Finding Software Solutions; Before You Begin - Dell PowerEdge 1855 Installation And Troubleshooting Manual

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Finding Software Solutions
Dell™ PowerEdge™ 1855 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
Before You Begin
Troubleshooting Errors and Conflicts
Software problems can be caused by:
Improper installation or configuration of an application
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Application conflicts
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Input errors
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Interrupt assignment conflicts
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Ensure that you are installing the software application according to the software manufacturer's recommended procedures. If a problem occurs after you
install the software, you might need to troubleshoot your software application and your system.
See the documentation that accompanied the software or contact the software manufacturer for detailed troubleshooting information.
NOTE: If all of the system diagnostic tests complete successfully, then the problem is most likely caused by the software and not the hardware.
Before You Begin
Scan the software media with antivirus software.
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Ensure that the software CD surfaces are clean and are not damaged.
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Read the software documentation before you run the installation utility.
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Be prepared to respond to prompts from the installation utility.
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The installation utility may require you to enter information about your system, such as how the operating system is configured and the type of
peripherals that are connected to the system. Have this information available before running the installation utility.
Troubleshooting Errors and Conflicts
While configuring and running software, problems might occur that are caused by input errors, application conflicts, and/or IRQ assignment conflicts. The
problems are sometimes indicated by error messages.
Error messages are generated by system hardware or software.
hardware-based. If you receive an error message that is not listed, see your operating system or software program documentation for troubleshooting
information.
Input Errors
Pressing a specific key or set of keys at the wrong time may produce unexpected results. See the documentation that came with the software application to
ensure that the values or characters you are entering are valid.
Ensure that your operating system is configured properly to run the application. Remember that whenever you change the parameters of the operating
system, the changes can conflict with an application's operating requirements. After you configure the operating system, you may need to reinstall or
reconfigure a software application so that it can run properly in its new environment.
Application Conflicts
Some applications can leave unnecessary files or data behind after they are deleted from your system. Device drivers can also create application errors. If
application errors occur, see your application device driver or operating system documentation for troubleshooting information.
IRQ Assignment Conflicts
Most PCI devices can share an IRQ with another device, but they cannot use an IRQ simultaneously. To avoid this type of conflict, see the documentation for
each PCI device for specific IRQ requirements.
Table 3-1. IRQ Assignment Defaults
"Indicators, Codes, and
Table 3-1 lists the IRQ assignment defaults.
Messages" provides information about error messages that are