DMA initialization failure - Dell Dimension 4700 PC Desktop

With the machine unplugged from the wall remove the battery from the motherboard. Then with the machine still unplugged press the On button for 30 seconds to dissipate any remaining electrical charge on the motherboard. Then re-install the battery, plug the machine back into the wall and see if it will boot normally.

James,
It sounds like the refresh rate is set to high. Since you do not mention what OS is installed I have listed information on how to change in Windows,XP.
Start the computer and press the F8 key. Choose Safe Mode. Once the system gets into Windows follow the steps below and then restart the computer. If this does not resolve your issue email me at my email address below and include your OS information.

How to Change the Screen Refresh Rate of Your Monitor

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Appearance and Themes, and then click Display.
   
   Alternatively, right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Settings tab, and then click Advanced.
3. Click the Monitor tab, and then click the screen refresh rate that you want to use.

NOTE:

• The default refresh rate setting is 60 Hertz (HZ); however, your monitor may support a higher setting. Check your manufacturer's documentation for information about the settings that your monitor supports.
• If you use a higher refresh rate, you can reduce the rate that your screen flickers; however, if you specify a refresh rate that is too high for your monitor, your screen may become unusable and your hardware may be damaged.
• Changes to the refresh rate affect all users that log on to the computer.

Or your system is giving off a beep code in which case the beeps come in a 3 beep sequence. Below is the beep codes and what each represents.Beep Codes

Troubleshooting steps and more information about the OptiPlex 320 beep codes Beep Codes Code Cause 1-1-2 Microprocessor register failure 1-1-3 NVRAM 1-1-4 ROM BIOS checksum failure 1-2-1 Programmable interval timer 1-2-2 DMA initialization failure 1-2-3 DMA page register read/write failure 1-3-1 through 2-4-4 DIMMs not being properly identified or used 3-1-1 Slave DMA register failure 3-1-2 Master DMA register failure 3-1-3 Master interrupt mask register failure 3-1-4 Slave interrupt mask register failure 3-2-2 Interrupt vector loading failure 3-2-4 Keyboard Controller Test failure 3-3-1 NVRAM power loss 3-3-2 NVRAM configuration 3-3-4 Video Memory Test failure 3-4-1 Screen initialization failure 3-4-2 Screen retrace failure 3-4-3 Search for video ROM failure 4-2-1 No time tick 4-2-2 Shutdown failure 4-2-3 Gate A20 failure 4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in protected mode 4-3-1 Memory failure above address 0FFFFh 4-3-3 Timer-chip counter 2 failure 4-3-4 Time-of-day clock stopped 4-4-1 Serial or parallel port test failure 4-4-2 Failure to decompress code to shadowed memory 4-4-3 Math coprocessor test failure 4-4-4 Cache test failure
Thank You,
Dell-Jesse L
Dell Social Media and Communities
email [email protected]

Dell beep codes:

If your computer beeps during start-up:
Run Dell Diagnostics to identify a more serious cause.

Beep Codes Your computer might emit a series of beeps during start-up if the monitor cannot display errors or problems. This series of beeps, called a beep code, identifies a problem. One possible beep code (code 1-3-1) consists of one beep, a burst of three beeps, and then one beep. This beep code tells you that the computer encountered a memory problem.
If your computer beeps during start-up:
Dell Diagnostics to identify a more serious cause.

Contact Dell for technical assistance.




Code Cause 1-1-2 Microprocessor register failure 1-1-3 NVRAM read/write failure 1-1-4 ROM BIOS checksum failure 1-2-1 Programmable interval timer failure 1-2-2 DMA initialization failure 1-2-3 DMA page register read/write failure 1-3 Video Memory test failure 1-3-1 through 2-4-4 Memory not being properly identified or used 3-1-1 Slave DMA register failure 3-1-2 Master DMA register failure 3-1-3 Master interrupt mask register failure 3-1-4 Slave interrupt mask register failure 3-2-2 Interrupt vector loading failure 3-2-4 Keyboard Controller test failure 3-3-1 NVRAM power loss 3-3-2 Invalid NVRAM configuration 3-3-4 Video Memory test failure 3-4-1 Screen initialization failure 3-4-2 Screen retrace failure 3-4-3 Search for video ROM failure 4-2-1 No timer tick 4-2-2 Shutdown failure 4-2-3 Gate A20 failure 4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in protected mode 4-3-1 Memory failure above address 0FFFFh 4-3-3 Timer-chip counter 2 failure 4-3-4 Time-of-day clock stopped 4-4-1 Serial or parallel port test failure 4-4-2 Failure to decompress code to shadowed memory 4-4-3 Math-coprocessor test failure 4-4-4 Cache test failure

do you know which bios your computer is running ?

AMI BIOS beep codes 1 beep - DRAM refresh failure
2 beeps - Parity Circuit Failure
3 beeps - Base 64K RAM failure
4 beeps - System Timer Failure
5 beeps - Processor Failure
6 beeps - Keyboard Controller / Gate A20 Failure
7 beeps - Virtual Mode Exception Error
8 beeps - Display Memory Read/Write Failure
9 beeps - ROM BIOS Checksum Failure
10 beeps - CMOS Shutdown Register Read/Write Error

Phoenix BIOS BEEP codes. 1-1-3 CMOS write/read failure.
1-1-4 BIOS ROM checksum error.
1-2-1 System timer failure. (Programmable Interval Timer PIT)
1-2-2 DMA (direct Memory Access) failure.
1-2-3 DMA page register failure.
1-3-1 RAM refresh failure.
1-3-3 64K RAM chip or data line failure.
1-3-4 64K RAM odd/even logic failure.
1-4-1 64K RAM address line failure.
1-4-2 64K RAM parity error.
2-?-? Any beep series starting with 2 beeps indicates a 64K RAM chip or data line error.
3-1-1 Master DMA register test.
3-1-2 Mslave DMA register failure.
3-1-3 Master interrupt mask register failure.
3-1-4 Slave interrupt mask register failure.
3-2-4 Keyboard controller failure.
3-3-4 Screen (video) memory failure.
3-4-1 Screen initialization failure.
3-4-2 Screen retrace failure.
4-2-1 Timer tick interrupt test failure.
4-2-2 Shutdown test failure.
4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in protected mode.
4-3-1 RAM test failure above address 0FFFFh (64K +)
4-3-3 Interval timer channel 2 test failure.
4-3-4 Time of day clock failure.
4-4-1 Serial port test failure.
4-4-2 Parallel port test failure.
4-4-3 Math Co-processor failure.
BEEP codes may vary dependent upon the revision of BIOS. This list is for reference only

hope this helps

Dell Beep codes

Code

Cause
1-1-2
Microprocessor register failure
1-1-3
NVRAM read/write failure
1-1-4
ROM BIOS checksum failure
1-2-1
Programmable interval timer failure
1-2-2
DMA initialization failure
1-2-3
DMA page register read/write failure
1-3
Video Memory Test failure
1-3-1 through 2-4-4
Memory not being properly identified or used
3-1-1
Slave DMA register failure
3-1-2
Master DMA register failure
3-1-3
Master interrupt mask register failure
3-1-4
Slave interrupt mask register failure
3-2-2
Interrupt vector loading failure
3-2-4
Keyboard Controller Test failure
3-3-1
NVRAM power loss
3-3-2
Invalid NVRAM configuration
3-3-4
Video Memory Test failure
3-4-1
Screen initialization failure
3-4-2
Screen retrace failure
3-4-3
Search for video ROM failure
4-2-1
No timer tick
4-2-2
Shutdown failure
4-2-3
Gate A20 failure
4-2-4
Unexpected interrupt in protected mode
4-3-1
Memory failure above address 0FFFFh
4-3-3
Timer-chip counter 2 failure
4-3-4
Time-of-day clock stopped
4-4-1
Serial or parallel port test failure
4-4-2
Failure to decompress code to shadowed memory
4-4-3
Math-coprocessor test failure
4-4-4
Cache test failure

how many beeps you have?if three short beeps its you RAM failure..try to reinsert you RAM or replaced it a new RAM..if theres a long beep..its your video card..

here are the beep codes for your exact dell model. this should give you a starting point on finding out what the problem is.

Beep Codes Your computer might emit a series of beeps during start-up if the monitor cannot display errors or problems. This series of beeps, called a beep code, identifies a problem. One possible beep code (code 1-3-1) consists of one beep, a burst of three beeps, and then one beep. This beep code tells you that the computer encountered a memory problem.
Reseating the memory modules may fix the beep code errors in the following table. If the problem persists, see "Contacting Dell" in your Owner's Manual for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
Code
Cause
1-3-1 through 2-4-4
Memory not being properly identified or used
4-3-1
Memory failure above address 0FFFFh

If you hear one of the following beep codes, see "Contacting Dell" in your Owner's Manual for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
Code
Cause
1-1-2
Microprocessor register failure
1-1-3
NVRAM
1-1-4
ROM BIOS checksum failure
1-2-1
Programmable interval timer
1-2-2
DMA initialization failure
1-2-3
DMA page register read/write failure
3-1-1
Slave DMA register failure
3-1-2
Master DMA register failure
3-1-3
Master interrupt mask register failure
3-1-4
Slave interrupt mask register failure
3-2-2
Interrupt vector loading failure
3-2-4
Keyboard Controller Test failure
3-3-1
NVRAM power loss
3-3-2
NVRAM configuration
3-3-4
Video Memory Test failure
3-4-1
Screen initialization failure
3-4-2
Screen retrace failure
3-4-3
Search for video ROM failure
4-2-1
No time tick
4-2-2
Shutdown failure
4-2-3
Gate A20 failure
4-2-4
Unexpected interrupt in protected mode
4-3-3
Timer-chip counter 2 failure
4-3-4
Time-of-day clock stopped
4-4-1
Serial or parallel port test failure
4-4-4
Cache test failure

This is called a beep code. It is used for troubleshooting when you are unable to boot your computer. Here is a listing of the Dell beep codes, depending on the sequence of beeps that you are hearing, you will find the problem listed here. How many beeps are you getting and what model of Dell do you have?
1-1-2 Processor Register Failure 1-1-3 NVRam 1-1-4 ROM Bios checksum failure 1-2-1 Programmable Interval Timer 1-2-2 DMA Initialization Failure 1-2-3 Direct Memory Access Page Register Read/Write Failure 1-3-1 - 2-4-4 Memory/RAM Not Properly Identified or Used 3-1-1 Slave DMA Registration Failure 3-1-2 Master DMA Registration Failure 3-1-3 Master Interrupt Mask Registration Failure 3-1-4 Slave Interrupt Mask Registration Failure 3-2-2 Interrupted Vector Loading Failure 3-2-4 Keyboard Controller (Input) Test Failure 3-3-1 NVRam Insufficient Power 3-3-2 Improperly configured NVRam 3-3-4 Video Memory(RAM) Test Failure 3-4-1 Screen Output Initialization Failure 3-4-2 Screen Retrace Failure 3-4-3 Failure Finding Video Read Only Memory 4-2-1 Lack of Time Tick 4-2-2 Shutdown Failure 4-2-3 Failure in Gate A20 4-2-4 Unexpected Interruption in Protect Mode 4-3-1 Memory Address Failure above 0FFFFH 4-3-4 Non Functioning Time Of Day Clock 4-4-1 Serial And/Or Parallel Port Test Failure 4-4-4 Cache Test Failure

http://www.bioscentral.com/postcodes/dellbios.htm 1-1-2 Processor Register Failure 1-1-3 NVRam 1-1-4 ROM Bios checksum failure 1-2-1 Programmable Interval Timer 1-2-2 DMA Initialization Failure 1-2-3 Direct Memory Access Page Register Read/Write Failure 1-3-1 - 2-4-4 Memory/RAM Not Properly Identified or Used 3-1-1 Slave DMA Registration Failure 3-1-2 Master DMA Registration Failure 3-1-3 Master Interrupt Mask Registration Failure 3-1-4 Slave Interrupt Mask Registration Failure 3-2-2 Interrupted Vector Loading Failure 3-2-4 Keyboard Controller (Input) Test Failure 3-3-1 NVRam Insufficient Power 3-3-2 Improperly configured NVRam 3-3-4 Video Memory(RAM) Test Failure 3-4-1 Screen Output Initialization Failure 3-4-2 Screen Retrace Failure 3-4-3 Failure Finding Video Read Only Memory 4-2-1 Lack of Time Tick 4-2-2 Shutdown Failure 4-2-3 Failure in Gate A20 4-2-4 Unexpected Interruption in Protect Mode 4-3-1 Memory Address Failure above 0FFFFH 4-3-4 Non Functioning Time Of Day Clock 4-4-1 Serial And/Or Parallel Port Test Failure 4-4-4 Cache Test Failure

Try holding Fn + End with battery and power cord out and while still pressing Fn + End plug only power cable back in and try to power on.

If your computer beeps during start-up:

1. Write down the beep code

Code
Cause
1-1-2
Microprocessor register failure
1-1-3
NVRAM read/write failure
1-1-4
ROM BIOS checksum failure
1-2-1
Programmable interval timer failure
1-2-2
DMA initialization failure
1-2-3
DMA page register read/write failure
1-3
Video Memory test failure
1-3-1 through 2-4-4
Memory not being properly identified or used
3-1-1
Slave DMA register failure
3-1-2
Master DMA register failure
3-1-3
Master interrupt mask register failure
3-1-4
Slave interrupt mask register failure
3-2-2
Interrupt vector loading failure
3-2-4
Keyboard Controller test failure
3-3-1
NVRAM power loss
3-3-2
Invalid NVRAM configuration
3-3-4
Video Memory test failure
3-4-1
Screen initialization failure
3-4-2
Screen retrace failure
3-4-3
Search for video ROM failure
4-2-1
No timer tick
4-2-2
Shutdown failure
4-2-3
Gate A20 failure
4-2-4
Unexpected interrupt in protected mode
4-3-1
Memory failure above address 0FFFFh
4-3-3
Timer-chip counter 2 failure
4-3-4
Time-of-day clock stopped
4-4-1
Serial or parallel port test failure
4-4-2
Failure to decompress code to shadowed memory
4-4-3
Math-coprocessor test failure
4-4-4
Cache test failure