| Message |
Cause |
Action |
| Auxiliary device failure |
The touch pad, track stick, or external
PS/2 mouse may be faulty. |
If you are using an external mouse only,
check the connection for a loose or improperly connected cable. If the problem persists,
enable the Pointing Device option. If the problem persists,
call Dell for technical assistance. |
| Bad command or file name |
The command you entered does not exist or
is not in the pathname you specified. |
Make sure that you have typed the command
correctly, placed spaces in the proper location, and used the correct pathname. |
| Cache disabled due to failure |
The primary cache internal to the
microprocessor has failed. |
Call Dell for
technical assistance. |
| CD drive controller failure 1 |
The CD drive does not respond to
commands from the computer. |
Turn off the computer, remove the drive,
and boot the computer from a bootable floppy disk. Then turn off the computer again,
reinstall the drive, and reboot the computer. If the problem persists, try another drive.
Then run the CD drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Data error |
The floppy or hard drive cannot
read the data. |
Run the appropriate utility to check the
file structure of the floppy drive or hard drive. See the documentation that came
with your operating system. |
| Decreasing available memory |
One or more memory modules may be faulty
or improperly seated. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| Disk C: failed initialization |
The hard drive failed
initialization. |
Run the hard drive tests in
the Dell Diagnostics. |
| floppy drive 0 seek failure |
A cable may be loose, or the system
configuration information may not match the hardware configuration. |
Run the floppy drive tests in
the Dell Diagnostics. If error is not corrected, have the cables
checked by an authorized service technician. |
| Diskette read failure |
A cable may be loose, or the
floppy disk may
be faulty. |
If the 
access light lights
up, try a different floppy disk. |
| Diskette subsystem reset failed |
The floppy drive controller may be
faulty. |
Run the floppy drive tests in
the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Diskette write-protected |
Because the floppy disk is write-protected,
the operation cannot be completed. |
Slide the write-protect notch up. |
| Drive not ready |
No floppy disk is in the floppy drive, or
no hard drive is in the drive bay. The operation requires a floppy disk in the drive or
a hard drive in the bay before it can continue. |
Put a floppy disk in the drive, or push the
floppy disk all the way into the drive until the eject button pops out. Or, install a
hard drive in the drive bay. |
| Error reading PCMCIA card |
The computer cannot identify the PC Card. |
Reseat the card or try another PC Card
that you know works. |
| Extended memory size has changed |
The amount of memory recorded in NVRAM
does not match the memory installed in the computer. |
Reboot the computer. If the error appears
on the display again, call Dell for technical assistance. |
| Gate A20 failure |
An installed memory module may be loose. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| General failure |
The operating system is unable to carry
out the command. |
This message is usually followed by
specific information—for example, Printer out of
paper. Respond by taking the appropriate action. |
| Hard-disk drive configuration error |
The computer cannot identify the drive
type. |
Turn off the computer, remove the drive,
and boot the computer from a bootable floppy disk. Then turn off the computer, reinstall the
drive, and reboot the computer. Run the hard drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Hard-disk drive controller failure
0 |
The hard drive does not respond to
commands from the computer. |
Turn off the computer, remove the drive,
and boot the computer from a bootable floppy disk. Then turn off the computer again,
reinstall the drive, and reboot the computer. If the problem persists, try another drive.
Then run the hard drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Hard-disk drive failure |
The hard drive does not respond to
commands from the computer. |
Turn off the computer, remove the drive,
and boot the computer from a bootable floppy disk. Then turn off the computer again,
reinstall the drive, and reboot the computer. If the problem persists, try another drive.
Then run the hard drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics |
| hard drive read failure |
The hard drive may be faulty. |
Turn off the computer, remove the drive,
and boot the computer from a bootable floppy disk. Then turn off the computer again,
reinstall the drive, and reboot the computer. If the problem persists, try another drive.
Then run the hard drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics |
| Invalid configuration
information-please run System Setup Program |
The system configuration information does
not match the hardware configuration. This message is most likely to occur after a memory
module is installed. |
Correct the appropriate options in the system setup program. |
| Keyboard clock line failure |
A cable or connector may be loose, or the
keyboard may be faulty. |
Run the Keyboard Controller test
in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Keyboard controller failure |
A cable or connector may be loose, or the
keyboard may be faulty. |
Reboot the computer, and avoid touching
the keyboard or the mouse during the boot routine. If the problem persists, run the Keyboard
Controller test in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Keyboard data line failure |
A cable or connector may be loose, or the
keyboard may be faulty. |
Run the Keyboard Controller test
in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Keyboard stuck key failure |
If an external keyboard or keypad is
being used, a cable or connector may be loose or the keyboard may be faulty. If the
integrated keyboard is being used, the keyboard may be faulty.
A key on the integrated keyboard or external keyboard may have been pressed while the
computer was booting. |
Run the Stuck Key test in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Memory address line failure at
address, read value expecting value |
An installed memory module may be faulty
or improperly seated. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| Memory allocation error |
The software you are attempting to run is
conflicting with the operating system, another application program, or a utility. |
Turn off the computer, wait 30 seconds,
and then restart it. Try to run the program again. If the problem persists, contact the
software company. |
| Memory data line failure at
address, read value expecting value |
An installed memory module may be faulty
or improperly seated. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| Memory double word logic failure at
address, read value expecting value |
An installed memory module may be faulty
or improperly seated. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| Memory odd/even logic failure at
address, read value expecting value |
An installed memory module may be faulty
or improperly seated. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| Memory write/read failure at
address, read value expecting value |
An installed memory module may be faulty
or improperly seated. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| No boot device available |
The computer cannot find the floppy or
hard drive. |
If the floppy drive is your boot
device, make sure that there is a bootable floppy disk in the drive. If the hard drive
is your boot device, make sure that the drive is installed, properly seated, and
partitioned as a boot device. |
| No boot sector on hard drive |
The operating system may be corrupted. |
Reinstall your operating system. See the
documentation that came with your operating system. |
| No timer tick interrupt |
A chip on the system board may be
malfunctioning. |
Run the System Set tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Non-system disk or disk error |
The floppy disk in drive A or your hard-disk
drive does not have a bootable operating system installed on it. |
If you are trying to boot from the
floppy disk, replace it with one that has a bootable operating system. |
| Not a boot diskette |
There is no operating system on the
floppy disk. |
Boot the computer with a floppy disk
that
contains an operating system. |
| Optional ROM bad checksum |
The optional ROM apparently failed. |
Call Dell
for
technical assistance. |
| Sector not found |
The operating system cannot locate a
sector on the floppy or hard drive. You probably have a bad sector or corrupted FAT
on the floppy or hard drive. |
Run the appropriate utility to check the
file structure on the floppy or hard drive. If a large number of sectors are
defective, back up the data (if possible), and then reformat the floppy or hard
drive. |
| Seek error |
The operating system cannot find a
specific track on the floppy or hard drive. |
If the error is on the floppy drive,
try another floppy disk in the drive. |
| Shutdown failure |
A chip on the system board may be
malfunctioning. |
Run the System Set tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Time-of-day clock lost power |
Data stored in NVRAM has become
corrupted. |
Connect your computer to an electrical
outlet to charge the battery. If the problem persists, try to restore the data. To restore
the data, press <Fn><F1> to enter the system setup program.
Then immediately exit it. If the message reappears, call Dell
for technical assistance. |
| Time-of-day clock stopped |
The reserve battery that supports the
data stored in NVRAM may be read. |
Connect your computer to an electrical
outlet to charge the battery. If the problem persists, call Dell
for technical assistance. |
| Time-of-day not set-please run the
System Setup program |
The time or date stored in the system
setup program does not watch the system clock. |
Correct the settings for the Date
and Time options. (For instructions, see "Using
the System
Setup Program.") |
| Timer chip counter 2 failed |
A chip on the system board may be
malfunctioning. |
Run the System Set tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Unexpected interrupt in protected
mode |
The keyboard controller may be
malfunctioning, or an installed memory module may be loose. |
Run the System Memory tests and
the Keyboard Controller test in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Warning: Battery is critically low. |
The battery is running out of charge. |
Replace the battery, or connect the computer to an electrical outlet. Otherwise, activate
hibernate mode or turn off the
computer. |
