XPS M1210 Fails to boot

I've had the same problem since last week.  (So I can't help at the moment; just hoping to find some help.)

Here's what I get:

• Press the power button.
• Black screen.  Never see the "Dell" logo screen.
• Four seconds later the HDD lamp goes out.
• Power seems to be on, as the power button is lit up its usual blue.

If I hold down the key, and then press the power button...

• Black screen.
• NumLock, CapsLock, ScrollLock lamps come on.  (Green as always.)
• NumLock flashes; CapsLock and ScrollLock remain lit.

I don't know if the lamp activity means anything, but it's the most activity I've gotten from my computer in the last week.

So what are we looking at here?  Bad video card?  I tested an external monitor, just to try to check if the CRT button or brightness was a factor.  Black screen there, too.  Even so my computer seems to be "running" for only four seconds, not nearly enough time to boot.

Power on: that central HDD lamp lights up -- *tock* -- and goes out.  Not able to enter BIOS or boot up off of a CD.

I, too, checked that the memory cards and the HDD were set in.  A problem with the hard drive or the mother board perhaps?  What sort of troubleshooting can possibly be done?

:robotsad:

I'm getting same....let me know if you get a solution. I think mobo shot.

It seems you were right, Kinkajou.  At least, that's what Dell Japan determined and -- after a month of waiting -- I got my computer back this week.  New motherboard.

I like having my comp back, but I don't like how it died in just over a year.  How long is this motherboard going to last?  Does Dell just fit a machine with a couple brand names -- Intel Centrino Duo! -- and dump cheap parts around it?

Oh great ! :smileysad:

I have had a few days of delight

a few months of pleasure

and a year of disaster and disgust

At first I was blaming Vista and the Video drivers

Now, as this discussion thread suggests, This machine for a while sort of booted OK sometimes, at others it wouldn't get to POST.

Now I am experiencing 4 seconds of trying to power up and then --- nothing 

There is a page of online tutorial on the Dell support site which guides me through a way to possibly diagnose this 'completely fails to get anywhere near booting up' problem

It takes you from trying to run the PSA (?) test from mains power

checks that the AC adapter doesn't have a broken or bent pin then remove the optical drive, then the WLAN card, then the bluetooth card, the two sets of RAM, the HDD.

I am then, at the end of all this removing/replacing, asked to contact Dell Support 

has anybody a better way to test that power is making it to the MoBo or that the MoBo has gone to an early grave ?

Dell sure ain't telling me much (except to come here) 

I'm not sure that is the case. I know that the reason mine went was the end result of a drop from a table. Although it didn't go completely at first, it was only a matter of time.

"It seems you were right, Kinkajou.  At least, that's what Dell Japan determined and -- after a month of waiting -- I got my computer back this week.  New motherboard.

I like having my comp back, but I don't like how it died in just over a year.  How long is this motherboard going to last?  Does Dell just fit a machine with a couple brand names -- Intel Centrino Duo! -- and dump cheap parts around it?"

Someone had suggested that I try just replacing bios,

That would be almost impossible if the PC won't pass POST. If the HDD won't spin up, the Graphics card won't serve graphics, or even the DVD spin up to do a re-install 

I did enjoy this machine for about 10 minutes and now I suspect that it will become a paperweight or doorstop as I don't expect that a replacement Motherboard will be cheap

Mind you I have wanted to try a Macbook Pro for some time 

1.Ensure the system is powered off. 2.Remove all external peripherals. 3.Press and hold the key on the keyboard. 4.Continue to hold the key while pressing the power button. 5.Release both buttons. 6.Note which lock LEDs are lit.

This is how to run a thorough PSA test to see what has broken

I don't know that Dell have had a look at the instruction they provide but a question springs to mind that perhaps people who have actually done the test may be able to answer.

Step 3: the one that says press and hold the key on the keyboard

Um, which of the many keys available for pressing does one press ?

I thought it may have been the Fn key but that produces no result, nothing, nada, zip

I followed the steps (again) that lead me to this forum until I got to the penultimate step and just clicked on the - if this hasn't resolved your issue then 'contact us' hyperlink and was told

"You can't email us 'bout this, the machine is out of warranty, try the online technical support or Dell forums"

So how does one get support from Dell for Dell machines that aren't covered by warranty ?

I don't seem to be able to eMail technical support but heck, they sure will sell me another machine from their website

Right since the last post to this message thread I have taken the laptop to a local repair centre (Dell have priced themselves out of my budget) and the guy who strip-searched it's cavities suspects that it may be something other than the system board as it seemed to test OK when he ran his various arcane testing devices over it.

I have had to start a new thread on this matter as it seems this one has died of loneliness

- all I can say at this moment is that Dell have been less than helpful but are only to pleased to hold their hands out for some more of my cash to replace my 'outmoded' and 'out-of-date'  laptop. I think that this will be the only Dell machine that I will be buying, they're a bit too unreliable for a portable computer but probaly behave quite well if they're kept on a desk somewhere permanently