# [SOLVED] Dell stuck in power save mode



## Araisa (Apr 30, 2010)

Earlier this morning I was doing stuff on the internet with my Dell XPS 400. I decided to go grocery shopping, and when I came back my computer had gone into power save mode. I tried to wake it up, but it wouldn't. I tried switching monitors, but that doesn't help. Also, if I unplug the monitor from the computer, I get the green/red/white screen to pop up. Because of this, I'm confident the problem isn’t with the monitor. If I hit the menu button on the monitor, it says "In Power Save mode. Press computer power button or any key on keyboard or move mouse." Unfortunatley, this doesn't do anything. Doing a hard shutdown doesn't help; even after a hard shutdown, nothing comes up on the screen. I don't even get a boot screen (I think this is because the computer is already booted up). However, the power light (and various other lights) do come up when I start the computer, so something is going on inside of it. I'm running Windows XP. Within the last day or two I scanned for viruses using AVG and came up clean. Also, I have had some trouble with this computer with in the last month or so (people on this forum helped me out with it, which was wonderful!) so my computer may just be in the process of dying (sad!). I recently backed up all my data, so if I must do a clean install, I can. However, I'm not certain how one would get this to happen given that the thing isn't booting.


----------



## Araisa (Apr 30, 2010)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

I managed to solve the problem. I removed the battery from the motherboard and restarted the computer. It loaded properly. Then I shut it down again and reinserted the battery from the motherboard (the battery might be old enough that it has to go, but I'm going to test it a bit to see). 

I'm sorry if there is some way I should be editing this into the first post, but I don't know how. :sigh:


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

On the XPS 400 there are 4 numbered lights on the front panel above the power button, if it should do it again check to see which if any lights are lit and take notice if the power button light is Green, blinking green, amber, or blinking amber, this may well be a sign of a failure to come, or simply a power outage while you were out?


----------



## Araisa (Apr 30, 2010)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

Back when I couldn't get the computer to start, there were two out of the four lights lit up (3 and something else, I think). Right now none of them are lit.

Unfortunately, now I don't have any sound. I had it before all this weirdness, but now nothing. It's not the speakers (I tested them out on another computer) and I went through the Help and Support Center Sound Troubleshooter, but it didn't help. I'm wondering if it is the sound card (I tried taking it out, using some computer canned air it to make sure it was dust free, and sticking it back in, but that didn't do anything either). I don't want to buy another sound card just to check. I would be more willing if this computer wasn't acting like it was going to keel over, but it's been giving me a lot of trouble. I'm going to poke around a bit more, and then I might head over to the sound card forum.

EDIT: Oh, and the power button is solid green.


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

The Diagnostic lights and power button state are correct for a running PC, when it does not boot is when you need to check them.

Try hooking the speakers to the green motherboard speaker port up by the USB and network connector, by resetting the CMOS you may have disabled the sound card in the Bios which would enable the integrated sound.


----------



## Araisa (Apr 30, 2010)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

I plugged speakers into the green motherboard speaker port up by the USB and network connector (I didn't even know there was such a thing! Neat!) but there was no sound. I'm guessing that means it isn't the sound card that's causing the problem, although I can't say I know enough to make a truly educated guess. Does this mean I disabled the sound card, or does it mean something else is going on?


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

It means something else is going on, you could try enabling the onboard audio in the Bios, on the onboard device page, set the onboard audio to enabled. If it's grayed out or won't let you change it you may have to remove the audio card.


----------



## Araisa (Apr 30, 2010)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

There is something called "integrated audio" under onboard devices. This was already on when I went to the BIOS. There isn't anything specifically labeled "onboard audio" under onboard devices. Are those likely to be the same things? Would it being automatically on perhaps cause issues, or is that the way it's is supposed to be (it says that the factory setting is for it to be on).


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

Integrated/onboard are the same thing, normally if the Audio add in card is recognized by the bios the onboard/integrated will be disabled, this may mean the add in card failed.

Take a look in device manager for any yellow ? or red x's 

To open "Device Manager", right click on "My Computer" (Computer in Vista/Win7) select Properties, On the Hardware tab Select Device Manager, if you see any yellow question marks, right click on the device and select properties, on the Details tab select Hardware IDs copy the PCI/VEN and DEV numbers and post them on your next post.


----------



## Araisa (Apr 30, 2010)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

Nope, no yellow question marks. I even checked under properties just to be sure, and they all say "This device is working properly."

Thank you very much for taking all this time to troubleshoot with me. I really appreciate it. ^_^


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

Try removing the Audio card and see if the integrated appears in device manager.


----------



## Araisa (Apr 30, 2010)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

I removed the sound card but I don't see integrated anything on the device manager.

However, after I removed the sound card, I plugged my speakers into the green motherboard speaker port up by the USB and network connector, and the speakers work through this port. I'm not sure why this would make the sound work (maybe something is wrong with the sound card, but the computer was still trying to send sound through it until I took it out? Maybe taking out the battery caused some kind of conflicted that was resolved by taking out the sound card?). Whatever the reason, I'm really glad I have sound again. Yay!

Thank you again for all your help. This site has been a real boon to me.


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

If the bios recognizes the sound card it should disable the integrated, once you removed the card the integrated would be enabled by the bios, most likely the audio card failed and caused the problem to start with.


----------



## raashid_sy2k (Jun 9, 2008)

*Re: Dell stuck in power save mode*

Try To DisableThe Integrated Audio Manually and also Check in Control Panel Default Audio Play back device (2 chk it control panel > sound and audio > audio) if the default play back is sigmatel then change it to you sound card


----------



## Araisa (Apr 30, 2010)

I did a clean install a few days ago in response to some other problems I was having. Last night I finally got everything up and running again (drivers installed, etc) with the help of TSF people, and now my sound card is mysteriously working again. Why? Who knows. But this issue is soooolved. 

And raashid_sy2k, thanks for looking at this issue even after all this time!


----------



## raashid_sy2k (Jun 9, 2008)

pleasure mam


----------

