Troubleshooting Your System

To perform certain procedures in this document, you must remove the system cover and work inside the system. While working inside the system, do not attempt to service the system except as explained in this guide and elsewhere in your system documentation.

CAUTION: Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of the components inside the system. Before performing any procedure, see your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

Start-Up Routine

Look and listen during the system's start-up routine for the indications described in Table 4-1.

Table 4-1. Start-Up Routine Indications

Look/listen for:	Action
A status or error message displayed on the front-panel LCD.	See LCD Status Messages.
An error message displayed on the monitor.	See System Messages.
Alert messages from the systems management software.	See the systems management software documentation.
The monitor's power indicator.	See Troubleshooting the Video Subsystem.
The keyboard indicators.	See Troubleshooting the Keyboard or Mouse.
The USB CD drive activity indicator.	See Troubleshooting a USB Device.
The CD drive activity indicator.	See Troubleshooting an Optical Drive.
The hard-drive activity indicator.	See Troubleshooting a Hard Drive.
An unfamiliar constant scraping or grinding sound when you access a drive.	See Getting Help.

Checking Basic Power Problems

If the power indicator on the system front panel or power supplies does not indicate that power is available to the system, ensure that the power cables are securely connected to the power supplies.
If the system is connected to a PDU or UPS, turn the PDU or UPS off and then on.
If the PDU or UPS is not receiving power, plug it into another electrical outlet. If it still is not receiving power, try another PDU or UPS.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet and turn on the system.

If the system still is not working properly, see Troubleshooting Power Supplies.

Checking the Equipment

This section provides troubleshooting procedures for external devices attached to the system, such as the monitor, keyboard, or mouse. Before you perform any of the procedures, see Troubleshooting External Connections.

Troubleshooting External Connections

Loose or improperly connected cables are the most likely source of problems for the system, monitor, and other peripherals (such as a printer, keyboard, mouse, or other external device). Ensure that all external cables are securely attached to the external connectors on your system. See Front-Panel Features and Indicators and Back-Panel Features and Indicators for the front- and back-panel connectors on your system.

Troubleshooting the Video Subsystem

Problem

Monitor is not working properly.
Video memory is faulty.

Action

Check the system and power connections to the monitor.
Determine whether the system has an expansion card with a video output connector.

In this system configuration, the monitor cable should normally be connected to the connector on the expansion card, not to the system's integrated video connector.

To verify that the monitor is connected to the correct video connector, turn off the system and wait for 1 minute, then connect the monitor to the other video connector and turn the system on again.

Determine whether the system has monitors attached to both the front and back video connectors.

The system supports only one monitor attached to either the front or back video connector. When a monitor is connected to the front panel, the back-panel video connector is disabled.

If two monitors are attached to the system, disconnect one monitor. If the problem is not resolved, continue to the next step.

Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics.

If the test runs successfully, the problem is not related to video hardware.

If the test fails, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting the Keyboard or Mouse

Problem

System message indicates a problem with the keyboard and/or mouse
Keyboard and/or mouse is not functioning or is functioning improperly.

Action

Disconnect the keyboard and mouse cables from the system for 10 seconds and then reconnect them.

If the problem is not resolved, proceed to the next step.

Try connecting the keyboard/mouse to the USB ports on the opposite side of the system. For example, if your are using the front USB ports, try connecting to the rear USB ports.

If the problem is not resolved, proceed to the next step.

If the problem is resolved, restart the system, enter the System Setup program, and check if the nonfunctioning USB ports are enabled. See Getting Help if the ports are enabled but not functioning.

Swap the faulty keyboard or mouse with a working keyboard or mouse.

If the problem is resolved, replace the faulty keyboard or mouse.

If other USB devices are connected to the system ports adjacent to those used by the keyboard and mouse, power down the devices and disconnect them from the system.

An overcurrent event on another USB device can cause both the keyboard and mouse to stop functioning.

If the mouse and keyboard do not immediately return to operation after disconnecting the other USB devices, restart your system. If the problem persists, proceed to the next step.

If the mouse and keyboard operations are restored, reconnect the disconnected USB devices and power them on one at a time. Note if any device causes the same problem and replace any faulty device(s).

If you have remote access to your system, use a remote host to access the system's System Setup program and enable the USB ports. If remote access is not available, proceed to the next step.

If enabling the USB ports does not resolve the problem, see Getting Help.

If you do not have remote access to your system, use the following procedure to set the NVRAM_CLR jumper inside your system and restore the BIOS to its default settings.

Turn off the system and attached peripherals and unplug the system from the power source.

Open the system. See Opening the System.
Locate the NVRAM_CLR jumper on your system board (see System Board Jumpers) and set the jumper to the enabled position.
Close the system. See Closing the System.
Reconnect the system and peripherals to power and restart.

If the mouse and keyboard are operational, proceed to the next step.

If the mouse and keyboard are still not operational, see Getting Help.

Repeat step 2 and step b.
Set the NVRAM_CLR jumper to the disabled position.
Close the system.
Reconnect the system to power and restart the system and attached peripherals.
Enter the System Setup program and reenter any custom BIOS settings that were reset. Be sure to leave all USB ports enabled.

Troubleshooting Serial I/O Problems

Problem

Error message indicates a problem with a serial port.
Device connected to a serial port is not operating properly.

Action

Enter the System Setup program and ensure that the serial port is enabled and configured correctly for your application. See Using the System Setup Program.
If the problem is confined to a particular application, see the application documentation for specific port configuration requirements that the program may require.
Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics.

If the tests run successfully but the problem persists, see Troubleshooting a Serial I/O Device.

Troubleshooting a Serial I/O Device

Problem

Device connected to the serial port is not operating properly.

Action

Turn off the system and any peripheral devices connected to the serial port.
Swap the serial interface cable with a working cable, and turn on the system and the serial device.

If the problem is resolved, replace the interface cable.

Turn off the system and the serial device, and swap the device with a comparable device.
Turn on the system and the serial device.

If the problem is resolved, replace the serial device. See Getting Help.

If the problem persists, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting a USB Device

Problem

System message indicates a problem with a USB device.
One or more USB devices are not operating properly.

Action

If a single USB device is experiencing a problem, perform the following procedure. For problems with multiple USB devices, skip to step 2.
1. Turn off the USB device, disconnect the USB cable from the system briefly, and reconnect the cable.
1. Restart the system, enter the System Setup program, and ensure that all USB ports are enabled. See Using the System Setup Program.
2. Turn off the USB device and swap the interface cable with a working cable. Turn on the device.

If the problem is resolved, replace the interface cable.

Turn off the USB device, connect it to another USB connector on the system, and turn on the USB device.

If the USB device functions, the USB connector on the system is likely defective. Otherwise, the USB device is faulty and needs to be replaced. See Getting Help.

Power down all USB peripheral devices and disconnect all USB devices from the system except the USB mouse and keyboard.
Restart the system and reconnect the USB devices.

If the problem is resolved, the problem was likely caused by an overcurrent event on one of the USB devices. If the problem persists, attempt to isolate the faulty device by trying different USB configurations.

If the problem is not resolved, proceed to the next step.

Reset the system BIOS to the default settings by setting the NVRAM _CLR jumper inside your system. Use the following procedure.

Turn off the system and attached peripherals and unplug the system from the power source.

Open the system. See Opening the System.
Locate the NVRAM_CLR jumper on your system board (see "Figure 7-1) and set the jumper to the enabled position.
Close the system. See Closing the System.
Reconnect the system and peripherals to power and restart.

If all USB devices are operational, proceed to the next step.

If the USB devices are still not functioning, see Getting Help.

Repeat step 2 and step b.
Set the NVRAM_CLR jumper to the disabled position.
Close the system.
Reconnect the system and peripherals to power and restart.
Enter the System Setup program and reenter any custom BIOS settings that were reset. Be sure to leave all USB ports enabled. See Using the System Setup Program.

If the problem persists, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting a NIC

Problem

NIC cannot communicate with network.

Action

Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See Running the System Diagnostics.
Check the appropriate indicator on the NIC connector. See NIC Indicator Codes.
- If the link indicator does not light, check all cable connections.
- If the activity indicator does not light, the network driver files might be damaged or missing.

Remove and reinstall the drivers if applicable. See the NIC documentation.

Change the autonegotiation setting, if possible.
Use another connector on the switch or hub.

If you are using a NIC card instead of an integrated NIC, see the documentation for the NIC card.

Ensure that the appropriate drivers are installed and the protocols are bound. See the NIC documentation.
Enter the System Setup program and confirm that the NICs are enabled. See Using the System Setup Program.
Ensure that the NICs, hubs, and switches on the network are all set to the same data transmission speed. See the network equipment documentation.
Ensure that all network cables are of the proper type and do not exceed the maximum length. See Network Cable Requirements in your Getting Started Guide.

Troubleshooting a Wet System

Problem

Liquid spilled on the system.
Excessive humidity.

Action

CAUTION: Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of the components inside the system. See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.
Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Remove all expansion cards installed in the system. See Removing an Expansion Card.
Let the system dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours.
Close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.

If the system does not start properly, see Getting Help.

If the system starts properly, shut down the system and reinstall all of the expansion cards that you removed. See Installing an Expansion Card.
Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics.

If the test fails, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting a Damaged System

Problem

System was dropped or damaged.

Action

Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Ensure that the following components are properly installed:
- Expansion cards
- Power supplies
- Fans
- Processors and heat sinks
- Memory modules
- Drive-carrier connections to the backplane board
Ensure that all cables are properly connected.
Close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Run the system board tests in the system diagnostics. See Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics.

If the tests fail, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting the System Battery

Problem

System message indicates a problem with the battery.
System Setup program loses system configuration information.
System date and time do not remain current.

NOTE: If the system is turned off for long periods of time (for weeks or months), the NVRAM may lose its system configuration information. This situation is caused by a defective battery.

Action

Re-enter the time and date through the System Setup program. See Using the System Setup Program.
Turn off the system and disconnect it from the electrical outlet for at least one hour.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet and turn on the system.
Enter the System Setup program.

If the date and time are not correct in the System Setup program, replace the battery. See System Battery.

If the problem is not resolved by replacing the battery, see Getting Help.

NOTE: Some software may cause the system time to speed up or slow down. If the system seems to operate normally except for the time kept in the System Setup program, the problem may be caused by software rather than by a defective battery.

Troubleshooting Power Supplies

Problem

System-status indicators are amber.
Power-supply fault indicators are amber.
Front-panel status LCD indicates a problem with the power supplies.

Action

Locate the faulty power supply.

The power supply's fault indicator is lit. See Power Indicator Codes.

NOTICE: You can hot-plug the power supplies. One power supply must be installed for the system to operate. The system is in the redundant mode when two power supplies are installed. Remove and install only one power supply at a time in a system that is powered on. Operating the system for extended periods of time with only one power supply installed can cause the system to overheat.

Remove the faulty power supply. See Power Supplies.
Ensure that the power supply is properly installed by removing and reinstalling it. See Power Supplies.

NOTE: After installing a new power supply, allow several seconds for the system to recognize the power supply and to determine if it is working properly. The power indicator turns green to signify that the power supply is functioning properly. See Power Indicator Codes.

If the problem persists, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting System Cooling Problems

Problem

Systems management software issues a fan-related error message.

Action

Ensure that none of the following conditions exist:

System cover, cooling shroud, drive blank, or front or back filler panel is removed.
Ambient temperature is too high.
External airflow is obstructed.
Cables inside the system obstruct airflow.
An individual cooling fan is removed or has failed. See Troubleshooting a Fan.

Troubleshooting a Fan

Problem

System-status indicator is amber.
Systems management software issues a fan-related error message.
Front panel LCD indicates a problem with the fan.
Fan status indicator indicates a problem with the fan.

Action

Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics.
Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.

CAUTION: The cooling fans are hot-pluggable. To maintain proper cooling while the system is on, only replace one fan at a time.

Locate the faulty fan indicated by the LCD panel, the diagnostic software, or the fan indicator that is blinking amber. For the identification number of each fan, see Figure 3-4.
Ensure that the faulty fan's power cable is firmly attached to the fan power connector. For a hot-plug fan, remove and reseat the fan. See Cooling Fans.

NOTE: Wait 30 seconds for the system to recognize the fan and determine whether it is working properly.

If the problem is not resolved, install a new fan. See Cooling Fans.

If the replacement fan is working properly, close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.

If the replacement fan does not operate, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting System Memory

Problem

Faulty memory module.
Faulty system board.
Front-panel status LCD indicates a problem with system memory.

Action

If the system is operational, run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics.

If diagnostics indicates a fault, follow the corrective actions provided by the diagnostic program. If the problem is not resolved or if the system is not operational, continue to the next step.

Turn off the system and attached peripherals, unplug the system from the power source and press the power button, and reconnect the system to power.
Turn on the system and attached peripherals and, as the system boots, note the messages on the screen.

If the amount of system memory detected during POST does not match the amount of memory installed or you receive a general memory error message, proceed to step 4.

If an error messages appears indicating a fault with a specific memory module, go to step 11.

Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.
Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Ensure that the memory banks are populated correctly. See General Memory Module Installation Guidelines.

If the memory modules are populated correctly, continue to the next step.

Reseat the memory modules in their sockets. See Installing Memory Modules.
Close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Reconnect the system to its electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.
Enter the System Setup program and check the system memory setting. See Using the System Setup Program.

If the amount of memory installed still does not match the system memory setting, then proceed to the next step.

Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from its electrical outlet.
Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.

NOTE: Several configurations for memory modules exist; see "General Memory Module Installation Guidelines.

If a diagnostic test or error message indicates a specific memory module as faulty, swap or replace the module. Otherwise, swap the memory module in socket 1 with a module of the same type and capacity that is known to be good. See Installing Memory Modules.
Close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Reconnect the system to its electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.
As the system boots, observe any error message that appears and the diagnostic indicators on the front of the system.
If the memory problem is still indicated, repeat step 11 through step 16 for each memory module installed.

If the problem persists after all memory modules have been checked, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting an Optical Drive

Problem

System cannot read data from a CD or DVD in an optical drive.
Optical drive indicator does not blink during boot.

NOTE: DVD devices are data only.

Action

Try using a different CD or DVD that you know works properly.
Enter the System Setup program and ensure that the drive's IDE controller is enabled. See Using the System Setup Program.
Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics.
Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.
Open or remove the bezel. See Removing and Replacing the Optional Front Bezel
Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Ensure that the interface cable is securely connected to the optical drive and to the sideplane.
Close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.

If the problem is not resolved, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting a Hard Drive

Problem

Device driver error.
One or more hard drives not recognized by the system.

Action

NOTICE: This troubleshooting procedure can destroy data stored on the hard drive. Before you proceed, back up all files on the hard drive.

Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics.

Depending on the results of the diagnostics test, proceed as needed through the following steps.

Remove the bezel. See Removing and Replacing the Optional Front Bezel.
If you are experiencing problems with multiple hard drives, skip to step 8. For a problem with a single hard drive, continue to the next step.
Turn off your system, reseat the hard drive, and restart the system.
If your system has a SAS RAID controller card, perform the following steps.
1. Restart the system and press <Ctrl><C> to enter the host adapter configuration utility program.

See the documentation supplied with the controller card for information about the configuration utility.

Ensure that the hard drive has been configured correctly.
Exit the configuration utility and allow the system to boot to the operating system.

Ensure that the required device drivers for your controller card are installed and are configured correctly. See the operating system documentation for more information.

NOTICE: Do not perform the following step if you have a SAS RAID controller card.

If you have the non-RAID SAS controller card, remove the hard drive and swap its drive bay location with another hard drive that is functioning properly.

If the problem is resolved, reinstall the hard drive in the original bay. See Installing a Hot-Plug Hard Drive.

If the hard drive functions properly in the original bay, the drive carrier could have intermittent problems. Replace the hard-drive carrier. See Getting Help.

If the hard drive functioned properly in another bay but does not function in the original bay, the SAS backplane has a defective connector. See Getting Help.

Check the cable connections inside the system:
1. Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.
1. Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
2. Verify that the cable connections between the SAS backplane and the controller card are correct. See Installing a SAS Controller Card.
3. Verify that the data cables are securely seated in their connectors.
4. Verify that the power connector on the SAS backplane is securely seated in its connector.
5. Close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
6. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.

If the problem persists, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting a SAS Controller or SAS RAID Controller

NOTE: When troubleshooting a SAS or SAS RAID controller, also see the documentation for your operating system and the controller.

Problem

Error message indicates a problem with the SAS or SAS RAID controller.
SAS or SAS RAID controller performs incorrectly or not at all.

Action

Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics.
Enter the System Setup program and ensure that the SAS or SAS RAID controller is enabled. See Using the System Setup Program.
Restart the system and press <Ctrl><C> to enter the configuration utility program:

See the controller's documentation for information about configuration settings.

Check the configuration settings, make any necessary corrections, and restart the system.

If the problem is not resolved, continue to the next step.

Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from its electrical outlet.
Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Ensure that the controller card is firmly seated into the INTERNAL STORAGE system board connector. See Installing a SAS Controller Card.
If you have a SAS RAID controller, ensure that the following components are properly installed and connected:
- Memory module
- RAID battery
Verify that the cable connections between the backplane and the SAS controller are correct. See SAS Backplane (Service-Only Procedure).
Close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Reconnect the system to its electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals. If the problem persists, proceed as follows:
- If you have a SAS controller, see Getting Help.
- If you have a RAID controller, replace the RAID battery. See Installing the SAS RAID Controller Card Battery. If replacing the battery does not solve the problem, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting an External SAS Tape Drive

Problem

Defective tape drive
Defective tape cartridge
Missing or corrupted tape-backup software or tape drive device driver
Defective SAS controller

Action

Remove the tape cartridge you were using when the problem occurred, and replace it with a tape cartridge that you know works.
Ensure that the device drivers for the tape drive are installed and are configured correctly.
Run the appropriate online diagnostics tests. See Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics.
Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.

Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Ensure that the controller card is firmly seated in its connector on the system board.
Ensure that the tape drive's interface/DC power cable is connected to the tape drive and controller card.
Close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system, including attached peripherals.
If the problem is not resolved, see the documentation for the tape drive for additional troubleshooting instructions.
Reinstall the tape-backup software as instructed in the tape-backup software documentation.
If you cannot resolve the problem, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting Expansion Cards

NOTE: When troubleshooting an expansion card, see the documentation for your operating system and the expansion card.

Problem

Error message indicates a problem with an expansion card.
Expansion card performs incorrectly or not at all.

Action

Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See "Running the System Diagnostics.
Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from its electrical outlet.
Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Ensure that each expansion card is firmly seated in its connector. See Expansion Cards.
Close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.

If the problem persists, go to the next step.

Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.
Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Remove all expansion cards installed in the system. See Removing an Expansion Card
Close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.
Run the appropriate online diagnostic test.

If the test fails, see Getting Help.

For each expansion card you removed in step 9, perform the following steps:
1. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.
1. Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
2. Reinstall one of the expansion cards. See Installing an Expansion Card.
3. Close the system. Opening and Closing the System.
4. Run the appropriate diagnostic test.

If the test fails, see Getting Help.

Troubleshooting the Microprocessors

Problem

Error message indicates a processor problem.
Front-panel status LCD indicates a problem with the processors or system board.
A heat sink is not installed for each processor.

Action

Run the appropriate online diagnostics test. See Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics.
Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.
Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Ensure that each processor and heat sink are properly installed. See Removing a Processor.
Close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.
Run the appropriate online diagnostic test.

If the test fails or the problem persists, continue to the next step.

Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.
Open the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Replace processor 1 with another processor of the same type. See Removing a Processor and Installing a Processor.
Close the system. See Opening and Closing the System.
Run the appropriate online diagnostic test.

If the tests complete successfully, replace processor 1. See Getting Help.

If the test fails, see Getting Help.

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