Dell 300 User Manual
CHAPTER 7
Checking Inside the Computer
Your Dell PowerEdge 300 system supports a variety of internal options that expand
system capabilities. This file prepares you to install options inside the computer. It
describes how to remove and replace the computer cover and rotate the power supply away from the system board. It also familiarizes you with the internal components
you may handle if you install Dell hardware options.
Before You Begin
To make working inside your computer easier, make sure you have adequate lighting
and a clean work space. If you temporarily disconnect cables or remove expansion
cards, note the position of the connectors and slots so that you can reassemble the
system correctly.
You will use the information in this section every time you install a hardware option
inside your computer.
repeated in such detail elsewhere in this guide.
Read this section carefully
, because the information is not
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Safety First—For You and Your Computer
Working inside your computer is safe—ifyou observe the following precautions.
WARNING: FOR YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY AND PROTECTION OF YOUR
EQUIPMENT
Before starting to work on your computer, perform the following steps in the
sequence indicated:
1. Turn off your computer and all peripherals.
2. Disconnect your computer and peripherals from their AC power sources.
Also, disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer. Doing so reduces the potential for personal injury or shock.
3. If you are disconnecting a peripheral from the computer or are removing a
component from the system board, wait 10 to 20 seconds after disconnecting the computer from AC power before disconnecting the peripheral or
removing the component to avoid possible damage to the system board.
Checking Inside the Computer 7-1
4. To verify that all power has been removed from the system, make sure that
the standby light-emitting diode (LED) on the system board has gone out.
For the location of this LED, see Figure 8-1, in Chapter 8, “Installing System
Board Options”.
5. Touch an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis, such as the
power supply, before touching anything inside your computer.
6. While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal
components. Also avoid touching components or contacts on a card and
avoid touching pins on a chip.
In addition, Dell recommends that you periodically review the safety instructions at
the front of this guide.
Unpacking Your Hardware Option
When you remove an option from its shipping carton, you may find it wrapped in antistatic packing material designed to protect it from electrostatic damage. Do not
remove the packing material until you are ready to install the option.
CAUTION: See “Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge,” in the safety
instructions at the front of this guide.
Removing the Computer Cover
Use the following procedure to remove the computer cover:
1. Turn off your computer and peripherals, and make sure you unplug the computer
from its electrical outlet before you remove the computer cover. Observe the
Warning for “Safety First—For You and Your Computer” at the front of this chapter. Also observe the safety instructions at the front of this guide.
2. If you have installed a padlock through the padlock ring on the back panel (see
Figure 7-1), remove the padlock.
7-2 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
padlock ring
security
cable slot
Figure 7-1. Padlock Installed
3. Remove the cover.
4. Facing the left side cover, press the release button (located at the bottom-left corner of the front bezel) and lift the bottom of the cover, allowing it to pivot up
toward you (see Figure 7-2).
5. Disengage the tabs that secure the cover to the top of the chassis, and lift the
cover away.
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Checking Inside the Computer 7-3
Figure 7-2. Removing the Computer Cover
Replacing the Computer Cover
Use the following procedure to replace the computer cover:
1. Check all cable connections, especially those that might have come loose during
your work. Fold cables out of the way so that they do not catch on the computer
cover. Make sure cables are not routed over the drive cage—they will prevent the
cover from closing properly.
2. Check to see that no tools or extra parts (including screws) are left inside the
computer's chassis.
3. Replace the cover.
4. Facing the left side of the computer, hold the cover at a slight angle as shown in
Figure 7-3, and then align the top of the cover with the top of the chassis. Hook
7-4 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
release button
the tabs on the cover into the recessed slots on the computer chassis so that the
tabs catch the hooks inside the slots.
Pivot the cover down toward the bottom of the chassis and into position. Make
sure the securing hooks at the bottom of the cover click into place.
tabs (3)
recessed slot
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Figure 7-3. Replacing the Computer Cover
5. If you are using a padlock to secure your system, reinstall the padlock.
NOTE: After removing and replacing the chassis, the chassis intrusion detector will
cause the following message to be displayed at the next system start-up:
ALERT! Cover was previously removed
6. Reset the chassis intrusion detector by entering the System Setup program and
setting Chassis Intrusion to Not Detected.See“Using the System Setup Pro-
gram” in your
User's Guide
for instructions.
NOTE: If a setup password has been assigned by someone else, contact your network administrator for information on resetting the chassis intrusion detector.
.
Checking Inside the Computer 7-5
Inside Your Computer
Figure 7-4 shows a side view of your computer to help you orient yourself when
installing hardware options. Unless otherwise specified, locations or directions relative to the computer are as shown.
back of computer
right sideleft side
front of computer
Figure 7-4. Computer Orientation View
Figure 7-5 shows your computer with its cover removed. Refer to this illustration to
locate interior features and components discussed in this guide.
7-6 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
AC power
receptacle
input/output
(I/O) panel
expansion
card slots
power supply
external
drive bays
internal
drive bays
drive interface
cable
security
cable lock
system board
padlock ring
drive power cable
Figure 7-5. Inside the Chassis
The system board holds the computer's control circuitry and other electronic components. Some hardware options are installed directly on the system board. Drive
support is as follows:
• The three 5.25-inch external drive bays provide space for up to three drives,
including a 3.5-inch diskette drive (standard) and, typically, an optional CD-ROM
drive and/or tape drive.
• The removable hard-disk drive cage provides space for up to three 1-inch hard-
disk drives.
When you look inside the computer, note the DC power cables leading from the
power supply. The power cables supply power to the system board, drives, and any
expansion cards that connect to external peripherals.
The wide ribbon cables are the interface cables for internal drives. For the diskette
drive, an interface cable connects each drive to an interface connector on the system
board or on an expansion card. For IDE devices, interface cables connect the devices
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Checking Inside the Computer 7-7
to an IDE connector on the system board. (For more information, see Chapter 9,
“Installing Drives.”)
During an installation or troubleshooting procedure, you may be required to change
a jumper or switch setting. For information on the system board jumpers, see
Appendix B, “Jumpers, Switches, and Connectors.”
Rotating the Power Supply Away From the System Board
To access some components on the system board, you may have to rotate the system power supply out of the way. Use the following procedure to rotate the power
supply:
1. Remove the computer cover as instructed in “Removing the Computer Cover”
earlier in this chapter.
2. Disconnect the AC power cable from the AC power receptacle on the back of the
power supply (see “Rotating the Power Supply”).
power supply
AC power
receptacle
AC power
cable
Figure 7-6. Rotating the Power Supply
3. Free the power supply by pressing the securing tab labeled “RELEASE,” then
rotate the power supply upward until it locks in one of its extended positions.
7-8 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
DC power
cables
securing tab
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