System stuck at Dell logo with spinning circle or black screen after Dell logo

 XPS 8500
 INSPIRON 2330
 INSPIRON 7520
 INSPIRON 5423

Things to remember

 Systems shipped with Windows 8 would have UEFI enabled and Secure boot enabled from factory
 Systems shipped with Windows 7 would have Legacy Boot enabled and Secure boot disabled
 The system will only boot with the Boot mode the OS was loaded in. Changing the settings would cause the system to give a BSOD or an error that no bootable device was found.

BIOS setting that work
XPS 8500 Bios Version : A09 (Windows 8)

SATA operations : RAID
Boot Tab
System mode state : User
Secure boot state : Enabled
Secure boot : Enabled
Secure boot mode : Standard
Load legacy EPROM : Disabled
Boot mode : UEFI


INSPIRON 7520 with SSD

SATA operations : Intel® Smart Response Technology (Default)
1. Change the SATA operations to AHCI from Intel® Smart Response Technology.
2. Hit F10 and select Save and Exit.
3. The computer would reboot a couple of times or get to a screen asking to select the Keyboard
layout.
4. Power off the computer and go the BIOS again.
5. Change the SATA operations back to Intel® Smart Response Technology
Boot Tab
Secure boot : Disabled
Boot mode : Legacy


INSPIRON 2330

Boot Tab
Boot mode : UEFI
Secure Boot Control : Enabled
Secure Boot mode : Standard
Load legacy EPROM : Disabled
Load Legacy : Never


Inspiron 5423

SATA operations : Intel® Smart Response Technology (Default)
1. Change the SATA operations to AHCI from Intel® Smart Response Technology.
2. Hit F10 and select Save and Exit.
3. The computer would reboot a couple of times or get to a screen asking to select the Keyboard
layout.
4. Power off the computer and go the BIOS again.
5. Change the SATA operations back to Intel® Smart Response Technology

The issue is seen on systems sent without a SSD and Windows 8 shipped from the factory.

Issue reported on :

·         INSPIRON 5720

·         INSPIRON 5323

·         INSPIRON 3520

·         INSPIRON 2330

The systems show the following symptoms:

·         System gets stuck at black/gray screen after Dell logo

·         F2 may not work to take the system to the BIOS

·         If F2 does not work the only way to go to the BIOS is through F12 >> Setup.

·         Even with Load Legacy option ROM enabled Legacy boot options i.e Hard drive, CD/DVD drive not available.

·         Setting the system to Legacy Boot mode with Load Legacy option ROM enabled does not bring back the Legacy boot options

·         Loading BIOS defaults gives an error that you do not have privileges to save changes (Would have to capture the exact message the BIOS shows)

·         If set to UEFI boot network boot is the only available boot option

·         The BIOS gives options to Add boot Option but we have no document to guide us with adding boot options.

·         Toggling between UEFI with secure boot enabled, UEFI with secure boot disabled and Legacy boot mode does not help

·         Changing SATA operations has not helped.

·         As suggested in one mail the system will boot from the ODD if the system is cold booted with the disc in the drive has not worked.( With the Resource disc/OS disc in the drive if he power off the computer and then power it on the system boots to the same black/gray screen and the F12 boot options show no change. Please check attached screen shot)

·         Diagnostics on all such systems passes with no errors.