Service Manual

Troubleshooting

Enhanced Pre-Boot System Assessment (ePSA)

diagnostics

The ePSA diagnostics (also known as system diagnostics) performs a complete check of your hardware. The ePSA is embedded with the

BIOS and is launched by the BIOS internally. The embedded system diagnostics provides a set of options for particular devices or device

groups allowing you to:

• Run tests automatically or in an interactive mode

• Repeat tests

• Display or save test results

• Run thorough tests to introduce additional test options to provide extra information about the failed device(s)

• View status messages that inform you if tests are completed successfully

• View error messages that inform you of problems encountered during testing

NOTE: Some tests for specific devices require user interaction. Always ensure that you are present at the computer

terminal when the diagnostic tests are performed.

Running the ePSA diagnostics

1. Turn on your computer.

2. As the computer boots, press the F12 key as the Dell logo appears.

3. On the boot menu screen, select the Diagnostics option.

4. Click the arrow at the bottom left corner.

Diagnostics front page is displayed.

5. Click the arrow in the lower-right corner to go to the page listing.

The items detected are listed.

6. To run a diagnostic test on a specific device, press Esc and click Yes to stop the diagnostic test.

7. Select the device from the left pane and click Run Tests.

8. If there are any issues, error codes are displayed.

Note the error code and validation number and contact Dell.

System diagnostic lights

Battery-status light/hard-drive activity light

Indicates the battery-charge status or the hard-drive activity.

Solid white — Power adapter is connected and the battery has more than 5 percent charge.

Amber — Computer is running on battery and the battery has less than 5 percent charge.

Off

• Power adapter is connected and the battery is fully charged.

• Computer is running on battery and the battery has more than 5 percent charge.

• Computer is in sleep state, hibernation, or turned off.

The battery-status light/hard-drive activity light blinks amber along with beep codes indicating failures.

For example, the battery-status light/hard-drive activity light blinks amber two times followed by a pause, and then blinks white three

times followed by a pause. This 2,3 pattern continues until the computer is turned off indicating no memory or RAM is detected.

The following table shows different battery-status light/hard-drive activity light patterns and associated problems.

100 Troubleshooting