Article Number: 000145872
A Reference Guide to XPS Desktop Diagnostic Indicators
Summary: This article is a reference guide to the Diagnostics LEDs and Beeps on an XPS Tower and AIO (All in One) Desktop system.
Article Content
Instructions
Dell XPS desktops have a long history of built-in diagnostic indicators. These can be audible beeps, power buttons that display different states and colors, specific diagnostics LEDs or a combination of them all. In order to indicate at which point during the Power On Self-Test (POST) a system is having issues.
The following article is a reference guide to the codes available on each model and what those codes mean. They change through the various models and years. These indicators are merely a starting point to narrow down any troubleshooting you will carry out to identify the cause of your current issue. You can use this as a starting point to narrow down the proper troubleshooting guide you will need. Or you can contact technical support for further help, and they will be looking for these indicators as well.
Table of Contents:
- Diagnostic LEDs for the XPS Desktop series (2020 to Present)
- Diagnostic LEDs for the XPS Desktop series (2015 to 2020)
- Diagnostic LEDs for the XPS Desktop series (2008 to 2015)
- Diagnostic LEDs for the XPS Desktop Series (2007 to 2008)
- XPS Desktop Audible Beep Codes
- Glossary of Acronyms
- Diagnostic Indicator Guides
Note: For all the tables below, please remember that the diagnostic LEDs only serve as an indicator of the progress through the POST process. These LEDs do not indicate the problem that caused the POST routine to stop.
Note: If your system completes POST without stopping on a particular error code and then gives a black screen? The most likely reason is that you are experiencing a No Boot issue and not a No POST issue at all.
Diagnostic LEDs for the XPS Desktop series (2020 to Present)
With the latest series, the diagnostics indicator Beeps have been removed from Tower systems, but remains in All In One (AIO) systems. Instead the Power Button state now gives a blink and color shift pattern to indicate where it is having a problem.
Note: Click the title of the section you want to open below, in order to see the contents.
| Power Button LED | Status | Power State | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Off | S4 or S5 | Power is Off. LED is blank. |
 |
Solid Amber | - | Boot Failure - This is a system fault error condition, and includes the power supply. Only the +5VSB rail on the power supply is working correctly. |
 |
Blinking Amber | - | Boot Failure - The computer is receiving electrical power, and the power that is supplied by the power supply is normal. A device might be malfunctioning or incorrectly installed. Refer to the table below for Amber Blinking Pattern diagnostic suggestions and possible failures. |
 |
Solid White | S0 | System is in S0 state. This is the normal power states of a functioning machine. The BIOS will turn the LED to this state to indicate it has started fetching opcodes. |
 |
Blinking White | S1 or S3 | System is in a low-power state, either S1 or S3. This does not indicate a fault condition. |
| Power LED | Problem Description | Suggested Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| 1,2 | TPM Detection Failure | Contact Technical Support |
| 2,1 | Processor Failure | Run the Intel CPU diagnostic tool and contact Technical Support if the fault persists. |
| 2,2 | Motherboard: BIOS ROM Failure | Flash BIOS and contact Technical Support if issue persists. |
| 2,3 | No Memory or RAM Detected | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots. |
| 2,4 | Memory or RAM Failure | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots. |
| 2,5 | Memory configuration or incompatible error | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots. |
| 2,6 | Motherboard or Chipset error | Flash BIOS and contact Technical Support if issue persists. |
| 3,1 | Bad Coin Cell Battery | Replace the CMOS Battery and Contact Technical Support if issue persists. |
| 3,2 | PCI Device or Video Subsystem failure | Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
| 3,3 | BIOS Recovery 1: BIOS Recovery image not found | Flash BIOS and contact Technical Support if issue persists. |
| 3,4 | BIOS Recovery 2: BIOS Recovery image found but invalid | Flash BIOS and contact Technical Support if issue persists. |
| 3,5 | Power Rail Failure: EC ran into power sequencing failure. | Contact Technical Support |
| 3,6 | System BIOS flash incomplete | Flash the BIOS again and contact Technical Support if issue persists. |
| 3,7 | Management Engine (ME) error | Timeout waiting on the ME to reply to the HECI message. Contact Technical Support |
| 4,2 | Power Rail Failure | Flash BIOS and contact Technical Support if issue persists. |
Diagnostic LEDs for the XPS Desktop series (2015 to 2020)
With this series, the diagnostics indicator Beeps were removed from Tower systems, but remained in the All In One (AIO) systems. Instead the Power Button state gives a blink and color shift pattern to indicate where it is having a problem.
Note: Click the title of the section you want to open below, in order to see the contents.
| Power Button LED | Status | Power State | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Off | S4 or S5 | Power is Off. LED is blank. |
 |
Blinking Amber | - | The initial state of the LED at power-up. Refer to the table below for Blinking Amber pattern diagnostic suggestions and possible failures. |
 |
Solid Amber | - | The second state of the LED at power-up indicates that the POWER_GOOD signal is active and it is probable that the power supply is fine. |
 |
Blinking White | S1 or S3 | System is in a low-power state, either S1 or S3. This does not indicate a fault condition. |
 |
Solid White | S0 | System is in S0 state. This is the normal power states of a functioning machine. The BIOS will turn the LED to this state to indicate it has started fetching op-codes. |
| Power LED | Problem Description | Suggested Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| 2,1 | Motherboard Failure | Contact Technical Support |
| 2,2 | Motherboard: Power Supply | Contact Technical Support |
| 2,3 | Motherboard: Memory or CPU | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots. |
| 2,4 | Bad Coin Cell Battery | Replace the CMOS Battery and Contact Technical Support if issue persists. |
| 2,5 | BIOS Checksum Failure | Flash BIOS and contact Technical Support if issue persists. |
| 2,6 | Bad CPU | Contact Technical Support |
| 2,7 | Memory Failures | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots. |
| 3,1 | PCI Device or Video Subsystem failure | Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
| 3,2 | Video Subsystem failure | Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
| 3,3 | No Memory detected | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots. |
| 3,4 | Storage Subsystem failure | Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
| 3,5 | Memory configuration or incompatible error | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots. |
| 3,6 | System board failure | Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
| 3,7 | Possible Memory failure | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots. |
Diagnostic LEDs for the XPS Desktop series (2008 to 2015)
This series used power button LED states. The power button is located on the front of the chassis. You could identify these models by their flat black front face and side panels and lids.
Note: Click the title of the section you want to open below, in order to see the contents.
| LED Status | System State | Suggested Next Step | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off |  |
The computer is either turned off or is not receiving power. | Troubleshoot a No Power issue. |
| Blinking Amber |  |
The computer is receiving power, a device might be faulty or incorrectly installed. | Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
| Solid Amber |  |
The computer is in standby. | Press a key on the keyboard, move the mouse, or press the power button to resume normal operation, if problem persists, listen for a beep code. |
| Solid White |  |
The computer is on and working ok. | If the computer is not responding, troubleshoot a No Boot/No Video issue. |
XPS 430s to 360s, 730s, and 8300s to A2420's
| Diagnostic Beep Codes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| LED Status | Beep Code | Cause | Suggested Resolution |
 |
1 | BIOS ROM Checksum in progress or failure | Contact Technical Support |
 |
2 | No Memory Modules detected | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots. |
 |
3 | Chipset Error
Time-of-day clock test failure Gate A20 Failure Super I/O chip Failure Keyboard controller test failure |
Contact Technical Support |
 |
4 | RAM read/write error | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots. |
 |
5 | Real-Time Clock Failure | Replace the CMOS Battery, Contact Technical Support if problem persists. |
 |
6 | Video BIOS test Failure | Run the Dell Diagnostics. |
 |
7 | CPU Cache Test Failure | Contact Technical Support |
Diagnostic LEDs for the XPS Desktop series (2007 to 2008)
This series used power button LED states and a diagnostics LED pack on Towers and All in One (AIO) systems.
Note: Click the title of the section you want to open below, in order to see the contents.
| LED Status | System State | Suggested Next Step | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off |  |
The computer is either turned off or is not receiving power. | Troubleshoot a No Power issue. |
| Blinking Amber |  |
The computer is receiving power, a device might be faulty or incorrectly installed. | Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
| Solid Amber |  |
The computer is in a fault condition including the power supply. | Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
| Blinking Blue |  |
The computer is in Standby. | Press a key on the keyboard, move the mouse, or press the power button to resume normal operation, if problem persists, listen for a beep code. |
| Solid Blue |  |
The computer is on and working ok. | If the computer is not responding, troubleshoot a No Boot/No Video issue. |
XPS 420s, 600s, 700s to 720's and A2010's to A2420's
| Diag LED Status | Light Pattern | Problem Description | Suggested Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
    |
The computer is in a normal. off state, or is possibly a pre-BIOS failure has occurred. If the system Boots the diagnostic LEDs will turn off |
Reseat all power and data cables. |
| N/A |     |
System is in recovery mode. | Contact Technical Support |
 |
    |
A possible Processor Failure has. occurred |
Contact Technical Support |
 |
    |
Memory modules are detected, but a memory failure has occurred |
Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots |
 |
    |
A possible graphics failure has occurred. | Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
 |
    |
A possible FDD or HDD Failure has. occurred |
Reseat all power and data cables. |
 |
    |
A possible USB Failure has occurred. | Reinstall all USB devices and check. all USB cable connections |
 |
    |
No memory modules are detected. | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots |
 |
    |
Memory modules are detected, but a memory configuration or compatibility error has occurred |
Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots |
| N/A |     |
A possible expansion card failure has occurred |
Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
| N/A |     |
Other Pre-Video activity | Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
 |
    |
System resource configuration in Process | Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
 |
    |
Another failure has occurred Post. Video activity |
Troubleshoot a No POST issue. |
| N/A |     |
Handed off to Boot | The POST sequence has ended and the Boot startup has begun |
XPS Desktop audible Beep codes
In addition to the various types of diagnostics LEDs, there are several audible beep codes across some of the models of these systems.
These codes are recognized across manufacturers and have remained the same for some time.
The keys to these codes are displayed in the table below.
Note: Click the title of the section you want to open below, in order to see the contents.
| Diagnostic Beep Codes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Code | Cause | Suggested Resolution |
| 1 | BIOS ROM Checksum in progress or failure | Contact Technical Support |
| 2 | No Memory Modules detected | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots. |
| 3 | Chipset Error
Time-of-day clock test failure Gate A20 Failure Super I/O chip Failure Keyboard controller test failure |
Contact Technical Support |
| 4 | RAM read/write error | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots. |
| 5 | Real-Time Clock Failure | Replace the CMOS Battery, Contact Technical Support if problem persists. |
| 6 | Video BIOS test Failure | Run the Dell Diagnostics. |
| 7 | CPU Cache Test Failure | Contact Technical Support |
Glossary of Acronyms:
Refer to the table for definitions of the acronyms within this article.
| Acronym | Definition |
|---|---|
| BIOS | Basic Input/Output System |
| CFG | Resource Configuration |
| CPU | Central Processing Unit |
| DIMM | Dual In-line Memory Module |
| DMA | Direct Memory Access |
| EC | Embedded Controller |
| HECI | Host Embedded Controller Interface |
| LCD | Liquid Crystal Display |
| LED | Light Emitting Diode |
| MBF | Motherboard Failure |
| MBIST | Memory Built-in Self Test |
| ME | Management Engine |
| MEM | Memory |
| NVRAM | Non-Volatile Random Access Memory |
| PCI | Peripheral Component Interconnect |
| POV | Post-video Activity |
| PRV | Pre-video Activity |
| PSU | Power Supply Unit |
| RAM | Random Access Memory |
| RCM | Recovery Mode |
| ROM | Read Only Memory |
| RTC | Real Time Clock |
| S0 | System Power State S0 – This is the Working State, where your Windows PC is awake. |
| S1 | System Power State S1 – In this sleep state, the CPU is stopped, and your computer is in standby mode. |
| S2 | System Power State S2 – This state is similar to S1 except that the CPU and system cache are lost because the processor loses power. |
| S3 | System Power State S3 – In this state, data is saved to RAM, hard drives, and other hardware are shut down. |
| S4 | System Power State S4 – In this state, RAM and other data are saved to the hard disk. |
| S5 | System Power State S5 - The System is off. |
| SBIOS | Small Board Interface Operating System |
| SPI | Serial Peripheral Interface |
| STD | Boot Hand Off |
| STO | Storage Device |
| TPM | Trusted Platform Module |
| USB | Universal Serial Bus |
| VID | Video |
Note:
If you are seeing a recognizable code, follow the instructions. If you have to contact your local support - make sure, you have the code information to hand. The technician will need this information to help you further.
If you are seeing an unrecognizable code, one that is not listed above - then get in touch with your local support straight away.
If you are seeing a recognizable code, follow the instructions. If you have to contact your local support - make sure, you have the code information to hand. The technician will need this information to help you further.
If you are seeing an unrecognizable code, one that is not listed above - then get in touch with your local support straight away.
If you require further assistance, contact Dell Technical Support.
Additional Information
Article Properties
Affected Product
XPS
Last Published Date
10 Jan 2024
Version
7
Article Type
How To