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Solving Problems 167
Basic Checks:
• If you hear an unfamiliar scraping or grinding sound when a drive is
accessed, there could be a hardware malfunction. Contact Dell for
technical assistance.
• When you turn on the computer, you can hear drive activity during
the boot routine. If your computer does not boot, contact Dell for
technical assistance.
• If you are trying to copy data to the floppy, make sure that it is not
write-protected.
• Try a different floppy in the drive. If the new floppy works, the original
one may be defective.
• Test the floppy drive access light by using one of the following
methods:
•Using MS-DOS
®
, insert a floppy into the drive, type dir a: at
the DOS prompt, and press <Enter>.
• Using Microsoft
®
Windows
®
or Windows NT
®
, insert a floppy
into the drive, open My Computer from the desktop, and double-
click the floppy drive icon.
• Check the settings in system setup.
• Clean the drive using a commercially available cleaning kit.
NOTICE: Do not attempt to clean drive heads with a swab. You may
accidentally misalign the heads, rendering the drive inoperable.
If the problem still exists after you complete the basic checks, fill out the
Diagnostics Checklist as you perform the following steps.
CAUTION: Before you perform this procedure, see “Safety First—
For You and Your Computer.”
1
Run the Diskette device group in the Dell Diagnostics.
Did any of the tests fail?
Yes. Contact Dell for technical assistance.
No. Go to step 2.
2 Turn off the computer and devices, disconnect them from their
electrical outlets, wait 10 to 20 seconds, and then open the computer
cover.