Dell Dimension L c Series, Reference And Troubleshooting Manual

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Basic Troubleshooting 4-7
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Try a different cable; if you are using a cable that is 10 feet or more in length, try a
shorter one.
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Low connection speeds can be caused by line noise. If you have persistent prob-
lems, contact your telephone company to check for data noise and imbalanced
lines.
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Refer to “Modem” in Chapter 6 for further troubleshooting information.
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If you have diskette drive problems, perform the following checks:
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Make sure the diskette is not write-protected if you are trying to copy data to it.
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Try a different diskette in the drive. If the new diskette works, the original one
may be defective.
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Check the settings on the Diskette Configuration submenu of the system setup
program as described in Appendix B, “System Setup Program.”
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Run the Diskette device group as described in “Running the Dell Diagnostics”
found later in this chapter.
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Refer to “Drives” in Chapter 6 for further troubleshooting information.
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If you have CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive problems, perform the following checks.
NOTE: Inconsistencies in the recording of CD-ROM media may cause some higher-
speed CD-ROM drives to vibrate more than others. Such vibration and associated
noise do not indicate a defect in the drive or the CD. It should be noted that not all
media can be read by all drives.
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Double-click My Computer and check to see if the drive is recognized by the sys-
tem. Most of the common boot sector viruses cause the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
drive to “disappear.” Use virus-scanning software (if Dell installed Windows 98
on your system, you should already have virus-scanning software) to check for
and remove any viruses.
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Clean the disc with a soft, lint-free cloth and isopropyl alcohol.
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Try another CD or DVD title.
NOTE: Because of different conventions currently used in the industry, not all
DVD titles work in all DVD-ROM drives.
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Enter the system setup program as described in Appendix B, “System Setup Pro-
gram,” and verify that Type is set to Auto for the appropriate IDE drive option.
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Run the appropriate tests under the IDE Devices device group as described in
“Running the Dell Diagnostics” found later in this chapter.
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Refer to “CD-ROM and DVD-ROM Drives” in Chapter 6 for further troubleshoot-
ing information.