| To troubleshoot your server's I/O hardware, you should consider the following: Is the device on the compatibility list for the server operating system you use? If not, check with the vendor to see if a compatible driver is available. If a driver is not available, replace the device with a compatible item. If the device is running under Windows Server and is a plug-and-play item, open the properties sheet for the item in Device Manager and remove the item listing. Then select Rescan to enable Device Manager to rediscover the device and reload new drivers. If removing and reinstalling the device in Device Manager doesn't work, check the properties sheet in Device Manager for an error code. For Windows 2000 Server versions, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003, see Knowledge Base article 125174, at http://support.microsoft.com, for a list of error codes and suggested solutions. Replace suspect hardware with known-working hardware, preferably an identical item, and retest.
For specific help in troubleshooting particular types of I/O hardware, see the following sections: "USB Installation and Troubleshooting," p. 490. "Video/Display Troubleshooting," p. 499. "Keyboard Troubleshooting," p. 504. "CD/DVD Installation and Troubleshooting," p. 506.
If some of your hardware devices did not come with technical documentation, you can visit the vendors' websites for downloadable manuals and technical notes. This information is usually in Adobe Reader (PDF) format, so you must use Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat to view it. To determine the manufacturer and model number of already-installed hardware without disassembling a computer, you can use a system information program such as SiSoftware Sandra (available from www.sisoftware.net). |
