Dell 7M291, 4500S User Manual
Dell™ Dimension™ 4500S
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
HINT: A HINT 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.
For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the Tell Me How help
file. To access help files, see page 26.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2002 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Computer
Corporation is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Dimension, Inspiron, Latitude, OptiPlex, Dell
Precision, DellPlus, and DellNet are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation; EMC is the
registered trademark of EMC Corporation; Intel, Celeron, and Pentium are registered trademarks
of Intel Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
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 Computer Corporation disclaims any proprietary interest
in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by method claims of
certain U.S. patents and other intellectual property rights owned by Macrovision Corporation and
other rights owners. Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision
Corporation, and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses only unless otherwise
authorized by Macrovision Corporation. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited.
April 2002 P/N 7M291 Rev. A00
Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
When Using Your Computer
When Working Inside Your Computer
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge
Battery Disposal
Finding Information for Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1 Setting Up
Attaching and Removing the Computer Stand . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Connecting a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Parallel Printer
USB Printer
Installing the Printer Driver
Transferring Information to a New Computer . . . . . . . . . . . 20
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
. . . . . . . . . . . 10
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Setting Up a Home and Office Network
Connecting to a Network Adapter
Network Setup Wizard
Turning Off the Computer
2 Solving Problems
Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Finding Help Information
Battery Problems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Contents 3
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Floppy drive problems
CD drive problems
Problems writing to a CD-RW drive
DVD drive problems
Hard drive problems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
General Problems
The computer stops responding
A program stops responding
A program crashes repeatedly
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
A program is designed for an earlier Windows
operating system
A solid blue screen appears
Other software problems
Other technical problems
General hardware problems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Mouse Problems
Network Problems
Power Problems
Printer Problems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4 Contents
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Sound and Speaker Problems
No sound from speakers
No sound from headphones
Video and Monitor Problems
If the screen is blank
If the screen is difficult to read
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
3 Advanced Troubleshooting
Diagnostic Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Using System Restore
Creating a Restore Point
Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State
Undoing the Last System Restore
Reinstalling Drivers
Using Windows
Using the Dell Dimension ResourceCD
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . 54
Reinstalling Windows
4 Adding Parts
Front and Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Front View
Back View
Opening the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Looking Inside Your Computer
System Board
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
. . . . . . 51
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
®
XP Device Driver Rollback . . . . . . . . . . 53
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
®
XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Adding Cards
Adding Memory
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Removing a Memory Module
Adding a Memory Module
Closing the Computer Cover
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Contents 5
5 Appendix
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Standard Settings
Viewing Settings
System Setup Program Screens
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Clearing Forgotten Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Replacing the Battery
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals
. . . . . 83
. . . . . . 84
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Contact Numbers and Addresses
Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit
Regulatory Information
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
FCC Notices (U.S. Only)
NOM Information (Mexico Only)
Limited Warranties and Return Policy
One-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only)
Two-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only)
Three-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only)
Four-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only)
One-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only)
Two-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only)
Three-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only)
"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (U.S. Only)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
. . . . . . . . . 99
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
. . . . . . . . . . . . 104
. . . . . . . . . . . . 106
. . . . . . . . . . . 110
. . . . . . . . . . . . 113
. . . . . . . . . . . 116
. . . . . . . . . . . 118
. . . . . . . . . . 121
. . . . . . . . . . 125
One-Year End-User Manufacturer Guarantee
(Latin America and the Caribbean Only)
. . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
6 Contents
Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer from
potential damage and to ensure your own personal safety.
When Using Your Computer
As you use your computer, observe the following safe-handling guidelines.
CAUTION: Do not operate your computer with any cover(s)
(including the computer cover, filler brackets, front-panel inserts,
and so on) removed or opened.
• Your computer is equipped with one of the following:
– A fixed-voltage power supply — Computers with a fixed-voltage
power supply do not have a voltage selection switch on the back
panel and operate at only one voltage (see the regulatory label on
the outside of the computer for its operating voltage).
– An auto-sensing voltage circuit — Computers with an auto-
sensing voltage circuit do not have a voltage selection switch on
the back panel and automatically detect the correct operating
voltage.
– A manual voltage selection switch — Computers with a voltage
selection switch on the back panel must be manually set to
operate at the correct operating voltage.
• To help avoid damaging a computer with a manual voltage selection
switch, be sure that the voltage selection switch is set to match the AC
power available at your location:
– 115 V/60 Hz in most of North and South America and some Far
Eastern countries such as South Korea and Taiwan
– 100 V/50 Hz in eastern Japan and 100 V/60 Hz in western Japan
NOTE: The voltage selection switch must be set to the 115V position
even though the AC supply in Japan is 100 V.
Safety Instructions 7
– 230 V/50 Hz in some regions in the Caribbean and South America
and most of Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East
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NOTE: Fixed-voltage power supplies and auto-select power supplies do
not require a voltage selection switch. Your power supply may not have
this switch. Check the regulatory label on the outside of the computer for
your power supply type.
Also be sure that your monitor and attached devices are electrically
rated to operate with the AC power available in your location.
• To avoid shorting out your computer when disconnecting a network
cable, first unplug the cable from the network adapter on the back of
your computer, and then from the network jack. When reconnecting a
network cable to your computer, first plug the cable into the network
jack, and then into the network adapter.
• To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds
after turning off the computer before disconnecting or connecting a
non-USB device from the computer.
• To help prevent electric shock, plug the computer and device power
cables into properly grounded power sources. These cables are
equipped with three-prong plugs to help ensure proper grounding. Do
not use adapter plugs or remove the grounding prong from a cable. If
you must use an extension cable, use a three-wire cable with properly
grounded plugs.
8 Safety Instructions
• To help protect your computer from sudden, transient increases and
decreases in electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner,
or uninterruptible power supply.
• Be sure that nothing rests on your computer’s cables and that the
cables are not located where they can be stepped on or tripped over.
• Do not spill food or liquids on your computer. If the computer gets
wet, contact Dell (see page 84).
• Do not push any objects into the openings of your computer. Doing so
can cause fire or electric shock by shorting out interior components.
• Keep your computer away from radiators and heat sources. Also, do not
block cooling vents. Avoid placing loose papers underneath your
computer; do not place your computer in a closed-in wall unit or on a
bed, sofa, or rug.
When Working Inside Your Computer
Before you open the computer cover, perform the following steps in the
sequence indicated.
CAUTION: Do not attempt to service the computer yourself,
except as explained in this guide and elsewhere in Dell
documentation. Always follow installation and service
instructions closely.
Perform an orderly computer shutdown using the operating system
1
menu (see page 22).
2 Turn off your computer and any devices.
3 Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface at the back of
the computer before touching anything inside your computer.
While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the
computer to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal
components.
4 Disconnect any devices connected to the computer, including the
monitor, from their electrical outlets to reduce the potential for
personal injury or shock. Also, disconnect any telephone or
telecommunication lines from the computer.
5 Disconnect the power cable to your computer, and then press the
power button to ground the system board.
Safety Instructions 9
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In addition, take note of these safety guidelines when appropriate:
• When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector, not on the cable
itself. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid
bending any pins. Also, before you connect a cable, make sure that
both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.
• Handle components and cards with care. Don’t touch the components
on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal bracket.
CAUTION: There is a danger of a new battery exploding if it is
incorrectly installed. Replace the battery only with the same or
equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Discard used
batteries according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge
To prevent static damage, discharge static electricity from your body before
you touch anything inside your computer and periodically while you work
inside the computer. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface
on the back of the computer.
You can also take the following steps to prevent static damage:
• Do not remove items from their antistatic packing material until you
are ready to install them in your computer. Just before unwrapping the
antistatic packaging, be sure to discharge static electricity from your
body.
10 Safety Instructions
• When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an antistatic
container or packaging.
Battery Disposal
Your computer uses a lithium battery. For instructions about replacing the
lithium battery in your computer, see page 81. The lithium battery is a longlife battery, and it is very possible that you will never need to replace it.
Do not dispose of the battery along with household waste. Contact your
local waste disposal agency for the address of the nearest battery deposit
site.
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
• A diagnostic program for my computer
ResourceCD
• Drivers for my computer
• My computer documentation
• My device documentation
You can use this CD to access documentation and reinstall drivers (see
page 53).
• How to set up a printer
Owner’s Manual
• How to troubleshoot and solve problems
• How to add parts
• How to contact Dell
• Warranty information
• Express Service Code and Service Tag
Number
• Windows License Label
Express Service Code and Windows License Label
Located on your computer.
Safety Instructions 11
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
• How to reinstall my operating system
Operating System CD
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• Latest drivers for my computer
• Answers to technical service and support
questions
• Online discussions with other users and
technical support
• Documentation for my computer
If you reinstall your operating system, use the ResourceCD to reinstall
drivers for the devices that came with your computer (see page 53).
Dell | Support website
The Dell | Support website provides several online tools, including:
• Knowledge Base — hints, tips, and online courses
• Customer Forum — online discussion with other Dell customers
• Upgrades — upgrade information for components, such as memory,
the hard drive, and the operating system
• Customer Care — contact information, order status, warranty, and
repair information
• Downloads — drivers, patches, and software updates
• Reference — computer documentation, product specifications, and
white papers
12 Safety Instructions
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
• How to set up my computer Start Here Setup Diagram
• Tips on using Windows
• How to clean my computer
• How to use my mouse and keyboard
• How to use Windows
®
XP
• Documentation for my computer and
devices
Tell Me How Help File
1 Click the Start button, and then click Help and Support.
2 Click User and system guides, and then click User’s guides.
3 Click Tell Me How.
Windows XP Help and Support Center
1 Click the Start button, and then click Help and Support.
2 Type a word or phrase that describes your problem, and then click
the arrow icon.
3 Click the topic that describes your problem.
4 Follow the instructions shown on the screen.
Safety Instructions 13
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14 Safety Instructions
SECTION 1
Attaching and Removing the Computer Stand
Connecting a Printer
Transferring Information to a New Computer
Setting Up a Home and Office Network
Turning Off the Computer
HINT: Use the green tab
inside the front door to
rotate the DELL™ logo on
the outside of the front
door.
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Your computer can be used in either a vertical or horizontal position.
To use the computer in a vertical position, you must attach the computer
stand:
1 Place the computer on its right side so that the drive bays are at the
bottom.
2 Fit the stand onto what was the left side of the computer.
a Position the stand as shown in the following illustration by
aligning the large round hole in the stand with the securing button
on the side of the cover and aligning the captive screw in the stand
with the screw hole in the cover.
16 Setting Up
b When the stand is in place, tighten the thumbscrew.
3 Rotate the computer so that the stand is at the bottom and the drives
are at the top.
To remove the stand:
1 Turn the computer over so that the stand is at the top.
2 Loosen the thumbscrew and lift the stand away.
3 Place the computer in a horizontal position.
Setting Up 17
See the documentation that came with the printer for any recommended
preparation procedures, such as:
• Removing the packaging
• Installing the toner or ink cartridge
• Loading paper
Then follow the instructions that came with the printer to connect it to the
computer. If no information is provided, see the following sections.
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Parallel Printer
1 Turn off the computer (see page 22).
NOTICE: Use only a standard IEEE parallel cable measuring 3 m (10 ft) or
less to connect the printer to the computer. Use of a nonstandard cable may
prevent the printer from working.
Attach the parallel printer cable to the parallel connector on the
2
computer and tighten the two screws. Attach the cable to the parallel
connector on the printer and snap the two clips into the two notches.
screws (2)
parallel printer
cable
parallel connector
on computer
parallel connector
on printer
clips (2)
18 Setting Up
notches (2)
3 Turn on the printer and then turn on the computer. If the Add New
Hardware Wizard window appears, click Cancel.
4 Install the printer driver if necessary (see "Installing the Printer Driver"
on page 19).
USB Printer
Install the printer driver if necessary (see the following section).
1
2 Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connector on the computer
and the printer. The USB connectors only fit one way.
USB connector
on computer
USB printer
cable
USB connector
on printer
Installing the Printer Driver
If you need to install a printer driver, insert the printer installation CD into
the CD or DVD drive. Then follow the prompts on the screen using the
instructions that came with the printer.
HINT: You can connect
USB devices while the
computer is turned on.
HINT: Your computer has
four USB connectors on
the back panel (see
page 61) and two USB
connectors inside the door
on the front panel (see
page 60).
If your printer installation CD does not automatically run, click the Start
®
button on the Microsoft
x:\setup.exe (where x is the letter of your CD or DVD drive [usually
Windows® desktop, click Run, and type
drive D]). Then click OK and follow the prompts on your screen. If your
printer installation CD still does not run, check the documentation that
came with your printer for instructions on how to start the printer
installation CD.
Setting Up 19
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If you connect an older printer and it doesn’t work after you install the
driver, access the system setup program (see page 78) and ensure that the
parallel port is set to operate in bidirectional mode.
To check if your printer driver is installed on a computer, click Control
Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click View installed
printers or fax printers. If your printer is listed in the Printers window, the
printer is ready to use.
Windows XP provides a Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to move data,
such as e-mails, window sizes, toolbar settings, and Internet bookmarks
from one computer to another. First you collect the data from the source
computer, and then you import the data to the new computer.
If the source computer uses another Windows operating system, the wizard
can be launched from the Windows XP operating system CD or from a
floppy disk created on the Windows XP computer. You can transfer the data
to the new computer over a network or serial connection, or you can store it
on a removable medium, such as a floppy disk, a Zip disk, or a writable CD.
HINT: The CD that you
need to place in your CD
or DVD drive is titled
Operating System.
20 Setting Up
To transfer information to a new computer:
Click the Start button, point to All Programs—> Accessories—>
1
System Tools, and then click Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.
2 On the welcome screen, click Next.
3 On the Which computer is this? screen, select New Computer, and
then click Next.
4 Follow the instructions on the screen.
Connecting to a Network Adapter
Before your computer can communicate on a network, your computer must
have a network adapter installed and a network cable connected to it.
network adapter
connector on
computer
network cable
Network Setup Wizard
Windows XP provides a Network Setup Wizard to guide you through the
process of sharing files, printers, or an Internet connection between
computers in a home or small office.
1 Click the Start button, point to All Programs—>Accessories—>
Communications, and then click Network Setup Wizard.
2 On the welcome screen, click Next.
3 Click checklist for creating a network.
Complete the checklist and required preparations, and then return to
4
the Network Setup Wizard.
5 Follow the instructions on the screen.
HINT: Selecting the
connection method This
computer connects
directly to the Internet
enables the integrated
firewall provided with
Windows XP.
Setting Up 21
HINT: If you are having
difficulty turning off your
computer, see "General
Problems" on page 33.
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NOTICE: To prevent data loss, you must turn off your computer through the
Start menu rather than by pressing the power button.
1
Save and close any open files and exit any open programs.
2 Click the Start button and then click Turn off Computer.
3 Click Tur n o ff.
The computer automatically turns off after the shutdown process
finishes.
4 Turn off your monitor and any other devices connected to power.
22 Setting Up
SECTION 2
Finding Solutions
Finding Help Information
Battery Problems
Drive Problems
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems
Error Messages
General Problems
Keyboard Problems
Mouse Problems
Network Problems
Power Problems
Printer Problems
Scanner Problems
Sound and Speaker Problems
Video and Monitor Problems
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Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out where to go for answers. Use this chart
to help you quickly find the answers to your questions.
See page 39.
Press a key or move the
mouse. See the Tell Me How
help file for information on
standby mode.
Get technical assistance from
Dell. See page 84.
See page 31.
24 Solving Problems
See page 44.
See page 43.
See page 41.
See page 30.
See page 37.
See page 36.
See page 27.
See page 38.
See page 42.
See page 31.
See page 33.
See page 33.
See page 30.
See page 30.
Solving Problems 25
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TO ACCESS THE Tell Me How HELP FILE
1 Click the Start button, and then click Help and Support.
2 Click User and system guides, and then click User’s guides.
3 Click Tell Me How.
TO ACCESS WINDOWS HELP
1 Click the Start button, and then click Help and Support.
2 Type a word or phrase that describes your problem, and then click the arrow
icon.
3 Click the topic that describes your problem.
4 Follow the instructions shown on the screen.
TO LOCATE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR YOUR COMPUTER — See
page 11.
CAUTION: There is a danger of a new battery exploding if it is
incorrectly installed. Replace the battery only with the same or
equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Discard used
batteries according to the manufacturer's instructions.
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,
follow the safety instructions on page 7.
26 Solving Problems
REPLACE THE BATTERY — If you have to repeatedly reset time and date
information after turning on the computer, or if an incorrect time or date displays
during start-up, replace the battery (see page 81). If the battery still does not
work properly, contact Dell (see page 84).
Floppy drive problems
ENSURE THAT WINDOWS® RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Double-click
My Computer on the desktop. If the floppy drive is not listed, perform a full scan
with your antivirus software to check for and remove viruses. Viruses can
sometimes prevent Windows from recognizing the drive.
TEST THE DRIVE
• Insert another disk to eliminate the possibility that the original floppy disk is
defective.
• Insert a bootable floppy disk and reboot the computer.
ENSURE THAT THE DISK IS NOT FULL OR WRITE- PROTECTED —
Ensure that the disk has available space and that it is not write-protected
(locked). See the following illustration.
back of floppy disk
write-protected
not writeprotected
NOTICE: Do not attempt to clean drive heads with a swab. You may
accidentally misalign the heads, which can render the drive inoperable.
Solving Problems 27
HINT: High-speed CD
drive vibration is normal
and may cause noise. This
does not indicate a defect
in the drive or the CD.
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CLEAN THE DRIVE — Use a commercially available cleaning kit.
CD drive problems
ADJUST THE WINDOWS VOLUME CONTROL — Click the speaker icon in
the lower-right corner of your screen.
• Ensure that the volume is turned up by clicking the slidebar and dragging it
up.
• Ensure that the sound is not muted by clicking any boxes that are checked.
TEST THE DRIVE WITH ANOTHER CD — Insert another CD to eliminate
the possibility that the original CD is defective.
CHECK THE SPEAKERS AND SUBWOOFER — See "Sound and Speaker
Problems" on page 43.
ENSURE THAT WINDOWS RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Double-click My
Computer on the desktop. If the CD drive is not listed, perform a full scan with
your antivirus software to check for and remove viruses. Viruses can sometimes
prevent Windows from recognizing the drive.
CLEAN THE DISC — See the Tell Me How help file for instructions on
cleaning your CDs. To access help files, see page 26.
28 Solving Problems
Problems writing to a CD-RW drive
CHANGE THE WRITE SPEED TO A SLOWER RATE — The CD-RW drive
must receive a steady stream of data when writing. If the stream is interrupted, an
error occurs. Try closing all programs before writing to the CD-RW.
SEE THE CD-RW PROGRAM’ S HELP FILE FOR CD-RW RECORDING
INSTRUCTIONS — See the CD-RW program’s online help information for
complete instructions on how to use the program to record CD-RWs.
DVD drive problems
TEST THE DRIVE WITH ANOTHER DVD — Insert another DVD to
eliminate the possibility that the original DVD is defective.
ENSURE THAT WINDOWS RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Double-click My
Computer on the desktop. If the DVD drive is not listed, perform a full scan with
your antivirus software to check for and remove viruses. Viruses can sometimes
prevent Windows from recognizing the drive.
CLEAN THE DISC — See the Tell Me How help file for instructions on
cleaning your DVDs. To access help files, see page 26.
HINT: Because of
different worldwide file
types, not all DVD titles
work in all DVD drives.
Hard drive problems
RUN CHECK DISK
1 Double-click My Computer on the desktop.
2 Right-click the drive letter (local disk) that you want to scan for errors, and
then click Properties.
3 Click the Tools tab.
4 Under Error-checking, click Check Now.
5 Click Start.
Solving Problems 29
HINT: Connect the
modem to an analog
telephone jack only. The
modem does not operate
while it is connected to a
digital telephone network.
CHECK THE TELEPHONE LINE CONNECTION — Verify that the telephone
line is connected to the jack on the modem. (The jack has either a green label or
a connector-shaped icon next to it.) Ensure that you hear a click when you insert
the telephone line connector into the modem.
CHECK THE TELEPHONE JACK — Disconnect the telephone line from the
modem and connect it to a telephone. Listen for a dial tone.
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CONNECT THE MODEM DIRECTLY TO THE TELEPHONE WALL JACK —
If you have other telephone devices sharing the line, such as an answering
machine, fax machine, surge protector, or line splitter, then bypass them and use
the telephone to connect the modem directly to the telephone wall jack.
USE A DIFFERENT TELEPHONE LINE — If you are using a line that is 3 m
(10 ft) or more in length, try a shorter one.
RUN THE MODEM HELPER DIAGNOSTICS — Click the Start button, point
to Programs, and then click Modem Helper. Follow the instructions on the
screen to identify and resolve modem problems. (Modem Helper is not available
on all computers.)
VERIFY THAT THE MODEM IS COMMUNICATING WITH WINDOWS
1 Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.
2 Click Printers and Other Hardware.
3 Click Phone and Modem Options.
4 Click the Modems tab.
5 Click the COM port for your modem.
6 Click Properties, click the Diagnostics tab, and then click Query Modem to
®
verify that the modem is communicating with Windows.
If all commands receive responses, the modem is operating properly.
30 Solving Problems
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