Dell 3000 manual Finding Software Solutions, Installing and Configuring Software, Start-Up Files

Finding Software Solutions

Because most computers have several application pro- grams installed in addition to the operating system, isolating a software problem can be confusing. Software errors can also appear to be hardware malfunctions at first. Software problems can result from the following circumstances:

•Improper installation or configuration of a program

•Input errors

•Drivers that may conflict with certain application programs

•Memory conflicts resulting from the use of terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs, such as drivers

•Interrupt conflicts between devices

You can confirm that a computer problem is caused by software by first running the System Set test group as described in Chapter 4, “Running the Dell Diagnostics.” If all tests in the test group complete successfully, the error condition is most likely caused by software.

The following subsections provide general guidelines for analyzing some software problems. For detailed trouble- shooting information on a particular program, see the online documentation that accompanied the software or consult the support service for the software.

Installing and Configuring Software

When you obtain software, check it for viruses using virus-scanning software before installing it on the com- puter’s hard-disk drive. Viruses can quickly use all available system memory, damage and/or destroy data stored on the hard-disk drive, and permanently affect the performance of the programs they infect. Several com- mercial virus-scanning programs are available for purchase, and most bulletin board services (BBSs) archive freely distributed virus-scanning programs that you can download with a modem.

Before installing a program, read its documentation to learn how the program works, what hardware it requires, and what its defaults are. A program usually includes installation instructions in its accompanying documenta- tion and a software installation routine on its program diskettes.

The software installation routine assists you in transfer- ring the appropriate program files to the computer’s hard-disk drive. Installation instructions may provide details about how to configure the operating system to successfully run the program. Always read the installa- tion instructions before running a program’s installation routine. If you are instructed to modify the start-up files, see the documentation that came with the operating sys- tem for instructions.

When you run the installation routine, be prepared to respond to prompts for information about how the computer’s operating system is configured, what type of computer you have, and what peripherals are connected to the computer.

Start-Up Files

Whenever you start or reboot the computer, the operating system executes commands from its start-up files.

These files contain commands that automatically config- ure the operating system by setting system parameters, starting memory-resident programs, and loading device driver software. If you experience program conflicts or memory error messages, check the commands for memory-resident programs in the start-up files of the operating system. (For information on start-up files, see the documentation that came with the operating system). If a program or peripheral does not work correctly, check the product’s documentation to see if you need to modify these files.

Using Software

The following subsections discuss errors that can occur while using software.

Error Messages

Error messages can be produced by an application pro- gram, the operating system, or the computer. “Messages and Codes,” found earlier in this chapter, discusses the error messages generated by the computer. If you receive an error message not listed in “Messages and Codes,” check the operating system or application program documentation.

Troubleshooting Your Computer 3-9