Dell GX260 Have a Dell GX260 (provided years ago by my company)which struggles booting up each time it's turned off. There is an orange light that blinks in the middle of the power button...to which I'm wondering if this signals something is wrong. I have been told that I may need to replace the power supply. If anyone knows what the potential problem may be, let me know. Thanks!

Blinking amber usually means power supply or memory if you changed the power supply I would change the memory

Very carefully disconnect every wire plug and attachment to motherboard. When bad component is found, light will turn green.

Do you mean the monitor's power light starts green and then turns orange when you turn it on? Most monitors will go to a power saving mode when they do not get a signal from the computer.

The Dell GX260 has a green power light when on. When the computer is off, the light is off. If it is green and blinking, then the computer is in a power saving mode.

Diagnosis: start with the obvious: is the monitor cable plugged into both the computer and the monitor (if not permanently connected to the monitor)? Are you connected to the active port? (You can add a video graphics card in most desktops. The motherboard video port usually needs to be disabled to use the card ports. If you plug in the monitor cable to the disabled port, it won't work.) Is the monitor set to the correct input? (This applies if the monitor has several ports. In that case, there will be a Source or Input button on the monitor.) Is the computer on? The GX260 has the power button on the front. (Other computers have the power button on the top.) There is also the power supply switch on the back which needs to be on.

Next try a different data cable between the monitor and the computer (if you can). Try a different monitor. If a second monitor works, than the monitor has a damaged main board. If the second monitor doesn't work, then the video graphics adapter has probably failed. Replace the add-on card, if in use, then boot in the safe mode to remove the old graphics driver. Then install the correct driver for the graphics adapter.

Note: the computer and the monitor should both be off when you connect the cables. Then turn on the monitor first and set it to the correct source before turning on the computer.)

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

Does anything show up on the screen when you access your BIOS?
Have you tried a fresh install?
Are there two video adapters installed (one integrated and the other in the AGP slot?

Gx260-Gx280 have a known issue with the motherboard capaciators. Take a look at the capaciators on the motherboard and check if any look like they have bludges at the top particularly around the memory banks. If any of them look like this the motherboard most likely needs to be replaced.

That is a memory failure 1 or more sticks of memory are malfunctioning, here is a link with all the information about the diagnostic lights as well as a beep code list

http://www.austincc.edu/cloud/manuals/Dell/GX260/solvprob.htm#1167139

Open up the case and remove any add in cards and memory modules. Try to start up by adding these back one at a time until the unit stops booting normally. The light combination is not one recognised in the user manual so I am guessing you have a non-descript fault with one of your components. Be careful when you open the case as to not disturb the ribbon to the motherboard which controls the power, I have had a very long experience trying to get one of these reconnected!

i think that your ram may have broken. ram is the stuff which is commonlyknown as memory and makes everything run. i had the same problem with mine and replaced the ram. it then worked fine.
should work
matt

I had the same issue and accidentally discovered a temporary solution. Unplug the power from the back of the machine, open the case and unplug the ATX power connection from the motherboard. With the ATX cable unplugged, plug the power cord back in. When you try to turn the computer back on the power light should turn orange and fans should be spinning, with it powered on plug the ATX connector back in. That should turn the computer off. Turn it back on and it should boot fine. You can even shutdown and restart, but when the power is unplugged you will have to go thru the same process to get it back up. This sounds crazy but it worked on mine. Good Luck!

Potential Problems : 1. RAM loose in the slot. Take it out, clean the contacts and reinstall 2. CMOS Battery ( Most probably Battery number is CR 2032 ), just replace it by a new one. 3. Faulty SMPS : Change / get it repaired. Good Luck, Rajesh