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Optiplex 960 making noises and 1 4 error lights
When I turn on my Optiplex 960 is starts making two noises, one a high pitched shrill sound, the other a pulsing/clicking noise that sounds like it's generated electronically. The power on light is blue, the error lights showing are 1 4. I've run the diagnostics (and the noise stops when I go into the diagnostics/setup mode), and get an error for a Drive 3. Since I only have 2 hard drives, and one CD/DVD player, I don't know what Drive 3 would represent.
The other diagnostics pass, but I didn't run the 30 min memory tests, only the shorter ones.
I've put my finger on the two fans I can see (large vertical fan for cpu and the graphics card fan) and briefly stopping each doesn't change the noise. I've unplugged(power and data) the two hard drives but the noise continues. The noise(s) seem to be coming from the center, in the area of the CPU.
The power supply lights in the rear are normal color(green?).
The computer only boots up part way(about one inch of the on screen bar) and doesn't go past that, never reaches the Windows XP screen.
I've read that 1 4 error lights indicate a bad motherboard. Is this correct, and why would the diagnostics still run if the motherboard was bad. Are there any other tests I can try to isolate this problem?
Thanks in advance for any help with this...
John
If you email me, use , that's the upstairs computer I'm on now.
speedstep
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October 30th, 2020 07:00
1 4 is motherboard failure
The diags don't run if the cpu has failed.
speedstep
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November 4th, 2020 18:00
PC post codes go back to 1971 and the INTEL 4004.
MSDOS came out in 1981 before that the "DOS" was CP/M
A POST code card can read these as well because there is a standard to write the codes to port 80.
This assumes you know how to design motherboards and bios and use INTEL chipsets and processors.
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005500/boards-and-kits.html
a very long time ago dell used modified INTEL Desktop boards for their PentiumII and Pentium 3 Dimension 4100 for example.
In computing, a POST card is a plug-in diagnostic interface card that displays progress and error codes generated during power-on self-test (POST) of a computer. It is used to troubleshoot computers that do not start up.
This Interactive POST Code Diagnostics Decoder is intended to assist in troubleshooting a system hang during a system's Power-On Self-Test (POST) process. Intel Server Boards include a bank of eight POST Code Diagnostics light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at the back edge. As each routine is started, the given POST code number is displayed to these LEDs.
https://www.intel.com/content/dam/support/us/en/multimedia/server-products/server-boards/7059/
https://www.amazon.com/Hariier-Multifunction-Motherboard-Diagnostic-diagnostic/dp/B07FY5285V
Port 80h POST code ranges
In the tables below, all POST codes and range values are listed in hexadecimal.
F0 – FF: FF processor exception
Port 80h POST codes
There are currently no valid POST codes in the 60 - 6F range.
If you see a POST code in this range, read it as B0 - BF. (On a 7-segment LED display, the b looks like a 6.)
Example:
Typical port 80h POST sequence
Port 80h code values typically increase during the boot process. The early codes are for subsystems closer to the processor and the later codes are for peripherals. Generally, the order of initialization is Processor -> Memory -> Busses -> Output/Input Devices -> Boot Devices. The sequence of POST is system-specific.
bradthetechnut
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October 29th, 2020 18:00
Hi @jbclem,
No posting email addresses.
Looking at the manual and at Dell Optiplex Diagnostic Indicators, I couldn't find the error code you mentioned with a blue power light; only with an amber one.
To make sure it's not throwing an incorrect error code, change the size 2032 CMOS battery. Energizer or Duracell is suggested as Sony only lasted me 2 years. A low battery can also cause all sorts of seemingly unrelated bizarre problems. Please let us know what it's doing after the battery is changed or if it changed anything.
DVD drive still counts as a drive. Did you try unplugging it also?
One possibility - If one of your HDD(s) is clicking, it sounds like a virus or malware, or a bad drive. Also a possibility since the XP bar only goes part way when booting.
As for 1,4 error code, if the power light were amber:
bradthetechnut
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October 30th, 2020 10:00
Hi @speedstep,
So where did the chart you used come from? I'm asking because I wasn't able to reference or find it, except in another one of your posts.
Here's what I had for references with the 960 being an '09 model:
bradthetechnut
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October 30th, 2020 10:00
Hi @jbclem,
Since you're able to run diagnostics, I'd run the full version. Granted it will take hours, one can always just let it run overnight. While the quick version pointed to a drive, may be the thorough version will come up with something more.