5

Troubleshooting Your Computer

You can troubleshoot your computer using indicators like Diagnostic Lights, Beep Codes, and Error Messages during the operation of the computer.

Device Status Lights

Table 13. Device Status Lights

Turns on when you turn on the computer and blinks when the computer is in a power management mode.

Turns on when the computer reads or writes data.

Turns on steadily or blinks to indicate battery charge status.

Turns on when wireless networking is enabled.

The device status LEDs are usually located either on the top or left side of the keyboard. They are used to display the storage, battery and wireless devices connectivity and activity. Apart from that they can be useful as a diagnostic tool when there's a possible failure to the system.

The following table lists how to read the LED codes when possible errors occur.

Table 14. LED Lights

Storage LED

Power LED

Wireless LED

Fault Description

 

 

 

 

Blinking

Solid

Solid

A possible processor failure has occurred.

Solid

Blinking

Solid

The memory modules are detected but has encountered an

 

 

 

error.

Blinking

Blinking

Blinking

A system board failure has occurred.

Blinking

Blinking

Solid

A possible graphics card/video failure has occurred.

Blinking

Blinking

Off

System failed on hard drive initialization OR System failed in

 

 

 

Option ROM initialization.

Blinking

Off

Blinking

The USB controller encountered a problem during

 

 

 

initialization.

Solid

Blinking

Blinking

No memory modules are installed/detected.

Blinking

Solid

Blinking

The display encountered a problem during initialization.

Off

Blinking

Blinking

The modem is preventing the system from completing POST

Off

Blinking

Off

Memory failed to initialize or memory is unsupported.

75

Page 75
Image 75
Dell M6700 owner manual Device Status Lights, Storage LED Power LED Wireless LED Fault Description