# Dell Inspiron 3646 Desktop Won't Boot



## PCProbs93 (Jan 24, 2018)

My three-year-old PC is currently unable to get even a signal on the monitor. It has a solid amber light on the power button, but I can hear it making all of the same startup sounds, and the disk drive opens and sounds like it is reading discs. The power supply cord has a box on it that has a green light, it's not blinking or anything. 

There is also a USB mouse that lights up when plugged into one of the back slots, but a known working keyboard doesn't light up or do anything. BTW I also tried a known working monitor. 

When it was last working, it would sometimes get 'stuck' like this when trying to restart from being powered down, but the times this happened it eventually would work by sort of messing with the Power button. Then, it tried to restart for a Windows update and hasn't reacted since.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

A Solid Amber light means that the *P*ower *S*upply *U*nit is working correctly and powering up the computer but the computer is not processing the data.There is a hardware problem with the CPU, RAM or other hardware attached to the motherboard. https://www.dell.com/community/Desk...g-solid-amber-light-no-diagnostic/m-p/3542399


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## PCProbs93 (Jan 24, 2018)

Will the issues and solutions in that thread nessecarily work for me since it is about a Dimension E521?


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## PCProbs93 (Jan 24, 2018)

Oh, I also wanted to ask if a video card could cause these issues?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Yes, any hardware will cause this problem. (ie) Video Card, Hard Drive, CD Drive, RAM Modules and any other add in cards can cause this problem. 
If you have just added a piece of hardware when this started happening, (ie) Video Card, Remove it


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

For starters, check whether the Monitor is connected, if you have a GFX card, the cable should be connected to the GFX card port, if not, you will see an Amber light on the monitor. Also check what type of cable is being used, VGA/DVI/HDMI etc and check to see if your monitor has buttons which allow you to choose the *input mode* and set it to the actual input cable type that is being used.

VGA-- Analog, DVI--Digital etc...

Typically if you disconnect the monitor, power the monitor off/on and check if you get a message, that means the monitor is fine since it passed the self test, no need to test with another monitor unless there is no replacement cable available.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

> It has a solid amber light on the power button


 Solid advice on the monitor, but since your having a problem with an Amber light on the Power Button, that may not help you in this situation.


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## PCProbs93 (Jan 24, 2018)

spunk.funk said:


> Yes, any hardware will cause this problem. (ie) Video Card, Hard Drive, CD Drive, RAM Modules and any other add in cards can cause this problem.
> If you have just added a piece of hardware when this started happening, (ie) Video Card, Remove it


I haven't added anything new to it. 

I'm very nervous that the hard drive could be the cause of this as it hadn't been backed up lately.. I think I forgot to mention that a while back that this PC was plugged into the same power strip as an old desklamp which then sparked, and the PC shut off. However, it continued to work normally for a year and a half until about 9 months ago.


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

Are you getting an Amber light on the tower or on the monitor ?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

The Worse case scenario is that you can remove the HDD from the computer and attach it to a working computer via a USB Adapter, *Dock *or an *Enclosure *with a power adapter. If the HDD is still working, you can access the files on the drive and back them up. 
As far as the Amber light on the computer tower Power Button, if that is a Solid Amber, then there is a hardware problem, usually with a Video Card or other Hardware (ie) CD Rom, Motherboard, or RAM. 
To troubleshoot, you can unplug all Drives inside the computer. Then try to boot the computer and press *F2* to enter Setup (Bios)


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## PCProbs93 (Jan 24, 2018)

The amber light is on the tower.



spunk.funk said:


> To troubleshoot, you can unplug all Drives inside the computer. Then try to boot the computer and press *F2* to enter Setup (Bios)


Would this mean to disconnect every cord that's plugged in inside the PC case?


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

What you're facing is a No Post scenario.

Disconnect the external cables from the computer and all external devices, including the power cable. Press and hold the power button (without any cable connected) for a few seconds and release and flea power on the PC.

Also, it's better if you can remove the power cable from any spike protector and connect it directly to the wall outlet.

Optical drive/Mouse would open/light up due to the power being distributed by the PSU/motherboard to the device, so shouldn't be construed as working.

Put the cables back together, Power, monitor, keyboard and mouse, leave all other devices disconnected and then try to turn on, also listen carefully to any beeps (sequence) from the tower.

When you say usual startup sounds, what do you mean ?

Do you have 1 or 2 ports where you can connect the monitor to the tower ?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

If after doing that it is still not working. Open the case and remove the power plug to the CD rom drive, and the HDD, and remove any other added in cards like a video card. Basically, remove all non essential hardware to booting the computer. Start the computer, if you get the Dell Splash Screen, press F2 to enter Setup. If that happens, then shut down the computer and add one hardware piece and start the computer up until it won't boot anymore, then you will know the failed hardware piece.
If nothing works, then there is an issue with the Motherboard or Processor.


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## PCProbs93 (Jan 24, 2018)

tristar said:


> Put the cables back together, Power, monitor, keyboard and mouse, leave all other devices disconnected and then try to turn on, also listen carefully to any beeps (sequence) from the tower.
> 
> When you say usual startup sounds, what do you mean ?
> 
> Do you have 1 or 2 ports where you can connect the monitor to the tower ?


2, one is HDMI, and by usual startup sounds I mean the fan whirring and CD-ROM drive starting up sounds.



spunk.funk said:


> If after doing that it is still not working. Open the case and remove the power plug to the CD rom drive, and the HDD, and remove any other added in cards like a video card. Basically, remove all non essential hardware to booting the computer. Start the computer, if you get the Dell Splash Screen, press F2 to enter Setup. If that happens, then shut down the computer and add one hardware piece and start the computer up until it won't boot anymore, then you will know the failed hardware piece.
> If nothing works, then there is an issue with the Motherboard or Processor.



Well, I tried these and it still couldn't even get the Dell splash screen.. how would I know if its the motherboard or the processor? Also, could a problem with capacitators cause this?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Yes, at this stage, if you have removed all hardware, and it still won't boot, then it's either the motherboard (most likley) or the processor (not so much) 
How long have you had the computer? If it is more then one year, it is no longer under warranty. If over one year, you can buy a New/Used or Refurbished Computer or one better actually for about the same price as it would be to fix this one from Ebay, or Amazon. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...S0&_nkw=+Dell+Inspiron+3646+Desktop+&_sacat=0
For now, You can remove the HDD and attach it to a working computer. as outlined in post #10 and the quote below. 


spunk.funk said:


> you can remove the HDD from the computer and attach it to a working computer via a USB Adapter, *Dock *or an *Enclosure *with a power adapter. If the HDD is still working, you can access the files on the drive and back them up.


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## PCProbs93 (Jan 24, 2018)

spunk.funk said:


> Yes, at this stage, if you have removed all hardware, and it still won't boot, then it's either the motherboard (most likley) or the processor (not so much)


Still, is there a way to tell specifcally if it is the processor? 

Thanks for the info.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Yeah, pull the processor off of the motherboard, and attach it to the same model number motherboard that is known to work


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