# Dell Latitude problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170 "2013-05-23T22:24:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/1 "2013-05-23T22:24:45Z")
I have a Dell Latitude E5400. It won’t boot up. Power comes on, the hard drive is being accessed, and the screen will go from black to dark grey but otherwise the screen is blank. I took the battery out, and it still won’t work. I do hear the little three note chime, but nothing ever happens. Any troubleshooting clues? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/2 "2013-05-23T22:27:15Z")
Is it trying to display to an external monitor, perhaps? Try pushing Fn+F8 on its keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/3 "2013-05-23T22:44:18Z")
No that does not do anything. The way the hard drive light is flashing it looks like it is trying to start, but no words, not even the press F2 comes on. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/4 "2013-05-23T22:50:29Z")
I don’t know what model you have, but POST codes tend to be pretty stable. If this isn’t even close, search on your model with the words dell latitude post codes. go to 4th post down ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/5 "2013-05-23T22:58:08Z")
The sound I mentioned is not a POST code, but rather the little chimey sound you always hear when booting. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/6 "2013-05-23T22:59:39Z")
When it’s running shine a bright light on the screen; do you see anything on it? ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/7 "2013-05-23T23:02:07Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > The sound I mentioned is not a POST code, but rather the little chimey sound you always hear when booting. It might be worth looking at that link. there’s a lot more to it. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/8 "2013-05-23T23:06:30Z")
What link is that? I would like to try it. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/9 "2013-05-23T23:17:13Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Is it trying to display to an external monitor, perhaps? Try pushing Fn+F8 on its keyboard. Or plug it into a regular monitor and try the same key combination if nothing comes up. If it works fine on monitor, you will have either a damaged video cable, a bad backlight, a bad backlight inverter, or some kind of screen failure. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/10 "2013-05-23T23:27:32Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > What link is that? I would like to try it. Sigh. Very sorry. [Link](http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/t/18223024.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/11 "2013-05-24T00:05:22Z")
Thank you very much. I had no idea that it would flash a code instead of beep one. However, no code at all was enunciated. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/12 "2013-05-24T00:11:18Z")
Seconding the idea that it’s a screen issue. It sounds like when my backlight went out. Try plugging in to an external monitor as **drachillix** suggested. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dell-latitude-problem/659170/13 "2013-05-24T02:13:29Z")
Was a screen issue. Now I can make sure I back everything up and search for a new laptop. This one is way old. Thank you all very very much.