Troubleshooting 93
TO VERIFY THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE EXTERNAL KEYBOARD, CHECK THE INTEGRATED KEYBOARD —
1
Shut down the computer.
2
Disconnect the external keyboard.
3
Turn on the computer.
4
From the Windows desktop, click the
Start
button, point to
All Programs
→
Accessories
, and click
Notepad
.
5
Type some characters on the internal keyboard and verify that they appear on the display.
If the characters appear now but did not with the external keyboard, you may have a defective external
keyboard. Contact Dell.
See "Contacting Dell" on page 135.
RUN THE KEYBOARD DIAGNOSTICS TESTS — Run the PC-AT Compatible Keyboards tests in the Dell
Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 81. If the tests indicate a defective external keyboard,
contact Dell. See "Contacting Dell" on page 135.
Unexpected characters
DISABLE THE NUMERIC KEYPAD — Press <Num Lk> to disable the numeric keypad if numbers are
displayed instead of letters. Verify that the numbers lock light is not lit.
Lockups and Software Problems
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product
Information Guide.
The computer does not start up
ENSURE THAT THE AC ADAPTER IS FIRMLY CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTER AND TO THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET
The computer stops responding
NOTICE: You might lose data if you are unable to perform an operating system shutdown.
T
URN THE COMPUTER OFF — If you are unable to get a response by pressing a key on your keyboard or
moving your mouse, press and hold the power button for at least 8 to 10 seconds until the computer
turns off. Then restart your computer.
A program stops responding or crashes repeatedly
END THE PROGRAM —
1
Press <Crtl><Shift><Esc> simultaneously.
2
Click the
Applications
tab and select the program that is no longer responding.
3
Click
End Task
.
NOTE: The chkdsk program may run when you restart the computer. Follow the instructions on the screen.