Dell 4100/200, 4100/180 manual Pause for User Response

Pause for User Response

If this parameter value is set to YES, the diagnostics pauses when one of the following occurs:

•Your interaction is needed to verify the Video Test Group screens or the Keyboard Test Group key func- tions or other types of interaction such as inserting a diskette.

•The maximum error limit is reached.

If the PAUSE parameter is set to NO, the diagnostics ignores some subtests that require your interaction; cer- tain subtests can run only if this option is set to YES because they require user interaction. Use the PAUSE parameter in situations where you may want to prevent subtests that require user interaction from running—such as when you run the diagnostics overnight.

Output Device for Status Messages

Ordinarily, all status messages appear only on the screen. This parameter allows you to direct status messages to either a printer or a file, in addition to the screen. If you choose the FILE option, status messages are written to a file named result. This file is automatically created on a diskette in drive A when you run the diagnostics. If the result file already exists on the diskette, then new status messages are added to it.

The result file is an ordinary American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text file. You can access the result file with the MS-DOS®type command as follows:

1.Select QUIT to exit the diagnostics and return to the operating system prompt.

2.At the operating system prompt, type the appro- priate command and press <ENTER>:

type result

The contents of the file appear on the screen.

After running particular diagnostic tests and viewing the status messages generated by the tests in the result file, you can erase the contents of the file so that it is clear for the next set of messages generated. Otherwise, the next messages are added at the end of the previous ones in the file.

Output Device for Error Messages

Ordinarily, all error messages appear only on the screen. This parameter allows you to direct error messages to either a printer or a file, in addition to the screen. If you choose the FILE option, error messages are written to the result file used for status messages. This file is automati- cally created on a diskette in drive A when you run the diagnostics. If the result file already exists on the dis- kette, then new error messages are added to it.

The result file is an ordinary ASCII text file. You can access and review the result file with the MS-DOS type command as described in the previous subsection, “Out- put Device for Status Messages.”

After running particular diagnostic tests and viewing the error messages generated by the tests in the result file, you can erase the contents of the file so that it is clear for the next set of messages generated. Otherwise, the next messages are added at the end of the previous ones in the file.

Running the System Diagnostics 5-7