Dell 140M, PP19L User Manual

Dell™ Portable Computers

Owner’s Manual

Model PP19L

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

Notes, Notices, and Cautions

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.

NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the

problem.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the "Glossary" on page 163.

If you purchased a Dell™ n Series computer, any references in this document to Microsoft

Windows®

operating systems are not applicable.

____________________

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Inspiron, Dell Precision, Dimension, DellNet, OptiPlex, Latitude, PowerEdge , PowerConn ect,

PowerVault, PowerApp, Dell T ravelLite, ExpressChar ge, and Strike Zone are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel, Celeron, and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, Outlook, and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license; IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation; EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation; ENERGY ST AR is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.

Model PP19L

October 2005 Rev. A02

Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

1 A Tour of Your Computer

Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Left Side View

Right Side View

Back View

Bottom View

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

2 Setting Up Your Computer

Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

Transferring Information to a New Computer

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard With the

Operating System CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard Without the Operating System CD

Setting Up a Printer

Printer Cable Connecting a USB Printer

Power Protection Devices

Surge Protectors Line Conditioners

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Uninterruptible Power Supplies

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Contents 3

3 Using the Display

Adjusting Brightness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Switching the Video Image

Setting Display Resolution

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

4 Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad

Numeric Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Key Combinations

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

System Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

CD or DVD Tray Display Functions Radios (Including Wireless Networking and an Internal Card With

Bluetooth

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Wireless Technology) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Speaker Functions Microsoft

Touch Pad

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Windows® Logo Key Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Customizing the Touch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

5 Power Management

4 Contents

Power Management Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Power Management Wizard

Setting Sleep Modes Selecting a Power Scheme Setting Battery Alarms and Actions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Completing the Power Management Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Power Management Modes

Standby Mode Hibernate Mode

Power Options Properties

Power Schemes Tab Alarms Tab

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Power Meter Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Advanced Tab

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Hibernate Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Dell™ QuickSet Features

Clicking the QuickSet Icon Double-Clicking the QuickSet Icon Right-Clicking the QuickSet Icon

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

6 Using a Battery

Battery Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Battery Performance

Checking the Battery Charge

Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter Microsoft

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Windows® Power Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Charge Gauge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Health Gauge Low-Battery Warning

Charging the Battery

Storing a Battery

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

7 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

Playing a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Adjusting the Volume

Adjusting the Picture

Copying CDs and DVDs

How to Copy a CD or DVD Using Blank CDs and DVDs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Helpful Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Using Dell MediaDirect

Connecting Your Computer to a TV or Audio Device

S-Video and Standard Audio S-Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Contents 5

Composite Video and Standard Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Composite Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Enabling S/PDIF Digital Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Setting Up the Cyberlink (CL) Headphones Enabling the Display Settings for a TV

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

8 Using ExpressCards

ExpressCard Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

ExpressCard Blanks

Installing an ExpressCard

Removing an ExpressCard or Blank

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

9 Using the 5-in-1 Media Memory Card Reader

Media Memory Card Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Media Memory Card Blanks

Installing a Media Memory Card

Removing a Media Memory Card or Blank

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

10 Setting Up a Home and Office Network

Connecting to a Network Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Network Setup Wizard

Connecting to a Wireless Local Area Network

Determining Your Network Type Connecting to a Wireless Network in Microsoft

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Windows® XP . . . . . 74

11 Solving Problems

6 Contents

Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Drive Problems

CD and DVD drive problems If you cannot eject the CD, CD-RW, DVD, or DVD+RW drive tray

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

. . . . . 81

If you hear an unfamiliar scraping or grinding sound . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Hard drive problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

Error Messages

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

Keyboard Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

External Keyboard problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Unexpected characters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Lockups and Software Problems

The computer does not start up The computer stops responding A program stops responding or crashes repeatedly

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

. . . . . . . . . . . . 88

A program is designed for an earlier Microsoft® Windows® operating system

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Dell MediaDirect problems Other software problems

Memory Problems

Network Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

ExpressCard Problems

Power Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Ensuring Sufficient Power for Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Printer Problems

Scanner Problems

Sound and Speaker Problems

No sound from integrated speakers No sound from external speakers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Touch Pad or Mouse Problems

Video and Display Problems

If the display is blank If the display is difficult to read If only part of the display is readable

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Contents 7

Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

What Is a Driver? Identifying Drivers Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities

Restoring Your Operating System

Using Microsoft

Windows XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec Using the Operating System CD

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

12 Adding and Replacing Parts

Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Recommended Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Turning Off Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Before Working Inside Your Computer

Battery

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Removing a Battery Installing a Battery

Hard Drive

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Returning a Hard Drive to Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Optical Drives

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

About the Device Security Screw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Removing and Installing Optical Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

8 Contents

Memory

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Installing a Memory Module in Connector DIMM B Installing a Memory Module in Connector DIMM A

Modem (Optional)

Wireless Mini PCI Card

Hinge Cover

Removing the Hinge Cover Replacing the Hinge Cover

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

. . . . . . . . . . . 113

. . . . . . . . . . . 115

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Removing the Keyboard Replacing the Keyboard

Internal Card With Bluetooth

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Wireless Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Coin-Cell Battery

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Removing the Coin-Cell Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Replacing the Coin-Cell Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

13 Appendix

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Using the System Setup Program

Overview

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Viewing the System Setup Screen

System Setup Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Commonly Used Options

Computer Tracking Software

Traveling With Your Computer

Identifying Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Packing the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Travel Tips Traveling by Air

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Cleaning Your Computer

Computer, Keyboard, and Display Touch Pad Floppy Drive CDs and DVDs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

FCC Notices (U.S. Only)

Class A

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Class B

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

FCC Identification Information

Macrovision Product Notice

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Contents 9

Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals

. . . . . . . . . 144

. . . . . . . . . . . 145

Contacting Dell

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

10 Contents

Finding Information

NOTE: Some features or media may be optional and may not ship with your computer. Some features or

media may not be available in certain countries.

NOTE: Additional information may ship with your computer.

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• A diagnostic program for my computer

• Drivers for my computer

• My device documentation

• Notebook System Software (NSS)

• How to set up my computer

• Basic troubleshooting information

• How to run the Dell Diagnostics

• How to set up a printer

• Additional information about setting up my computer

• How to troubleshoot and solve problems

• How to remove and install parts

•Specifications

• How to contact Dell

Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as ResourceCD)

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD may be optional and may

not ship with your computer.

Documentation and drivers are already installed on your computer. You can use the CD to reinstall drivers (see page 97) or to run the Dell Diagnostics (see page 77).

Readme files may be included on your CD to provide last-minute updates about technical changes to your computer or advanced technicalreference material for technicians or experienced users.

NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates can be found at

support.dell.com.

Owner’s Manual

NOTE: This document is available as a PDF at

support.dell.com.

Finding Information 11

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• Warranty information

Dell™ Product Information Guide

• Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)

• Safety instructions

• Regulatory information

• Ergonomics information

• End User License Agreement

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

• Service Tag and Express Service Code

• Microsoft Windows License Label

Service Tag and Microsoft® Windows® License

These labels are located on

•Use the Service Tag to

• Enter the Express

identify your computer when you use

support.dell.com

or contact technical support.

Service Code to direct your call when contacting technical support.

the bottom of

your computer.

12 Finding Information

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips, articles from technicians, and online courses, frequently asked questions

• Community — Online discussion with other Dell customers

• Upgrades — Upgrade information for components, such

Dell Support Website — support.dell.com

NOTE: Select your region to view the appropriate support

site.

NOTE: Corporate, government, and education customers

can also use the customized Dell Premier Support website at premier.support.dell.com.

as memory, the hard drive, and the operating system

• Customer Care — Contact information, service call and order status, warranty, and repair information

• Service and support — Service call status and support history, service contract, online discussions with technical support

• Reference — Computer documentation, details on my computer configuration, product specifications, and white papers

• Downloads — Certified drivers, patches, and software updates

• Notebook System Software (NSS)— If you reinstall the operating system for your computer, you should also reinstall the NSS utility. NSS provides critical updates for your operating system and support for Dell™

3.5-inch USB floppy drives, Intel

Pentium® M processors, optical drives, and USB devices. NSS is necessary for correct operation of your Dell computer. The software automatically detects your computer and operating system and installs the updates appropriate for your configuration.

• How to use Windows XP

• How to work with programs and files

• How to personalize my desktop

To download Notebook System Software:

Go to

support.dell.com

Enter your Service Tag or product model.

In the

Select the operating system and operating system language for your computer, and click

Under

Configuration Utilities Software

Windows Help and Support Center

Click the

Type a word or phrase that describes your problem and click the arrow icon.

Click the topic that describes your problem.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

and click

Download Category

Select a Device

, scroll to

, and click

Start

button and click

Downloads

drop-down menu, click

Submit.

System and

Dell Notebook System

Help and Support

All

Finding Information 13

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• How to reinstall my operating system

Operating System CD

NOTE: The Operating System CD may be optional and may

not ship with your computer.

The operating system is already installed on your computer. To reinstall your operating system, use the Operating System CD. See "Reinstalling Windows XP" on page 103.

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After you reinstall your operating system, use the Drivers and Utilities CD (ResourceCD) to reinstall drivers for the devices that came with your computer.

NOTE: The color of your CD

varies based on the operating system you ordered.

14 Finding Information

A Tour of Your Computer

Front View

1 display latch release 5 touch pad 9 keyboard

2 display 6 media control buttons 10 keyboard and wireless

status lights

3 power button 7 speakers 11 display latches (2)

4 device status lights 8 touch pad buttons

A Tour of Your Computer 15

DISPLAY LATCH RELEASE — Press to release the display latches and open the display.

DISPLAY — For more information about your display, see "Using the Display" on page 33.

POWER BUTTON — Press the power button to turn on the computer or to enter or exit a power

management mode.

NOTICE: To avoid losing data when you turn off your computer, shut down your computer through the

Start menu instead of pressing the power button.

DEVICE STATUS LIGHTS

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Turns on when you turn on the computer, and blinks when the computer is in a power management mode.

Turns on when the computer reads or writes data.

NOTICE: To avoid loss of data, never turn off the computer while the light is flashing.

Turns on steadily or blinks to indicate battery charge status.

If the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, the light operates as follows:

• Solid green: The battery is charging.

• Flashing green: The battery is almost fully charged.

If the computer is running on a battery, the light operates as follows:

• Off: The battery is adequately charged (or the computer is turned off).

• Flashing orange: The battery charge is low.

• Solid orange: The battery charge is critically low.

16 A Tour of Your Computer

TOUCH PAD — Provides the functionality of a mouse.

MEDIA CONTROL BUTTONS — Control CD, DVD, and Media Player playback.

Mute the sound.

Tu r n t he vo l u me do wn.

Tu r n t he vo l u me up .

Play or pause.

Play the previous track.

Play the next track.

Stop.

Launch Dell MediaDirect or Microsoft

Windows® Media Center Edition. See

"Using Dell MediaDirect" on page 54.

SPEAKERS — To adjust the volume of the integrated speakers, press the media control buttons or speaker-

volume keyboard shortcuts. For more information, see "Speaker Functions" on page 37.

TOUCH PAD BUTTONS — Touch pad buttons provide the functionality of a mouse.

KEYBOARD — The keyboard includes a numeric keypad as well as the Microsoft Windows logo key. For

information on supported keyboard shortcuts, see "Key Combinations" on page 36.

A Tour of Your Computer 17

KEYBOARD AND WIRELESS STATUS LIGHTS

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The green lights located above the keyboard indicate the following:

Turns on when the numeric keypad is enabled.

Turns on when the uppercase letter function is enabled.

Turns on when the scroll lock function is enabled.

Turns on when wireless networking is enabled. To enable or disable wireless networking, press <Fn><F2>.

Turns on when a card with Bluetooth

wireless

technology is enabled.

NOTE: The card with Bluetooth wireless technology is an

optional feature, so the light turns on only if you ordered the card with your computer. For more information, see the documentation that came with your card.

To turn off only the Bluetooth wireless technology functionality, right-click the icon in the notification area and click Disable Bluetooth Radio.

To quickly enable or disable all wireless devices, press <Fn><F2>.

DISPLAY LATCHES — Keeps the display closed.

18 A Tour of Your Computer

Left Side View

345267 81

1 security cable slot 4 IEEE 1394 connector 7 5-in-1 media memory card

reader

2 air vent 5 microphone connector 8 ExpressCard slot

3 S-video TV-out connector 6 headphone connector

CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store

your computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.

NOTICE: Before you buy an antitheft device, ensure that it will work with the security cable slot.

SECURITY CABLE SLOT — Lets you attach a commercially available antitheft device to the computer.

For more information, see the instructions included with the device.

AIR VENT — The computer uses fans to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer

from overheating.

A Tour of Your Computer 19

S-VIDEO TV-OUT CONNECTOR

Connects your computer to a TV. Also connects digital audio capable devices using the TV/digital audio adapter cable.

IEEE 1394 CONNECTOR — Connects devices supporting IEEE 1394 high-speed transfer rates, such as some digital video cameras.

AUDIO CONNECTORS

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Attach headphones or speakers to the connector.

Attach a microphone to the connector.

5-IN-1 MEDIA MEMORY CARD READER — Provides a fast and convenient way to view and share digital photos, music, and videos stored on a memory card. The 5-in-1 media memory card reader reads the

following digital media memory cards:

• Secure Digital (SD) card/SDIO

• MultiMediaCard (MMC)

•Memory Stick

•Memory Stick PRO

•xD-Picture Card

EXPRESSCARD SLOT — Supports one ExpressCard. The computer ships with a plastic blank installed in the slot. For more information, see "Using ExpressCards" on page 67.

20 A Tour of Your Computer

Right Side View

345261

1 optical drive bay 3 USB connectors (2) 5 network connector (RJ-45)

2 optical drive-tray eject

button

OPTICAL DRIVE BAY — You can install devices such as a DVD drive or other optical drive in the optical

drive bay. For more information, see "Optical Drives" on page 111.

OPTICAL DRIVE-TRAY EJECT BUTTON — Press this button to eject a CD or DVD from the optical drive.

CONNECTORS

USB

4 modem connector (RJ-11) 6 video connector

Connect USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or printer. You can also connect the optional floppy drive

cable.

drive

CONNECTOR (RJ-11)

MODEM

To use the internal modem, connect the telephone line to the modem connector.

For additional information on using the modem, see the online modem documentation supplied with your computer.

NOTICE: The network connector is slightly larger than the modem connector. To avoid damaging the

computer, do not plug a telephone line into the network connector.

directly to a USB connector using the optional floppy-

A Tour of Your Computer 21

NETWORK CONNECTOR (RJ-45)

Connects the computer to a network. The green and yellow lights next to the connector indicate activity for wired network communications.

For information on using the network adapter, see the online network adapter documentation supplied with your computer.

VIDEO CONNECTOR

Connects an external VGA-compatible monitor.

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Back View

1 USB connectors (2) 2 AC adapter connector

USB CONNECTORS

Connect USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or printer. You can also connect the optional floppy drive

cable.

drive

AC ADAPTER CONNECTOR — Attaches an AC adapter to the computer. The AC adapter converts AC power to the DC power required by the computer. You can connect the AC adapter with your computer turned either on or off.

directly to a USB connector using the optional floppy-

22 A Tour of Your Computer

CAUTION: The AC adapter works with electrical outlets worldwide. However, power connectors and

power strips vary among countries. Using an incompatible cable or improperly connecting the cable to the power strip or electrical outlet may cause fire or equipment damage.

NOTICE: When you disconnect the AC adapter cable from the computer, grasp the connector, not the

cable itself, and pull firmly but gently to avoid damaging the cable.

Bottom View

4132

1 battery 4 fan 7 optical-drive locking screw

2 memory module cover 5 processor and thermal

8 hard drive

module cover

3 battery-bay latch release 6 modem/Mini PCI/

9 battery charge gauge

wireless cover

BATTERY — When a battery is installed, you can use the computer without connecting the computer to

an electrical outlet. For more information, see "Using a Battery" on page 45.

MEMORY MODULE COVER — Covers the compartment that contains the memory modules. For more

information, see page 112.

BATTERY-BAY LATCH RELEASE — Releases the battery from the battery bay. See "Battery" on page 108.

FAN — The computer uses a fan to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from

overheating.

PROCESSOR AND THERMAL MODULE COVER — Covers the processor and thermal module.

A Tour of Your Computer 23

MODEM/MINI PCI/WIRELESS COVER — Covers the compartment that contains the modem, Mini PCI

card, and internal card with Bluetooth wireless technology. For more information, see page 119.

OPTICAL-DRIVE LOCKING SCREW — Secures the optical drive in the optical drive bay. For more

information, see "Optical Drives" on page 111.

HARD DRIVE — Stores software and data. For more information, see "Hard Drive" on page 108 and "Hard

drive problems" on page 81. The size displayed for your hard drive in Windows Explorer is the capacity of the drive before any operating system or programs are installed.

BATTERY CHARGE GAUGE — Provides information on the battery charge status. See "Using a Battery" on

page 45.

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

24 A Tour of Your Computer

Setting Up Your Computer

Connecting to the Internet

NOTE: ISPs and ISP offerings vary by country.

To connect to the Internet, you need a modem or network connection and an Internet service provider (ISP). Your ISP will offer one or more of the following Internet connection options:

• Dial-up connections that provide Internet access through a telephone line. Dial-up connections are considerably slower than DSL and cable modem connections.

• DSL connections that provide high-speed Internet access through your existing telephone line. With a DSL connection, you can access the Internet and use your telephone on the same line simultaneously.

• Cable modem connections that provide high-speed Internet access through your local cable TV line.

If you are using a dial-up connection, connect a telephone line to the modem connector on your computer and to the telephone wall jack before you set up your Internet connection. If you are using a DSL or cable modem connection, contact your ISP for setup instructions.

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

To set up an Internet connection with a provided ISP desktop shortcut:

Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs.

Double-click the ISP icon on the Microsoft® Windows® desktop.

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the setup.

If you do not have an ISP icon on your desktop or if you want to set up an Internet connection with a different ISP:

Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs.

Click the

The

Start

button and click

New Connection Wizard

Internet Explorer

appears.

Click

Connect to the Internet

In the next window, click the appropriate option:

• If you do not have an ISP and want to select one, click

service providers (ISPs)

Choose from a list of Internet

Setting Up Your Computer 25

• If you have already obtained setup information from your ISP but you did not receive a setup CD, click

• If you have a CD, click

Click

If you selected instructions on the screen to complete the setup.

NOTE: If you do not know which type of connection to select, contact your ISP.

Click the appropriate option under click

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Use the setup information provided by your ISP to complete the setup.

If you are having problems connecting to the Internet, see "E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems" on page 82. If you cannot connect to the Internet but have successfully connected in the past, the ISP might have a service outage. Contact your ISP to check the service status, or try connecting again later.

Set up my connection manually

Use the CD I got from an ISP

Set up my connection manually

How do you want to connect to the Internet?

, continue to step 6. Otherwise, follow the

, and then

Transferring Information to a New Computer

The Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system provides a Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to move data from a source computer to a new computer. You can transfer data, such as:

• E-mail messages

• Toolbar settings

•Window sizes

• Internet bookmarks

You can transfer the data to the new computer over a network connection, or you can store it on a removable medium, such as a writable CD or floppy, for transfer to the new computer.

NOTE: For instructions on setting up a direct cable connection between two computers, see Microsoft

Knowledge Base Article #305621, titled How to Set Up a Direct Cable Connection Between Two Computers in Windows XP. This information may not be available in some countries.

For transferring information to a new computer, you must run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. You can use the optional Operating System CD for this process or you can create a wizard disk with the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard utility.

26 Setting Up Your Computer

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard With the Operating System CD

NOTE: This procedure requires the Operating System CD. This CD is optional and may not be included

with all computers.

To prepare the new computer for the file transfer:

Start the

When the

On the

Windows XP CD

When the Do

To copy data from the old computer:

On the old computer, insert the Windows XP

On the

Under

On the

After the information has been copied, the

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

screen, click

Do you have a Windows XP CD?

and click

Now go to your old computer

not

click

at this time.

Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP

What do you want to do?

, click

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

Select a transfer method

screen, click

screen, click the transfer method you prefer.

What do you want to transfer?

welcome screen appears, click

New Computer

screen, click

I will use the wizard from the

and click

screen appears, go to your old or source computer.

Operating System

screen, click

Transfer files and settings

welcome screen, click

Old Computer

CD.

Perform additional tasks

and click

screen, select the items you want to transfer and click

Completing the Collection Phase

screen appears.

Click

Finish

To transfer data to the new computer:

On the

On the your settings and files and click

Now go to your old computer

screen on the new computer, click

Where are the files and settings?

screen, select the method you chose for transferring

The wizard reads the collected files and settings and applies them to your new computer.

When all of the settings and files have been applied, the

Click

Finished

and restart the new computer.

Finished

screen appears.

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard Without the Operating System CD

To run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard without the optional Operating System CD, you must create a wizard disk that will allow you to create a backup image file to removable media.

Setting Up Your Computer 27

To create a wizard disk, use your new computer with Windows XP and perform the following steps:

Click the

Click

When the

On the

following drive:

Insert the removable media, such as a floppy disk or CD, and click OK.

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When the disk creation completes and the

not

Go to the old computer.

Start

button.

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

screen, click

Do you have a Windows XP CD?

click

and click

Next.

welcome screen appears, click

New Computer

screen, click

and click

I want to create a Wizard Disk in the

Now go to your old computer

message appears,

To copy data from the old computer:

On the old computer, insert the wizard disk.

Click the

In the removable media) and click

On the

After the information has been copied, the

Start

Open

button and click

field on the

Run

window, browse to the path for

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

Select a transfer method

screen, click

screen, click the transfer method you prefer.

What do you want to transfer?

fastwiz

(on the appropriate

welcome screen, click

Old Computer

and click

screen, select the items you want to transfer and click

Completing the Collection Phase

screen appears.

Click

Finish

28 Setting Up Your Computer

To transfer data to the new computer:

On the

On the your settings and files and click

Now go to your old computer

screen on the new computer, click

Where are the files and settings?

. Follow the instructions on the screen.

screen, select the method you chose for transferring

The wizard reads the collected files and settings and applies them to your new computer.

When all of the settings and files have been applied, the

Click

Finished

NOTE: For more information about this procedure, search dell.support.com for document #PA1089586

(How Do I Transfer Files From My Old Computer to My New Dell Computer Using the Microsoft®

Windows

NOTE: Access to the Dell Knowledge Base document may not be available in some countries.

and restart the new computer.

XP Operating System?).

Finished

screen appears.

Setting Up a Printer

NOTICE: Complete the operating system setup before you connect a printer to the computer.

See the documentation that came with the printer for setup information, including how to:

• Obtain and install updated drivers.

• Connect the printer to the computer.

• Load paper and install the toner or ink cartridge.

For technical assistance, refer to the printer owner's manual or contact the printer manufacturer.

Printer Cable

Your printer connects to your computer with either a USB cable or a parallel cable. Your printer may not come with a printer cable, so if you purchase a cable separately, ensure that it is compatible with your printer and computer. If you purchased a printer cable at the same time you purchased your computer, the cable may arrive in the box in which your computer was shipped.

Setting Up Your Computer 29

Connecting a USB Printer

NOTE: You can connect USB devices while the computer is turned on.

Complete the operating system setup if you have not already done so.

Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connectors on the computer and the printer. The USB connectors fit only one way.

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1 USB connector on

computer

Turn on the printer and then turn on the computer. If the window appears, click

Install the printer driver if necessary. See the documentation that came with your printer.

Power Protection Devices

Several devices are available to protect against power fluctuations and failures:

•Surge protectors

• Line conditioners

• Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)

30 Setting Up Your Computer

2 USB printer cable 3 connector on printer

Add New Hardware Wizard

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