This section describes basic troubleshooting procedures that can help you diagnose a
system problem. These procedures can often reveal the source of a problem or indicate the
correct starting point for servicing the system.
When you first contact a user who has a problem, ask the user to describe the problem and the conditions under which it occurs. After the user describes the problem, perform the following steps:
Ask the user to back up any data on the hard drive if the system’s condition
permits. See the documentation provided with the operating system or applications
software for information about backing up data.
Ask the user to try to duplicate the problem by repeating the operations he or she was
performing at the time the problem occurred.
Improperly set switches and controls and loose or improperly
connected cables are the most likely source of problems for the system, monitor, or other
peripherals (such as a printer, keyboard, mouse, or other external equipment). A quick
check of all the switches, controls, and cable connections can easily solve these
problems.
The external visual inspection consists of a quick inspection of the exterior of the system, the monitor (if attached), the keyboard (if attached), any peripherals, and cables. While performing the visual
inspection, make any necessary corrections. To perform the external visual inspection,
perform the following steps:
Inspect the front-panel LEDs for indication of component malfunction.
Turn off the system, the monitor (if attached), and all peripherals.
Verify that all power cables are properly connected to the system,
the monitor and peripherals, and their power sources.
Inspect connections to any attached devices including network cables, keyboard, monitor,
mouse (if used), or keyboard/video monitor/mouse (KVM) switch (if used), as well as any
devices attached to the serial port.
Inspect all external monitor controls for any obvious damage or improper settings (if used). For proper settings of the video monitor controls, see the documentation for the monitor.
Inspect the keyboard (if used) to ensure that no keys are sticking. If one or more keys are sticking, it may be necessary to replace the keyboard.
Inspect the exterior of the system, including all controls and
indicators, and all user-accessible data storage devices for any signs of physical damage.
Looking at and listening to the system is important in determining the source
of a problem. Look and listen during the system's start-up routine for the
indications described in Table 1.
NOTICE: Before you proceed with
the internal visual inspection described in this section, ensure that the
user has saved all open files and exited all open application programs,
if possible.
A simple visual inspection of a system’s interior hardware can often lead to the
source of a problem, such as a loose expansion card, cable connector, or mounting screw.
When you perform the visual inspection, see "System Features" to locate components referenced in the inspection procedure.
To perform the internal visual inspection, perform the following steps:
Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and disconnect all the
power
cables from electrical outlets.
CAUTION: Before beginning to work
inside the system, disconnect the power supply from the power
source and the power supply cables from the power supply.
CAUTION: The microprocessor
and heat-sink assembly can get extremely hot during system operations. Be sure that it has
had sufficient time to cool before touching it.
CAUTION: When handling the microprocessor and
heat-sink assembly, take care to avoid sharp edges on the heat sink.
Verify that the memory modules, expansion cards, and microprocessor and heat-sink assembly or assemblies are fully seated in their sockets or connectors.
If you need to remove and reseat an expansion card, remove the card
as described in "Replacing
an Expansion Card," and carefully reinsert the card in its connector until fully seated.
You can run the system diagnostics from either the utility partition on
your hard drive or from a set of diskettes that you create from the Dell
OpenManage Server Assistant CD.
To run the diagnostics from the utility partition, perform the following
steps:
Start the utility partition by pressing <F10> during
POST.
From the utility partition's main menu, select the Run
System Diagnostics option.
See "Using the Dell OpenManage
ServerCD" in the User's Guide for additional
information about the utility partition.
To run the system diagnostics from the diskettes, perform the following
steps:
Create a set of diagnostics diskettes using the Dell
OpenManage Server Assistant CD.
See "Using the Dell OpenManage ServerCD" in the User's
Guide for information on creating diskettes.
Boot the system from the first diagnostics diskette.
When you start the diagnostics, a message is displayed telling you that
the diagnostics is loading. The Diagnostics menu appears. The menu
allows you to run all or specific diagnostic tests or to exit the system
diagnostics.
NOTE: Before
you read the rest of this section, you may want to start the system
diagnostics so that you can see it on your monitor screen.
For a quick check of the system, select Test All Devices and then
select Quick Tests. This option runs only the device tests that do
not require user interaction and that do not take a long time to run. You
should choose this option first to increase the chance of tracing the source
of the problem quickly. To test a particular device, select Test One
Device. For a complete check of the system, select Test All Devices
and then select Extended Tests.
To check a particular area of the system, choose Advanced Testing.
When you select Advanced Testing, the main screen of the diagnostics
appears. This screen includes a listing of the various device groups in the
system and the system's service tag.
To view data on test results, select Information and Results.
Select Program Options to view the Program Options screen,
which lets you set various test parameters.
By selecting the Device Configuration option, you can see an
overview of the devices in the system.
Selecting Exit to MS-DOS exits the diagnostics and returns you to
the operating system environment (or the utility partition's main menu if
you are running the diagnostics from the utility partition).
To select an option from the Diagnostics menu, highlight the
option and press <Enter>, or press the key that corresponds to the
highlighted letter in the option you choose.
Your system incorporates a memory dump/reset switch labeled SW_NMI on the system board. If your system uses the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 operating system
and the system stalls or "crashes" due to software problems,
pressing the SW_NMI switch causes the contents of system memory to be
"dumped" to a file for later analysis and continues with a hard
reset, or reboot, of the operating system. This switch is intended to be used by
service technicians, applications software developers, device driver developers,
and system administrators who would benefit from information provided by the
system if it performed a memory dump before a hard reset.
The SW_NMI switch is located next to the configuration jumpers on the
system board (see Figure 1 in "Jumpers and Connectors").
If none of the troubleshooting procedures in this section or the tests in the
system diagnostics reveals the source of the problem or leads to the proper troubleshooting steps
for determining the source of the problem, see the Dell | Support website at support.dell.com or call Dell for technical assistance.
For instructions on contacting Dell, see "Getting Help" in the system's Installation
and Troubleshooting Guide.
