Inspiron 600M -ocassional boot problem

Run Dell Diagnostics to check your hardware (including the hard drive) as follows:

1. When the DELL logo appears, press immediately.

NOTE: If you cannot see anything on your display, hold down the key and press the computer’s power button to begin the Dell Diagnostics. The computer automatically runs the Pre-boot System Assessment.

If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Microsoft Windows desktop. Then shut down your computer and try again.

2. When the boot device list appears, highlight Diagnostics and press .

The computer runs the Pre-boot System Assessment, a series of initial tests of your system board, keyboard, hard drive, and display.

If failures are detected during the Pre-boot System Assessment, write down the error code(s) before continuing on to the Dell Diagnostics.

If the Pre-boot System Assessment completes successfully, you receive the message Booting Dell Diagnostic Utility Partition. Press any key to continue.

3. Run the Expess Test and The Extended Test.

Hello,

You should run the Dell diagnostics and see what it has to say.

Report back with the results.

Hello, You should run the Dell diagnostics and see what it has to say. Report back with the results.

Sorry Darrell, I was a bit slow constructing my reply.

It went through the preboot test ok.  After that i got a dialog box that said there was no diagnostic utility partition found, to run insert Dell driver and utility cd....bla, bla...problem is i'm not sure i can even find the cd...will have to contact my daughter as i inherited her computer after purchasing a new one for her.  Is it possible to purchase another utility cd? or is this necessary..thanks for the help by the way,  all this stuff is new to me.

Karl

I went to darrels link posting and ended up with three options for downloading under diagnostics. ... 2 of them apply to 32 bit graphical interface versions and one is 32 bit diagnostic utility partition contents upgrade tool....not sure what to do here.  karl

Download the version for your Hard Drive with file name CZ125700.exe. Save it to your desktop and then double click to extract. Use the following link:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R100688&SystemID=INS_PNT_PM_600M&servicetag=&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=3841&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=4&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=3&libid=13&fileid=130244

Expand the Installation Instructions at the above link and copy them down.

Hello,

You can download the diagnostics program from here. Just input your system info on the page to get to your files.

I went to darrels link posting and ended up with three options for downloading under diagnostics. ... 2 of them apply to 32 bit graphical interface versions and one is 32 bit diagnostic utility partition contents upgrade tool....not sure what to do here.  karl

downloaded link to desktop.....double clicked to run it....saved to C drive.   Not sure what I need to do next.   I ran f12 diagnostics afterward and it does the same thing...goes throuigh initial boot test but then i get the deal about no diagnostic utility partition found...prompting me to insert utilities cd....

karl

Please find below the installation instructions from the link I previously gave.

1. Double-click the new icon (labeled CZ125700.EXE) on the desktop.

2. The Self-Extracting window appears and prompts you to extract or unzip to C:\DELL\DRIVERS\CZ125700.EXE. Write down this path so the executable (Example - Setup.exe) file can be found later.

3. The Self-Extractor window appears.

4. Click OK.

5. After completing the file extraction, if the Self-Extractor window is still open, close it.

6. Click the Start button and then click Run.

7. Type C:\DELL\DRIVERS\CZ125700.EXE in the Open textbox and then click OK.

8. Follow the on-screen installation instructions.

Did you get to the on-screen installation instructions mentioned in step 8?

yes,  i went to start, run and typed in C:\Dell\Drivers\R100688\ then OK...it pulls up a bunch of files....not sure what to do with them or if i messed up somewhere...thanks again ...

Karl

i thought I would go over what I did exactly again yesterday.  Hopefully this will shine a light on my computer ignorance. Thanks again.

1.  clicked on Sofu's link

2. downloaded 32 bit diagnostics / saved it to desktop

3. I was prompted to extract files to C:\Dell\Drivers\R100688\

4. clicked ok - files unzipped

5. closed window

6. went to start / run - typed in C:\Dell\Drivers\R100688\     in the dialog box....clicked OK

7.  It then took me to the a bunch of files listed with a .mdm suffix that were located in the R100688 folder

This is where I'm at to this point.....hopefully I can be guided from here...thanks again Karl