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DavidA

1 Rookie

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1 Message

5353

December 11th, 2022 12:00

"Invalid memory installed" with factory memory

Inspiron 5590

Inspiron 5590

We spilt some water on our Inspiron 5590 yesterday. It would have entered the keyboard. We powered off and left it an hour but later found that when we tried to boot it, it showed led fault code 2,5 which is "Invalid memory installed".

The laptop has only Dell factory installed memory.

The system won't boot at all and the screen is blank. The keyboard lights up.

I've remove the motherboard and it is dry, with no sign of damage.

Any suggestions how to fix this please?

4 people also have this problem

filbert

4 Operator

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1.8K Posts

December 11th, 2022 12:00

One hour was not long enough to allow it to dry. When you tried to boot it, the water may have caused a short. Even longer drying time may not have made a difference, as power from the battery + water could have already caused a short, but longer drying time is prudent. Any remaining moisture is bad news.

  1. Disconnect the AC adapter.
  2. Remove the base cover.
  3. Disconnect the battery.
  4. Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds to discharge any residual electricity.
  5. Remove the coin cell battery (CMOS battery).
  6. Remove the memory modules (RAM).
  7. Remove the drive.
  8. If you see moisture on components, use a microfibre cloth to blot up the water, while you wear an anti-static wrist strap. If the components are removable (e.g. wireless card) remove them.

Let it dry for another day or so, to be certain it is entirely dry.

  1. Reinstall everything.
  2. Reconnect the AC adapter
  3. Reboot the laptop. See if it will at least past the POST (Power On Self Test) stage to enter BIOS.
  4. If you want to be cautious, try the AC adapter before reconnecting the battery.

All disassembly and reassembly instructions are in the Service Manual.

Whenever touching components or working inside a computer, wear a grounded wrist strap, also called anti-static wrist strap, ESD wrist strap, or ground bracelet. It's a cheap and sensible precaution. Rest the laptop on an anti-static mat or at least a reasonable alternative such as corrugated cardboard.

EDIT: I see @RoHe posted as I was typing. 

RoHe

10 Elder

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45.2K Posts

December 11th, 2022 12:00

If you're up for it:

  1. Disconnect Lithium ion battery from motherboard
  2. Remove coin cell battery. Press/hold power button on PC for ~30 sec.
  3. Remove and carefully re-seat RAM module in the slot.
  4. Reinstall coin cell battery.
  5. Reconnect main battery to motherboard.
  6. Close up and see if it will boot now...

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