Running the System Diagnostics 5-1Chapter 5Running the System DiagnosticsUnlike many diagnostic programs, Dell’s system diag-nostics helps you check the computer’s hardware withoutany additional equipment and without destroying anydata. By using the diagnostics, you can have confidencein the computer system’s operation. And if you find aproblem you cannot solve by yourself, the diagnostictests can provide you with important information youwill need when talking to Dell’s service and support per-sonnel.Features of the SystemDiagnosticsThe system diagnostics provides a series of menus andoptions from which you choose particular test groups orsubtests. You can also control the sequence in which thetests are run. The diagnostic test groups or subtests alsohave these helpful features:• Options that let you run tests individually orcollectively• An option that allows you to choose the number oftimes a test group or subtest is repeated• The ability to display or print out test results or tosave them in a file• Options to temporarily suspend testing if an error isdetected or to terminate testing when an adjustableerror limit is reached• A menu category called About that briefly describeseach test and its parameters• Status messages that inform you whether test groupsor subtests were completed successfully• Error messages that appear if any problems aredetectedWhen to Use the SystemDiagnosticsWhenever a major component or device in the computersystem does not function properly, you may have a com-ponent failure. As long as the microprocessor and theinput and output components of the computer system (themonitor, keyboard, or CD-ROM drive) are working, youcan use the system diagnostics. If you know what compo-nent(s) you need to test, simply select the appropriatediagnostic test group(s) or subtest(s). If you are unsureabout the scope of the problem, read the rest of thischapter.CAUTION: Use the system diagnostics to test onlyDell computer systems. Using this program withother computers may cause incorrect computerresponses or result in error messages.
