Dell Inspiron 3700 Troubleshooting Guide
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support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting 3-13 6. Remove the memory module cover and the memor y module(s). For instructions, refer to “Installing Memory Modules” in Chapter 2. 7. Reinstall the memor y modules, making sure to seat them properly. 8. Replace the memory module cover. 9. Reinstall the hard-disk drive. 10. Verify that any installed PC Cards are properly seated in the PC Card connectors. 11. Reinstall the battery or other device(s) removed from the media bay in step 4. Verify that the device(s) is seated properly. 12. Reconnect the computer and peripherals to the electrical outlet and turn them on. 13. Run the Dell Diagnostics to verify that the computer is operating properly. (For instructions, see “Running the Dell Diagnostics” found later in this chapter.) 14. If the computer does not operate properly, make a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found in Chapter 5 and fill it out. Then call Dell for technical assistance. (See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions.) ! ,&/ Occasionally, you may experience a power failure in all or part of the computer. A total power failure is indicated by the absence of electrical activity (such as status indicators and sounds) from the keyboard, display, hard-disk drive, and diskette drive. In a partial power failure, one or more of these indicators shows that there is power to a part of the computer. To determine if there is any power to the computer, make a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found in Chapter 5 and fill it out as you perform the following steps: 1. Connect the AC adapter to the computer and to an electrical outlet. 2. Remove all peripherals, including internal devices such as the diskette drive, hard-disk drive, and batter y. 3. Tr y turning on the computer. 4. Does the computer turn on properly? Ye s . The problem is resolved. No. Go to Step 5. 5. Turn off the computer. Does the power status indicator light up? Ye s . Go to step 6. No. Go to step 7.
3-14 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide 6. Remove any installed batteries and disconnect the AC adapter. Then reinstall the batteries, reconnect the AC adapter, and turn on the computer. Does the power status indicator light up? Ye s . Go to step 8. No. Go to step 7. 7. Turn off the computer, wait a few seconds, and then turn on the computer again. Does the power status indicator light up? Ye s . Your computer is receiving power. Go to step 8. No. Your computer is not receiving power. Go to step 9. 8. Does the computer boot successfully? Ye s . The problem is resolved. No. Go to step 9. 9. Reseat (remove and reinstall) any installed batteries, and check the AC adapter connection. Does the power status indicator light up? Ye s . The problem is resolved. No. If the computer is powered by the AC adapter, see the next subsection, “Total Power Failure When Using the AC Adapter.” If the computer is using battery power, see “Total Power Failure When Using a Batter y” found later in this section. ! #$ $ If no signs of power are present in the computer when using the AC adapter, make a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found in Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” and fill it out as you perform the following steps: 1. Turn off the computer and peripherals and disconnect them from the electrical outlet. If you are using a surge protector, remove it. 2. Make sure the AC adapter is connected to the computer, and then verify that the power cable is firmly attached to the AC adapter and to the electrical outlet. See “Checking Connections” found earlier in this chapter. 3. Does the LED on top of the AC adapter turn on? Ye s . Go to step 4. No. The AC adapter may be defective. Go to step 5. 4. Turn on the computer. Does the power status indicator light up? Ye s . The problem is resolved. No. Go to step 5.
support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting 3-15 5. Call Dell for technical assistance. See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions. ! #$ % If an AC adapter is not connected to your computer, the computer’s power source is its battery. If the computer does not turn on when a batter y is installed, the batter y’s charge may be depleted. To troubleshoot this problem, make a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found in Chapter 5 and fill it out as you perform the following steps: 1. Turn off the computer and peripherals. Disconnect the peripherals from the electrical outlet. 2. Reseat each installed battery by first removing and then replacing the battery in its bay. 3. Press the power button. Does the computer turn on? Allow one minute for the computer to initialize its components before checking for signs of power. Ye s . Go to step 4. No. Use the AC adapter to connect your computer to an electrical outlet. If the computer operates normally when using AC power, go to step 7. If the computer does not boot when using the AC adapter, see the preceding subsection, “Total Power Failure When Using the AC Adapter.” 4. Is the batter y status indicator blinking, indicating that the batter y is charging? Ye s . Go to step 6. No. Go to step 5. 5. Does the battery status indicator remain constantly lit (not blinking)? Ye s . Go to step 7. No. The batter y is defective. Call Dell for technical assistance. (See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions.) 6. Use the AC adapter to fully charge the battery. For instructions, see the topic titled “Charging the Batter y” in the system Help. 7. Does the battery status indicator remain constantly lit (not blinking), indicating that the battery is fully charged? Ye s . The problem is resolved. Turn on the computer. No. You may have a defective battery. Go to step 8. 8. Disconnect the AC adapter. If a fully charged spare battery is available, install it in the computer.
3-16 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide 9. Press the power button. Does computer turn on? Ye s . Your original battery is defective. Call Dell for technical assistance. (See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions.) No. Call Dell for technical assistance. (See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions.) & $ If the power status indicator shows that your computer is receiving power, but the display remains blank, part of your computer is probably not receiving power. To troubleshoot this problem, make a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found in Chapter 5 and fill it out as you perform the following steps: 1. Turn off the computer and peripherals and disconnect them from the electrical outlet. Disconnect any attached peripherals from the computer. 2. Make sure that the AC adapter is connected to the computer and to an electrical outlet, or confirm that a fully charged batter y is properly seated in the media bay. 3. Turn on the computer. Is the display on? Allow 1 minute for the computer to initialize its components before checking for signs of power. Ye s . The entire computer is receiving power; the problem is resolved. No. Adjust the brightness of the display. If the display still does not show an image, call Dell for technical assistance. (See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions.) ! 0 60 During the power-on self-test (POST), the computer checks the diskette drive, comparing its characteristics with the system configuration information. (The diskette-drive access indicator blinks as the computer performs this check on a diskette drive.) If the drive fails POST or if the access indicators do not appear, make a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found in Chapter 5 and fill it out as you perform the following steps: 1. Save and close any open files, exit any open application programs, and shut down the computer. 2. Remove the diskette drive combination module from the media bay. 3. Reinstall the diskette drive.
support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting 3-17 4. Reboot the computer. Does the diskette-drive access indicator blink during the boot routine? Ye s . Go to step 6. No. Go to step 5. 5. Remove and reinsert the diskette drive (or disconnect and reconnect the drive if used externally). Reboot the computer. Does the diskette-drive access indicator light up during the boot routine? Ye s . Go to step 6. No. Go to step 9. 6. Does the computer display a drive error message? Ye s . See Table 3-2 for an explanation of the message, and then go to step 7. No. Go to step 9. 7. Insert a bootable 1.44-megabyte (MB) diskette into the diskette drive and reboot the computer. 8. Does the diskette-drive access indicator blink during the boot routine, and does the drive boot the operating system? Ye s . The diskette drive problem has probably been resolved. If you continue to experience trouble, call Dell for technical assistance. (See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions.) No. Go to step 9. 9. Call Dell for technical assistance. See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions. ! 01 .0501 .0 During POST, the computer checks the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, comparing its characteristics with the system configuration information. (The CD-ROM/hard-disk drive access indicator blinks as the computer performs this check.) If a failure occurs with the drive, make a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found in Chapter 5 and fill it out as you perform the following steps: 1. Save and close any open files, exit any open application programs, and shut down the computer. 2. Remove the drive from the media bay. 3. Reinstall the drive.
3-18 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide 4. Reboot the computer. Does the drive access indicator blink during the boot routine? Ye s . Go to step 6. No. Go to step 5. 5. Remove and reinsert the drive. Reboot the computer. Does the drive access indicator blink during the boot routine? Ye s . Go to step 6. No. Go to step 10. 6. Remove the hard-disk drive and boot the computer from a bootable CD. Does the drive access indicator blink? Ye s . Go to step 7. No. Go to step 10. 7. Reinstall the hard-disk drive. Then check the config.sys file (in Windows 98, check the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive configuration in the Settings folder). Is the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM driver installed? Ye s . Go to step 8. No. Load the driver, and return to step 1 to begin this procedure again. (To load the driver, use the System Soft ware CD you received with your Dell computer.) 8. Insert a bootable diskette into drive A and reboot the computer. 9. Type d: and press . Then type dir and press . Does MS-DOS display the root directory contents for drive D? Ye s . The problem is resolved. No. Go to step 10. 10. Insert your Dell Diagnostics diskette into drive A and reboot the computer. Then run the IDE Devices device group. Does your CD-ROM drive pass all the tests? Ye s . Return to step 1 and perform this troubleshooting procedure again. If you continue to experience trouble, call Dell for technical assistance. (See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions.) No. Go to step 11. 11. Call Dell for technical assistance. See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions.
support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting 3-19 ! ) 0 60 During POST, the computer checks the hard-disk drive, comparing its characteristics with the system configuration information. (The drive access indicator, located to the right of the display latch, blinks as the computer performs this check.) If a failure occurs with the drive, make a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found in Chapter 5 and fill it out as you perform the following steps: 1. Shut down the computer. 2. Reboot the computer. Does the drive access indicator blink during the boot routine, and does the drive boot the operating system? Ye s . If a message appears on the display, see Appendix C, “Error Messages and Flash Codes,” for an explanation of the message and possible corrective actions. Then go to step 7. No. Go to step 3. 3. Insert a bootable diskette into drive A and reboot the computer. 4. Type c: and press . Then type dir and press . Does MS-DOS display the root directory contents for drive C? Ye s . Go to step 6. No. Go to step 5. 5. If your hard-disk drive has more than one logical drive, type d: and press . Then type dir and press . Does MS-DOS display the root directory contents for drive D? Ye s . You may have a corrupted boot sector or file allocation table (FAT) on drive C. Go to step 9. No. Go to step 8. 6. Rename your autoexec.bat and config.sys files, remove the operating system diskette from drive A, and reboot the computer. Does the operating system load now? Ye s . You have an error in your autoexec.bat or config.sys file. Use a text editor to examine the contents of these files and locate the error. For information on the correct syntax for commands in these files, see the documentation that accom- panied your operating system. No. Go to step 7. 7. Insert your diagnostics diskette into drive A and reboot the computer. Then run the IDE Devices device group. Does your drive pass all the tests? Ye s . Go to step 8. No. Go to step 9.
3-20 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide 8. Replace your diagnostics diskette with the operating system diskette, and reboot the computer. Does the operating system load now? Ye s . The hard-disk drive may contain a corrupted operating system or it may have bad sectors. Reinstall the operating system as described in the documentation that came with it. If reinstalling the operating system does not correct the problem, go to step 9. No. Go to step 9. 9. Call Dell for technical assistance. See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions. ! -+ 7! When you attach an external keyboard, the integrated keyboard remains fully functional. During POST, the computer checks whether an external keyboard is connected; if it is, the computer recognizes both the integrated keyboard and the external keyboard. If an attached external keyboard does not work when you boot the computer, make a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found in Chapter 5 and fill it out as you perform the following steps: 1. Turn off the computer, and then remove the keyboard cable and check it for bent or broken pins. Ye s . If you see bent pins and they can be straightened, straighten them and go to step 2. If they cannot be straightened, or are broken, you need a new keyboard. No. Go to step 2. 2. Reconnect the keyboard to the computer. 3. Make sure the cable from the external keyboard is firmly connected to the keyboard/mouse connector on the back of the computer. (See “Checking Connections” found earlier in this chapter.) 4. Turn on the computer. 5. If you are using a keyboard that can be configured with various switch settings, make sure the switch is set to PS/2, Enhanced XT/AT, or PC/AT. The switch settings are usually on the bottom of the keyboard, sometimes behind a panel tab. Refer to the documentation that came with the keyboard for more information. 6. Turn off the computer, wait one minute, and then turn it on again. During the boot routine, do the Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock indicators on the external keyboard blink momentarily? Ye s . Go to step 7. No. You may have a defective keyboard. Go to step 10.
support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting 3-21 7. Does the computer recognize the external keyboard? Use the external keyboard to type some characters. Do they appear on the display? Ye s . The problem is resolved. No. Go to step 8. 8. Turn off the computer and disconnect the external keyboard from the computer. 9. Turn on the computer. Does the computer recognize the integrated keyboard? Allow one minute for the computer to initialize its components. Then use the computer’s integrated keyboard to type some characters. Do the characters appear on the display? Ye s . The external keyboard may be defective. Run the PC-AT Compatible Keyboards device group in the Dell Diagnostics. If you cannot isolate the problem after running the diagnostics, call Dell for technical assistance. No. Go to step 10. 10. Call Dell for technical assistance. See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions. ! .$ During POST, the computer checks the computer’s memory, and then writes to and reads from the number of available bytes to ensure proper operation. If the memory count displayed is less than the amount installed, make a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found in Chapter 5 and fill it out as you perform the following steps: 1. Reboot the computer. Does the random-access memor y (RAM) count displayed correctly match the actual amount of memory installed in the computer? Ye s . The computer needed to update the memory; the memory check phase is okay now. No. Go to step 2. 2. Save and close any open files, exit any open application programs, and remove any installed batteries. 3. Turn off the computer and disconnect it from the AC adapter. Then disconnect the AC adapter from the electrical outlet. Turn off any attached peripherals, and disconnect them from their power sources and then from the computer. 4. Ground yourself by touching one of the metal connectors on the back of the computer.
3-22 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide 5. Turn the computer over and remove the memory module cover and the memor y modules. Refer to “Installing Memory Modules” in Chapter 2. 6. Install the new memory module(s). Refer to “Installing Memory Modules” in Chapter 2. 7. Replace the memory module cover. 8. Reboot the computer, and press when prompted to enter the System Setup program. 9. Call Dell for technical assistance. See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions. ! 0 If the computer is receiving power, but nothing appears on your display (such as light, text, or graphics) or the display image does not appear as you would expect, make a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found in Chapter 5 and fill it out as you perform the following steps. NOTE: Extended graphics array (XGA) displays support 1024 x 768 pixels, and super extended graphics array (SXGA) displays support 1280 x 1024 pixels. If your application program uses a higher resolution, you must attach an external video graphics array (VGA) monitor to your computer. 1. If the computer is running, press any key on the integrated keyboard. Is the full display readable? Ye s . The computer was in standby or suspend mode. The problem is resolved. No. Go to step 2. 2. Is an external monitor connected to the computer? Ye s . Go to step 3. No. Go to step 4. 3. Press the key combination. Is the full display readable? Ye s . The problem is resolved. No. Go to step 8. 4. Turn off the computer and any attached peripherals. Disconnect all peripherals from the computer. 5. Make sure the AC adapter is firmly connected to the computer and to an electrical outlet, or verify that a fully charged battery is properly seated in its bay.