Confirming the System Configuration Information
When you boot the system from the Dell Server Assistant CD, the system diagnostics checks the system configura- tion information and displays it in the System Configuration area on the main screen.
The following sources supply this configuration informa- tion for the system diagnostics:
•The system configuration information settings (stored in nonvolatile
•Identification tests of the microprocessor, the video controller, the keyboard controller, and other key components
•Basic input/output system (BIOS) configuration information temporarily saved in RAM
Do not be concerned if the System Configuration area does not list the names of all the components or devices you know are part of the computer system. For example, you may not see a printer listed, although you know one is attached to the computer. Instead, the printer is listed as a parallel port. The computer recognizes the parallel port as LPT1, which is an address that tells the computer where to send outgoing information and where to look for incoming information. Because the printer is a paral- lel communications device, the computer recognizes the printer by its LPT1 address and identifies it as a parallel port.
How to Use the Menu
One of the menu categories is already highlighted. You can move the highlight from one category to another by pressing the left- or
If you want more information about a test group or sub- test, select the About category and press <Enter>. After reading the information, press the <Esc> key to return to the previous screen.
Main Menu Categories
Eight categories are listed in the menu area of the diag- nostics main screen: Run, Select, Subtest, Options, Test Limits, About,
NOTE: Before running any test groups or subtests (by selecting Run), you should consider setting global parame- ters within the Options menu category. They offer you greater control over how the test groups or subtests are run and how their results are reported.
There are two ways to select a menu category:
•Look on the screen to see which letter in the category is capitalized, and type that letter (for example, type r to select the Run category).
•Move the highlight to the category you wish to select by pressing the left- or
Whenever one of the eight categories is selected, addi- tional choices become available.
The following subsections explain the menu categories as listed from left to right in the main screen.
Run
Run displays five categories: One, Selected, All, Key- Help, and Quit Menu. If you select One, all the subtests within the highlighted test group are run. If you choose Selected, only the selected test groups or the subtests that you selected within the test groups are run. If you select All, all of the subtests in all of the test groups are run. (The test groups or subtests are run in the same order as they are listed.)
The
The Quit Menu category returns you to the main screen.
Select
Select allows you to select individual test groups to tailor the testing process to your particular needs. You can choose one or more test groups and run them sequentially or individually. When you choose Select, five categories