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38 Troubleshooting
For more information on Dell Support Center, see the Dell Technology
Guide. It is available in Windows Help and Support (Start → Help and
Support) and at Dell Support Website.
Drive Problems
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the
safety instructions that shipped with your computer.
Fill out the "Diagnostics Checklist" on page 57 as you complete these checks.
ENSURE THAT MICROSOFT
®
WINDOWS
®
RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE —
• Click
Start
→
Computer
.
If the drive is not listed, perform a full scan with your antivirus software to
check for and remove viruses. Viruses can sometimes prevent Windows from
recognizing the drive.
TEST THE DRIVE —
• Insert another CD, DVD, or BD to eliminate the possibility that the
original media is defective.
• Insert a bootable media and restart the computer.
CLEAN THE DRIVE OR DISK — See Dell Technology Guide.
CHECK THE CABLE CONNECTIONS
CHECK FOR HARDWARE INCOMPATIBILITIES — See Dell Technology Guide for
instructions on troubleshooting software and hardware problems.
RUN THE DELL DIAGNOSTICS — See "Pre-Boot Self Assessment (PSA)
Diagnostics and Dell 32 Bit Diagnostics" on page 33.
Hard drive problems
ALLOW THE COMPUTER TO COOL BEFORE TURNING IT ON — A hot hard drive may
prevent the operating system from starting. Try allowing the computer to
return to room temperature before turning it on.
RUN CHECK DISK —
1
Click
Start
→
Computer
.
2
Right-click
Local Disk (C:)
.