Dell Inspiron 570 crashing and won't start

[kahlil88]

Trying to fix a computer at work that is constantly crashing and won't boot up afterwards. It has power and the light comes on but doesn't POST.
I have been able to get it working again by holding down the power button with it unplugged and RAM module removed. I ran a memory test overnight with no errors and suspect it may be an intermittent PSU failure. Wanted to get feedback before looking into a replacement.

 

[Guest]

Try removing the optical drive, and booting up with just one RAM module at at time. If that doesn't work turn off the AC power supply and physically remove the CMOS battery from the motherboard. Then let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. Put the battery back in then turn on the power. Also, your GPU and processor might be going bad or failing.

 

[kahlil88]

Try removing the optical drive, and booting up with just one RAM module at at time. If that doesn't work turn off the AC power supply and physically remove the CMOS battery from the motherboard. Then let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. Put the battery back in then turn on the power. Also, your GPU and processor might be going bad or failing.

I usually pull the CMOS battery and hold the power button to really clear it. Removing the RAM is what really seems to fix it though (just one module). How do you test for a failing CPU? I've never actually encountered a dead one, other than in extreme power surge cases where the board and/or PSU are also fried.

 

[Guest]

Trying to fix a computer at work that is constantly crashing and won't boot up afterwards. It has power and the light comes on but doesn't POST.
I have been able to get it working again by holding down the power button with it unplugged and RAM module removed. I ran a memory test overnight with no errors and suspect it may be an intermittent PSU failure. Wanted to get feedback before looking into a replacement.

Try removing the optical drive, and booting up with just one RAM module at at time. If that doesn't work turn off the AC power supply and physically remove the CMOS battery from the motherboard. Then let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. Put the battery back in then turn on the power. Also, your GPU and processor might be going bad or failing.

I usually pull the CMOS battery and hold the power button to really clear it. Removing the RAM is what really seems to fix it though (just one module). How do you test for a failing CPU? I've never actually encountered a dead one, other than in extreme power surge cases where the board and/or PSU are also fried.

Normally, if your CPU has died it wouldn't post. Or, if that's the case the power supply would not work. Sometimes, even if the cpu is dead the PSU may still continue to operate but you will get no response from the screen. Do you get a series of beep codes? Usually a dead CPU will indicate a high/low beeping sound. Does the computer have Dell diagnostic lights?

o POST
The term POST refers to Power-On Self-Test which is a series of checks the computer goes through whenever it starts. If the computer fails any of these tests, it will stop the start-up process.
Indications of a failed POST include:

If the computer is displaying the Dell logo and does not move past that point, it has probably failed POST.

If the power indicator lights up and it is amber or orange, this is usually an indicator that it has failed POST.

If you see text on a black screen, the computer is currently performing the POST. If the computer stays in that condition and does not move past it, it has probably failed POST.

If the video screen displayed anything at all during the startup process but is now black, this probably indicates that the computer failed POST.

If the computer is beeping or if Caps/Num/Scroll Locks are flashing, note if there is a particular pattern in which it beeps or flashes.

This may help: http://www.dell.com/support/Article/us/en/19/SLN292599/EN

 

[kahlil88]

This is one of the stupid newer Dells that doesn't have beep codes or diagnostic lights on the back. It powers on but doesn't output to the display and no audible hard drive activity. Totally bricked until I do my trick of disconnecting power and holding down the button for 5-10 seconds with the RAM out. Works great after that, until it crashes again. Usually it just won't power on in the morning, but sometimes it blue screens and reboots before I can read anything. Can auto-reboot be disabled by default?
My gut still tells me it's the PSU... I'm gonna try it with a different one and see if that fixes the problem.