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Troubleshooting
Dell™ Latitude™ E6500 Service Manual
Troubleshooting Tools
Solving Problems
Dell Technical Update Service
Troubleshooting Tools
Diagnostic Lights
Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer. For additional safety best practices information, see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at: www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
Your computer has three keyboard status lights located above the keyboard. During normal operation, the keyboard status lights display the current status (on or off) of the Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock features. If the computer starts without error, the lights flash, and then turn off. If the computer malfunctions, however, you can use the status of the lights to help identify the problem.
NOTE: After the computer completes POST, the Num Lock light may remain on, depending on your BIOS settings. For more information on using the system setup program, see the Dell™ Technology Guide on your computer or on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.
Diagnostic Light Codes During POST
To troubleshoot a problem with your computer, read the sequence of the keyboard status lights in order from left to right (Num Lock, Caps Lock, and then
Scroll Lock). If the computer malfunctions the individual lights display a status of either On , Off , or Flashing .
Light Pattern | Problem Description | Suggested Resolution |
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| No memory modules are | • If two or more memory modules are installed, remove the modules (see Removing a Memory Module), |
| detected. | then reinstall one module (see Replacing a Memory Module) and restart the computer. If the computer |
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| starts normally, continue to install additional memory modules (one at a time) until you have identified a |
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| faulty module or reinstalled all modules without error. |
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| • If available, install working memory of the same type into your computer (see Memory). |
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| • If the problem persists, contact Dell Technical Support. |
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| Memory modules are | • If two or more memory modules are installed, remove the modules (see Removing a Memory Module), |
| detected, but a memory | then reinstall one module (see Replacing a Memory Module) and restart the computer. If the computer |
| failure has occurred. | starts normally, continue to install additional memory modules (one at a time) until you have identified a |
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| faulty module or reinstalled all modules without error. |
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| • If available, install working memory of the same type into your computer (see Memory). |
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| • If the problem persists, contact Dell Technical Support. |
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| A possible processor | • Reseat the processor (see Removing the Processor Module). |
| failure has occurred. | • If the problem persists, contact Dell Technical Support. |
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| A possible graphics | • Reseat any installed graphics cards. |
| card/video failure has | • If available, install a working graphics card into your computer. |
| occurred. | • If the problem persists, contact Dell Technical Support. |
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| A possible display failure | • Reseat the display cable (see Removing the Display Assembly). |
| has occurred. | • If the problem persists, contact Dell Technical Support. |
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| SPD data indicates all | • Remove the unusable memory module (see Removing a Memory Module). |
| SODIMMs are unusable. | • Replace with a usable memory module (see Replacing a Memory Module). |
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Hardware Troubleshooter
If a device is either not detected during the operating system setup, or is detected but incorrectly configured, you can use the Hardware Troubleshooter to resolve the issue.
Windows® XP:
1.Click Start → Help and Support.