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SC1430
User Manual
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Dell SC1430 User Manual

Dell™ PowerEdge™
SC1430 Systems
Hardware Owner’s Manual
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Notes, Notices, and Cautions
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
problem.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. © 2006 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Inspiron, Dell Precision, Dimension, OptiPlex, Latitude, P owerEdge, P owerV ault, P owerApp,
PowerConnect, and XPS are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
Model EMS01
June 2006 P/N WH819 Rev. A00

Contents

1 About Your System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Other Information You May Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Accessing System Features During Startup
Front-Panel Features and Indicators
Back-Panel Features and Indicators
Connecting External Devices NIC Indicator Codes
Diagnostics Indicator Codes
System Messages
Warning Messages
Diagnostics Messages
Alert Messages
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2 Using the System Setup Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Entering the System Setup Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Responding to Error Messages Using the System Setup Program
System Setup Options
Main Screen
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
CPU Information Screens Integrated Devices Screen System Security Screen Exit Screen
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
System Event Log
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
System and Setup Password Features
Using the System Password Using the Setup Password
Disabling a Forgotten Password
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Contents 3
3 Installing System Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Recommended Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Inside the System
Opening the System
Closing the System
Rotatable Hard-Drive Carrier
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Rotating the Hard-Drive Carrier Out of the System Rotating the Hard-Drive Carrier Into the System
Removing and Replacing the Front Drive Bezel
Removing and Replacing the Front Drive Bezel Insert
Hard Drives
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Hard Drive Installation Guidelines
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Removing a Hard Drive from the Rotatable Carrier Installing a Hard Drive in the Rotatable Carrier Removing an Optional Third Hard Drive Installing an Optional Third Hard Drive Removing an Optional Fourth Hard Drive Installing an Optional Fourth Hard Drive
Diskette Drive
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Removing the Diskette Drive Installing a Diskette Drive
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
4 Contents
Optical and Tape Drives
Removing an Optical or Tape Drive Installing an Optical or Tape Drive
Expansion Cards
Installing an Expansion Card Removing an Expansion Card
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Installing a SAS Controller Expansion Card
Microprocessor
Removing the Processor Replacing the Processor
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
General Memory Module Installation Guidelines Non-Optimal Memory Configurations Installing Memory Modules Removing Memory Modules
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
System Battery
Replacing the System Battery
Power Supply
Removing the Power Supply Installing the Power Supply
Replacing the Cooling Fans
Replacing the Card and Front Fans Replacing the Memory Fan Replacing the Fourth Hard-Drive Fan
Chassis Intrusion Switch
Removing the Chassis Intrusion Switch Installing the Chassis Intrusion Switch
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Removing and Replacing the Bezel (Service Only Parts Procedure)
Removing the Bezel Replacing the Bezel
Front I/O Panel (Service Only Parts Procedure)
Removing the Front I/O Panel Replacing the Front I/O Panel
Thermal Diode Cable (Service Only Parts Procedure)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
. . . . . . 87
System Board (Service Only Parts Procedure)
Removing the System Board Installing the System Board
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
4 Troubleshooting Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Safety First—For You and Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Start-Up Routine
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Contents 5
Checking the Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Troubleshooting IRQ Assignment Conflicts Troubleshooting External Connections Troubleshooting the Video Subsystem Troubleshooting the Keyboard Troubleshooting the Mouse
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Troubleshooting Serial I/O Problems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Troubleshooting a Serial I/O Device Troubleshooting a USB Device
Troubleshooting a NIC
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Troubleshooting a Wet System
Troubleshooting a Damaged System
Troubleshooting the System Battery
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Troubleshooting System Cooling Problems
Troubleshooting a Fan
Troubleshooting System Memory
Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive
Troubleshooting an Optical Drive
Troubleshooting a Hard Drive
Troubleshooting a SAS RAID Controller
Troubleshooting Expansion Cards
Troubleshooting the Microprocessors
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
5 Running the System Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
6 Contents
Using Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
System Diagnostics Features
When to Use the System Diagnostics
Running the System Diagnostics
System Diagnostics Testing Options
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Using the Custom Test Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Selecting Devices for Testing Selecting Diagnostics Options Viewing Information and Results
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
6 Jumpers and Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
System Board Jumpers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Clearing CMOS Settings
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
System Board Connectors
Disabling a Forgotten Password
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
7 Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Obtaining Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Online Services AutoTech Service Automated Order-Status Service Support Service
Dell Enterprise Training and Certification
Problems With Your Order
Product Information
Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit
Before You Call
Contacting Dell
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Index
Contents 7
8 Contents

About Your System

This section describes the physical, firmware, and software interface features that provide and ensure the essential functioning of your system. The physical connectors on your system’s front and back panels provide convenient connectivity and system expansion capability. The system firmware, applications, and operating systems monitor the system and component status and alert you when a problem arises. System conditions can be reported by any of the following:
• Front or back panel indicators
• System messages
• Warning messages
• Diagnostics messages
• Alert messages
This section describes each type of message, lists the possible causes, and provides steps to resolve any problems indicated by a message. The system indicators and features are illustrated in this section.

Other Information You May Need

CAUTION: The Product Information Guide provides important safety and regulatory information. Warranty
information may be included within this document or as a separate document.
• The
• CDs included with your system provide documentation and tools for configuring and managing
• Systems management software documentation describes the features, requirements, installation,
• Operating system documentation describes how to install (if necessary), configure, and use the
• Documentation for any components you purchased separately provides information to configure
• Updates are sometimes included with the system to describe changes to the system, software,
Getting Started Guide
technical specifications.
your system.
and basic operation of the software.
operating system software.
and install these options.
and/or documentation.
provides an overview of system features, setting up your system, and
NOTE: Always check for updates on support.dell.com and read the updates first because they often
supersede information in other documents.
About Your System 9
• Release notes or readme files may be included to provide last-minute updates to the system or documentation or advanced technical reference material intended for experienced users or technicians.

Accessing System Features During Startup

Table 1-1 describes keystrokes that may be entered during startup to access system features. If your operating system begins to load before you enter the keystroke, allow the system to finish booting, and then restart your system and try again.
Table 1-1. Keystrokes for Accessing System Features
Keystroke Description
<F2> Enters the System Setup program. See "Using the System Setup Program" on page 27.
<F10> Opens the utility partition, allowing you to run the system diagnostics. See "Running the System
Diagnostics" on page 114.
<F11> Enters the boot menu selection screen, allowing you to choose a boot device.
<F12> Initiates PXE boot.
<Ctrl+C> Option is displayed for some SAS controller expansion cards. Enters the SAS Configuration Utility,
which includes RAID configuration options. See your SAS adapter User’s Guide for more information.
<Ctrl+R> Enters the RAID configuration utility, which allows you to configure an optional RAID expansion
card. For more information, see the documentation for your RAID card.
<Ctrl+S> Option is displayed only if you have PXE support enabled through the System Setup Program (see
"Integrated Devices Screen" on page 32). This keystroke allows you to configure NIC settings for PXE boot. For more information, see the documentation for your integrated NIC.
10 About Your System

Front-Panel Features and Indicators

1
Figure 1-1 shows the controls, indicators, and connectors located on the system's front panel. Table 1-2 provides component descriptions.
Figure 1-1. Front-Panel Features and Indicators
2
9
8
7
6
Table 1-2. Front-Panel Components
Item Component Icon Description
1 upper 5.25-inch drive
bay
2 lower 5.25-inch drive
bay
3 flex bay Holds a diskette drive or an optional third hard drive.
4 hard-drive activity
indicator
Holds an optical drive.
Holds an optional optical or half-height tape drive, or a fourth hard drive (requires mounting bracket).
Indicates hard drive activity.
3
4
5
About Your System 11
Table 1-2. Front-Panel Components (continued)
Item Component Icon Description
5 USB connectors (2) Connects USB 2.0-compliant devices to the system.
6 power button The power button controls the DC power supply output to the system.
NOTE: If you turn off the system using the power button and the system is
running an ACPI-compliant operating system, the system performs a graceful shutdown before the power is turned off. If the system is not running an ACPI-compliant operating system, the power is turned off immediately after the power button is pressed.
7 power light No light — The system is off.
Steady green — The system is powered on.
Steady amber — The power supply is probably good. Check the diagnostic indicators to see if the specific problem is identified. See "Diagnostics Indicator Codes" on page 15.
Blinking amber — The system is powering up.
• If the hard-drive indicator is off, the power supply may need to be replaced.
• If the hard-drive indicator is on, the system board is faulty. Check the diagnostic indicators to see if the specific problem is identified. See "Diagnostics Indicator Codes" on page 15.
8 network link light Lights when the system is linked to a network.
9 diagnostic lights (4) Display light-pattern codes to assist in troubleshooting system
problems.
See "Diagnostics Indicator Codes
" on page 15
.
12 About Your System

Back-Panel Features and Indicators

1
Figure 1-2 shows the connectors located on the system's back panel.
Figure 1-2. Back-Panel Features
2
3
4
1 AC power connector 2 expansion-card slots (5) 3 NIC connector
4 USB connectors (5) 5 video connector 6 parallel connector
7 serial connector
5
6
7

Connecting External Devices

When connecting external devices to your system, follow these guidelines:
• Most devices must be connected to a specific connector and device drivers must be installed before the device operates properly. (Device drivers are normally included with your operating system software or with the device itself.) See the documentation that accompanied the device for specific installation and configuration instructions.
About Your System 13
• Always attach an external device while your system and the device are turned off. Next, turn on any external devices before turning on the system (unless the documentation for the device specifies otherwise).
See "Using the System Setup Program" on page 27 for information about enabling, disabling, and configuring I/O ports and connectors.

NIC Indicator Codes

The NIC on the back panel has an indicator that provides information on network activity and link status. See Figure 1-3. Table 1-3 lists the NIC indicator codes.
Figure 1-3. NIC Indicators
12
1 link indicator 2 activity indicator
Table 1-3. NIC Indicator Codes
Indicator Type Indicator Code Description
Activity Off When off at the same time that the link indicator is off,
the NIC is not connected to the network or the NIC is disabled in the System Setup program. See "Using the System Setup Program" on page 27.
Blinking Indicates that network data is being sent or received.
Link Off When off at the same time that the activity indicator is
off, the NIC is not connected to the network or the NIC is disabled in the System Setup program. See "Using the System Setup Program" on page 27.
Yellow 1000-Mbps connection
Orange 100-Mbps connection
Green 10-Mbps connection
14 About Your System

Diagnostics Indicator Codes

The four diagnostic indicator lights on the system front panel display error codes during system startup. Table 1-4 lists the causes and corrective actions associated with these codes and the power light status before system POST. Table 1-5 lists the causes and possible corrective actions for these codes during POST. A highlighted circle indicates the light is on; a non-highlighted circle indicates the light is off.
Table 1-4. Diagnostic Indicator Codes Before POST
Code Power
Light
off No electrical power is
green Normal operation None
off Normal off condition; the
amber The BIOS is not executing. Ensure that the processor is seated correctly and
(blinking)
blinking amber
(blinking)
amber A possible power supply
(blinking)
amber A possible system board
Causes Corrective Action
Connect the computer to a working electrical
supplied to the computer.
system is connected to an electrical outlet.
A possible power supply or power cable failure has occurred.
failure has occurred.
failure has occurred.
outlet.
If the problem is still not resolved, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
Press the power button to turn the computer on.
If the system does not turn on and the power light is off, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
restart the system. See "Microprocessor" on page 73).
If the problem persists, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
Check the power supply connections and the condition of cables. See "Installing the Power Supply" on page 82.
If the problem persists, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
Verify that both power supply cables are plugged in to the system board. See "Installing the Power Supply" on page 82.
If the problem persists, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
See "Getting Help" on page 123.
(blinking)
About Your System 15
Table 1-4. Diagnostic Indicator Codes Before POST (continued)
Code Power
Light
off A processor mismatch exists. See "Troubleshooting the Microprocessors" on
(blinking)
Table 1-5. Diagnostic Indicator Codes During POST
Code Causes Corrective Action
BIOS checksum failure detected; system is in recovery mode.
Possible processor failure. See "Troubleshooting the Microprocessors" on page 110.
Memory failure. See "Troubleshooting System Memory" on page 103.
Possible expansion card failure. See "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards" on page 109.
Possible video failure. See "Getting Help" on page 123.
Causes Corrective Action
page 110.
Ensure that all network cards and connections are functioning properly. See "Troubleshooting Your System" on page 95.
If the problem persists, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
Diskette drive or hard drive failure.
Possible USB failure. See "Troubleshooting a USB Device" on page 99.
No memory modules detected. See "Troubleshooting System Memory" on page 103.
System board failure. See "Getting Help" on page 123.
16 About Your System
Ensure that the diskette drive and hard drives are properly connected. See "Hard Drives" on page 48 and "Diskette Drive" on page 63 for information on the drives installed in your system.
Table 1-5. Diagnostic Indicator Codes During POST (continued)
Code Causes Corrective Action
Memory configuration error. See "Troubleshooting System Memory" on page 103.
Possible system board resource and/or system board hardware failure.
Possible system resource configuration error.
Other failure. Ensure that the diskette drive, optical drive, and hard drives are
The system is in a normal operating condition after POST.
See "Troubleshooting IRQ Assignment Conflicts" on page 96. If the problem persists, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
See "Troubleshooting Your System" on page 95.
If the problem persists, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
properly connected. See "Troubleshooting Your System" on page 95 for the appropriate drive installed in your system.
If the problem persists, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
Information only.

System Messages

System messages appear on the screen to notify you of a possible problem with the system. Table 1-6 lists the system messages that can occur and the probable cause and corrective action for each message.
NOTE: If you receive a system message that is not listed in Table 1-6, check the documentation for the application
that is running when the message appears or the operating system's documentation for an explanation of the message and recommended action.
CAUTION: Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of the
components inside the system. See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.
Table 1-6. System Messages
Message Causes Corrective Actions
Alert! Air temperature sensor not detected.
The front panel thermal diode cable is improperly installed or has failed.
Verify that cables are firmly seated in the connectors on the front I/O panel and the system board. See "Front I/O Panel (Service Only Parts Procedure)" on page 89.
About Your System 17
Table 1-6. System Messages (continued)
Message Causes Corrective Actions
Alert! Cable not detected in INTRUDER connector.
Alert! FAN_CCAG was not detected.
Alert! FAN_FRONT was not detected.
Alert! FAN_HDD was not detected.
Alert! FAN_MEM was not detected.
Alert! FAN_PSU was not detected.
Alert! Cover was previously removed.
Alert! Previous FAN_CCAG failure.
Alert! Previous FAN_FRONT failure.
Alert! Previous FAN_HDD failure.
Alert! Previous FAN_MEM failure.
Alert! Previous FAN_PSU failure.
Alert! Previous thermal event.
Alert! Previous voltage failure.
The chassis intrusion switch is not connected to the system board.
Specified fan is missing, faulty, or improperly installed.
• FAN_CCAG — card fan
• FAN_FRONT — front fan
• FAN_HDD — hard-drive fan for optional fourth hard drive
• FAN_MEM — memory fan
The power supply fan is faulty. See "Getting Help" on page 123.
The system cover has been opened. Information only. To reset, enter the
Specified fan failed before last system startup.
• FAN_CCAG — card fan
• FAN_FRONT — front fan
• FAN_HDD — hard-drive fan for optional fourth hard drive
• FAN_MEM — memory fan
• FAN_PSU — power supply fan
BIOS detected a thermal event before the last system startup.
Sensor detected voltage out of range before last system startup.
Verify that the chassis intrusion switch cable is firmly seated in the INTRUDER connector on the system board. See "Installing the Chassis Intrusion Switch" on page 87.
See "Troubleshooting System Cooling Problems" on page 102.
System Setup program. See "Using the System Setup Program" on page 27.
Information only.
Ensure that thermal grease is applied to the heat sink and the heat sink is installed properly. Ensure that the system fans are functioning properly. See "Replacing the Processor" on page 75 and "Troubleshooting System Cooling Problems" on page 102.
Information only.
18 About Your System
Table 1-6. System Messages (continued)
Message Causes Corrective Actions
Alert! Processor thermal probe failure detected.
BIOS Update Attempt Failed!
CPUs with different cache sizes detected!
The processor thermal probe has
See "Getting Help" on page 123.
failed.
Remote BIOS update attempt failed. Retry the BIOS update. If problem
persists, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
Microprocessors with different cache sizes are installed.
Ensure that all microprocessors have the same cache size and that they are properly installed. See "Microprocessor" on page 73.
Decreasing available memory
DIMM pairs must be matched in size, speed, and technology. The following DIMM pair is mismatched: DIMM x and DIMM y.
Faulty or improperly installed memory modules.
Mismatched or unmatched DIMMs installed; faulty or improperly seated memory module(s).
See "Troubleshooting System Memory" on page 103.
Ensure that all pairs of memory modules are of the same type and size and that they are properly installed. See "Memory" on page 76. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting System Memory" on page 103.
DIMMs must be populated in sequential order beginning with slot 1. The following DIMM is electrically
The specified DIMM is inaccessible to the system due to its location. DIMMs must be populated in sequential order, beginning with slot 1.
Populate 2 or 4 DIMMs sequentially beginning with slot 1. See "Memory" on page 76.
isolated: DIMM x. DIMMs should be installed
in pairs. Pairs must be matched in size, speed, and technology.
Mismatched or unmatched DIMMs installed; faulty or improperly seated memory module(s). The system will operate in a degraded mode with reduced ECC protection. Only memory installed in channel 0 will be
Ensure that all pairs of memory modules are of the same type and size and that they are properly installed. See "Memory" on page 76. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting System Memory" on page 103.
accessible.
Dual-rank DIMM paired with Single-rank DIMM - The following DIMM/rank has been disabled by BIOS: DIMM x Rank y
Mismatched DIMMs installed; faulty memory module(s). The system has detected a dual-rank DIMM paired with a single-rank DIMM. The second rank of the dual-rank DIMM will be disabled.
Ensure that all pairs of memory modules are of the same type and size and that they are properly installed. See "Memory" on page 76. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting System Memory" on page 103.
About Your System 19
Table 1-6. System Messages (continued)
Message Causes Corrective Actions
Diskette drive n seek failure
Diskette read failure Faulty or improperly inserted diskette. Replace the diskette. If the problem
Diskette subsystem reset failed
Drive not ready Diskette missing from or improperly
Error: Incorrect memory configuration. DIMMs must be installed in pairs of matched memory size, speed, and technology.
Error: Memory failure detected. Memory size reduced. Replace the faulty DIMM as soon as possible.
FBD training error: The following branch has been disabled: Branch x
Gate A20 failure Faulty keyboard controller; faulty
Incorrect configuration settings in the System Setup program.
Faulty or improperly installed diskette drive.
Loose diskette drive interface cable, or loose power cable.
Faulty or improperly installed diskette.
inserted in diskette drive.
Mismatched or unmatched DIMMs installed; faulty or improperly seated memory module(s).
Faulty or improperly seated memory module(s).
The specified branch (channel pair) contains DIMMs that are incompatible with each other.
system board.
Run the System Setup program to correct the settings. See "Using the System Setup Program" on page 27.
Replace the diskette. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive" on page 105.
Reseat diskette drive interface cable, or power cable. See "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive" on page 105.
persists, see "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive" on page 105.
Replace the diskette. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive" on page 105.
Replace the diskette. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive" on page 105.
Ensure that all pairs of memory modules are of the same type and size and that they are properly installed. See "Memory" on page 76. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting System Memory" on page 103.
See "Troubleshooting System Memory" on page 103.
Ensure that only Dell-qualified memory is used. Dell recommends purchasing memory upgrade kits directly from www.dell.com or your Dell sales agent to ensure compatibility.
See "Getting Help" on page 123.
20 About Your System
Table 1-6. System Messages (continued)
Message Causes Corrective Actions
General failure The operating system is unable to
carry out the command.
n
IDE primary drive found
Invalid configuration information - please run SETUP program
Invalid NVRAM configuration, Resource Re-allocated
Keyboard Controller failure
Manufacturing mode detected
MEMBIST failure - The following DIMM/rank has been disabled by BIOS: DIMM x Rank y
Memory address line failure at
value
expecting
Memory double word logic failure at
value
expecting
Memory odd/even logic failure at
value
expecting
Memory write/read failure
address
at expecting
Memory tests terminated by keystroke.
address
address
address,
, read
value
not
, read
value
, read
value
read
value
value
IDE cables are not properly seated, or drive missing.
System has detected invalid configuration.
System detected and corrected a resource conflict.
Faulty keyboard controller; faulty system board
System is in manufacturing mode. Reboot to take the system out of
Faulty memory module(s). See "Troubleshooting System Memory"
Faulty or improperly installed memory modules.
POST memory test terminated by pressing the spacebar.
This message is usually followed by specific information. Note the information and take the appropriate action to resolve the problem.
See "Troubleshooting an Optical Drive" on page 106.
Remove the RTCST jumper if it is installed. See Figure 6-1 for the jumper location.
No action is required.
See "Getting Help" on page 123.
manufacturing mode.
on page 103.
See "Troubleshooting System Memory" on page 103.
Information only.
About Your System 21
Table 1-6. System Messages (continued)
Message Causes Corrective Actions
No boot device available Faulty or missing optical/diskette
drive subsystem, hard drive, or hard­drive subsystem, or no boot disk in drive A.
No boot sector on hard drive
No timer tick interrupt Faulty system board. See "Getting Help" on page 123. Northbound merge error -
The following DIMM has been disabled by BIOS: DIMM x
Not a boot diskette No operating system on diskette. Use a bootable diskette. PCIe Degraded Link Width
Error: Embedded
nn
Bus# Expected Link Width is Actual Link Width is
PCIe Degraded Link Width Error: Slot
Expected Link Width is Actual Link Width is
PCIe Training Error: Embedded Bus#
PCIe Training Error: Slot
/Dev#nn/Func
n
nn
/Dev#nn/Funcn
n
n
n
n
Incorrect configuration settings in System Setup program, or no operating system on hard drive.
The specified DIMM was unable to establish a successful data link with the memory controller.
Faulty or improperly installed PCIe card in the specified slot.
n
Faulty or improperly installed PCIe card in the specified slot.
n
Faulty or improperly installed PCIe card in the specified slot.
Use a bootable diskette, CD, or hard drive. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive" on page 105, "Troubleshooting an Optical Drive" on page 106, and "Troubleshooting a Hard Drive" on page 107. See "Using the System Setup Program" on page 27 for information about setting the order of boot devices.
Check the hard-drive configuration settings in the System Setup program. See "Using the System Setup Program" on page 27. If necessary, install the operating system on your hard drive. See your operating system documentation.
See "Troubleshooting System Memory" on page 103.
Reseat the PCIe card in the specified slot number. See "Expansion Cards" on page 70. If the problem persists, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
Reseat the PCIe card in the specified slot number. See "Expansion Cards" on page 70. If the problem persists, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
Reseat the PCIe card in the specified slot number. See "Expansion Cards" on page 70. If the problem persists, see "Getting Help" on page 123.
22 About Your System
Table 1-6. System Messages (continued)
Message Causes Corrective Actions
PCI BIOS failed to install PCI device BIOS (Option ROM)
checksum failure is detected during shadowing. Loose cables to expansion card(s); faulty or improperly installed expansion card.
Plug & Play Configuration Error
Read fault Requested sector not found
Remote configuration update attempt failed
ROM bad checksum = address Expansion card improperly installed or
n
SATA port not found
Sector not found Seek error Seek operation failed
Shutdown failure Shutdown test failure. See "Troubleshooting System Memory"
hard disk drive
Error encountered in initializing PCI device; faulty system board.
The operating system cannot read from the diskette or hard drive, the system could not find a particular sector on the disk, or the requested sector is defective.
System unable to process Remote Configuration request.
faulty.
SATA cables are not properly seated, or drive missing.
Faulty diskette or hard drive. See "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive"
Reseat the expansion cards. Ensure that all appropriate cables are securely connected to the expansion cards. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards" on page 109.
Install the RTCRST jumper and reboot the system. See Figure 6-1 for jumper location. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards" on page 109.
Replace the diskette. Ensure that the diskette and hard drive cables are properly connected. See "Troubleshooting a USB Device" on page 99, "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive" on page 105, or "Troubleshooting a Hard Drive" on page 107 for the appropriate drive(s) installed in your system.
Retry Remote Configuration.
Reseat the expansion cards. Ensure that all appropriate cables are securely connected to the expansion cards. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards" on page 109.
See "Troubleshooting a Hard Drive" on page 107.
on page 105 or "Troubleshooting a Hard Drive" on page 107 for the appropriate drive(s) installed in your system.
on page 103.
About Your System 23
Table 1-6. System Messages (continued)
Message Causes Corrective Actions
The amount of system memory has changed
The following DIMM pair is not compatible with the memory controller: DIMM x and DIMM y
The following DIMMs are not compatible: DIMM x and DIMM y
Time-of-day clock stopped Faulty battery or faulty chip. See "Troubleshooting the System
Time-of-day not set ­please run SETUP program
Timer chip counter 2 failed
Unsupported CPU combination
Unsupported CPU stepping detected
Utility partition not available
Warning! No microcode update loaded for processor
n
Memory has been added or removed or a memory module may be faulty.
The specified DIMM(s) are incompatible with the system.
The specified DIMM(s) are incompatible with the system.
Incorrect Time or Date settings; faulty system battery.
Faulty system board. See "Getting Help" on page 123.
Microprocessor(s) is not supported by the system.
The <F10> key was pressed during POST, but no utility partition exists on the boot hard drive.
Microcode update failed. Update the BIOS firmware. See "Getting
If memory has been added or removed, this message is informative and can be ignored. If memory has not been added or removed, check the SEL to determine if single-bit or multi-bit errors were detected and replace the faulty memory module. See "Troubleshooting System Memory" on page 103.
Ensure that only Dell-qualified memory is used. Dell recommends purchasing memory upgrade kits directly from www.dell.com or your Dell sales agent to ensure compatibility.
Ensure that only ECC FBD1 memory is used. Dell recommends purchasing memory upgrade kits directly from www.dell.com or your Dell sales agent to ensure compatibility.
Battery" on page 102.
Check the Time and Date settings. See "Using the System Setup Program" on page 27. If the problem persists, replace the system battery. See "System Battery" on page 79.
Install a supported microprocessor or microprocessor combination. See "Microprocessor" on page 73.
Create a utility partition on the boot hard drive. See the CDs that came with your system.
Help" on page 123.
24 About Your System
Table 1-6. System Messages (continued)
Message Causes Corrective Actions
Warning: The current memory configuration is not optimal. Dell recommends a population of 2 or 4 DIMMs. DIMMs should be populated sequentially starting in slot 1.
Write fault Write fault on selected
drive
System has detected a legal but non­optimal population of DIMMs. The system will run with all memory accessible but will experience sub­optimal performance.
Faulty diskette, optical/diskette drive assembly, hard drive, or hard-drive subsystem.
Populate 2 or 4 DIMMs sequentially beginning with slot 1. See "Memory" on page 76.
See "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive" on page 105, "Troubleshooting an Optical Drive" on page 106, or "Troubleshooting a Hard Drive" on page 107.
NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the "Glossary" on page 149.

Warning Messages

A warning message alerts you to a possible problem and prompts you to respond before the system continues a task. For example, before you format a diskette, a message will warn you that you may lose all data on the diskette. Warning messages usually interrupt the task and require you to respond by typing (yes) or
n (no).
NOTE: Warning messages are generated by either the application or the operating system. For more information,
see the documentation that accompanied the operating system or application.
y

Diagnostics Messages

When you run system diagnostics, an error message may result. Diagnostic error messages are not covered in this section. Record the message on a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist in "Getting Help" on page 123, and then follow the instructions in that section for obtaining technical assistance.

Alert Messages

Systems management software generates alert messages for your system. Alert messages include information, status, warning, and failure messages for drive, temperature, fan, and power conditions. For more information, see the systems management software documentation.
About Your System 25
26 About Your System

Using the System Setup Program

After you set up your system, run the System Setup program to familiarize yourself with your system configuration and optional settings. Record the information for future reference.
You can use the System Setup program to:
• Change the system configuration stored in NVRAM after you add, change, or remove hardware
• Set or change user-selectable options—for example, the time or date
• Enable or disable integrated devices
• Correct discrepancies between the installed hardware and configuration settings

Entering the System Setup Program

1
Turn on or restart your system.
2
Press <F2> immediately after you see the following message display briefly on the screen:
<F2> = System Setup
If your operating system begins to load before you press <F2>, allow the system to finish booting, and then restart your system and try again.
NOTE: To ensure an orderly system shutdown, see the documentation that accompanied your operating
system.

Responding to Error Messages

You can enter the System Setup program by responding to certain error messages. If an error message appears while the system is booting, make a note of the message. Before entering the System Setup program, see "System Messages" on page 17 for an explanation of the message and suggestions for correcting errors.
NOTE: After installing a memory upgrade, it is normal for your system to send a message the first time you
start your system.
Using the System Setup Program 27

Using the System Setup Program

Table 2-1 lists the keys that you use to view or change information on the System Setup program screens and to exit the program.
Table 2-1. System Setup Program Navigation Keys
Keys Action
Up arrow or <Shift><Tab> Moves to the previous field.
Down arrow or <Tab> Moves to the next field.
Spacebar, <+>, < right arrows
<Esc> Exits the System Setup program and restarts the
<F1> Displays the System Setup program
NOTE: For most of the options, any changes that you make are recorded but do not take effect until you restart the
system.
–>, left and
Cycles through the settings in a field. In many fields, you can also type the appropriate value.
system if any changes were made.
's help file.

System Setup Options

Main Screen

When you enter the System Setup program, the main System Setup program screen appears. See Figure 2-1.
28 Using the System Setup Program
Figure 2-1. Main System Setup Program Screen
Table 2-2 lists the options and descriptions for the information fields that appear on the main System Setup program screen.
NOTE: The options for the System Setup program change based on the system configuration.
NOTE: The System Setup program defaults are listed under their respective options, where applicable.
Table 2-2. System Setup Program Options
Option Description
System Time Resets the time on the system's internal clock.
System Date Resets the date on the system's internal calendar.
Memory Information Displays information related to installed system and video memory, including size,
type, and speed of memory modules, system video memory size and system memory test option.
Using the System Setup Program 29
Table 2-2. System Setup Program Options (continued)
Option Description
CPU Information Displays information related to microprocessors (speed, cache size, and so on).
Enable or disable Hyper-Threading technology, if supported, by changing the setting of the Logical Processor option. See Table 2-3.
SATA Port X Displays type and capacity of SATA drive attached to Port X on the system board.
Boot Sequence Determines the order in which the system searches for boot devices during system
startup. Available options can include the diskette drive, CD drive, hard drives, and network. Only the first IDE device found will be available in the boot sequence.
Hard-Disk Drive Sequence
Hard-Disk Failover (
Off
default)
USB Flash Drive Type
Auto
default)
(
Integrated Devices See "Integrated Devices Screen" on page 32.
PCI IRQ Assignment Displays a screen to change the IRQ assigned to each of the integrated devices on
System Security Displays a screen to configure the system password and setup password features,
System Event Log Select to view or clear the System Event Log (SEL). See "System Event Log" on
Keyboard NumLock (
On
default)
Report Keyboard Errors
Report
default)
(
Specifies the order in which hard drives are configured in the system. The first hard drive in the system will be the bootable C: drive in DOS/DOS-like operating systems.
When this field is set to On and the first hard drive is not available, the system attempts to boot from the other hard drives in the order specified in Hard-Disk Drive Sequence before searching for the next device in Boot Sequence. This feature may be used to boot to a mirrored drive in a software RAID 1 configuration.
Determines the emulation type for a USB flash drive. Hard disk allows the USB flash drive to act as a hard drive. Floppy allows the USB flash drive to act as a removal diskette drive. Auto automatically chooses an emulation type.
the PCI bus, and any installed expansion cards that require an IRQ.
AC power recovery, and chassis intrusion detection. See Table 2-5. See "Using the System Password" on page 36 and "Using the Setup Password" on page 38 for more information.
page 34.
Determines whether your system starts up with the NumLock mode activated on 101- or 102-key keyboards (does not apply to 84-key keyboards).
Enables or disables reporting of keyboard errors during the POST. Select Report for host systems that have keyboards attached. Select Do Not Report to suppress all error messages relating to the keyboard or keyboard controller during POST. This setting does not affect the operation of the keyboard itself if a keyboard is attached to the system.
30 Using the System Setup Program
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