Dell PowerEdge R750 Basic Startup And Hardware Testing Guide

Dell PowerEdge R750 Basic Startup and Hardware Testing Guide

Introduction

This guide explains how to power on, test, and verify a Dell PowerEdge R750 server. It also explains how to collect test results and create a hardware test report. The instructions are written in simple language for beginners and junior technicians.

This guide covers:

• Turning the server on
• Booting into diagnostics
• Running hardware tests
• Testing memory, storage, fans, and power supplies
• Checking hardware health
• Exporting logs and reports
• Creating a final system test report

The Dell PowerEdge R750 supports built-in diagnostics tools through the BIOS, Lifecycle Controller, and iDRAC management system.

1. Before You Begin

What You Need

Before testing the server, make sure you have:

• A keyboard
• A monitor
• A power cable connected to the server
• A network cable connected (recommended)
• Administrator access if using iDRAC
• A USB drive for saving reports

2. Turning On the Dell R750

Step 1 -Connect Power

1. Plug both power supplies into power outlets.
2. Check the power supply LEDs on the back of the server.
3. A green LED means the PSU is working correctly.

Step 2 -Power On the Server

1. Press the power button on the front of the server.
2. The system fans will start spinning.
3. Watch the screen for the Dell logo.

The server will begin POST (Power On Self Test).

3. Understanding the Boot Process

During startup, the server checks:

• CPU
• Memory
• Fans
• Storage drives
• RAID controllers
• Power supplies
• PCIe devices

If hardware problems exist, error messages may appear.

4. Entering the System Menus

Common Keys During Startup

Key

Function

F2 BIOS/System Setup

F10 Lifecycle Controller

F11 Boot Manager

F12 PXE Network Boot

5. Running Hardware Diagnostics

Method 1 -Using Lifecycle Controller (Recommended)

Step-by-Step

1. Reboot the server.

2. Press F10 during startup.

3. Open Lifecycle Controller .

4. Click:

Hardware Diagnostics → Run Hardware Diagnostics

The system will begin testing hardware automatically.

What the Diagnostics Test

The diagnostics tool checks:

• Memory (RAM)
• CPU
• Storage drives
• RAID controller
• Fans
• Power supplies
• Motherboard
• PCIe cards
• Network adapters

Types of Tests

Express Test

• Fast test
• Usually takes 10 -20 minutes

Extended Test

• Full system test
• May take over 1 hour

Custom Test

• Tests only selected hardware

6. Running Memory Tests

Memory problems are common in servers.

To Run Memory Tests

1. Open Lifecycle Controller
2. Select:

Hardware Diagnostics → Memory Test

or use the built-in memory diagnostics tools.

The system checks for:

• Bad DIMMs
• Correctable memory errors
• Uncorrectable memory errors

Common Memory Errors

Error Meaning

MEM6101 Memory warning

MEM6104 Memory failure

UEFI0103 Memory initialization error

7. Testing Storage Drives

Check RAID and Drives

You can test storage drives using:

• Lifecycle Controller
• RAID Controller BIOS
• iDRAC

To View Drives

1. Press F2
2. Open:

Device Settings → Storage Controller

You can view:

• Drive health
• RAID status
• SSD status
• NVMe health

8. Testing Power Supplies

PSU Health Check

The R750