Dell Inspiron 3000 Reference and Troubleshooting Guide - Page 83

Subtests The four subtests in the Hard-Disk Drives (Non-SCSI) test group confirm the following drive functions: • Disk Controller Test Checks the internal microcode of the hard-disk drive controller • Seek Test Checks the drive's ability to search for a specified track on the drive and to position the read/write heads of the drive to all tracks • Read Test Positions the read/write heads at each cylinder of the drive and verifies that all tracks on the drive can be read correctly • Write Test Positions the read/write heads at each cylinder of the drive and verifies that all tracks on the drive can be written to correctly IDE CD ROM Drives Test Group The subtests in the IDE CD ROM Drives test group check the functionality of the integrated drive electronics (IDE) CD-ROM drive when it is installed in the options bay. Before conducting an IDE CD ROM test, insert into the CD-ROM drive a CD with audio and data tracks (such as a multimedia CD). NOTES: Before running the IDE CD ROM Drives test group, install the CD-ROM drive in the options bay and attach the diskette drive to the parallel connector on the back of the computer. If you do not have a CD-ROM drive in the options bay and the diskette drive attached to the parallel port, the subtests fail. You must have a diskette-drive cable to perform the following procedure. If you do not have a diskette-drive cable, you can order one from Dell. See Chapter 5, "Getting Help," for information on contacting Dell. The Audio Output Test requires a CD with audio tracks; all other subtests in this test group require a CD with data tracks. If the CD-ROM drive contains a CD that does not have the required data or audio tracks, the subtest fails. Why Run an IDE CD ROM Drives Test? If you encounter a problem while using an application program on a CD, the problem could result from the disc or from the drive. When you encounter problems, first try using a different CD. If the problem recurs, run the IDE CD ROM Drives test group. These are the most common symptoms that might prompt you to test an IDE CD-ROM drive: • Seek errors are reported by the operating system or application programs. • An error message appears on the screen stating that the computer cannot read from an IDE CD-ROM drive. Subtests The five subtests in the IDE CD ROM Drives test group confirm the following drive functions: • Drive Controller Test Causes the drive to execute its internal self-test. • Seek Test Checks the drive's ability to search for each block on the device. • Read Test Positions the read heads at each block of the device for reading data and verifies that all blocks on the device can be read correctly. • Audio Output Test Causes the drive to begin playing the first audio track on an audio CD. (To determine if the test passed, listen to the audio output of the drive.) NOTE: The Audio Output Test does not run automatically as part of the IDE CD ROM Drives test group; you must select the subtest individually. • Eject Removable Media Checks the drive's ability to eject the CD tray. Running the Dell Diagnostics 4-17