Dell 4550 dead

I tried to power on my Dell 4550 and it won't turn on. Power supply
doesn't power up at all. We had a storm last night but it was plugged
into a surge protector. I tried to put and old power supply from an old
Dell XPS 600. I know it's not the right one but I wanted to see what
would happen. Nothing. I see 1 small green light on the motherboard.
Any suggestions. Thanks Jeff

On Jul 25, 3:45*pm, Jeff wrote:
I tried to power on my Dell 4550 and it won't turn on. *Power supply
doesn't power up at all. *We had a storm last night but it was plugged
into a surge protector. *I tried to put and old power supply from an old
Dell XPS 600. *I know it's not the right one but I wanted to see what
would happen. *Nothing. I see 1 small green light on the motherboard.
Any suggestions. *Thanks Jeff

Have you tried removing all the cards but the graphics card...and see
if it will POST?

bob_v

On Jul 25, 4:45*pm, Jeff wrote:
I tried to power on my Dell 4550 and it won't turn on. *Power supply
doesn't power up at all. *We had a storm last night but it was plugged
into asurgeprotector. *I tried to put and old power supply from an old
Dell XPS 600.

The surge protector did exactly what its manufacturer claimed it
would do. Without an earth ground to connect surge energy into, it
shunted that surge energy where? Learn why we never waste money on
plug-in protectors and properly earth one 'whole house' protector. A
surge absorbed harmlessly in earth and not inside the building does
not go hunting for earth destructively via your computer.

Second, why do you assume the power supply is defective? The power
system has numerous components - is not just a supply. So that those
who better know this stuff will reply, take 30 seconds to measure
voltage on a few critical wires between power supply and motherboard.
Set the 3.5 digit multimeter to 20 VDC. Measure voltage on the purple
wire where it enters a white nylon connector. This voltage must exist
whether the power switch is pressed or not. Report the three digit
number. Then repeat these measurements on the gray and green wire
both before and when the power switch is pressed. Finally measure any
one orange, red, and yellow wire as the power switch is pressed.
Report that each voltage tries to do.

Your next answer will say without doubt what is or is not defective,
OR direct you to move on to other suspects. Anything else will only
be shotgunning. And as you have already seen, shotgunning (replacing
the power supply) still leaves you with no useful answers.

Remember: a perfectly good supply can fail in an otherwise
perfectly good computer. A defective supply can still boot a
computer. More reasons why the informed technician uses a meter to
have useful answers.

On Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:45:45 -0400, Jeff wrote:

I tried to power on my Dell 4550 and it won't turn on. Power supply
doesn't power up at all. We had a storm last night but it was plugged
into a surge protector. I tried to put and old power supply from an old
Dell XPS 600. I know it's not the right one but I wanted to see what
would happen. Nothing. I see 1 small green light on the motherboard.
Any suggestions. Thanks Jeff


As was previously suggested, remove all the expansion cards in the
PCI slots and then see if it will boot. I've encountered a couple of
Dell systems where a lighting surge burnt out the modem thus prevented
it from booting. While your system may have been on a surge
protector, chances are the phone line or network card wasn't.

Crapper wrote:
On Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:45:45 -0400, Jeff wrote:

I tried to power on my Dell 4550 and it won't turn on. Power supply
doesn't power up at all. We had a storm last night but it was plugged
into a surge protector. I tried to put and old power supply from an old
Dell XPS 600. I know it's not the right one but I wanted to see what
would happen. Nothing. I see 1 small green light on the motherboard.
Any suggestions. Thanks Jeff


As was previously suggested, remove all the expansion cards in the
PCI slots and then see if it will boot. I've encountered a couple of
Dell systems where a lighting surge burnt out the modem thus prevented
it from booting. While your system may have been on a surge
protector, chances are the phone line or network card wasn't.

Removed all the cards and RAM still nothing.

On Jul 26, 10:51*am, Jeff wrote:
Removed all the cards and RAM still nothing.

Which is routine. Without numbers from that multimeter, you will
have nothing but wild speculation - "it could be this or could be
that" answers.

On Sun, 26 Jul 2009 07:55:51 -0700 (PDT), westom
wrote:

On Jul 26, 10:51*am, Jeff wrote:
Removed all the cards and RAM still nothing.

Which is routine. Without numbers from that multimeter, you will
have nothing but wild speculation - "it could be this or could be
that" answers.

No argument but not many know how or properly to use/ read / interpret
multimeters so for those that don't, the advice here is worth using
meanwhile.

On Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:45:45 -0400, Jeff wrote:

I tried to power on my Dell 4550 and it won't turn on. Power supply
doesn't power up at all. We had a storm last night but it was plugged
into a surge protector. I tried to put and old power supply from an old
Dell XPS 600. I know it's not the right one but I wanted to see what
would happen. Nothing. I see 1 small green light on the motherboard.
Any suggestions. Thanks Jeff

In addition to the advice here, reset the surge protector and unplug
the dell for a couple of hours and then re-plug it in (based on my own
experience).

On Jul 26, 11:06*am, RnR wrote:
No argument but not many know how or properly to use/ read / interpret
multimeters so for those that don't, the advice here is worth using
meanwhile.

If you cannot use a meter, then you have no business useing
something far more dangerous - a cell phone.

How difficult? Set to 20 VDC range. Touch leads to wires. Read
number. We give 13 year olds a meter. They also have fear only
because they don't know. Fear is the only reason posted. If you
cannot use a meter, then you have no business even trying to use an
Ipod.

Meters sell only in stores marketing to geniuses - ie Kmart. Meters
are sold in the same stores that sell hammers for about the same
price.

Multimeter numbers are necessary if the better informed will post.
Shotgunning is how the poblem can even be made more complex. Which is
more danagerous - a meter or removing parts? Obviously damage is more
likely if swapping parts. Just another reasons why we avoid
shotgunning.

On Sun, 26 Jul 2009 08:48:43 -0700 (PDT), westom
wrote:

On Jul 26, 11:06*am, RnR wrote:
No argument but not many know how or properly to use/ read / interpret
multimeters so for those that don't, the advice here is worth using
meanwhile.

If you cannot use a meter, then you have no business useing
something far more dangerous - a cell phone.

How difficult? Set to 20 VDC range. Touch leads to wires. Read
number. We give 13 year olds a meter. They also have fear only
because they don't know. Fear is the only reason posted. If you
cannot use a meter, then you have no business even trying to use an
Ipod.


Reading it and understanding it 2 different things. As to the ipod,
that's being ridiculous.