Basic Troubleshooting
2-3
O
bserving the Boot Routine
After you have performed an external visual inspection as described in the pre-
vious section, you should 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 func-
tions and indications, some of which can occur simultaneously. It may be
necessary to reboot the system several times in order to complete all of these
steps.
To observe problem indications during the boot routine, follow these steps:
1. If the system is off, turn on all peripherals and the computer. Insert the
Dell Server Assistant CD into the CD-ROM drive. Press the reset button
or <Ctrl
><
Alt
><
Del> to reboot the system.
2. Check the power supply fans.
Do the fans run normally?
Yes. Proceed to step 3.
No. Troubleshoot the system power supply.
3. 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 4.
No. Troubleshoot the system power supply. If the troubleshooting pro-
cedure indicates that the system power supply is operational, troubleshoot
the memory.
4. During the boot routine, observe the computer for any of the following:
•
Beep codes: A beep code is a series of beeps that indicates an error con-
dition. If the system emits a beep code, see Table 3-1.
NOTE: The system beeps once during the boot routine. This single beep
is normal and is not a beep code.
•
System error messages: These messages can indicate problems or pro-
vide status information. If a system error message is displayed, see
Table 3-2.
•
Diskette-drive and hard-disk drive activity 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, trou-
bleshoot the diskette drive or hard-disk drive subsystem, as appropriate.
