XPS 8500, powers on, will not boot

Question

Hello. I've done a lot of research but I feel like nobody on the planet has the exact same issue as I do, as often as I find similar but not exact problems.

I was using the computer one day, typing out a message, and suddenly the screen just shows me some sort of crash screen (multicolors) for a split second before going black. What I can't remember is if the computer turned off or if I turned it off myself.

When turning the computer back on, I can hear the sound of the fans and everything power on internally (internal seems to be working fine), but the computer never boots. The monitor never receives a signal when the computer is turned on.

Jotting all this down:

-The power light is white and stays solid. The computer does not power off unless I push the power button once.

-I thought it may have been a video problem, but two things disqualify it:

>>>>> other monitor we have works fine

>>>>> the num/caps/scroll lock on the keyboard does not power on, which to me means the computer isn't already at the log in page and I just can't see it, so it's not even booting.

-I've already done the steps many people mention (disconnecting everything and pressing the power button for about 15 seconds to discharge any residual power) but this makes no difference.

I called Dell support, and said it may be the motherboard, but we purchased and re-installed one, and it made no difference to the computer. This is an i7 3770 XPS8500 from 2012, with windows 8 originally installed (now windows 10). "Top of the line", so not quite ready to replace it.

Could be a power supply issue? Everywhere I look people mention the power supply, bu they also say they observe an amber light, and I'm not getting that from the power button.

Much help appreciated.

Carlos Si

RoHe · Answer

Sorry, but I don't understand: '>>>>> other monitor we have works fine' If 'other monitor' works ok with the XPS 8500, then you have a monitor issue. Or did you really mean the monitor originally connected to the XPS 8500 works ok on a different PC? Do you have an add-in video card (NVidia or AMD) or do you only have onboard Intel HD Graphics? You mentioned pressing/holding the power button, but you really need to remove/replace the motherboard battery. Power off, unplug Press/hold power button for ~15 sec Open case and remove motherboard battery (check Service Manual for details) Press/hold power button for ~30 sec Install fresh battery (CR2032 3-volt coin cell battery, ~$2) Close up and connect mouse, monitor and keyboard Reboot

CarlosSi2 · Answer

Hi RoHe,   I meant to say both monitors work fine to the extent that neither is receiving a signal from the desktop, so the monitor is not the issue.   Busy now but I will replay back later, thanks!

RoHe · Answer

So you don't know that both monitors work ok. All you know is that neither is getting a signal. That says to me you may have a video output issue from the PC.

And you didn't answer my question whether you have an add-in video card or only onboard Intel Graphics. If you have an add-in video card, physically remove the card and connect a monitor to either of the 2 onboard Intel Graphics ports. (Note: the onboard ports are disabled when an add-in video card is installed.)

If it works with onboard Intel Graphics, then I'd suspect your add-in video card may be ready for the dumpster....

CarlosSi2 · Answer

We only have the video card that it came with; shouldn't have an add-in video card.

Also isn't the motherboard battery on the motherboard? We replaced the whole motherboard so that shouldn't be an issue right?

My only suspicion is since the keyboard lights don't turn on or off, I feel like the computer itself isn't booting, since, if it was booting correctly and at least took me to the log in page (that I'm unable to see, if the problem was a video problem), I should be able to use num or caps lock, but that doesn't appear to be the case. It's just a suspicion.

CarlosSi2 · Answer

Edit. The monitors work fine when I turn them on. They just say 'no signal'. I'm sure they're fine.

RoHe · Answer

Dell sold this model with an (optional) add-in video card, so you might actually have an add-in video card. The onboard video ports are 5 and 6 in this drawing, and an add-in video card would be in the area marked 9.

XPS 8500.jpg

Do we know the replacement motherboard actually works?

When you swapped the motherboard, did you move a PCI-e x16 video card onto that board, and seat it correctly? And if the add-in video card requires a direct PCI-e power connection to the PSU, was that connected to the card?

Sure you connected all the cables to the replacement motherboard?

Did you accidentally connect the monitor(s) to onboard video ports which won't work if there's an add-in video card, unless at least one monitor is connected to the add-in card first and you enable the Intel Multi monitor option in BIOS setup (default setting is OFF) so a second monitor can be connected to one of the onboard video ports.

Even if you replaced the motherboard, you don't know how old its battery is. And presumably it came from another XPS 8500, so BIOS might be looking for different hardware than yours has. So at the least, you should clear BIOS as I posted above, even if you don't install a fresh battery.

If the power button is white, even if there's nothing on the monitor, that says the PC passed the POST (power on self-test) so -in theory- you should be at your log in screen.

If this is a wireless keyboard, does it need new batteries? And where did you connect the keyboard's dongle, if wireless, or the keyboard itself, if wired? You should be using a USB2 port on rear of PC. USB2 ports are marked 3 in that image.

EDIT: And try a different USB2 port(s).

Voiidilocks · Answer

I just wanna let you know you are not alone my friend. I saved my money as a teenager back in 2012 saved 1000$ and bought a Dell XPS 8500 (still have it) off eBay brand new i7, Radeon hd 7870 12gbs of ram and a 950 watt PSU, since day one with this PC I've had this issue. Press the power button to turn on and no signal on monitor from PC, if you plug it into the on board GPU (I think they came with the Intel HD 4000 or something like that) it starts up most of the time, but losing power once its started with the other gpu it takes over 100 tries of turning off and back on again before i get a succesful boot up. I've always thought I had a bad pcie port but since you're saying you've replaced the board and get the same problem I'm not so sure. Anywho I still have the computer to this day, only have I ever replaced the PSU and the original GPU that it came with, I had a Radeon hd7870 in it now it has a Nvidia GTX 1050ti and still has all the same problems. Lost power a few days ago at the house and I'm still currently trying to get it to come back on with the main GPU and not the on board one.

Voiidilocks · Answer

Actually made this account to let you know that. I'm bout sick of this <Profanity is never needed nor allowed on our Forum. DELL-Admin> but I guess you can say 11 years, I've gotten my money out of her. I just wanna keep it cause it still performs very well.

(edited)

Voiidilocks · Answer

Sorry for spam but also sometimes if you start it and it doesn't actually boot up on screen, when you try to power off sometimes you can just press the button and it cuts right off like you unplugged it from the wall and other times it takes 30 seconds of holding the button down to cut it off to try again

Edit/add: Sometimes it stays off after powering off to retry to boot and other times after hard powering off before the case fan can stop spinning it powers itself back on

Voiidilocks · Answer

@RoHe​ I honestly think it's a problem with the motherboards. Faulty pcie slots and it only has one so you cant test others, op said he replaced the board and the same problem happens it tells me something just isn't right with the configuration of the PC. Dell should know by now what causes this issue. I'm sure myself and OP aren't the only ones in the world with 8500s and have this issue. It's so persistent it's almost impossible for it to be something just failed ie PSU,GPU,ram, ect. With our cases being exactly the same I really don't understand it, plus the problem of it just randomly works one time you press the power button. Even after 100s or 1000s of fails it just randomly sends a signal and powers up saying 'previous attempts to start failed' restarts itself and comes on. Nothing you listed above has helped in anyway. I've replaced battery, hard drive, GPU, PSU, and the WiFi card in this pcs life time. Nothing and I repeat nothing has resolved this issue. I get it to start, I leave it on 25/8 or until I move houses or lose power and then I relive the problem all over again. I hope someone can confirm what the issue is.

Voiidilocks · Answer

The solution is to turn it off and back on again. Do nothing else. Just off and on off and on probably over 200 times and one of those times your monitor will recognize the signal your Dell PC has been holding back or whatever it's doing lol, obviously it's a software problem. I know no other conclusion. Mark it solved "off and on off and on"

Same thing I've done since 2013, thought they'd have figured it out by now

Voiidilocks · Answer

Might I add there are z e r o error reports in anyway shape or form.

Voiidilocks · Answer

From the 200+ failed boot attempts

XPS Desktops

XPS 8500, powers on, will not boot

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