This chapter describes troubleshooting procedures, provides contact information for obtaining technical assistance, and contains the following sections:
Improperly set controls and loose or improperly connected cables are common causes of problems with hardware components. When investigating a system problem, first perform an external visual inspection of the workstation. Check all external switches, controls, and cable connections.
Power off the workstation using the power-off procedures described in the section, To Power Off the Workstation.
Power off any attached peripherals.
Verify that all power cables are properly connected to the workstation, the monitor, and the workstation peripherals.
Inspect connections from the workstation to any attached devices, including network cables, keyboard, monitor, and mouse.
Reset and tighten any loose connectors.
Power on the workstation.
Troubleshooting begins with assessing the issue and attempting to discover the factors that might contribute to the current situation. Assess the issue by collecting some basic information. Answer the following questions to determine contributing factors:
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 assess the issue, use the information in combination with the following table to troubleshoot. Possible solutions are listed for each problem. If the solutions listed here do not fix the problem, run the appropriate diagnostic test (see Chapter 4, Running Diagnostics) and note your current configuration and environment.
Table 2–1 Troubleshooting Problem and Solution Table
Problem |
Possible Solution |
---|---|
Workstation does not power on when the front panel Power button is pressed. |
|
Workstation halts during POST (power-on self test) without displaying error messages. |
Check the BIOS POST LED display on the motherboard. See Appendix B, BIOS POST Code Checkpoints for detailed information about the POST codes. |
Workstation powers on, but the monitor does not. |
|
Workstation does not power off when the front panel Power button is pressed. |
|
Workstation appears to be in low-power mode, but the Power LED does not blink. |
The Power LED blinks only when all workstation peripherals are in low-power mode. A tape drive might be connected to your workstation. Because tape drives do not enter low-power mode, the power LED does not blink. |
Unable to access the network. |
|
Newly installed memory is not detected. |
|
System cannot read the disk information. |
Use the hard drive remove and installation procedures to verify that the disk is properly seated. See, Removing and Installing a Hard Drive. |
DVD does not eject from the drive when the Eject button is pressed. |
|
System cannot read DVD information. |
Check the following:
|
Keyboard or mouse does not respond to actions. |
|
Hung or frozen workstation: no response from mouse or keyboard or any application. |
Are the keyboard and mouse Type 7? Verify the model on the underside of the keyboard and replace if necessary. Try to access your system from a different workstation on the network.
If the above procedures do not work:
|
There is no video display on the monitor screen. |
Check the following:
|
An external device connected to a USB connector does not work. |
|
External device is not working. |
|
Use this procedure to perform and internal visual inspection of the workstation.
Power off the workstation using the procedure detailed in the section, To Power Off the Workstation.
Remove the left-side access panel using the procedure detailed in the section, Opening the Workstation.
Some components, such as the heatsink, can become extremely hot during system operations. Allow these components to cool before handling them.
Turn off any attached peripherals, but do not disconnect the power cables.
Verify that the internal workstation compartment is free of excessive dust and that the airflow through the interior of the workstation is not blocked by dust. foreign material or cables.
Use forced air to carefully blow dust from the interior of the workstation.
Liquid sprays can cause shorts and damage to the workstation and its components. Do not use liquid sprays to clean the interior of the workstation.
Verify that the internal components such as hard drives, PCI cards and DIMMs are fully seated in the connectors and that the sockets are clean. If necessary disconnect and connect any connector that appears loose or poorly fitted.
Verify that all cables inside the system are firmly attached to their appropriate connectors.
Close the workstation using the procedure described in the section, Closing the Workstation and Preparing for Operation.
If the troubleshooting procedures in this chapter fail to solve your problem, you can receive additional technical support at the Sun web sites and telephone numbers listed in Table 2–2.
Table 2–2 Sun Web Sites and Telephone Numbers
Workstation Documents and Support Resources |
URL or Telephone Number |
---|---|
PDF and HTML files for all the current Sun Ultra 27 workstation documents. | |
Solaris OS and other software documents. This web site has full search capabilities. | |
Discussion and troubleshooting forums. | |
Support, diagnostic tools, and alerts for all Sun products. | |
Links to software patches. Lists some system specifications, troubleshooting and maintenance information, and other tools. | |
Sun service program phone numbers. |
1-800-872-4786 (1-800-USA-4Sun); Select Option 1 |
International telephone numbers for Sun service support. | |
Warranty and contract support contacts. Links to other service tools. | |
Warranties for every Sun product. |