Finding Software Solutions; Installing And Configuring Software; Using Software - Dell PowerVault 775N Installation And Troubleshooting Manual

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Finding Software Solutions

Dell™ PowerVault™ 775N Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide

Installing and Configuring Software

Using Software

Because most systems have several application programs 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 application programs
Interrupt conflicts between devices
You can confirm that a system problem is caused by software by running system diagnostics. If all tests in the test group are
completed successfully, the problem is most likely caused by software.
This section 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.
Installing and Configuring Software
Use virus-scanning software to check newly acquired programs and files for viruses before installing the programs on the
system's hard drive. Viruses can quickly use all available system memory, damage or destroy data stored on the hard drive,
and permanently affect the performance of the programs they infect. Several commercial virus-scanning programs are
available for purchase.
Before installing a program, 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.
The software installation routine assists users in transferring the appropriate program files to the system's hard drive.
Installation instructions may provide details about how to configure the operating system to successfully run the program.
Always read the installation instructions before running a program's installation routine.
When you run the installation routine, be prepared to respond to prompts for information about how the system's operating
system is configured, what type of system you have, and what peripherals are connected to the system.
Using Software
The following subsections discuss errors that can occur as a result of software operation or configuration.
Error Messages
Error messages can be produced by an application program, the operating system, or the system.
Codes" discusses the error messages that are generated by the system. If you receive an error message that is not listed in
"Indicators, Messages, and
Input Errors
Codes," check the operating system or application program documentation.
"Indicators, Messages, and