20 Most Recent Dell OptiPlex GX280 PC Desktop - Page 8 Questions & Answers

Normally a solid amber light indicates there has been some type of hardware failure. Possibly power supply, possibly motherboard.


Here is a link with a few things you can try.

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/17145803.aspx

This is a response I gave to someone else with a similar issue.

May be serious. See if the power light goes amber after power up. I had (have - still siting in my basement - gx280 minitower) one that did same. Power up, fans sound like 747 taking off. Power light goes amber. This is USUALLY caused by bad capacitors on the mother board. Known GX280 problem going back. If you look on the motherboard, the capacitors should have flat tops and not leaking. If the are rounded or leaking, the MB has probably gone bad.

I obviously can not be 100% sure about this as the unit is not here.

You can google this and see the issues. Here is one such link.

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/19253544/19414291.aspx

May be serious. See if the power light goes amber after power up. I had (have - still siting in my basement) one that did same. Power up, fans sound like 747 taking off. Power light goes amber. This is USUALLY caused by bad capacitors on the mother board. Known GX280 problem going back. If you look on the motherboard, the capacitors should have flat tops and not leaking. If the are rounded or leaking, the MB has probably gone bad.

I obviously can not be 100% sure about this as the unit is not here.

You can google this and see the issues. Here is one such link.

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/19253544/19414291.aspx

You will need to get a special Power Supply for it, please see link below.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,23945,25345,25646,26761,26849,26869,27126,27404,27405,27520,27583,27601,27613&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=gx280+power+supply&cp=7&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=332975410078273930&ei=-i_hTMuqJqGKnAer_ZzXDw&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CDAQ8wIwAA#

From the info you supplied...

Boot (power off/on) and go into the BIOS (Usually hit F2 as it powers on and the white bar goes across the bottom for self test).
F2 will probably be listed as an option along the top (right). You only have a limited time to hit the key.

One of the menus should show what devices are connected (CD, hard drives). Make sure the system sees you're hard drive and CD-DVD. If the CD/DVD is not listed anywhere I would guess it is not installed correctly. I am not sure if the 620 will support an external USB C/DVD. This is another option and again, boot order would have to be changed.

Another menu has boot order. Make sure CD/DVD is at top of the list since you stated the drive is blank. I would make sure hard drive is second in the list. Save/Exit BIOS

Be CAREFUL MAKING any CHANGES to the BIOS.

The chip set heat sink is not properly installed on the system board.
Ensure that chip set heat sink is properly installed on the system board.
To locate the system-board chip set heat sink, see "System Board Components."

Start the pc with your rescue disc as there is a boot file error. When you get it started, in safe mode, run CHKDSK/F to find the error and attempt to fix it.

Go to support.dell.com, enter in your system's service tag- the driver you are looking for is both the chipset and intel graphics driver I’m happy to help further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/susan_42b401e0b1603d8a

You need to elaborate the issue a bit.
what exactly went wrong with the computer.
When was the last time the computer was working fine
did you installed anything in the computer after which it went into blue screen
Is it a blank blue screen or is there any writing on it.
If there is any writing on it then what is it
Is there any error code mentioned on the blue screen

Drivers are here:
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&os=WLH&osl=en&SystemID=PLX_GX280&catid=-1&impid=-1
multimedia normally indicates audio or modem driver

The Bios? if so take the bios battery out. If you mean log in the you need a password hack program/recovery program from Snapfiles.com they have some just for that

check that all your plugs are in the correct sockets 4 or 5 beeps indicates startup hardware error usually the keyboard. hope that helps. let me kmow how you go.

You can download the drivers from Dell WEB site, thesupport download page. Make sure you select your model desktop or laptop,better still, type in the Service Tag number, it is printed on the label on thebottom of the laptop and on the back or sides of a desktop. (If the Service Taglabel is missing then go into the BIOS setting and on one of the BIOS pages,the Service Tag number will be displayed). This will open the page where thespecific drivers for your model computer are located. Also make sure you selectthe Windows XP or Vista version of the drivers for your Windows operatingsystem. Click on this link to download the drivers: - http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen

driver is here
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh&releaseid=R105155&SystemID=PLX_GX280&servicetag=&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=2430&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=2&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=0&libid=3&typeid=-1&dateid=-1&formatid=-1&source=-1&fileid=135650

Just try another keyboard...for to be sure that it is not a physical damage ...cause from what you say ..it seams to be interruptions in contact between the keyboard and the pc ...The only reason for a keyboard to stop working ..is if you unplug it when it is on ...and use the p c..without ....
or ..if it makes the same with another keyboard...then it is a virus that attacks the driver for it ..and force it to recognize it again on reboot...Reinstalling the operation system should fix this ..or ...use a recovery cd ..if you have one with OS included..or a recovery partition ..
in short ..make sure they keyboard is functional ..by using another one ..or take it to another pc..
second ..check the cable ..and the plug ..
reinstall the driver if it is a wireless one and it has a driver..
and as a past resort ..reinstall the operating system ...if ths will not fix it ..it measn it is time to change it ..

use this link for downloading a good recovery application:

www.pctools.com/file-recover/download/

try this link it is the support page for your particular problem , if you choose not to backup all your current files and stuff just scroll down to Step 3 highlighted in blue . there you will find detailed instructions on how to go about the restore process .

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&docid=DSN_3E48AE3870775D64E040A68F5B2877D4&isLegacy=true

A USB wireless adapter assuming you have a wireless network available to connect the system. Adapters are generally around $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&IsNodeId=1&Description=wireless%20adapter%20usb%20n&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20

i don't think that there is any way to reroute the inputs to outputs.

The safest way to do this is to reload the operating system. I know that's not what you'd prefer to hear, but that's how it is. The one thing Windows has done very well since XP was make sure the passwords are strongly encrypted.

There are utilities out there on the Internet that say they can "recover" your password for you, but there are also a large number of dissatisfied user posts as to how the utilities messed up their BIOS, etc. I personally feel it isn't worth it.

If you have information on the drive that you want to keep, you can remove the hard drive and have someone plug it into their computer as a slave drive, and copy off the files to a flash drive, etc., then replace it into your machine and reload Windows. You'll also have to reload any applications you installed since you purchased the machine.

Hope that's helpful.