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Article Number: 000178663

How to Use and Troubleshoot the Inspiron 3442

Summary: For help with issues such as wired and wireless networking, Windows, mouse, touchpad, keyboard, LCD, webcam, and downloading drivers, see a section below.

This article may have been automatically translated. If you have any feedback regarding its quality, please let us know using the form at the bottom of this page.

Article Content

Symptoms

Table of Contents:

  1. The Computer Fails to Start or There is No Video
  2. The Computer Stops Responding
  3. Dell personal computer Diagnostics Quick Test and SupportAssist for PCs and Tablets
  4. Troubleshooting a Notebook LCD Screen That is Black, Blank or Hard to See.
  5. Inspiron 3442 Specifications
  6. Port Locations
  7. Resetting the System Setup (BIOS) to its Default Settings
  8. Wireless Networking How-to's and Troubleshooting
  9. How to Turn the Wireless Antenna On and Off on a Dell Computer
  10. Mouse, Keyboard, or Touchpad Not Working Correctly
  11. Using and Troubleshooting the Dell webcam and Dell webcam Central Software
  12. Computer Component is not Recognized.
  13. Inspiron 3442 Drivers
  14. Dell Windows Support Center

The Computer Fails to Start or There is No Video

If you experience a situation in which the computer does not start at all or if it does turn on (lights turn on and fans are spinning), but the computer does not show any image, listen for a series of beeps during start-up.

When beeping codes are heard, see (Table 1) to help troubleshoot the issue with your computer.

Beeps Description Possible Cause
1 BIOS ROM checksum in progress or failure System board failure covers BIOS corruption or ROM errors.
2 No Memory (RAM) detected Memory or Memory slot failure
3
  • Chipset Error (North and South bridge error, DMA/IMR/Timer error)
  • Time-Of-Day Clock test failure
  • Gate A20 failure
  • Super I/O chip failure
  • Keyboard controller test failure
 System board failure
4 Memory read or write failure. Memory failure
5 Real Time Clock (RTC) power fail CMOS battery failure
6 Video BIOS test failure Video subsystem failure
7 CPU Cache test failure Processor failure
8 LCD LCD failure
Table 1: Repetitive Beep Codes
NOTE: For example: For No Memory/RAM Detected - Means the computer beeps twice, pauses, beeps twice, pauses, beeps twice and then pauses for 3 seconds and starts the sequence over. This pattern continues until the computer is powered off.

When no beeping codes are heard, perform the following steps:

  1. Disconnect all devices including the keyboard, mouse, and external monitor. Peripherals also include external storage devices such as flash drives, USB devices, printers, cards so forth.
  2. Remove the AC adapter from the computer and unplug the adapter from the AC outlet.
  3. Press and hold the Power button down for 15 seconds to discharge the capacitors.
  4. Ensure the connections on the power cable and AC adapter are firmly pressed together.
  5. Insert the AC into the computer and a good AC outlet.
  6. Press the power button to see if the computer turns on and boots up ok, if not, see Dell Knowledge Base article Dell Computer Does Not Turn On or Boot Into Windows .
  7. Start attaching devices one at a time and test to see if the computer will turn on.
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The Computer Stops Responding

  1. Press the Power button for at least 15 seconds to ensure the computer turns off.
  2. Disconnect all devices including the keyboard, mouse, and external monitor. Peripherals also include external storage devices such as flash drives, USB devices, printers, cards so forth.
  3. Press the power button to see if the computer turns on and boots up ok, if not, see Dell Knowledge Base article Dell Computer Does Not Turn On or Boot Into Windows
  4. Download and install SupportAssist. For more information about how to obtain and install SupportAssist, browse to the SupportAssist for PCs and tablets page.
  5. Perform computer maintenance on your computer, for more information see Dell Knowledge Base article Optimization and Maintenance of Microsoft Windows.
  6. Start attaching devices one at a time and test to see if the computer stops responding.
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Dell Personal Computer Diagnostics Quick Test and SupportAssist for PCs and Tablets

  • The fastest and easiest way to identify and resolve the most common issues is by using our Dell PC Diagnostics quick test. This will either fix the problem automatically, or it will guide you through the steps to resolve the problem.
    NOTE: When the diagnostic identifies a failing part, depending on the failing part, we will immediately start the process for a free in-warranty replacement part.
  • SupportAssist, previously called My Dell, provides computer updates, detects issues and sends you alerts based on your device, which makes solving and preventing problems easier than ever. This application gives you access to everything you need to take the guesswork out of maintaining PCs and tablets. For more information such as how to obtain and install SupportAssist, browse to the SupportAssist for PCs and tablets page.
  • When the computer cannot access the Internet, you can run the integrated diagnostics on your computer, for more information, see Dell Knowledge Base article, Run Integrated Diagnostics (ePSA) for Your System.
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Troubleshooting a Notebook LCD Screen That is Black, Blank or Hard to See

For information about troubleshooting a laptop LCD Screen, see the Dell Knowledge Base article How to Troubleshoot Display or Video Issues on a Dell Laptop.

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Specifications

For information about the Inspiron 3442 Specifications, browse to the Inspiron 3442 Online Manual Page, click PDF next to Quick Start Guide Or Specifications.

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Port Locations

For information about the port locations, browse to the Inspiron 3442 Online Manual Page, click PDF next to Specifications.

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Resetting the System Setup (BIOS) to its Default Settings

Option 1:
  1. Reboot the computer.
  2. When prompted during POST, press the <F2> key to enter the setup screen.
  3. On the System Setup screen, press the <Right Arrow> key to move to the Exit menu.
  4. Press the <Down Arrow> key until Load Setup Defaults is highlighted, and press the <Enter> key.
  5. Press the <Enter> key on Yes to Restore Defaults and restart the computer.
Option 2:
  1. Reboot the computer.
  2. When prompted during POST, press the <F2> key to enter the setup screen.
  3. On the System Setup screen, press the <F9> key.
  4. Press the <Enter> key on Yes to Load Optimized Defaults and restart the computer.
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Wireless Networking How-to's and Troubleshooting

For how-to's and troubleshooting information about wireless networking, browse the Dell Networking and Wireless Support Center.

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How to Turn the Wireless Antenna On and Off on a Dell Computer

  1. Press and hold done the <Fn> key, then press the <F2>. Repeating this will switch the wireless antenna off and on.
For more information about how to turn the wireless antenna on and off on a Dell Computer, see Dell Knowledge base article How to Turn the Wireless Antenna On and Off on a Dell Computer.
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Mouse, Keyboard, or Touchpad Not Working Correctly

See the following Dell Knowledge Base articles for information about how to use or troubleshoot mouse, keyboard, or touchpad issues.

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Using and Troubleshooting the Dell webcam and Dell webcam Central Software

For information about how to troubleshoot the webcam on your computer, see Dell Knowledge base article Using and Troubleshooting the Dell Webcam and Dell Webcam Central Software.

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Computer Component is not Recognized

SupportAssist, previously called My Dell, detects issues and sends you alerts based on your device. This application gives you access to everything you need to take the guesswork out of maintaining PCs and tablets. For more information about how to obtain and install SupportAssist, browse to the SupportAssist for PCs and tablets page.

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Inspiron 3442 Drivers

For information about the 3442 drivers available, browse to the Inspiron 3442 Driver Page.

This article provides information about how to download drivers for the Inspiron 3442 computer, Drivers and Downloads FAQs (see the How to Download and Install a Driver section).

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Dell Windows Support Center

This link takes you to the Dell Windows Support Center. Select the Operating System that you need help with.

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Cause

See above

Resolution

Out of Warranty support Out of warranty? No problem. Browse to the Dell.com/support website and enter your Dell Service Tag and view our offers.

NOTE: Offers are only available for US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, China, and Japan personal computer customers. Server and Storage not applicable.

Article Properties

Affected Product

Inspiron 3442

Last Published Date

22 Jul 2024

Version

11

Article Type

Solution

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