To perform certain procedures in this document, you must remove the system cover and work inside the system. While working inside the system, do not attempt to service the system except as explained in this guide and elsewhere in your system documentation.
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
Start-Up Routine
Look and listen during the system's start-up routine for the indications described in Table 1-1.
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical
outlet.
Press the power button to ground the system board.
If you have installed a padlock through the padlock ring on the back panel, remove the
padlock.
Lay the system on its side as shown in Figure 5-1.
NOTICE: Ensure that sufficient space exists to accommodate the open cover—at least 30 cm (1 ft) of desktop space.
Open the system by pushing the buttons on both ends and lifting the cover open.
Closing the System
Ensure that all cables are connected, and fold cables out of the way.
Ensure that no tools or extra parts are left inside the system.
Press down on the cover until the cover release latches are fully engaged.
If applicable, install the padlock.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached
peripherals.
After you open and close the cover, the chassis intrusion detector, if enabled, causes the following message to appear on the screen at the next computer start-up:
ALERT! Cover was previously removed.
To reset the chassis intrusion detector, press <Enter>. See your User's Guide for details.
NOTE: If a setup password has been assigned by someone else, contact your network administrator for information on resetting the chassis intrusion detector.
Figure 5-1. Opening and Closing the System
Checking the Equipment
This section provides troubleshooting procedures for external devices attached to the system, such as the monitor, keyboard, or mouse. Before you perform any of the procedures, see "Troubleshooting External Connections."
Troubleshooting External Connections
Loose or improperly connected cables are the most likely source of problems for the system, monitor, and other peripherals (such as a printer, keyboard, mouse, or other external device). Ensure that all external cables are securely attached to the external connectors on your system. See Figure 2-1 for the front-panel connectors and Figure 2-2 for the back panel connectors on your system.
Troubleshooting the Video Subsystem
Problem
Monitor is not working properly.
Action
Check the system and power connections to the monitor.
If the problem persists, replace the monitor with a known good monitor.
If the mouse is damaged, continue to the next step.
Swap the faulty mouse with a working mouse.
If the problem is resolved, replace the faulty mouse. See "Getting Help."
Enter the System Setup program and ensure that the mouse controller is enabled. See "Using
the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.
If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help."
Troubleshooting Basic I/O Functions
Problem
Error message indicates a problem with a serial or parallel port.
Device connected to a serial or parallel port is not operating properly.
Action
Enter the System Setup program and ensure that the serial port(s) and parallel port are
enabled. See "Using the System Setup Program" in the User's Guide.
If the problem is confined to a particular application, see the application documentation for
specific port configuration requirements that the program may require.
Check the appropriate indicator on the NIC connector. See "NIC Indicator Codes" in
"Indicators, Messages, and Codes."
If the link indicator does not light, check all cable connections.
If the activity indicator does not light, the network driver files might be damaged or missing.
Remove and reinstall the drivers if applicable. See the NIC's documentation.
Change the autonegotiation setting, if possible.
Use another connector on the switch or hub.
If you are using a NIC card instead of an integrated NIC, see the documentation for the NIC card.
Ensure that the appropriate drivers are installed and the protocols are bound. See the NIC's
documentation.
Enter the System Setup program and confirm that the NICs are enabled. See "Using the
System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.
Ensure that the NICs, hubs, and switches on the network are all set to the same data
transmission speed. See the network equipment documentation.
Ensure that all network cables are of the proper type and do not exceed the maximum length.
See "Network Cable Requirements" in your User's Guide.
Inside the System
In Figure 5-2, the system cover is opened to provide an interior view of the system.
Figure 5-2. Inside the System
The system board can accommodate one processor, five expansion cards (three 32-bit, 33-MHz PCI, one 2.5-GHz PCI-Express [x1] and one 2.5-GHz PCI-Express [x8]), and four 400-MHz or 533-MHz DDR II SDRAM memory modules upgradable to 4 GB.
The drive bays provide space for up to two 1-inch SATA drives with the integrated SATA controller or two SCSI hard drives. The SCSI hard drives must be connected to a controller card. They also provide space for an optical drive, an optional diskette drive, or an optional tape backup unit (TBU). Power is supplied to the system board and internal peripherals through a single nonredundant power supply.
Troubleshooting a Wet System
Problem
Liquid spilled on the system.
Excessive humidity.
Action
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical
outlet.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached
peripherals.
If the system does not start properly, see "Getting Help."
If the system starts properly, shut down the system and reinstall all of the expansion cards that
you removed. See "Installing an Expansion Card" in "Installing System Options."
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
System message indicates a problem with the battery.
System Setup program loses system configuration information.
System date and time do not remain current.
NOTE: If the system is turned off for long periods of time (for weeks or months), the NVRAM may lose its system configuration information. This situation is caused by a defective battery.
Action
Re-enter the time and date through the System Setup program. See "Using the System Setup
Program" in your User's Guide.
Turn off the system and disconnect it from the electrical outlet for at least one hour.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet and turn on the system.
Enter the System Setup program.
If the date and time are not correct in the System Setup program, replace the battery. See "System Battery" in "Installing System Options."
If the problem is not resolved by replacing the battery, see "Getting Help."
NOTE: Some software may cause the system time to speed up or slow down. If the system seems to operate normally except for the time kept in the System Setup program, the problem may be caused by software rather than by a defective battery.
Troubleshooting the Power Supply
Problem
Power indicator is not lit.
Action
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
Ensure that the power cable is attached to the system and the cable is connected to an
electrical outlet.
Turn off the attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.
Open the system. See "Opening the System."
Locate the power supply.
Ensure that the power supply is properly installed by removing and reinstalling it. See "Power
Supply" in "Installing System Options."
NOTE: After installing a power supply, allow several seconds for the system to recognize the power supply and to determine if it is working properly. The power indicator turns green to signify that the power supply is functioning properly. See "Front-Panel Indicators and Features" in "Indicators, Messages, and Codes."
Systems management software issues a fan-related error message.
Action
Ensure that none of the following conditions exist:
Ambient temperature is too high.
External airflow is obstructed.
Cables inside the system obstruct airflow.
Processor heat sink is not installed properly. See "Processor" in "Installing System Options."
The processor cooling fan is not installed properly or has failed. See "Troubleshooting a Fan."
Troubleshooting a Fan
Problem
A fan-related error message.
Action
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
Ensure that the power cable is firmly attached to the fan power connector. See Figure A-3 in
"Jumpers and Connectors."
NOTE: Wait 30 seconds for the system to recognize the fan and determine whether it is working properly.
If the problem is not resolved, install a new fan. See "Cooling Fan" in "Installing System
Components."
If the replacement fan is working properly, close the system. See "Closing the System."
If the replacement fan does not operate, see "Getting Help."
Troubleshooting System Memory
Problem
Error message during POST.
Faulty memory module.
Faulty system board.
Action
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
Enter the System Setup program and verify that the diskette drive is configured correctly. See
"Using the System Setup Program" in the User's Guide.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached
peripherals.
Run the appropriate online diagnostic test to see whether the diskette drive works correctly.
If the tests run successfully, an expansion card may be conflicting with the diskette drive logic, or an expansion card may be faulty. Continue to the next step.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached
peripherals.
Run the appropriate online diagnostic test to see whether the diskette drive works correctly.
Repeat step 16 through step 21 until all expansion cards are reinstalled or one of the
expansion cards causes the tests to fail.
If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help."
Troubleshooting a CD Drive
Problem
System cannot read data from a CD in an IDE CD drive.
CD drive indicator does not blink during boot.
Action
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
Try using a different CD that you know works properly.
Enter the System Setup program and ensure that the drive's IDE controller is enabled. See
"Using the System Setup Program" in the User's Guide.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached
peripherals.
If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help."
Troubleshooting a SCSI Hard Drive
Problem
Device driver error.
Hard drive not recognized by the system.
Action
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
NOTICE: This procedure can destroy data stored on the hard drive. Before you continue, back up all files on the hard drive.
Restart the system and enter the SCSI configuration utility.
NOTE: To enter the utility, press <Ctrl><a> or <Ctrl><m>, depending on the utility. See the documentation supplied with the controller for information about the configuration utility.
For information about testing the controller, see the SCSI controller's documentation.
Ensure that the primary SCSI channel is enabled, and restart the system.
Ensure that the required device drivers are installed and configured correctly. See the Dell
OpenManage Server Assistant for PowerEdge SC Products CD.
Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical
outlet.
Open the system. See "Opening the System."
Ensure that the hard-drive interface cable is properly connected between the drive and the
controller card. See the documentation supplied with the controller card.
If the hard drive is the boot drive, ensure that the drive is configured and connected properly.
See "Configuring the Boot Drive" in "Installing Drives."
Ensure that a power cable is properly connected to the drive.
Ensure that the hard drive is configured with a unique SCSI ID number and that the drive is
terminated or not terminated as appropriate. See the documentation for the hard drive.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached
peripherals.
If the problem persists, continue to the next step.
Format and partition the hard drive. See the operating system documentation.
If possible, restore the files to the drive.
If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."
Troubleshooting a SATA Hard Drive
Problem
Faulty hard drive
Damaged or improperly connected hard-drive cables
Action
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
NOTICE: This troubleshooting procedure can destroy data stored on the hard drive. Before you proceed, back up all files on the hard drive.
Ensure that the hard-drive interface cable is properly connected between the drive and the
system board.
To identify system board connectors, see Figure A-3.
If the hard drive is the boot drive, ensure that the drive is configured and connected properly.
See "Configuring the Boot Drive" in "Installing Drives."
Ensure that the power cable is properly connected to the drive.
Troubleshooting a Hard Drive in a RAID Configuration
Problem
Device driver error
Damaged or improperly connected hard-drive cables
Action
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
NOTICE: This troubleshooting procedure can destroy data stored on the hard drive. Before you proceed, back up all files on the hard drive.
Enter the System Setup program, select Drive Controller., and ensure that RAID On is
enabled.
If your system is running Red Hat® Linux, select Drive Controller, and ensure that RAID Off is enabled.
Restart your system and enter the array configuration utility. See the RAID controller
documentation.
Ensure that the required device drivers are installed and are configured correctly. See the Dell
OpenManage Server Assistant for PowerEdge SC Products CD and the RAID controller's
documentation.
Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical
outlet.
Ensure that the hard-drive interface cable is properly connected to the drive and to the
controller card. See the documentation that accompanied the controller card.
If the hard drive is the boot drive, ensure that the drive is configured and connected properly.
See "Configuring the Boot Drive" in "Installing Drives."
Ensure that the power cable is properly connected to the drive.
NOTE: When troubleshooting an expansion card, see the documentation for your operating system and the expansion card.
Problem
Error message indicates a problem with an expansion card.
Expansion card performs incorrectly or not at all.
Action
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in
"Running System Diagnostics."
Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical
outlet.
CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
NOTICE: Use caution when removing and installing the processor. Bending or damaging the processor socket pins or dropping any type of foreign material into the processor slot will permanently damage the system board.
Ensure that the processor and heat sink are properly installed. See "Processor" in "Installing
System Options."
