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One of my customer is having Dell Dimension 8400. The problem is that when he plug in power it immediately starts and beeps 1-3-2. The diagnostic lights in a/c is green and b/d is yellow. After searching on net i found that this reflect to memory problem. The strange thing is that sometime it starts randomly. sometime CPU fan is running like crazy. System is sometime getting started it means there will be some solution to start it. Please help
You are getting this type of beep code which means your memory is bad. Try to perform this take out all your four RAM and put them back one at a time to test that each RAM is working. When you have checked all the RAM then put them in the proper pairs in matching set in alternate slot. Try 1 3 then 2 4 these are of white and black to indicate interleaved pairs. Hope this will help you to sole your problem.
This Beep and light code both indicate RAM problem. If your are swapping RAM from another system will not work unless it is another Dell 8400. If the RAM is not matching to your specification it will not work. Dell system are finicky about RAM sometime if you are having even with specification match it wont work. Install all RAM and continuously press F12 before windows starts, a new window will appear. Go to Utilities partition and run hardware test for RAM. You can also download memtest 86+ from net to test RAM. Follow the instruction and make a boot CD, boot using this disk and run RAM test. This will help you to solve your problem.
The symptoms you are getting are sometime caused by weak battery. When you have replaced the motherboard battery? If it is more than two or three year then now it is time to replace it. You will get it at 2 to 3 $ at discount store it is a 3-volt CR2032 lithium coin cell battery. after replacing the battery your system will run fine.
Try to perform this two basic steps:
1)Wipe the partition and Zero the drive
2)Inspect the motherboard for bad capacitors
I have a Dell 8400 which has some bad caps on motherboard and facing some this type of issue. Replace the cap's and the system will run fine without any such type of problem.The system was rock solid.
You must install the RAM in matching pairs with one exception. You should put the Ram in the slot 1 for the system. If one ram work and other does not than you have problem. If RAM are too slow then there is other problem involve. Even there may be compatibility issue because all the RAM are not compatible with the 800 series chipsets. Try to have the ram compatible with your system.