Poweredge 840 Replacement Server Issues

Hello Todd

The error indicators on the front panel jump all over the place.  Is this normal?

Yes, that is normal. When the system is going through POST it will display an LED indicating what it is testing at the moment. If POST completes successfully then all of the lights go green. If it stops on something then the code it stops on would indicate what it was doing at that moment.

The lights you listed are the order that they are normally displayed in, but you did make a few mistakes in writing them down. For instance, the correct amber light prior to the last one of D is C. You wrote down ABD. It looks like you wrote down the amber light on some of them and the green lights on others. It doesn't matter though. The only code that is important is the one it stops on.

D is the last step during POST. If the system stops on D then I would suspect a video issue. Here is the exact description of that step: "Indicates routine system activity subsequent to video initialization."

Are you having the same problem with the other system?

Thanks

No.  The other system will not even beep with no ram installed.  It pretty much does nothing at the moment.  The new system has a pci video card installed.  I have tried it without the video card and plugged monitor into onboard video.  I get the same result.  The pci video card seemed to be very warm when I removed it.  I bought this computer used.  I wonder if there was a problem with the onboard video card and they replaced it with a pci card.  If so, is there some way that the system has reverted back to trying to use the onboard card and will not let the system get beyond that point.  Can I bypass that when I never get any signal at the monitor?

I have tried everything I can think of including taking everything off the new system except the ram and still no POST.  I get the same D error.  Even with pci video card removed.  If I take out ram also, I get correct beep sequence.  I really need to get this system back online, any ideas?

If so, is there some way that the system has reverted back to trying to use the onboard card and will not let the system get beyond that point.  Can I bypass that when I never get any signal at the monitor?

It is possible that the previous owner cleared the NVRAM or reset the system BIOS to default prior to shipping you the system. This would cause the onboard video to be enabled again.

I don't see a jumper or any method for physically disabling the onboard video so that it will redirect to the PCI card. If you have another PCI video card you could try that.

Connect a keyboard to the system and turn it on. Watch the keyboard lights while the system is POSTing. Let me know what the keyboard lights do. Once the system stops POSTing check to see if caps lock, num lock, or any other lights work on the keyboard. If they do then it is possible that the system is getting far enough in POST that a BIOS menu is available. I could give you the steps for navigating the BIOS blindly to disable the onboard video. If the keyboard lights are not functional then it wouldn't work.

Thanks

I checked the keyboard and the lights still work when I press numlock and caplock.  This is good, correct?

I checked the keyboard and the lights still work when I press numlock and caplock.  This is good, correct?

If the keyboard lights are working then the system is at least partially functional. The issue is likely with video. You could look through the user's guide at the BIOS menu options and try to disable the embedded video that way. You would need to know the exact menu layout to navigate it blind.

Thanks