Trying to resurrect a Dell Dimension C521

Mel_P · 12 Jul 2019 at 22:27

Hello all,

This is frustrating. Managed to get it to boot BUT ONLY if I had windows DVD in the DVD drive. The error message said seek error diskette 0. I put the HDD in another computer and it read ok. The is is windows 7 and I wanted to change to windows 10

Anyway after fiddling I got it to boot and the power button was green showing all was ok.

Downloaded win 10 and set it to upgrade. Came back and screen was dead.

Now can't get pc to boot. No error message, no beeps, nothing! Power light is amber which the manual says is a POST error. But the 4 error indication lights are off. Disconnecting drives and taking out the memory doesn't seem to generate error messages. Don't understand at all!!

Any comments or suggestions. Not used to old Dell pcs!!!!

Mel_P · 13 Jul 2019 at 10:46

The problem seems to be in the DELL BIOS setup. There is NO floppy but the start up list always contains it and it cannot be deleted!

I obviously set up the BIOS to something the PC didn't like and once I had reset it using the shorting pins it rebooted OK.

Mel

Mel_P · 13 Jul 2019 at 22:58

I have set the floppy to "non-boot" and put it at the bottom of the boot list BUT I still get a message the Diskette 0 wont boot (seek error) and have to press F1 to continue. How do I resolve this bit of Dell stupidity please?

Thanks, Mel

Mel_P · 14 Jul 2019 at 13:09

I have put a new battery in.

Mel_P · 14 Jul 2019 at 13:11

It is keeping its settings. Although there isn't a floppy it says there is and cannot be deleted.

I think the solution is to set the floppy as the last boot device - after HDD and CD Rom and then it does not show up !!

Mel

Mel_P · 14 Jul 2019 at 17:23

Plec said:
You're sorted?

Yes - I had played with the boot order and always put the floppy at the bottom with no boot set. Even though it isn't there it appears BUT if I set it as the last boot device all is OK! It should only be called if the HDD and CD drive fail.

Have ordered an SSD from OCUK for delivery tomorrow and will clone the old 160GB HDD to that and see if that improves boot time etc. Macrium Free is loaded ready.

Have also bought for a few £s another 2GB memory stick from fleaB! This will be grandchilds PC when they come!

Mel_P · 16 Jul 2019 at 09:18

Well the SSD arrived, duly cloned, inserted - PC did not recognise!!!

Searched web - somebody said they had put an SSD in place of DVD Writer - recognised!!

So swapped connections - new SSD plugged in to DVD Sata cable, DVD in ex HDD Sata slot - VOILA - booted to SSD - cannot understand that?? So now running with cloned SSD and DVD working.

All I am waiting for now is the extra 2GB memory stick (used / tested / fleaB).

What will I use the PC for - not sure but it was a good challenge ….

Mel