Hey my dell started to do this thing. I turn the laptop on and all I get is a black screen with a white dash on the top left corner, there is no bios screen or the dell logo it does it as soon as I turn it on. Every now and then it works and windows loads but then I get red lines on the screen and it will lockup or the screen will shut off.

One last thing I ran the built in dell diagnostic tool and everything passed.

Go through this:

Tutorial: No POST (Power On Self Test)

Could be faulty Ram or HDD (it's all in the guide)

I should of posted what I have done.

I removed the CD Drive, hard drive, ram swap with good working one and wireless card

Could be overheating and dust (also in the guide )
May need to benchtest it (also in the guide )

If Desktop remove all internals and externals (also in the guide )
If laptop remove extra ram cards, any USB connections etc etc (also in the guide )

Looked over the guide and I have already gone threw all of the steps shown I also applied new compund onto the CPU and to the removeable videocard. I clean the laptop with a can of compressed air. If it was a bad CPU it would even turn on right? I am gonna buy a new battery for the cmos to test that. I feel like it can be the mobo or the video card what do you think?

Power Supply (in the... Oh forget it )

laptop no PSU

I'm now leaning towards CPU
But it must be fully clean first (the entire inside)

??? clean you mean the inside of the casing and the mobo or the cpu I am a little lost

Sorry I thought you would know:

High Pressure air can (these can be purchased)
Inside the laptop (ie Keyboard and palm rest assembly off - ideally completely apart)
Blow everywhere

You can even use Circuit board cleaner on the Mobo (Mobo outside of the case)

Then re-check the seating of the CPU and re-paste (in the guide )

Actually all this is in the guide!

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxdanielxx Looked over the guide and I have already gone threw all of the steps shown I also applied new compund onto the CPU and to the removeable videocard. I clean the laptop with a can of compressed air. If it was a bad CPU it would even turn on right? I am gonna buy a new battery for the cmos to test that. I feel like it can be the mobo or the video card what do you think?

In the post above I mention that I did that I cleaned the case the mobo clean the compound off of the cpu and heat sink then reapplied some compound.

I'm thinking disconnect the LCD (dismantle required) and try with an external Monitor
Looks more like CPU to me, but when it comes to parts it's a matter of process of elimination

xxdanielxx, can you post a picture of this mess you see when your laptop starts?

Ok here is an update.

1) I took off the LCD screen and connected it via VGA and the picture attach is what it showed you cant see the white dash in the top left corner but it is there and all of the lines where moving from top to bottom.

2) I got a new processor for the laptop same type brand new same problem happened.

Attached Images

Picture.jpg (217.7 KB, 6 views)

Hopefully if you can get your laptop to get up to Windows again (even Safe Mode)

Then update the Bios to the current A09: http://ftp.us.dell.com/bios/M60_A09.exe

Even if you have A09 already, I'd say force update

Please let me know if it fixes it


Edit:

Actually here's your Video Driver too: (revision A07) http://ftp.us.dell.com/video/R105464.EXE
[COLOR="White"].[/COLOR]

there's no need to update bios. the videocard/videochip is dead. replace it.

Updates didnt work.

Yeah I have order the video card but what about the issue with the blinking dash in the top corner.

the problem with this laptop has been solved

Main board was not bad it was only the video card

Thanks for the update
Note: "2" is the Video card
By the way where did you find a new one? (Dell?, eBay?)

I go it from ebay for $250 it is a

128mb Nvidia GeForce FX Go5650