DELL 1955 User Guide

Page of 160
Troubleshooting Your System
101
Troubleshooting Your System
Safety First—For You and 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: 
Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician. You should only perform 
troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in your product documentation, or as directed by the online 
or telephone service and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered 
by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the product. 
Start-Up Routine 
Look and listen during the system's start-up routine for the indications described in Table 4-1.
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" on page 102.
Table 4-1.
Start-Up Routine Indications
Look/listen for:
Action
An error message displayed on the monitor
Alert messages from the systems management 
software
See the systems management software documentation.
The monitor's power indicator
The keyboard indicators
The USB diskette drive activity indicator
The USB optical drive activity indicator
The hard-drive activity indicator
An unfamiliar constant scraping or grinding 
sound when you access a drive