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Internal Components: Dell Precision WorkStation 420 Systems User's Guide
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Internal Components: Dell Precision™ WorkStation 420 Systems
User's Guide
This section provides troubleshooting procedures for components
inside your computer. Before you start any of the procedures in this section, do the
following:
You need the following items to perform the procedures in this
section:
- Your Dell Precision ResourceCD
- A small flat-blade screwdriver and a #1 Phillips-head screwdriver (or
quarter-inch hex-nut driver)
Your system also includes an interior system service label affixed
to the inside of the computer cover (see Figure 1
and Figure 2 for the location of this label on the
mini tower and desktop chassis, respectively). This label shows the location of components
within the chassis and locations of system board components and connectors. It also
contains an important notice that provides instructions you need to follow to help prevent
damage to your system board while you troubleshoot your computer system.
Figure 1. Mini
Tower Chassis Interior Service Label
Figure 2. Desktop
Chassis Interior Service Label
The procedures in this section require that you remove the cover and
work inside your computer. While working inside your computer, do not attempt to service
the computer except as explained in this guide and elsewhere in Dell™ documentation.
Always follow the instructions closely.
Working inside your computer is safe—if you observe the
following precautions.
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CAUTION FOR YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY AND
PROTECTION OF THE EQUIPMENT |
Before you start to work on the computer,
perform the following steps in the sequence indicated:
- Turn off the computer and all peripherals.
- Touch an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis, such
as the metal around the card-slot openings at the back of your computer, before touching
anything inside your computer.
- Disconnect the computer and peripherals from their electrical
outlets. Doing so reduces the potential for personal injury or shock. Also disconnect any
telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
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NOTE: Before disconnecting a peripheral
from the system or removing a component from the system board, verify that the standby
power light-emitting diode (LED) on the system board has turned off. For the location of
this LED, see Figure 1 in
"Installing System Board Options." |
While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal
surface on the computer chassis to dissipate any static electricity that might harm
internal components.
In addition, Dell recommends that you periodically review the safety
instructions in your System Information Guide.
If your computer has a desktop chassis, see "Removing the Computer Cover (Desktop
Chassis)" and "Replacing the Computer Cover (Desktop
Chassis)."
If your computer has a mini tower chassis, see "Removing the Computer Cover (Mini
Tower Chassis)" and "Replacing the Computer Cover (Mini
Tower Chassis)."
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NOTE: Dell Precision WorkStation 420 systems are equipped with diagnostic LEDs to help provide information about
possible problems. Make note of any LED codes you observe before contacting Dell for
technical assistance. |
Liquids can damage your computer. While you are not likely to
submerge your computer, spills, splashes, and excessive humidity can also cause damage. If
an external device (such as a printer or an external drive) gets wet, contact the
manufacturer for instructions. If your computer gets wet, perform the following steps:
- Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and
disconnect all the AC power cables from their electrical outlets. Also, disconnect any
telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
- Remove the cover from your desktop chassis or from your mini tower chassis.
- Let the computer dry for at least 24 hours. Make sure that
it is thoroughly dry before you proceed.
- If you have a mini tower chassis, remove the accelerated graphics
port (AGP) card brace according to the instructions in "Removing and Replacing the AGP Card Brace."
- Remove all
expansion cards installed in the computer except a drive controller card and video
expansion card.
- Replace the computer cover on your desktop chassis or on your mini tower chassis, reconnect the
system to an electrical outlet, and turn it on.
If
the system has power, proceed to step 7. If the system does not have power, see "Getting Help"
for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
- Turn off the system, disconnect it from the electrical
outlet, remove the computer cover, touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any
static electricity, and reinstall all expansion cards that you removed in step 5.
- If you have a mini tower chassis, replace the AGP card brace.
- Replace the computer cover and
reconnect the system to an electrical outlet. Also, reconnect any telephone or
telecommunication lines to the computer.
- Insert the Dell Precision ResourceCD into the
CD-ROM drive, reboot the system, and run the System Board Devices test
group in the Dell Diagnostics.
If the tests complete successfully, your system is
operating properly. If any of the tests fail, see "Getting Help"
for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
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NOTE: Dell Precision WorkStation 420 systems are equipped with diagnostic LEDs to help provide information about
possible problems. Make note of any LED codes you observe before contacting Dell for
technical assistance. |
If your computer was dropped or damaged, you should check your
computer to see if it functions properly. If an external device attached to your computer
is dropped or damaged, contact the manufacturer of the device for instructions or see
"Getting Help" for information on obtaining technical
assistance from Dell. To troubleshoot a damaged computer, perform the following steps:
- Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and
disconnect all the AC power cables from their electrical outlets. Also, disconnect any
telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
- Remove the cover from your desktop chassis or from your mini tower chassis.
- Check all the expansion card and component connections in the computer.
Make sure that all cables are properly connected and that all expansion cards and components are properly seated in
their connectors and sockets.
- Replace the computer cover on your desktop chassis or on your mini tower chassis, reconnect the system to an electrical outlet, and reconnect any
telephone or telecommunication lines.
- Insert the Dell Precision ResourceCD into the
CD-ROM drive, reboot the system, and run the System Board Devices test
group in the Dell Diagnostics.
If the tests complete successfully, your system is
operating properly. If any of the tests fail, see "Getting Help"
for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
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CAUTION: There is a danger of a new battery
exploding if it is incorrectly installed. Replace the battery only with the same or
equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Discard used batteries according to the
manufacturer's instructions. |
|
NOTE: Dell Precision WorkStation 420 systems are equipped with diagnostic LEDs to help provide information about
possible problems. Make note of any LED codes you observe before contacting Dell for
technical assistance. |
If an error message indicates a problem with the battery, or if System Setup loses the system configuration information when the
computer is turned off, the battery may be discharged.
To troubleshoot the battery, perform the following steps:
- Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and
disconnect all the AC power cables from their electrical outlets. Also, disconnect any
telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
- Remove the cover from your desktop chassis or from your mini tower chassis.
- Reseat the battery in its socket, ensuring that it is
properly seated.
The battery is a coin cell that snaps into a socket on the system board.
- If the problem is not resolved, replace the battery.
Your Dell Precision System 420 uses a 3-V CR2032 coin cell
battery.
If the problem is still not resolved, you may have a faulty
system board. See "Getting Help" for instructions on
obtaining technical assistance.
|
NOTE: Dell Precision WorkStation 420 systems are equipped with diagnostic LEDs to help provide information about
possible problems. Make note of any LED codes you observe before contacting Dell for
technical assistance. |
If an error message indicates an expansion-card problem or if an
expansion card seems to perform incorrectly or not at all, the problem could be a faulty
connection, a conflict with software or other hardware, or a faulty expansion card. To
troubleshoot expansion cards, perform the following steps:
- Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and
disconnect all the AC power cables from their electrical outlets. Also, disconnect any
telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
- Remove the cover from your desktop chassis or from your mini tower chassis.
- If you have a mini tower chassis, remove the AGP card brace according
to the instructions in "Removing and Replacing
the AGP Card Brace."
- Verify that each expansion card is properly seated in its
connector. If any expansion cards are loose, reseat them.
- Verify that any cables are firmly connected to their
corresponding connectors on the expansion cards. If any cables appear loose, reconnect
them.
For instructions on which cables should be attached to specific connectors on an expansion
card, see the expansion card's documentation.
- Remove all
expansion cards except the video card.
- Replace the computer cover on your desktop chassis or on your mini tower chassis, reconnect the system to an electrical outlet, and turn it on.
- Insert the Dell Precision ResourceCD into the
CD-ROM drive, reboot the system, and run the RAM test group in the Dell Diagnostics.
If the tests complete successfully, proceed to step 9. If any of the tests fail, see
"Getting Help" for information on obtaining technical
assistance.
- Turn off the system, disconnect it from the electrical
outlet, and remove the computer cover.
- Reinstall one of the expansion cards that you removed
previously, and repeat steps 7
and 8.
If any of the tests fail, the expansion card you just reinstalled is faulty and needs to
be replaced. If the tests complete successfully, repeat steps 9 and 10 with another
expansion card.
- If you have replaced all the expansion cards removed
previously and the expansion card problem is not resolved, see "Getting
Help" for information on obtaining technical assistance.
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NOTE: Dell Precision WorkStation 420 systems are equipped with diagnostic LEDs to help provide information about
possible problems. Make note of any LED codes you observe before contacting Dell for
technical assistance. |
A computer memory problem can be a faulty Rambus in-line memory
module (RIMM) or a faulty system board. If a random-access memory (RAM) error message
appears, the computer may have a memory problem.
When you turn on or reboot the system, the Caps Lock and Scroll Lock
indicators on the keyboard should flash momentarily and then turn off. If the Num
Lock option in System Setup is set to On,
the Num Lock indicator should flash momentarily and then remain on; otherwise, it should
turn off. Abnormal operation of these indicators can result from a defective RIMM in
socket A. To troubleshoot system memory, perform the following steps:
- Turn on the system, including any attached peripherals.
- If an error message indicates invalid system configuration
information, enter System Setup
and check the System Memory option. If the amount of memory displayed
does not match the amount of memory installed, turn off the computer, disconnect it from
the electrical outlet, remove the cover from your desktop chassis or from your mini tower chassis, and reseat the
RIMMs in their sockets.
- Replace the computer cover on your desktop chassis or on your mini tower chassis, reconnect the system to an electrical outlet, and turn it on.
- If the problem is not resolved, insert the Dell
Precision ResourceCD into the CD-ROM drive, reboot the system, and run the RAM
test group in the Dell Diagnostics.
If the Dell Diagnostics identifies a faulty RIMM, replace that RIMM. If the Dell Diagnostics determines
that the system board is faulty, or if the Dell Diagnostics does not identify the cause of
the problem and the problem is still not resolved, see "Getting
Help" for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
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NOTE: Dell Precision WorkStation 420 systems are equipped with diagnostic LEDs to help provide information about
possible problems. Make note of any LED codes you observe before contacting Dell for
technical assistance. |
Troubleshooting video problems involves determining which of the
following is the source of the problem: the monitor, the monitor interface cable, or the
integrated video subsystem.
Before you attempt to troubleshoot the video subsystem, perform the
procedure found in "Troubleshooting
the Monitor" to determine whether the monitor is the source of the problem.
If the monitor is not at fault, perform the following steps:
- Check the monitor cable connections as indicated in "Checking Connections and Switches."
- If the problem is not resolved, see your video card
documentation for further troubleshooting instructions.
If any of the tests fail, see "Getting Help" for
instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
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NOTE: Dell Precision WorkStation 420 systems are equipped with diagnostic LEDs to help provide information about
possible problems. Make note of any LED codes you observe before contacting Dell for
technical assistance. |
A system board problem can result from a defective system
board component, a faulty power supply, or a defective component connected to the system
board. If an error message indicates a system board problem, perform the following steps:
- Insert the Dell Precision ResourceCD into the
CD-ROM drive, and reboot the system. Run the System Board Devices test
group in the Dell Diagnostics.
If any of the tests fail, see "Getting Help" for
instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
- Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and
disconnect all the AC power cables from their electrical outlets. Also, disconnect any
telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
- Remove the cover from your desktop chassis or from your mini tower chassis.
- If you have a mini tower chassis, remove the AGP card brace according
to the instructions in "Removing and Replacing
the AGP Card Brace."
- Verify that the power cables from the power supply are
firmly connected to the connectors on the system board.
- If you have a mini tower chassis, replace the AGP card brace.
- Replace the computer cover on your desktop chassis or on your mini tower chassis, reconnect the system to an electrical outlet, and turn it on. If
the problem is not resolved, proceed to step 8.
- Perform the procedure in "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards." If the
problem is not resolved, proceed to step 9.
- Perform the procedure in "Troubleshooting the Keyboard."
If the problem is not resolved, proceed to step 10.
- Perform the procedure in "Troubleshooting
a Dead System Board With the RTCRST Jumper."
- If the problem is still not resolved, see "Getting Help" for instructions on obtaining technical
assistance.
|
NOTE: Dell Precision WorkStation 420 systems are equipped with diagnostic LEDs to help provide information about
possible problems. Make note of any LED codes you observe before contacting Dell for
technical assistance. |
If the system cannot boot and you have exhausted all other
troubleshooting options, perform the following steps:
- Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and
disconnect all the AC power cables from their electrical outlets. Also, disconnect any
telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
- Remove the computer cover.
- If you have a mini tower chassis, remove the AGP card brace according
to the instructions in "Removing and Replacing
the AGP Card Brace."
- Install a jumper plug on the RTCRST
jumper pins and then remove it.
- Replace the computer cover,
reconnect the system to an electrical outlet, and turn it on. If the problem is not
resolved, see "Getting Help" for instructions on
obtaining technical assistance.
|
NOTE: Dell Precision WorkStation 420 systems are equipped with diagnostic LEDs to help provide information about
possible problems. Make note of any LED codes you observe before contacting Dell for
technical assistance. |
If the monitor displays a system error message to indicate a drive
problem during execution of either the boot routine or the Dell
Diagnostics, or if a drive is not operating correctly, perform the following steps:
- Enter
System Setup and verify that the problem drive is configured correctly. Make any
necessary changes, and reboot the system.
- If the problem is not resolved, turn off the system,
including any attached peripherals, and disconnect all the AC power cables from their
electrical outlets. Also, disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the
computer.
- Remove the cover from your desktop chassis or from your mini tower chassis.
- Verify that the DC power cables from the power supply are
firmly connected to the connectors on each drive. Also verify that the interface cable for
each drive is firmly connected to the drive and to the system board.
- Replace the computer cover on your desktop chassis or on your mini tower chassis, reconnect the system to an electrical outlet, and turn it on. If
the problem is not resolved, proceed to step 6.
- Insert the Dell Precision ResourceCD into the
CD-ROM drive, reboot the system, and run the appropriate test group in the Dell Diagnostics.
If the Dell Diagnostics identifies a faulty drive, replace the drive. If the Dell
Diagnostics identifies a faulty controller, the system board may be faulty. See "Getting Help" for instructions on obtaining technical
assistance.
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