Whenever a major component or device in your computer does not function properly, you may have a component failure. If you are experiencing a problem with your computer, Dell recommends that you perform the checks in "Solving Problems" and run the Dell Diagnostics before you call Dell for technical assistance.
As long as the microprocessor and the display, keyboard, and optical drive are working, you can use the Dell Diagnostics. Running the Dell Diagnostics may help you to resolve the problem yourself quickly without having to contact Dell for assistance.
If you are experienced with computers and know what component(s) you need to test, simply select the appropriate diagnostic test group(s) or subtest(s). If you are unsure about how to begin diagnosing a problem, see "Starting the Dell Diagnostics" and "Advanced Testing."
The Dell Diagnostics helps you check your computer's hardware without any additional equipment and without destroying any data. By using the diagnostics, you can have confidence in your computer's operation. And if you find a problem you cannot solve by yourself, the diagnostic tests can provide you with important information you will need when talking to Dell's service and support personnel. If you are experiencing a problem with your computer, Dell recommends that you perform the checks in "Solving Problems" and run the Dell Diagnostics before you call Dell for technical assistance.
NOTICE: Use the Dell Diagnostics to test only your Dell™ computer. Using
this program with other computers may cause incorrect computer responses or
result in error messages.
The diagnostic test groups or subtests also have these helpful features:
Options that let you perform quick checks or extensive tests on one or all devices
An option that allows you to choose the number of times a test group or subtest is repeated
The ability to display test results or to save them in a file
Options to temporarily suspend testing if an error is detected, or to terminate testing when an adjustable error limit is reached
Extensive online Help screens that describe the tests and how to run them
Status messages that inform you whether test groups or subtests were completed successfully
Error messages that appear if any problems are detected
HINT: Dell recommends
that you print these
procedures before you
begin.
Before you can start the Dell Diagnostics you need to reset your boot sequence and boot from the Drivers and Utilities CD for your computer.
HINT: In the system
setup program, a device
preceded by an
exclamation point (!)
indicates that the device is
disabled.
Turn off the computer.
Ensure that the computer is connected to an electrical outlet.
Turn on the computer with the Drivers and Utilities CD in the optical
drive.
Press
to enter the system setup program as soon as the Dell logo
screen appears, and before the Microsoft® Windows® logo screen
appears.
Press the right-arrow key to select the Boot tab at the top of the screen.
Press the down-arrow key to select the CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive, and
then press
to move the selected device to the top of the boot
list.
Press
to save and exit the system setup program and restart the
computer to boot from the CD.
The computer starts and automatically begins to run the Dell Diagnostics.
When you start the diagnostics, the Dell logo screen appears, followed by a message telling you that the diagnostics is loading. After the diagnostics loads, the DiagnosticsMenu appears.
When you have completed running the diagnostics, remove the
Drivers and Utilities CD.
When the computer restarts, press
as soon as the Dell logo
screen appears, and before the Microsoft Windows logo screen
appears.
Press the right-arrow key to select the Boot tab at the top of the screen.
Reset Boot First Device to Hard Drive.
Press
to save and exit the system setup program and restart
Windows.
Remove the CD from the optical drive.
To select an option from this menu, highlight the option and press
, or press the key that corresponds to the highlighted letter
in the option you choose.
Performs extensive diagnostic tests or quick diagnostic tests on all devices.
Test One Device
Performs extensive diagnostic tests or quick diagnostic tests on one device after you select it from a list of device groups. After you select Test One Device, press
for more information about a test.
Advanced Testing
Allows you to modify the parameters of a test and select a group of tests to perform. You can access online Help for more information about Advanced Testing.
Information and Results
Provides test results, test errors, version numbers of the subtests used by the Dell Diagnostics, and additional help on the Dell Diagnostics.
Program Options
Allows you to change the settings of the Dell Diagnostics.
Exit to MS-DOS
Exits to the MS-DOS® prompt.
For a quick check of your computer, select Quick Tests from the Test All Devices or Test One Device option. Quick Tests runs only the subtests that do not require user interaction and that do not take a long time to run. Dell recommends that you choose Quick Tests first to increase the odds of tracing the source of the problem quickly.
For a thorough check of your computer, select Extended Tests from the Test All Devices option.
To check a particular area of your computer, select Extended Tests from the Test One Device option, or select the Advanced Testing option to customize your test(s).
When you select Advanced Testing from the Diagnostics Menu, the Advanced Testing screen appears, listing the diagnostic test device groups and devices of the selected device group, and the screen allows you to select categories from a menu. Press the arrow keys or
to navigate the screen.
HINT: The test groups
reflect the configuration
of your computer.
Information in the Advanced Testing screen is presented as follows:
On the left side of the screen, the Device Groups area lists the diagnostic test groups in the order they will run if you select All from the Run tests menu category. Press the up- or down-arrow key to highlight a test device group.
On the right side of the screen, the Devices for Highlighted Group area lists the computer's currently detected hardware and some of the relevant settings.
Two lines at the bottom of the screen make up the menu area (see "Advanced Testing Help Menu"). The first line lists the categories you can select; press the left- or right-arrow key to highlight a menu category. The second line gives information about the category currently highlighted.
Provides descriptions of the main menu screen area, the device groups, the different diagnostic menus and commands, and instructions on how to use them.
Keys
Explains the functions of the all of the keystrokes that can be used in the Dell Diagnostics.
Device Group
Describes the test group that is presently highlighted in the Device Groups area on the main menu screen. It also provides reasoning for using some tests.
Device
Describes the function and purpose of the highlighted device in the DeviceGroups area. For example, the following information appears when you select the Device Help category for Diskette in the DeviceGroups list:
Diskette
Drive A
The diskette disk drive device reads and writes data to and from diskettes. Diskettes are flexible recording media, sometimes contained in hard shells. Diskette recording capacities are small and access times are slow relative to hard disk drives, but they provide a convenient means of storing and transferring data.
Test
Provides a thorough explanation of the test procedure of each highlighted test group subtest. An example of the Diskette subtest floppy drive Seek Test is as follows:
Diskette
Drive A - floppy drive Seek Test
This test verifies the drive's ability to position its read/write heads. The test operates in two passes: first, seeking from the beginning to ending cylinders inclusively, and second, seeking alternately from the beginning to ending cylinders with convergence towards the middle.
Versions
Lists the version numbers of the subtests that are used by the Dell Diagnostics.
When you boot your computer from your Drivers and Utilities CD, the diagnostics checks your system configuration information and displays it in the Device Groups area on the main screen.
The following sources supply this configuration information for the diagnostics:
The system configuration information settings (stored in NVRAM) that you selected while using the system setup program
Identification tests of the microprocessor, the video controller, the keyboard controller, and other key components
BIOS configuration information temporarily saved in RAM
Do not be concerned if the Device Groups area does not list the names of all the components or devices you know are part of your computer. For example, you may not see a printer listed, although you know one is attached to your computer. Instead, the printer is listed as a parallel port. The computer recognizes the parallel port as LPT1, which is an address that tells the computer where to send outgoing information and where to look for incoming information. Because your printer is a parallel communications device, the computer recognizes the printer by its LPT1 address and identifies it as a parallel port. You can test your printer connection in the Parallel Ports tests.
to enter the system setup program as soon as the Dell logo
screen appears, and before the Microsoft® Windows® logo screen
appears.
to move the selected device to the top of the boot
list.
to save and exit the system setup program and restart the
computer to boot from the CD.
as soon as the Dell logo
screen appears, and before the Microsoft Windows logo screen
appears.
to save and exit the system setup program and restart
Windows.
, or press the key that corresponds to the highlighted letter
in the option you choose.
for more information about a test.
to navigate the screen.
.
, or press the key
that corresponds to the highlighted letter in the category you choose.