BIOS

I have a OptiPlex 760 that gets no opening screen where I can press F2 to get into the BIOS. Anyone know how I can get into the BIOS without that screen?

Hi Fox42

if you have tried all the suggestions made by 8210GUY in your other topic about this computer, then its not looking good.

1 Presumably you have swapped out the PSU for a known good working one?

2 Have you tried a mobo tester on the motherboard? as these can ( sometimes) give a clue as to what is going on…I'm not recommending the ones available on ebay etc but take a look and make your own enquiries….. alternatively your local competent computer technician may lend you one… but you will have to ask really nicely! ( don't forget you will need access to the code book to translate the digital read out)

3 These machines were notorious for having dud capacitors….they started to fail after just a few years, so carry out a visual inspection, there should be around 12 or more on your mobo and the tops should be flat… if they have a bulge in them ( tops convex even to a slight extent) or signs of exudate coming from them then it really is bad news… It means they are shot and unless you are a dab hand with a soldering iron, have a very steady hand, excellent eyesight, training in how to replace electronic components without causing collateral damage, and a supply of the correct value of capacitors, then its usually beyond economic repair… we stopped performing this sort of repair in our shop a few years ago now as its just not economic to do this sort of work these days…. Depending on your location there are quite a few shops in India and China that still undertake this work, but if you have to travel far then again its not generally worth it.( unless you happen to be traveling there anyway, and speak the language.

4 You may be able to find a known good working replacement mobo….. if you can then swap them out….

5 Finally if you can't get any sort of video output, despite fitting an separate Video card and changing the VDU and cable etc then I'm afraid it can only be described as Kaput, dead or an ex computer…..there's no way that any key combination will allow you to see anything onscreen if your computer is completely dead…sorry!

Regards

paws

📎cable_1.png   Well everyone, you won't believe this one. Only Dell could have pulled this off. After hours of investigation, I found out that - on the earlier OptiPlex 760's- you can't get video without a special adapter made by ( you got it) Dell. Especially on the USFF which has no place for a video card. Once I got the adapter plugged in - it works fine.

 Dell part number WU329.

Thanks everyone for your help!

Hey Ho Fox42,

Well done on getting to the bottom of it

and also many thanks for posting your solution….

The search engines should index these pages, and who knows at some time in the future other owners of similar Dell machines with a similar problem, will find your solution here, and bless the name of Fox42.

Regards

paws