Dell PowerEdge 6350 Dell PowerEdge Systems 6350 Installation and Troubleshooti - Page 47

the System Set Test Group as described in Running the Dell Diagnos

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Because most computer systems have several applications 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. Software problems can result from the following circumstances: Improper installation or configuration of a program Input errors Device drivers that may conflict with certain applications Interrupt conflicts between devices You can confirm that a computer system problem is caused by software by running the System Set Test Group as described in Chapter 5, "Running the Dell Diagnostics." If all tests in the test group complete successfully, the error condition is most likely caused by software. This chapter provides some general guidelines for analyzing software problems. For detailed troubleshooting information on a particular program, see the documentation that accompanied the software or consult the support service for the software. You should use virus-scanning software to check newly acquired programs and files for viruses before installing the programs on the computer's hard-disk drive. Viruses, which are pieces of code that can replicate themselves, can quickly use all available system memory, damage and/or destroy data stored on the hard-disk drive, and permanently affect the performance of the programs they infect. Several commercial virus-scanning programs are available for purchase, and most bulletin board services (BBSs) archive freely distributed virus-scanning programs that you can download with a modem. Before installing a program, you should read its documentation to learn how the program works, what hardware it requires, and what its defaults are. A program usually includes installation instructions in its accompanying documentation and a software installation routine on its program diskettes. Finding Software Solutions 4-1

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Finding Software Solutions
4-1
&+$37(5²¶
)LQGLQJ±6RIWZDUH±6ROXWLRQV
Because most computer systems have several applications 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.
Software problems can result from the following circumstances:
²
Improper installation or configuration of a program
²
Input errors
²
Device drivers that may conflict with certain applications
²
Interrupt conflicts between devices
You can confirm that a computer system problem is caused by software by running
the System Set Test Group as described in Chapter 5, “Running the Dell Diagnos-
tics.” If all tests in the test group complete successfully, the error condition is most
likely caused by software.
This chapter provides some general guidelines for analyzing software problems. For
detailed troubleshooting information on a particular program, see the documentation
that accompanied the software or consult the support service for the software.
,QVWDOOLQJ±DQG±&RQILJXULQJ±6RIWZDUH
You should use virus-scanning software to check newly acquired programs and files
for viruses before installing the programs on the computer’s hard-disk drive. Viruses,
which are pieces of code that can replicate themselves, can quickly use all available
system memory, damage and/or destroy data stored on the hard-disk drive, and per-
manently affect the performance of the programs they infect. Several commercial
virus-scanning programs are available for purchase, and most bulletin board services
(BBSs) archive freely distributed virus-scanning programs that you can download with
a modem.
Before installing a program, you should read its documentation to learn how the pro-
gram works, what hardware it requires, and what its defaults are. A program usually
includes installation instructions in its accompanying documentation and a software
installation routine on its program diskettes.