Dell Xps Gen 5 Manual

							Solving Problems51
Sound and Speaker Problems
 CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions 
located in the Product Information Guide.
No sound from speakers
 NOTE: The volume control in some MP3 players overrides the Windows volume setting. If you have been 
listening to MP3 songs, ensure that you did not turn the player volume down or off.
VERIFY THAT THE SCANNER IS RECOGNIZED BY MICROSOFT WINDOWS—
1Click the Start button, click Control Panel, and then click Printers and Other Hardware.
2Click Scanners and Cameras.
If your scanner is listed, Windows recognizes the scanner.
REINSTALL THE SCANNER DRIVER—See the scanner documentation for instructions.
CHECK THE SPEAKER CABLE CONNECTIONS—Ensure that the speakers are connected as shown on 
the setup diagram supplied with the speakers. If you purchased a sound card, ensure that the speakers 
are connected to the card.
ENSURE THAT THE SUBWOOFER AND THE SPEAKERS ARE TURNED ON—See the setup diagram 
supplied with the speakers. If your speakers have volume controls, adjust the volume, bass, or treble to 
eliminate distortion.
ADJUST THE WINDOWS VOLUME CONTROL—Click or double-click the speaker icon in the lower-
right corner of your screen. Ensure that the volume is turned up and that the sound is not muted.
DISCONNECT HEADPHONES FROM THE HEADPHONE CONNECTOR—Sound from the speakers is 
automatically disabled when headphones are connected to the computer’s front-panel headphone 
connector.
TEST THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET—Ensure that the electrical outlet is working by testing it with another 
device, such as a lamp.
ELIMINATE POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE—Turn off nearby fans, fluorescent lights, or halogen lamps to 
check for interference.
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No sound from headphones
Video and Monitor Problems
 CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions 
located in the Product Information Guide.
If the screen is blank
 NOTE: See the monitor documentation for troubleshooting procedures.
RUN THE SPEAKER DIAGNOSTICS
REINSTALL THE SOUND DRIVER—See page 60.
RUN THE HARDWARE TROUBLESHOOTER—See page 64.
CHECK THE HEADPHONE CABLE CONNECTION—Ensure that the headphone cable is securely inserted 
into the headphone connector (see page 72).
ADJUST THE WINDOWS VOLUME CONTROL—Click or double-click the speaker icon in the lower-right 
corner of your screen. Ensure that the volume is turned up and that the sound is not muted.
CHECK THE MONITOR CABLE CONNECTION—
 Ensure that the graphics cable is connected as shown on the setup diagram for your computer.
 If you are using a graphics extension cable and removing the cable solves the problem, the cable is 
defective.
 Swap the computer and monitor power cables to determine if the power cable is defective.
 Check the connector for bent or broken pins. (It is normal for monitor cable connectors to have missing 
pins.) 
CHECK THE MONITOR POWER LIGHT—If the power light is off, firmly press the button to ensure that 
the monitor is turned on. If the power light is lit or blinking, the monitor has power. If the power light is 
blinking, press a key on the keyboard or move the mouse.
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							Solving Problems53
If the screen is difficult to read
TEST THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET—Ensure that the electrical outlet is working by testing it with another 
device, such as a lamp.
CHECK THE DIAGNOSTIC LIGHTS—See page 55.
CHECK THE MONITOR SETTINGS—See the monitor documentation for instructions on adjusting the 
contrast and brightness, demagnetizing (degaussing) the monitor, and running the monitor self-test.
MOVE THE SUBWOOFER AWAY FROM THE MONITOR—If your speaker system includes a subwoofer, 
ensure that the subwoofer is at least 60 cm (2 ft) away from the monitor.
MOVE THE MONITOR AWAY FROM EXTERNAL POWER SOURCES—Fans, fluorescent lights, halogen 
lamps, and other electrical devices can cause the screen image to appear shaky. Turn off nearby devices 
to check for interference.
ROTATE THE MONITOR TO ELIMINATE SUNLIGHT GLARE AND POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE
ADJUST THE WINDOWS DISPLAY SETTINGS—
1Click the Start button, click Control Panel, and then click Appearance and Themes.
2Click Display and click the Settings tab.
3Try different settings for Screen resolution and Color quality.
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							Advanced Troubleshooting55
Advanced Troubleshooting
Diagnostic Lights
 CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions 
located in the Product Information Guide.
To help you troubleshoot a problem, your computer has four lights labeled 1, 2, 3, and 4 
on the front panel (see page 72). When the computer starts normally, the lights flash. After the 
computer starts, all four lights display solid green. If the computer malfunctions, the color and 
sequence of the lights identify the problem.
Light Pattern Problem Description Suggested Resolution
The computer is in a normal off condition or 
a possible pre-BIOS failure has occurred.
The diagnostic lights are not lit after the 
system successfully boots to the operating 
system.Plug the computer into a working electrical 
outlet. Also see Power Problems on page 48.
A possible processor failure has occurred. Reinstall the processor (see page 110) and 
restart the computer.
Memory modules are detected, but a memory 
failure has occurred.
 If you have two or more memory modules 
installed, remove the modules, reinstall one 
module (see page 79), and then restart the 
computer. If the computer starts normally, 
reinstall an additional module. Continue 
until you have identified a faulty module or 
reinstalled all modules without error.
 If available, install properly working memory 
of the same type into your computer (see 
page 79).
 If the problem persists, contact Dell (see 
page 139).
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A possible graphics card failure has occurred. If the computer has a graphics card, remove 
the card (see page 89), reinstall it, and then 
restart the computer. 
 If the problem still exists, install a graphics 
card that you know works and restart the 
computer.
 If the problem persists, contact Dell (see 
page 139).
A possible floppy drive or hard drive failure has 
occurred.Reseat all power and data cables and restart 
the computer.
A possible USB failure has occurred. Reinstall all USB devices, check cable 
connections, and then restart the computer.
No memory modules are detected.
 If you have two or more memory modules 
installed, remove the modules, reinstall one 
module (see page 79), and then restart the 
computer. If the computer starts normally, 
reinstall an additional module. Continue 
until you have identified a faulty module or 
reinstalled all modules without error.
 If available, install properly working memory 
of the same type into your computer (see 
page 79).
 If the problem persists, contact Dell (see 
page 139).
Memory modules are detected, but a memory 
configuration or compatibility error exists. Ensure that no special memory 
module/memory connector placement 
requirements exist (see page 78).
 Verify that the memory modules that you are 
installing are compatible with your computer 
(see page 78). 
 If the problem persists, contact Dell (see 
page 139 Light Pattern  Problem Description Suggested Resolution
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							Advanced Troubleshooting57
A possible expansion card failure has occurred.1Determine if a conflict exists by removing a 
card (not a graphics card) and restarting the 
computer (see page 82).
2If the problem persists, reinstall the card that 
you removed, remove a different card, and 
then restart the computer.
3Repeat this process for each card. If the 
computer starts normally, troubleshoot the 
last card removed from the computer for 
resource conflicts (see page 64).
4If the problem persists, contact Dell (see 
page 139).
Another failure has occurred. Ensure that the cables are properly 
connected to the system board from the hard 
drive, CD drive, and DVD drive (see 
page 77).
 If there is an error message on your screen 
identifying a problem with a device (such as 
the floppy drive or hard drive), check the 
device to make sure it is functioning properly.
 The operating system is attempting to boot 
from a device (such as the floppy drive or 
hard drive); check system setup (see 
page 127) to make sure the boot sequence is 
correct for the devices installed on your 
computer.
 If the problem persists, contact Dell (see 
page 139).
The computer is in a normal operating 
condition after POST.None. Light Pattern  Problem Description Suggested Resolution
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							58Advanced Troubleshooting
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Dell Diagnostics
 CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions 
located in the Product Information Guide.
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics
If you experience a problem with your computer, perform the checks in Solving Problems (see 
page 39) and run the Dell Diagnostics before you contact Dell for technical assistance.
 NOTICE: The Dell Diagnostics works only on Dell™ computers.
Start the Dell Diagnostics from either your hard drive (see page 58) or from the Dell Dimension 
ResourceCD.
Starting the Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive
1Turn on (or restart) your computer.
2When the DELL™ logo appears, press  immediately.
 NOTE: If you see a message stating that no diagnostics utility partition has been found, run the Dell 
Diagnostics from your ResourceCD 
(see page 58).
If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the 
Microsoft
® Windows® desktop. Then shut down your computer (see page 69) and try again.
3When the boot device list appears, highlight Boot to Utility Partition and press .
4When the Dell Diagnostics Main Menu appears, select the test you want to run (see 
page 59).
Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the ResourceCD
1Insert the ResourceCD.
2Shut down and restart the computer (see page 69).
When the DELL logo appears, press  immediately.
If you wait too long and the Windows logo appears, continue to wait until you see the 
Windows desktop. Then shut down your computer (see page 69) and try again.
 NOTE: The next steps change the boot sequence for one time only. On the next start-up, the computer 
boots according to the devices specified in system setup.
3When the boot device list appears, highlight IDE CD-ROM Device and press .
4Select the IDE CD-ROM Device option from the CD boot menu.
5Select the Boot from CD-ROM option from the menu that appears.
6Ty p e  1 to start the ResourceCD menu.
7Ty p e  2 to start the Dell Diagnostics.
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							Advanced Troubleshooting59
8Select Run the 32 Bit Dell Diagnostics from the numbered list. If multiple versions are listed, 
select the version appropriate for your computer.
9When the Dell Diagnostics Main Menu appears, select the test you want to run (see 
page 59).
Dell Diagnostics Main Menu
1After the Dell Diagnostics loads and the Main Menu screen appears, click the button for the 
option you want.
2If a problem is encountered during a test, a message appears with an error code and a 
description of the problem. Write down the error code and problem description and follow 
the instructions on the screen.
If you cannot resolve the error condition, contact Dell (see 
page 139).
 NOTE: The Service Tag for your computer is located at the top of each test screen. If you contact Dell, 
technical support will ask for your Service Tag.
3If you run a test from the Custom Test or Symptom Tree option, click the applicable tab 
described in the following table for more information.
Option Function
Express Test Performs a quick test of devices. This test typically takes 10 to 
20 minutes and requires no interaction on your part. Run 
Express Test first to increase the possibility of tracing the 
problem quickly.
Extended Test Performs a thorough check of devices. This test typically takes 
an hour or more and requires you to answer questions 
periodically.
Custom Test Tests a specific device. You can customize the tests you want to 
run.
Symptom Tree Lists the most common symptoms encountered and allows you 
to select a test based on the symptom of the problem you are 
having.
Tab Function
Results Displays the results of the test and any error conditions 
encountered.
Errors Displays error conditions encountered, error codes, and the 
problem description.
Help Describes the test and may indicate requirements for running 
the test.
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4When the tests are completed, if you are running the Dell Diagnostics from the ResourceCD, 
remove the CD.
5Close the test screen to return to the Main Menu screen. To exit the Dell Diagnostics and 
restart the computer, close the 
Main Menu screen.
Drivers
What Is a Driver?
A driver is a program that controls a device such as a printer, mouse, or keyboard. All devices 
require a driver program.
A driver acts like a translator between the device and any other programs that use the device. 
Each device has its own set of specialized commands that only its driver recognizes.
Dell ships your computer to you with required drivers already installed—no further installation 
or configuration is needed.
 NOTICE: The Dell Dimension ResourceCD may contain drivers for operating systems that are not on your 
computer. Ensure that you are installing software appropriate for your operating system.
Many drivers, such as the keyboard driver, come with your Microsoft® Windows® operating 
system. You may need to install drivers if you:
 Upgrade your operating system.
 Reinstall your operating system.
 Connect or install a new device.
Identifying Drivers
If you experience a problem with any device, identify whether the driver is the source of your 
problem and, if necessary, update the driver.
Configuration Displays your hardware configuration for the selected device.
The Dell Diagnostics obtains configuration information for all 
devices from system setup, memory, and various internal tests, 
and it displays the information in the device list in the left pane 
of the screen. The device list may not display the names of all 
the components installed on your computer or all devices 
attached to your computer.
Parameters Allows you to customize the test by changing the test settings. Tab Function
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