C H A P T E R 2

Troubleshooting

Before troubleshooting your specific workstation problem, collect the following information:

What events occurred prior to the failure?

Was any hardware or software modified or installed?

Was the workstation recently installed or moved?

How long has the workstation exhibited symptoms?

What is the duration or frequency of the problem?

After you have assessed the problem and noted your current configuration and environment, you can choose from several ways to troubleshoot your workstation:

Visually inspect your system as described in Section 2.1, Visual Inspection.

View the troubleshooting procedures in Section 2.2, Troubleshooting Procedures to see if any of them solve the problem.

Execute diagnostics test as described in Chapter 3, Diagnostics.

If you are not able to resolve the problem, contact Sun technical support. Support numbers are shown in Section 2.3, Technical Assistance.

2.1 Visual Inspection

Improperly set controls and loose or improperly connected cables are common causes of problems with hardware components. When investigating a system problem, first check all the external switches, controls, and cable connections. See Section 2.1.1, Performing an External Visual Inspection.

If this does not resolve your problem, then visually inspect the system's interior hardware for problems such as a loose card, cable connector, or mounting screw. See Section 2.1.2, Performing an Internal Visual Inspection.

2.1.1 Performing an External Visual Inspection

1. Turn off the system and any attached peripherals (if applicable).

2. Verify that all power cables are properly connected to the system, the monitor, and peripherals, and check their power sources.

3. Inspect connections to any attached devices including network cables, keyboard, monitor, and mouse, as well as any devices attached to the serial port.

2.1.2 Performing an Internal Visual Inspection

1. Shut down the operating system, if necessary, and turn off the platform power on the front of the workstation.

2. Turn off the AC power on the rear of the workstation.

3. Turn off any attached peripherals, but do not disconnect the power cables.

4. Remove the left-side panel, following the procedures in Section 4.2, Installation Precautions.

Caution - Some components, such as the heatsink, can become extremely hot during system operations. Allow these components to cool before handling them.

5. Verify that the components are fully seated in their sockets or connectors and that the sockets are clean.

6. Verify that all cables inside the system are firmly attached to their appropriate connectors.

7. Replace the left-side panel.

8. Reconnect the system and any attached peripherals to their power sources, and then power them on.

2.2 Troubleshooting Procedures

TABLE 2-1 contains possible problems that might arise during the use of your workstation. Possible solutions are listed for each problem. If the solutions listed here do not fix the problem, run the appropriate diagnostic test (see Chapter 3).

TABLE 2-1 Troubleshooting Procedures
Problem	Possible solution
Workstation does not power on when the front panel power button is pressed.	Make sure the power button on the front panel is turned on (the platform power LED on the button should be lit). Make sure the power cable is connected correctly. Make sure that the wall outlet has power. Test it by plugging in another device.
Workstation does not power off when the front panel power button is pressed.	Try all of the power-off options shown in Section 1.4.2, Powering Off the Workstation. If the workstation still does not power off, disconnect the power cable from the rear of the chassis.
The network status indicator does not light up.	Check the cabling and network equipment to make sure that all cables are correctly seated. Reinstall the network drivers.
An external device connected to a USB connector does not work.	Reduce the number of external devices connected to a USB hub. Refer to the documentation that comes with the device.
Cannot eject CD-RW/DVD-ROM tray	Insert the tip of a pen or paper clip into the ejection opening on the CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive tray.
System cannot read the disk information.	Do the following: 1. Turn off the workstation by pressing the power button. 2. Remove the left-side panel. 3. Check to make sure that the power and data cables are connected to the disk drive and the pins in the cable and connector are not bent. 4. Replace the left-side panel. 5. Turn on the workstation.
System cannot read the compact disc information.	Check the following: Are you using the correct type of compact disc? Is the compact disc properly inserted in the drive? Is the compact disc clean and unscratched? Are the cables connected to the CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive?
No video displays on the monitor screen.	Check the following: Is the cable connected to the video connector? Is the monitor power cord connected to the power outlet? Does the wall outlet have power? Test it by plugging in another device. Is the video card seated correctly in its connector? Are the internal cables properly connected to the video card?
External device is not working.	Check the documentation that came with the device to see if any device drivers need to be installed. Ensure that the cables for the external device are firmly connected, and that the pins in the cable and connector are not bent. Power off the system, re-attach the external device, and power on the system.
Newly installed memory is not detected.	Make sure that the memory is properly seated on the DIMM sockets. Move the memory to the other DIMM socket to determine whether the socket is defective. Make sure that you are using 512 MB, 1 GB, or 2 GB DDR 400 SDRAM modules with 3.05 cm max. height. Make sure that the memory is installed in pairs.
Workstation does not boot and you hear a loud, steady noise.	If you have installed an NVIDIA FX4000 AGP card in the workstation, the dual dongle (y splitter) power cable might not be connected properly. Refer to Section 4.5.6, Installing a PCI or AGP Card for information on properly installing AGP cards.

2.3 Technical Assistance

If the troubleshooting procedures in this chapter fail to solve your problem, TABLE 2-2 lists the Sun web sites and telephone numbers for additional technical support.

TABLE 2-2 Sun Web Sites and Telephone Numbers
Workstation Documents and Support Resources	URL or Telephone Number
PDF files for all the current Sun Java Workstation W1100z and W2100z documents.	`http://www.sun.com/documentation/`
Solaris and other software documents. This web site has full search capabilities.	`http://docs.sun.com/documentation/`
Discussion and troubleshooting forums.	`http://supportforum.sun.com/`
Support, diagnostic tools, and alerts for all Sun products.	`http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/`
SunSolveSM web site. Contains links to software patches. Lists some system specifications, troubleshooting and maintenance information, and other tools.	`http://www.sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub/`
SunServiceSM support phone numbers.	1-800-872-4786 (1-800-USA-4Sun) Select Option 1
Lists international telephone numbers for SunService Support.	`http://www.sun.com/service/contacting/ solution.html`
Warranty and contract support contacts. Links to other service tools.	`http://www.sun.com/service/online/`
Warranties for every Sun product.	`http://www.sun.com/service/support/warranty`