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Checking the Equipment: Dell™ PowerEdge™
6300 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
This chapter provides troubleshooting
procedures for equipment that connects directly to the input/output (I/O) panel of the
computer, such as the monitor, keyboard, mouse, or printer. Before performing any of the
procedures in this chapter, see Checking
Connections and Switches. Then perform the troubleshooting procedures for the
equipment that is malfunctioning.
 |
NOTE: When you see the
question, "Is the problem resolved?" in a troubleshooting procedure, perform the
operation that caused the problem. |
Troubleshooting video problems involves
determining which of the following is the source of the problem:
- Monitor and monitor interface cable
- Video memory
- Video logic of the computer or a video expansion card
If information on the monitor screen is
displayed incorrectly or not at all, complete the following steps to solve the problem:
1. Turn on the system, including any
attached peripherals.
2. Adjust the switches and controls
including the horizontal and vertical position and size, as specified in the
monitor's documentation, to correct the video image.
Is the problem resolved?
Yes. You have fixed the
problem.
No. Go to step 3.
3. Run the Dell Diagnostics.
See Running the
Dell Diagnostics. Does the monitor display text properly?
Yes. Go to step 5.
No. Go to step 4.
4. Type g
and press the down-arrow key four times. Then press the plus (+) key to send all error
messages to a printer. To
save the error messages to a diskette, insert a blank diskette
into the diskette drive and press the plus (+) key twice to
send the error messages to the diskette.
Error messages that are sent to a diskette
are saved in an ASCII file named results.
Do the error messages describe a video
controller failure?
Yes. Go to step 5.
No. Go to step 6.
5. Run the Video Test Group in the Dell
Diagnostics.
See Running the
Dell Diagnostics. Most of the tests in the Video Test Group require you to
respond before the diagnostics continues with the next test.
Do the tests complete successfully?
Yes. You have fixed the
problem, or the problem is software-related. For information about installing video
drivers, see
Chapter 2, "Using the Dell Server Assistant CD," in the system User's
Guide.
No. Go to step 6.
6. Turn off the system and disconnect
it from AC power. Swap the monitor with one of the same type that is working,
and reconnect the system to AC power.
7. Run the Video Test Group in the Dell
Diagnostics again.
Do the tests complete successfully?
Yes. The monitor must be
replaced. See Getting Help, for instructions on
obtaining technical assistance.
No. If a video expansion
card is installed in the computer, see Troubleshooting Expansion Cards. If
no video expansion card
is installed, the built-in video controller is faulty; see Getting Help, for instructions on obtaining
technical assistance.
This procedure determines what kind of
keyboard problem you have. If a system error message indicates a keyboard problem when you
start the computer system or while the Dell Diagnostics is running, complete the following
steps:
1. Look at the keyboard and the
keyboard cable for any signs of damage. Press and release each key on the keyboard.
Do the keyboard and its cable appear to be
free of physical damage, and do the keys work?
Yes. Go to step 3.
No. Go to step 2.
2. Swap the faulty keyboard with a
working keyboard.
To swap a faulty keyboard, unplug the
keyboard cable from the computer's back panel and plug in a working keyboard.
Is the problem resolved?
Yes. The keyboard must be
replaced. See Getting Help, for instructions on
obtaining technical assistance.
No. Go to step 3.
3. Run the Keyboard Test Group in the
Dell Diagnostics.
See Running the
Dell Diagnostics.
Can you use the keyboard to select the
Keyboard Test Group?
Yes. Go to step 4.
No. Go to step 5.
4. Does the Keyboard Interactive Test
complete successfully?
Yes. Go to step 6.
No. Go to step 5.
5. Swap the faulty keyboard with a
working keyboard.
6. Does the Keyboard Controller Test
complete successfully?
Yes. The keyboard must be
replaced. See Getting Help, for instructions on obtaining
technical assistance.
No. The keyboard controller
on the system board is faulty. See Getting Help, for
instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
This section provides a procedure for
troubleshooting the ports on the computer's I/O panel and the equipment connected to them,
such as a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device.
You can also use this procedure to test
I/O ports on expansion cards. However, you should first complete the procedures in Troubleshooting Expansion Cards
to verify that the card is configured and installed correctly.
If a system error message indicates a
port problem or if equipment connected to a port seems to perform incorrectly or not at
all, the source of the problem may be any of the following:
- A faulty connection between the I/O port and the peripheral device
- A faulty cable between the I/O port and the peripheral device
- A faulty peripheral device
- Incorrect settings in the System Setup program
- Incorrect settings in the system's configuration files
- Faulty I/O port logic on the system board
|
NOTE: With certain modems
installed, subtests in the Serial Port Test Group may fail because the modem appears to
the diagnostics as a serial port but it cannot be tested as a serial port. If you have a
modem installed and you experience a serial-port test failure, remove the modem and run
the diagnostic tests again. |
This procedure determines whether the
computer's basic I/O functions are operational. If a system error message indicates an I/O
port problem or the device connected to the port does not function properly, follow these
steps:
1. Enter the System Setup program, and
check the Serial Port 1, Serial Port 2, Parallel Port, and Mouse settings.
Are the communications ports set to Auto,
and is Mouse set to Enabled?
Yes. Go to step 3.
No. Go to step 2.
2. Change the Serial Port 1, Serial
Port 2, and Parallel Port settings to Auto, and change the Mouse setting to Enabled; then
reboot the system.
Is the problem resolved?
Yes. You have fixed the
problem.
No. Go to step 3.
3. Check the contents of the start-up
files.
See Installing and Configuring
Software.
Are the port configuration commands correct?
Yes. Go to step 5.
No. Go to step 4.
4. Change the necessary statements in
the start-up files.
If the port problem is confined to a
particular application, see the application's documentation for specific port
configuration requirements.
Is the problem resolved?
Yes. You have fixed the
problem.
No. Go to step 5.
5. Reboot the system from the
diagnostics diskette, and run the Serial/Infrared Ports Test Group and/or the Parallel
Ports
Test Group in the Dell Diagnostics.
See Running the
Dell Diagnostics.
The Serial/Infrared Ports Test Group and the
Parallel Ports Test Group test the basic functions of the system board's I/O port logic.
Also, if a parallel printer is connected to the parallel port, the Parallel Ports Test
Group tests the communications link between the system board's I/O port logic and the
printer.
Do the tests complete successfully?
Yes. Go to step 6.
No. See Getting Help, for instructions on obtaining technical
assistance.
6. If the problem persists, go to Troubleshooting a Parallel Printer or Troubleshooting a Serial I/O Device
depending on which device appears to be malfunctioning.
If the procedure in the preceding
subsection, "Troubleshooting the Basic I/O Functions," indicates that the
problem is with a parallel printer, follow these steps:
1. Turn off the parallel printer and
computer.
2. Swap the parallel printer interface
cable with a known working cable.
3. Turn on the parallel printer and
computer.
4. Attempt a print operation on the
parallel printer.
Does the print operation complete
successfully?
Yes. The interface cable
must be replaced. See Getting Help, for instructions on
obtaining technical assistance.
No. Go to step 5.
5. Run the parallel printer's
self-test.
Does the self-test complete successfully?
Yes. Go to step 6.
No. The printer is probably
defective. If the printer was purchased from Dell, see Getting
Help, for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
6. Attempt another print operation on
the parallel printer.
Does the print operation complete
successfully?
Yes. You have fixed the
problem.
No. See Getting Help, for instructions on obtaining technical
assistance.
If the procedure in Troubleshooting the Basic I/O Functions indicates
that the problem is with a device connected to one of the serial ports, follow these
steps:
1. Turn off the computer and any
peripheral devices connected to the serial ports.
Are two serial devices connected to the
computer?
Yes. Go to step 2.
No. Go to step 4.
2. Disconnect the devices from serial
ports 1 and 2, and connect the malfunctioning serial device to the opposite port.
3. Turn on the computer and the
reconnected serial device.
Is the problem resolved?
Yes. The serial port may be
defective. See Getting Help, for instructions
on obtaining technical assistance.
No. Go to step 4.
4. Swap the interface cable (that
connects the device to the serial port) with a known working cable.
Is the problem resolved?
Yes. The interface cable
must be replaced. See Getting Help, for instructions on
obtaining technical assistance.
No. Go to step 5.
5. Turn off the computer and the serial
device, and swap the device with a comparable working device.
For example, if the serial mouse has a
problem, swap it with a serial mouse that you know is working properly.
6. Turn on the computer and the serial
device.
Is the problem resolved?
Yes. The serial device must
be replaced. See Getting Help, for instructions on obtaining
technical assistance.
No. See Getting Help, for instructions on obtaining
technical assistance.
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