Inspiron 8600 won't boot - Led error codes?

[sungam]

Hi,

I have a small problem with my Dell Inspiron 8600, most of the time it won't boot and the following leds will flash (error code?):

First all three leds (Num lock, Caps lock and Scroll lock) flash once then Caps lock flashes nine times.

Sometimes, when the notebook boots, it will just hang and a "hard reboot" is necessary. I have dual boot and it happens both in XP and Slackware.

I have tried to swap memory modules and only boot with one of the memory modules in different memory bays with no result.

Regards
/M

[qhn]

1. happens after installing dual boot?
2. memtest?
3. where does it hang? (post?, windows login? slackware?.......)
4. beep?

cheers ...

[PEBKAC]

It's your ram. try running Dell's memory diags from their utility partition. if you dont have that partition anymore then boot from the resource cd you got with the system. when the memory diags fail, call up dell for replacement memory. granted, you have to still be under warranty for that.

[sungam]

When it hang? Under boot for example or when the system is up (no differens in slack or xp).

Memorys seems ok, no beep what so ever. As mentioned before I have tried to switch the memorycells etc.

I have tested to do a diagnostic boot and it failed at "DST short test". The error code was 1000-0146.

BTW, thanks for your input.

/M

[PEBKAC]

When it hang? Under boot for example or when the system is up (no differens in slack or xp).

Memorys seems ok, no beep what so ever. As mentioned before I have tried to switch the memorycells etc.

I have tested to do a diagnostic boot and it failed at "DST short test". The error code was 1000-0146.

BTW, thanks for your input.

/M


even better. possible HD failure.

[qhn]

When it hang? Under boot for example or when the system is up (no differens in slack or xp).

Memorys seems ok, no beep what so ever. As mentioned before I have tried to switch the memorycells etc.

I have tested to do a diagnostic boot and it failed at "DST short test". The error code was 1000-0146.

BTW, thanks for your input.

/M
i 2nd PEBKAC on the hard drive issue - most of the time it is the culprit according to ur error code. just one out-of the-blue question. r u oc'd ur cpu? - if yes, drop the speed!

cheers ...

[sungam]

Mm, it could be the HD. It's one of the possible explanations, but when the laptop is working there is no problem with write/read. I'll do a HD-test tomorrow.

Dell support believed it was a faulty motherboard. But it was with some doubt. The thing is that the warranty expired a couple of mounth ago and to change the motherboard without knowing for sure...

I can probably borrow a HD from someone who has exactly the same laptop. I will try it out before I change the motherboard.

Nope, its not over clocked. I can't see a reason to do that :-p

Thanks
/M