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Overview • Features of the Dell Diagnostics • When to Use the Dell Diagnostics • Starting the Dell Diagnostics • How to Use the Device Groups Menu • Device Groups Menu Options • Tests in the Dell Diagnostics • System Board Devices Tests • Processor Cache Test • System Memory Test • I/O APIC Test • System Management BIOS Test • VESA/VGA Interface • PC/AT Compatible Keyboards Tests • Pointing Devices Test • Serial Ports Test • Parallel Ports Tests • Diskette Test • IDE Devices Test • Symbios SCSI Controllers Test
Unlike many diagnostic programs, the Dell Diagnostics helps you check the computer's hardware without any additional equipment and without destroying any data. By using the diagnostics, you can have confidence in the computer system's operation. If you find a problem that you cannot solve by yourself, the diagnostic tests can provide you with important information you will need when talking to Dell's technical assistance representative.
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CAUTION: Use the Dell Diagnostics to test only Dell computer systems. If you use this program with other computers, incorrect computer responses or error messages may result. |
The Dell Diagnostics provides a series of menus and options from which you choose particular device groups or devices. You can also control the sequence in which the tests are run. The diagnostic menus also have these helpful features:
Whenever a major component or device in the computer system does not function properly, you may have a component failure. As long as the microprocessor and the input and output components of the computer system (the monitor, keyboard, and diskette drive) are working, you can use the Dell Diagnostics. If you know what component(s) you need to test, simply select the appropriate diagnostic device group(s) or subtest(s). If you are unsure about the scope of the problem, read the rest of the information in this section.
You can run the Dell Diagnostics from either the utility partition on your hard-disk drive or from a set of diskettes that you create from the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD.
To run the diagnostics from the utility partition, perform the following steps:
See "Utility Partition" in "Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant" in the Dell PowerEdge 8450 Systems User's Guide for additional information about the utility partition.
To run the Dell Diagnostics from the diskettes, perform the following steps:
If the system fails to boot, see Getting Help for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
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NOTE: Before you read the rest of this section,
you may want to start the Dell Diagnostics so you can see it on your monitor screen. |
When you start the diagnostics, the Dell logo screen appears, followed by a message telling you that the diagnostics is loading. Before the diagnostics loads into memory, a program tests the random-access memory (RAM) that will be used by the diagnostics.
If no errors are found in RAM, the diagnostics loads, and the Diagnostics menu appears. The menu allows you to run all or specific diagnostic tests or to exit the Dell Diagnostics.
For a quick check of the system, select Quickly Test All Devices. This option runs only the device tests that do not require user interaction and that do not take a long time to run. Dell recommends that you choose this option first to increase the chance of tracing the source of the problem quickly. For a complete check of the system, select Fully Test All Devices. To check a particular area of the system, choose Select Devices to Test.
Selecting Exit to MS-DOS exits the diagnostics and returns you to your operating system environment.
To select an option from the Diagnostics menu, highlight the option and press <Enter>, or press the key that corresponds to the highlighted letter in the option you choose.
When you select Select Devices to Test from the Diagnostics menu, the main screen of the diagnostics appears.
Information on the main screen of the diagnostics is presented in the following four areas:
The Device Groups menu at the bottom of the screen provides options that enable you to select and run specific diagnostic tests from the diagnostics main screen. Use the left- and right-arrow keys to select the options on the menu. As you move from one menu option to another, a brief explanation of the highlighted option appears on the bottom line of the screen.
If you want more information about a device group or device, move the highlight to the About option and press <Enter>. After reading the information, press <Esc> to return to the previous screen.
Five options are listed at the bottom of the diagnostics main screen: Run Tests, Devices, Select, Config, and Help.
There are two ways to select a menu option:
Whenever one of the options is selected, additional choices become available.
The following subsections explain the menu options as listed from left to right in the Device Groups menu.
Run Tests displays seven options: One, All, Select, Options, Results, Errors, and Help. If you select One, all the devices within the highlighted device group are run. If you select All, all of the tests in all of the device group tests are run. (The device group tests are run in the same order as they are listed.) If you choose Select, only the selected device groups or the devices that you selected within the device groups are run. Before testing any device groups or devices, you should consider setting global parameters within Options. Global parameters offer you greater control over how the device group tests or device tests are run and how results are reported. Help displays a series of help options, including Menu, Keys, Device, Group, and Test.
Most of the device groups consist of several devices. Use the Devices option to select individual devices within the device group(s).
When you select Devices, the following options are displayed: Run Tests, Tests, Select, Parameters, and Help. Table 1 lists all of the possible values for each option.
Table 1. Devices Options
| Option | Functions |
|---|---|
| Run Tests | Displays five options: Run Tests, Tests, Select, Parameters, and Help. |
| Tests | Allows you to select individual devices to tailor the testing process to your particular needs. You can choose one or more devices from the list. When you choose Tests, four options are displayed: Run Tests, Select, Parameters, and Help. |
| Select | Allows you to choose one or more devices from a particular device group. Three options are displayed: One, All, and Help. |
| Parameters | Determines how a particular test will be run. Table 2 lists all of the possible values for each option. To change Parameters options, press the spacebar, the left- and right-arrow keys, or the plus (+) and minus (-) keys. |
| Help | Displays a list of help topics. |
Table 2. Parameters Options
| Option | Possible Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Times to Repeat Test(s) | 0001 through 9999, or 0000, which loops indefinitely until you press <Ctrl><Break>. The default is 1. |
| Maximum Errors Allowed | 0000 through 9999, where 0000 means that there is no error limit. The default is 1. |
| Pause for User Response | Yes, No Allows you to decide whether tests will wait for user input. The default is Yes to wait for user input. |
| Message Logging | None, Errors,
All Determines if any test results are saved to a file. The default is None. |
| Message Logging File Name | Specifies the name of the logging file if the Message Logging option is selected. The default is A: RESULT. |
The Select option in the Device Groups menu allows you to choose one or more devices from a particular device group. Three options are displayed: One, All, and Help
Choosing Config from the Device Groups menu display information about the particular device that is highlighted.
When you test a device group or test in the diagnostics, error messages may result. Record the messages on a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found in Getting Help; also see Getting Help for instructions on obtaining technical assistance and informing the technical assistance representative of these messages.
The tests in the System Board Devices group check the computer's basic system board components and verify their related functions.
Table 3 lists the devices that constitute the System Board Devices group and the computer functions they confirm.
Table 3. System Board Devices Tests
| Device | Function of Test |
|---|---|
| DMA Controller | Tests the direct memory access (DMA) controller and verifies the correct operation of its page and channel registers by writing patterns to the registers. |
| Real-Time Clock | Confirms the functionality and accuracy of the computer's real-time clock (RTC). |
| System Timer | Checks the timers used by the microprocessor for event counting, frequency generation, and other functions. Only tests the functions that can be activated by software. |
| Interrupt Controller | Generates an interrupt on each interrupt request (IRQ) line to verify that devices using that line can communicate with the microprocessors and that the interrupt controllers send the correct memory addresses to the microprocessor. |
| System Speaker | Checks the functionality of the speaker by generating eight tones. |
| Floating Point Processor | Checks the functionality of the floating point processors. |
The Processor Cache test checks the Level-1 (L1) cache used by the system microprocessors.
The System Memory test checks the system RAM.
Faulty memory can cause a variety of problems that may not appear to be happening in RAM. If the computer is displaying one or more of the following symptoms, run the tests in the RAM device group to verify that the memory is not at fault:
The I/O APIC test checks the input/output Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (I/O APIC), which directs system I/O interrupts to the microprocessor(s).
The System Management BIOS test checks the functionality of the system management firmware.
The tests in the VESA/VGA Interface device group verify the proper operation of the video controller and the video control circuitry installed in the computer. These tests check for the correct operation of the readable registers in the video circuitry and the controller. They write, read, and verify data patterns in the cursor registers of the controller. This device group also tests all the video memory and provides additional tests to test the color features of a color monitor.
Many of the symptoms that would prompt you to run a subtest in the VESA/VGA Interface device group are obvious, because the monitor is the visual component of the computer system. Before you run this device group or any of its tests, you should make sure that the problem is not in the software or caused by a hardware change. You should also try running all of the software support utilities provided for the monitor and the video subsystem.
The PC-AT Compatible Keyboards tests verify the correct operation of the keyboard and the keyboard controller chip.
Keyboard problems are not always caused by the keyboard. For example, if the computer system locks up, rendering the keyboard inoperable, the problem is most likely not caused by the keyboard. There are three symptoms that are likely to be keyboard-related. Sometimes, the configuration of a program changes the function of a key or key combination. Likewise, key configuration programs can change a key's function. Because these programs are memory-resident, you should be sure to clear them out of the computer's memory before running a subtest in the PC-AT Compatible Keyboards device group. (Clear them from memory by rebooting the computer from the diagnostics diskette.) When these possibilities have been eliminated, and if the following symptoms occur, you should run the PC-AT Compatible Keyboards tests:
The Pointing Devices test checks the functionality of the mouse controller (which coordinates cursor movement on the screen with corresponding movement of the mouse or touch pad) and the operation of the mouse keys/touch pad.
Mouse or touch pad problems are as likely to originate in RAM as they are to be caused by a faulty mouse or touch pad. Three sources of RAM-related problems include the configuration of a program (which changes the function of the mouse or touch pad), memory-resident programs, and failure of a mouse or touch pad device driver. If these possibilities have been eliminated and the following symptoms persist, run the Pointing Devices test:
The Serial Ports test checks the computer’s interface with external devices, such as a printer and a mouse, that are connected to the computer through a serial port. The subtests in this test group are not intended as a diagnostic test for the actual peripheral attached to each port.
If the Dell Diagnostics does not recognize your computer’s serial ports, enter the system setup program and check the Serial Port category to see whether the port has been disabled.
When a port is faulty, it may not be immediately evident that the port, and not the device connected to the port, is faulty. Instead, the peripheral (such as a printer or mouse) might behave erratically or not operate at all. If the external device is not properly installed through your software, it also may not function properly. Try operating the peripheral from different programs or through the operating system. If it still does not work, you can eliminate the software configuration as the cause of the problem.
Another possible cause for errors is the external device. Use the documentation that came with the peripheral to troubleshoot it and confirm that it is working properly. (Most printers have a self-test.)
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NOTE: With certain modems installed, the Serial Ports test may fail because the diagnostics recognizes the modem as a serial port device, but cannot test the modem as a serial port device. If you have a modem installed and you experience a serial-port test failure, remove the modem and run the diagnostic tests again. |
After you eliminate incorrect system configuration information settings, peripheral malfunctions, and software errors as potential causes of port problems, you can run the Serial Ports test to check your hardware. Although the following symptoms can be caused by faulty peripherals or software errors, they might also suggest a port problem:
The Parallel Ports test checks the computer's interface with external devices, such as a printer, that are connected to the computer through a parallel port. This test is not intended as diagnostic tests for the actual peripheral attached to each port.
If the diagnostics does not recognize the computer's parallel port, enter the system setup program and check the Parallel Port option to see if the port has been disabled. (See "Using the System Setup Program" in the User's Guide for instructions.) The subtests in the Parallel Ports device group cannot test a port unless the port is enabled.
When a port is faulty, it may not be immediately evident that the port, and not the device connected to the port, is faulty. Instead, the peripheral might behave erratically or not operate at all. If the external device is not properly installed through the software, it also may not function properly. Try operating the peripheral from different programs or through the operating system. If it still does not work, you can eliminate the software setup as the cause of the problem.
Another possible cause of errors is the external device. Use the documentation that came with the peripheral to troubleshoot the device and confirm that it is working properly. (Most printers have a self-test.)
After you eliminate incorrect system-configuration information settings, peripheral malfunctions, and software errors as potential causes of port problems, you can run the Parallel Ports test to check the hardware. Although the following symptoms can be caused by faulty peripherals or software errors, they might also suggest a port problem:
Very often, a diskette drive problem may first appear to be a diskette problem. A box of defective diskettes might produce faulty-drive error messages. The test results can be confusing, so Dell suggests running the Diskette test more than once by using diskettes from different sources.
A command that is typed in an incorrect form (usually called a syntax error) is another possible cause of diskette drive problems. Be sure you have entered the command in the proper form.
If the diskette(s) and command syntax are eliminated as causes, the following symptoms usually suggest a drive problem and warrant running the Diskette test:
The IDE Devices test checks the functionality of devices connected to the system's integrated drive electronics (IDE) port. Before conducting this test, insert a CD with audio and data tracks (such as a multimedia CD) into the CD-ROM drive.
If you encounter a problem while using an application program on a CD, the problem could result from the disc or from the drive. When you encounter problems, first try using a different CD. If the problem recurs, run the IDE Devices test.
These are the most common symptoms that might prompt you to test an IDE CD-ROM drive:
The Symbios SCSI Controllers test checks the operation of the integrated small computer system interface (SCSI) host adapter.
If you check your SCSI hard-disk drive for the amount of available space, your operating system will probably report problem areas. Problem areas on hard-disk drives are common, because most hard-disk drives have a small amount of unusable space. The hard-disk drive keeps a record of this space so that your computer will not attempt to use it. Identification of unusable disk space, unless it is an unusually large amount (over five percent of the possible total), should not be regarded as a cause for testing the hard-disk drive.
These are the most common symptoms that might prompt you to test a SCSI device: