Troubleshooting 27
Troubleshooting CAUTION: To guard against likelihood of electric shock, laceration by moving fan
blades or other unexpected injuries, always unplug your computer from the
electrical outlet before opening the cover.
Troubleshooting Tools
Follow these tips when troubleshooting your computer:
• If you added or removed a part before the problem started, review the
installation procedures and ensure that the part is correctly installed.
• If a peripheral device does not work, ensure that the device is properly
connected.
• If an error message appears on the screen, write down the exact message.
This message may help support personnel diagnose and fix the problem(s).
• If an error message occurs in a program, see the program’s documentation.
NOTE: The procedures in this document were written for the
Microsoft®Windows® default view, so these may not apply if you set your Dell™
computer to the Windows Classic view.
Beep Codes
Your computer might emit a series of beeps during start-up if the monitor
cannot display errors or problems. This series of beeps, called a beep code,
identifies a problem. One possible beep code consists of repetitive three short
beeps. This beep code tells you that the computer encountered a possible
system board failure.
If your computer beeps during start-up:
1
Write down the beep code.
2
Run the Dell Diagnostics to identify a more serious cause (see "Dell
Diagnostics" on page 31).
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