Re: Studio XPS 8100 - Front Bezel Lights Not On

Bob_Villa <pheeh.zero@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:8ae17627-c354-4bcd-99ba-e4c1d117fa4c@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

On Oct 5, 7:48 pm, Boris <nos...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Boris <nos...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote
innews:Xns9F71594F7EC1Bnospamnospamin
valid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx:









Boris <nos...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
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Pen <nos...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote innews:j53gqf$6ak$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx:

On 9/17/2011 7:58 PM, Boris wrote:
Hi,

I've got a Studio XPS 8100 whose front bezel lights have never
worked since I bought the machine in October 2010.  When I
receive
d
the machine, I plugged it in, set it up, and noticed that the
hard drive light never came on, but I just put it back in the
closet for another time.  I bought it because it was a good
price with Win7.

This week, I decided I'd better start using it and banging on it
before the one year warranty ran out.  I noticed that beside the
hard light not working, the DVD lights do not come on either
when I use the drive to install applications.

I've looked at the service manual online, but I don't find
anything specific as to where the front bezel lights get power.
 Since thes
e
are individual components (hard drive, DVD), I'm sort of stumped
as to how this is even possible.

Any ideas?

TIA
Check if the front panel cable is attached to the mobo.
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/SYSTEMS/dsleest/rr.htm#bezel

I opened up the machine and took off the front panel, and had to
remove the DVD in order to trace the HD LED wires back to the
mother board.  They were plugged in at the board, and at the other
end are soldered to the tiny LED leadouts.  I was able to scrape
back a little of of the shrink tubing on the leadouts, and test to
see if there was power to the light as I loaded Windows and
launched apps. My voltmeter showed power, but I couldn't view the
readings because the digital meter changed from 0 to very low
numbers very fast.  But
,
a continuity check across the two leadouts showed no continuity.
 I suspect the LED is getting power, but is dead.

As far as the DVD lights are concerned, that's a different story.
The entire DVD is enclosed behind the front panel.  On the panel,
there's a button to press, that mechanically pushes the button on
the DVD behind it.  The front panel door opens, and only the DVD
tray slides out.  The section of the DVD that has the little green
light is still obscured by the panel.  What I thought were DVD
lights on the panel button were only indentations, I guess made to
indicate where to press to open/close the DVD.  If you take the
entire panel off, you can see the DVD light work normally.  This
was just a poor design...you are never able to see the DVD lights
work on this machine,unless you have the front panel off.

I'm going to have Dell fix the HD LED, since it doesn't look like
I can get it out of it's mount.  If they'd send me the whole
assembly, I'll do it.

An update...the Dell contractor finally came out yesterday equipped
with an entire front panel (wrong color, white instead of black)
and the hard drive activity light.  All I needed was the light.
 But, o
nce
installed, the light still didn't work.  The tech called back in,
and they are now sending out a new power supply to try.  Go figure.
 I think this is going to be a remove and replace until it works
repair job.

Tech installed new power supply.  Hard drive activity light still
won't work.  Neither he nor I thought it would, but Dell seemed
confident whe
n
they dispatched the thing.  I said that's enough (don't want to next
tr
y
a refurbished mother board).

I'm curious though, does the light get it's signal from the mother
board, or from the hard drive to the mother board and back to the
light?

M/B to light. On my old 4550 I could never see it working unless the
room was dark and I was inches away!


Thanks, Bob.

Well, I did try a new SATA cable, and no luck. Funny, though, Dell
called me and told me they were sending out a new MB, I said I told the
tech I dind't want to do that, as it may just cause more problems than
it's worth, and we could just close the ticket. He said he understood,
and they would 'research' the problem and get back to me. I said fine,
but as far as I'm concerned, I'm done with it.

This new 8100 is what I bought to replace my 4550 workhorse, which has
been, and still is, working fine since I plugged it in in March 2003.
It's been running 24x7 ever since, but there's new software that won't
run, or runs slowly on it, that I want to use. I hate to relegate my
4550 to non-use...I've put it off for over a year (I bought the 8100 a
year ago, and am just now setting it up).
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Studio XPS 8100 - Front Bezel Lights Not On
    ... the DVD lights do not come on either when I ... Check if the front panel cable is attached to the mobo. ... there was power to the light as I loaded Windows and launched apps. ... you can see the DVD light work normally. ...
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  • Re: Studio XPS 8100 - Front Bezel Lights Not On
    ... the DVD lights do not come on either when I ... Check if the front panel cable is attached to the mobo. ... there was power to the light as I loaded Windows and launched apps. ... you can see the DVD light work normally. ...
    (alt.sys.pc-clone.dell)
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    ... days and he's using his new found power to punish English literature ... A DVD that works on only one DVD burner? ... No. You'd buy the DVD from the store like you do now. ... If instead you give him your bought copy then he can use it. ...
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  • Re: Studio XPS 8100 - Front Bezel Lights Not On
    ... I bought it because it was a good price with Win7. ... the DVD lights do not come on either when I ... Check if the front panel cable is attached to the mobo. ... power to the light as I loaded Windows and launched apps. ...
    (alt.sys.pc-clone.dell)