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HP e-diagtools 4.0, User Manual

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10   Virtual Call Assistant

How to Use the VCA

66

English

How to Use the VCA

The Virtual Call Assistant is intended to be installed and used by helpdesk personnel 
supporting HP Compaq Business PCs and HP Workstations.

Typically, the user of the remote computer will call the helpdesk to report a computer 
malfunction or to report the presence of a warning signal from the computer. During 
this initial call, the buzzer signal can be recorded by the helpdesk computer and quickly 
analyzed by the VCA software. 

The VCA provides immediate and accurate diagnostic information available at the 
helpdesk/support location, often eliminating the need for the support personnel to visit 
the remote site unprepared, or to rely on an uncertain verbal report.

VCA Availability

For information about ordering the DynaMetric decoder, or to download the VCA 
software, connect to the HP Diagtools home page at: 

www.hp.com/go/e-diagtools

.

For more detailed information about using the VCA, refer to the 

Virtual Call Assistant 

User’s Guide

, available on the your computer’s HP support web site (refer to page 7 for 

web addresses).

Summary of Contents for e-diagtools 4.0

Page 1: ...hp e diagtools 4 0 user s guide www hp com go e diagtools hp compaq business pcs hp workstations servers hp notebook pcs ...

Page 2: ...ry information that is protected by copyright All rights are reserved No part of this document may be photocopied reproduced or translated to another language without the prior written consent of Hewlett Packard Company Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated Microsoft MS MS DOS Windows and Windows NT are U S registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation Othe...

Page 3: ... on a HP computer It is a series of tools designed to help you to Distinguish between software and hardware problems Diagnose hardware related problems Provide precise information to support providers so that they can solve any problem quickly and effectively e Diagtools is not a repair tool Compatibility e Diagtools 4 0 is compatible with Selected HP Compaq Business PCs released after May 2002 Se...

Page 4: ...e available from the web sites described on page 7 New more efficient and accurate hardware diagnostics tests An improved user interface including the use of function keys in the main menu simplified advanced test screen and an improved test progress indicator More information than before in the Support Ticket including a history log which collects information every time you run e Diagtools A Wind...

Page 5: ...pre boot diagnostics device issues a sequence of audible beeps that helps diagnose a problem when the computer cannot boot Core tests The e Diagtools core tests provide hardware detection basic and advanced system tests and a Support Ticket that contains a complete record of the test results and the computer s configuration Support Ticket The Support Ticket is a full diagnostic report that allows ...

Page 6: ...Workstations e Diagtools 4 0 is supplied on the following media The HP Utility Partition for e Diagtools pre installed on your computer s hard disk supplied on new HP computers released from April 2002 An upgrade to the latest version of e Diagtools for the hard disk partition is available from the HP support web see Web Links The Recovery CD ROM for HP Notebook PCs supplied with most new HP Noteb...

Page 7: ... computer including e Diagtools information refer to the HP Support web sites For more information about HP Customer Care Service and Support refer to chapter 11 HP Customer Care Service and Support HP Support www hp com go support Business PC Support www hp com go support HP Workstation Support www hp com workstations support HP Notebook Support www hp com go support select Notebook PCs ...

Page 8: ...8 English ...

Page 9: ...ard Disk 21 Option 1 Starting e Diagtools on HP Compaq Business PCs 21 Option 2 Starting e Diagtools on HP Notebook PCs 23 Starting e Diagtools from CD ROM 24 Which CD ROM to Use 24 How to Start e Diagtools from CD ROM 24 The e Diagtools Main Menu 26 F1 Help 26 Run e Diagtools 26 Hot Key for Advanced System Tests 26 Exit 27 Support Ticket when available 27 Select Language 27 3 e Diagtools Hardware...

Page 10: ...ion 43 6 The Support Ticket What is the Support Ticket 46 Some Features 46 The e Diagtools Support Ticket Screen 47 Accessing the Support Ticket Screen 47 Performing Actions in the e Diagtools Support Ticket Screen 48 Retrieving the Support Ticket from Windows 48 7 e Diagtools for Windows Notebook PCs only What is e Diagtools for Windows 50 e Diagtools for Windows Commands 52 Support Ticket 52 BIO...

Page 11: ...ooting Software Components in and around the e Diagtools Solution 62 10 Virtual Call Assistant What is the Virtual Call Assistant 64 How it Works 64 How to Use the VCA 66 VCA Availability 66 11 HP Customer Care Service and Support Your HP Authorized Reseller 68 Hewlett Packard Support and Information Services 68 HP Customer Care Center Phone Numbers 69 Glossary 71 ...

Page 12: ...Contents 12 English ...

Page 13: ...nostics and BIOS errors which help you troubleshoot hardware problems when your Business PC or HP Workstation cannot boot start properly Pre boot diagnostics are not provided on all HP computers It also describes a web based troubleshooting tool related to pre boot diagnostics BIOS EMU errors and e Diagtools for HP Compaq Business PCs or HP Workstations ...

Page 14: ...oubleshooting or replacement The modulated audio signal can be interpreted by a support provider equipped with the Virtual Call Assistant For more information about the Virtual Call Assistant refer to the Virtual Call Assistant User s Guide available on your HP computer s support web site refer to page 7 for web addresses The distinct beeps form a beep code that you can interpret using the followi...

Page 15: ...en If your computer encounters a BIOS error it will display a BIOS error message on the screen such as Error message 1 of 1 Error code 0103 Keyboard not detected Keyboard error Sometimes recommendations for troubleshooting are also displayed below the error message or you need to press Enter to get the recommendations The error message and recommendations if provided can be used to troubleshoot th...

Page 16: ...ror signal into the telephone handset To play the audio error signal For BIOS error messages press Enter then F11 For pre boot errors beep errors press the computer s power button for at least five seconds For e Diagtools errors press F11 when indicated on the screen The support provider can then decode the signal and provide a solution For more information about Virtual Call Assistant refer to th...

Page 17: ...errors BIOS EMU error messages also called configuration diagnostics e Diagtools hardware diagnostic errors described on page 37 and page 43 These web based troubleshooting tools can provide valuable support information and help you solve your problem The tools are available for HP e pc HP Vectra and HP Kayak computers You can access e Diagtools online troubleshooting by connecting to the web site...

Page 18: ...1 Pre Boot Diagnostics and BIOS Errors e Diagtools Online Troubleshooting 18 English ...

Page 19: ...2 Starting e Diagtools This chapter describes how to start and run e Diagtools from the hard disk or from CD ROM this chapter applies to hp compaq business pcs hp workstations hp notebook pcs ...

Page 20: ...ter the Setup program on new Business PCs restart the computer press F8 then select the option to enter the Setup program To enter the Setup program on other HP computers restart the computer and press F2 when the HP logo appears 2 If present ensure all Hardware Protection items in the Security menu are set to Enabled or Unlocked 3 If you are using a CD ROM to run e Diagtools ensure the option to ...

Page 21: ...u Option 1 Starting e Diagtools on HP Compaq Business PCs 1 Quit all applications shut down the operating system and restart your computer 2 Immediately after the computer starts press F8 to enter the Configuration and Diagnostics menu 3 In the Configuration and Diagnostics menu use the arrow keys to select the option to run the diagnostics or press F10 available options depend on the computer pla...

Page 22: ...2 Starting e Diagtools Starting e Diagtools from the Hard Disk 22 English 4 The e Diagtools welcome screen appears Press F2 to run e Diagtools Actual screen may differ from the one shown ...

Page 23: ... and restart your computer 2 After the initial splash screen with the logo a message is displayed The exact message may vary here are two examples Press F10 to start Diagtools Press F10 to start diagnostics 3 Press the F10 key 4 The e Diagtools welcome screen appears Press F2 to run e Diagtools Actual screen may differ from the one shown ...

Page 24: ...ion on your hard disk How to Start e Diagtools from CD ROM 1 Insert the HP CD ROM in your CD ROM drive Restart your computer 2 For Business PCs and HP Workstations ensure that the option to start from the CD ROM drive is enabled and that the CD ROM is configured to be the first device to boot from refer to Before Starting e Diagtools on page 20 for more information For HP Notebook PCs press Esc du...

Page 25: ...25 2 Starting e Diagtools Starting e Diagtools from CD ROM 5 The e Diagtools welcome screen appears Press F2 to run e Diagtools Actual screen may differ from the one shown ...

Page 26: ...ols enters the hardware detection phase described in chapter 3 e Diagtools Hardware Detection Advanced Users Hot Key for Advanced System Tests You can also go directly to the Advanced System Test screen from the welcome screen To do this press Ctrl and F11 for Compaq Corporate PCs or Ctrl and F9 for Notebook PCs This is recommended only for advanced users who want to test a specific problem In mos...

Page 27: ... onto floppy disk For an up to date Support Ticket run e Diagtools first If you do not run e Diagtools first the last available Support Ticket will be displayed This main menu option is only available on the hard disk version However if you are using the CD ROM version run Diagtools first then you can view or save the support ticket as needed Select Language Allows you to choose the language for t...

Page 28: ...2 Starting e Diagtools The e Diagtools Main Menu 28 English ...

Page 29: ...3 e Diagtools Hardware Detection This chapter describes the hardware detection phase of e Diagtools this chapter applies to hp compaq business pcs hp workstations hp notebook pcs ...

Page 30: ...ardware components It also determines which tests are appropriate for your computer For example if your computer has an IDE or SCSI hard disk drive it will be checked as part of the basic system test NOTE Hardware detection may be so fast that the above screen simply flickers on and off without giving you time to read it This is normal The time required for hardware detection varies greatly betwee...

Page 31: ...are Detection Results The following is an example of the screen that appears after the hardware detection phase All main hardware components are listed after the computer product name and model You can use the arrow keys to scroll through the list of detected components ...

Page 32: ...ools If this is the case you can download the latest version from the HP support web site described on page 7 The PS2 keyboard and PS2 mouse are tested even though they do not appear in the hardware detection screen However for Notebook PCs the PS2 mouse is not currently tested The hardware test for that component may not be available For more information refer to the Readme file for your version ...

Page 33: ...4 e Diagtools Basic System Test This chapter describes the basic system test performed by e Diagtools this chapter applies to hp compaq business pcs hp workstations hp notebook pcs ...

Page 34: ...vanced system tests the basic system test is done automatically and no user input or guidance is needed This test phase is suitable for all types of users including novice and non technical users Most of the computer s components are tested during the basic system test To test each component individually use the advanced system tests described in chapter 5 How to Run the Basic System Test The basi...

Page 35: ...35 4 e Diagtools Basic System Test How to Run the Basic System Test 3 Once hardware detection is complete this screen appears 4 Press F2 and the basic system testing starts ...

Page 36: ...4 Press F3 to exit e Diagtools Follow the on screen recommendations Support Ticket If you are investigating a problem with your computer press F4 to view or save the support ticket Although no failure was detected the Support Ticket will be effective for communicating the test results and computer configuration to your support provider To learn more about the Support Ticket refer to chapter 6 Adva...

Page 37: ... configuration error or that there is a loose cable Important Recommendation Since e Diagtools displays only one error at a time whereas the Support Ticket will list all errors it is recommended that 1 You consult the Support Ticket to see the full list of errors It may help you determine the source of the error more easily 2 After fixing the problem detected by the hardware diagnostics run e Diag...

Page 38: ...nd the Support Ticket to your service provider by email or fax The Support Ticket is a complete record of the test results It is the most effective way to communicate the problem to your support provider To learn more about the Support Ticket refer to chapter 6 For HP Compaq Business PCs and some HP Workstations If the F11 Emit Code button appears on the screen you can press F11 to emit the audio ...

Page 39: ...isk drives SCSI hard disk drives Optical drives CD ROM DVD CD RW drives Floppy disk drive Graphics system Audio system LAN Keyboard PS2 only Mouse PS2 only except on Notebook PCs Modem PCI modem only Serial and parallel ports Each test listed above is performed only if it is appropriate for your computer s configuration For example if your computer does not have a SCSI controller or no SCSI hard d...

Page 40: ...4 e Diagtools Basic System Test What is Tested 40 English ...

Page 41: ...ests This chapter describes the advanced system tests Individual computer components can be thoroughly tested using the advanced system tests this chapter applies to hp compaq business pcs hp workstations hp notebook pcs ...

Page 42: ... you can run the tests repeatedly by selecting loop mode You can exit loop mode by pressing Esc Running the tests repeatedly is useful for detecting hardware problems that occur intermittently How to Enter the Advanced System Tests The advanced system tests can be entered after the basic system tests have been completed NOTE You can also go directly to the Advanced System Test screen from the welc...

Page 43: ...ress Esc to stop the current test or to exit loop testing Note that some test sequences are critical and must be completed before they can be stopped If you press Esc you may have to wait several moments before testing is stopped Test Result PASSED Once the test is finished the test results screen appears At this stage you can If applicable follow the onscreen recommendations Press F2 to do furthe...

Page 44: ...by email or fax The Support Ticket is a complete record of the test results It is the most effective way to communicate the problem to your support provider To learn more about the Support Ticket refer to chapter 6 For HP Compaq Business PCs and some HP Workstations If the F11 Emit Code button appears on the screen you can press F11 to emit the audio error code signal for the error This is useful ...

Page 45: ... Support Ticket This chapter describes the Support Ticket which is a record of the test results and the computer s configuration this chapter applies to hp compaq business pcs hp workstations hp notebook pcs ...

Page 46: ...rt Ticket also contains the list of all errors encountered Each error message is listed with an error code and recommended actions By contrast the e Diagtools screen displays only one error message with its corresponding recommendations No error code is displayed Hardware Traceability Feature This is reported in the Support Ticket It is useful for tracking changes to the computer s hardware e Diag...

Page 47: ...creen To access the Support Ticket screen start e Diagtools as normal refer to chapter 2 Starting e Diagtools for more information You can then access the Support Ticket screen From the e Diagtools welcome screen except when running e Diagtools from CD ROM From the hardware detection screen From the basic and advanced test screens ...

Page 48: ...ort Ticket on a floppy disk ensure that the disk is formatted and empty If you want to keep a Support Ticket ensure that you copy it to a safe place before creating the new one You can do this by copying the Support Ticket file to another floppy disk Retrieving the Support Ticket from Windows To retrieve the support ticket For HP Notebook PCs Use e Diagtools for Windows to email print or consult t...

Page 49: ...ools for Windows Notebook PCs only This chapter describes e Diagtools for Windows the Windows based application for HP Notebook PCs this chapter applies to hp compaq business pcs hp workstations hp notebook pcs ...

Page 50: ...HP Utility Partition edit it and send it to the Support Provider or copy it to hard disk From the operating system e Diagtools for Windows will download the BIOS copy it to the Utility Partition and update the BIOS When updating the BIOS automatic reboots are necessary to complete the operation e Diagtools for Windows also enables you to update the e Diagtools hardware diagnostics software in the ...

Page 51: ...onding icon This offers rapid intuitive access to key e Diagtools for Windows program functions The option View Support Ticket has already been selected in the example shown and the GUI displays the Support Ticket and related information NOTE When a function is not available at any stage of the program the icon which represents it is greyed out on the Icon Bar In the illustration all the icons are...

Page 52: ...provider s support address via email or to generate a new Support Ticket and update the stored Support Ticket data The Comments option permits a user to create or update text in dedicated comment fields which supplement the information provided by the Support Ticket This can be useful where notes or special explanations are required The Support Ticket can also be printed or saved to a file The Ico...

Page 53: ...n to be flashed You can either download the latest BIOS from the server or update the BIOS using the files you previously downloaded to your Notebook If you select Download new you will be asked if you want to connect to the web to check for the latest BIOS version Click on Yes to launch the connection process NOTE The option Use Current can be used for instance to repair a corrupted BIOS Download...

Page 54: ...s button if you want to alter any parameters For HP Notebook PCs the update server URL is http ftp hp com pub mobile_computing software edtpackages master ini To check the connection parameters for sending the Support Ticket open the Connection Options Connection window This window includes an option for Dial up or for LAN connection to the support provider via a choice of radio button If you set ...

Page 55: ...port are included To send the Support Ticket you must provide your email address and the support provider email address For BIOS downloads you must have a valid Update Server URL and the correct Proxy Server name and port number If you are using the HP site you can use the default Update Server URL http ftp hp com pub mobile_computing software edtpackages master ini ...

Page 56: ...S Info window provides the version number of the currently installed BIOS the version number of the downloaded BIOS stored in the HP Utility Partition the version number and download size of the BIOS available on the HP Server that is suitable for installation on this type of HP Notebook PC ...

Page 57: ...n is available on selected Business PCs For information about the HP Utility Partition used on HP Notebooks PCs and HP Workstations that are provided with e Diagtools 4 0 refer to the e Diagtools 3 5x User s Guide available from the web sites described on page 7 this chapter applies to hp compaq business pcs hp workstations hp notebook pcs ...

Page 58: ... Windows and DOS operating systems Cannot be viewed or deleted using the operating system tools or other standard partitioning utilities Furthermore HP tools for the previously used HP Utility Partition such as the HP Utility Partition Restoration Tool are not compatible with the HP Protected Partition Is a PARTIES Protected Area Run Time Interface Extension Services partition that uses the IDE AT...

Page 59: ...he Boot menu appears The Boot menu provides direct access to e Diagtools Transparent The HP Protected Partition is transparent to the user Therefore this partition does not hinder or confuse the user when they are carrying out their normal tasks on the PC Unobtrusive 32 MB of disk space is used for the HP Protected Partition this is a negligible amount for the current generation of massive multi g...

Page 60: ...rform any recovery operation that involves a partition and format operation or a destructive recovery then If the partition already exists it is left intact and not modified If the partition does not exist for example on a new HP hard disk provided by HP support it is created In both cases the recovery process ensures that the HP Protected Partition is present on the hard drive there is no way to ...

Page 61: ...shooting This chapter describes e Diagtools in the context of support and troubleshooting This information may be useful for system administrators and MIS this chapter applies to hp compaq business pcs hp workstations hp notebook pcs ...

Page 62: ...ls for Windows for HP Notebook PCs only e Diagtools for Windows enables HP Notebooks PC users to use remote Internet features Upgrading the BIOS sending the support ticket and upgrading the diagnostic software can be done using the Notebook s modem or LAN connection For more information refer to chapter 7 e Diagtools for Windows Notebook PCs only e Diagtools Pre boot Diagnostics for HP Compaq Busi...

Page 63: ...10 Virtual Call Assistant this chapter applies to hp compaq business pcs hp workstations hp notebook pcs ...

Page 64: ...ove service How it Works On the helpdesk side you need a computer with A hardware decoder the Dynametric Plus The VCA software On the user side the computer could encounter several types of error that produce an audio error signal that can be decoded by the VCA Pre boot errors or beep errors These occur before the computer s Power On Self Test POST Most new HP Compaq Business PCs and some HP Works...

Page 65: ... end the audio signal is picked up by a DynaMetric decoder fitted to the telephone receiver which is connected to the microphone input of the computer s sound card The Virtual Call Assistant at the helpdesk or support site records the modulated signal emitted by the computer buzzer then analyzes this audio signal to decode The model of computer The computer serial number The type of failure detect...

Page 66: ...pdesk computer and quickly analyzed by the VCA software The VCA provides immediate and accurate diagnostic information available at the helpdesk support location often eliminating the need for the support personnel to visit the remote site unprepared or to rely on an uncertain verbal report VCA Availability For information about ordering the DynaMetric decoder or to download the VCA software conne...

Page 67: ...11 HP Customer Care Service and Support this chapter applies to hp compaq business pcs hp workstations hp notebook pcs ...

Page 68: ...ct development or custom installations as will third party support services or the HP Customer Support organization in your country Hewlett Packard Support and Information Services The HP Web site gives you access to information about HP its products including product data sheets service and support information electronic newsletters and technical tips You can also download the latest versions of ...

Page 69: ... 970 635 1000 24H 24H Israel 972 09 830 4848 Peru 0 800 10111 Italy 39 02 264 10350 Puerto Rico 1 877 2320 589 Middle East 971 4 883 8454 Venezuela 1 800 4746 836 0 800 HPINVENT Netherlands 31 020 606 8751 Asia Pacific Norway 47 22 11 62 99 Australia 61 3 8877 8000 Poland 48 22 865 9800 China 86 0 10 6564 5959 800 810 5959 Portugal 351 21 317 6333 Hong Kong 852 3002 8555 Russian Federation 7 095 7...

Page 70: ...11 HP Customer Care Service and Support HP Customer Care Center Phone Numbers 70 English ...

Page 71: ...rotected partition This is a small hidden hard disk partition provided on the hard disk of HP Compaq Business PCs released after April 2002 It is both protected and invisible it cannot be viewed or deleted using the standard operating system tools This partition is used to store and run e Diagtools e Diagtools for Windows is not in this partition notebook pcs Family of HP computers consisting of H...

Page 72: ...ior to April 2002 as well as all Notebook PCs and Workstations Unlike the HP Protected Partition it can be viewed or deleted using the standard DOS tools e Diagtools for Windows is not in this partition workstations Family of HP computers consisting of many workstation models including HP Visualize Workstations and HP Kayak Workstations ...

Page 73: ......

Page 74: ...Created in France May 2002 ...

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