Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Introduction Other Documents You May Need Getting Help Indicators, Messages, and Codes Start-Up Routine Checking Connections and Switches System Messages System Beep Codes Warning Messages Diagnostics Messages Alert Log Messages From the System Management Server Agent Finding Software Solutions Installing and Configuring Software Using Software Running the System Diagnostics Features of the System Diagnostics When to Use the System Diagno
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Back to Contents Page Figures Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure 2-1. Bezel Indicators 2-2. Back-Panel Features 5-1. Removing the System Cover 5-2. Removing and Replacing the Support Beam 5-3.
Back to Contents Page Tables Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table 2-1. 2-2. 2-3. 3-1. 4-1. 4-2. 6-1. 6-2. A-1.
Back to Contents Page Jumpers and Connectors Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Jumpers—A General Explanation System-Board Jumpers Disabling a Forgotten Password This section provides specific information about the jumpers on the system board. Jumpers—A General Explanation Jumpers provide a convenient and reversible way of reconfiguring the circuitry on a printed circuit board. When reconfiguring the system, you may need to change jumper settings on the system board.
Jumper Setting PASSWORD Description The password feature is enabled. (default) The password feature is disabled. NVRAM The configuration settings are retained at system boot. (default) The configuration settings are cleared at next system boot. (If the configuration settings become corrupted to the point where the system will not boot, install the jumper plug and boot the system. Remove the jumper before restoring the configuration information.
Back to Contents Page Abbreviations and Acronyms Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide The following list defines or identifies technical terms, abbreviations, and acronyms used in Dell user documents.
DIN Deutsche Industrie Norm DMA direct memory access DOC Department of Communications (in Canada) dpi dots per inch DRAM dynamic random-access memory DS/DD double-sided double-density DS/HD double-sided high-density ECC error checking and correction EDO extended-data out EGA enhanced graphics adapter EIDE enhanced integrated drive electronics EMI electromagnetic interference EMM expanded memory manager ESD electrostatic discharge ESM embedded server management F Fahrenheit FAT file allocatio
G gravities GB gigabyte(s) GUI graphical user interface h hexadecimal Hz hertz I/O input/output ICBM inter-chassis management bus ID identification IDE integrated drive electronics IRQ interrupt request ISA Industry-Standard Architecture K kilo- (1024) KB kilobyte(s) KB/sec kilobyte(s) per second Kb kilobit(s) Kbps kilobit(s) per second kg kilogram(s) kHz kilohertz LAN local area network lb pound(s) LED
light-emitting diode LIF low insertion force LN load number lpi lines per inch LVD low voltage differential m meter(s) mA milliampere(s) mAh milliampere-hour(s) MB megabyte(s) Mb megabit(s) Mbps megabit(s) per second MBR master boot record MDA monochrome display adapter MGA monochrome graphics adapter MHz megahertz mm millimeter(s) ms millisecond(s) mV millivolt(s) NIC network interface controller NiCad nickel cadmium NiMH
nickel-metal hydride ns nanosecond(s) NTFS NT File System NVRAM nonvolatile random-access memory PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect PDU power distribution unit PGA pin grid array POST power-on self-test ppm pages per minute RAID redundant arrays of independent disks RAM random-access memory RCU Resource Configuration Utility RFI radio frequency interference ROM read-only memory rpm revolutions per minute RTC real-time clock SCSI small computer system interface SDS Scalable Disk System s
SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol SRAM static random-access memory SSU system setup utility tpi tracks per inch TSR terminate-and-stay-resident UPS uninterruptible power supply V volt(s) VAC volt(s) alternating current VDC volt(s) direct current VGA video graphics array VRAM video random-access memory W watt(s) WH watt-hour(s) Z ZIF zero insertion force Back to Contents Page
Back to Contents Page Introduction Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Other Documents You May Need Getting Help Your system is a high-speed server that offers significant service and upgrade features.
Back to Contents Page Indicators, Messages, and Codes Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Start-Up Routine Checking Connections and Switches System Messages System Beep Codes Warning Messages Diagnostics Messages Alert Log Messages From the System Management Server Agent Application programs, operating systems, and the system itself are capable of identifying problems and alerting you to them.
Look and listen for the indications described in Table 2-1. Table 2-1. Start-Up Routine Indications Look/Listen for: Action An error message See "System Messages." Alert messages from the system management server agent software See "Alert Log Messages From the System Management Server Agent" in "System Messages." The monitor's power indicator See "Troubleshooting the Video Subsystem" in "Troubleshooting Your System.
3. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet or PDU. 4. Is the monitor working properly? See "Troubleshooting the Video Subsystem." 5. Is the keyboard working properly? See "Troubleshooting the Keyboard." 6. Are the mouse and printer working properly? See "Troubleshooting the Basic I/O Functions." System Messages System messages alert you to a possible operating system problem or to a conflict between the software and hardware.
Faulty or improperly inserted diskette, incorrect configuration settings in System Setup program, loose diskette drive interface cable. Replace the diskette. Run the System Setup program to correct the diskette drive type. See "Using the System Setup Program," in the User's Guide for instructions. Check the interface cable and power cable connections to the system board. See "Installing Drives." Diskette read failure Faulty diskette, faulty or improperly connected diskette drive.
No timer tick interrupt Defective system board. Replace the system board. See, "Getting Help," for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. Non-system disk or disk error Faulty diskette, diskette subsystem, or hard drive subsystem. Replace the diskette or hard drive. See "Installing Drives." If the problem persists, replace the system board. See "Getting Help," for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. Not a boot diskette No operating system on diskette. Use a bootable diskette.
1-3-1 Main-memory refresh verification failure Remove and reseat the memory modules. See "Adding Memory" in "Installing System Board Options." If the problem persists, replace the memory modules. See "Adding Memory" in "Installing System Board Options." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help," for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. 1-3-2 No memory installed Remove and reseat the memory modules. See "Adding Memory" in "Installing System Board Options.
Diagnostics Messages When you run a test group or subtest in the system diagnostics, an error message may result. These particular error messages are not covered in this section. Record the message on a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist (see "Getting Help"), and then follow the instructions in that section for obtaining technical assistance. Alert Log Messages From the System Management Server Agent The optional system management software generates alert messages for your system.
Back to Contents Page Finding Software Solutions Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Installing and Configuring Software Using Software Because most systems have several application programs installed in addition to the operating system, isolating a software problem can be confusing. Software errors can also appear to be hardware malfunctions at first.
Table 3-1.
Back to Contents Page Running the System Diagnostics Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Features of the System Diagnostics When to Use the System Diagnostics Starting the System Diagnostics How to Use the System Diagnostics How to Use the Device Groups Menu Device Groups Menu Options Error Messages The system diagnostics provided with your system helps you check the system's hardware without any additional equipment and without destroying any data.
interaction and that do not take a long time to run. Dell recommends that you choose this option first to increase the chance of tracing the source of the problem quickly. For a complete check of the system, select Test All Devices and then select Extended Tests. To check a particular area of the system, choose Advanced Testing. Selecting Exit to MS-DOS exits the diagnostics and returns you to the MS-DOS® operating system environment.
Display Detailed Messages Yes, No Enables or disables detailed messages. Devices Most of the device groups consist of several devices. Use the Devices option to select individual devices within the device group(s). When you select Devices, the following options are displayed: Run Tests, Tests, Select, Parameters, and Help. Table 4-2 lists all of the possible values for each option. Table 4-2.
Back to Contents Page Troubleshooting Your System Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Safety First—For You and Your System Troubleshooting the Power Supply Removing and Replacing the System Cover and Support Beam Troubleshooting the Cooling Fan Removing and Replacing the Bezel Troubleshooting Expansion Cards Checking the Equipment Troubleshooting System Memory Inside the System Troubleshooting the Video Subsystem Responding to a System Management Server Agent Mes
4. 5. Remove the screw from the support beam as shown in Figure 5-2. Pull the front end of the support beam until it snaps free from its fastener. Rotate the front of the beam upward until the hinged tabs on the back of the beam clear their slots (see Figure 5-2). Figure 5-2. Removing and Replacing the Support Beam Replacing the System Cover and Support Beam 1. Check that no tools or parts are left inside the system. 2.
Removing and Replacing the Bezel The front bezel has status and attention indicators. You must remove the system cover in order to remove the bezel. Removing the Bezel 1. Remove the system cover (see "Removing the System Cover and Support Beam"). 2. Press the three tabs along the side of the bezel (see Figure 5-3). 3. Swing the bezel away from the system, disengage the hooks, and carefully pull the bezel away from the system. Figure 5-3.
If the keyboard and its cable appear to be free of physical damage, and the keys work, go to step 4. If the keyboard or its cable are damaged, continue to step 3. 3. Swap the faulty keyboard with a working keyboard. If the problem is resolved, the keyboard must be replaced. See "Getting Help," for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. 4. Run the keyboard test in the system diagnostics. If you can use the keyboard to select the keyboard test, go to step 6.
If the self-test is not successful, the printer is probably defective. If the printer was purchased from Dell, see "Getting Help," for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. 6. Attempt to print on the parallel printer. If the print operation is not successful, the see "Getting Help," for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. Troubleshooting a USB Device Problem l A system error message indicates a problem l Device connected to the port is not working Action 1.
In Figure 5-5, the system cover and front bezel are removed to provide an interior view of the system. Figure 5-5. Inside the System The system board holds the system's control circuitry and other electronic components. Several hardware options such as the microprocessor and memory are installed directly on the system board. The system board can accommodate up to five PCI expansion cards (two cards at 64-bit/66 MHz or 64-bit/33 MHz, and three cards at 32-bit/33 MHz).
5. Replace the system cover, reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system. If the system does not start up properly, see "Getting Help," for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. 6. If the system starts up normally, shut down the system and reinstall all expansion cards you removed in step 3. 7. Run the system board tests in the system diagnostics to confirm that the system is working properly.
Problem l Fan not operating l Server management application program issues a fan-related error message Action 1. Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and disconnect all the power cables from the electrical outlets. 2. Remove the system cover (see "Removing the System Cover and Support Beam"). 3. Check the fan cable connection to the SYS_FAN2 connector on the system board. If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help," for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
CAUTION: See "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge" in the safety instructions in your System Information document. 5. Remove the system cover (see "Removing the System Cover and Support Beam"). 6. Reseat the memory modules in their sockets. 7. Replace the system cover, reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system. 8. Enter the System Setup program and check the system memory again. 9.
7. Reinstall one of the expansion cards that you removed in step 3 (see "Installing Expansion Cards" in Installing System Board Options"). 8. Replace the system cover, reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system. 9. Run the system board tests again. Did the tests run successfully? If the tests does not complete successfully, see "Getting Help," for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. 10.
l The drive itself Action CAUTION: This troubleshooting procedure can destroy data stored on the hard drive. Before you proceed, back up all the files on the hard drive. 1. Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from its electrical outlet. 2. Remove the system cover. 3. Verify that the hard drive interface cable is securely connected between the hard drive assembly and the system board. 4.
Back to Contents Page Installing System Board Options Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Removing and Replacing the Fan Assembly Adding and Replacing Expansion Cards Adding Memory Upgrading the Microprocessor Replacing the System Battery This section describes how to install or replace the following options: l Expansion cards l Memory modules l Microprocessor l Fan assembly and cooling shroud l Power supply l System battery Use Figure 6-1 to locate the system
POWER Power connector CPU Microprocessor socket USB USB connector VGA Video connector J12 System jumpers NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see "Abbreviations and Acronyms." Removing and Replacing the Fan Assembly The fan assembly consists of a fan and a cooling shroud. The cooling shroud is used to improve airflow over the microprocessor. Removing the Cooling Shroud 1.
Replacing the Fan 1. 2. Connect the fan power cable to the fan connector (SYS_FAN2) on the system board (see Figure 6-1). Align the brackets on the back of the fan with the corresponding holes in the back-panel, and gently push down until the fan is firmly seated and the release buttons are engaged (see Figure 6-3). 3. Install the cooling shroud (see "Replacing the Cooling Shroud"). 4. Replace the system cover (see "Replacing the System Cover and Support Beam").
Make sure that the card is fully seated and that its bracket is within the card slot (see Figure 6-6). Figure 6-6. Seating an Expansion Card 5. Secure the bracket on the end of the card with the screw you removed in step 3. 6. Connect any cables required for the card as described in the card documentation. 7. Replace the system cover (see "Replacing the System Cover and Support Beam" in "Troubleshooting Your System"). 8. Plug your system and devices into their electrical outlets, and turn them on.
Adding Memory The four memory module sockets on the system board can accommodate 64 MB to 2 GB of registered SDRAM (see Figure 6-1). Memory Upgrade Kits The system is upgradable to 2 GB by installing combinations of 64-, 128-, 256-, and 512-MB registered memory modules. If you receive an error message stating that maximum memory has been exceeded, see "Indicators, Messages, and Codes," for detailed information. You can purchase memory upgrade kits as needed.
Press to continue; to enter System Setup 5. Press to enter the System Setup program, and check the System Memory setting in the system data box on the System Setup screens. The system should have already changed the value in the System Memory setting to reflect the newly installed memory. 6. If the System Memory value is incorrect, one or more of the memory modules may not be installed properly.
Upgrading the Microprocessor To take advantage of future options in speed and functionality, you can upgrade the system microprocessor. The microprocessor and its associated L2 cache memory are contained in a PGA package that is installed in a ZIF socket on the system board. The following subsection describes how to upgrade or replace the microprocessor.
7. Lift the microprocessor out of the socket and leave the release lever up so that the socket is ready for the new microprocessor. CAUTION: Be careful not to bend any of the pins when removing the microprocessor. Bending the pins can permanently damage the microprocessor. Figure 6-11. Removing the Microprocessor 8. Unpack the new microprocessor. If any of the pins on the microprocessor appear bent, see "Getting Help," for instructions on obtaining technical assistance. 9.
11. Place the new heat sink on top of the microprocessor (see Figure 6-14). l If the heat sink provided has a foil thermal interface material strip on the bottom of the heat sink, place the heat sink on the microprocessor. l If the heat sink provided has a thermal grease tab, remove the tab and place the heat sink on the microprocessor. l If heat sink thermal grease is provided, clean the heat sink and apply the thermal grease before placing the heat sink on the microprocessor. 12.
The system battery maintains system configuration, date, and time information in a special section of memory when you turn off the system. The operating life of the battery ranges from 2 to 5 years.
9. Replace the system cover, and then reconnect the system and peripherals to their power sources and turn on the system power. 10. Enter the System Setup program to confirm that the battery is operating properly. 11. Enter the correct time and date through the System Setup program's Time and Date settings. Also reenter any system configuration information that is no longer displayed on the System Setup screens, and then exit the System Setup program. 12.
Back to Contents Page Installing Drives Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Configuring the EIDE Subsystem Configuring the Boot Device Connecting Drives Removing and Reinstalling the Drive Cage Adding or Replacing Hard Drives Adding or Replacing Other Drives Your system has six drive bays for installing the following types of drives (see Figure 7-1): l The externally accessible drive bays at the front of the system consist of a 3.5-inch drive bay that accommodates one 3.
Connecting Drives When installing a drive, you connect two cables—a DC power cable and an interface cable—to the back of the drive. Your drive's power input connector (to which you connect the DC power cable) resembles the connector shown in Figure 7-2. Figure 7-2. Connecting the Power Cable NOTICE: When you attach the interface cable to the drive, match the colored strip on the cable with pin 1 on the drive. Your drive's interface connector resembles the connector shown in Figure 7-3. Figure 7-3.
Reinstalling the Drive Cage 1. With the slots on the drive cage extending slightly beyond the front of the system, lower the drive cage and slide it toward the back of the system until the cage locks into place (see Figure 7-4). 2. Secure the drive cage to the system with the screw you removed in step 5 of "Removing the Drive Cage" (see Figure 7-4). 3. Connect the interface cable and the power cable to all drives installed in the drive cage. 4.
6. Slide the hard drive out of the back of the drive cage. 7. Reinstall the drive cage into the system (see "Reinstalling the Drive Cage"). 8. Replace the bezel (see "Replacing the Bezel" in "Troubleshooting Your System"). 9. Replace the system cover (see "Replacing the System Cover and Support Beam" in "Troubleshooting Your System"). Installing a Hard Drive in the Lower 3.5-inch Bay 1. Turn off the system, including any external devices, and disconnect the system from its electrical outlet. 2.
7. Reinstall the drive cage in the system (see "Reinstalling the Drive Cage"). 8. Replace the bezel (see "Replacing the Bezel" in "Troubleshooting Your System"). 9. Replace the system cover (see "Replacing the System Cover and Support Beam" in "Troubleshooting Your System"). Installing a Hard Drive in the Upper 3.5-inch Bay 1. Turn off the system, including any external devices, and disconnect the system from its electrical outlet. 2.
. 8. Align the bracket tabs with the slots in the system, and slide the bracket into place. Secure the bracket with the screws you removed in step 5. 9. Replace the bezel (see "Replacing the Bezel" in "Troubleshooting Your System"). 10. Replace the system cover (see "Replacing the System Cover and Support Beam" in "Troubleshooting Your System"). Installing a Hard Drive in the Card Guide Assembly Bracket 1.
13. See the drive documentation for instructions on installing any software required for drive operation. Adding or Replacing Other Drives Your system includes a diskette drive and a CD drive. You can add drives, such as DVD drives and tape drives, using the procedures in the following sections. Adding 5.25-Inch Devices 1. Turn off the system, including any external devices, and disconnect the system from its electrical outlet. 2.
4. Remove the drive cage (see "Removing the Drive Cage"). 5. Remove the three drive-mounting screws and slide the drive out of the drive bay (see Figure 7-11). 6. Reinstall the drive cage in the system (see "Reinstalling the Drive Cage"). 7. Replace the bezel (see "Replacing the Bezel" in "Troubleshooting Your System"). 8. Replace the system cover (see "Replacing the System Cover and Support Beam" in "Troubleshooting Your System"). Removing the Diskette Drive 1.
Back to Contents Page Getting Help Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Help Overview Dell Contact Numbers Help Overview This section describes the tools Dell provides to help you when you have a problem with your system. It also tells you when and how to contact Dell for technical or customer assistance. Technical Assistance If you need assistance with a technical problem, perform the following steps: 1. Complete the procedures in "Troubleshooting Your System." 2.
sales@dell.com apmarketing@dell.com (for Asian/Pacific countries only) l Electronic Information Service info@dell.com AutoTech Service Dell's automated technical support service—AutoTech—provides recorded answers to the questions most frequently asked by Dell customers about their portable and desktop computer systems. When you call AutoTech, you use your touch-tone telephone to select the subjects that correspond to your questions. The AutoTech service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Dell Contact Numbers The following table provides country-specific access codes and telephone numbers, websites, and e-mail addresses that you can use to contact Dell. The codes required depend on where you are calling from as well as the destination of your call; in addition, each country has a different dialing protocol. If you need assistance in determining which codes to use, contact a local or an international operator.
City Code: 1 Home/Small Business Technical Support Preferred Accounts/Corporate Technical Support Switchboard 01 795 67604 0660 8779 01 491 04 0 Website: http://support.euro.dell.com E-mail: tech_support_germany@dell.
Relational Customer Care 09 253 313 38 Country Code: 358 Home/Small Business Customer Care 09 693 791 94 City Code: 9 Fax 09 253 313 99 Switchboard 09 253 313 00 Website: http://support.euro.dell.com E-mail: fin_support@dell.
Website: http://support.euro.dell.com E-mail: web_it_tech@dell.
International Access Code: 00 Customer Care Home/Small Business Sales Country Code: 31 City Code: 20 020 581 8740 toll free: 0800-0663 Home/Small Business Sales Fax 020 682 7171 Corporate Sales 020 581 8818 Corporate Sales Fax 020 686 8003 Fax 020 686 8003 Switchboard 020 581 8818 Website: http://support.euro.dell.com E-mail: tech_nl@dell.
Technical Support Customer Care 902 100 130 902 118 546 Switchboard 91 722 92 00 Fax 91 722 95 83 Website: http://support.euro.dell.com E-mail: web_esp_tech@dell.com Sweden (Upplands Vasby) International Access Code: 00 Country Code: 46 City Code: 8 Technical Support 08 590 05 199 Relational Customer Care 08 590 05 642 Home/Small Business Customer Care 08 587 70 527 Fax Technical Support 08 590 05 594 Sales 08 590 05 185 Website: http://support.euro.dell.com E-mail: swe_support@dell.
Customer Service and Technical Support (Return Material Authorization Numbers) toll free: 1-800-234-1490 Dell Sales toll free: 1-800-289-3355 or toll free: 1-800-879-3355 Spare Parts Sales toll free: 1-800-357-3355 DellWare™ toll free: 1-800-753-7201 Desktop and Portable Fee-Based Technical Support toll free: 1-800-433-9005 Server Fee-Based Technical Support toll free: 1-800-967-0765 Sales (Catalogs) toll free: 1-800-426-5150 Fax toll free: 1-800-727-8320 TechFax toll free: 1-800-950-1329
Back to Contents Page Dell™ PowerEdge™ 500SC Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide Notes, Notices, Cautions, and Warnings Notes, Notices, Cautions, and Warnings NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer. NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem. CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury.
