A Reference Guide to Inspiron Desktop Diagnostic Indicators
Summary: This article is a reference guide to the diagnostics LEDs and beep codes used on the various Inspiron Tower and All in One (AIO) systems
This article applies to
This article does not apply to
This article is not tied to any specific product.
Not all product versions are identified in this article.
Instructions
A Reference Guide to Inspiron Desktop Diagnostic Indicators
Dell Inspiron Desktop systems have a long history of built-in diagnostic indicators. These can be audible beeps, power buttons that display different states and colors, specific diagnostics LEDs or a combination of them all. Indicating at which point during the Power On Self-Test (POST) a system is having issues.
The following article is a reference guide to the codes available on each model and what those codes mean. These changes through the various models and years. These indicators are merely a starting point to narrow down any troubleshooting you carry out to identify the cause of your current issue. You can use this as a starting point to narrow down the proper troubleshooting guide you need. Alternatively, you can contact technical support for further help and they are looking for these indicators as well.
Table of Contents:
- Diagnostic LEDs for the Inspiron Desktop series (2020 to Present)
- Diagnostic LEDs for the Inspiron Desktop series (2015 to 2019)
- Diagnostic LEDs for the Inspiron Desktop series (2008 to 2015)
- Diagnostic LEDs for the Inspiron Desktop Series (Prior to 2008)
- Inspiron Desktop Audible Beep Codes
- Glossary of Acronyms
- Diagnostic Indicator Guides
Note: For all the tables below, please remember that the diagnostic LEDs only serve as an indicator of the progress through the POST process. These LEDs do not indicate the problem that caused the POST routine to stop.
Note: Does your system complete POST without stopping on a particular error code and then gives a black screen? The most likely reason is that you are experiencing a No Boot issue and not a No POST issue at all.
Diagnostic LEDs for the Inspiron Desktop series (2020 to Present)
The tower systems that are currently being sold and supported has swapped over to an Amber blink code. This is common with Dell's notebook systems. The PLED is generally white.
Note: Click the title of the section you want to open below, in order to see the contents.
| Power Button LED | Status | Power State | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Off | S4 or S5 | Power is Off. LED is blank. |
 |
Blinking Amber | - | Initial State of LED at power up. Refer to the table below for Blinking Amber pattern diagnostic suggestions and possible failures. |
 |
Solid Amber | - | The second state of the LED at power up indicates that the POWER_GOOD signal is active and it is likely that the power supply is fine. |
 |
Blinking White | S1 or S3 | System is in a low power state, either S1 or S3. This does not indicate a fault condition. |
 |
Solid White | S0 | System is in S0 state. This is the normal power states of a functioning machine. The BIOS turns the LED to this state to indicate it has started fetching op-codes. |
Note: You can customize the power-button behavior in Power Options. For more information, see Me and My Dell at www.dell.com/support/manuals.
Inspiron 3880, 3881, etc.
Note: The blinking patterns consists of 2 sets of numbers. They split into First Group(Amber Blinks), Second Group(Amber Blinks).
Example: No Memory detected (2,3), The Battery LED blinks two times amber followed by a pause, then blinks three times Amber, pause, etc. This pattern continues until the system is powered off.
- First Group: The Battery LED blinks in Amber up to 9 times then pauses for 1.5 seconds before running the second group.
- Second Group: The Battery LED blinks in Amber up to 9 times then pauses for 3 seconds before running the first group again.
Example: No Memory detected (2,3), The Battery LED blinks two times amber followed by a pause, then blinks three times Amber, pause, etc. This pattern continues until the system is powered off.
| LED Behavior | Problem Description | Next Steps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Blink Code | |||
| 1 | 2 | Unrecoverable SPI Flash Failure |
|
| 2 | 1 | CPU Failure |
|
| 2 | 2 | System Board: BIOS, ROM Failure |
|
| 2 | 3 | No Memory or RAM detected |
|
| 2 | 4 | Memory or RAM failure |
|
| 2 | 5 | Invalid Memory Installed |
|
| 2 | 6 | System board, Chipset Error |
|
| 3 | 1 | CMOS battery failure |
|
| 3 | 2 | PCI or Video card/chip failure |
|
| 3 | 3 | BIOS Recovery 1 |
|
| 3 | 4 | BIOS Recovery 2 |
|
| 3 | 5 | Power Rail Failure |
|
| 3 | 6 | Paid SPI Volume Error |
|
| 3 | 7 | ME error |
|
| 4 | 2 | CPU Power cable connection issue |
|
Diagnostic LEDs for the Inspiron Desktop series (2015 to 2019)
With Tower and All in One (AIO) systems that are being sold and supported, the flashing power LED matches the standard beep code. The PLED is generally white.
Note: Click the title of the section you want to open below, in order to see the contents.
| Power Button LED | Status | Power State | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Off | S4 or S5 | Power is Off. LED is blank. |
 |
Blinking Amber | - | Initial State of LED at power up. Refer to the table below for Blinking Amber pattern diagnostic suggestions and possible failures. |
 |
Solid Amber | - | The second state of the LED at power up indicates that the POWER_GOOD signal is active and it is likely that the power supply is fine. |
 |
Blinking White | S1 or S3 | System is in a low power state, either S1 or S3. This does not indicate a fault condition. |
 |
Solid White | S0 | System is in S0 state. This is the normal power states of a functioning machine. The BIOS turns the LED to this state to indicate it has started fetching op-codes. |
Inspiron 660s, 3252s to 3655s and 20 to 27 AIOs
| Diagnostic Beep Codes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| LED Status | Beep Code | Cause | Suggested Resolution |
 |
1 | BIOS ROM Checksum in progress or failure | Contact Technical Support |
 |
2 | No Memory Modules detected | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots |
 |
3 | Chipset Error
Time-of-day clock test failure Gate A20 Failure Super I/O chip Failure Keyboard controller test failure |
Contact Technical Support |
 |
4 | RAM read/write error | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots |
 |
5 | Real Time Clock Failure | Replace the CMOS Battery, Contact Technical Support if the problem persists |
 |
6 | Video BIOS test Failure | Run the Dell Diagnostics |
 |
7 | CPU Cache Test Failure | Contact Technical Support |
Diagnostic LEDs for the Inspiron Desktop series (2008 to 2015)
This series used power button LED states and beep codes. The PLED is generally white.
Note: Click the title of the section you want to open below, in order to see the contents.
| LED Status | System State | Suggested Next Step | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off |  |
The computer is either turned off or is not receiving power | Troubleshoot a No Power issue |
| Blinking Amber |  |
The computer is receiving power, a device might be faulty or incorrectly installed | Troubleshoot a No POST issue |
| Solid Amber |  |
The computer is in standby | Press a key on the keyboard, move the mouse, or press the power button to resume normal operation. If the problem persists, listen for a beep code |
| Solid White |  |
The computer is on and working ok | If the computer is not responding, troubleshoot a No Boot/No Video issue |
Inspiron 535s to 710s, and One 19s to One (2310)'s
| Diagnostic Beep Codes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Beep Code | Cause | Suggested Resolution |
| 1 | BIOS ROM Checksum in progress or failure | Contact Technical Support |
| 2 | No Memory Modules detected | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots |
| 3 | Chipset Error
Time-of-day clock test failure Gate A20 Failure Super I/O chip Failure Keyboard controller test failure |
Contact Technical Support |
| 4 | RAM read/write error | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots |
| 5 | Real Time Clock Failure | Replace the CMOS Battery, Contact Technical Support if the problem persists |
| 6 | Video BIOS test Failure | Run the Dell Diagnostics |
| 7 | CPU Cache Test Failure | Contact Technical Support |
Diagnostic LEDs for the Inspiron Desktop series (Prior to 2008)
This series used power button LED states and beep codes on Towers and All in One (AIO) systems. The PLED is generally blue.
Note: Click the title of the section you want to open below, in order to see the contents.
| LED Status | System State | Suggested Next Step | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off |  |
The computer is either turned off or is not receiving power | Troubleshoot a No Power issue |
| Blinking Amber |  |
The computer is receiving power, a device might be faulty or incorrectly installed | Troubleshoot a No POST issue |
| Solid Amber |  |
The computer is in a fault condition including the power supply | Troubleshoot a No POST issue |
| Blinking Blue |  |
The computer is in Standby | Press a key on the keyboard, move the mouse, or press the power button to resume normal operation. If the problem persists, listen for a beep code |
| Solid Blue |  |
The computer is on and working ok | If the computer is not responding, troubleshoot a No Boot/No Video issue |
Inspiron 518s, to 530s
| Diagnostic Beep Codes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Beep Code | Cause | Suggested Resolution |
| 1 | BIOS ROM Checksum in progress or failure | Contact Technical Support |
| 2 | No Memory Modules detected | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots |
| 3 | Chipset Error
Time-of-day clock test failure Gate A20 Failure Super I/O chip Failure Keyboard controller test failure |
Contact Technical Support |
| 4 | RAM read/write error | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots |
| 5 | Real Time Clock Failure | Replace the CMOS Battery, Contact Technical Support if the problem persists |
| 6 | Video BIOS test Failure | Run the Dell Diagnostics |
| 7 | CPU Cache Test Failure | Contact Technical Support |
Inspiron Desktop audible Beep codes
In addition to the various types of diagnostics LEDs, there are several audible beep codes across the models of these systems.
These codes are recognized across manufacturers and have remained the same for some time.
The key to these codes is displayed in the table below.
Note: Click the title of the section you want to open below, in order to see the contents.
| Diagnostic Beep Codes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Code | Cause | Suggested Resolution |
| 1 | BIOS ROM Checksum in progress or failure | Contact Technical Support |
| 2 | No Memory Modules detected | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots |
| 3 | Chipset Error
Time-of-day clock test failure Gate A20 Failure Super I/O chip Failure Keyboard controller test failure |
Contact Technical Support |
| 4 | RAM read/write error | Troubleshoot the Memory and Memory Slots |
| 5 | Real Time Clock Failure | Replace the CMOS Battery, Contact Technical Support if problem persists |
| 6 | Video BIOS test Failure | Run the Dell Diagnostics |
| 7 | CPU Cache Test Failure | Contact Technical Support |
Glossary of Acronyms:
Refer to the table for definitions of the acronyms within this article.
| Acronym | Definition |
|---|---|
| BIOS | Basic Input/Output System |
| CFG | Resource Configuration |
| CPU | Central Processing Unit |
| DIMM | Dual In-line Memory Module |
| DMA | Direct Memory Access |
| EC | Embedded Controller |
| HECI | Host Embedded Controller Interface |
| LCD | Liquid Crystal Display |
| LED | Light Emitting Diode |
| MBF | Motherboard Failure |
| MBIST | Memory Built-in Self Test |
| ME | Management Engine |
| MEM | Memory |
| NVRAM | Non-Volatile Random Access Memory |
| PCI | Peripheral Component Interconnect |
| POV | Post-video Activity |
| PRV | Pre-video Activity |
| PSU | Power Supply Unit |
| RAM | Random Access Memory |
| RCM | Recovery Mode |
| ROM | Read Only Memory |
| RTC | Real Time Clock |
| S0 | System Power State S0 – This is the Working State, where your Windows PC is awake. |
| S1 | System Power State S1 – In this sleep state, the CPU is stopped, and your computer is in standby mode. |
| S2 | System Power State S2 – This state is similar to S1 except that the CPU and system cache are lost because the processor loses power. |
| S3 | System Power State S3 – In this state, data is saved to RAM, hard drives, and other hardware are shut down. |
| S4 | System Power State S4 – In this state, RAM and other data are saved to the hard disk. |
| S5 | System Power State S5 - The System is off. |
| SBIOS | Small Board Interface Operating System |
| SPI | Serial Peripheral Interface |
| STD | Boot Hand Off |
| STO | Storage Device |
| TPM | Trusted Platform Module |
| USB | Universal Serial Bus |
| VID | Video |
Note:
If you are seeing a recognizable code, please follow the instructions. If you have to contact your local support - please make sure, you have the code information to hand. The technician needs this information to help you further.
If you are seeing an unrecognizable code, one that is not listed above - then please get in touch with your local support straight away.
If you are seeing a recognizable code, please follow the instructions. If you have to contact your local support - please make sure, you have the code information to hand. The technician needs this information to help you further.
If you are seeing an unrecognizable code, one that is not listed above - then please get in touch with your local support straight away.
If you require further assistance, please contact Dell Technical Support.
Additional Information
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