56 Solving Problems
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Error Messages
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the
Product Information Guide.

If the message is not listed, see the documentation for the operating system or the program that

was running when the message appeared.

VERIFY THAT THE MODEM IS COMMUNICATING WITH WINDOWS
1
Click the
Start
button and click
Control Panel
.
2
Click
Printers and Other Hardware
.
3
Click
Phone and Modem Options
.
4
Click the
Modems
tab.
5
Click the COM port for your modem.
6
Click
Properties
, click the
Diagnostics
tab, and then click
Query Modem
to verify that the modem is
communicating with Windows.
If all commands receive responses, the modem is operating properly.
ENSURE THAT YOU ARE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET Ensure that you have subscribed to an
Internet provider. With the Outlook Express e-mail program open, click File. If Work Offline has a
checkmark next to it, click the checkmark to remove it and connect to the Internet. For help, contact
your Internet service provider.
SCAN THE COMPUTER FOR SPYWARE If you are experiencing slow computer performance, you
frequently receive pop-up advertisements, or you are having problems connecting to the Internet, your
computer might be infected with spyware. Use an antivirus program that includes anti-spyware
protection (your program may require an upgrade) to scan the computer and remove spyware. For more
information, go to support.dell.com and search for the keyword spyware.
BAD COMMAND OR FILE NAME Ensure that you have spelled the command correctly, put spaces in
the proper place, and used the correct pathname.
CD DRIVE CONTROLLER FAILURE The CD drive does not respond to commands from the computer.
See page53.
DATA ERROR The hard drive cannot read the data. See page53.