HP Workstation xw4200 System Diagnostics and Troubleshooting

Chapter 5 System Diagnostics and
Troubleshooting

This chapter discusses the tools available for diagnosing and troubleshooting system issues. This
chapter includes the following sections:

 “Help & Support Center (HSC) and E-Support” on page 116

 “Troubleshooting Checklist” on page 116

 “LED Color Definitions” on page 117

 “HP Insight Diagnostics Offline Edition” on page 117

 “Troubleshooting Using HP Intelligent Manageability Features” on page 122

Chapter 5

 “Diagnostic Error Codes” on page 123

 “Troubleshooting Scenarios and Solutions” on page 125

 “POST and Error Messages” on page 148

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Help & Support Center (HSC) and E-Support

HSC provides online access to technical support information, software updates and downloads,
diagnostic tools, and HP support contact information.

To open HSC from your desktop, click Start>Help and Support.

HSC contains four sections:

 HP Product Information (requires Internet access)—Links to the HP Technical Support Web site for

your product. You can access all related documentation, downloads and updates, tools, and more.

 HP Software & Driver Downloads (requires Internet access)—Links to HP-specific software

downloads and updates.

 HP Support Tools (requires Internet access)—Links to self-help tools and diagnostics offered by HP

Instant Support Professional Edition.

 Contact HP for Support (option available that does not require Internet access)—Provides two

different options:

 Chat with an expert online (requires Internet access)—Provides a tool to communicate with a

support specialist online through Active Chat.

 Call a support agent—Provides hardware details about the workstation and HP support contact

phone number worldwide.

Troubleshooting Checklist

Before running any of the diagnostic utilities, review the following checklist to find possible solutions for
workstation or software problems:

 Are the workstation and monitor connected to a working electrical outlet?

 Is the workstation turned on?

 Is the green power light illuminated?

 Is the monitor turned on?

 Is the green monitor light illuminated?

 Turn up the monitor brightness and contrast controls if the monitor is dim.

 Press and hold any key. If the system beeps, then the keyboard is operating correctly.

 Check all cables for loose or incorrect connections.

 Reconfigure the workstation after installing a non-Plug ‘n Play expansion board or other option, such

as a diskette drive.

 Are all of the necessary device drivers installed?

 Have all printer drivers been installed for each application?

 Remove all diskettes and CDs from the drives before you turn on the system.

 Are all switches set correctly?

 Are you running the latest BIOS version, drivers, and/or software updates?

116 SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS AND TROUBLESHOOTING

LED Color Definitions

An LED light exists on the front panel of your workstation. The following table describes what each color
signifies.

Table 5-1

LED State LED Color System Status

Solid Green System is on.

Blinking Green System is in Standby.

Solid or Blinking Red System has error. See “Diagnostic Error Codes” on page 123

None No Light System is in Hibernate or it is off.

LED color definitions

HP Insight Diagnostics Offline Edition

The diagnostics utility enables you to perform testing and to view critical computer hardware and
software configuration information from various sources. This utility allows you to:

 Run diagnostics.

 View the hardware configuration of the system.

Key Features and Benefits

HP Insight Diagnostics simplifies the process of effectively identifying, diagnosing, and isolating the
hardware issues.

Chapter 5

In addition to robust management tools, service tools can be invaluable in quickly resolving system
problems. To streamline the service process and resolve problems quickly, it is necessary to have the
right information available at the time that a service call is placed. The primary information requirement,
which is also the one that provides the greatest insight into potential system issues, is the configuration
of the system. Insight Diagnostics helps provide higher system availability. Typical uses of the Insight
Diagnostics are:

 Testing and diagnosing apparent hardware failures

 Documenting system configurations for upgrade planning, standardization, inventory tracking,

disaster recovery, and maintenance

 Sending configuration information to another location for more in-depth analysis

Theory of Operation

Insight Diagnostics Offline Edition operates in offline mode only. The operating system is not running and
software information from the system is not available to the diagnostics.

Offline Survey is available to display the current system configuration.

The Insight Diagnostics Test feature provides the capability to test functionality of all the major
hardware components in the system. The Test feature is designed to be flexible to allow the user to
customize test selections by providing different modes and types of testing.

A Quick Test provides a predetermined script where a sample of each hardware component is
exercised and requires no user intervention.

LED COLOR DEFINITIONS 117

A Complete Test provides a predetermined script where each hardware component is fully tested. You
can select Interactive or Unattended tests. This will change the devices tested during the Complete Test.
There are more tests available in the interactive mode, but these require user intervention.

A Custom Test provides the most flexibility in controlling the testing of a system. The Custom Test mode
allows the user to specifically select which devices, tests, and test parameters are run. Users are
provided the ability to select tests that do not require any user interaction through the Interactive and
Unattended tests modes.

Diagnostic Utility on CD

HP Insight Diagnostics is available on the
workstation.

To start the diagnostic utility on the

1 Turn on your workstation and press the F10 key during the initial boot process to enter the Computer

Setup (F10) Utility (page 36).

2 Select your language from the list and press the Enter key. In the Computer Setup Utilities menu,

there are five headings displayed: File, Storage, Security, Power, and Advanced.

3 Use the right arrow key to select Storage. Use the down arrow key to select Boot Order, then press

Enter.

4 Select CD-ROM Drive and enable it as a bootable device by pressing the F5 key (if not already

enabled, pressing F5 key again disables the device).

5 Set the CD-ROM Drive to the top of the boot order. To do this, select CD-ROM, press Enter, and use

use the up arrow to move it to top of order.

6 To apply and save changes, press the F10 key, then select File>Save Changes and Exit.

7 Insert the

8 Restart your system and HP Insight Diagnostics launches automatically.

Documentation Library

Documentation Library

Documentation Library

CD:

CD into the workstation.

CD that was shipped with your

Download the ISO Image

The download the latest diagnostic utility.

1 Visit http://www.hp.com

2 Click the Support & Drivers link.

3 Click the Download driver and software radio button.

4 Enter your product number (for example, xw4200) in the text box and press Enter.

5 Select your OS.

6 Click the Diagnostic link.

7 Locate HP Insight Diagnostics and click Download.

118 SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS AND TROUBLESHOOTING

.

User Interface

NAVIGATION

The Insight Diagnostics home page contains the following tabs: Survey, Test, Status, Log, and Help.
These tabs separate the major functions of Insight Diagnostics.

SURVEY TAB

When the Survey tab is selected, the Survey menu displays and allows you to view important system
configuration information. The Summary view limits the amount of data displayed, while the Advanced
view shows all the data in the selected category. Regardless of whether you choose Advanced or
Summary, the following categories of information are available on the Survey menu:

 Overview—The Overview view gives you a listing of general information about the computer.

 All—The All view gives a listing of all information about the computer.

 Architecture—The Architecture view shows the type of bus the computer uses. In addition, if the bus

is PCI, information about the PCI configuration is displayed.

 Asset Control—The Asset Control view shows the serial number of the computer (system

identification number).

 Communication—The Communication view shows information about the computer parallel (LPT)

and serial (COM) port settings, USB, and network controller information.

Chapter 5

 Graphics—The Graphics view shows information about the graphics subsystem of the computer.

This includes information about the graphics card, mode, and ROM.

 Input Devices—The Input Devices view shows information about the type of keyboard, mouse, and

other input devices connected to the computer.

 Internal Conditions—The Internal Conditions view shows information about the health of the

computer. This includes fan, temperature, and power supply information.

 Memory—The Memory view shows information about all memory in the computer. This includes

memory on the board and any memory modules installed.

 Miscellaneous—The Miscellaneous view shows information obtained from the computers

configuration memory (CMOS), BIOS data area, Interrupt Vector table, and diagnostics component
information.

 Multimedia—The Multimedia view shows information about all multimedia devices in the

workstation. This includes audio devices installed.

 Resources—The Resources view shows the system device resource usage information. This

includes information about I/O, memory, IRQ, slot, and bus usage.

 Storage—The Storage view shows information about storage media connected to the computer. This

list includes all fixed disks, diskette drives, and CD-ROM drives.

 System—The System view shows product type, processor type and speed, and coprocessor

information. Also shown in this display is information about all ROMs in the computer.

HP INSIGHT DIAGNOSTICS OFFLINE EDITION 119

TEST TAB

The Insight Diagnostics utility provides the capability to test all the major pieces of hardware in the
system. You can select from several types of tests:

 Quick Test—Provides a predetermined script where a sample of each hardware component is

exercised and requires no user intervention.

 Complete Test—Provides a predetermined script where each hardware component is fully tested.

You can select Interactive or Unattended tests. This will change the devices tested during the
Complete Test. There are more tests available in the interactive mode, but these require user
intervention.

 Custom Test—Provides the most flexibility in controlling the testing of a system. The Custom Test

mode enables the user to specifically select which devices, tests, and test parameters are run. Users
are provided the ability to select tests that do not require any user interaction through the Interactive
and Unattended test modes.

To begin testing:

1 Select the Tes t tab.

2 Select the Type of Test to perform and then select the Test Mode, either Interactive or Unattended.

3 Choose how you want the test to be executed, either Number of Loops or Total Test Time.

When choosing to run the test over a specified number of loops, enter the number of loops to
perform. If you desire to have the diagnostic test for a specified time period, enter the amount of
time in minutes.

NOTE Testing will automatically stop, if one test loop has been completed, when the elapsed test time

has reached the specified time limit.

4 Click Begin Testing to start the test.

While tests are being performed, the user can monitor the progress by viewing the Status tab. Any
errors that are detected are summarized in the Error Log. Click the Print button to print or save the
report.

If the diagnostics utility detects an error during a test, the user can mouse-over the failed text in the
Status tab to display additional information for the type of error and the error code.

To view all test failure information, select the Error Log. To view the status of all testing that has
been performed, select the Log tab.

120 SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS AND TROUBLESHOOTING

STATUS TAB

The Status tab displays the status of the selected tests. The type of test executed (for example, Quick,
Complete, Custom) is displayed. The main progress bar displays the percent complete of the current

set of tests. While testing is in progress a Cancel testing button, which will cancel the test job, is
displayed.

After testing has completed the Cancel testing button is replaced with two buttons, Select New Tests
and Retest. The Select New Tests button allows you to go back to the previous test selection page to
select a new set of tests. The Retest button will retest the last set of tests executed. This enables you to
re-run the set of tests without having to go back to the test selection page.

The Status page also shows:

 The devices being tested.

 The tests that are running.

 The overall elapsed time.

 The individual elapsed test times.

 The condition status of each test.

LOG TAB

The Log tab consists of three views.

Chapter 5

 Test Log—Displays all tests that have been executed, number of times of execution, number of

times the test failed, and the time it took to complete the test. The Clear Test Log button will clear the
contents of the Test Log.

 Error Log—Displays the tests that have failed during the diagnostic testing. Besides displaying the

device and test this section might also include error details. The description section describes the
error that the diagnostic test found. The Recommended Repair will give a recommended action that
should be performed to resolve the failed hardware. The error count is the number of times the test
has failed. The Clear Error Log button will clear the contents of the Error Log.

 Test Components—Hardware and software tests can be performed on the following components:

 Audio—Identifies all audio devices installed in a system, captures any associated configuration

information, and provides the ability to verify proper operation of these devices.

 CPU—Identifies all processors installed in a system, captures any associated configuration

information, and provides the ability to verify proper operation of these devices.

 Inspect—Captures general system configuration information.

 Keyboard—Identifies the keyboard installed in a system and provides the ability to verify proper

operation of this device.

 Memory—Identifies all memory modules installed in a system, captures any associated

configuration information, and provides the ability to verify proper operation of these modules.

 Modem—Identifies all modem devices installed in a system, captures any associated

configuration information, and provides the ability to verify the proper operation of these devices.

 Mouse—Identifies the mouse installed in a system and provides the ability to verify proper

operation of this device.

HP INSIGHT DIAGNOSTICS OFFLINE EDITION 121

Network—Identifies all network devices installed in a system, captures any associated



configuration information, and provides the ability to verify proper operation of these devices. NIC
testing is only performed if drivers are installed during discovery.

 Parallel Port—Identifies all parallel devices installed in a system and captures any associated

configuration information. If the parallel port is properly configured and the information is available
to the operating system, the associated DMA, IRQ, and I/O ports are reported. This test
component also provides the ability to verify proper operation of these devices.

 PCI Bus—Identifies all PCI devices installed in a system and provides the ability to verify proper

PCI I/O operation to the devices.

 Serial Port—Identifies all serial devices installed in a system, captures any associated

configuration information, and provides the ability to verify proper operation of these devices.

 Storage—Identifies storage devices connected to a system through IDE, USB, SCSI or a Fibre

Channel network. Supported devices include:

z IDE hard disk drives

z USB diskette drives

z SCSI disk drives

z SCSI tape drives

z SCSI controllers

z RAID controllers

Controllers can be connected to the host through PCI, I2C, or serial port. The component also
captures any associated configuration information, and provides the ability to verify proper
operation of these devices.

 Stress—Provides a solution for stress testing hardware in a system.

 USB—Identifies all USB devices installed in a system, captures any associated configuration

information, and provides the ability to verify proper operation of these devices.

 Graphics—Identifies all graphic devices installed in a system, captures any associated

configuration information, such as the ASIC and monitor types, and provides the ability to verify
proper operation of these devices.

A list of available tests for each test component and a list of error codes can be accessed through the
Test Component and Error Codes menu selections on the Help tab menu bar.

Troubleshooting Using HP Intelligent Manageability Features

The Local Alert Pop-Up Dialog notifies you of an impending or actual hardware failure. If the workstation
is connect to a network and the HP Insight Management Agents are installed and configured, a Simple
Network Management Protocol (SNMP) trap (message) is sent to the specified SNMP-compliant
management application.

122 SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS AND TROUBLESHOOTING

Diagnostic Error Codes

This section gives an overview of the diagnostic lights and error codes that are related to the HP
Workstation xw4200.

Diagnostic Light Codes

Table 5-2 Diagnostic Light Codes

Chassis Indicator Lights

Power LED and Sound
Activity

None System does not power on

Diagnosis and Service Action

Press power button. If HDD LED = GREEN, then:

1 Verify voltage selected.

2 Remove expansion cards one at a time until the 5V_Aux light on the system board

illuminates.

3 Replace system board.

OR

1 Press power button. If HDD LED does not illuminate, then:

2 Verify workstation plugged into live AC outlet.

3 Verify power button harness connected to system board.

4 Verify that both power supply cables are properly connected to the system board.

5 Verify that the 5V_Aux light on the system board is illuminated. If on, replace the

power button harness.

6 Disconnect the AC power cord. Disconnect all internal power supply cables. Plug

in the AC power cord. On the rear panel of the workstation, look through the
ventilation holes above the power cord connector for a green LED light.

z If the green LED light is not visible or the power supply fan is not spinning,

replace the power supply.

z If the green LED light is visible and the power supply fan is spinning, the

power supply is functional.

7 Replace system board.

Chapter 5

Solid GREEN Power LED Workstation on. No action required.

GREEN Power LED flashes 1
time every 2 seconds

Blinks RED 2 times, once per
second, then 2 second pause,
2 beeps

Workstation in Suspended to RAM mode (select models) or normal Suspend or
Standby mode. No action required.

Thermal Shutdown:

1 Ensure the workstation air vents are not blocked and cooling fan is running.

2 Open hood, press power button, and see if processor fan spins. If not spinning,

ensure fan cable is plugged into the system board. Ensure fan is fully/properly
seated.

3 If fan is plugged in and seated but not spinning, then replace processor fan.

4 Reseat CPU heatsink and verify fan assembly properly attached.

DIAGNOSTIC ERROR CODES 123

Table 5-2 Diagnostic Light Codes (Continued)

Chassis Indicator Lights (Continued)

Power LED and Sound
Activity

Blinks RED 3 times, once per
second, then 2-second pause,
3 beeps

Blinks RED 4 times, once per
second, then 2 second pause,
4 beeps

Blinks RED 5 times, once per
second, then 2 second pause,
5 beeps

Diagnosis and Service Action

CPU not installed:

1 Install CPU.

2 Reseat CPU.

Power supply failure:

1 Open the access panel and ensure the 4-wire power supply cable is properly

connected to the system board.

2 Locate faulty device by removing all devices and then reinstalling one at a time

until workstation fails. Replace the device causing the failure. Continue adding
devices to ensure all are functioning properly.

3 Replace the power supply.

4 Replace the system board.

Pre-video memory error.

1 Reseat memory modules.

2 Replace memory modules one at a time to find the faulty module.

3 Replace third-party modules with HP memory.

4 Replace system board.

Blinks RED 6 times, once per
second, then 2 second pause,
6 beeps

Blinks RED 7 times, once per
second, then 2 second pause,
7 beeps.

Blinks RED 8 times, once per
second, then 2 second pause,
8 beeps

Blinks RED 9 times, once per
second, then 2 second pause,
9 beeps

Blinks RED 10 times, once per
second, then 2 second pause,
10 beeps

Pre-video graphics card error.
For systems with integrated graphics, replace system board.
For systems with graphic cards,

1 Reseat the graphics card. Power on the system.

2 Replace the graphics card.

3 Replace the system board.

System board failure (ROM detected failure before video).
Replace system board.

Invalid ROM based on bad checksum.

1Reflash ROM.

2 Replace system board.

System powers on but is unable to boot.

1 Replace the system board.

2 Replace the processor.

Bad option card.

1 Check each graphics card by removing the card (one at a time if multiple cards),

then power on the system to see if the fault goes away.

2 Once a bad card is identified, remove and replace the bad option card.

3 Replace the system board.

124 SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS AND TROUBLESHOOTING

Troubleshooting Scenarios and Solutions

This section presents an extensive overview of various troubleshooting scenarios and includes possible
solutions for each. Before replacing the power supply, use the Built-In Self-Test (BIST) feature to learn if
the power supply still works.

To test the power supply:

1 Disconnect all internal power supply cables.

2 On the rear panel of the workstation, look through the ventilation holes above the power cord

connector for a green LED light. If the light is visible, the power supply is functional.

Solving Minor Problems

Table 5-3 Solving Minor Problems

Problem Cause Possible Solution

Workstation appears locked up
and will not turn off when the
power button is pressed.

Workstation will not respond to
USB keyboard or mouse.

NOTE: When attempting to resume from standby mode, do not hold down the power button for more than four
seconds. Otherwise, the workstation will shut down and you will lose your data.

Workstation date and time
display is incorrect.

Workstation appears to pause
periodically.

Cursor will not move using the
arrow keys on the keypad.

Cannot remove access panel. Solenoid hood lock, featured on

Software control of the power
switch is not functional.

Workstation is in standby mode. Press the power button to resume from standby

Real-time clock (RTC) battery
may need to be replaced.

Network driver is loaded and no
network connection is
established.

The Num Lock key might be on. Press the Num Lock key. The Num Lock key can

some workstations, is locked.

1 Press and hold the power button for at least

four seconds until the workstation turns off.

2 Disconnect electrical plug from outlet.

mode.

1 Reset the date and time under Control Panel.

2 Replace the RTC battery.

Establish a network connection, or use Computer
Setup or Microsoft Windows Device Manager to
disable the network controller.

be disabled (or enabled) in Computer Setup.

1 Unlock the solenoid hood lock using

Computer Setup.

2 Use the access panel FailSafe Key in case of

forgotten password, power loss, or
workstation malfunction.

Chapter 5

Poor performance is
experienced.

Processor is hot. 1 Ensure airflow to the workstation is not

blocked.

2 Ensure the fans are connected and working

properly (some fans only operate when
needed).

3 Ensure the processor heatsink is installed

properly.

Hard drive is full. Transfer data from the hard drive to create more

space on the hard drive.

TROUBLESHOOTING SCENARIOS AND SOLUTIONS 125

Table 5-3 Solving Minor Problems (Continued)

Problem Cause Possible Solution

Workstation powered off
automatically and the Power
LED flashes Red two times,
once every second, followed
by a two-second pause.

System does not power on and
the LEDs on the front of the
workstation are not flashing.

Processor thermal protection
activated:
A fan might be blocked or not
turning.
OR
The heatsink is not properly
attached to the processor.

System unable to power on. Press and hold the power button for less than 4

1 Ensure workstation air vents are not blocked

and the cooling fan is running.

2 Open hood, press power button, and see if the

processor fan spins. If not spinning, be sure
the fan’s cable is plugged onto the system
board header. Ensure the fan is fully/properly
seated or installed.

3 Replace the processor fan.

4 Reseat processor heatsink and verify that the

fan assembly is properly attached.

seconds. If the hard drive LED turns green, then:

1 Remove the expansion cards one at a time

until the 5V_aux light on the system board
turns on.

2 Replace the system board.

OR

Press and hold the power button for less than 4
seconds. If the hard drive LED does not turn on
green then:

1 Check that the unit is plugged into a working

AC outlet.

2 Open hood and check that the power button

harness is properly connected to the system
board.

3 Check that both power supply cables are

properly connected to the system board.

4 If the 5V_aux light on the system board is on,

then replace the power button harness.

5 If the 5V_aux light on the system board is off,

perform the Built-In Self-Test on the power
supply. Disconnect the AC power cord from
the system. Disconnect all internal power
supply cables. Plug in AC power.

If the green BIST LED on the rear of the

workstation is lit AND the fan is spinning,
the power supply is functional.

If the green BIST LED is not lit OR the fan is

not spinning, replace the power supply.

6 Replace the system board.

126 SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS AND TROUBLESHOOTING