Checking for Customer Abuse

Some notebooks might appear to have been damaged by customer abuse. Use these guidelines to help determine if this is the case:

•If the shipping box is seriously damaged, customer abuse cannot be declared.

•If the damage could have a cause other than customer abuse, customer abuse cannot be declared.

•If the notebook shows any of the following, customer abuse is declared:

!Missing parts.

!Broken plastic parts.

!Parts not original to the notebook.

!Damaged or missing keys on the keyboard.

Table 3-3lists additional criteria for determining customer abuse to specific parts of the notebook.

Important

Parts damaged by customer abuse are not covered by the warranty.

Troubleshooting the Problem

Record pertinent information about the notebook:

•Model and serial number.

•Operating system and version.

•Software version (stored in hidden file c:\version.inf).

•BIOS version.

•Accessories and peripherals used.

Analyze the problem:

•Observe Symptoms. Using the customer’s information, try to duplicate the problem. Determine how the problem differs from proper behavior. Also, note the functions that do work properly.

•Separate Problems. If there are multiple symptoms, separate them into distinct problems.

•Consider Causes. Keep in mind possible causes for each problem. Use the diagnostic tools and troubleshooting suggestions to help find possible causes.

!The e-Diagtools diagnostic program tests most of the notebook components using automatic and interactive tests, and is your primary troubleshooting tool. Other tools include the power-on self-test, WMI/Toptools (if installed), the BIOS Setup utility, and the Sycard PCCtest. Table 3-2on page 3-5shows how you can use these tools to isolate the cause of the notebook’s problem.

!The troubleshooting suggestions on page 3-6include general suggestions for repairing notebooks that show specific failure symptoms.

Service Manual

Troubleshooting and Diagnostics

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