Dell Inspiron 3700 Troubleshooting Guide

support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting 3-3
Be sure the following items are properly connected or installed:

AC adapter and AC power cable

Second battery or any other optional device installed in the media bay

Cables that connect external devices through the input/output (I/O) connectors 
and ports on the computer.
-	$/

A number of external factors, including temperature extremes and humidity, magnetic 
influences, sources of electromagnetic interference (EMI), and poor input power or...

3-4 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide

Plug the computer directly into an electrical outlet, bypassing any power          
protection devices.

Plug a device, such as a lamp that you know works, into the electrical outlet to 
make sure the power source is okay.
.
$

%	

	
		
				 				
				
		$
			0,>@1				

	 
NOTE: If your modem can dial and connect to one Internet...

support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting 3-5
NOTE: Inconsistencies in the manufacturing of CD-ROM media may cause some 
higher-speed CD-ROM drives to vibrate more than others. Such vibration and         
associated noise do not indicate a defect in the drive or the CD.

Double-click 
My 
Computer and check to see if the drive is recognized by the 
computer. Most of the common boot sector viruses cause the CD-ROM or    
DV D - RO M  d ri ve t o  “disappear.” Use virus-scanning software (if Dell installed...

3-6 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide
.,		.
		
Looking at and listening to your computer is important in determining the source of a 
problem. Look and listen for the indications described in Table 3-1.
If the problem is still not resolved, see the next subsection, “System Setup Program 
Options.”
#$#,$	
You can easily correct certain computer problems by verifying the settings for System 
Setup program options. When you boot the computer, it...

support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting 3-7
hardware configuration doesn’t match the information recorded by the System Setup 
program options, an error message may appear on the display.
To fix this problem, correct the appropriate options in the System Setup program. See 
Appendix B, “Using the System Setup program,” for detailed information about the 
System Setup program and its options.
If, after checking the setup options, you have not resolved the problem, see “Running 
the Dell Diagnostics” found...

3-8 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide
The software installation routine assists you in transferring the appropriate program 
files to the computer’s hard-disk 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. If you 
are instructed to modify the start-up files, see the documentation that came with the...

support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting 3-9






There are a variety of utilities and supplementar y programs that can be loaded either 
when the computer boots or from an operating system prompt. These programs are 
designed to stay resident in system memory and thus always be available for use. 
Because they remain in the computer’s memor y, memory conflicts and errors can 
result when other programs require use of all or part of the memor y already occupied 
by these TSR programs....

3-10 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide
 
(*+#	
-1$



 
IRQ0 Reser ved; generated by the system timer
IRQ1 Reser ved; generated by the keyboard controller to signal that 
the keyboard output buffer is full
IRQ2 Reser ved; generated internally by the interrupt controller to 
enable IRQ8 through IRQ15
IRQ3 Available for use by a PC Card unless the integrated serial port 
or infrared port is configured for COM2 or COM4
IRQ4 Available for...

support.dell.comBasic Troubleshooting 3-11

	
This section provides troubleshooting procedures for integrated components (such as 
the display) and for external devices that connect to the computer (such as an external 
monitor). Before performing any of the procedures in this section, see “Checking the 
Basics” found earlier in this chapter and read the safety instructions at the front of this 
guide. Then perform the appropriate troubleshooting procedure for the component or...

3-12 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide
7. Open the display, and place the computer across two books or similar props to 
let air circulate all around it. Let the computer dr y for at least 24 hours.
Place the computer in a dry area at room temperature. Do not use artificial 
means to speed up the dr ying process.  

	>#	
	
	
		#	
				
$#	

	
	
		
	 
8. Ground yourself by touching one of the unpainted...