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3-4 Dell Inspiron 3000 Reference and Troubleshooting Guide
Setup Options
You can easily correct certain system problems by verify-
ing the settings for setup options. When you boot the
computer, it compares the system configuration informa-
tion with the current hardware configuration. If the
computer’s hardware configuration doesn’t match the
information recorded by the system setup options, an
error message may appear on the display.
To fix this problem, correct the appropriate options in the
Setup program. See Chapter 2, “Customizing System
Features,” for detailed information about the Setup pro-
gram and its options.
Table 3-1. Boot Routine Indications
Look for: Action
An error message See “Messages and Codes” found later in this chapter.
The power indicator If the computer’s power indicator does not come on, see “Troubleshooting a
Power Failure” found later in this chapter.
The keyboard indicators Press the <Num Lock> key, the <Caps Lock> key, and the <Scroll Lock> key
to toggle their respective indicators on and off in the status display panel. If
the indicators do not appear, run the Keyboard test group in the Dell Diagnos-
tics (for instructions, see Chapter 4, “Running the Dell Diagnostics”).
The diskette-drive access indicator The diskette-drive access indicator should appear in the status display when
data is accessed on the diskette drive. You can test this indicator by inserting a
diskette into the drive, typing dir a: at an MS-DOS prompt, and pressing
<Enter>. If the diskette-drive access indicator does not appear, see “Trouble-
shooting the Diskette Drive” found later in this chapter.
The CD-ROM/hard-disk drive
access indicator
The CD-ROM/hard-disk drive access indicator should appear when data is
accessed on the CD-ROM drive or the hard-disk drive. You can test this indi-
cator by typing dir c: at an MS-DOS prompt and pressing <Enter>. If the
CD-ROM/hard-disk drive access indicator does not appear, see “Trouble-
shooting the Hard-Disk Drive” or “Troubleshooting the CD-ROM Drive”
found later in this chapter.
Listen for: Action
A series of beeps See “Messages and Codes” found later in this chapter.
An unfamiliar constant scraping or
grinding sound when a drive is
accessed
Make sure the sound is not caused by the application program that is running.
The sound could also be caused by a hardware malfunction. See Chapter 5,
“Getting Help,” for instructions on obtaining technical assistance from Dell.
The absence of a familiar sound When you turn on the computer, you can hear the hard-disk drive spin up, and
the computer tries to access the boot files from the hard-disk drive or the dis-
kette drive. If your computer does not boot, call Dell for technical assistance.
(See Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for instructions.) Otherwise, see Chapter 4,
“Running the Dell Diagnostics.”
NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary in the online
System User’s Guide
.
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