Basic Troubleshooting

Dell™ PowerEdge™ 2600 Systems Service Manual

Initial User Contact

External Visual Inspection

Observing the Boot Routine

Internal Visual Inspection

Running the System Diagnostics

Using the System Diagnostics

Using the Device Groups Menu

Device Groups Menu Options

Error Messages

The basic troubleshooting procedures can help you diagnose a system problem. These procedures can often reveal the source of a problem or indicate the correct starting point for servicing the system. See your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for more detailed instructions for troubleshooting your system.

A brief explanation of how to load and start the system diagnostics can be found in "Running the System Diagnostics."

Perform the following procedures in the order presented.

NOTE: While your system can be run headless (without a keyboard. mouse, and monitor), some of the following diagnostic procedures will require that you have a keyboard, mouse, and monitor connected to your system.

Initial User Contact

When you first contact a user who has a problem, ask the user to describe the problem and the conditions under which it occurs. After the user describes the problem, perform the following steps:

Ask the user to back up any data on the hard drive if the system's condition permits. See the documentation provided with the operating system or applications software for information about backing up data.
Ask the user to try to duplicate the problem by repeating the operations he or she was performing at the time the problem occurred.

Can the user duplicate the problem?

Yes. Proceed to step 3.

No. Proceed to the next section, "External Visual Inspection."

Observe the user to determine if he or she is making an error, such as typing an incorrect key combination or entering a command incorrectly.

Is the problem a result of user error?

Yes. Instruct the user in the proper procedure or direct the user to the appropriate user documentation for the correct procedure.

No. Proceed to "External Visual Inspection."

External Visual Inspection

Improperly set switches and controls and loose or improperly connected cables are the most likely source of problems for the system, monitor, or other peripherals (such as a keyboard, mouse, or other external equipment). A quick check of all the switches, controls, and cable connections can easily solve these problems.

To perform the external visual inspection, perform the following steps:

Inspect the status indicators that can signify component malfunction.
Turn off the system, the monitor (if attached), and all peripherals.
Verify that all power cables are properly connected to the system, the monitor and peripherals, and their power sources.
Inspect connections to any attached devices including network cables, keyboard, monitor, mouse (if used), or keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) switch (if used), as well as any devices attached to the serial port.
Inspect all external monitor controls for any obvious damage or improper settings (if used). For proper settings of the video monitor controls, see the documentation for the monitor.
Inspect the keyboard (if used) to ensure that no keys are sticking. If keys are sticking, it may be necessary to replace the keyboard.
Inspect the exterior of the system, including all controls and indicators, and all user- accessible data storage devices for any signs of physical damage.

Does the inspection reveal any problems?

Yes. Proceed to the appropriate procedure in "Removing and Replacing Parts."

No. Proceed to "Observing the Boot Routine."

Observing the Boot Routine

CAUTION: The power supplies in this system produce high voltages and energy hazards, which can cause bodily harm. Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of the components inside the system. See the System Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

After you have performed an external visual inspection, 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 functions and indications, some of which can occur simultaneously. It may be necessary to reboot the system several times to complete all of these steps.

NOTE: You can run the system diagnostics from a set of diskettes you create by downloading the system diagnostics from the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

To observe problem indications during the boot routine, perform the following steps:

If the system is off, turn on all peripherals and the system.
Check the power-supply indicators.

Is the red fault indicator lit?

Yes. Troubleshoot the system power supply (see your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide).

No. Proceed to step 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. Replace the keyboard with a known working keyboard. If the problem persist, troubleshoot the system power supply. If the troubleshooting procedure indicates that the system power supply is operational, troubleshoot the memory and look for displayed codes on the 5 LEDs on the system board (see "System Board LED Codes").

During the boot routine, observe the system for any of the following indications:
- Beep codes — A beep code is a series of beeps that indicates an error condition. See "System Beep Codes."
- System error messages — These messages can indicate problems or provide status information. If a system error message appears, see "System Messages."
- System board LED codes — These indicators display a series of 5 lit or flashing LEDs, and can only be observed when the system cover is removed (see "System Board LED Codes").
- Diskette-drive and hard drive access indicators — These indicators light up in response to data being transferred to or from the drives. If either if these indicators fails to light up during the boot routine, troubleshoot the diskette drive or hard drive subsystem, as appropriate.
Insert a copy of the diagnostics diskette into the diskette drive, and reboot the system.

Does the Diagnostics menu appear?

Yes. See "Running the System Diagnostics."

No. Proceed to "Internal Visual Inspection."

Internal Visual Inspection

NOTICE: Before you proceed with the internal visual inspection described in this section, ensure that the user has saved all open files and exited all open application programs, if possible.

A simple visual inspection of a system's interior hardware can often lead to the source of a problem, such as a loose expansion card, cable connector, or mounting screw. When you perform the visual inspection, see "Jumpers and Connectors" to locate components referenced in the inspection procedure.

CAUTION: Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of the components inside the system. See your System Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

Remove the bezel (see "Removing the Bezel").
Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and disconnect all the power cables from electrical outlets.
Remove the cover (see "Removing the Cover").

CAUTION: The microprocessor and heat-sink assembly can get extremely hot during system operations. Be sure that it has had sufficient time to cool before touching it.

CAUTION: When handling the microprocessor and heat-sink assembly, take care to avoid sharp edges on the heat sink.

Verify that the memory modules, expansion cards, and microprocessors are fully seated in their sockets or connectors.
- To remove and reseat microprocessors, perform the steps described in "Microprocessors."
- To remove and reseat a memory module, perform the steps described in "Memory Modules."
- To remove and reseat an expansion card, perform the steps described in "Expansion Cards."
Verify that all jumpers are set correctly (see Figure 5-2).
Check all cable connectors inside the system to verify that they are firmly attached to their appropriate connectors.
Replace the cover (see "Replacing the Cover").
Reconnect the system and any attached peripherals to their power sources, and turn them on.

Does the problem appear to be resolved?

Yes. No further steps are necessary.

No. Proceed to "Running the System Diagnostics."

Running the System Diagnostics

You can run system diagnostics from the utility partition on your hard drive or from a set of diskettes that you create using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD or by downloading the system diagnostics from the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

NOTICE: Use the system diagnostics to test only your system. Using this program with other systems may cause invalid results or error messages. In addition, use only the program that came with your system (or an updated version of that program).

From the Utility Partition

As the system boots, press <F10> during POST.
From the utility partition main menu under Run System Utilities, select Run System Diagnostics.

From the Diagnostics Diskettes

Create a set of diagnostics diskettes from the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD. See "Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD" in your User's Guide for information on creating the diskettes.
Insert the first diagnostics diskette.
Reboot the system.

When you start the system diagnostics, a message is displayed stating that the diagnostics are initializing. Next, the Diagnostics menu appears. The menu allows you to run all or specific diagnostics tests or to exit the system diagnostics.

NOTE: Before you read the rest of this section, start the system diagnostics so that you can see the utility on your screen.

For a quick check of the system, select Test All Devices and then select Quick Tests. 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. To test a particular device, select Test One Device. For a complete check of the system, select Test All Devices and then select Extended Tests.

To check a particular area of the system, choose Advanced Testing. When you select Advanced Testing, the main screen of the diagnostics appears. This screen includes a listing of the various device groups in the system and the system's service tag.

To view data on test results, select Information and Results. Select Program Options to view the program options screen, which lets you set various test parameters.

By selecting the Device Configuration option, you can see an overview of the devices in the system.

Selecting Exit to MS-DOS exits the diagnostics and returns to the Diagnostics menu.

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.

Using the System Diagnostics

When you select Advanced Testing from the Diagnostics menu, the main screen of the diagnostics appears.

Information on the main screen of the diagnostics is presented in the following areas:

Two lines at the top of the main screen identify the diagnostics, the version number, and the system service tag.
On the left side of the screen, Device Groups lists the diagnostic device groups in the order they will run if you select All under the Run Tests submenu. Press the up- or down-arrow key to highlight a device group.
On the right side of the screen, Devices for Highlighted Group lists the specific devices within a particular test group.
Two lines at the bottom of the screen make up the menu area. The first line lists the menu options you can select; press the left- or right-arrow key to highlight an option. The second line gives information about the highlighted option.

Using the Device Groups Menu

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. Press 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, highlight the Help option and press <Enter>. After you read the information, press <Esc> to return to the previous screen.

Device Groups Menu Options

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:

Look on the screen to see which letter in the option is capitalized, and type that letter (for example, type r to select the Run option).
Move the highlight to the option you want to select by pressing the left- or right-arrow key, and then press <Enter>.

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

Run Tests displays seven options:

One — Runs all the devices within the highlighted device group.
All — Runs all of the tests in all of the device group tests (device group tests are run in the same order that they are listed).
Select — Runs only the selected device groups or the devices that you selected within the device groups.
Options — Provides a set of global parameters that allow you control over how the device group tests or device tests are run and how results are reported.
Results — Displays the results of the tests.
Errors — Displays errors detected during the tests.
Help — Displays a series of help options, including Menu, Keys, Device Group, Device, Test, and Versions.

Devices

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 2-1 lists all of the possible values for each option.

Table 2-1. Devices Options

Option	Functions
Run Tests	Displays seven options: One, All, Select, Options, Results, Errors, 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.
Help	Displays a list of help topics.