Dell E6500 manual When to Use the Dell Diagnostics

2.Type hardware troubleshooter in the search field and press <Enter> to start the search.

3.In the Fix a Problem section, click Hardware Troubleshooter.

4.In the Hardware Troubleshooter list, select the option that best describes the problem, and click Next to follow the remaining troubleshooting steps.

Windows Vista®:

1.Click the Windows Vista start button , and click Help and Support.

2.Type hardware troubleshooter in the search field and press <Enter> to start the search.

3.In the search results, select the option that best describes the problem and follow the remaining troubleshooting steps.

Dell™ Diagnostics

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.

When to Use the Dell Diagnostics

If you experience a problem with your computer, perform the checks in Solving Problems, and then run the Dell Diagnostics before contacting Dell for assistance.

Start the Dell Diagnostics from your hard drive or from the Drivers and Utilities media provided with your computer.

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities media is optional and may not ship with your computer.

NOTE: The Dell Diagnostics only operate on Dell computers.

Starting the Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive

Before running the Dell Diagnostics, enter system setup to review your computer's configuration information, and ensure that the device you want to test is displayed in system setup and is active. 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.

The Dell Diagnostics is located on a separate diagnostic utility partition on your hard drive.

NOTE: If the computer is connected to a docking device (docked), undock it. See the documentation that came with your docking device for instructions.

NOTE: If your computer does not display a screen image, contact Dell Technical Support.

1.Ensure the computer is connected to a known-good electrical outlet.

2.Press and hold the <Fn> key or the mute button then turn on your computer.

NOTE: Alternatively, you can select Diagnostics from the one-time boot menu at startup to boot to the diagnostic utility partition and run the Dell Diagnostics.

The computer runs the Pre-boot System Assessment (PSA), a series of initial tests of your system board, keyboard, display, memory, hard drive, etc.

¡During the assessment, answer any questions that appear.

¡If failures are detected during the Pre-boot System Assessment, write down the error code(s) and contact Dell Technical Support.

¡If the Pre-boot System Assessment completes successfully, the following message appears: "Booting Dell Diagnostic Utility Partition. Press any key to continue."

NOTE: If you see a message stating that no diagnostics utility partition has been found, run the Dell Diagnostics from your Drivers and Utilities media (see Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the Drivers and Utilities Media).

3.Press any key to start the Dell Diagnostics from the diagnostics utility partition on your hard drive.

4.Press <Tab> to select Test System and then press <Enter>.

NOTE: It is recommended that you select Test System to run a complete test on your computer. Selecting Test Memory initiates the extended memory test, which can take up to thirty minutes or more to complete. When the test completes, record the test results and then press any key to return to the previous menu.

5. At the Dell Diagnostics Main Menu, left-click with the touch pad/mouse, or press <Tab> and then <Enter>, to select the test you want to run (see Dell