I was wondering if you ever were able to resolve your problem? I just joined and have a similar problem. All 3 LED lights come on but do not flash. They stay on for only a couple of seconds. I have a Dell Inspiron 1520 that's about 18 months old. I cannot beleive that the motherboard would need to be replaced already. I paid over $1000 for this laptop and since it's out of warranty, I hate to spend $49 to talk to a technician who is going to tell me exactly what I discovered during the self diagnostic test I performed yesterday. Please let me know if you have found out anything. Maybe there a known probelm with these. thx
I don't klnow if you are still around but I just joined and have a similar problem. All 3 LED lights come on but do not flash. They stay on for only a couple of seconds. I have a Dell Inspiron 1520 that's about 18 months old. I cannot beleive that the motherboard would need to be replaced already. I paid over $1000 for this laptop and since it's out of warranty, I hate to spend $49 to talk to a technician who is going to tell me exactly what I discovered during the self diagnostic test I performed yesterday. Do you have any suggestions and is there a known probelm with these? thx
I just joined the community looking for some answers to the original problem posted which was the flashing caps lock and then the laptop shuts down.
Just a quick story about this problem.
I fix computers on the side and a friend of mines neighbor had this issue. At first when the person explained what happened it seamed like a power issue but then the more I thought about it it didn't make any sense because there was power getting to the laptop.
The person was suppose to drop it off this morning but I didn't meet them and they took it to there IT dept at work and they said it was the MB that was shot and could not diagnose the issue.
I called the person up and they explained this to me and I said I will take a look anyways. They dropped it off and within 5 minutes I knew what the problem was.
You see there are two memory slots on these machines one under the keyboard DIMM A and at the bottom under the cover DIMM B. I suspect that the IT dept just removed the bottom one. I did the same and tried to boot thinking I would get all kinds of beeps. No then I see that there is another slot. I removed the cover that covers the power button and the home button and removed the keyboard and there was the other slot hiding under the cable connector for the keyboard. I removed the memory module and reapplied the power and turned on the laptop and sure enough all kinds of lights. Installed the memory from the bottom into DIMM A and applied the power and wouldn't you know the computer booted. Bad memory module.
Please keep in mind to follow the procedure on installing or adding memory.
I hope this helps out some people with the problem.
Will this really work? My Dell Inspirion 1520 was working fine a few days ago and now all of the sudden the caps lock flashes 45 times but NOTHING comes on the monitor at all.. The bending part of the charger cord that plugs into the laptop was getting stripped so I thought it was the power cord /adapter.. I replaced it and I see all power lights go on but no 'power boost' sound to get the pc up and running.. I'm not a pc geek so taking memory chips out and testing is not my thing however is the CMOS battery the easy solution for this ?? Is the CMOS battery replacement easy? How much does a CMOS battery cost? What link or place did you buy one at ?? I really don't want to buy another laptop so I'm hoping the MB is not shot.. What causes this issue? Was it the faulty power cord that maybe sent a power surge thru? Are these Dell models known for this issue? Any help or input on this would be great!!
Thanks,Dxtra
PS - When I bought the new adapter to see if laptop would work, I did take out the battery but still no luck :(
The one machine I encountered was a bad memory module installed. One is on the bottom under a door and the other is under the keyboard.
Here is a link to the service manual. The info should be in there how to remove memory modules and CMOS battery. CMOS batteries are not expensive and can be purchased a Radio Shack. Youu can remove the CMOS battery and the computer will boot witout it it just won't retain the bios settings.
I had same problem as original poster (CAPS light flashing, no display) I removed the WLAN mini card from the underside panel and problem gone. :) so this CAPS light flashing certainly seems to signal a general hardware fault. pull things out until it starts working! Hopefully it's not your cpu, gphx chip or motherboard !!
osprey4
4 Operator
•
34.2K Posts
0
January 11th, 2009 05:00
Hi, Confoot:
Here are the portable post codes. See which one matches your lights and you'll know what problem you are having. Then call Dell tech support.
jabemp
2 Posts
0
August 20th, 2009 16:00
I was wondering if you ever were able to resolve your problem? I just joined and have a similar problem. All 3 LED lights come on but do not flash. They stay on for only a couple of seconds. I have a Dell Inspiron 1520 that's about 18 months old. I cannot beleive that the motherboard would need to be replaced already. I paid over $1000 for this laptop and since it's out of warranty, I hate to spend $49 to talk to a technician who is going to tell me exactly what I discovered during the self diagnostic test I performed yesterday. Please let me know if you have found out anything. Maybe there a known probelm with these. thx
jabemp
2 Posts
0
August 20th, 2009 16:00
I don't klnow if you are still around but I just joined and have a similar problem. All 3 LED lights come on but do not flash. They stay on for only a couple of seconds. I have a Dell Inspiron 1520 that's about 18 months old. I cannot beleive that the motherboard would need to be replaced already. I paid over $1000 for this laptop and since it's out of warranty, I hate to spend $49 to talk to a technician who is going to tell me exactly what I discovered during the self diagnostic test I performed yesterday. Do you have any suggestions and is there a known probelm with these? thx
iroc_d
1 Rookie
•
4 Posts
0
June 28th, 2010 22:00
Hello,
I just joined the community looking for some answers to the original problem posted which was the flashing caps lock and then the laptop shuts down.
Just a quick story about this problem.
I fix computers on the side and a friend of mines neighbor had this issue. At first when the person explained what happened it seamed like a power issue but then the more I thought about it it didn't make any sense because there was power getting to the laptop.
The person was suppose to drop it off this morning but I didn't meet them and they took it to there IT dept at work and they said it was the MB that was shot and could not diagnose the issue.
I called the person up and they explained this to me and I said I will take a look anyways. They dropped it off and within 5 minutes I knew what the problem was.
You see there are two memory slots on these machines one under the keyboard DIMM A and at the bottom under the cover DIMM B. I suspect that the IT dept just removed the bottom one. I did the same and tried to boot thinking I would get all kinds of beeps. No then I see that there is another slot. I removed the cover that covers the power button and the home button and removed the keyboard and there was the other slot hiding under the cable connector for the keyboard. I removed the memory module and reapplied the power and turned on the laptop and sure enough all kinds of lights. Installed the memory from the bottom into DIMM A and applied the power and wouldn't you know the computer booted. Bad memory module.
Please keep in mind to follow the procedure on installing or adding memory.
I hope this helps out some people with the problem.
Thanks
nisesh
1 Message
0
May 27th, 2011 15:00
its battery people , i changed the CMOS battery and my laptop is working back again !!!
bacillus
2 Intern
•
14.4K Posts
0
May 27th, 2011 16:00
Well done...
Dxtra30
1 Message
0
June 13th, 2011 15:00
Will this really work? My Dell Inspirion 1520 was working fine a few days ago and now all of the sudden the caps lock flashes 45 times but NOTHING comes on the monitor at all.. The bending part of the charger cord that plugs into the laptop was getting stripped so I thought it was the power cord /adapter.. I replaced it and I see all power lights go on but no 'power boost' sound to get the pc up and running.. I'm not a pc geek so taking memory chips out and testing is not my thing however is the CMOS battery the easy solution for this ?? Is the CMOS battery replacement easy? How much does a CMOS battery cost? What link or place did you buy one at ?? I really don't want to buy another laptop so I'm hoping the MB is not shot.. What causes this issue? Was it the faulty power cord that maybe sent a power surge thru? Are these Dell models known for this issue? Any help or input on this would be great!!
Thanks,Dxtra
PS - When I bought the new adapter to see if laptop would work, I did take out the battery but still no luck :(
iroc_d
1 Rookie
•
4 Posts
1
June 14th, 2011 09:00
The one machine I encountered was a bad memory module installed. One is on the bottom under a door and the other is under the keyboard.
Here is a link to the service manual. The info should be in there how to remove memory modules and CMOS battery. CMOS batteries are not expensive and can be purchased a Radio Shack. Youu can remove the CMOS battery and the computer will boot witout it it just won't retain the bios settings.
Thanks.
iroc_d
1 Rookie
•
4 Posts
0
June 14th, 2011 09:00
In the manual it is called coin cell battery.
bsaito14
1 Message
0
January 20th, 2012 14:00
This worked for me. thanks
philjo1005
1 Message
0
February 9th, 2013 05:00
I had same problem as original poster (CAPS light flashing, no display) I removed the WLAN mini card from the underside panel and problem gone. :) so this CAPS light flashing certainly seems to signal a general hardware fault. pull things out until it starts working! Hopefully it's not your cpu, gphx chip or motherboard !!
skiguel
1 Message
0
December 6th, 2014 11:00
Thankx IROC_D.. This solution resolved the problem