Manuals

System Codes and Messages: Dell Dimension 8100 System Reference

System Codes and Messages: Dell™ Dimension™ 8100 System Reference

	Diagnostic Codes		POST Beep Codes
	Power Button Light Codes		System Messages

Diagnostic Codes

Your computer is equipped with four diagnostic lights, which are labeled "A," "B," "C," and "D" on the back of the computer. Each of the four lights can be yellow, green, or off as shown in the following table. When the computer is turned on or restarted and it is functioning normally, the lights flash during POST. After the computer starts, the lights remain green to signify normal computer operation.

If a malfunction is detected and the computer fails to start, the lights display a code that identifies the problem. Write down the diagnostic code displayed and look it up in the following table.

Diagnostic Code	Definition	Corrective Action
	Power up default.	Make sure that the computer is connected to a known working electrical outlet, and then check whether the front-panel power light is on or off. If the power light is off, check the power supply. If the problem persists, see "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. See "Precautionary Measures," and then remove all cards. If the computer still does not start, see "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
	Recovery mode from BIOS failure.	Set the configuration jumper to Maintenance mode and restart the computer. Exit and save changes in the system setup program. Turn off the computer and reset the configuration jumper to Normal mode, and then start the computer. See "Precautionary Measures," and then remove all cards and restart the computer to determine if a resource conflict exists. If a conflict exists, resolve the conflict. If the problem persists, see "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
	Microprocessor has failed a BIOS test.	If the problem persists, see "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
	Memory failed to be sized or enabled.	Reseat the memory modules. If the problem persists, see "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
	PCI bus failure has occurred.	See "Precautionary Measures," and then remove all cards and restart the computer to determine if a resource conflict exists. If a conflict exists, resolve the conflict. If the problem still persists, see "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
	Video controller failed to initialize or respond.	Reseat the video card. If the problem persists, see "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
	IDE bus failure has occurred.	Reseat the IDE cables. If the problem persists, see "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
	USB port or a device connected to it has failed initialization.	Disconnect the device from the USB connector. If the problem persists, see "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
	System board resource and/or hardware failure.	See "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
	System board resource and/or hardware failure.	See "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
	Card failure or conflict.	See "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
	Other failure.	See "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
	Computer has started and turned over control to the operating system.	No action is necessary.

HINT: The Glossary defines abbreviations and acronyms.

Power Button Light Codes

The power button light can be off, yellow, green, or blinking. The following table explains what each power button light code means.

Power Button Light Code	Definition
Off	Power is off.
Blinking yellow	The computer is in its first state of starting up. If the light remains in this state, check the power supply.
Steady yellow	The computer is in its second state of starting up. If the light remains in this state, be sure that the microprocessor is properly seated.
Steady green	The computer is in a normal operating state.
Blinking green	The computer is in a low-power state.

POST Beep Codes

If the monitor cannot display errors or problems, during POST the computer might emit a series of beeps (a beep code), that identifies the problem. The following table lists the POST beep codes and their causes.

Beep Code	Cause
1-1-2	CPU register test in progress
1-1-3	CMOS read/write test in progress or failure
1-1-4	BIOS ROM checksum in progress or failure
1-2-1	Timer test in progress or failure
1-2-2	DMA initialization in progress or failure
1-2-3	DMA page register read/write test in progress or failure
1-3-1	RAM refresh verification in progress or failure
1-3-2	1^st 64-K RAM test in progress or failure
1-3-3	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure (multi bit)
1-3-4	1^st 64-K RAM odd/even logic failure
1-4-1	1^st 64-K RAM address line failure
1-4-2	1^st 64-K RAM parity test in progress or failure
1-4-3	Fail-safe timer test in progress
1-4-4	Software NMI port test in progress
2-1-1	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit 0
2-1-2	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit 1
2-1-3	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit 2
2-1-4	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit 3
2-2-1	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit 4
2-2-2	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit 5
2-2-3	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit 6
2-2-4	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit 7
2-3-1	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit 8
2-3-2	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit 9
2-3-3	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit A
2-3-4	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit B
2-4-1	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit C
2-4-2	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit D
2-4-3	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit E
2-4-4	1^st 64-K RAM chip or data line failure – bit F
3-1-1	Slave DMA register test in progress or failure
3-1-2	Master DMA register test in progress or failure
3-1-3	Master IMR test in progress or failure
3-1-4	Slave IMR test in progress or failure
3-2-2	Interrupt vector loading in progress
3-2-4	Keyboard controller test in progress or failure
3-3-1	CMOS power fail and checksum test in progress
3-3-2	CMOS config info validation in progress
3-3-3	RTC/keyboard controller not found
3-3-4	Screen memory test in progress or failure
3-4-1	Screen initialization test in progress or failure
3-4-2	Screen retrace test in progress or failure
3-4-3	Search for video ROM in progress
4-2-1	Timer tick interrupt test in progress or failure
4-2-2	Shutdown test in progress or failure
4-2-3	Gate A20 failure
4-2-4	Unexpected interrupt in Protected Mode
4-3-1	RAM test in progress or failure above address 0FFFFh
4-3-2	No memory in Bank 0
4-3-3	Interval Timer Channel 2 test in progress or failure
4-3-4	Time-Of-Day Clock test in progress or failure
4-4-1	Super I/O chip failure
4-4-4	Cache test failure
5-2-2-1	Unsupported RIMM device count/technology
5-2-2-2	Mismatch between Channel A and Channel B
5-2-2-3	Levelization failed (either bad timing or continuity card missing)
HINT: The Glossary defines abbreviations and acronyms.

System Messages

The first column in the following table lists (in alphabetical order) system messages that might appear on the screen during the boot routine or during normal system operation. The second column in the table lists possible causes of the messages, and the third column either provides a corrective action or refers you to a source for resolving the problem.

Message	Possible Cause	Corrective Action
8042 Gate-A20 error	The keyboard controller failed its test.	If you receive this message after making changes in the system setup program, enter the program and restore the original value(s).
Address Line Short!	Error in the address decoding circuitry in the memory.	Reseat the memory modules.
C: Drive Error C: Drive Failure	The hard drive is not working or is not configured correctly.	Ensure that the drive is installed correctly in the computer and defined correctly in the system setup program.
Cache Memory Bad, Do Not Enable Cache	Cache memory is not operating.	See "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
CH-2 Timer Error	An error is occurring on the timer on the system board.	See "Contacting Dell" in the Solutions Guide for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
CMOS Battery State Low CMOS Checksum Failure CMOS System Options Not Set CMOS Display Type Mismatch CMOS Memory Size Mismatch CMOS Time and Date Not Set	The system configuration information in the system setup program is incorrect, or the battery charge may be low.	Enter the system setup program and verify the system configuration; then restart the computer.
Diskette Boot Failure	Drive A or B is present but has failed the BIOS POST.	Ensure that the drive is installed correctly in the computer and defined correctly in the system setup program. Check the interface cable at both ends.
DMA Error DMA 1 Error DMA 2 Error	Error in the DMA controller on the system board.	The keyboard or system board may need to be replaced.
FDD Controller Failure HDD Controller Failure	BIOS cannot communicate with the floppy drive or hard drive controller.	Ensure that the drive is installed correctly in the computer and defined correctly in the system setup program. Check the interface cable at both ends.
INTR1 Error INTR2 Error	Interrupt channel on the system board failed to POST.	The keyboard or system board may need to be replaced.
Invalid Boot Diskette	The operating system cannot be located on drive A or drive C.	Enter the system setup program and confirm that drive A or drive C is properly identified.
Keyboard Error	The BIOS has detected a stuck key.	Make sure that nothing is resting on the keyboard; if a key appears to be stuck, carefully pry it up. If the problem persists, you may need to replace the keyboard.
KB/Interface Error	An error occurred with the keyboard connector.	The keyboard or system board may need to be replaced.
No ROM Basic	The operating system cannot be located on drive A or drive C.	Enter the system setup program and confirm that drive A or drive C is properly identified.
HINT: The Glossary defines abbreviations and acronyms.

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