dell 5100 power failure

D

daithi

Registered User
Messages
159
Hi folks,

I have a 2 year old dell dimension 5100 desktop cpu. Lately when I turn it on I get nothing except an intermittent amber light blinking behind the power switch- the cpu tends to work if I plug it out completely for 2-3 days, but not always Ive tried google and I cant get a satisfactory answer. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance,
daithi
 
Last edited:
daithi said:
when I turn it on I get nothing except an intermittent amber light blinking behind the power switch
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Are you sure that this isn't the network card link light?
- the cpu tends to work if I plug it out completely for 2-3 days, but not always Ive tried google and I cant get a satisfactory answer. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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I'd start with seeing if the power supply is working at all and maybe trying a new one if not.
 
as far as I can tell this light is related to the power supply unit-the power does come on sometimes, so Im wondering is it just a case of the power supply experiencing gradual failure..

daithi
 
I saw this before on a different Dell model. It was a fault in the motherboard and it had to be replaced. If you purchased Dell's 3 year hardware support get them out to replace it. If not, it's probably beyond economical repair.
 
Dearg Doom said:
I saw this before on a different Dell model. It was a fault in the motherboard and it had to be replaced. If you purchased Dell's 3 year hardware support get them out to replace it. If not, it's probably beyond economical repair.
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Not necessarily. Even if the motherboard needed replacement it's quite possible that you could get one for a few tens of €s depending on the requirements (processor socket/slot, chipset etc.).
 
ClubMan said:
Not necessarily.
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I didn't say it was definitely beyond economical repair, now did I? If you're going to pay for a new motherboard and pay someone to do the fitting and testing and have them stand over their work, you'll end up spending more than the machine is worth and a significant percentage of a new machine.
 
oh feck. If my cpu does go belly up,is it possible for me to buy a new one and simply add my existing hard drive to it, or are there compatibility issues between hard drives??

daithi
 
You seem to be inaccurately using the term CPU to refer to the system unit. The CPU is actually just the main processor chip. You should be able to read data easily enough off the hard disk as long as it is not damaged. However whether you can just stick it into a new machine and boot off it as before really depends on the new machine being practically identical to the original one (due to low level hardware and driver issues). To be honest it sounds to me like you need advice from somebody with more technical expertise than yourself.
 
..and that 's why Im asking! when I said CPU, that was my shorthand for computer..here's another query, if I back up my hdd to an external one (seagate freeagent 320GB) Is it safe to assume that I could simply load all that info onto a new computer?

daithi
 
CPU = Central Processing Unit or the main processor chip in the system. It's not the same thing as the system unit/box itself.

You probably don't need to backup. You can just install the hard disk in another machine (or in an external USB drive housing) and see if you can copy your files off. Similarly you could boot off a GNU/Linux live bootable CD (e.g. Ubuntu) and see if you can still read the drive. If your power supply, CPU or motherboard are the problem then it's quite likely that your hard disk is still perfect. However you should get assistance with this if you don't know what you're doing.
 
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