Alert! Previous Fan Failure.

Previous fan error

Okay, I think this post might be the answer to your questions. I myself have a Dimension 3000 and when I replaced the fan because it was too loud, THATS when I got the same error message as you. Previous Fan error, press F1 to continue, or F2 for setup. Try this: press F2 for setup. once you're in setup there should be something that says 'Report keyboard errors'. Go there and use the arrow key to put "DO NOT report keyboard errors." That should work. Know why? Because I had been at it for months and THAT got rid of the error. Let me know if this works.

I also have a Dell Dimension 4550 and have been getting the same fan failure error message for well over a year now. It seems to me it doesn't mean the fan is still failing but that it has previously failed at least once in the past. I went into setup utility to one of the options that made note of such errors and marked them all as "read". My computer subsequently shut down and I got the same message upon rebooting it. I've been planning on rebuilding my pc and figured it's be best to get a new fan in the process if nothing else to get rid of that error message.

Fan Error

Hi all.

1. The error comes if at any time ever you have turned your PC on while the CPU Fan was NOT plugged in, or not reporting a signal. AKA busted.

2. Dell fans, much like the rest of dells parts are all custom fit. Their Power supplies (or most of them) have a different pin setup and the fans have a unique shaped fan attachment. I had to rip the piece out of the motherboard, leaving just the 3 bare wires sticking out. I stuck a standard fan onto it, everything works great. A CMOS reset does nothing, so there must be another backup somewhere. Your PC should run fine after the reported error is skipped/passed, unless you actually had a fan error and thus a heat problem.

3. I won my dell at work, and even then, I paid too much for it.

Just some insight.

Confirmed Dell Hater Says: Go to Dell support after all is said and done and update the BIOS. Then the message will go away permanently.

... after hacking together a Dell connector and off the shelf fan and pissing about in the BIOS settings for half a day...

(better yet, smash it to bits with a hammer and build one with off the shelf parts)

"Alert! Previous Fan Failure."

I have been getting the same error message for for several months and last week my computer totally shut down. I tried to restart and can not even get the power on. Any suggestions?

Clear the event log in the BIOS.

I work for dell computers and I thought I would reply so I can help you out free of charge.
All you need to do is go to the BIOS, by continually tapping on F2 immediately after you start your computer, then expand all the trees by hitting the right button on your keyboard and find event log and clear it out.
I had the same problem and that resolved it.

Have a nice day or night.

:0|

Greetings, I've also had this problem for many months, starting when I was replacing the 1.8 Ghz with a faster CPU, first 2.4 then 3.06 P-4s With 512/533 FSB - Front Side Buss. Anyway when exchanging the first 2.4 for the 1.8 I plugged the Case Fan's black connector to the white connector on the M.Board next to the CPU's Heatsink, - "only thinking about seeing if I'd gained much speed. When I started up I got a Fan Failure message and upon re-checking I seen I should have leaned forward another foot to see the correct colored receptical. So after that I got the Prev.Fan Failure most every time I'd boot up. - Along the way - I replaced everything in My Dell Dim. 8200's Case but the Power Supply. Mother Board, CPU a couple times, Different Fans, - I'm running 2 CPU Fans Replacing the original Case Fan and 1 on a new Heatsink also {pointing up to the Case Fan}, I also Upgraded upper Memory several times, changer original Graphics Card, I mean everything in My 8200's Case.but the Power Supply "Except the Modum".! No Good. I finally found a Dell Tech. that really researched the priblem I guess, He gave Me a combination that seems to work for a while then needs redone. It's ---> turn on ----> caps lock ----> num lock, ----> scroll lock, then hit, ----> alt e ----> alt b, ----> alt f, then let It do an "Automatic IDE configuration" for You. After It restarts I found that if I Shut Down, reboot, hit F2 for System, go to System Events - 2/nd from the bottom hit Enter at "System Events" Clear all the Fan Failures, Mark as read, hit Esc. and let Er' reboot, and It should hold for a few days or so [Knock Wood], Till You get to do the Drill again. Thank You. G.G.

It looks as if this is haunting everybody. It's a pain in the ....

Alright, I'm sick of trying to solve this problem through Dell--hoping you guys can help!

I had been having the same "previous fan failure" message, so I ordered a new fan through Dell spare parts. I had gotten a new laptop so I was really lazy about trying to fix the desktop (it's a Dell Dimension 4600C by the way), so it's been turned off for probably 2 or 3 months now. I tried to replace the old fan with the new one tonight. It came with an attached heat sink, so I replaced the blower and the heat sink. I plugged everything in and tried to turn the computer on, and all that happened was that the power button turned orange (I feel like it used to be green when functioning), the fan gave one loud blow, and then nothing happened. It just kind of sat there with the orange light on.

I took the new fan out, detached it from the new heat sink (which didn't have some little doodad on the bottom--a microprocessor maybe?), and tried attaching it to the old heat sink and trying again. The same exact thing happened.

Anyone know what might have happened? Or more importantly, how I can fix it? There's a lot of information on this computer that I really really don't want to lose. At the very least, how can I access all those old files to save them? I was bad about backing things up.

use 12v fan

you must purchase one fan with 12v and its ampere should be around 0.42 A .

thats it you will not face any problem again

power supply failure

please check out your psu, (power supply problem,)if not than your m\b prob.

I have recently got this previous fan failure message and also my computer keeps restarting automatically. Sometimes I let it boot after it restarts and it will keep restarting before the booting is done also. Is this the problem of the fan? Or PROCESSOR? Because few months back my brother was opening the case and he took that metal silver colour thing that's attached on the processor ( for reducing heat im guessing ) and he removed a silver colour paper like material. One of my friend who is kind of a geek told me that It is used to cool down the processor. So please if you could try and figure out something. Please PM me after posting or Email me please.

that could very well be u're problem u can get artic silver and put a rice seed size in the middle of the processor and it will help better than the silver colour paper like material. I am not saying this is all of the problem u have but artic silver is the best tim on the market in my opinion. and a cpu will over heat in a matter of seconds without tim.

Thanks for you reply, But it's not the actual problem. When I opened my casing I there was this smell that something was burning and when i checked it was the power supply so I have changed it and now no problems. I have also done what you have told but its not the artic silver. Something named thermal compound( might be the same as artic silver but i don't know much about it thats why said so hehe)
THANKS!

FYI

Have a look at ArcticSilver Instructions
Here's some of the compounds there

I am also getting a "previous fan failure" alert. More troubling than that is a screen full of columns of dollar signs ($). Two "$" filled columns then six blank columns then two "$" filled columns, etc all accross the display. Pressing F1 doesn't assist, I just get more screens full of the columns.

Has anyone seen this and have any suggestions?

Thanks.

No never

Oh wait, all the posts above you!

Have you actually read this thread ? And tried all the suggestions?
If not please do. There is no need to reply.

My Story...

(A note...I looked at every post on this issue and this site was the ONLY place that was informative at all...Thank you, TechSpot)

Working right along when the computer froze solid...required cold boot. When this error popped up I thought...jees, 7 years old...guess it is time for a new fan. Well it was 10:30 at night and I had work to do so I pressed F1...it came up but ran Very slow. I grabbed the canned air and hammer and went to work. Fan came on, then stopped a few times. I finished my work, shut down and let it sit for 20 hours.

When I got home tonight, I turned it on...hmmmm...fast boot, no error but the fan did not seem to be blowing at all. I completed the night's mails, shut down and tore it apart. The friggin fan had fallen off its mounting clips! It was blowing down instead of out...Coulda fixed without even turning the computer off. I took this opportunity to clean the entire machine, inside and out...put it back together and it is blowing in perfect silence, smokin' fast and NO ERROR MESSAGE!

Just another example of what my Dad taught me long ago...just take it apart, clean it and put it back together and 90% of the time....