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20 Quick Reference Guide
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 (see "Contacting Dell" in your online User’s Guide
for details).
NOTE: If the computer is connected to a docking device (docked), undock it. See the documentation that came
with your docking device for instructions.
1
Ensure that the computer is connected to an electrical outlet that is known to be working properly.
2
Turn on (or restart) your computer.
3
Start the Dell Diagnostics in one of the following two ways:
• 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.
• Ensure that the computer is powered down completely. 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 media.
The computer runs the Pre-boot System Assessment (PSA), a series of initial tests of your system
board, keyboard, display, memory, hard drive, etc.
• During the assessment, answer any questions that appear.
• If failures are detected during the Pre-boot System Assessment, write down the error code(s)
and see "Contacting Dell" in your online
User’s Guide
.
If the Pre-boot System Assessment completes successfully, you will receive the message,
"
Booting Dell Diagnostic Utility Partition. Press any key to
continue"
.
4
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 Media
1
Insert the
Drivers and Utilities
media.
2
Shut down and restart the computer.
When the DELL logo appears, press <F12> immediately.
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.
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.
3
When the boot device list appears, highlight
CD/DVD/CD-RW
and press <Enter>.