Product guide

104
Chapter Five Problem Solving
After the System Has Been
Running Correctly (continued)
q If you suspect that a voltage spike, power outage or brownout might have
occurred, reload the software and try running it again. (Symptoms of
voltage spikes include a flickering video display, unexpected system
reboots and the system not responding to user commands.)
Random errors in data files: If you are getting random errors in your data files, they
may be being corrupted by voltage spikes on your AC power line. If you are
experiencing any of the above symptoms that might indicate voltage spikes on the
power line, you may want to install a surge suppressor between the power outlet and
the system power cord.
Note
This section provides a more detailed approach to identifying a problem and locating
its source.
Preparing the System for
Diagnostic Testing
Turn all devices off before disconnecting cables: Before disconnecting any
peripheral cables from the system, turn the system off and any external peripheral
devices. Failure to do so can cause permanent damage to the system and/or the
peripheral devices.
1. Turn the system and all external peripheral devices off. Disconnect all of
them from the system, except the keyboard and video monitor.
2. Make sure the system power cord is plugged into a properly grounded AC
outlet.
3. Make sure your video display monitor and keyboard are correctly connected
to the system. Turn the video monitor on. Set the brightness and contrast
controls to at least two thirds of their maximum ranges (see the
documentation supplied with the video display monitor).
4. If the operating system normally loads from the hard disk drive, make sure
there is no diskette in drive A. Otherwise, place a diskette containing the
operating system files in drive A.
5. Turn the system on. If the power LED does not illuminate, see “Power LED
Does Not Illuminate.”
Procedure
Caution