compaq armada m700 User Manual

							2-2    Troubleshooting
2.1  Preliminary Steps
IMPORTANT:  Use AC power when running POST or Computer Setup. A low battery
condition could initiate Hibernation and interrupt the test.
Before running POST, complete the following steps:
1.  Obtain established passwords. If you must clear the passwords, go to Section 2.2.
2.  Ensure that the hard drive is installed in the computer.
3.  Ensure that the battery pack is installed in the computer and the power cord is
connected to the computer and plugged into an AC power source.
4.  Turn on the computer.
5.  If a power-on password has been established, type the password and press Enter.
6.  Run Computer Setup (Section 2.5). If a Setup password has been established, type
the password and press Enter.
7.  Turn off the computer and all external devices.
8.  Disconnect external devices that you do not want to test. If you want to use the
printer to log error messages, leave it connected to the computer.
NOTE:  
If a problem only occurs when an external device is connected to the
computer, the problem could be with the external device or its cable. Isolate the
problem by running POST with and without the external device connected.
9. Use Compaq Utilities and loopback plugs in the serial and parallel connectors if you
plan to test these ports.
Follow these steps to run Compaq Utilities:
a. If you are running Compaq Utilities from the hard drive, turn on or restart the
computer. Press F10 when the cursor appears in the upper-right corner of the
screen. If you do not press F10 in time, restart the computer and try again.
If you are running Compaq Utilities from diskette, insert the Compaq Utilities
diskette in drive A. Turn on or restart the computer.
b. Press Enter to accept OK.
c. Select Prompted Diagnostics.
d. After “Identifying System Hardware” completes, select Interactive Testing and
follow the instructions on the screen. 
						

							Troubleshooting    2-3
2.2  Clearing Passwords
1.  Turn off the computer.
2.  Disconnect the AC Adapter (refer to Section 5.3).
3.  Remove the battery pack (Section 5.6).
4.  Disconnect and remove the Real Time Clock (RTC) battery (Section 5.11).
5.  Wait five minutes.
6.  Reconnect the RTC battery.
7.  Install the keyboard deck and keyboard assembly.
8.  Reconnect the AC Adapter. Do not
 reinstall the battery pack yet.
9.  Turn on the computer.
NOTE:  Remember to set the date and time the next time the computer is turned on.
2.3  Power-On Self-Test (POST)
The Power-On Self-Test (POST) is a series of tests that run every time the computer is
turned on. POST verifies that the system is configured and functioning properly.
To run POST, complete the following steps:
1. Complete the preliminary steps (Section 2.1).
2. Turn on the computer.
If POST does not detect any errors, the computer beeps once or twice to indicate that
POST has run successfully. The computer boots from the hard drive or from a bootable
diskette if one is installed in the diskette drive. 
						

							2-4    Troubleshooting
2.4  POST Error Messages
If the system is not functioning well enough to run POST, or if the display is not
functioning well enough to show POST error messages, refer to the Troubleshooting
tables in Section 2.6.
If POST detects an error, one of the following events occurs:

 A message with the prefix WARNING appears, informing you where the error
occurred. The system pauses until you press F1 to continue.

 A message with the prefix FATAL appears, informing you where the error
occurred. After the message, the system emits a series of beeps, then stops.

 The system emits a series of beeps, then stops.
Warning messages indicate that a potential problem, such as a system configuration
error, exists. When F1 is pressed, the system should resume. You should be able to
correct problems that produce WARNING messages.
If you receive one of the error messages listed below, follow the recommended action. 
						

							Troubleshooting    2-5
Table 2-1
Warning Messages
Message Description Recommended Action
CMOS checksum invalid, run
SCUCMOS RAM information
has been corrupted.Run Computer Setup to
reinitialize CMOS-RAM.
CMOS failure, run SCU CMOS RAM has lost
power.Run Computer Setup to
reinitialize CMOS-RAM.
Diskette controller error The diskette drive
controller failed to
respond to the recalibrate
command.If there is no diskette drive in the
system, run Computer Setup to
properly configure the CMOS-
RAM to show no diskette drive
present. If the problem persists,
or if a diskette drive is present,
complete these steps until the
problems is solved:
1. Check diskette drive
 connections.
2. Replace diskette drive.
3. Replace system board.
Diskette track 0 failed The diskette drive cannot
read track 0 of the
diskette in the drive.Try another diskette. If the
problem persists, you may need
to replace the diskette drive.
Hard disk controller error The hard drive controller
failed to respond to the
reset command.Check the drive parameters.
Turn off the system and check all
related connections.
Keyboard controller failure The keyboard failed the
self-test command.Replace the system board.
Keyboard failure The keyboard failed to
respond to the RESET ID
command.Replace the keyboard. If the
problem persists, replace the
system board.
No interrupts from Timer 0 The periodic timer
interrupt is not occurring.Replace the system board.
ROM at xxxx (LENGTH yyyy)
with nonzero checksum (zz)An illegal adapter ROM
was located at the
specified address.Check the external adapter (such
as a video card) to determine if it
is causing the conflict.
Time/Date corrupt - run SCU The time and date stored
in the real time clock have
been corrupted, possibly
by a
power loss.1. Run Computer Setup.
2. If problem persists, replace
auxiliary battery.
3. If problems persists, replace
system board.
Hard disk xx failure (or error) A failure or an error
occurred when trying to
access the
hard drive.1.Run ScanDisk.
2.Check disk in DOS and
Windows 95. 
						

							2-6    Troubleshooting
Fatal errors emit a beep and may display a FATAL message. Fatal errors indicate
severe problems, such as a hardware failure. Fatal errors do not allow the system to
resume. Some of the Fatal error beep codes are listed at the end of this section.
Table 2-2
Fatal Error Messages
Message Description Beep code
CMOS RAM test failed A walking bit test of CMOS RAM location 0E
(Hex) - 3F (Hex) failed.3
DMA controller faulty A sequential read/write of the transfer count
and transfer address registers within the
primary and secondary DMA controllers
failed.4
Faulty DMA page registers A walking bit read/write of the 16 DMA
controller page registers starting at location
80 Hex failed.0
Faulty refresh circuits A continuous read/write test of port 61h
found that bit 4 (Refresh Detect) failed to
toggle within an allotted amount of time.1
Interrupt controller failed A sequential read/write of various Interrupt
Controller registers failed.5
ROM checksum incorrect A checksum of the ROM BIOS does not
match the byte value at F000:FFFF.2
RAM error at location xxxx RAM error occurred during memory test. None
*Beep codes are defined in Table 2-3.
Table 2-3
Fatal Error Beep Codes
Beep Code Beep Sequence Description Recommended Action
0 S-S-S-P-S-S-L-P The DMA page registers are
faulty.Replace system board.
1 S-S-S-P-S-L-S-P The refresh circuitry is faulty.
2 S-S-S-P-S-L-L-P The ROM checksum is incorrect.
3 S-S-S-P-L-S-S-P The CMOS RAM test failed.
4 S-S-S-P-L-S-L-P The DMA controller is faulty.
5 S-S-S-P-L-L-S-P The interrupt controller failed.
6 S-S-S-P-L-L-L-P The keyboard controller failed.
7 S-S-L-P-S-S-S-P Graphics adapter is faulty.
8 S-S-L-P-S-S-L-P Internal RAM is faulty. Replace memory board or
system board if memory on
system board is faulty.
NOTE:  S = Short, L = Long, P = Pause 
						

							Troubleshooting    2-7
2.5  Compaq Utilities
Compaq Utilities contain several functions that

 Determine if various computer devices are recognized by the system and are
operating properly.

 Provide information about the system once it is configured.
Compaq Utilities include the following programs:

 Computer Setup

 Compaq Diagnostics
To access Compaq Utilities:
1.  Turn on or restart the computer by clicking Start!Shut Down!Restart the
computer.
2. Press F10 when the blinking cursor appears in the upper-right corner of the display.
3.  Select a menu option.
Selecting Computer Setup or Compaq Diagnostics
for Windows
The computer features two system management utilities:

 Computer Setup is a system information and configuration utility that can be used
even when your operating system is not working or will not load. It includes custom
settings that are not available in Windows.
To configure a device in Windows NT 4.0, you must use Computer Setup.

 Compaq Diagnostics for Windows is a system information and diagnostic utility
that is used within the Windows operating system. Use Compaq Diagnostics for
Windows to test system components and to display system information whenever
possible.
To configure a device in Windows 95 or 98 use the operating system itself.
Windows 95 and 98 can be used to add and remove programs, and provide Wizards
to ensure proper device drivers are installed. Diagnostics for Windows is NOT a
configuration tool and might only test devices that are properly configured by the
operating system.
NOTE: It is not necessary to configure a device connected to a USB connector on the
computer or an optional docking base. 
						

							2-8    Troubleshooting
Using Computer Setup
All information and settings in Computer Setup are accessed from the File, Security, or
Advanced menus.
NOTE: Your settings in Computer Setup are not affected by updating the system ROM.
To view information or change a setting in Computer Setup:
1.  Turn on or restart the computer. When the blinking cursor appears in the upper-right
corner of the screen, press 
F10.

 To change the language, press F2.

 To view navigation information, press F1.

 To return to the Computer Setup menu from anywhere in Computer Setup,
press 
Esc.
2.  Select the File, Security, or Advanced menu.
3.  To close Computer Setup and restart the computer

 Select File!Ignore Changes and Exit, then press Enter.
or

 Select File!Save Changes and Exit, then press Enter.
4.  To confirm your choice, press 
F10.
File Menu
Begin here To do this
System information
 View identification information about the
computer, docking base, and battery
packs.

 View specification information about the
processor, memory and cache size, and
ROM date and family.
Save to floppy Save system configuration to a diskette.
Restore from floppy Restore system configuration from a diskette.
(The diskette contains your personal
configuration, so you should restore from the
diskette before using the System Recovery
CD-ROM.)
Restore defaults Replace configuration settings in Computer
Setup with factory default settings.
(Identification information is retained.)
Ignore changes and exit Cancel changes entered during the current
Computer Setup session, then exit and
restart the computer.
Save changes and exit Save changes, then exit and restart the
computer. 
						

							Troubleshooting    2-9
Security Menu
Begin here To do this
Setup password Enter, change, or delete a setup
password.
Power-On password Enter, change, or delete a power-on
password.
Password options Enable/disable:

 QuickLock/QuickBlank.

 Lock keyboard and pointing stick or
touchpad at startup.
(These features can be enabled only
when a power-on password is set.)
DriveLock passwords Enter, change, or delete a DriveLock
password.
Device security Enable/disable

 Ports or diskette drives.

 Diskette write.

 CD-ROM or diskette startup.
NOTE: Settings for a DVD-ROM can be
entered in the CD-ROM field.
System IDs Enter identification numbers for the
computer, a docking base, and
battery packs. 
						

							2-10    Troubleshooting
Advanced Menu
Begin here To do this
Language (or press F2)Change the Computer Setup language.
Boot Options Enable/disable

 QuickBoot, which starts the computer
more quickly by eliminating some
startup tests. (If you suspect a memory
failure and want to test memory
automatically during startup, you may
want to disable QuickBoot.)
MultiBoot, which enables you to set a
startup sequence that can include any
drives in the system.
Device Options
 Enable/disable the embedded numeric
keypad at startup.

 Enable/disable multiple standard
pointing devices at startup. When this
feature is disabled, only one pointing
device is activated at startup.

 Enable/disable USB legacy support for
one USB mouse and one USB
keyboard. (When USB legacy support
is enabled, the keyboard and mouse
work without a loaded USB driver.)

 Set an optional external monitor or
overhead projector connected to a
video card in a docking base as the
primary device. (When the computer
display is set as secondary, the
computer must be shut down before
undocking.)

 Set video-out mode to NTSC (default),
NTSC-J, PAL, or PAL-M.
Change the parallel port mode to or from
EPP, standard, bidirectional, or ECP. 
						

							Troubleshooting    2-11
Using Compaq Diagnostics for Windows
1.  Access Compaq Diagnostics for Windows by selecting
Start!Settings!Control Panel!Compaq Diagnostics.
2.  To select a category, choose one of two methods:

 Select the Categories menu, then select a category from the drop-down list.

 Select a category icon on the toolbar.
3.  To run diagnostic tests
  a) Select the Test tab.
  b) In the scroll box, select the category or device you want to test.
  c) Select the Quick, Complete, or Custom test type.
  d) Select the Interactive or Unattended test mode.
  e) Select the Begin Testing button.
  f) View test information by selecting a report from the Status, Log, or Error tab.
4.  To print the information or save it to a drive, select the File menu, then select Print
or Save As.
5.  To exit, select the File menu!Exit.
Factory Default Settings
Table 2-4
Initialization
Enable POST Memory Test Checked (enabled)
Keyboard Num Lock Unchecked (Off)
Hard drive boot sequence
1 Hard drive in the computer MultiBay
2 Hard drive in the computer hard drive bay
3 Hard drive in the expansion base or
convenience base half-height/MultiBay
4 Hard drive in the expansion base or
convenience base MultiBay
Boot display Auto
Language Language of country