 Attendee’s will be able to accurately identify the

differences between no power, no post and no

video
 Attendee’s will be able to identify the stage in
which the post process has stalled by using both
the front and rear panel diagnostic leds
 Attendee’s will be able to identify and
troubleshoot no power, pre post, post and boot
issues
Currently No Fault Found On motherboard is running at:

50%
Of a random sample of 35 Calls booked with Motherboards for
No Post No Boot with Motherboard fixing the Problem?

1
 Definitions & Back Ground - 8 series chipset
 Before You Start - Checklist
 Monitor Led’s
 The 4 Stages
1. No Power
2. Pre Post
3. Post
4. Boot
 Job aid / Matrix
 Online Tools
 Recap
 Processor
(1.6->2.2GHz
L2 Cache:256KB,
VRM
512KB)
Front Side Bus = 400MHz
(100MHz quad pumped)

845 Chipset
4X
AGP
(32-bit/66MHz) PC133MHz SDRAM
MCH
(Northbridge)
PC133MHz SDRAM

PCI - 32bit/33MHz
AC97
4 USB Ports Audio
ICH-2
(Southbridge)

R is e r
IDE Primary

IDE Secondary

SMBus NIC
LPC (Low Pin PCI1 PCI2
Count) Super
Flash
I/O

Parallel/
Keyboard Mouse Floppy
Seial
 ICH

Available from the time

Power On Signal
the System is plugged in

Power Supply

5V_Aux NIC

3.3V
5V Wake On LAN
12V

Power
Only available Front Panel
Point
when System is ON
OFF
switched on

Ÿ The 5V_Aux Power line (also know as Flea Power) is a low current line that supplies power to parts
of the system once the power cord is plugged in
Ÿ It allows the system to be powered on from a "one touch" switch on the front of the system and to
support WUoL (Wake Up on LAN)
Ÿ WUoL allows a system that is "off" to be awakened by a signal sent over a network. Flea power
allows the NIC to stay alive listening for he wake up signal. This is why the NIC Leds continue to show
network activity even when the system is "off"
Ÿ Flea Power should be removed from the system (i.e. remove power cord) before any parts are
replaced in the system
 PWRGOOD from
on-board regulators Flash
Flea Power
CPU
System PWRGOOD
Control PWRGOOD
Panel Power
PS_ON PS_PWRGOOD
Button Power POST
ICH Processor
ON Supply CODE
OFF

PWRGOOD from
Power Point Voltage Regulator
Module (VRM)
 Power Up Pre-POST POST Boot

PWRGOOD from
on-board regulators Flash
Flea Power
CPU
System PWRGOOD
Control PWRGOOD
Panel Power
PS_ON PS_PWRGOOD
Button Power POST
ICH Processor
ON Supply CODE
OFF

PWRGOOD from
Power Point
Voltage Regulator Status: No PWRGOOD from the
Status: No Power Module (VRM) Power Supply
Power Led State = OFF Power Led State = Blinking Amber
Back Panel Leds = OFF Back Panel Leds = OFF
Possible Causes: Possible Causes:
Power Source Power Supply
Power Cord Voltage Selector Switch
Power Supply VRM
Control Panel System Board
Installed Components
 Power Up Pre-POST POST Boot

PWRGOOD from
on-board regulators
Flash
Flea Power
CPU
System PWRGOOD
PWRGOOD
Control
Panel Power
PS_ON PS_PWRGOOD
Button Power POST
ICH Processor
CODE
ON Supply
OFF

PWRGOOD from
Power Point
Voltage Regulator
Status: Pre-Post Failure
Module (VRM) Power Led State = Solid Amber
Back Panel Leds = OFF
Note: PWRGOOD is ACTIVE
Possible Causes:
Processor
VRM
System Board
Installed Components
 Power Up Pre-POST POST Boot

PWRGOOD from
on-board regulators Flash
Flea Power
CPU
System PWRGOOD
Control PWRGOOD
Panel Power
PS_ON PS_PWRGOOD
Button Power POST
ICH Processor
ON Supply CODE
OFF

PWRGOOD from
Power Point Voltage Regulator
Module (VRM)
Status: POST Failure
Power Led State = Solid Green
Back Panel Leds = Fail Code
Possible Causes:
Determine from Fail Code
 Power Up Pre-POST POST Boot

PWRGOOD from
on-board regulators
Flash
Flea Power
CPU
System PWRGOOD
PWRGOOD
Control
Panel Power
PS_ON PS_PWRGOOD
Button Power POST
ICH Processor
CODE
ON Supply
OFF

PWRGOOD from
Power Point
Voltage Regulator
Module (VRM)
Status: Power up OK
Power Led State = Solid Green
Back Panel Leds = GGGG
Post:
Power on self test is the initial process executed by the system bios. After the
system components are initialized and tested the bios transfers the control over
to the operating system on the bootable media
 Initialises the core chipset
 Initialises the cpu
 Initialises the keyboard
 Passes control to the os
 Check List

 Verify good power source / lead

 Any hard drive activity
 When this happen what has anything changed ie
hw added removed machine opened?
 Any leds power button or rear panel
 Is there any activity from the psu fan
 Monitor led’s state
 Monitor Leds

 Green No Display:
Power is good possible video card or cables also machine could be in a standby
state

 Amber No Display:
Check cables video card or motherboard also machine could be in standby state

 No Led No Display:
Verify with sub monitor and check power source begin troubleshooting system
Monitor leds are model specific and cannot be over generalised
Before a machine can complete the POST
process it must power on
Components Required for Power Up:
 Power Source
 Power Cord
 Power Supply
 System Board
 Control Panel ( only if ac recovery is not on in the bios )
 Power Up

Checking Flea power:

To check to see if the machine has has power without opening the chassis :

 Power button led

 Network card led’s if connected to a network on all optiplex machines

 On certain machines (Gx200 Gx300 Gx400 Dim8100 8200)

if the hdd led is on while the power button led is flashing amber PSU is good

 Checking Flea Power flea power is on ? – Hard Reset

Checking Flea Power:

If the customer is willing to open the machine:

• There will always be an led on the motherboard

• On all optiplex machines pre Gx150 there will also be a flea light
on the riser
Identifying Power Up Problems:
 Fan not spinning on Psu
 Led’s on the monitor
 Flashing Amber power button led
 No power button led
 No led on the board

Rear panel leds will not be activated a this stage of the power up process as cpu has not been
utilised
Power LED Back Panel Power Supply Flea Power Possible Cause
LED Fan LED
System not plugged in.
Unplugged from system board.
Wall or power strip outlet
OFF Power Cord
Power Supply
OFF -> OFF OFF Misaligned Bezel
Control Panel Failure
I/O Panel Failure
Amber Cable from I/O panel to
system board
System Board
Power Supply
Power LED Back Panel Power Supply Flea Power Possible Cause
LED Fan LED
Power Supply
Voltage Selector Switch
OFF Amber Voltage Regulator Module
Blinking Amber OFF System Board Shorted To
Ground
ON Amber A solid green Hard Drive or E-
Support LED on the Control
Panel may indicate a VRM
failure.
The focus at this point is to get the system / power supply to power on even if the system will
not P.O.S.T. or boot.
 Always verify power source / chord remove all extension leads cables etc
 Remove all peripherals connected to the external interfaces
 Verify proper alignment of the front bezel (especially Gx150 sfx)
 Check to see if psu spins
 Reseat psu connections Always reseat cables to and from control and I/o panel
 Disconnect all drives
 Strip machine down to basic components required for power up and add them back one at
a time any device could be pulling the psu down
 Swap out hardware where ever possible
Pre P.O.S.T. Failures:

The idea of a Pre-P.O.S.T. failure will probably be a new one to

many. This simply indicates that the system powered on but has
encountered a failure before it could process the P.O.S.T. code.
Essential Components – Any component required for the system to process data
at the most basic level. This includes the power supply, system board and
processor and VRM.

Non-Essential Components – Anything not required for the system to process data
at the most basic level. This includes the riser, any expansion card, memory
modules, drive data cables, drive power cables, audio and Molex cables,
processor fans, and / or system case fans.
Required Components
Pow er Up Pre-P.O .S.T. P.O .S.T. Boot

Power source
Power Cord
Power Supply Power Com ponents
Required
System Board VR M
Com ponents
Control Panel * Processor
I/O Panel *
Processor **

Front Panel O ff (Blank)

Solid Am ber
LED Code Am ber

Back Panel
O ff (Blank) *** Off (Blank)
LED Code
 Power LED Back Panel LED Beep Code Possible Cause
Processor
Solid Amber Blank None System Board
Installed Components
Troubleshooting Pre Post
 Remove all peripherals connected to external interfaces. This includes Keyboards mice
network cables parallel serial and usb devices
 Reseat Cpu and Vrm (if applicable)
 Remove all non essential components from the system board. This should include all
installed memory modules drives and risers and expansion
cards
 Remove I/0 panel to system board cable (only if ac recovery is on in the
bios)
 Reseat power supply connection to the system board

 Swap remaining components if possible (vrm cpu and psu)

A true No P.O.S.T. issue results when a component or peripheral fails its P.O.S.T.
tests or causes the system to lock up. In these scenarios it is the technician’s job
to identify which component is causing the issue and attempt to resolve the
error. The process is usually made simpler through the use of diagnostic LED
codes or audible beep codes that indicate the failed component.

The software code that defines and produces the diagnostic back panel LED
patterns and Beep codes is stored in the flash BIOS code and is read as part of the
actual P.O.S.T. routine.
The back panel LEDs and system beep codes are used as follows:

The actual P.O.S.T. test routines and code is divided into several distinct sections
based on the component tested
   
Each portion of the routine is assigned a back panel LED pattern and / or beep
code. These can be thought of as checkpoints during the entire P.O.S.T. routine.

As the processor begins executing the actual P.O.S.T. code it displays a back panel
LED code to indicate which portion of the routine it is currently executing. For
example, while the system is testing the installed memory the back panel LEDs
shows the memory pattern - GGAA
Power LED Back Panel LED Beep Code Possible Cause

None
Blank Beep Check Beep Code.
Solid Code Troubleshoot indicated component.
Green
Check LED Code
None Troubleshoot indicated component
LED Code
Beep Check LED and Beep Code
Code Troubleshoot indicated component.
Trouble shooting true post failures:
 Remove all peripherals connected to external interfaces. This includes Keyboards mice network
cables parallel serial and usb devices
 Remove the installed memory modules *
 Remove I/o panel to system board cable
 Verify the user is using a know good power source – remove all extension chords power strips and
adapters . Verify correct seating of all components
 Swap remaining components with know good parts begin with the most likely failed part in this
case the system board if the system still has no post try a different vrm and cpu
* As one of the first devices tested by the P.O.S.T. routine, this is a simple way to test the functionality of the system board and
processor. If the system begins generating memory errors you know that the system board and processor is functioning on a basic
level.
LED Pattern State
State Description
(A B C D) Name
Off
Reserved for future use
RCM BIOS checksum failure. Recovery Mode
CPU CPU configuration activity or failure
MEM Memory subsystem configuration activity or failure
PCI PCI device configuration or failure
VID Video subsystem configuration or failure
STO Storage device configuration or failure
USB USB subsystem configuration activity or failure
Reserved for future use
MBF Fatal motherboard failure detected
Reserved for future use
PRV Indicates system activity preceding video initialization
CFG System resource configuration
Reserved for future use
POV System activity subsequent to video initialization
STD End of POST process.
 LED Pattern Indicated Failure
Power LED : Off
System is in a S4 (Hibernate),
HDD LED :
S5 (Soft-off) or G3 (Mechanical Off) state.
Off
Power LED :
Solid Green
System is powered on and in the normal operating state (S0).
HDD LED :
Off
Power LED :
Blinking Green System is in a S1 (Standby) or S3 (Standby) state.
HDD LED : This depends on the Suspend Mode setting in System Setup.
Off
Power LED :
Blinking Amber Indicates one of the power supply rails is
HDD LED : operating outside of its normal range.
Off
Power LED :
Solid Amber The power supply is functioning,
HDD LED : but the system board is not completing power up.
Off
 Once a computer completes the P.O.S.T. routine it hands over system control to
the installed operating system as it begins the ‘boot’ process.

 Again, customers and technicians often mistake a system that is not booting for
a system that is not completing P.O.S.T. This distinction can be clarified by
looking, again, to the diagnostic LED codes.
 Power LEDs Back Panel LEDs State
System has passed all
Solid Green GGGG P.O.S.T. tests and drive
detection.
Control handed off to
the Operating System.
S1 Sleep State
Blinking Green GGGG System has passed all
P.O.S.T tests.
Control handed off to
the operating system.
S3 or S4 Sleep State
Blinking Green Blank System has passed all
P.O.S.T. tests.
Control handed off to
the Operating System.
Before the system can boot to a drive it first must detect it. The detection process relies on
functional hardware as well as proper configuration of the bios set up and drive jumpers and
cabling.
 Verify any error messages
 Verify the correct drive is enabled in the bios
 Reset Bios to factory defaults
 Clear Nvram
 Reseat both ends of the data cable connection
 Verify that the drive jumpers are set to cable select
 Swap Data cable with know good cable

 Hard Drive 90/90 Test

Monitor led codes
Monitor led codes

No boot no post cbt

No boot no post cbt

No boot no post guide

No boot no post guide
Ostt
Ostt
 What are the basic component requirements for power up / pre post / post?

 If a machine is not displaying any video and emitting beep codes is it showing No
power No post or No Boot

 If a customer reports that they have a solid green power button and not
displaying any video led what should you be checking next

 Customer calls in and says their machine will not turn on, how would you proceed
with the call
 Power Up Pre-POST POST Boot

PWRGOOD from
on-board regulators
Flea Power
CPU
System PWRGOOD Flash
Control PWRGOOD
Panel Power
PS_ON PS_PWRGOOD
Button Power POST
ICH Processor
ON Supply CODE
OFF

PWRGOOD from
Power Point Voltage Regulator
Module (VRM)