Dell Precision 400 Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide (.pdf) - Page 58

Subtests, Why Run the Mouse Test?, Diskette Drives Test Group, Why Run a Diskette Drives Test?

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Subtests There are no subtests for the Mouse Test Group. Why Run the Mouse Test? Mouse or touch pad problems are as likely to originate in RAM as they are to be caused by a faulty mouse or touch pad. Three sources of RAM-related problems include the configuration of a program (which changes the function of the mouse or touch pad), memory-resident programs such as Sidekick or ProKey, and failure of a device driver (the software that controls the function of the mouse or touch pad). If these possibilities have been eliminated and the following symptoms persist, run the Mouse Test: • When you press a mouse button or the touch pad, the function of the button (or touch pad) continues; that is, the button (or touch pad) seems to be stuck. • If the response when you press a mouse button or the touch pad is different from the usual or anticipated response, the button (or touch pad) contact may be damaged. • A mouse button or the touch pad does not work at all. • The cursor does not respond on the screen in accor- dance with the movements you make with the mouse or touch pad. Diskette Drives Test Group The subtests in the Diskette Drives Test Group allow you to test both 5.25-inch and 3.5-inch diskette drives of all capacities. Subtests The four diskette drive subtests available in the Diskette Drives Test Group confirm the following drive functions: • Change Line Test Checks for bent pins on the diskette drive controller and for defective lines on the diskette cable • Seek Test Checks the drive's ability to search for a specified track on the diskette and to position its read/write heads to all tracks • Read Test Positions the read/write heads at each cylinder of the diskette for reading data and verifies that all tracks on the diskette can be read correctly • Write Test Positions the read/write heads at each cylinder of the diskette and verifies that all tracks on the diskette can be written to correctly Why Run a Diskette Drives Test? Very often, a diskette drive problem may first appear to be a diskette problem. A box of defective diskettes might produce faulty-drive error messages. The test results can be confusing, so Dell suggests running the subtests in the Diskette Drives Test Group more than once using diskettes from different sources. Another possible cause of diskette drive problems is human error-typing a command in an incorrect form (usually called a syntax error). Be sure you have entered the command in the proper form. When the diskette(s) and command syntax are eliminated as causes, the following symptoms usually suggest a drive problem and warrant running a subtest in the Diskette Drives Test Group: • An error message appears on the screen stating that the computer cannot read from or write to a diskette. • A diskette cannot be properly formatted, or format error messages appear on the screen. • Data on diskettes is corrupted or lost; these problems may be intermittent. Hard-Disk Drives (Non-SCSI) Test Group The subtests in the Hard-Disk Drives (Non-SCSI) Test Group check the functionality of up to four hard-disk drives (two on each channel) of any capacity. The 4-16 Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide

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4-16
Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide
Subtests
There are no subtests for the Mouse Test Group.
Why Run the Mouse Test?
Mouse or touch pad problems are as likely to originate in
RAM as they are to be caused by a faulty mouse or touch
pad. Three sources of RAM-related problems include the
configuration of a program (which changes the function
of the mouse or touch pad), memory-resident programs
such as Sidekick or ProKey, and failure of a device driver
(the software that controls the function of the mouse or
touch pad). If these possibilities have been eliminated
and the following symptoms persist, run the Mouse Test:
•
When you press a mouse button or the touch pad, the
function of the button (or touch pad) continues; that
is, the button (or touch pad) seems to be stuck.
•
If the response when you press a mouse button or the
touch pad is different from the usual or anticipated
response, the button (or touch pad) contact may be
damaged.
•
A mouse button or the touch pad does not work at
all.
•
The cursor does not respond on the screen in accor-
dance with the movements you make with the mouse
or touch pad.
D
iskette Drives Test Group
The subtests in the Diskette Drives Test Group allow you
to test both 5.25-inch and 3.5-inch diskette drives of all
capacities.
Subtests
The four diskette drive subtests available in the Diskette
Drives Test Group confirm the following drive functions:
•
Change Line Test
Checks for bent pins on the diskette drive controller
and for defective lines on the diskette cable
•
Seek Test
Checks the drive’s ability to search for a specified
track on the diskette and to position its read/write
heads to all tracks
•
Read Test
Positions the read/write heads at each cylinder of the
diskette for reading data and verifies that all tracks
on the diskette can be read correctly
•
Write Test
Positions the read/write heads at each cylinder of the
diskette and verifies that all tracks on the diskette
can be written to correctly
Why Run a Diskette Drives Test?
Very often, a diskette drive problem may first appear to
be a diskette problem. A box of defective diskettes might
produce faulty-drive error messages. The test results can
be confusing, so Dell suggests running the subtests in the
Diskette Drives Test Group more than once using dis-
kettes from different sources.
Another possible cause of diskette drive problems is
human error—typing a command in an incorrect form
(usually called a
syntax
error). Be sure you have entered
the command in the proper form.
When the diskette(s) and command syntax are eliminated
as causes, the following symptoms usually suggest a
drive problem and warrant running a subtest in the Dis-
kette Drives Test Group:
•
An error message appears on the screen stating that
the computer cannot
read
from or
write
to a diskette.
•
A diskette cannot be properly formatted, or format
error messages appear on the screen.
•
Data on diskettes is corrupted or lost; these problems
may be intermittent.
H
ard-Disk Drives (Non-SCSI) Test
Group
The subtests in the Hard-Disk Drives (Non-SCSI) Test
Group check the functionality of up to four hard-disk
drives (two on each channel) of any capacity. The