Pause on Boot up

I've seen this problem reported several times on Dell Talk. I have made some suggestions of things to try, but nobody ever posts back to say whether or not the suggestions worked. First, go into the BIOS setup and see if there is a setting that might have gotten changed. If you can't find anything there, try clearing NVRAM and see if that works.

Steve

Try clearing the NVRAM. This can be useful in resolving boot up problems such as your experiencing. The link below is for a Dell Knowledge Base article on the why and how of clearing the NVRAM.

http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/document.asp?DN=FA1023538



The standard disclaimer.... I don't work for Dell nor am I associated with Dell. I'm not even related to Michael Dell, although there are times I would like to be the first born son to Bill Gate$.

If Windows was perfect, Bill wouldn't
be trying to sell you the next version.

All opinions expressly contained herein are subject to more opinion.

I will reply again, after I clear NVRAM (sheesh, I have to crack the case and set jumpers to maintenance mode to pull that off?). Presently, there's nothing I've been able to find in my BIOS settings, which would cause this problem to occur.

Any idea as to what the system is doing, after it confirms the presence of the CD-ROM drives, but before it commences to boot the OS?

Thank you.

I have now booted (several times) with the NVRAM clear. Still, same response.

I note the Diagnostic Code Indicators, in the back of the PC, read three green and then the "D" lamp is yellow. The manual says this means "Other Failure". Great. So, now I'm doing the diagnostic checks.

Odd how, there's an "Other Failure" and then, as soon as I press the Delete key, it's okay and the system boots up, seemingly just fine (the Diagnostic Indicators all show green, then, too).

Majestic wrote:
- Try clearing the NVRAM. This can be useful in
- resolving boot up problems such as your
- experiencing. The link below is for a Dell Knowledge
- Base article on the why and how of clearing the
- NVRAM.
-
-
- href="http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/document.as
- p?DN=FA1023538"
- target=_blank>http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/doc
- ument.asp?DN=FA1023538
-
-
-
-
-
- The standard disclaimer.... I don't work for
- Dell nor am I associated
- with Dell. I'm not even
- related to Michael Dell,
- although there are times I would like to be the
- first born son to Bill Gate
- color=green>$.
-
- src="/i/smilies/16x16_smiley-happy.gif" width=16
- height=16 border=0>
- If Windows was perfect, Bill wouldn't
- be trying to sell you the next version.
-
-
- All opinions expressly contained
- herein are subject to more opinion.
-
-

In the BIOS, can you set it NOT to halt on any errors? Also, do you have it trying to detect what's on the IDE slaves? Is it set on auto for all four devices and is there nothing there on one of the secondary channels?
--ISGuy

Well, it occured to me to check the indicator lights on the back of the PC. At the error message, I've got three green and one yellow light. Indicating, per the manual, "other" trouble.

I ran Dell Diagnostics and it came back with a failure of the IDE 0 device. The hard drive's self-test failed. As a consequence, Dell's sending me a new hard drive and I get to rebuild the whole !@#$% thing again.

So, I wonder if the "press to resume" isn't the result of a hard drive self test.

Anyway, that looks to be the end to my story.
volcano11 wrote:
- I've seen this problem reported several times on
- Dell Talk. I have made some suggestions of things
- to try, but nobody ever posts back to say whether or
- not the suggestions worked. First, go into the BIOS
- setup and see if there is a setting that might have
- gotten changed. If you can't find anything there,
- try clearing NVRAM and see if that works.
-
- Steve
-
-