Error Messages
Fill out the Diagnostics Checklist (see "Diagnostics Checklist" on page 153) as you complete these checks.
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.
A U X I L I A R Y D E V I C E F A I L U R E — The touch pad, track stick, or external mouse may be faulty. For an external mouse, check the cable connection. Enable the Pointing Device option in the system setup program. If the problem persists, contact Dell (see "Obtaining Assistance" on page 149).
B A D C O M M A N D O R F I L E N A M E — Ensure that you have spelled the command correctly, put spaces in the proper place, and used the correct pathname.
C A C H E D I S A B L E D D U E T O F A I L U R E — The primary cache internal to the microprocessor has failed. Contact Dell (see "Obtaining Assistance" on page 149).
CD D R I V E C O N T R O L L E R F A I L U R E — The CD drive does not respond to commands from the computer (see "Dell Support Utility" on page 80).
D A T A E R R O R — The hard drive cannot read the data (see "Dell Support Utility" on page 80).
D E C R E A S I N G A V A I L A B L E M E M O R Y — One or more memory modules may be faulty or improperly seated. Reinstall the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them (see "Memory Problems" on page 90).
D I S K C: F A I L E D I N I T I A L I Z A T I O N — The hard drive failed initialization. Run the hard drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 77).
D R I V E N O T R E A D Y — The operation requires a hard drive in the bay before it can continue. Install a hard drive in the hard drive bay (see "Drive Problems" on page 81).
E R R O R R E A D I N G PCMCIA C A R D — The computer cannot identify the PC Card. Reinsert the card or try another PC Card (see "Installing a PC Card or ExpressCard" on page 64).
E X T E N D E D M E M O R Y S I Z E H A S C H A N G E D — The amount of memory recorded in NVRAM does not match the memory installed in the computer. Restart the computer. If the error appears again, contact Dell (see "Obtaining Assistance" on page 149).
T H E F I L E B E I N G C O P I E D I S T O O L A R G E F O R T H E D E S T I N A T I O N D R I V E — The file that you are trying to copy is
too large to fit on the disk, or the disk is too full. Try copying the file to a different disk or use a larger capacity disk.
AF I L E N A M E C A N N O T C O N T A I N A N Y O F T H E F O L L O W I N G C H A R A C T E R S : \ / : * ? “ < > — Do not use these
characters in filenames.
G A T E A20 F A I L U R E — A memory module may be loose. Reinstall the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them (see "Memory Problems" on page 90).
G E N E R A L F A I L U R E — The operating system is unable to carry out the command. The message is usually followed by specific
84
Troubleshooting
