DELL 3000 Reference Guide

Troubleshooting Your Computer

3-9

Because most computers have several application pro-
grams installed in addition to the operating system, 
isolating a software problem can be confusing. Software 
errors can also appear to be hardware malfunctions at 
first. Software problems can result from the following 
circumstances:    

Improper installation or configuration of a program

Input errors 

Drivers that may conflict with certain application 
programs 

Memory conflicts resulting from the use of 
terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs, such as 
drivers    

Interrupt conflicts between devices

You can confirm that a computer problem is caused by 
software by first running the System Set test group as 
described in Chapter 4, “Running the Dell Diagnostics.” 
If all tests in the test group complete successfully, the 
error condition is most likely caused by software.

The following subsections provide general guidelines for 
analyzing some software problems. For detailed trouble-
shooting information on a particular program, see the 
online documentation that accompanied the software or 
consult the support service for the software.                

When you obtain software, check it for viruses using 
virus-scanning software before installing it on the com-
puter’s hard-disk drive. Viruses can quickly use all 
available system memory, damage and/or destroy data 
stored on the hard-disk drive, and permanently affect the 
performance of the programs they infect. Several com-
mercial virus-scanning programs are available for 
purchase, and most bulletin board services (BBSs) 
archive freely distributed virus-scanning programs that 
you can download with a modem. 

Before installing a program, read its documentation to 
learn how the program works, what hardware it requires, 
and what its defaults are. A program usually includes 
installation instructions in its accompanying documenta-
tion and a software installation routine on its program 
diskettes. 

The software installation routine assists you in transfer-
ring the appropriate program files to the computer’s 
hard-disk drive. Installation instructions may provide 
details about how to configure the operating system to 
successfully run the program. Always read the installa-
tion instructions before running a program’s installation 
routine. If you are instructed to modify the start-up files, 
see the documentation that came with the operating sys-
tem for instructions.

When you run the installation routine, be prepared to 
respond to prompts for information about how the 
computer’s operating system is configured, what type of 
computer you have, and what peripherals are connected 
to the computer.

Start-Up Files 

     

  

Whenever you start or reboot the computer, the operating 
system executes commands from its start-up files.

These files contain commands that automatically config-
ure the operating system by setting system parameters, 
starting memory-resident programs, and loading device 
driver software. If you experience program conflicts or 
memory error messages, check the commands for 
memory-resident programs in the start-up files of the 
operating system. (For information on start-up files, see 
the documentation that came with the operating system). 
If a program or peripheral does not work correctly, check 
the product’s documentation to see if you need to modify 
these files.

The following subsections discuss errors that can occur 
while using software.

Error Messages

Error messages can be produced by an application pro-
gram, the operating system, or the computer. “Messages 
and Codes,” found earlier in this chapter, discusses the 
error messages generated by the computer. If you receive 
an error message not listed in “Messages and Codes,” 
check the operating system or application program 
documentation.

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