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. See your Installation and
Troubleshooting Guide for more detailed instructions for troubleshooting
your 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:
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 parallel and serial ports.
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.
After you have performed an external visual inspection as described in the previous
section, boot the system and, while the boot routine is running, observe the
system for any indications of problems.
NOTE: Most of the steps in this procedure require observation
of system functions and indications, some of which can occur simultaneously. It may be
necessary to reboot the system several times to complete all of these steps.
NOTE: You can run the system diagnostics from the utility
partition by pressing <F10> during power-up (this is the suggested
method) or from a set of diskettes
created from the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD.
To observe problem indications during the boot routine, perform the following steps:
If the system is off, turn on all peripherals and the system.
During
the POST, the following message appears:
<F10> = Utility Mode
Press <F10> to access the utility mode.
The utility partition provides a text-based interface from which you can run
the partition's utilities. To select a menu option, you can either use the
arrow keys to highlight the option and press <Enter>, or type the
number of the menu option. To exit the utility partition, press <Esc>
from the Main Menu. Exiting the utility from setup mode causes the
system to reboot to the standard operating-system boot partition.
Check the power-supply indicators.
Is the red fault indicator lit?
Yes. Troubleshoot the system power supply (see your Installation
and Troubleshooting Guide).
No. Proceed to step 4.
Watch the <Num Lock>, <Caps Lock>, and <Scroll
Lock> indicators on the upper-right corner of the keyboard. After all three indicators
flash momentarily, and following a long pause (approximately 30 seconds), the <Num Lock> indicator should light up and remain on (unless the Num
Lock option is set to Off in the System Setup program).
Do these indicators flash on and off within approximately 10 seconds after the boot
routine starts?
Yes. Proceed to step 5.
No. Replace the keyboard with a known working keyboard. If the
problem persist, troubleshoot the system power supply. If the troubleshooting
procedure indicates that the system power supply is operational, troubleshoot the memory.
During the boot routine, observe the system for any of the following
indications:
Beep codes — A beep code is a series of beeps that indicates an error condition. See "System Beep Codes."
System error messages — These messages can indicate
problems or provide status information. If a system error message appears, see "System Messages."
Diskette-drive and hard drive access indicators — These
indicators light up in response to data being transferred to or from the drives. If either
of these indicators fails to light up during the boot routine, troubleshoot the diskette
drive or hard drive subsystem, as appropriate.
Observe the monitor screen for the Diagnostics menu.
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: Only trained service technicians are
authorized to remove the system cover and access any of the components inside
the system. See your System Information document for complete safety
information.
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.
To remove and reseat a microprocessor and heat-sink assembly, perform
the steps described in "Microprocessors."
To remove and reseat a memory module, perform the steps described in "Memory Modules."
If you need to remove and reseat an expansion card, remove the card
as described in "Expansion Cards," and carefully reinsert the card in its connector until fully seated.
System diagnostics contain tests that aid in troubleshooting all major components of the system.
These diagnostics can be run from the utility partition (the suggested method) or from a set of
diagnostics diskettes.
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 from Run System Utilities.
See "Using the Dell
OpenManage Server Assistant CD" in the User's Guide for
additional information about the utility partition.
To run the system diagnostics from the diskettes, perform the following
steps:
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 system diagnostics.
See "Running the System Diagnostics" in the system Installation and
Troubleshooting Guide for detailed information about the system diagnostics.
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 "Running the System Diagnostics"
or see "Troubleshooting Your System" in the system's Installation
and Troubleshooting Guide.
For instructions on contacting Dell, see "Getting Help" in the Installation
and Troubleshooting Guide or see the Dell | Support website at
support.dell.com.
