Advanced Troubleshooting 47
Advanced Troubleshooting
Power Light and Diagnostic Lights
  CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in 
the Product Information Guide.
Your computer has a power light and four lights labeled "1," "2," "3," and "4" on the front panel to 
help you troubleshoot problems (see "Front View of the Computer" on page 13). When the 
computer starts normally, the diagnostic lights flash. If the computer malfunctions, the color and 
sequence of the lights identify the problem.
Power Light
Power Light Problem Description Suggested Resolution
Off The computer is in a normal "off" condition 
or in a power-conserving mode.
None. Press the power button to wake the 
computer or to turn the computer on.
Solid green The computer has successfully booted and 
is operating normally.
None.
Blinking green The computer is in a Windows standby 
power-saving state (S1 or S3).
None. Move the mouse, press the spacebar, 
or use another device that has been 
configured as a wake-up device to wake the 
computer.
Solid Amber A pre-POST failure has occurred. The 
system has received a Power Good signal 
from the power supply.
See "Diagnostic Lights" on page 48 for 
more information. 
If this does not resolve your problem, 
contact Dell (see "Contacting Dell" on 
page 108).
Blinking Amber A possible power supply failure has 
occurred. The system has not received a 
Power Good signal from the power supply
Plug the computer into a working 
electrical outlet. Also see "Power Problems" 
on page 40.