18.6. Troubleshooting a Failed Installation

Not all upgrades go as planned. Unforeseen incompatibilities, defective hardware, and user error are some ways an installation can be unsuccessful. It is important to gather all relevant system information and follow all instructions when planning and installing additional hardware.

Some reasons why upgrades fail include the following:

• Unsupported hardware

• Defective hardware

• Defective hardware slot or bay

• Other hardware problems, such as power or cabling

• Unsupported software

• Software incompatibility

• User errors

The first step to recovering from the failure is to review the information and the instructions. Questions to ask include the following:

• Was the right part ordered for the computer?

• Were the hardware installation instructions followed correctly?

• Were all cables or accessories connected properly?

• Did the hardware activate at system power-on?

• Did the computer display an error during the POST process?

• Were the software installation instructions followed correctly?

• Were any known incompatibilities addressed?

• Did the operating system or software display an error?

You can use logic and reason to eliminate possibilities. For example, if all procedures were followed properly, and the device is unresponsive or unacknowledged, it is likely that the part is defective. The operating system or software may or may not display an error if a part is faulty. Always check the included documentation for help or any known issues or last-minute errata.

Replacing the newly installed but suspect part with another one is the easiest way to determine or verify where the fault lies. This is also true in most cases of an installed part that fails, such as a fan in a power supply. However, this is not always practical because of inventory costs or time constraints. In such cases, eliminating as many failure points as possible can expose the true cause of the problem.

A repeated failure in one part can be the symptom of a problem in another part. For instance, if PPMs repeatedly fail, it could be that there is nothing wrong with the PPM, but actually a problem with the processor board, power supply, or even line voltage.

Note

HP PPMs monitor power currents to proactively detect and prevent potential problems.