Solved Dell Optiplex 755 randomly restarts

[bildrk]

Hi All, as the title says I have a Dell OptiPlex 755, with a clean install of Windows 7 64 bit. I have been having a lot of problems getting this thing to work correctly. I will list each problem below, and separate them:

The first problem I have been having is an immediate restart when I woke the computer from sleep. I would get a flash of the login screen, and then the system would reboot. Doing some research, I figured out a couple of settings to modify in Windows. I disabled Wake timers, Disabled Hybrid Sleep, and I unchecked "Allow This Device to Wake The Computer" for the Ethernet adapter. Without installing any Windows Updates, ie, right after installation, the computer would sleep and function normally.

The second problem I am currently having is a very similar problem as before. At this point, all the mandatory Windows Updates are installed. What happens is when the computer is woken up from sleep, and sits Idle for about 45 seconds to 2 minutes, it will shut down, and then turn back on. I have no idea as to why the computer is doing this.

I have used memtest86 all day today testing the ram, and that is not the problem. I have not ruled out the mobo or hdd yet. I have also looked through the event logs, and I get a critical event 41, and in the error section I see errors 10, 6008, and 7023. I do not suspect events 10. I will post the details for each error below.

I really hope one of you guys can help me; this is without a doubt the hardest time I have ever had getting a computer to work. I am getting kind of frustrated with this. Any ideas are very sincerely appreciated. Thank you.

Event 7023:

- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
<Provider Name="Service Control Manager" Guid="{555908d1-a6d7-4695-8e1e-26931d2012f4}" EventSourceName="Service Control Manager" />

<EventID Qualifiers="49152">7023</EventID>

<Version>0</Version>

<Level>2</Level>

<Task>0</Task>

<Opcode>0</Opcode>

<Keywords>0x8080000000000000</Keywords>

<TimeCreated SystemTime="2014-04-21T02:35:36.287296200Z" />

<EventRecordID>1248</EventRecordID>

<Correlation />

<Execution ProcessID="480" ThreadID="612" />

<Channel>System</Channel>

<Computer>Billy-PC</Computer>

<Security />

</System>


- <EventData>
<Data Name="param1">Windows Modules Installer</Data>

<Data Name="param2">%%16405</Data>

</EventData>


</Event>

Event 6008:
- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
<Provider Name="EventLog" />

<EventID Qualifiers="32768">6008</EventID>

<Level>2</Level>

<Task>0</Task>

<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>

<TimeCreated SystemTime="2014-04-21T02:44:21.000000000Z" />

<EventRecordID>1265</EventRecordID>

<Channel>System</Channel>

<Computer>Billy-PC</Computer>

<Security />

</System>


- <EventData>
<Data>10:37:07 PM</Data>

<Data>‎4/‎20/‎2014</Data>

<Data />

<Data />

<Data>146</Data>

<Data />

<Data />

<Binary>DE07040000001400160025000700E302DE07040001001500020025000700E302600900003C000000010000006009000000000000B00400000100000000000000</Binary>

</EventData>


</Event>

Event 41:
- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" />

<EventID>41</EventID>

<Version>2</Version>

<Level>1</Level>

<Task>63</Task>

<Opcode>0</Opcode>

<Keywords>0x8000000000000002</Keywords>

<TimeCreated SystemTime="2014-04-21T02:44:13.840837500Z" />

<EventRecordID>1270</EventRecordID>

<Correlation />

<Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />

<Channel>System</Channel>

<Computer>Billy-PC</Computer>

<Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />

</System>


- <EventData>
<Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>

<Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>

<Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>

<Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>

<Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>

<Data Name="SleepInProgress">false</Data>

<Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data>

</EventData>


</Event>





I apologize for making the post so long; I just want to give as much information as possible. If anyone needs any extra info, please let me know, and provide the steps to obtain it; I am new to this level of analyzing problems. Thank you.

 

[andrew129260]

Problems like this indicate a issue with the power supply.

Have you tested your power supply?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/301799-psu-test-dc-output-voltage.html

Have you tried a new power supply unit?

 

[bildrk]

Hi andrew129260, thanks for your reply. I took the computer into a local computer store, and they discovered the hdd went bad. I bought a new one and tried it, and it didn't really cure anything.

However, I've noticed something peculiar. When I leave my ethernet cable plugged into the computer, the computer resumes from sleep, and will restart within 1 minute. BUT, if I leave the ethernet cable unplugged, put it to sleep, wait 10 minutes, and resume it from sleep, the computer does not restart. I sat and watched it for 10 minutes, but it just stayed at the login screen, and it behaves normally.

I assume this is a windows problem; but what?

 

[Mellon Head]

Have you double checked the "Allow this device to wake computer" on the Ethernet adapter since you ran the updates? It may have reset itself.

 

[bildrk]

Hi Mellon Head, thanks for your response. Yeah, I have double checked the Ethernet settings, and the "Allow this device to wake this computer" is unchecked. I have tried with it checked, and it does the same thing.

I am beginning to suspect the power supply is bad. Could this be the problem?

 

[fireberd]

Unfortunately the only real way to check a power supply is to substitute a known good supply. Considering the age of this model the power supply is suspect.

There are 4 different versions of the OptiPlex 755. On most (all that I've seen) of Dell's compact case (Small Form) models they do not use a standard ATX power supply. There are TFX power supplies that are used on many compact case models. The full size case models are BTX style but use an ATX power supply.

 

[bildrk]

Hi fireberd, thanks for your reply. I ordered a power supply for it, and also a power supply tester so I can test future ones. I will report back with my results when I place it in.

 

[fireberd]

No guarantee that the power supply is the problem, however as I mentioned unfortunately the only way to fully test a power supply is to replace it with a known good one.

As far as the "tester". That only shows voltages under "no load". A power supply can test good under "no load" but fail when it is hooked up and "under load".

 

[bildrk]

Hi fireberd, thanks for the advice. I still think a tester would be handy, and it could help guide me in a direction in future situations.

I know there is not a guarantee with the PSU, I am out of ideas on the issue. I have changed Windows settings, and it still isn't working.

Another reason I think it is the PSU is because of the ethernet adapter issue. While a Windows setting could cause this problem, there are not very many settings to try in device manager, and I have tried them all. This tells me that it is most likely hardware, at this point, and not software, especially considering it runs fine while the ethernet cable is unplugged.

 

[bildrk]

Hi all- i put a new power supply in, and it did not cure the problem. I can now officially rule the power supply out as the problem.

I am going to retest the RAM with known good RAM from my personal computer. If the computer functions as it should, I will know the RAM is bad, and if it doesn't, I will rule the RAM out as the problem.

After that, I will test the HDD using seatools. If the HDD passes, I am not sure where to go from there. I have screwed with Windows settings, and cannot get it to work.

I might try installing Windows 7 32 bit, but what I have on it now, Windows 7 64 bit, should function just fine. If this does not cure the problem, I might just say the heck with it and swap the mobo.

Could anyone point me in a good direction, I feel like my ideas i've laid out here are literally a "shotgun" method to diagnosis, when I would rather just focus in on the problem. If this is the only way to do it, then so be it. Thanks for anyones reply.

 

[andrew129260]

Perhaps the new power supply is bad as well, can happen.

Anyway though, if your motherboards bios up to date? I wonder if it could be resolved by updating the bios to the latest version?

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us...dimension-5100C&languageCode=EN&categoryId=BI

 

[bildrk]

Hi andrew129260, thanks for replying. I can still test the new power supply. It will give me a chance to play with my new tester. I have already updated the bios to the latest version- that was one of the first things I tried. It could be the video driver- but i've tried three versions, the native driver used during Windows installation, the one retrieved via Windows Update, and a Windows 7 driver direct from Intel for the chipset in this computer. I am running out of ideas; any more thoughts are certainly appreciated.

 

[bybyWin]

This is an ooold thread, but since you done a LOT already i just have to post this just in case,
and because you have all my sympathy ..
Ran into this (755)broblem myself recently and found tons of posts of the matter through the net.

Note .. my system runs on Linux (really) and the broblem appears regardless the Os!
Dont boter to change it, it wont help.
Found out interesting thought which is in the link, you should check it !

OptiPlex 755 mysteriously turns itself on - Desktop General Hardware - Desktop - Dell Community
( incase of badlink I copy the most relevant answer )

" Posted by sirihi on 18 Mar 2009 8:50 AM
OK. I had this rather annoying problem on a 755 i bought off ebay running WinXP. I'm using the latest BIOS version. The cause of this problem is nothing to do with OS version or the wake-on-lan in either the bios or in the OS settings. It is caused by the Intel AMT (active management technology) built into the motherboard. You can google this to find out about it, but essentially it allows remote lights-out management. By default it seems to be activated with it's own WOL settings enabled. The simplest thing to do (unless you want to delve in to this feature) is to simply disable it. When the dell switches on you should see an option to enter the MEBx bios by pressing CTRL + P (you'll see it in the top right hand corner of your screen). This is a separate BIOS from the normal one. Once you're in this the first thing to do is to set a password - not that simple because it is ultra fussy about the strength - it has to contain caps, lowercase, numbers and a symbol such as an exclamation mark (underscore doesn't count!). Once you've done that there is an option in the menu to simply disable the whole IAMT feature. This will stop the "mysterious" wake-up's! If you want further info on the MEBx bios features, just search!
Hope this helps! "

 

[bildrk]

Alright, I will finally slay this stupid problem- the problem lies within the integrated LAN device- it is simply not fully compatible with Windows 7. In my case, it is the Intel Gigabit adapter, I believe. I turned it off in the BIOS settings. Then, I purchased a Wireless LAN adapter, that was fully compatible with Windows 7, and after installing everything and restarting, the problem vanished. It has been almost a year, and the problem has not resurfaced. THUS, there is the answer.

babyWin, that may also explain the problems you are having with Linux, though having run Linux myself for many years, I have never run into that problem. My suggestion is to buy a wireless LAN, and if you don't have one, buy a wireless router to go with it, this might fix your problem's with Linux. Are you also using the latest release of your distro, because a more mature kernel may have an updated driver that could fix your problems? Thank you for your sympathy, and for sharing the information- but all is good now! If you need more help, feel free to start a new thread, and we would be glad to assist you! Again, thanks. Take care.

 

[sysmg]

I agree with bybywin. I have 4 Optiplex 755's in my house experiencing problems. They mostly run Windows 7 64bit Ultimate (some have 32 bit). The problems vary by machine. They include random reboot, random power off and occasionally a mysterious power on/off. At first, before it started happening on all the machines, I was thinking it was a problem with power a supply, motherboard, a driver, Windows image, etc... Then I found the MbEX problem described on youtube. I have tried the MbEX solution and it seems to work. I will repost once this has been running long enough to be totally sure.

 

[sysmg]

I agree with bybywin. I have 4 Optiplex 755's in my house experiencing problems. They mostly run Windows 7 64bit Ultimate (some have 32 bit). The problems vary by machine. They include random reboot, random power off and occasionally a mysterious power on/off. At first, before it started happening on all the machines, I was thinking it was a problem with power a supply, motherboard, a driver, Windows image, etc... Then I found the MbEX problem described on youtube. I have tried the MbEX solution and it seems to work. I will repost once this has been running long enough to be totally sure.

Actually this did not work. The solution that worked for me was changing the BIOS Power Settings. I had to change the Suspend Mode from the factory default S3 to S1. Now the systems are stable. I am running the latest BIOS A22.

 

[gregg1985odes]

i know this is an old post but i wanted to let you know what i determined. in my case it is a hardware issue NOT a windows issue. i had this issue a few weeks ago on a different pc and could not figure it out. i eventually tossed the pc after swapping lots of parts. when i had the second one pop up yesterday i thought i should take a closer look. it also presented with some corrupt files so i replace the drive. then when the problem persisted i removed one ram chip at a time. removing the second seemed to work so i created the proper userid and copied files etc. then i popped the cover back on. sure enough after 2-3 minutes more crashing. i did not want to believe it so i let it reboot several more times. then it hit me. it only reboots itself with the cover ON. after more testing with the cover On and Off I determined it is a problem caused by that cover being On. So i left the cover Off.

 

[Megahertz07]

If it works without the cover, it seems you're achieving CPU high temperatures.
To protect it self, CPU shuts down when it reaches high temperatures.
Install a hardware monitor. My suggestion is Open hardware monitor. Open Hardware Monitor - Core temp, fan speed and voltages in a free software gadget
If the CPU temperature goes higher than 80ºC, shut down and remove the fan and heat sink and clean it with a paint brush and a vacuum cleaner. Clean and replace the thermal paste.