| Message |
Cause |
Action |
| Auxiliary device failure |
The touch pad, track stick, or external
PS/2 mouse may be faulty. |
If you are using an external mouse only,
check the connection for a loose or improperly connected cable. If the problem persists,
enable the Pointing Device option. If the problem persists, call Dell for technical assistance. |
| Bad command or file name |
The command you entered does not exist or
is not in the pathname you specified. |
Make sure that you have typed the command
correctly, placed spaces in the proper location, and used the correct pathname. |
| Cache disabled due to failure |
The primary cache internal to the
microprocessor has failed. |
Call Dell for
technical assistance. |
| CD-ROM drive controller failure 1 |
The CD-ROM drive does not respond to
commands from the computer. |
Turn off the computer, remove the drive,
and boot the computer from a bootable diskette. Then turn off the computer again,
reinstall the drive, and reboot the computer. If the problem persists, try another drive.
Then run the CD-ROM Drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Data error |
The diskette or hard-disk drive cannot
read the data. |
Run the appropriate utility to check the
file structure of the diskette drive or hard-disk drive. See the documentation that came
with your operating system. |
| Decreasing available memory |
One or more memory modules may be faulty
or improperly seated. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| Disk C: failed initialization |
The hard-disk drive failed
initialization. |
Run the Hard-Disk Drive tests in
the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Diskette drive 0 seek failure |
A cable may be loose, or the system
configuration information may not match the hardware configuration. |
Run the Diskette Drive tests in
the Dell Diagnostics. If error is not corrected, have the cables
checked by an authorized service technician. |
| Diskette read failure |
A cable may be loose, or the diskette may
be faulty. |
If the diskette-drive access light lights
up, try a different diskette. |
| Diskette subsystem reset failed |
The diskette drive controller may be
faulty. |
Run the Diskette Drive tests in
the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Diskette write-protected |
Because the diskette is write-protected,
the operation cannot be completed. |
Slide the write-protect notch up. |
| Drive not ready |
No diskette is in the diskette drive, or
no hard-disk drive is in the drive bay. The operation requires a diskette in the drive or
a hard-disk drive in the bay before it can continue. |
Put a diskette in the drive, or push the
diskette all the way into the drive until the eject button pops out. Or, install a
hard-disk drive in the drive bay. |
| Error reading PCMCIA card |
The computer cannot identify the PC Card. |
Reseat the card or try another PC Card
that you know works. |
| Extended memory size has changed |
The amount of memory recorded in NVRAM
does not match the memory installed in the computer. |
Reboot the computer. If the error appears
on the display again, call Dell for technical assistance. |
| Gate A20 failure |
An installed memory module may be loose. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| General failure |
The operating system is unable to carry
out the command. |
This message is usually followed by
specific information—for example, Printer out of
paper. Respond by taking the appropriate action. |
| Hard-disk drive configuration error |
The computer cannot identify the drive
type. |
Turn off the computer, remove the drive,
and boot the computer from a bootable diskette. Then turn off the computer, reinstall the
drive, and reboot the computer. Run the Hard-Disk Drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Hard-disk drive controller failure |
The hard-disk drive does not respond to
commands from the computer. |
Turn off the computer, remove the drive,
and boot the computer from a bootable diskette. Then turn off the computer again,
reinstall the drive, and reboot the computer. If the problem persists, try another drive.
Then run the Hard-Disk Drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Hard-disk drive failure |
The hard-disk drive does not respond to
commands from the computer. |
Turn off the computer, remove the drive,
and boot the computer from a bootable diskette. Then turn off the computer again,
reinstall the drive, and reboot the computer. If the problem persists, try another drive.
Then run the Hard-Disk Drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics |
| Hard-disk drive read failure |
The hard-disk drive may be faulty. |
Turn off the computer, remove the drive,
and boot the computer from a bootable diskette. Then turn off the computer again,
reinstall the drive, and reboot the computer. If the problem persists, try another drive.
Then run the Hard-Disk Drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics |
| Invalid configuration
information-please run System Setup Program |
The system configuration information does
not match the hardware configuration. This message is most likely to occur after a memory
module is installed. |
Correct the appropriate options in the system setup program. |
| Keyboard clock line failure |
A cable or connector may be loose, or the
keyboard may be faulty. |
Run the Keyboard Controller test
in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Keyboard controller failure |
A cable or connector may be loose, or the
keyboard may be faulty. |
Reboot the computer, and avoid touching
the keyboard or the mouse during the boot routine. If the problem persists, run the Keyboard
Controller test in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Keyboard data line failure |
A cable or connector may be loose, or the
keyboard may be faulty. |
Run the Keyboard Controller test
in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Keyboard stuck key failure |
If an external keyboard or keypad is
being used, a cable or connector may be loose or the keyboard may be faulty. If the
integrated keyboard is being used, the keyboard may be faulty.
A key on the integrated keyboard or external keyboard may have been pressed while the
computer was booting. |
Run the Stuck Key test in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Memory address line failure at
address, read value expecting value |
An installed memory module may be faulty
or improperly seated. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| Memory allocation error |
The software you are attempting to run is
conflicting with the operating system, another application program, or a utility. |
Turn off the computer, wait 30 seconds,
and then restart it. Try to run the program again. If the problem persists, contact the
software company. |
| Memory data line failure at
address, read value expecting value |
An installed memory module may be faulty
or improperly seated. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| Memory double word logic failure at
address, read value expecting value |
An installed memory module may be faulty
or improperly seated. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| Memory odd/even logic failure at
address, read value expecting value |
An installed memory module may be faulty
or improperly seated. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| Memory write/read failure at
address, read value expecting value |
An installed memory module may be faulty
or improperly seated. |
Reseat the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. |
| No boot device available |
The computer cannot find the diskette or
hard-disk drive. |
If the diskette drive is your boot
device, make sure that there is a bootable diskette in the drive. If the hard-disk drive
is your boot device, make sure that the drive is installed, properly seated, and
partitioned as a boot device. |
| No boot sector on hard-disk drive |
The operating system may be corrupted. |
Reinstall your operating system. See the
documentation that came with your operating system. |
| No timer tick interrupt |
A chip on the system board may be
malfunctioning. |
Run the System Set tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Non-system disk or disk error |
The diskette in drive A or your hard-disk
drive does not have a bootable operating system installed on it. |
If you are trying to boot from the
diskette, replace it with one that has a bootable operating system. |
| Not a boot diskette |
There is no operating system on the
diskette. |
Boot the computer with a diskette that
contains an operating system. |
| Optional ROM bad checksum |
The optional ROM apparently failed. |
Call Dell for
technical assistance. |
| Sector not found |
The operating system cannot locate a
sector on the diskette or hard-disk drive. You probably have a bad sector or corrupted FAT
on the diskette or hard-disk drive. |
Run the appropriate utility to check the
file structure on the diskette or hard-disk drive. If a large number of sectors are
defective, back up the data (if possible), and then reformat the diskette or hard-disk
drive. |
| Seek error |
The operating system cannot find a
specific track on the diskette or hard-disk drive. |
If the error is on the diskette drive,
try another diskette in the drive. |
| Shutdown failure |
A chip on the system board may be
malfunctioning. |
Run the System Set tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Time-of-day clock lost power |
Data stored in NVRAM has become
corrupted. |
Connect your computer to an electrical
outlet to charge the battery. If the problem persists, try to restore the data. To restore
the data, press <Fn><F1> to enter the system setup program.
Then immediately exit it. If the message reappears, call Dell
for technical assistance. |
| Time-of-day clock stopped |
The reserve battery that supports the
data stored in NVRAM may be read. |
Connect your computer to an electrical
outlet to charge the battery. If the problem persists, call Dell
for technical assistance. |
| Time-of-day not set-please run the
System Setup program |
The time or date stored in the system
setup program does not watch the system clock. |
Correct the settings for the Date
and Time options. (For instructions, see "System
Setup Program.") |
| Timer chip counter 2 failed |
A chip on the system board may be
malfunctioning. |
Run the System Set tests in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Unexpected interrupt in protected
mode |
The keyboard controller may be
malfunctioning, or an installed memory module may be loose. |
Run the System Memory tests and
the Keyboard Controller test in the Dell Diagnostics. |
| Warning: Battery is critically low. |
The battery is running out of charge. |
Replace the battery, or connect the computer to an electrical outlet. Otherwise, activate
suspend-to-disk mode or turn off the
computer. |
