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System Error Messages

System Message

Description

Alert! Previous attempts at booting this system 
have failed at checkpoint [nnnn]. For help in 
resolving this problem, please note this checkpoint 
and contact Dell Technical Support

The computer failed to complete the boot routine 
three consecutive times for the same error.

CMOS checksum error

RTC is reset, BIOS Setup default has been loaded.

CPU fan failure

CPU fan has failed

System fan failure

System fan has failed

Hard-disk drive failure

Possible hard disk drive failure during POST

Keyboard failure

Keyboard failure or loose cable. If reseating the 
cable does not solve the problem, replace the 
keyboard.

No boot device available

No bootable partition on hard disk drive, the hard 
disk drive cable is loose, or no bootable device 
exists.
• If the hard drive is your boot device, ensure that 

the cables are connected and that the drive is 

installed properly and partitioned as a boot 

device.

• Enter system setup and ensure that the boot 

sequence information is correct.

No timer tick interrupt

A chip on the system board might be 
malfunctioning or motherboard failure.

NOTICE - Hard Drive SELF MONITORING SYSTEM 
has reported that a parameter has exceeded its 
normal operating range. Dell recommends that 
you back up your data regularly. A parameter out 
of range may or may not indicate a potential hard 
drive problem

S.M.A.R.T error, possible hard disk drive failure.

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Summary of Contents for Vostro 3901

Page 1: ...Dell Vostro 3901 Owner s Manual Regulatory Model D17M Regulatory Type D17M002 ...

Page 2: ...problem WARNING A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage personal injury or death Copyright 2014 Dell Inc All rights reserved This product is protected by U S and international copyright and intellectual property laws Dell and the Dell logo are trademarks of Dell Inc in the United States and or other jurisdictions All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their res...

Page 3: ...moving the Optical Drive 12 Installing the Optical Drive 12 Removing the Card Reader 13 Installing the Card Reader 13 Removing the Memory 13 Installing the Memory 14 Removing the Heatsink 14 Installing the Heatsink 15 Removing the Processor 15 Installing the Processor 16 Removing the Expansion Card s 16 Installing the Expansion Card s 17 Removing the Power Supply Unit PSU 17 Installing the Power S...

Page 4: ...Components 23 3 Troubleshooting Your Computer 25 Diagnostic Power LED Codes 25 Diagnostic Error Messages 26 System Error Messages 30 4 System Setup Options 31 Main 31 Advanced 32 Boot 32 Power 33 Security 33 Exit 33 System Setup Overview 33 Enter System Setup 34 5 Specifications 35 6 Contacting Dell 38 ...

Page 5: ...ge due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the product CAUTION To avoid electrostatic discharge ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface such as a connector on the back of the computer CAUTION Handle components and cards with care Do not touc...

Page 6: ...ng Off Your Computer CAUTION To avoid losing data save and close all open files and exit all open programs before you turn off your computer 1 Shut down the operating system In Windows 8 Using a touch enabled device a Swipe in from the right edge of the screen opening the Charms menu and select Settings b Select the and then select Shut down Using a mouse a Point to upper right corner of the scree...

Page 7: ...ace the cover CAUTION To connect a network cable first plug the cable into the network device and then plug it into the computer 2 Connect any telephone or network cables to your computer 3 Connect your computer and all attached devices to their electrical outlets 4 Turn on your computer 5 If required verify that the computer works correctly by running the Dell Diagnostics 7 ...

Page 8: ...n how to remove or install the components from your computer Recommended Tools The procedures in this document may require the following tools Small flat blade screwdriver Phillips screwdriver Small plastic scribe System Overview Inside view 1 Power Supply Unit PSU 2 memory module 8 ...

Page 9: ...ards the back of the computer 1 c Lift and remove the cover from the computer 2 Installing the Cover 1 Place the cover on the chassis 2 Replace the screws to secure the cover to the computer 3 Follow the procedures in After Working Inside Your Computer Removing the Bezel 1 Follow the procedures in Before Working Inside Your Computer 2 Remove the cover 3 Follow the steps to remove the bezel a Pry t...

Page 10: ...t bezel until the tabs snap in to place 4 Install the cover 5 Follow the procedures in After Working Inside Your Computer Removing the Coin Cell Battery 1 Follow the procedures in Before Working Inside Your Computer 2 Remove the cover 3 Push the coin cell release latch and pull the coin cell battery to remove it from the computer 10 ...

Page 11: ...nside Your Computer 2 Remove the cover bezel 3 Follow the steps to remove the SATA cable and the power cable a Disconnect the SATA cable and power cable from the hard drive 1 2 b Remove the screws that secure the hard drive bracket 3 and lift it upwards to remove it from the computer 4 4 Follow the steps to remove the hard drive bracket a Remove the screws that secure the hard drive bracket b Lift...

Page 12: ... the Optical Drive 1 Follow the procedures in Before Working Inside Your Computer 2 Remove the cover bezel 3 Follow the steps to remove the optical drive a Disconnect the data cable 1 and power cable 2 from the optical drive b Remove the screws that secure the optical drive and then push the optical drive towards the front of the computer c Remove the optical drive from the computer 3 Installing t...

Page 13: ... Push the card reader towards the front of the computer e Remove the card reader from the computer Installing the Card Reader 1 Push the card reader into the computer until it snaps into place 2 Install the screws that secure the card reader to the chassis 3 Thread the card reader power cable through the metal clip 4 Connect the card reader power cable to the system board 5 Install the bezel cover...

Page 14: ...down on the memory module until the securing clips secure the memory in place 4 Install the cover 5 Follow the procedures in After Working Inside Your Computer Removing the Heatsink 1 Follow the procedures in Before Working Inside Your Computer 2 Remove the cover 3 Follow the steps to remove the processor heatsink a Disconnect the heatsink cable from the system board b Loosen the captive screws th...

Page 15: ...ll the cover 5 Follow the procedures in After Working Inside Your Computer Removing the Processor 1 Follow the procedures in Before Working Inside Your Computer 2 Remove the cover heatsink 3 Push the processor release lever down and then press it outward to release it from the retention hook that secures it 4 Raise the processor cover and lift the processor to remove it from the computer 15 ...

Page 16: ...our Computer Removing the Expansion Card s 1 Follow the procedures in Before Working Inside Your Computer 2 Remove the cover 3 Follow the steps to remove the expansion card a Press the blue tab and slide down the release lever that secures the expansion card b Press on the retaining tab to release the expansion card from its connector c Lift the expansion card up out of its connector and remove it...

Page 17: ...itional expansion cards 4 Install the cover 5 Follow the procedures in After Working Inside Your Computer Removing the Power Supply Unit PSU 1 Follow the procedures in Before Working Inside Your Computer 2 Remove the cover 3 Disconnect the following power supply cables from the system board by pressing on the retention latch and lifting it upwards system board power cable 1 system fan power cable ...

Page 18: ...place the screws to secure the power supply until to the computer 3 Connect the power cables to the system board 4 Install the cover 5 Follow the procedures in After Working Inside Your Computer Removing the Power Switch 1 Follow the procedures in Before Working Inside Your Computer 2 Remove the cover bezel 3 Follow the steps to remove the power switch a Disconnect the power switch cable from the ...

Page 19: ... the power switch cable to the system board 5 Install the bezel cover 6 Follow the procedures in After Working Inside Your Computer Removing the Input Output I O Panel 1 Follow the procedures in Before Working Inside Your Computer 2 Remove the cover bezel 3 Follow the steps to remove the I O panel cables a Disconnect the I O panel and FlyWire cables from the system board 1 3 b Un thread the cables...

Page 20: ...from the computer Installing the Input Output I O Panel 1 Slide the I O panel into its slot on the computer 2 Replace the screw that secures the I O panel 3 Route the cables through the metal clips 4 Connect the I O panel and FlyWire cables to the system board 5 Install the bezel cover 6 Follow the procedures in After Working Inside Your Computer 20 ...

Page 21: ...mputer 3 Press the blue tab 1 and slide down the release lever that secures the wireless LAN card 2 4 Pull the wireless LAN card to remove from the computer 3 Installing the Wireless Device 1 Install the wireless LAN card to its connector on the system board 2 Install the release lever to secure the wireless LAN card 3 Connect the wireless device cable to its connector on the computer 4 Tighten th...

Page 22: ... system fan inwards and remove it from the computer Installing the System Fan 1 Place the fan on the computer 2 Replace the screws to secure the fan to the computer 3 Connect the fan cable to the system board 4 Install the cover 5 Follow the procedures in After Working Inside Your Computer Removing the System Board 1 Follow the procedures in Before Working Inside Your Computer 2 Remove the cover b...

Page 23: ... the computer Installing the System Board 1 Place the system board into the computer at a 45 degree angle and then slide it towards the back of the computer 2 Replace the screws to secure the system board to the computer 3 Thread and connect all the cables to the system board 4 Install the I O panel memory expansion cards processor heatsink hard drive optical drive bezel cover 5 Follow the procedu...

Page 24: ...ector 6 processor socket 7 CPU fan connector 8 memory connectors 9 P1 power connector 10 front USB connector 11 real time clock reset jumper 12 password reset jumper 13 card reader connector 14 coin cell battery 15 SATA connectors 16 front LED connector 17 SATA connectors 18 front audio connector 24 ...

Page 25: ...ower extension cables to verify the computer turns on properly Ensure the electrical outlet is working by testing it with another device such as a lamp Steady Blinking Amber Computer fails to complete POST or processor failure Remove and then reinstall any cards Remove and then reinstall the graphics card if applicable Ensure the power cable is connected to the motherboard and processor Blinking W...

Page 26: ...all the memory modules or if necessary replace them DISK C FAILED INITIALIZATION The hard drive failed initialization Run the hard drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics DRIVE NOT READY The operation requires a hard drive in the bay before it can continue Install a hard drive in the hard drive bay ERROR READING PCMCIA CARD The computer cannot identify the ExpressCard Reinsert the card or try another ...

Page 27: ... the computer Shut down the computer remove the hard drive and boot the computer from an optical drive Then shut down the computer reinstall the hard drive and restart the computer If the problem persists try another drive Run the Hard Disk Drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics HARD DISK DRIVE READ FAILURE The hard drive may be defective Shut down the computer remove the hard drive and boot the comp...

Page 28: ...software you are attempting to run is conflicting with the operating system another program or a utility Shut down the computer wait 30 seconds and then restart it Try to run the program again If the error message still appears see the software documentation MEMORY DOUBLE WORD LOGIC FAILURE AT ADDRESS READ VALUE EXPECTING VALUE A memory module may be faulty or improperly seated Reinstall the memor...

Page 29: ... TIME OF DAY CLOCK LOST POWER System configuration settings are corrupted Connect your computer to an electrical outlet to charge the battery If the problem persists try to restore the data by entering the system setup program then immediately exit the program If the message reappears contact Dell TIME OF DAY CLOCK STOPPED The reserve battery that supports the system configuration settings may req...

Page 30: ...ble does not solve the problem replace the keyboard No boot device available No bootable partition on hard disk drive the hard disk drive cable is loose or no bootable device exists If the hard drive is your boot device ensure that the cables are connected and that the drive is installed properly and partitioned as a boot device Enter system setup and ensure that the boot sequence information is c...

Page 31: ...or Processor ID Displays the processor ID Processor Core Count Displays the processor core count Processor L1 Cache Displays the processor L1 cache size Processor L2 Cache Displays the processor L2 cache size Memory Information Memory Installed Displays the total computer memory Memory Available Displays the available memory Memory Running Speed Displays the memory speed Memory Technology Displays...

Page 32: ...oller Allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN controller Default Enabled Onboard LAN Boot ROM Allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN boot ROM Default Disabled Boot Numlock Key Allows you to enable or disable the numlock key during Boot Secure Boot Control Allows you to enable or disable the Secure Boot Control Secure Boot Mode Allows you to select the secure boot mode selector Loa...

Page 33: ...he specific date to enable the Auto Power On mode Auto Power On Time Allows you to select the specific time to enable the Auto Power On mode Security Supervisor Password Specifies whether an administrator password has been assigned User Password Specifies whether a user password has been assigned Set Supervisor Password Allows you to change or delete the administrator password HDD Protection Allow...

Page 34: ...ings for this program Certain changes can cause your computer to work incorrectly Enter System Setup 1 Turn on or restart your computer 2 After the white Dell logo appears press F2 or F12 immediately The System Setup page displays NOTE If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears continue to wait until you see the desktop Then shut down or restart your computer and try again 34 ...

Page 35: ...ssor Type AMD Sempron 250 AMD Athlon X2 350 AMD A4 6300 AMD A6 6400K AMD A8 6500 L2 cache Up to 4 MB Memory Memory module connector two DIMM slots Memory module capacity 2 GB 4 GB and 8 GB Type 1600 MHz DDR3 Non ECC Minimum memory 2 GB Maximum memory 16 GB Video Video Type Integrated AMD Radeon Discrete AMD HD 8490 1 GB DDR3 DP DVI UI NVIDIA GeForce GT 705 1 GB GDDR3 Integrated video memory Shared...

Page 36: ... PCIe x1 up to three full height cards Drives Externally accessible 5 25 inch drive bays one Internally accessible 3 5 inch drive bays one External Connectors Audio Back panel three connectors Front Panel two front panel connectors for headphone and microphone Network one RJ45 connector USB Front panel two USB 2 0 connectors Back panel two USB 2 0 connectors two USB 3 0 connectors Video one 15 hol...

Page 37: ...264 VAC Input frequency 50 Hz to 60 Hz Wattage 200 W Input current 3 0 A NOTE Total power output of 5 V and 3 30 V can not exceed 80 W Maximum heat dissipation 682 BTU hr NOTE Heat dissipation is calculated by using the power supply wattage rating Physical Height 360 mm 14 17 inches Width 175 mm 6 88 inches Depth 436 3 mm 17 17 inches Weight Minimum 8 60 kg 18 96 lb Environmental Temperature Opera...

Page 38: ...ed support and service options Availability varies by country and product and some services may not be available in your area To contact Dell for sales technical support or customer service issues 1 Visit dell com support 2 Select your support category 3 Verify your country or region in the Choose a Country Region drop down menu at the top of page 4 Select the appropriate service or support link b...

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