Dell PowerEdge 2550 - Manual (Page 41)

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Running the Dell™ Diagnostics
Dell™ PowerEdge™ 2550 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
Unlike many diagnostic programs, the Dell Diagnostics helps you check the system's hardware without any additional equipment and without destroying any
data. By using the diagnostics, you can have confidence in the system's operation. If you find a problem that you cannot solve by yourself, the diagnostic tests
can provide you with important information you will need when talking to Dell's technical assistance representative.
Features of the Dell Diagnostics
The Dell Diagnostics provides a series of menus and options from which you choose particular device groups or devices. You can also control the sequence in
which the tests are run. The diagnostic menus also have these helpful features:
l Options that let you run tests individually or collectively
l An option that allows you to choose the number of times a test is repeated
l The ability to display or print test results or to save them in a file
l Options to temporarily suspend testing if an error is detected or to terminate testing when an adjustable error limit is reached
l Help messages that briefly describe each test and its parameters
l Status messages that inform you whether device group or device tests are completed successfully
l Error messages that appear if any problems are detected
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics
Whenever a major component or device in the system does not function properly, you may have a component failure. As long as the microprocessor and the
input and output components of the system (the monitor, keyboard, and diskette drive) are working, you can use the Dell Diagnostics. If you know what
component(s) you need to test, simply select the appropriate diagnostic device group(s) or subtest(s). If you are unsure about the scope of the problem, read
the rest of the information in this section.
Starting the Dell Diagnostics
You can run the Dell Diagnostics from either the utility partition on your hard-disk drive or from a set of diskettes that you create from the Dell OpenManage
Server Assistant CD.
To run the diagnostics from the utility partition, perform the following steps:
1. Start the utility partition by pressing <F10> during the power-on self-test (POST).
2. From the utility partition's main menu, select the Run System Diagnostics option from Run System Utilities.
To run the Dell Diagnostics from the diskettes, perform the following steps:
1. Create a set of diagnostics diskettes using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD.
2. Boot the system from the first diagnostics diskette.
See your system User's Guide for additional information about using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD.
If the system fails to boot, see " Getting Help " for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
When you start the diagnostics, the Dell logo screen appears, followed by a message telling you that the diagnostics is loading. Before the diagnostics loads
into memory, a program tests the random-access memory (RAM) that will be used by the diagnostics.
If no errors are found in the RAM, the diagnostics loads, and the Diagnostics menu appears. The menu allows you to run all or specific diagnostic tests or to
exit the Dell Diagnostics.
Features of the Dell Diagnostics
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics
Starting the Dell Diagnostics
How to Use the Dell Diagnostics
How to Use the Device Groups Menu
Error Messages
NOTICE: Use the Dell Diagnostics to test only Dell systems. If you use this program with other systems, incorrect system responses or error messages
may result.
NOTE: Before you read the rest of this section, you may want to start the Dell Diagnostics so that you can see it on your monitor screen.