2.6 Troubleshooting Without Diagnostics

This section provides information about how to identify and correct some common hardware, memory, and software problems. It also explains several types of messages that are displayed on the screen.

Since symptoms can appear to be similar, carefully match the symptoms of the computer malfunction against the problem description in the Troubleshooting tables to avoid a misdiagnosis.

Before Replacing Parts

When troubleshooting a problem, check the following items for possible solutions before replacing parts:

Verify that cables are connected properly to the suspected defective parts.

Verify that all required device drivers are installed.

Verify that all printer drivers have been installed for each application.

Obtaining Update Information with Info Messenger

Compaq Info Messenger allows you to set a customized search of the Compaq Web site. By registering for this utility, you can stay up-to-date with software and hardware information specific to your system.

Verify that cables are connected properly to the suspected defective parts.

Select the Categories menu, then select a category from the drop-down list.

To register, follow the instructions on the Info Messenger page. When your registration is complete, you can:

Implement your customized search from the Info Messenger page whenever you prefer.

Set Info Messenger to send you the information by email as it becomes available.

Info Messenger will also inform you if there are updates available to the system ROM for your computer.

Troubleshooting 2-17

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Compaq E500S Troubleshooting Without Diagnostics, Before Replacing Parts, Obtaining Update Information with Info Messenger