Dell C100J User Manual

Dell™ XPS™ 730/730X

Quick Reference Guide

Model DCDO

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings

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

your computer.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates potential damage to hardware or loss of data if

instructions are not followed.

WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal

injury, or death.

____________________

Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, XPS, DellConnect, and YOURS IS HERE are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel and Core are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries; Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista, and the Windows Vista start button logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license.

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 DCDO

October 2008 P/N C100J Rev. A00

1 Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2 Setting up Your Computer

Front and Back View of the Computer. . . . . . . . . . . 9

Front View

Front I/O Connectors

Back View

Back I/O Connectors

Setting up the Computer

Installing Your Computer in an Enclosure

Connecting to a Network

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3 System Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Network Configuration (XPS 730 Only) . . . . . . . . . 21

Network Advanced Features

Graphics Configuration

Multiple Displays

NVIDIA SLI and ATI Crossfire Technologies

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

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

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. . . . 23

4 Optimizing Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

System Setup Based Performance Tuning . . . . . . . 25

Contents 3

Software Based Performance Tuning (XPS 730 Only)

NVIDIA Performance

NVIDIA Monitor

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

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5 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Diagnostic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Dell™ Diagnostics

MP Memory Test

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Getting More Help

Dell Support 3

Dell PC Tune-Up

Dell PC Checkup

Dell Network Assistant

DellConnect™

Dell Technical Update Service

Diagnostic Indicators

Power Button LED States

Beep Codes

Solving Problems

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

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

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Troubleshooting Software and Hardware Problems

Drive Problems

Memory Problems

Power Problems

Restoring the Operating System

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

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

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

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

Using Microsoft Windows System Restore

Using Dell PC Restore and Dell Factory Image

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

Restore

. . . . . 42

4 Contents

Reinstalling the Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Before you Begin

Reinstalling Windows XP

Reinstalling Windows Vista

Using the Drivers and Utilities Media

Recommended Driver Installation Order

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

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6 Configuring the BIOS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

System Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Entering System Setup

System Setup Screens

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System Setup Options

Boot Sequence

Option Settings

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

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

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A Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Macrovision Product Notice

Contacting Dell

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

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

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Contents 5

6 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.

Document/Media/Label Contents

Service Tag/Express Service Code

The Service Tag/Express Service Code is located on your computer.

Drivers and Utilities Media

The Drivers and Utilities media is a CD or DVD that may have shipped with your computer.

Operating System Media

The Operating System media is a CD or DVD that may have shipped with your computer.

Service Manual

The Service Manual for your computer can be found at support.dell.com.

• Use the Service Tag to identify your computer when you use support.dell.com or contact support.

• Enter the Express Service Code to direct your call when contacting support.

• A diagnostic program for your computer.

• Drivers for your computer.

NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates

can be found at support.dell.com.

• Desktop System Software (DSS).

• Readme files.

NOTE: Readme files may be included on

your media to provide last-minute updates about technical changes to your computer or advanced technical-reference material for technicians or experienced users.

• Reinstall your operating system.

• How to remove and replace parts.

• How to configure system settings.

• How to troubleshoot and solve problems.

Finding Information 7

Document/Media/Label (continued) Contents

Dell Technology Guide

The Dell Technology Guide is available at support.dell.com.

• About your operating system.

• Using and maintaining peripherals.

• Understanding technologies such as RAID, Internet, Bluetooth networking, and more.

, E-mail,

Microsoft® Windows® License Label

Your Microsoft Windows License is located on your computer.

Product safety and warranty information is available as a hardcopy with your computer.

For additional regulatory and safety information, see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at the following location: www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.

• Provides your operating system product key.

• Warranty information

• Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)

• Safety instructions

• Regulatory information

• Ergonomics information

• End User License Agreement

8 Finding Information

Setting up Your Computer

Front and Back View of the Computer

Front View

Setting up Your Computer 9

1 front panel

LEDs (3)

2 front I/O

connectors

3 3.5-inch drive

bays (2)

Multi-colored LEDs provide illumination for the front of the computer.

Plug USB and other devices into the appropriate connectors (see "Front I/O Connectors" on page 12).

Can hold optional devices such as a Media Card Reader.

NOTE: The Service Tag and Express Service Code are

located on a label inside this bay door.

4 5.25-inch drive

bays (4)

Can hold an optical or SATA hard drive in a

5.25-inch drive bay carrier.

NOTE: The hard drive carrier is only for use in the

5.25-inch drive bays. The floppy-drive/Media Card Reader and hard drive carriers are not interchangeable.

5 front panel

LEDs (4)

6 optical drive

tray eject buttons (4)

7 front panel

LEDs (3)

8 power button Press to turn on the computer.

Multi-colored LEDs provide illumination for the front of the computer.

Use to eject the drive tray of an optical drive.

NOTE: The optical drive tray eject button is not a

handle. The self-tending doors open automatically when the eject button is pressed and the drive tray is ejected.

Multi-colored LEDs provide illumination for the front of the computer.

CAUTION: To avoid losing data, do not use the

power button to turn off the computer. Instead, perform an operating system shutdown.

NOTE: The power button can also be used to wake the

system or to place it into a power-saving state.

10 Setting up Your Computer

9 hard-drive

activity LED

10 computer stand Attach the computer stand to provide stability to the

The hard drive LED is on when the computer reads data from or writes data to the hard drive. The LED may also be on when a device such as your CD player is operating.

system.

WARNING: The computer stand should be

installed and feet extended at all times to ensure maximum system stability. Failure to install the stand could result in the computer tipping over, potentially resulting in bodily injury or damage to the computer.

Setting up Your Computer 11

Front I/O Connectors

4213

1 IEEE 1394

connector

2 microphone

connector

3 headphone

connector

4 USB 2.0

connectors (2)

Use the IEEE 1394 connector for high-speed data devices such as digital video cameras and external storage devices.

Use the microphone connector to attach a personal computer microphone for voice or musical input into a sound or telephony program.

Use the headphone connector to attach headphones.

NOTE: Plugging headphones into this connection may disable

rear audio output ports.

Use the front USB connectors for devices that you connect occasionally, such as flash memory keys, cameras, or bootable USB devices.

It is recommended that you use the back USB connectors for devices that typically remain connected, such as printers and keyboards.

12 Setting up Your Computer

Back View

1 power connector Insert the power cable. The appearance of this connector

may differ from the illustration.

2 Built in Self Test

(BIST) LED

3 BIST switch Use to test the power supply.

4 back panel LEDs Multi-colored LEDs provide illumination for the card slots

Indicates power availability for the power supply.

• Green light—Indicates power availability for the power supply.

• No light—Indicates no power available for the power supply or the power supply is not working.

on the back of the computer.

Setting up Your Computer 13

5 card slots Access connectors for any installed PCI or PCI Express

(PCIe) cards.

NOTE: Some connector slots support full-length cards.

6 back I/O

connectors

7 rear I/O LED

board

Plug USB and other devices into the appropriate connectors (see "Back I/O Connectors" on page 14).

Multi-colored LEDs provide illumination for the I/O panel on the back of the computer.

Back I/O Connectors

mouse connector

keyboard connector

RCA S/PDIF connector

optical S/PDIF connector

IEEE 1394 connector

rear surround out

Plug a standard PS/2 mouse into the green mouse connector. If you have a USB mouse, plug it into a USB connector.

Plug a standard PS/2 keyboard into the purple keyboard connector. If you have a USB keyboard, plug it into a USB connector.

Use the RCA S/PDIF connector to transmit digital audio without going through an analog audio conversion process.

Use the optical S/PDIF connector to transmit digital audio without going through an analog audio conversion process.

Use the IEEE 1394 connector for high-speed data devices such as digital video cameras and external storage devices.

Use the (black) surround sound connector to attach multichannel-capable speakers.

14 Setting up Your Computer

center/LFE surround out

Use the (orange) subwoofer connector to attach a single subwoofer.

NOTE: The LFE (Low Frequency Effects) audio channel,

found in digital surround sound audio schemes, carries only low frequency information of 80 Hz and below. The LFE channel drives a subwoofer to provide extremely low bass extension. Systems not using subwoofers can shunt the LFE information to the main speakers in the surround sound setup.

line-in connector

line-out /headphone connector

microphone connector

side surround sound connector

Use the (blue) line-in connector to attach a record/playback device such as a cassette player, CD player, or VCR.

On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the card.

Use the (green) line-out connector to attach headphones and speakers with integrated amplifiers.

On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the card.

Use the (pink) microphone connector to attach a personal computer microphone for voice or musical input into a sound or telephony program.

Use the (silver) side surround connector to attach additional speakers.

Setting up Your Computer 15

network adapter connectors (2)

Use the network adapter connector to attach your computer to a network or broadband device.

Connect one end of a network cable to either a network jack or your network or broadband device, and then connect the other end of the network cable to the network adapter connector on your computer. A click indicates that the network cable has been securely attached.

NOTE: It is recommended that you use Category 5 wiring

and connectors for your network. If you must use Category 3 wiring, force the network speed to 10 Mbps to ensure reliable operation.

1 - network activity LED

2 - link integrity LED

Flashes a yellow light when the computer is transmitting or receiving network data. A high volume of network traffic may make this LED appear to be in a steady "on" state.

• Green — A good connection exists between a 10-Mbps network and the computer.

• Orange — A good connection exists between a 100-Mbps network and the computer.

• Yellow — A good connection exists between a 1000-Mbps (1-Gbps) network and the computer.

• Off (no light) — The computer is not detecting a physical connection to the network.

USB 2.0 connectors (6)

eSATA connector

Use the back USB connectors for devices that typically remain connected, such as printers and keyboards.

NOTE: It is recommended that you use the front USB

connectors for devices that you connect occasionally, such as flash memory keys, cameras, or bootable USB devices.

Use to connect additional storage devices.

16 Setting up Your Computer

Setting up the Computer

Your computer ships with the computer stand already installed.

With the computer sitting in an upright position, carefully lift the rear of the computer, and extend the stabilizing feet fully. The extended feet ensure maximum system stability.

Setting up Your Computer 17

Installing Your Computer in an Enclosure

Installing your computer in an enclosure can restrict the airflow and impact your computer’s performance, causing it to overheat. It is not recommended to install the computer in an enclosure. However, if you must install the computer in an enclosure, refer to the following guidelines:

CAUTION: The operating temperature specifications reflect the maximum

ambient operating temperature. The room’s ambient temperature needs to be a consideration when installing your computer in an enclosure. For example, if the ambient room temperature is at 25° C (77° F), depending on your computer’s specifications, you only have 5° to 10° C (9° to 18° F) temperature margin before you reach your computer’s maximum operating temperature. For details about your computer’s specifications, see "Specifications" on page 65.

• Leave a 10.2 centimeter (4 inch) minimum clearance on all vented sides of the computer to permit the airflow required for proper ventilation.

• If your enclosure has doors, they need to be of a type that allows at least 30% airflow through the enclosure (front and back).

18 Setting up Your Computer

• If your computer is installed in a corner on a desk or under a desk, leave at least 5.1 centimeters (2 inches) of clearance from the back of the computer to the wall to permit airflow required for proper ventilation.

• Do not install your computer in an enclosure that does not allow airflow.

Restricting the airflow impacts your computer’s performance, possibly causing it to overheat.

Setting up Your Computer 19

Connecting to a Network

To connect the system to a network:

Connect one end of a network cable to your network device (router,

network switch, cable modem/DSL).

Connect the other end of the network cable to one of the network adapter connections on the back of your computer.

A click indicates that the network cable is securely attached.

NOTE: Your computer is configured with two integrated network adapter

connections. These connections support advanced configuration options. See "Network Advanced Features" on page 21.

If you have an expansion network adapter (PCI, PCIe), plug your network cable into that adapter.

NOTE: It is recommended that you use Category 5 wiring and connectors for your

network. If you must use Category 3 wiring, force the network speed to 10 Mbps to ensure reliable operation.

20 Setting up Your Computer

System Configuration

NOTE: Some features listed below may not be available or may vary on

a Dell™ XPS™ 730X computer. For more information, go to the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Dell ships your computer to you already configured. This section details instructions in case you need to re-create or modify your system’s configuration.

Network Configuration (XPS 730 Only)

Network Advanced Features

The NVIDIA Control Panel offers two tools to help you modify your network traffic: NVIDIA FirstPacket

You can access these tools via the NVIDIA Control Panel located in the Windows

NVIDIA FirstPacket

NVIDIA FirstPacket lets you manage the traffic on your system, allowing you to more effectively manage and improve the performance of networked games and other applications that are sensitive to network delay (latency), such as Voice-over-IP (VoIP).

NVIDIA FirstPacket creates an additional transmit queue in the network driver so that network applications can share a limited resource. Based on user preference, NVIDIA FirstPacket can expedite transmission for user-approved network applications.

Control Panel.

and TCP/IP acceleration.

System Configuration 21

TCP/IP Acceleration

NOTE: Enabling TCP/IP acceleration enhances your network performance but

can cause your network traffic to bypass the firewall because all processes are off-loaded to the hardware.

TCP/IP acceleration technology is a networking solution that moves the processing of TCP/IP network traffic from your computer’s CPU to its nForce hardware resulting in greatly improved system performance.

Graphics Configuration

WARNING: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the

safety instructions that shipped with your computer.

Dell has configured your graphics sub-system to perform a wide range of applications.

You may customize your graphic's configuration and performance to fit your personal needs. This includes enabling multiple monitors, NVIDIA SLI or ATI Crossfire technologies, and other advanced features.

Multiple Displays

Depending on the video solution you purchased, you may be able to enable support for two or more displays. The process of enabling multiple display support involves attaching the additional displays and configuring the video driver software or control panel to support them.

WARNING: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the

safety instructions that shipped with your computer.

To attach an additional display:

Ensure that the computer and all attached devices are turned off.

Connect the new display(s) to the appropriate port on the video card(s).

NOTE: Configurations that include multiple graphics cards ship from the factory

with the video ports on the secondary cards capped by a plastic cover. These covers may be removed to access these additional video ports.

22 System Configuration

Changing the Display Setting to Support Two or More Monitors

After connecting the additional displays you will need to enable them in the video driver software. The exact steps to do this vary by video card and installed driver revision, however, in most cases this can be done via the video card’s Control Panel applet (NVIDIA Control Panel or ATI Catalyst Control Center). See the Help files for these applets for full instructions and options.

NOTE: When connecting additional display(s) to a video solution that includes

multiple video cards, the added displays will be blank until multi-GPU rendering technologies (NVIDIA SLI or ATI Crossfire) are disabled.

NVIDIA SLI and ATI Crossfire Technologies

Your computer supports up to three PCIe graphics cards. Two or more identical graphic cards can be configured to enable NVIDIA SLI (Scalable Link Interface) or ATI Crossfire technologies. Doing so can increase gaming and 3D application performance.

Detailed information about the benefits of using these technologies can be found on the NVIDIA and ATI web sites respectively.

If you selected a multi-card configuration at point of purchase, your computer includes all of the required hardware to enable NVIDIA SLI or ATI Crossfire technology.

If you are upgrading from a single card configuration to a dual card configuration, you will need to purchase the appropriate hardware "bridge" to link the cards. If you are upgrading from a dual card configuration to a triple card configuration, you will need to replace the existing dual card bridge with the appropriate three card bridge to link the cards.

Enabling NVIDIA SLI Technology (XPS 730 Only)

Supporting SLI requires two or more identical NVIDIA SLI-capable graphics cards, an SLI bridge, and the latest available driver revision.

Enabling NVIDIA SLI technology is done via the NVIDIA Control Panel applet found in the Windows Control Panel. After opening the applet, select the Set SLI Configuration option. Choose the Enable SLI technology option to enable SLI.

NOTE: SLI configurations only support a single display. When enabling SLI

technology, any additional displays will be disabled.

System Configuration 23

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