Hi gang,
This is my first post to these forums.
I own a Dell M170 with the nVidia GO 6800 Ultra card. Apparently, my son was trying to flash the bios on the video card. Long story short, the bios flash must have failed, because all I have now is a 12lb brick!
When I try to boot, all that happens is the computer starts, the lights light appropriately (those being the scroll, caps and num lock lights), then all the lights mentioned go out....the computer just seems to hang there. I have no video, no "greying" of the display (as if there was at least SOME sort of signal from the vid card), no anything. It does not beep at me, it doesn't do a thing. After about 30 seconds the numlock will light and remain steady green. The system fans will activate after a period of time (I presume when it gets warm enough inside the case), but, other than that, nothing.
I should mention that I can push the num lock, and the caps lock keys and activate them. Meaning, they will show a steady green, or if it was on, as in the case of the num lock light, I can make them go off. I had understood that to mean that the computer had gotten by the POST. I am not convinced.
I've tried to re-flash the video card, and the BIOS using both a bootable USB, and a bootable cd. In the case of the USB drive, the led on the drive just stays a steady blue, and does nothing. In the case of the cd, the computer SEEMS to recognize it (did I mention the cd drive door will open and close normally?)but does nothing.
I know that booth of them SHOULD have worked, as I own another M170, and they were both able to boot that computer to DOS perfectly fine. I also know that the BIOS in the broken computer was set to boot CD first, then HDD, then USB. I don't think the computer was getting far enough into the boot to recognize the USB, or the CD drives....but that's just a guess.
I should mention I tried to boot this thing every way I can. HD in, HD out, Optical drive in/out. On battery power alone, on AC alone (with battery removed), on AC power with battery in, and every other possible combination. They all produced the same results.
So....after having read these fine forums, and heeding the advice of some helpful people here, I did the old "fn" key power on test. AKA Dell's Diagnostic Boot.
The lights (again the caps, scroll, num) all flashed briefly, indicating it was booting into diagnostic mode, and then after a time, the lights all went out, except the num lock light which just sat there blinking. After more time passed, the num lock light would go out, and the caps light would start blinking.
Finally after some time (we're talking over an hour) the sytem made this funny melodic noise followed by the (I presume) code.....1 short, 3 long beeps. It did that 3 or 4 times, same code, and then stopped doing anything.
That's the long and short of it.
I contacted Dell, who of course told me that I had already done everything they could have done with me over the phone. Cost me 39 dollars to hear that....being out of warranty.
They "diagnosed" it as a mobo failure. I personally don't think it is, I am ALMOST 100 % sure it's the borked bios on the Vid card. SOOOO....my question is, should I order the mobo at 500 dollars and assume the vid card is good. Or, should I order the vid card at 399, (prolly the 7800 upgrade) and presume the mobo is fine, OR lastly, should I order them both, then try the new vid card on the old board, and if it works sending the new mobo back for a refund, and if it doesn't try the new mobo with the old card and if that works send the vid card back, or lastly, should I not attempt the new vid card on the old mobo on the slim chance that the current mobo is borked, and I bork the new vid card putting it in a broken mobo.
In any event, I am looking at doing something quickly, and my personal feeling is, I am going to be hard pressed to convince the Mrs. to put over 1K in repairs to an, essentially, 3 year old laptop.
If I could get away with one or the other, that's fine, but I am pretty sure she will just tell me to get a new one if it comes to the 1K in parts option. This is becuase she doesn't know that then new XPS hotness is over 3K configured my way.
I thank you ALL in advance, and I welcome any/all advice.
Take good care, and thanks for taking the time to read this.
This is my first post to these forums.
I own a Dell M170 with the nVidia GO 6800 Ultra card. Apparently, my son was trying to flash the bios on the video card. Long story short, the bios flash must have failed, because all I have now is a 12lb brick!
When I try to boot, all that happens is the computer starts, the lights light appropriately (those being the scroll, caps and num lock lights), then all the lights mentioned go out....the computer just seems to hang there. I have no video, no "greying" of the display (as if there was at least SOME sort of signal from the vid card), no anything. It does not beep at me, it doesn't do a thing. After about 30 seconds the numlock will light and remain steady green. The system fans will activate after a period of time (I presume when it gets warm enough inside the case), but, other than that, nothing.
I should mention that I can push the num lock, and the caps lock keys and activate them. Meaning, they will show a steady green, or if it was on, as in the case of the num lock light, I can make them go off. I had understood that to mean that the computer had gotten by the POST. I am not convinced.
I've tried to re-flash the video card, and the BIOS using both a bootable USB, and a bootable cd. In the case of the USB drive, the led on the drive just stays a steady blue, and does nothing. In the case of the cd, the computer SEEMS to recognize it (did I mention the cd drive door will open and close normally?)but does nothing.
I know that booth of them SHOULD have worked, as I own another M170, and they were both able to boot that computer to DOS perfectly fine. I also know that the BIOS in the broken computer was set to boot CD first, then HDD, then USB. I don't think the computer was getting far enough into the boot to recognize the USB, or the CD drives....but that's just a guess.
I should mention I tried to boot this thing every way I can. HD in, HD out, Optical drive in/out. On battery power alone, on AC alone (with battery removed), on AC power with battery in, and every other possible combination. They all produced the same results.
So....after having read these fine forums, and heeding the advice of some helpful people here, I did the old "fn" key power on test. AKA Dell's Diagnostic Boot.
The lights (again the caps, scroll, num) all flashed briefly, indicating it was booting into diagnostic mode, and then after a time, the lights all went out, except the num lock light which just sat there blinking. After more time passed, the num lock light would go out, and the caps light would start blinking.
Finally after some time (we're talking over an hour) the sytem made this funny melodic noise followed by the (I presume) code.....1 short, 3 long beeps. It did that 3 or 4 times, same code, and then stopped doing anything.
That's the long and short of it.
I contacted Dell, who of course told me that I had already done everything they could have done with me over the phone. Cost me 39 dollars to hear that....being out of warranty.
They "diagnosed" it as a mobo failure. I personally don't think it is, I am ALMOST 100 % sure it's the borked bios on the Vid card. SOOOO....my question is, should I order the mobo at 500 dollars and assume the vid card is good. Or, should I order the vid card at 399, (prolly the 7800 upgrade) and presume the mobo is fine, OR lastly, should I order them both, then try the new vid card on the old board, and if it works sending the new mobo back for a refund, and if it doesn't try the new mobo with the old card and if that works send the vid card back, or lastly, should I not attempt the new vid card on the old mobo on the slim chance that the current mobo is borked, and I bork the new vid card putting it in a broken mobo.
In any event, I am looking at doing something quickly, and my personal feeling is, I am going to be hard pressed to convince the Mrs. to put over 1K in repairs to an, essentially, 3 year old laptop.
If I could get away with one or the other, that's fine, but I am pretty sure she will just tell me to get a new one if it comes to the 1K in parts option. This is becuase she doesn't know that then new XPS hotness is over 3K configured my way.
I thank you ALL in advance, and I welcome any/all advice.
Take good care, and thanks for taking the time to read this.
