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Dee123dee

4 Posts

23185

June 4th, 2009 16:00

Help with BIOS crash!!!

Before I smash my hard drive in the backyard... can anyone give me basic advice on if/how I can "fix" my computer? I had a blue screen about bios update and downloaded the one for my computer off the Dell website (Dimension 8400) of course I should have read these posts on "not downloading Dell's update" BUT I didn't and now the drive beeps, the fan runs loudly and nothing else works. I only had the computer for 3 and half years and now I HATE Dell - as I type on my Toshiba laptop - hopefully their computers last more than 3-4 years. HELP?????

msgale

2 Intern

 • 

2.5K Posts

June 4th, 2009 16:00

  1. Take a deep breath.
  2. Did you save the exact blue screen error message.
  3. "I should have read these posts on "not downloading Dell's update.""  I am not sure what you mean, but, Dell is the only place to get Dell BIOS updates.
  4. How amny beeps does the system make when trying to boot?  Dis you check the diagnostic light on the back?  The lights and beeps are codes that describe the problems  You can look them up in your maintenance manual

Dee123dee

4 Posts

June 5th, 2009 05:00

I will try #4 - thank you!!!! Hopefully it's a fixable problem.... I'll update my post on the results.

Dee123dee

4 Posts

June 7th, 2009 17:00

Alright my diagnosis lights - A & B Yellow and C & D green - the manual said this:

"Memory modules are detected, but a memory failure has occurred."

I did what it recommended - take one memory out and restart, if it does not work reinstall & take the other out.

Results: Still has the same problem. I even put both memory back in and nothing works.

Any other suggestions??? Oh the "beeps" 1-3-2

 

Dee123dee

4 Posts

June 11th, 2009 13:00

I got my computer BACK!!!!! I ended up reading old posts and thanks to someone named Yoron I'm completely up and running (I think) again! Here's what I did....

Took the battery out of the system board, waited a half hour, booted right up, hit F2 and then exited and it brought me into windows xp with all my old files in tack. All I had to do was change the date and year....

I have not dared to shut down and reboot yet, but if it crashes I'll put another post up by tomorrow.

THANK YOU YORON!!!! Gee, Dell could have put that in a troubleshoot guide don't you think? I'm not a computer tech but found my battery quite easily for free!

 

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