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February 21st, 2015 08:00
No longer solved? OptiPlex 320 blinking error code lights 3 & 4, will not turn on
We normally do not turn off our OptiPlex 320, however we turned it off to reset the fax. When we turned the OptiPlex 320 on it didn't come on all the way. Both the fans are running and the green power light is on, but nothing comes up on the monitor. Either the computer is exceptionally quite or something else is not running. we see the little green error codes 3 &4 on the front of the CPU. I read another post and I removed and reseated the ram, but we still get the same thing.
UPDATE (1) Saturday Morning: I took the two bars of ram out and wiped then with a lense wipe and put them back up and we are up and running !!!!
UPDATE (2) Monday Morning: came in this morning and it stopped running.... HELP!
We are now getting flashing code 1 and solid 3 & 4
Any and all ideas appreciated.
Thanks
Laura @Dixie
beamermt79
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February 21st, 2015 13:00
Glad it worked out! You can also look up the error codes at the support site for your optiplex as well here:
downloads.dell.com/.../optiplex-320_user%27s%20guide_en-us.pdf
Laura Oliver
34 Posts
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February 23rd, 2015 06:00
UGH! We had it working on Saturday, but came in this morning and the problem is back. We are now getting codes 1, 4&5
Laura Oliver
34 Posts
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February 23rd, 2015 06:00
I tried to switch around the sticks of ram. I removed one and that didn't change anything. I switched the other and that didn't change anything.
Then I borrowed two ram sticks from an OptiPlex 760 and that didn't fix it either, In fact with the OptiPlex 760 ram I got no error lights at all.
The OptiPlex 320 had 2 bars of 256 and the 760 was 2 bars of 1GB each. If this is too much ram for the 320 then I will try to buy some 256 ram bars, but if not I will have to do something else.
Thanks
Laura Oliver
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February 23rd, 2015 06:00
Could I have the same problem as Thespian below? Thespian had the same errors codes and replaced the processor and it worked.
thespian77 wrote the following post at 1 Nov 2010 2:33 PM:
I know this is an old thread but I had this exact same problem today after replacing a motherboard in a Dimension 5150. #1 Diagnostic light flashes with #'s 3 & 4 solid. No video. Motherboard POST card just looped with codes and never stopped on one.
I can't seem to find any other place that addresses this specific diagnostic light pattern but I'll tell you what worked for me. After swapping RAM, Power Supply, and removing all add-on cards the only other common piece was the processor. I had a spare socket 775 Celeron D laying around in my parts bin. I popped it in and SHAZAM! The system POSTed and booted just as it should. I've ordered a processor identical to what my client already had and expect it to be here in a day or so. I just thought I'd share this for anyone else who experiences the same problem.
beamermt79
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February 23rd, 2015 09:00
So according to the error codes its still a memory fault or error. Honestly at this point I am all out of ideas. It seems like your memory went bad all of a sudden somehow.
RoHe
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February 24th, 2015 11:00
First of all, you shouldn't compare error codes from one PC model to another, eg OptiPlex 320 and Dimension 5150.
And you can't willy-nilly swap RAM from one PC model into another. The 320 uses PC2-5300 RAM. The 760 uses PC2-6400 which probably isn't compatible with the 320, given the result you got.
So lets start from the beginning.
Put everything back together exactly the way it was before you went inside, and then try to boot: