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External Components: Dell OptiPlex GX300 System User's Guide
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External Components: Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX300 System User's
Guide
This section provides troubleshooting procedures for equipment that
connects directly to the input/output (I/O) panel of your computer, such as your monitor,
keyboard, mouse, or printer. Before performing any of the procedures in this section, see
"Checking Connections and
Switches." Then perform the troubleshooting procedures for the equipment that is
malfunctioning.
You need a copy of the Dell ResourceCD to perform the
procedures in this section.
Before running the Dell Diagnostics, make
sure that your system is set to boot from the CD-ROM drive. See "Starting the Dell Diagnostics" for
complete instructions.
Troubleshooting video problems involves determining which of the
following is the source of the problem:
- Monitor or monitor interface cable
- Video controller
The procedures in this section troubleshoot problems with the
monitor and the monitor interface cable only.
If information on the monitor screen is displayed incorrectly or not
at all, perform each of the following steps in the order indicated until the problem is
resolved:
- Turn on the system, including any attached peripherals.
- Adjust the switches and controls as specified in the monitor's
documentation to correct the video image, including the horizontal and vertical position
and size.
- Start the Dell Diagnostics by inserting the Dell
ResourceCD and rebooting the system.
- Run the Video test group.
- Turn off the system and disconnect it from the electrical outlet.
Swap the monitor with one of the same type that is working, and reconnect the system to an
electrical outlet.
- Reboot the system, and run the Video test group again.
- If the tests complete successfully, the original monitor was faulty.
If the tests still fail, the video controller on the system board may be faulty. See
"Getting Help" for instructions on obtaining technical
assistance.
This procedure determines what kind of keyboard problem you have. If
a system error message indicates a keyboard problem when you start the computer system or
if the keyboard does not operate as expected, perform the following steps in the order
indicated until the problem is resolved:
- If the keyboard or its cable shows signs of physical damage or if the
keys do not work, replace the keyboard with a working keyboard.
- Start the Dell Diagnostics by inserting the Dell
ResourceCD and rebooting the system.
- Run the Keyboard test group.
- If the Keyboard Interactive Test fails, replace the keyboard.
- If the Keyboard Controller Test fails, the system board may be
faulty. See "Getting Help" for instructions on
obtaining technical assistance.
This procedure determines what kind of mouse problem you have. If a
system error message indicates a mouse problem when you start the computer system or if
the mouse does not operate as expected, perform the following steps in the order indicated
until the problem is resolved:
- Clean the mouse as instructed in your mouse documentation.
Most mice have a ball that can be removed and cleaned of debris by turning
the mouse upside down and removing a cover on the bottom of the mouse. Also remove any
lint or other debris that has accumulated on the bottom of the mouse.
- If the mouse or its cable shows signs of physical damage or if the
buttons do not work, replace the mouse with a working mouse.
- Start the Dell Diagnostics by inserting the Dell
ResourceCD and rebooting the system.
- Run the Mouse Test.
- If the Mouse Test fails, the system board may be faulty. See
"Getting Help" for instructions on obtaining technical
assistance.
This section provides a procedure for troubleshooting the ports on
your computer's I/O panel and the equipment connected to them, such as a printer, scanner,
or other peripheral device.
You can also use this procedure to test I/O ports on expansion
cards. However, you should first complete the procedures in "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards"
to verify that the card is configured and installed correctly.
If a system error message indicates a port problem or if equipment
connected to a port seems to perform incorrectly or not at all, the source of the problem
may be any of the following:
- A faulty connection between the I/O port and the peripheral device
- A faulty cable between the I/O port and the peripheral device
- A faulty peripheral device
- Incorrect settings in System Setup
- Incorrect settings in the system's configuration files
- Faulty I/O port logic on the system board
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NOTE: With certain modems installed, the Serial
Port test group subtests may fail because the modem appears to the diagnostics as a
serial port, but it cannot be tested as a serial port. If you have a modem installed and
you experience a serial port test failure, remove the modem and run the diagnostic tests
again. |
If a system error message indicates an I/O port problem or the
device connected to the port does not function properly, follow these steps in the order
indicated until the problem is resolved:
- Enter System
Setup and verify that the settings for the Serial Port 1, Serial Port 2, and Parallel
Port options are set to Auto.
- Start the Dell Diagnostics by inserting the Dell
ResourceCD and rebooting the system.
- Run the Serial/ Infrared Ports test group and/or the Parallel
Ports test group.
If any of the tests fail, the system board may be faulty. See "Getting Help" for instructions on obtaining technical
assistance.
If the problem persists, go to "Troubleshooting a
Parallel Printer" or "Troubleshooting
a Serial I/O Device," depending on which device appears to be malfunctioning.
If the information in "Troubleshooting Basic I/O Functions"
indicates that the problem is with a parallel printer, perform the following steps in the
order indicated until the problem is resolved:
- Reinstall the printer device driver.
See
the documentation for the printer and for your operating system for instructions on
reinstalling the printer driver.
- Turn off the parallel printer and computer, replace the parallel
printer interface cable with a known working cable, and turn on the parallel printer and
computer.
If the problem is resolved, the original printer cable was faulty.
- Run the parallel printer's self-test.
If the test fails, the printer is faulty.
If the problem still is not resolved, the system board may be
faulty. See "Getting Help" for instructions on
obtaining technical assistance.
If the information in "Troubleshooting Basic I/O Functions"
indicates that the problem is with a device connected to one of the serial ports, perform
the following steps in the order indicated until the problem is resolved:
- Attach the serial device to the other serial port (for example, if it
is currently connected to serial port 1, attach the device to serial port 2).
If the problem is resolved, the serial port on the system board is faulty.
See "Getting Help" for instructions on obtaining
technical assistance.
- If the faulty device has a detachable serial cable, replace the
serial cable.
If the problem is resolved, the serial cable
was faulty.
- Replace the faulty serial device.
If the problem is still not resolved, the system board may be
faulty. See "Getting Help" for instructions on
obtaining technical assistance.
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