Dell OptiPlex GX280 PC Desktop Logo
Posted on Mar 07, 2009
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Can't boot my Dell Optiplex GX280 from the

Bought a new 80gb sata hd and wanted to do a clean install of Windows XP. have the cd drive 1st in boot sequence. turn machine on, it goes through initial dell setup, then screen goes black. i cqan hear the hd and the cd drive working their little tails off, but nothing happens. eventually, all goes silent and i'm stuck with a black screen and a silent computer. any ideas. I've tried everything i can think of, short of taking it to my local repair shop and spending 30 bucks for them to fix it.

  • 5 more comments 
  • dragontears Mar 07, 2009

    the bios recognizes the hard drive, so i don't think that's the problem. it's the only drive in the machime, so it should be the master. and would that have anything to do with the cd/dvd drive not reading the boot disk? i know the cd/dvd drive works as i've been using it for almost a year without problems. i have a brand new hp running vista, can i put the new drive in that and load xp, then move it to the old computer?

  • dragontears Mar 07, 2009

    LOL You won't believe what I did to fix the problem. I was trying to run the computer through my 47" HDTV (as I had done before), so , as a last ditch effort, I plugged in an old 15" VGA monitor, and guess what? A boot window for the CD popped up and I was able to install XP. Guess the motherboard doesn't have the cajones to handle the 47" monitor. So, problem solved and thanks for all the input from everyone.

  • Anonymous Mar 17, 2009

    if its a SATA harddrive the bios will most of the time automaticly comfigure to the hdd settings

  • Jaidan Apr 05, 2009

    im bummed out....i have a **** IBM 15 inch computer screen right....anyways thats not the point ok what happens with mine is i turn the computer on and it loads up the IBM screen for the monitor and at the top right hand corner it says press F2 for set up and F12 for boot menu i press F12 boot menu and it just goes to setting i press F2 set up and it goes black.....its realy fustrating...ok so i tri reboot it with a Windows Xp cd and it goes to the IBM screen loads up then says "press any key to boot from cd" i press it then is says somthing like "system is inspecting your hard ware configuration....." i wait then it goes black what do i do?!


  • sean routt Apr 15, 2009

    my gx280 dell has a cd stuck some where . i put in the cd and when i opened it the cd was gone. cant get the cd to eject it will open but the first disc i put in has dissapperaed please help me

  • sean routt Apr 15, 2009

    i got a new gx280 i put a cd in and it didnt work when i ejected it there was no cd. i cant get the cd out what can i do. ive tried a different cd and that works fine but the first one is lost please help me.,

  • Wumpus Apr 16, 2009

    Similar sort of thing for me, except I'm only using a 19" widescreen TFT screen, 1440x900.



    The GX280 won't boot with the monitor plugged in.

    If I unplug the VGA cable, boot the machine, then plug the VGA back in, it works fine!



    I think the GX280 simply doesn't like resolutions it doesn't understand, and won't get through POST as a result.



    I'd try using a plug-in graphics card, except that it's a small case so the card needs to be PCI-E and half-height, and I don't have any of those handy.



    What with all those bad capacitors I had to replace as well....

    Won't buy Dell again, that's for sure.

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The fix

unplugged the CD drive & set the DVD drive to be the Master
Clearing CMOS Settings

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I have booting probleam with my dell optiplex 280..after showing dell in blue at statup it just shows a command prompt ob black screen and don't go further to boot windows.I am really fed up of this is there any solution.I am hating my pc and thinking to change the brand with hp

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  • Posted on Mar 07, 2009
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U need to use the sata drive floppyor windows xp corporate with sata drivers. can download from torrents.

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  • Posted on Mar 07, 2009
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Hi there
hey if you boot into bios and you need to make sure that the computer will recognize the hard drive and that the jumper that is on the hard drive is set as either master or slave depending on what you want than make sure that of the parameters are right and apply it. than restart the computer and than see if the cd will now boot and you should be able to continue from here ok
best regards mike

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