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Quick Reference Guide 17
Starting the Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive
The Dell Diagnostics is located on a hidden diagnostic utility partition on your hard drive.
NOTE: If your computer cannot display a screen image, contact Dell for technical assistance.
1
Turn on (or restart) your computer.
2
If the computer is connected to a docking device (docked), undock it. See the documentation that
came with your docking device for instructions.
3
Connect the computer to an electrical outlet.
4
Run the Dell Diagnostics:
a
Turn on the computer. When the DELL™ logo appears, press <F12> immediately. Select
Diagnostics
from the boot menu and press <Enter>.
NOTE: If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the
Microsoft Windows desktop. Then shut down your computer and try again.
b
Press and hold the <Fn> key while powering the computer on.
NOTE: If you see a message stating that no diagnostics utility partition has been found, run the Dell
Diagnostics from the Drivers and Utilities CD.
The computer runs the Pre-boot System Assessment, a series of initial tests of your system board,
keyboard, hard drive, and display.
• During the assessment, answer any questions that appear.
• If a failure is detected, the computer stops and beeps. To stop the assessment and restart the
computer, press <n>; to continue to the next test, press <y>; to retest the component that
failed, press <r>.
• If failures are detected during the Pre-boot System Assessment, write down the error code(s) and
contact Dell.
If the Pre-boot System Assessment completes successfully, you receive the message
Booting Dell
Diagnostic Utility Partition. Press any key to continue
.
5
Press any key to start the Dell Diagnostics from the diagnostics utility partition on your hard drive.
Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the Drivers and Utilities CD
1
Insert the
Drivers and Utilities
CD.
2
Shut down and restart the computer.
When the DELL logo appears, press <F12> immediately.
If you wait too long and the Windows logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Windows
desktop. Then shut down your computer and try again.
NOTE: The next steps change the boot sequence for one time only. On the next start-up, the computer boots
according to the devices specified in the system setup program.