Dell Inspiron 7500 Reference And Troubleshooting Guide

support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting3-17
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?
Yes. Go to step 6.
No. Go to step 9.
6.Does the computer display a drive error message? 
Yes. See Appendix C, “System Messages and Beep Codes” 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...

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5.Remove and reinsert the drive. Reboot the computer. Does the drive access 
indicator blink during the boot routine?
Yes. 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?
Yes. 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...

support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting3-19
2.Reboot the computer. Does the drive access indicator blink during the boot 
routine, and does the drive boot the operating system?
Yes. If a message appears on the display, see Appendix C, “System Messages 
and Beep 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...

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9.Call Dell for technical assistance. 
See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions.Troubleshooting an External Keyboard           
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 built-in keyboard and the       
external keyboard. If an attached external keyboard...

support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting3-21
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?
Yes. The external keyboard may be defective. Run the PC-AT Compatible 
Keyboards device group in the Dell Diagnostics. If you cannot...

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8.Reboot the computer, and press  when prompted to enter the Setup 
program.
9.In the Main menu of the Setup program, make sure that the value in the 
Extended Memory field is at least 15 MB.
Yes. A memory module was loose; the memory check phase is complete.
No. Go to step 11.
10.Call Dell for technical assistance.
See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions.Troubleshooting the Display     
If the computer is receiving power, but...

support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting3-23
6.Turn on the computer. Is the display on?
Allow one minute for the computer to initialize its components.
Yes. Go to step 7.
No. Go to step 9.
7.Press the  down-arrow or  up-arrow key combination to adjust the 
brightness. Is the full display readable?
Yes. Go to step 8.
No. Go to step 9. 
8.Has an error message appeared on the display, or has a beep code sounded?
Yes. Refer to Appendix C, “System Messages and Beep Codes,” to find the 
message or beep code,...

3-24Dell Inspiron 7500 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide
2.Press the  key combination on the integrated keyboard several times. 
Does an image appear on the external monitor?
Yes. The problem is resolved.
No. Go to step 3.
3.Make sure the external monitor’s video cable is firmly connected to the 
computer’s external video connector, and then verify that the monitor’s power   
cable (if it has one) is firmly plugged into an electrical outlet. Make sure the         
monitor is turned on.
4.Check...

support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting3-25Troubleshooting the Serial and Parallel Ports              
This section provides a procedure for troubleshooting the computer’s serial and 
parallel ports and any attached peripheral devices. 
If a system error message indicates a port problem or if equipment connected to a 
port seems to perform incorrectly or not at all, the source of the problem may be any 
of the following:•
A faulty connection between the I/O port and the peripheral device•
Incorrect...

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4.Change the necessary statements in the start-up files.
If the port problem is confined to a particular application program, see the 
application program’s documentation for specific port configuration 
requirements.
Is the problem resolved?
Yes. The problem is resolved.
No. Go to step 5.
5.Insert your diagnostics diskette into drive A, reboot the computer, and run the 
Serial Ports device group and/or the Parallel Ports device group in...