Dell OptiPlex N Service Manual

Also see for OptiPlex N: Troubleshooting guide User guide

Contents

Basic Troubleshooting 2-1Chapter 2Basic TroubleshootingThis chapter describes basic troubleshooting procedures that can help youdiagnose a computer problem. These procedures can often reveal the source of aproblem or indicate the correct starting point for troubleshooting the computer.Brief explanations of how to run the server-based, hard-disk–based, anddiskette-based diagnostics are included in the chapter. Dell recommends thatyou perform the following procedures in the order they are presented in thismanual.Initial User ContactWhen you first contact a user who has a problem, ask the user to describe theproblem and the conditions under which it occurs. A verbal description canoften indicate the cause of a problem or indicate the appropriate troubleshootingprocedure to use. After the user describes the problem, follow these steps:1. Ask the user to back up any data on the hard-disk drive if the com-puter’s condition permits.See “Maintaining the System” in the online Network Administrator’s Guidefor information about backing up data.2. Ask the user to try to duplicate the problem by repeating the operationshe or she was performing at the time the problem occurred.Can the user duplicate the problem?Yes. Proceed to step 3.No. Proceed to the next section, “External Visual Inspection.”3. Determine if the user is making an error, such as typing an incorrectkey combination or entering a command incorrectly.Is the problem a result of user error?Yes. Instruct the user in the proper procedure, or direct him or her to theappropriate user documentation for the correct procedure.No. Proceed to the next section, “External Visual Inspection.”