If nothing happens when you type on the terminal

Press Return several times.

Check that the terminal is plugged in.

Check that the terminal is turned on.

Check that the terminal is connected to the system.

Make sure that the cable is connected firmly at the back of the terminal. Trace the cabling back to its connection in the serial port. Make sure the cable is connected firmly in the serial port socket.

Check that the terminal is not in control-s mode.

To check this, type control-q.

If you have user softkeys showing on your terminal screen, press the System key on your keyboard. Then press F4 to see the Modes label.

Check that BLOCK mode has no asterisk (*) in the label.

Check that REMOTE mode has an asterisk in the label.

Check to see if the BAUD rate is set to the correct speed.

If not, press F4 to toggle to remote mode. An asterisk should appear in the fourth window of the display at the bottom of the screen.
Press Return a few times to see if the cursor prompt appears.
Try a soft reset: Shift Reset.

Interrupt the process that may be functioning.

A terminal does not respond if the session is currently working on something. The user can check to see if the terminal is actually functioning by interrupting its processing.

Press the Break or Reset/Break key on the terminal.
If a colon prompt is displayed, you may enter Abort Return to abort the process. At this point, you have solved your terminal problems.

Abort the input and output for the terminal.

Find the LDEV number for the terminal.
1. Ask the user what it is.
2. Check the LDEV number on the terminal screen.
3. Find the LDEV number from the console display of active sessions.
  1. Enter SHOWJOB JOB=@S Return.
  2. Find the identity of the user on the display.
  3. Find the LDEV number in the JIN and JLIST columns.
Enter ABORTIO nn Return at the console.
Repeat this command until an I/O abort message is displayed on the console.
Press Return at the terminal to get the colon prompt.

Abort the session.

Enter SHOWJOB JOB=@S Return at the console.
Find the session number associated with the user's identity.
Enter ABORTJOB #Snnn using the user's session number.
After the session abort message appears on the user's terminal and the logoff message has been displayed on the console, have the user press the Return key several times.
If the colon prompt does not appear on the terminal, enter the ABORTJOB command again.

Check to see if other terminals are hung.

Several hung terminals usually means system problems. Verify the operation of the console and other devices.

If nothing happens when you type at the console

A hung console is more serious than a hung terminal. Without the console, you cannot monitor or control the system.

Check to see if the console responds with any of the routines suggested for a hung terminal.

Check to see if the BAUD rate is set to the correct speed.

Check to see if there are any pending console requests.

Hold down the CTRL key and press A.
If the = prompt appears, enter RECALL Return.
If there are pending requests, respond to them one at a time.

Press the Break key 2 or 3 times. If remote console is enabled, somebody else may control the console. Pressing Break several times returns contorl to the operator.

Have someone send you a message.

Enter TELLOP Let's try this! Return from a working terminal.
When the message appears on the console, press Return to get the colon prompt.

If the = prompt does not appear, abort input and output to the console from another terminal:

Enter ABORTIO 20 Return. You must have SM capability to use the above command, unless your system manager has allowed you the command.
Repeat this command a few times until you see the message that no I/O remains.
Enter Return several times.

Switch the console to a working terminal.

You must have SM capability to switch the console unless your system manager has allowed you the ALLOW command.

Log on to another working terminal as OPERATOR.SYS.
At the colon prompt, enter CONSOLE Return to determine the LDEV number of the console.
Enter SHOWME Return to determine the LDEV number of the terminal that you are using.
Enter CONSOLE nn Return to switch the console to the terminal that you are using.
Verify the switch by entering the CONSOLE command again to display the console's LDEV number as your terminal.
Enter SHOWJOB JOB=OPERATOR.SYS Return to determine the session number logged on to LDEV 20, the original console.
At the : prompt, enter ABORTJOB JOB=#Snn Return to abort your original session at the console, the one you found in step 6.
If a logoff message displays on the new terminal, go back to the original console and press Return several times.
Log on to the original terminal by entering HELLO OPERATOR.SYS;HIPRI Return.
Move the console back by entering CONSOLE 20 Return at the original console.
At this point, you should call your system manager.

Try restarting your session with everyone off the system.

Contact all users currently active on the system, and ask them to save their work and log off.
If a = prompt is displayed, enter LOGOFF Return to end all sessions, including yours, and prevent anyone from logging back on.
Press the Return key a few times.
Hold down CTRL and press A.
If you get the MPE XL: prompt, enter LOGON Return.
Press the Return key a few times.
At the MPE XL prompt, enter HELLO OPERATOR.SYS;HIPRI Return.
If you log on to the system successfully, ask users to try logging back on.

Shut down the system.

Hold down the CTRL key and press A.
At the = prompt, enter SHUTDOWN Return.
After several abort messages and a shutdown message are displayed, perform the recovery procedure.

If CTRL A does not work, try CTRL B. If CTRL B does not work, reset the computer manually, by using either the button or key on the CPU.

If you need to perform an emergency shutdown

If the console is still working, enter WARN @S;SYSTEM GOING DOWN. PLEASE LOG OFF. Return, or tell users in person to save their files and log off now.

Shut down the system.

Hold down CTRL and press A.
At the = prompt, enter SHUTDOWN Return. If the = prompt is not displayed, try CRTL B. If the CM> prompt is not displayed, manually reset the system at the CPU.

Follow the instructions in chapter 9, "Recovering from a System Failure" for recovery from an emergency shutdown or system failure.

If you think there is a problem with tapes

If a problem occurs, the first step is to try to establish whether the problems lie with the tape, the tape drive, or the host computer.

Is there a problem with the tape?

Clean the tape heads (if you have a DDS tape drive, use the cleaning cassette).
Try the operation again.
If the problem still occurs, try using a different tape.
If the problem persists after changing tapes, the tape is probably not the cause.

Is there a problem with the tape drive?

Has the tape drive been moved recently?
Has the environment changed? Is it unusually hot, cold, damp, or dry?
Has there been dust or dirt near the tape drive?
Have reasonable precautions against static been taken?

If the answer is "yes" to any of the above questions, do the following:

Clean the tape heads and try the operation again.
If the problem persists, check the environmental conditions against the drives specified limits and try to correct the conditions if they are outside the limits. Perhaps move the drive to a more suitable site.

Has a new operating system been installed in the host computer?

The problem could be with the computer. Report the problem to your system's manager.

If there are problems printing

If you or your users are having problems with getting printouts, consider the following.

Is the printer ready?

Be sure that the printer is powered up and online.

Is the printer out of paper, or is there a paper jam?

Load more paper, or clear the jam.

Is the printer outfence too high?

The outfence should be lowered with the OUTFENCE command, or the output priority for files waiting to be printed (spool files) should be undeferred or raised (above the printer outfence) with the SPOOLER command.

Has the print file been deferred, or is its output priority lower than the outfence?

Use the SHOWOUT command to check the outfence. Use the LISTSPF command to check the output priority of your print file and to see if it has been deferred. Use the SPOOLF command to undefer your print file or raise its output priority.

Is the printer waiting for a special form to be loaded?

Use the RECALL command to see if a reply request is pending for the printer. Load special forms, if necessary, and reply to the request.

Is the printer waiting for forms alignment verification?

If special forms have been loaded, the printer may be waiting for verification that the forms have been properly aligned. Use the RECALL command and check the printer.

Is the printer waiting for regular paper (not a special form) to be loaded?

If a special forms request has just been processed, your printer may be waiting for regular paper to be reloaded. Use the RECALL command, as above, to check.

Has the printer been downed from the console?

Up the printer with the UP command.

If there is a non-recoverable power failure on systems using UPS devices

If AC power does not return before the UPS devices on your system are exhausted, you must turn power to the UPS hardware off and then on again before you begin system recovery procedures.

Technical documentation

» Table of Contents