The following sections describe procedures that you can follow
if you encounter problems with your system.
If the System Does
Not Boot If the system does not boot because a hardware problem occurs,
a question mark(?) usually precedes the error message displayed
on the console terminal. An example of a hardware problem is a read
error on a disk or tape cartridge drive.
For Hardware Problems If you suspect a hardware problem, do the following:
Consult the hardware
manual for your Alpha computer.
Contact an HP support representative.
For Software Problems When the operating system is loaded into memory, a message
similar to the following appears on the terminal screen:
SYSTEM job terminated at 27-MAY-2003 15:05:03.17
If the system does not display this message, a software problem
has probably occurred. Do the following:
Turn off the
system. Turn it back on and try to reboot.
Perform a conversational boot using the default
system parameters or try one of the emergency boot procedures described
in
Booting in an Emergency.
If the system boots, run the AUTOGEN procedure.
For more information about the AUTOGEN procedure, see the chapter
entitled "Modifying System Parameters" in the HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 2: Tuning, Monitoring, and Complex Systems.
Detecting and Responding
to System Problems If your system exhibits unexpected behavior, note the following:
If the system displays a bugcheck
message on the console terminal and shuts itself down, it means
the system encountered a problem that made further operation impossible
or dangerous. Reboot the system as explained in
Booting Manually from the System Disk, or let it reboot automatically
as explained in
Setting the System for Automatic Booting.
If the system stops responding to your commands
(that is, the system "hangs"), there is a possible
failure in a system software or hardware component or a possible
power failure.
If the system exhibits erratic behavior (it does
not respond according to specifications), it indicates a possible
failure in a system software or hardware component.
To determine if the failure is a system problem:
Be sure that you did not press the
F1 key (the Hold Screen key). The Hold Screen light goes on when
you press either F1 or enter Ctrl/S.
Enter Ctrl/T to check the status of your process.
A status line should appear, indicating the name of the program
that is executing and other information. If the status line does
not appear, the program you are executing might be stalled or "hung." (If
you have disabled Ctrl/T by entering the command SET NOCONTROL=T
or have set the terminal to NOBROADCAST mode by entering the command
SET TERMINAL/NOBROADCAST, this procedure does not work.)
Make sure the cable connecting the terminal or monitor
to the system is secure.
If you determine that you have a system problem:
Force an exit
from a stalled or "hung" program by entering Ctrl/Y.
Note that when you enter Ctrl/Y, any work performed by the program
and not saved on disk is lost.
If the system is still unresponsive, halt it by
entering Ctrl/P or by pressing the Halt button. (See
Halting the System for more information about
how to halt your Alpha computer.)
Note in detail the sequence of events that caused
the problem and notify an HP support representative.
HP OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3-2 Upgrade and Installation... 
Halt, Boot, and Shutdown Procedures
