed the GX270 warranty extension by 7 months. Prior to January 2008, Dell would replace GX270 motherboards out of warranty.