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Table 21. Disgnostic LED states (continued)
Amber LED state
NOTE:
For diagnostics pattern 2-amber, 8-white connect an external monitor to isolate between system board or graphics
controller failure.
Recovering the operating system
When your computer is unable to boot to the operating system even after repeated attempts, it automatically starts Dell
SupportAssist OS Recovery.
Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery is a standalone tool that is preinstalled in all Dell computers installed with Windows operating
system. It consists of tools to diagnose and troubleshoot issues that may occur before your computer boots to the operating
system. It enables you to diagnose hardware issues, repair your computer, back up your files, or restore your computer to its
factory state.
You can also download it from the Dell Support website to troubleshoot and fix your computer when it fails to boot into their
primary operating system due to software or hardware failures.
For more information about the Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery, see Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery User's Guide at
www.dell.com/serviceabilitytools. Click SupportAssist and then, click SupportAssist OS Recovery.
Diagnostic error messages
Table 22. Diagnostic error messages
Error messages
AUXILIARY DEVICE FAILURE
BAD COMMAND OR FILE NAME
CACHE DISABLED DUE TO FAILURE
CD DRIVE CONTROLLER FAILURE
DATA ERROR
DECREASING AVAILABLE MEMORY
DISK C: FAILED INITIALIZATION
DRIVE NOT READY
ERROR READING PCMCIA CARD
EXTENDED MEMORY SIZE HAS CHANGED
White LED state
System state
Description
The touchpad or external mouse may be faulty. For an
external mouse, check the cable connection. Enable the
Pointing Device option in the System Setup program.
Ensure that you have spelled the command correctly, put
spaces in the proper place, and used the correct path name.
The primary cache internal to the microprocessor has failed.
Contact Dell
The optical drive does not respond to commands from the
computer.
The hard drive cannot read the data.
One or more memory modules may be faulty or improperly
seated. Reinstall the memory modules or, if necessary, replace
them.
The hard drive failed initialization. Run the hard drive tests in
Dell Diagnostics.
The operation requires a hard drive in the bay before it can
continue. Install a hard drive in the hard drive bay.
The computer cannot identify the ExpressCard. Reinsert the
card or try another card.
The amount of memory recorded in non-volatile memory
(NVRAM) does not match the memory module installed in the
computer. Restart the computer. If the error appears again,
Contact Dell
Notes
If problem persists, replace
the system board
Troubleshooting
89
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