Dell OptiPlex GX1 User Manual

Page 55

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Dell Diagnostics: Dell OptiPlex GX1 Small-Form-Factor System User's Guide

file:///C|/infodev/2013/eDoc/OpGX1/UG/diag.htm[2/21/2013 11:47:14 AM]

Text Mode Character Test

Checks the video subsystem’s ability to present data in text modes.

Text Mode Color Test

Checks the video subsystem’s ability to present color in text modes.

Text Mode Pages Test

Checks the video subsystem’s ability to map and present all available video pages on the screen,
one page at a time.

Graphics Mode Test

Checks the video subsystem’s ability to present data and color in graphics modes.

Color Palettes Test

Checks the video subsystem’s ability to display all of the available colors.

Solid Colors Test

Checks the video subsystem’s ability to show screens full of solid colors. Allows you to check for
missing color subpixels.

Many of these tests display characters or graphics on the screen for you to verify. Samples of these screens
are shown in "

Diagnostics Video Tests

."

NOTE: The default limit for testing super video graphics array (SVGA) modes is No. If you are testing
an external monitor, change the default to Yes.

Why Run a Video Test?

Many of the symptoms that would prompt you to run a subtest in the Video Test Group are obvious,
because the monitor is the visual component of your computer system. Before you run the Video Test
Group
or any of its subtests, you should make sure that the problem is not in your software or caused by a
hardware change. You should also try running all of the software support utilities provided for the monitor
and the video subsystem.

If the following symptoms still occur, run the appropriate test(s) as follows:

If your monitor shows a partially formed or distorted image, run all of the subtests in the Video Test
Group
.

If the alignment of text or images is off, regardless of the program you are running, run the Text Mode
Character Test
, Text Mode Pages Test, and Graphics Mode Test.

If you have a color monitor or a program that runs in color, but the color is intermittent or not displayed
at all, run the Text Mode Color Test, Color Palettes Test, and Solid Color Test.

If your monitor malfunctions in one mode but works fine in another (for example, text is displayed
correctly, but graphics are not), run the Text Mode Character Test, Text Mode Color Test, Text

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