How To Figure Out Whats Wrong?

bigmike1979 · 01-21-2009, 02:12 PM

My Computer When I Start It Nothing Comes Up Now
Its A Dell Dimension C521 The Indicator Light #2 And 4 Stay Lit
Anyone Know About This When I Unplug It And Try To Plug It In
The Ran Runs Good Then Slowly Dies Down But Does Run A Little
Is This A Power Problem Or Motherboard

swarner · 01-21-2009, 03:21 PM

When lights 2 and 4 stay light on a C521 it means there is a graphics failure.

If you have a graphics card installed remove it and plug your monitor into the onboard graphics.

swarner · 01-21-2009, 03:25 PM

here is a link to your Pc's manual: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dimc521/en/OM_EN/RP333A00.pdf

It explains what all the diagnostic lights mean.

bigmike1979 · 01-22-2009, 07:22 AM

the graphic card is part of the motherboard i was told to get a new motherboard if theres a faster and cheaper way to fix it im very willing

bigmike1979 · 01-22-2009, 07:23 AM

i get nothing but the fan running thats it

swarner · 01-22-2009, 01:05 PM

hmmmm...

when you said "When I Start It Nothing Comes Up Now " , do you mean that nothing at all comes up, as in your monitor doesnt even come out of standby?

If so: Unfortunatly it seems that your onboard Graphics chip has died! Getting this repaired would certainly cost more than a new motherboard, thats even if its possible to get repaired which is unlikly!

Another option would be to purchase a PCI-e graphics card(your motherboard has a PCI-e slot) and install it as this would be independant of your onboard graphics and should work!

bigmike1979 · 01-22-2009, 02:15 PM

well when i start it it does come out of standby but on the screen in the top left corner i get a little white dot but nothing else, im not sure what the problem is

swarner · 01-22-2009, 02:36 PM

Do you perhaps know anybody that has a PEI-e graphics card that you could borrow?
If you could you could install it and plug your monitor into it and if this solved the problem you could be sure that your Onboard graphics chip is dead, and then purchase a PCI-e graphics card for yourself!

bigmike1979 · 01-22-2009, 05:43 PM

i dont know anyone how much do they run would it be worth trying one in there

swarner · 01-22-2009, 06:55 PM

Heres a cheap one on newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187040

However i cant guarntee this will solve your problem but from what you've told me i think it will!

Anyway i think newegg have whats called a "cooling off period" , which means when you recieve your card you have a certain amount of days to make sure your happy with the purchase, if your not you can return it for a refund! However i cant confirm this as i have never purchased from them, you could send them an e-mail and ask.

swarner · 01-22-2009, 07:04 PM

Yes it appears that newegg allow you to return for a refund within 30 days!!!

Here is a link to there standard return policy: http://www.newegg.com/HelpInfo/ReturnPolicy.aspx#1

bigmike1979 · 01-23-2009, 06:36 AM

as i look at these pics does this plug in somewhere? because it does not look like it will fit anywhere

swarner · 01-23-2009, 06:04 PM

These are guides on how to install a graphics card card:

Walkthrough guide:
http://www.pchardware.co.uk/install-...card-guide.php

Video Guide:
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=MGmnZyJuytw

bigmike1979 · 01-23-2009, 08:28 PM

ok i bought the card should be here tuesday wish me luck will let you guys know how it goes

bigmike1979 · 01-29-2009, 02:12 PM

ok got new video card installed computer came on but screen says
no boot device detected insert disk hit f1 i do that and nothing happens

bigmike1979 · 01-29-2009, 02:19 PM

now it sYS DISKETTE DRIVE 0 FAILURE

swarner · 01-29-2009, 08:47 PM

Make sure u have no floppy disk in the drive!

Then go into bios and make sure your primary HDD(the one with windows installed on it) is set as the first boot device!

bigmike1979 · 01-30-2009, 06:22 AM

theres not even a place to put a floppy disk on this computer>
it lets me go to f2 set up is that where i can change the boot drives

bigmike1979 · 01-30-2009, 06:50 AM

i got into setup turned off the diskette drive that said failure
when i turn it on now it says
boot from cd
no boot device detected insert a disk and press f1 to continue
or press f2 to setup menu

**asidman** · 01-30-2009, 06:57 AM

make sure you didnt dislodge the cables from the MB into your hard drive when u put in the video card

01-21-2009, 02:12 PM	#1 (permalink)
bigmike1979 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 50 OS: xp	How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? My Computer When I Start It Nothing Comes Up Now Its A Dell Dimension C521 The Indicator Light #2 And 4 Stay Lit Anyone Know About This When I Unplug It And Try To Plug It In The Ran Runs Good Then Slowly Dies Down But Does Run A Little Is This A Power Problem Or Motherboard

01-21-2009, 03:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
swarner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ireland Posts: 272 OS: Vista Ultimate	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? When lights 2 and 4 stay light on a C521 it means there is a graphics failure. If you have a graphics card installed remove it and plug your monitor into the onboard graphics. __________________ Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad Computers are like air conditioners. They work best with windows closed.

01-21-2009, 03:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
swarner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ireland Posts: 272 OS: Vista Ultimate	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? here is a link to your Pc's manual: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dimc521/en/OM_EN/RP333A00.pdf It explains what all the diagnostic lights mean. __________________ Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad Computers are like air conditioners. They work best with windows closed.

01-22-2009, 07:22 AM	#4 (permalink)
bigmike1979 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 50 OS: xp	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? the graphic card is part of the motherboard i was told to get a new motherboard if theres a faster and cheaper way to fix it im very willing

01-22-2009, 07:23 AM	#5 (permalink)
bigmike1979 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 50 OS: xp	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? i get nothing but the fan running thats it

01-22-2009, 01:05 PM	#6 (permalink)
swarner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ireland Posts: 272 OS: Vista Ultimate	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? hmmmm... when you said "When I Start It Nothing Comes Up Now " , do you mean that nothing at all comes up, as in your monitor doesnt even come out of standby? If so: Unfortunatly it seems that your onboard Graphics chip has died! Getting this repaired would certainly cost more than a new motherboard, thats even if its possible to get repaired which is unlikly! Another option would be to purchase a PCI-e graphics card(your motherboard has a PCI-e slot) and install it as this would be independant of your onboard graphics and should work! __________________ Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad Computers are like air conditioners. They work best with windows closed. Last edited by swarner; 01-22-2009 at 01:07 PM.

01-22-2009, 02:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
bigmike1979 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 50 OS: xp	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? well when i start it it does come out of standby but on the screen in the top left corner i get a little white dot but nothing else, im not sure what the problem is

01-22-2009, 02:36 PM	#8 (permalink)
swarner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ireland Posts: 272 OS: Vista Ultimate	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? Do you perhaps know anybody that has a PEI-e graphics card that you could borrow? If you could you could install it and plug your monitor into it and if this solved the problem you could be sure that your Onboard graphics chip is dead, and then purchase a PCI-e graphics card for yourself! __________________ Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad Computers are like air conditioners. They work best with windows closed.

01-22-2009, 05:43 PM	#9 (permalink)
bigmike1979 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 50 OS: xp	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? i dont know anyone how much do they run would it be worth trying one in there

01-22-2009, 06:55 PM	#10 (permalink)
swarner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ireland Posts: 272 OS: Vista Ultimate	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? Heres a cheap one on newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187040 However i cant guarntee this will solve your problem but from what you've told me i think it will! Anyway i think newegg have whats called a "cooling off period" , which means when you recieve your card you have a certain amount of days to make sure your happy with the purchase, if your not you can return it for a refund! However i cant confirm this as i have never purchased from them, you could send them an e-mail and ask. __________________ Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad Computers are like air conditioners. They work best with windows closed.

01-22-2009, 07:04 PM	#11 (permalink)
swarner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ireland Posts: 272 OS: Vista Ultimate	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? Yes it appears that newegg allow you to return for a refund within 30 days!!! Here is a link to there standard return policy: http://www.newegg.com/HelpInfo/ReturnPolicy.aspx#1 __________________ Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad Computers are like air conditioners. They work best with windows closed. Last edited by swarner; 01-22-2009 at 07:06 PM.

01-23-2009, 06:36 AM	#12 (permalink)
bigmike1979 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 50 OS: xp	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? as i look at these pics does this plug in somewhere? because it does not look like it will fit anywhere

01-23-2009, 06:04 PM	#13 (permalink)
swarner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ireland Posts: 272 OS: Vista Ultimate	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? These are guides on how to install a graphics card card: Walkthrough guide: http://www.pchardware.co.uk/install-...card-guide.php Video Guide: http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=MGmnZyJuytw __________________ Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad Computers are like air conditioners. They work best with windows closed.

01-23-2009, 08:28 PM	#14 (permalink)
bigmike1979 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 50 OS: xp	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? ok i bought the card should be here tuesday wish me luck will let you guys know how it goes

01-29-2009, 02:12 PM	#15 (permalink)
bigmike1979 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 50 OS: xp	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? ok got new video card installed computer came on but screen says no boot device detected insert disk hit f1 i do that and nothing happens

01-30-2009, 06:57 AM	#20 (permalink)
asidman Will rule the World Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Port Elizabeth Posts: 4,537 OS: XP SP3, Vista SP1, Windows 7 RC My System	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? make sure you didnt dislodge the cables from the MB into your hard drive when u put in the video card __________________ Submit New Articles Here Try before posting \| Read before posting \| Advice to New Visitors How to post a Screenshot \| Posting system specs \| Posting images (VERY NB)

01-29-2009, 02:19 PM	#16 (permalink)
bigmike1979 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 50 OS: xp	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? now it sYS DISKETTE DRIVE 0 FAILURE

01-29-2009, 08:47 PM	#17 (permalink)
swarner Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ireland Posts: 272 OS: Vista Ultimate	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? Make sure u have no floppy disk in the drive! Then go into bios and make sure your primary HDD(the one with windows installed on it) is set as the first boot device! __________________ Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad Computers are like air conditioners. They work best with windows closed.

01-30-2009, 06:22 AM	#18 (permalink)
bigmike1979 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 50 OS: xp	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? theres not even a place to put a floppy disk on this computer> it lets me go to f2 set up is that where i can change the boot drives

01-30-2009, 06:50 AM	#19 (permalink)
bigmike1979 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 50 OS: xp	Re: How To Figure Out Whats Wrong? i got into setup turned off the diskette drive that said failure when i turn it on now it says boot from cd no boot device detected insert a disk and press f1 to continue or press f2 to setup menu