Dell OptiPlex 160L (160LMIN) PC Desktop - Answered Questions & Fixed issues

It's a matter of finding a compatible video card for your machine. In all likelihood, your machine will accept a PCI Express video card. Choose what size you'd like, (unless you're a serious gamer who requires a lot of vid memory, a 256MB or 512MB card will do). Then remove and unplug cables from your Desktop and pull out the tower. Remove the cowl and blank so you can add your card to the appropriate slot. Once the card is installed, plug everything back in and turn the machine on. Since it's Plug n Play, your machine will automatically identify the new hardware. At this point, uninstall your previous video hardware in the Hardware Manager and install the new card either by downloading the driver online of if provided, use the disk that should have come with the new card.

See http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/op160l/en/ug/smtabout.htm#1189371 which is the Dell Optiplex 160L User Guide and shows the internal layout of this computer with instructions for removing expansion cards.

check to motherboard fro a jumper labeled pswrst/pasrst or turn off teove cmos battery restart shutdown reinsert battery and start that should blankit out

Go into your BIOS and change the boot order so that it boots from the CD drive first

Since you can't upgrade memory on a video card especially if its built on to the motherboard your best bet is to purchase a new PCI video with the proper amount of memory you need and install into your dell PC. you may have to go into the BIOS and disable the on board video card and tell the system to use the new one. Just make sure the new card you purchase has drivers for whatever operating system you are running.

There must be a tiny hole in front of the CD-ROM for malfunctions like this. If you press with a needle in that hole you can open the CD manually.

this woudl depend on the motherboard but yes most do. look for a silk screen mark on the board marking USB1 or USB2. look at the yellow connectors on this pic for an idea of what to look for

http://www.asusreviews.com/forum/images/assets/fried%20motherboard.jpg

they can be found usually on the bottom front of the board when the board is verticle

Sometimes the USB connectors at the front of the PC are not attached. If someone can open the PC for you and see if there are wires inside running to those connectors that would be handy.

HDD Controllers are IDE
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/op160l/en/ug/specs.htm#1135527

THIS LINK is what I believe you're looking for.

Listen to the pattern of beeps, or look at the back of the computer to see the pattern of the diagnostic lights ( 4 lights just under the keyboard/mouse connectors) and check out this site to see what they mean:
Beep Code Meanings
Diagnostic Light Meanings

Hi 
Driver link as below. (you may need to register with this site to be allowed to download).
http://download.driverguide.com/driver/bcm4401kql/Broadcom/d655157.html

cheers

Here is the download page, you need to select model and OS: Driver & Download

that's not surprising..many of the drivers for 98 went unsupported when MSoft dropped it's own support for that platform.

time to migrate folks.

Larry provides great information. Larry Ng Apr 30, 2022 good news the not told at all PC screen is not dead. a major fact but lacks all evidence like: 1, No PC told no OS told xp to w11 2: fans spin? all do, psu ,cpu and gpu card if fan. 3: Optiplex is a desktop 29 years of models made wow. 4: you mean Dell Splash logo. yes, and then it does the post bar, if post bar stalls that means hardware gross errors. sadly no PC model told of vast versions. wow. just wow hopeless that.? but is par here, and vast wrong answers just for that fact alone.even mine. i have many optiplex PC here old and new and my fav is 9020MT or smaller my oldest is 380(in storage) is your coin cell dead. (if yes can NOT be ignored) my dells all have F12 diagnostics, power on and hammer F12,, pick diag eSPA and run it older PCs dell if the HDD is dead the F12 diag is dead. due to being located there back long ago. my dells have a BIOS log page, go to BIOS the click tab, LOG read the logs. see what fails. (coin cell RTC sure)_ easy no?\ but why on earth post lacking the model number making any useful simple help 10 pages long for 29years of models. 1993 is the first OptiPlex, seen here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_OptiP... nobody can guess and no era is the same. evolution max. ..

What is the exact error that you are getting? Do you get any blue screens? Have you installed any software recently or made any changes? I can only suggest checking the power cables and trying to use a different cable or spare if you have any for now.

Sounds like your on Google Chrome, this has started popping up since the last update and only on secure webpages at random, try running Windows Update and make sure it's up to date, it check the root certificates which should come with the windows updates.

Please see picture below

ok 960 SFF is not the same as MT or the big case MOBO.SFF has its own mobo (motherboards)it has 11x2 row non ATX spec, power . not yours as it has 12x2 some SFF have 2 diffr. moboand a dell custom PSU for just this mobo and its odd duck jack. (called PICO plug)why not buy a new PSU? that matches this PC?even the SFF PSU case is not ATX spec.https://downloads.dell.com/manuals/all-products/esuprt_desktop/esuprt_optiplex_desktop/optiplex-960_service%20manual_en-us.pdf