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December 22nd, 2025 19:07
PowerEdge R250 not powering on - totally my fault.
So I messed up and I know it, got in a hurry and failed to pull the power on the server before working on it. It was powered off just not unplugged. This is not a production server so it's not mission critical or anything like that. Anyway,
I added a NIC card and some RAM. All are compatible with the system, RAM is the exact same as what was already installed.
System fails to start. No fan spool up, no light on the power button when pressed - nothing. So I removed all the added components to get back to square one.
Power Supply (450W 80 Plus Bronze) green light will come on when pressing the "Test" button and the fan will spin. Otherwise the green light on the power supply does not come on. I'm not sure if it is suppose to illuminate all the time when power is applied or not, can't find that detail anywhere.
When plugging the power cord in the 7 LED's at the back of the board (R2008, R2009, R2010, R2011, R2012, R2014, R2018) 1,2,4,5 & 7 are blinking rapidly, 3 and 6 are off. These start blinking almost immediately upon power being applied.
The Blue light for the rack identifier comes on.
The LED for the System Power connector comes on (LED 4002).
That is about it. No power to the iDRAC, no lights on the front panel, nada.
I've disconnected all the power supply connections to the MB and tried each connection one at a time, no change. Tried the minimum to post configuration. All result in the same thing, the flashing LED's at the back of the MB and no progression toward POST.
Yeah, I know better so don't pile on. I just can't seem to narrow down to where the problem lies exactly. I believe the 7 LED's are the key but I can't find a chart detailing what the displayed sequence means.
Thanks for any insights!
DELL-Young E
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December 23rd, 2025 05:08
DELL-Young E
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December 24th, 2025 00:42
Hello,
One approach we can take is to avoid removing both the NIC and memory modules at the same time.
If the memory modules remain installed and the issue persists, we can reasonably assume the problem is related to one of the memory modules. Similarly, if the NIC is installed and the issue occurs, it likely points to the NIC. This step-by-step isolation will help us narrow down the root cause.
Regarding the motherboard LED pattern, I was unable to find specific details on the sequence you mentioned. Please double-check which LEDs are blinking, which are solid (on), and which are off, and confirm their positions relative to the front and back of the server.
lnivek
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December 24th, 2025 18:18
Hello, Thanks for the input. I have tried those combinations and I have stripped it down to the bare minimum to try to get past it but all configurations result in the same thing. When you first plug in the power cord, LED's 1&2 blink and then it goes right into the same pattern immediately: 1,2,4,5 &7 blinking rapidly, 3 and 6 are off. You can see them here through the cut on on the mezzanine card, I caught them mid blink:
Regards,
Kevin
DELL-Joey C
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December 26th, 2025 00:46
Hi,
If it's 1,2,4,5 &7 blinking rapidly, 3 and 6 are off, the indicator is leading to 5V SW Fault [A fault has been detected on the 5V SW rail, which feeds the control panel & LCD, if present, as well as iDRAC direct and VGA ports]
Here are some of the troubleshooting:
Failed USB device or short in USB port
Remove any attached USB devices, keeping in mind that these may be installed in the front or back of the server, and internally as well, depending on config. Inspect the USB ports for pin damage
Short in iDRAC Direct cable
Remove any devices plugged into the iDRAC Direct port (the USB port with a wrench icon)
Failed attached monitor or short in video cable
Remove any displays connected to the VGA port(s)
Short in control panel cable(s)
Disconnect the front control panel cable(s) from the motherboard
You can try removing all components except below and try to turn on the server. If it doesn't respond, perhaps you need to consider replacing the mainboard. Before removing the components, do remember to remove the power cable for your safety.