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Running the System Diagnostics

Dell™ PowerEdge™ 840 Systems Hardware Owner's Manual

  Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics

  System Diagnostics Features

  When to Use the System Diagnostics

  Running the System Diagnostics

  System Diagnostics Testing Options

  Using the Custom Test Options

If you experience a problem with your system, run the diagnostics before calling for technical assistance. The purpose of the diagnostics is to test your system's hardware without requiring additional equipment or risking data loss. If you are unable to fix the problem yourself, service and support personnel can use diagnostics test results to help you solve the problem.

Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics

To assess a system problem, first use the online Dell^® PowerEdge^® Diagnostics. Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics is a suite of diagnostic programs, or test modules, that include diagnostic tests on chassis and storage components such as hard drives, physical memory, communications and printer ports, NICs, CMOS, and more. If you are unable to identify the problem using the PowerEdge Diagnostics, then use the system diagnostics.

The files required to run PowerEdge Diagnostics for systems running supported Microsoft^® Windows^® and Linux operating systems are available at support.dell.com and on the CDs that came with your system. For information about using diagnostics, see the Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics User's Guide.

System Diagnostics Features

The system diagnostics provides a series of menus and options for particular device groups or devices. The system diagnostics menus and options allow you to:

• Run tests individually or collectively.
  
  
• Control the sequence of tests.
  
  
• Repeat tests.
  
  
• Display, print, or save test results.
  
  
• Temporarily suspend testing if an error is detected or terminate testing when a user-defined error limit is reached.
  
  
• View help messages that briefly describe each test and its parameters.
  
  
• View status messages that inform you if tests are completed successfully.
  
  
• View error messages that inform you of problems encountered during testing.
  
  

When to Use the System Diagnostics

If a major component or device in the system does not operate properly, component failure may be indicated. As long as the microprocessor and the system's input/output devices (monitor, keyboard, and diskette drive) are functioning, you can use the system diagnostics to help identify the problem.

Running the System Diagnostics

The system diagnostics can be run either from the utility partition on your hard drive or from removable bootable media. You can create this media using the CDs that came with your system or from the diagnostic utility that you can download from 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

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

From Removable Bootable Media

You can create a bootable diagnostic partition on a recordable CD, a USB flash drive, or on diskettes using the CDs that came with your system, or the diagnostic utility that you can download from support.dell.com.

1. Insert a recordable CD, USB flash drive, or writable diskette into your system.
   
   
2. Run the self-extracting diagnostic utility package from the diagnostic CD that came with your system or the file you downloaded from support.dell.com.
   
   
3. Run the diagnostic utility and follow the on-screen instructions to create the diagnostic partition on the bootable media.
   
   
4. Restart the system, enter the System Setup program, and set the removable media type as the default boot device.
   
   

See Using the System Setup Program for instructions.

5. Ensure that the removable bootable media is inserted or attached to the system and reboot the system.
   
   

If the system fails to boot, see Getting Help.

When you start the system diagnostics, a message is displayed indicating that the diagnostics are initializing. Then the Diagnostics menu appears. This 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.

System Diagnostics Testing Options

Click the testing option in the Main Menu window. Table 5-1 provides a brief explanation of testing options.

Table 5-1. System Diagnostics Testing Options 

Using the Custom Test Options

When you select Custom Test in the Main Menu window, the Customize window appears and allows you to select the device(s) to be tested, select specific options for testing, and view the test results.

Selecting Devices for Testing

The left side of the Customize window lists devices that can be tested. Devices are grouped by device type or by module, depending on the option you select. Click the (+) next to a device or module to view its components. Click (+) on any component to view the tests that are available. Clicking a device, rather than its components, selects all of the components of the device for testing.

Selecting Diagnostics Options

Use the Diagnostics Options area to select how you want to test a device. You can set the following options:

• Non-Interactive Tests Only — When checked, runs only tests that require no user intervention.
  
  
• Quick Tests Only — When checked, runs only the quick tests on the device. Extended tests will not run when you select this option.
  
  
• Show Ending Timestamp — When checked, time stamps the test log.
  
  
• Test Iterations — Selects the number of times the test is run.
  
  

Log output file pathname — When checked, enables you to specify where the test log file is saved.

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