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HP Vectra VL400 Frequently Asked Questions Manual
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HP Vectra VL400 Frequently Asked Questions Manual

HP Vectra VL400 Frequently Asked Questions Manual

Hp vectra vl400: frequently asked question
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Download this manual See also: Service Handbook, Reference Manual
If you don't know what to do, click
one of the items below:
What To Do First
Diagnose Your Hardware
Frequently Asked Questions
If you still can't fix the problem, contact your support provider. But first, go to:
Collecting Information Before Contacting Support
This information can be useful when fixing a problem:
Recovering Hard Disk Contents
Clearing the BIOS (CMOS) Settings
Updating the BIOS
Recovering from a BIOS Update Failure or BIOS Corruption
System Board Connectors
If you can identify the problem area,
click one of the items below:
Problems Starting the PC
Problems Using the PC
Problems with Software
Problems with Audio (Sound)
Problems with Hardware
The PC Detects and Error during Startup

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Summary of Contents for HP Vectra VL400

  • Page 1 If you don’t know what to do, click one of the items below: What To Do First Diagnose Your Hardware Frequently Asked Questions If you still can’t fix the problem, contact your support provider. But first, go to: Collecting Information Before Contacting Support This information can be useful when fixing a problem: Recovering Hard Disk Contents Clearing the BIOS (CMOS) Settings...
  • Page 2 (usually accessed by pressing the key in the software). Run HP e-DiagTools to see whether you have a software or hardware problem. You can create a hardware profile of your PC (Support Ticket) that can be faxed or mailed to support.
  • Page 3 If your problem cannot be resolved Connect to HP’s Support web site for your PC. Here you can get the latest BIOS, driver and software updates for your PC. If you have not done so already, you can also use HP...

  • Page 4: Solving General Problems

    Or, update your PC’s BIOS. You can download the latest BIOS and instructions from HP’s support web site. Uninstall the software to see whether this solves the problem. If the problem continues, contact the software manufacturer for help or information on known compatibility problems.
  • Page 5 This bug is documented at: http://support.intel.com/support/chipsets/storagedrivers/ultraATA To fix this problem, install the latest IDE driver on HP’s web site (version 6.01.007 or later). Ensure that you install the chipset driver before the IDE driver.Models purchased after November 1st 2000 are supplied with the correct driver.
  • Page 6 Microsoft knowledge base (Ref Q266208 available on: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/ articles/Q266/2/08.ASP?LN=EN-US&SD=SO&FR=0) The problem does not occur with SP5, this is why the hp VL400 comes pre-installed with SP5. If the PC is unplugged and then plugged in again, both the serial number and PCID are lost (reset to zero).
  • Page 7 Frequently Asked Questions Problems with power management: My PC hangs when coming back from suspend under Windows 98. What should I do? My parallel port did not work after waking up from standby mode S1 under Windows 98 Hitting a key on my keyboard does not always wake up the PC.
  • Page 8 Try to use the latest installer: PS4026 or more recent. • If the PnP OS field is set to Yes, change it to No Download the the driver 4.02.4028 (or later) from: www.support.vectra.hp.com/vectrasupport/level4/901vfa109en/ 901vfa109en.html 5 of 11 Solving Problems 8 of 74...
  • Page 9 Restart your PC and enter the Setup program by pressing the appropriate function key (F2 on most HP PC models, or F1 on others). Change the incorrect settings, then try booting from the CD-ROM again.
  • Page 10 To do this, go to Settings > Control Panel > Power and disable the Allow Windows to manage power use on this computer option • Disable the LAN card’s BootROM To do this, use the BROW utility which is available on the HP Web site. 10/100 LNK Green: Link...
  • Page 11 Frequently Asked Questions Problems with anti-virus software: Why do I get an error message when installing Norton Anti-Virus Symantec 2000 from the Image Library CD-ROM under Windows 95 and Windows 98? Why does my PC hang when installing Norton Anti-Virus Symantec 2000 from the Image Library CD-ROM under the Hungarian version of Windows 95? Is there an Anti-Virus application supplied...
  • Page 12 Frequently Asked Questions Problems with storage devices: I have a problem when I try to boot on my ZIP device. What can I do? The ZIP device attached to the parallel port of my PC doesn’t work under Windows 98. What should I do? Your Zip device must be installed on the secondary IDE channel as ‘master’...
  • Page 13 Windows 2000 but it seems that I cannot use different resolutions on my two monitors. Why? I have a Matrox video card and an HP CD-RW drive but the CD-RW drive does not work under NT4. What can I do? To solve this problem you can disable the Matrix Diagnostics or install the driver no.
  • Page 14 This is a compatibility issue between the Matrox driver and Mediamatics DVD software provided with HP DVD drives. A patch is available on HP support web to fix this issue. It needs to be installed after the Mediamatics software has been installed.
  • Page 15 If you have a problem starting the PC, click one of the items below: The PC Doesn’t Power On The PC Beeps During Startup but the Screen Remains Blank You Get a “non-system disk” or ”operating system not found” Message The PC Detects and Error during Startup Solving Problems 15 of 74...
  • Page 16 If you have a problem using the PC, click one of the items below: The PC is Stuck in Sleep Mode The PC Freezes All of a Sudden I Can’t Shut Down My PC My PC Has Become Slow Forgotten Your PC’s BIOS Password Problems Using the Euro Symbol Solving Problems 16 of 74...
  • Page 17 If you have a problem using software, click one of the items below: The Power Light Is On But My Software Won’t Run You Get the Message “Some necessary system files are corrupted” Problems Using the Euro Symbol Solving Problems 17 of 74...
  • Page 18 If you have a problem using audio (sound), click one of the items below: No Sound When Running Applications No Sound When Playing a Multimedia or Audio CD A New Add-On Sound Card Does Not Work There Is a Humming Noise The PC Hangs While Recording No Output From 8 or 16 Bit Digitized Sounds Audio Input From Microphone Too Low...
  • Page 19 If you have a hardware problem, click one of the items below: The Keyboard Doesn’t Work Properly The Monitor Doesn’t Work Properly There’s a Problem with the Hard Disk There’s a Problem with the Floppy Drive The CD-ROM, CD-RW or DVD Drive Doesn’t Open The DVD Drive Doesn’t Play DVD Video The CD-ROM, CD-RW or DVD Drive Doesn’t Open The Printer Doesn’t Work...
  • Page 20 If you get a beeping sound or an error message during startup, click one of the items below: About Errors at Startup Memory Test Error Keyboard Test Error Floppy Drive Test Error Hard Disk, DVD or CD-ROM Drive Test Error CMOS Test Error Serial or Parallel Port Test Error Other Configuration Problems...
  • Page 21 HP e-DiagTools, the hardware diagnostics utility can help you diagnose hardware-related problems on your HP PC. For more information about this utility, refer to the e-Diagtools User's Guide. e-DiagTools User’s Guide Where Can I Get e-DiagTools? There are three ways to access e-DiagTools:- •...
  • Page 22 3 After a moment, you should see the DiagTools welcome screen. If you are unable to boot from your CD-ROM drive: • Restart your PC and press F2 to enter HP’s Setup program. Check the Boot device settings to ensure that your PC can boot from the CD-ROM.
  • Page 23 The PC Doesn’t Power On Have you checked that... The PC’s power cord is correctly connected You did not hear a series of beeps when you turned the PC on The PC’s power outlet is working The PC’s voltage switch is correctly set The PC’s power-on LED lights when you press the On/Off switch Connect the power cord to a grounded power outlet and to the PC...

  • Page 24: Advanced Troubleshooting

    The PC Doesn’t Power On Advanced Troubleshooting Have you checked that... The problem is not being caused by an internal device The power supply is working properly If the problem persists, contact your authorized support provider 1 Disconnect the PC’s power cord. 2 Remove internal connectors from any accessory devices you have added and disconnect any add-on accessory boards.
  • Page 25 The PC Beeps During Startup but the Screen Remains Blank These beeps indicate errors in the very early stages of the boot sequence Have you checked that... Your memory modules are of the correct type The accessory board you have installed is compatible That you have not made any changes to the PC’s Setup program that may be...
  • Page 26 You Get a “non-system disk” or ”operating system not found” Message Have you checked that ... You didn’t leave a non-bootable floppy disk in your floppy drive when you started the PC The device boot order is correct in the Setup program 1 Check for a non-bootable floppy disk in the floppy drive.
  • Page 27 The PC is Stuck in Sleep Mode Have you checked that... The PC is really stuck 1 Move the mouse and press any key on the keyboard. Wait a minute to see if the PC wakes. 2 If the power LED is blinking and the PC is not making any noise, the PC is in a deep sleep state for power saving.
  • Page 28 The PC Freezes All of a Sudden Have you checked that... One of your applications has not crashed There is a hardware problem You have installed enough memory in your PC. It is recommended that you install at least 64MB of RAM to run Windows 2000 or NT 4.0 on your PC.
  • Page 29 I Can’t Shut Down My PC Have you checked that... The PC did not hang when you tried to shut it down If you can’t shut down and restart the PC normally, press in the power button for 5 seconds. The PC will shut down. Note that any unsaved data will be lost.
  • Page 30 My PC Has Become Slow Have you checked that... You are not running too many applications at the same time You have not filled your hard drive with too much data You are not storing large numbers of unnecessary temporary files on your PC Your PC’s hard disk needs defragmenting Close any unused applications and check whether the PC’s...
  • Page 31 ! ! ! ! Select view your keyboard settings Download the latest driver from HP’s support web site. Download the latest BIOS and instructions for its installation from HP’s support web site. Clean the keyboard with a damp cloth. Do not wet it.
  • Page 32 The Monitor Doesn’t Work Properly The PC’s power indicator light works but the monitor remains blank Have you checked that... The monitor is switched ON (LED is on) The monitor’s power cord is correctly connected The monitor (video) cable is correctly connected The monitor’s brightness and contrast settings are correctly set...
  • Page 33 • For other operating systems, refer to your operating system’s documentation. • Check the video cable connections to the PC • Check that there is not interference from a fluorescent light or fan Run HP e-DiagTools (refer to page 21 2 of 2 , then click on the...
  • Page 34 Such alerts can appear on your screen a t startup or while the PC is running. If you receive such an alert, carry out an immediate data backup, then contact HP support at www.hp.com/go/ vectrasupport to ask for a replacement hard drive.
  • Page 35 There’s a Problem with the Hard Disk Advanced Troubleshooting Have you checked that... All the hard drive’s internal connections and both ends of the status panel are correctly connected The jumpers on the hard drive are set correctly Check that the drive’s power and data cables are correctly connected at both ends (hard drive and system board).
  • Page 36 The Hard Disk Drive is Noisy Have you checked that... If you have only a few files on the disk, the disk head may be moving across the disk face If the operating system swap disk is too small, the disk may be moving files from memory to disk Run Disk Defragmenter to optimize the placement of files on your hard disk.
  • Page 37 There’s a Problem with the Floppy Drive Have you checked that... You are using a formatted diskette and it is inserted correctly The floppy is clean The Setup program is correctly configured for your floppy drive The hardware is working properly Advanced Troubleshooting Have you checked that...
  • Page 38 There’s a Problem with the CD-ROM, CD-RW or DVD Drive Have you checked that... There is a disc inserted in the drive The Setup program is correctly configured for your drive The device boot order is set correctly in the Setup program The hardware is working properly •...
  • Page 39 There’s a Problem with the CD-ROM, CD-RW or DVD Drive Advanced Troubleshooting Have you checked that... All cables (data, power and audio) have been properly connected both to the drive and to the system board. The jumpers on the drive are set correctly Check that the drive’s power and data cables are correctly connected at both ends (drive and system board).
  • Page 40 • Display settings of 800 x 600 pixels, High Color (16-bit). You are using the latest drivers. These can be downloaded from the HP support Web site. You have enabled DMA mode on the Secondary IDE channel in the Setup program, accessed by pressing F2 during startup.
  • Page 41 The CD-ROM, CD-RW or DVD Drive Doesn’t Open What to Do... 1 If you have difficulty removing a disc from the drive (during a power failure for example), you can use the manual eject button. With a thin, solid rod, such as the end of a paper clip, push the drive’s manual eject button 2 The drive door will be released, opening slightly.
  • Page 42 The Printer Doesn’t Work The Printer Will Not Print Have you checked that... The printer is on There is paper in the printer You didn’t plug in the printer’s parallel data cable (where applicable) when the PC was already on The correct printer driver is installed The printer is configured correctly The parallel port is configured correctly in...
  • Page 43 The Printer Doesn’t Work The Printer Prints Garbled Information Have you checked that... The correct printer driver is installed The printer’s data cables are connected properly Check that the correct driver is installed on your PC by clicking on menu, then selecting printer should be displayed in the Printers window that appears.
  • Page 44 A Newly Installed Device Is Not Recognized Have you checked that... The device is installed or connected properly If it is an external device, that it is switched on • Accessory boards: Check that accessory boards are properly seated in their slots •...
  • Page 45 The Power Light Is On But My Software Won’t Run Have you checked that... There is no information about what is going on in the accompanying documentation The software has been correctly installed Refer to the application software documentation and/or the operating system documentation for guidance 1 Check for any error messages when you try to run the software.
  • Page 46 You Get the Message “Some necessary system files are corrupted” Have you checked that... You didn’t delete any system files Reinstall the operating system or return the PC to its factory configuration by using the CD-ROMs that came with your PC. Refer to page 67 for more information.
  • Page 47 Forgotten Your PC’s BIOS Password You have forgotten the password that has been set in the Setup program to prevent unauthorized users from starting your PC 1 Ask your system administrator, if you have one, to remind you of the password. 2 If you cannot find out the password, clear passwords page 68).
  • Page 48 Problems Using the Euro Symbol Have you checked that... Your operating system and applications support this feature The font you are using supports the Euro symbol Your keyboard has a Euro symbol. If not, you can configure the keyboard. • Only the latest operating systems such as Windows 98 and Windows 2000, provide integrated support for the Euro symbol (in certain languages only).
  • Page 49 No Sound When Running Applications Have you checked that... The volume, mute, and balance settings are correct Advanced Troubleshooting Have you checked that... The problem is not caused by a hardware conflict. Hardware conflicts occur when two or more peripheral devices compete for the same signal lines or channels.
  • Page 50 No Sound When Playing a Multimedia or Audio CD Have you checked that... The volume control on the CD-ROM drive is correctly set If you are using headphones or speakers: • they are correctly connected • the operating system volume controls are correctly set.
  • Page 51 A New Add-On Sound Card Does Not Work Have you checked that... You have disabled the integrated sound features on your PC as required To disable integrated sound, enter F2 during startup then check that is disabled in the 1 of 1 menu.
  • Page 52 There Is a Humming Noise Have you checked that... The power grounding of your audio components is adequate Plug all devices into adjacent power outlets (outlets within 5 cm / 2 inches of each other), or use line filters 1 of 1 Solving Problems 52 of 74...
  • Page 53 The PC Hangs While Recording Have you checked that... You are not filling up your hard disk with uncompressed digital audio. For example, one minute of stereo sound recorded at a resolution of 44 kHz will occupy about 10.5 MB. •...
  • Page 54 No Output From 8 or 16 Bit Digitized Sounds Have you checked that... You do not have an interrupt conflict or that you have not selected the wrong DMA channel Use your operating system’s audio control software to change the audio interface’s DMA channel or IRQ setting 1 of 1 Solving Problems 54 of 74...
  • Page 55 Audio Input From Microphone Too Low Have you checked that... The microphone specifications meet the requirements of the 16-bit sound components. The microphone should be a 600-ohm electret type. Check the documentation that came with your microphone 1 of 1 Solving Problems 55 of 74...
  • Page 56 (such as the PC models, serial number, and failing component) into a coded audio signal. During a support call, this coded signal can then be decoded by the HP Service Provider to provide immediate and effective assistance. 71).
  • Page 57 PC. 4 Close the PC, reconnect the power cord and check that the PC boots (starts). Download the latest BIOS and instructions for its installation from HP’s support web site. 1 of 1 Solving Problems 57 of 74...
  • Page 58 2 Attach the keyboard to another PC of the same model. 3 If the keyboard works you may need a new system board. Contact your authorized support provider. Download the latest BIOS and instructions for its installation from HP’s support web site. 1 of 1 Solving Problems 58 of 74...
  • Page 59 Insert a known working floppy disk and see if it works Run e-DiagTools (refer to page 21). Download the latest BIOS and instructions for its installation from HP’s support web site. 1 of 2 appears, press the F2 Solving Problems 59 of 74...
  • Page 60 Floppy Drive Test Error Advanced Troubleshooting Have you checked that... The drive cables are correctly connected The drive cable is working The drive itself has not failed Refer to page 37 for more information on troubleshooting floppy drives. If the problem persists, contact your authorized support provider 1 Disconnect the power cord.
  • Page 61 Hard Disk, DVD or CD-ROM Drive Test Error Have you checked that... You have not received a S.M.A.R.T. alert from the HP TopTools Agent indicating that your hard disk drive is defective The drive is correctly configured in the PC’s Setup program...
  • Page 62 Hard Disk, DVD or CD-ROM Drive Test Error Advanced Troubleshooting Have you checked that... The drive cables are correctly connected The drive cable is working The drive itself has not failed Refer to the section starting on page 34 for more information on troubleshooting drives. If the problem persists, contact your authorized support provider 1 Disconnect the power cord.
  • Page 63 4 If the time is incorrect, replace the PC’s battery by a new one. Download the latest BIOS and instructions for its installation from HP’s support web site. • Clear your PC’s CMOS in the PC’s Setup program (the recommended method) if you have access to this option. Refer page •...
  • Page 64 CMOS Test Error Advanced Troubleshooting Have you checked that... Power is correctly connected to the system board You don’t need to restore the default configuration settings If the problem persists, contact your authorized support provider 1 Disconnect the power cord. 2 Remove the PC’s cover.
  • Page 65 Refer to the documentation for your serial or parallel device. Run e-DiagTools (refer to page 21). Download the latest BIOS and instructions for its installation from HP’s support web site. 1 of 1 appears, press the F2 menu. Solving Problems 65 of 74...
  • Page 66 1 Turn on or restart the PC. 2 When the message key. Download the latest BIOS and instructions for its installation from HP’s support web site. 1 of 1 appears, press the F2 1 of 2 Solving Problems 66 of 74...
  • Page 67 Diagnostics CD-ROM? • To run e-DiagTools if you cannot run diagnostics from the hard disk partition • To reinstall a driver if you cannot access HP’s support Web site When Should I Use the HP Image Creation and Recovery CD? •...
  • Page 68 Clearing the BIOS (CMOS) Settings CMOS is a chip that keeps a record of installed components when your PC is turned off. Clearing CMOS settings may help you resolve problems such as: • when your PC cannot detect a device •...
  • Page 69 8 Switch on the PC. The PC will start more slowly than usual because it will load the default configuration values. 9 Press F2 to enter the HP Setup Program. Update the necessary fields, such as date and time, passwords, and Security settings, then save and exit the Setup program.
  • Page 70 You can also use e-DiagTools to automatically download and install the latest BIOS. To use this feature, your PC must be correctly set up, as described in the e-DiagTools User’s Guide. This guide is available on HP’s support web site. Once set up correctly: 1 Restart your PC 2 When the “...
  • Page 71 EEPROM, follow this recovery procedure to restore the contents of EEPROM. If you don’t already have the latest BIOS for you PC, you can obtain it from HP’s support web site. 1 Create a bootable floppy disk in MS-DOS by typing format a: /s...
  • Page 72 Recovering from a BIOS Update Failure NOTE The power button is protected in BIOS update mode, and will appear inactive even after the update procedure has finished. To power off the system after the update, press and hold the power button for at least 5 seconds. 7 Power off the PC and remove the PC’s cover.
  • Page 73 Support and Information Services You can learn more about HP service and support from the HP Support web site. Collecting Information Before Contacting Support Take a piece of paper and note down some of the information mentioned below. This will help HP support...
  • Page 74 System Board Connectors CD audio Internal speaker (if installed) System board switches Status panel Floppy drive Chassis intrusion Processor fan (not used if passive heatsink is fitted, as shown here) Power protection device (if installed) System fan CD-ROM, DVD, Power supply Tape or Zip drive Hard drive 1 of 1...