| Message |
Cause |
Action |
| Address mark not found |
The BIOS found a faulty disk sector or could not find
a particular disk sector. |
See "Troubleshooting
Drives." |
| Alert! Previous attempts at booting this system
have failed at checkpoint [nnnn]. For help in resolving this problem, please note
this checkpoint and contact Dell Technical Support. |
The system has failed to complete the boot routine
three consecutive times for the same error. |
See "Getting Help"
for instructions on obtaining technical assistance, and report the checkpoint code
(nnnn) to the support technician. |
| Attachment failed to respond |
The diskette drive or hard-disk drive controller
cannot send data to the associated drive. |
See "Troubleshooting
Drives." |
| Bad command or file name |
The command you entered does not exist or is not in
the pathname you specified. |
Make sure you have spelled the command correctly,
placed spaces in the proper location, and used the correct pathname. |
| Bad error-correction code(ECC) on disk read |
The diskette drive or hard-disk drive controller
detected an uncorrectable read error. |
See "Troubleshooting
Drives." |
| Controller has failed |
The hard-disk drive or the associated controller is
defective. |
See "Troubleshooting
Drives." |
| Data error |
The diskette or hard-disk drive cannot read the data. |
Run the ScanDisk utility in the Microsoft® Windows®
operating system to check the file structure of the diskette or hard-disk drive. See your
operating system documentation for more information.
If you are using another operating system, run the appropriate utility to check the file
structure of the diskette or hard-disk drive. See your operating system documentation. |
| Decreasing available memory |
One or more Rambus in-line memory modules (RIMMs) may
be faulty or improperly seated. |
See "Troubleshooting
System Memory." |
Diskette drive 0 seek failure
Diskette drive 1 seek failure |
A cable may be loose, or the system configuration
information may not match the hardware configuration. |
See "Troubleshooting
Drives." |
| Diskette read failure |
A cable may be loose, or the diskette may be faulty. |
See "Troubleshooting
Drives." |
| Diskette subsystem reset failed |
The diskette drive controller may be faulty. |
Run the Diskette tests in
the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Diskette write protected |
The diskette write-protect feature is activated. |
Remove the diskette from drive A and move the
write-protect tab to the unlocked position. |
| Drive not ready |
No diskette is in the drive. The operation requires a
diskette in the drive before it can continue. |
Put a diskette in the drive or close the drive latch. |
| Error! The previous boot failed to complete.
Last reported checkpoint was nnnn. |
The system could not complete the boot routine. |
Restart the system. If the error recurs, listen for a
beep code and refer to Table 2. If no beep code is emitted,
run the System Board Devices tests in the Dell
Diagnostics. |
| Gate A20 failure |
One or more RIMMs may be loose. |
See "Troubleshooting
System Memory." |
| 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 configuration error |
The hard-disk drive failed initialization. |
See "Troubleshooting
Drives." |
Hard disk controller failure
Hard disk failure
Hard-disk drive read failure |
The hard-disk drive failed initialization. |
See "Troubleshooting
Drives." |
| Incompatible Processors: Cache sizes different! |
This message appears for a dual-processor system if
both processors do not have the same-size level-2 cache. |
Replace one of the microprocessors to make the level-2
cache sizes match. If you need technical assistance, see "Getting Help."
| NOTE: This message indicates a fatal error. When a
fatal error occurs, the system usually cannot be rebooted until an appropriate hardware
change has been made. |
|
| Invalid configuration information - please run
SETUP program |
The system configuration information does not match
the hardware configuration. |
Enter System
Setup and correct the system configuration information. |
Keyboard clock line failure
Keyboard controller failure
Keyboard data line failure
Keyboard failure
Keyboard stuck key failure |
A cable or connector may be loose, or the keyboard or
keyboard/mouse controller may be faulty. |
See "Troubleshooting
the Keyboard." |
| Memory address line failure at address,
read value expecting value |
One or more RIMMs may be faulty or improperly seated. |
See "Troubleshooting
System Memory." |
| Memory allocation error |
The software you are attempting to run is conflicting
with the operating system or another application program or utility. |
Turn off the computer, wait 30 seconds, and then turn
it on. Try to run the program again. If the problem persists, contact the software
company. |
Memory data line failure at address, read
value expecting value
Memory double word logic failure at address, read value expecting value
Memory odd/even logic failure at address, read value expecting value
Memory write/read failure at address, read value expecting value |
One or more RIMMs may be faulty or improperly seated. |
See "Troubleshooting
System Memory." |
| Memory size in CMOS invalid |
The amount of memory recorded in the system
configuration information does not match the memory installed in the computer. |
Reboot the computer. If the error appears again, see
"Getting Help" for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
| Memory tests terminated by keystroke |
The memory test did not complete. |
Rerun the memory test. |
| No boot device available |
The computer cannot find the diskette or hard-disk
drive. |
Enter System
Setup, check the system configuration information for the
diskette and hard-disk drive, and if necessary, correct the information. |
| No boot sector on hard-disk drive |
The system configuration information in System Setup
may be incorrect, or the operating system may be corrupted. |
Enter System
Setup, check the system configuration information for the
hard-disk drive, and if necessary, correct the information.
If the message persists, reinstall your operating system. See the documentation that came
with your operating system. |
| No timer tick interrupt |
A chip on the system board might be malfunctioning. |
Run the System Board Devices tests in
the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Non-system disk or disk error |
The diskette in drive A or your hard-disk drive does
not have a bootable operating system installed on it. |
A nonbootable diskette is in drive A. Either replace
the diskette with one that has a bootable operating system, or remove the diskette from
drive A and restart the computer. |
| Not a boot diskette |
There is no operating system on the diskette. |
Boot the computer with a diskette that contains an
operating system. |
| Plug and Play Configuration Error |
The system has encountered a problem in trying to
configure one or more expansion cards. |
Turn your system off and unplug it. Remove all but one
of the cards. Plug in your system and reboot it. If the message persists, the expansion
card may be malfunctioning. If the message does not appear, turn off the power and
reinsert one of the other cards. Repeat this process until you identify the malfunctioning
card. |
Read fault
Requested sector not found |
The operating system cannot read from the diskette or
hard-disk drive.
The system could not find a particular sector on the disk, or the requested sector is
defective. |
See "Troubleshooting Drives." |
| Reset failed |
The disk reset operation failed. |
See "Troubleshooting Drives." |
| Sector not found |
The operating system is unable to locate a sector on
the diskette or hard-disk drive. |
See "Troubleshooting Drives." |
| Seek error |
The operating system is unable to find a specific
track on the diskette or hard-disk drive. |
If the error is on the diskette drive, try another
diskette in the drive. |
| Shutdown failure |
A chip on the system board might be malfunctioning. |
Run the System Board Devices tests in
the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Terminator/processor card cannot be installed! |
Neither a terminator card nor a secondary
microprocessor is installed in the secondary microprocessor connector (PROC_1). |
Make sure that either a terminator card or a secondary
microprocessor is installed in the PROC_1 connector. Reseat the microprocessor and start
the system. If errors persist, see "Getting Help" for
instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
NOTE: This message indicates a fatal error.
When a fatal error occurs, the system usually cannot be rebooted
until an appropriate hardware change has been made. |
| Time-of-day clock stopped |
The battery may be dead. |
Enter System
Setup and correct the date or time.
If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting the
Battery." |
| Time-of-day not set |
The time or date displayed in the system configuration
information does not match the system clock. |
Enter System
Setup and correct the date or time. |
| Timer chip counter 2 failed |
A chip on the system board might be malfunctioning. |
Run the System Board Devices tests in
the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Unexpected interrupt in protected mode |
The keyboard controller may be malfunctioning, or one
or more RIMMs may be loose. |
Run the System Memory and the Keyboard
tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| WARNING: Dell's Disk Monitoring System
has detected that drive [0/1] on the [primary/secondary] EIDE controller is
operating outside of normal specifications. It is advisable to immediately
back up your data and replace your hard-disk drive by calling your support desk or Dell
Computer Corporation. |
|
Power-on self-test (POST) has queried the enhanced
integrated drive electronics (EIDE) drive for status information. The drive has returned a
parameter from the call that indicates it has detected possible error conditions for its
operating specifications. |
Once your computer finishes booting, immediately back
up your data and replace your hard-disk drive. Restore the data to the replaced drive.
If a replacement drive is not immediately available and the drive is not the only bootable
drive, enter System Setup and change the appropriate drive
setting to None. Remove the drive from the system. This should be done only after
you have backed up the data. |
| Warning - Thermal probes failed. |
At system start-up, the BIOS detected that one or both
of the thermal probes in the computer are not operating. |
You can continue to use the system, but be aware that
the temperature probe(s) are disabled and if the processor overheats, the Thermal Shutdown
service will not shut down the system.
NOTE: The Intel® Pentium® III microprocessor has a built-in
thermocouple that halts microprocessor operation if the microprocessor exceeds its rated temperature.
To correct the problem, you must replace your system board. For
technical assistance, see "Getting Help." |
| Warning - Temperature is too high. |
At system start-up, the BIOS detected that one or both
microprocessors are overheated. After displaying this message, the BIOS halts the
processes and turns off the system. |
Let the system cool before attempting to restart it. |
Write fault
Write fault on selected drive |
The operating system cannot write to the diskette or
hard-disk drive. |
See
"Troubleshooting Drives." |
| Code |
Cause |
Action |
| 1-1-2 |
Microprocessor register failure |
See "Getting
Help" for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
| 1-1-3 |
NVRAM |
Run the System Board Devices tests in
the Dell Diagnostics. |
| 1-1-4 |
ROM BIOS checksum failure |
Run the System Board Devices
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 1-2-1 |
Programmable interval timer |
Run the System Board Devices
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 1-2-2 |
Direct memory access (DMA) initialization failure |
Run the System Board Devices
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 1-2-3 |
DMA page register read/write failure |
Run the System Board Devices
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 1-3 |
Video Memory Test failure |
Run the VESA/VGA Interface
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 1-3-1 through 2-4-4 |
RIMMs not being properly identified or used |
See "Troubleshooting
System Memory." |
| 3-1-1 |
Slave DMA register failure |
Run the System Board Devices
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 3-1-2 |
Master DMA register failure |
Run the System Board Devices
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 3-1-3 |
Master interrupt mask register failure |
See "Getting
Help" for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
| 3-1-4 |
Slave interrupt mask register failure |
See "Getting
Help" for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
| 3-2-2 |
Interrupt vector loading failure |
See "Getting
Help" for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
| 3-2-4 |
Keyboard Controller Test failure |
Run the Keyboard tests in
the Dell Diagnostics. Otherwise,
see "Getting Help"
for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
| 3-3-1 |
NVRAM power loss |
Run the System Board Devices
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 3-3-2 |
NVRAM configuration |
Run the System Board Devices
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 3-3-4 |
Video Memory Test failure |
Run the VESA/VGA Interface
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 3-4-1 |
Screen initialization failure |
Run the VESA/VGA Interface
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 3-4-2 |
Screen retrace failure |
Run the VESA/VGA Interface
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 3-4-3 |
Search for video ROM failure |
Run the VESA/VGA Interface
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 4-2-1 |
No timer tick |
See "Getting
Help" for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
| 4-2-2 |
Shutdown failure |
See "Getting
Help" for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
| 4-2-3 |
Gate A20 failure |
See "Getting
Help" for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
| 4-2-4 |
Unexpected interrupt in protected mode |
See "Getting
Help" for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
| 4-3-1 |
Memory failure above address 0FFFFh |
Run the System Memory
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 4-3-3 |
Timer-chip counter 2 failure |
See "Getting
Help" for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
| 4-3-4 |
Time-of-day clock stopped |
See "Getting
Help" for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
| 4-4-1 |
Serial or parallel port test failure |
Run the Serial Ports and the Parallel
Ports tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 4-4-2 |
Failure to decompress code to shadowed memory |
Run the System Board Devices
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 4-4-3 |
Math-coprocessor test failure |
Run the System Board Devices
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 4-4-4 |
Cache test failure |
Run the System Board Devices
tests in the Dell Diagnostics, if possible. |
| 5-2-2-1 |
Mismatch Rambus dynamic random-access memory (RDRAM)
device count; unsupported RIMM device count or technology |
Verify that both RIMM sockets contain a RIMM or Rambus
continuity module (RCM). If the problem recurs, replace the RIMM in socket B (if any),
then the RIMM in socket A. If the problem is still not resolved, see
"Getting Help" for instructions on obtaining
technical assistance. |
| 5-2-2-3 |
RDRAM levelization failure |
Verify that both RIMM sockets contain a RIMM or RCM.
If the problem recurs, replace the RIMM in socket B (if any), then the RIMM in socket A.
If the problem is still not resolved, see "Getting Help"
for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. |
