Dell Inspiron 3500 - Manual (Page 98)

4-16 Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Reference and Troubleshooting Guide
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Parity errors or page fault failures (any error message that contains the word par-
ity or page fault) occur at any time during operation. These errors are usually
accompanied by a reference to an address, which you should record on a copy of
the Diagnostics Checklist found in Chapter 5.
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Correcting errors in the system configuration information does not resolve a
problem.
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The computer’s clock/calendar stops.
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The speaker no longer functions. The problem could be a failure of the system
timers as well as a failure of the speaker itself. Run the Timers Test, followed by
the System Speaker Test.
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A spreadsheet program or other type of mathematical application runs abnor-
mally slow, generates error messages concerning calculations or operations, runs
incorrectly, or generates incorrect results; or a proven piece of the program
appears to malfunction and you confirm that the software itself is not at fault.
(You can confirm that the software is not at fault by moving the program to
another computer and running it there.)
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The computer halts in the middle of performing calculations or complex mathe-
matical operations.
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The subtests that constitute the System Set test group and the computer functions
they confirm follow:
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CMOS Confidence Test
Checks the nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM) for accessibility and reliability of data stor-
age by performing a data pattern check and verifying the uniqueness of memory
addresses.
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DMA Controller Test
Tests the direct memory access (DMA) controller and verifies the correct opera-
tion of its page and channel registers by writing patterns to the registers.
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Real-Time Clock Test
Confirms the functionality and accuracy of the computer’s real-time clock (RTC).
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Timers Test
Checks the timers used by the microprocessor for event counting, frequency
generation, and other functions. Only the functions that can be activated by soft-
ware are tested.
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System Speaker Test
Checks the functionality of the speaker by generating eight tones.
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Coprocessor Calculation Test
Checks the use of different types of numbers and the math coprocessor’s ability
to calculate correctly.