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July 10th, 2025 20:00
Latitude e5440 with boot problems
I have a Latitude e5440 that will turn on
it will start with black screen and shuts down a few seconds after dell logo appears
if you push power button as soon as it shuts down it will boot and start normally but if you wait few seconds , it will do the same problem.
Troubleshooting done:
1-i found out the cmos battery was dead and unplugged so i replaced it with a new one but the problem presists
2-replaced ram / SDD but no result
3-Attempted forced ePSA according to article: https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/sln304045/how-to-use-forced-epsa-to-recover-from-post-or-boot-failure-on-dell-latitude-pcs?lang=en but no result
4- I was almost certain it's a BIOS problem so I tried following this article
I noticed the following things:
- While updating to the same version (a24) from windows, it reboots but it doesn't start the installation
- while trying to update to a previous version of BIOS (a23) , it asks for reboote but doesnt start the update , and the version of bios stays the same
- I tried using the boot menu to flash the bios using excutable file in the USB, it shows the version and all in preperation for installation. As soon as I accept , the laptop will reboot and the installation doesn't start .
I am almost certain that the BIOS is the problem but I can't confirm if I can't flash the BIOS, is there a way to do so?
ejn63
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July 10th, 2025 20:07
If you can get into setup, as it sounds - the firmware is fine.
Chances are the mainboard needs to be replaced. Since the system has a value well under $100 -- probably half that -- it may not be worth a replacement board. It won't cost any more to replace the system -- perhaps with something newer.
Adamak1808
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July 10th, 2025 20:42
@ejn63 it doesn't get to bios update screen, just the prompt to start and it reboot soon after
ejn63
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July 10th, 2025 20:46
Is there a recognized, at least 50% charged battery in the system and does the system correctly recognize the AC adapter (F2 at powerup to check)?
Adamak1808
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July 10th, 2025 20:52
@ejn63 yes it does shows the battery status (currently 95%) and it does recognise the AC adapter.
Maybe I failed to mention that the system shuts down even when in BIOS menu
ejn63
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July 10th, 2025 20:55
As I mentioned before, this is not a problem that will be solved with a firmware update -- it's a mainboard with something heat-intolerant aboard, or a component that's not firmly connected to the system board -- or a wire trace that's not what it was 11 years ago when the system was manufactured.
How much time and effort you want to put into a system worth $50 is a question you'll need to answer. If the system is not stable though, I would not update the firmware -- if the system cuts out during the update, the decision will be made at that point.