Computer Stuck On Logo Screen

Hello I'm running a:
Dell Dimension E510
Pentium D dual core 2.8ghz
1gb ram
80gb Hdd
128mb ATI radeon x300 SE Hypermemory

The Problem I'm having is that sometimes when I restart my computer, the computer gets stuck on the dell logo screen usually if I force restart 2-3 more times it would work fine but just yesterday I restarted and the same thing happened...even after several force shutdown/restart it wouldn't work...I opened up the computer and unplugged all unnecessary hardware to boot a computer but the same problem persisted.
I went away for a while and came back then tried a couple of more times and luckily I got it to boot. Now that the computer is on what steps should I take to prevent this from happening again?

 

J: Open the box and check to see if the memory is fully inserted into the slots., take the sticks out and reinsert them fully. Be sure the lugs snap into the stick. They will only go in one way so watch what you're doing Run a memory test for a couple of hours.
If you have a video card, reinsert it fully also.
If after all this, you still have problems, post back.

 

The computer will only detect the ram sticks (I mean once the computer starts up) only if they're inserted in the right direction, correct?
I tried all of this before, should I try it again now that the computer is on? This didn't fix the issue when I did try it.

 

DO NOT mess with the memory or video card with the computer powered on.
Did you try the memory test? If you don't have a copy of memtest86 or Microsoft Memory test, you can download it and burn it ;to a CD and run it.

 

Yeah, I did all this when it wasn't working.
I'll download the software right now and burn it, will let you know by tomorrow.

 

Hi,

My name is Todd and I'm with Dell's online outreach program. The E510 has a series of four diagnostic lights on the front of the system, that will give you an idea of what is causing the problems the system is having when it tries to start up. Those lights turn green in a specific sequence as the system starts up. Depending on which code is presented it will give you an idea on where to start looking to find the problem.

Here is a link to the online user manual page for the diagnostic lights on that system.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim5150/en/sm/tshoot1.htm#wp1120147

Check out those lights next time it won't power up and let me know what they say. It sounds like you may have a loose connection somewhere and you may want to (after totally powering the system down and unplugging it) check all the memory, cable, and card connections to make sure everything is snug.

Let me know if any of this helps. I'll stop back to see what else we can do to get your system working correctly for you.

Thank you,

Todd

Customer Advocate
Dell, Inc.

http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2006/11/19/3648.aspx

 

Hello,

Yes I noticed the #s on the front changing while the computer was running POST.
It gets stuck when it's displaying 1 and 4.

 

Hi,

The 1, 4 LED pattern represents a system board failure. Do you know if your system is still covered by a service contract? If so, I can arrange for that system board to be replaced by a technician.

You can check your service contract status by going to our support site, http://support.Dell.com, and click on Warranty Status in the upper left. Just give it your service tag (located on a sticker attached to the system) and the site will let you know the status of your contract.

If you would like you can email me directly at [email protected] with the service tag and I'll be glad to see if there is anything else I can do to help you. Please include my first name (Todd) in the subject line of the message so it can quickly be routed through to me.

Thank you,

Todd

Customer Advocate
Dell, Inc.