It's an Alienware aurora r4, when I try to boot it on all the lights come on, the fans come on and makes a single quick beep like it does when it's working normally but it goes straight to that black screen with the flashing dash, no splash screen/bios or anything else just straight to that screen
Run Memtest86+ version 5.01 for 8 passes overnight and report the results.
First post into the thread whether or not it boots to the bootable Memtest86+ flash drive.
Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool
There is 8 GB of RAM.
Memtest 86+ testing takes approximately 1 -2 hours /GB RAM
For proper testing 8 or more passes is critical.
Less than 8 passes has a significant number of false negatives.
A false negative is a pass when there is malfunctioning RAM.
Testing the RAM will allow testing of RAM / DIMM /Motherboard
When Memtest86+ has completed 8 or more runs use a camera or smart phone camera to take a picture and post an image into the thread.
Microsoft Community
MemTest86+ - Test RAM Windows 10 BSOD Tutorials
There is 2 GB RAM on each of 4 DIMM.
If there is just 1 error during Memtest86+ testing that is a fail.
If there is a fail remove all RAM except 1 and test each RAM module for 8 or more passes in the same DIMM.
If the RAM failed when tested together but failed when tested individually you should then test the RAM again in another DIMM to evaluate the DIMM /MB
For each test use a camera ot smart phone camera to take a picture and post images into the thread.
How am I supposed to run the test when I can't access anything? Like I said when I turn it on everything in the tower comes on but all that shows on the screen in a black screen with a flashing dash.
No logo/splash screen at all just straight to black with blinking dash
If you were unable to boot to two bootable flash drives then run through the steps in this link:
POST troubleshooting steps
Were you ever able to boot into the bios?
When was the last time that you reset the bios?
Please report the steps and results for each posting step in the link.
Okay when I started working on this thing today I already couldn't get it to boot to Windows, when you tried it would spit an error about overclocking failure and you'd accomplish nothing.
i read that resetting cmos would fix that problem sometimes but after an hour plus of looking for jumpers and/or a battery I couldn't find I gave up on that.
first time I tried to reset bios to defaults it froze solid.
second time it went through but acomplished nothing.
i tried to boot with the windows disc, it froze solid.
tried a second time, it tried real hard to get into it but ultimately froze again.
at this point when you boot it everything turns on internally but the screen just shows a blank screen with a flashing dash.
nothing else, splash screen or anything to suggest I could get back into bios, just a black screen with a blinking dash in the upper left hand corner
BIOS itself could be broken. Please have a look at those thread regarding Aurora R4 and BIOS / POST problems:
Aurora R4 BIOS upgrade, wont post after CMOS reset | Alienware Arena
Accessing the BIOS on your Alienware System | Dell US
Resetting CMOS on Aurora R4? | Alienware Arena
Help! Alienware R4 not booting up - not getting to POST | Alienware Arena
This link has the Dell beep codes:
Beep Codes and PSA Diagnostic Chart - Desktop Wiki - Desktop - Dell Community
Okay so I clicked on the links you supplied but they appear to be people asking questions, not solutions.
if bios is broken what does that mean exactly?
Do you have available any other computer parts such as motherboard, GPU, monitor, RAM etc?
Please confirm that the computer was never able to be reset from overclocking to stock.
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