Dell Dimension 4200 Solution Manual

4C381a00.book Page 1 Thursday, June 14, 2001 9:38 AM

Dell™ Dimension™ 4200 Systems

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4C381a00.book Page 2 Thursday, June 14, 2001 9:38 AM

For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the Tell Me How help file (click the Start button on the Microsoft Programs—> User’s Guides, and click Tell Me How).

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 potentially hazardous situation

which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury.

Windows® desktop, point to

____________________

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, Inspiron, Dell Precision, Dimension, OptiPlex, Latitude, and DellWare are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation; Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks and Celeron is a trademark 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.

June 2001 P/N 4C381 Rev. A01

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Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

When Using Your Computer

When Working Inside Your Computer

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

. . . . . . . . . . . 9

1 Setting Up

Connecting a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Parallel Printer

USB Printer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Installing the Printer Driver

Turning Off the Computer

Windows 2000

Windows Millennium Edition (Me)

2 Solving Problems

Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Accessing Help Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Power Problems

Start-Up Error Messages

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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

Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

If the screen is blank

If the screen is difficult to read

Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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

Contents 3

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Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

If you cannot print to a parallel port printer

If you cannot print to a USB printer

. . . . . . . . . . 23

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Scanner Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Modem Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Mouse Problems

If the mouse does not respond

Keyboard Problems

Drive Problems

If you cannot save a file to a floppy disk

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

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

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

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

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

If you cannot play a music CD or install a program from a CD

If you cannot play a DVD movie

If the CD-RW drive stops writing

If you have a hard drive problem

Network Problems

Windows

Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

General Program Problems

A program crashes

A program stops responding

A solid blue screen appears

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

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

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

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

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

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

Internet Connection Problems

E-Mail Problems

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

Resolving Other Technical Problems

Reinstalling Drivers

Reinstalling Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Reinstalling Windows Me

4 Contents

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

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3 Adding Parts

Opening the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Looking Inside Your Computer

System Board

Adding Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Removing Cards

Adding Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Replacing the AGP Card

Adding a Second Hard Drive

Adding Other Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

5.25-Inch Devices

3.5-Inch Devices

Closing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

4 Appendix

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

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

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

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Standard Settings

Viewing Settings

System Setup Screens

Clearing Forgotten Passwords

Replacing the Battery

Contacting Dell

Contact Numbers and Addresses

Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit

Regulatory Information

FCC Notices (U.S. Only)

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

. . . . . . . . . 84

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Contents 5

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Battery Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

NOM Information (Mexico Only)

Información para NOM (únicamente para México)

Limited Warranties and Return Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

One-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only)

Two-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only)

Three-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. and Canada Only)

One-Year End-User Manufacturer Guarantee (Latin America and the Caribbean Only)

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

. . . . . . . 90

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . 100

. . . . . . . . . . . 102

. . . . . . . . . . 105

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

. . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

6 Contents

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Use the following safety guidelines to protect yourself and your computer. For comfort and efficiency, observe the ergonomic guidelines provided in “Sitting Comfortably at Your Computer” in the Tell Me How help file.

When Using Your Computer

CAUTION: Do not operate your computer with any cover(s)

(including the computer cover, filler brackets, front-panel inserts, and so on) removed.

• To help avoid damaging your computer, 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

– 230 V/50 Hz in most of Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East

Also be sure that your monitor and attached devices are electrically rated to operate with the AC power available in your location.

• To help prevent damage to your computer when disconnecting a

network cable from your computer, first unplug the cable from the computer network connector and then from the network wall jack. When reconnecting a network cable to your computer, first plug the network cable into the network wall jack and then into the computer network connector.

• 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.

Safety Instructions 7

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• To help prevent electric shock, plug the computer and device power

• To help protect your computer from sudden, transient increases and

• Be sure that nothing rests on your computer cables and that the cables

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• Do not spill food or liquids on your computer. If the computer gets

cables into properly grounded power sources. These cables are equipped with 3-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 3-wire cable with properly grounded plugs.

decreases in electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner, or uninterruptable power supply.

are not located where they can be stepped on or tripped over.

wet, contact Dell (see page 70).

• 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 remove the computer cover, perform the following steps in the sequence indicated.

NOTICE: 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.

Turn off your computer and all devices.

2 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.

3 Disconnect any devices connected to the computer, including the

8 Safety Instructions

monitor, from their electrical outlets to reduce the potential for personal injury or shock. Also, disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.

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4 Disconnect the power cable from your computer, and then press the

power button to ground the system board.

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 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.

• When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an antistatic

container or packaging.

Safety Instructions 9

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10 Safety Instructions

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SECTION 1

Connecting a Printer

Turning Off the Computer

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HINT: If you have

problems with your printer, contact the printer manufacturer for assistance.

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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.

Parallel Printer

1 Turn off the computer (see page 14).

NOTICE: Use only a standard IEEE parallel cable measuring 10 ft (3 m) 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

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.

12 Setting Up

screws (2)

parallel printer cable

parallel connector on computer

parallel connector on printer

clips (2)

notches (2)

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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.

USB Printer

1 Install the printer driver if necessary.

2 Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connector on the computer

and the printer (the USB connectors fit only one way).

USB connectors on front or back of computer

USB printer cable

USB connector on printer

HINT: You can connect

USB devices while the computer is turned on.

HINT: Your computer has

two USB connectors on the back side panel and two USB connectors on the front side panel (see the Start Here sheet for their locations).

Installing the Printer Driver

If you need to install a printer driver, insert the installation CD into the CD drive. Then follow the prompts on the screen using the instructions that came with the printer.

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 drive [usually drive D]). Then click OK and follow the prompts on your screen.

Windows® desktop, click Run, and type

HINT: Dell installs

drivers for some new printers. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Printers. If your printer is listed in the Printers window, the printer is ready to use.

Setting Up 13

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If you connect an older printer and it does not work after you install the driver, access the system setup program (see page 66) and ensure that the parallel port is set to operate in bidirectional mode.

Windows 2000

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

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2 Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down.

NOTICE: To prevent data loss, you must perform the Windows shutdown

procedure.

3 Click the pull-down menu under What do you want the computer to

do?

4 Click Shut down and then click OK.

5 The computer automatically turns off after the shutdown process

finishes.

6 Turn off your monitor and any other devices connected to power.

Windows Millennium Edition (Me)

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

2 Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down.

3 In the Shut Down Windows window, click Shut down and then click

OK.

The computer automatically turns off after the shutdown process finishes.

4 Turn off your monitor and any other devices connected to power.

14 Setting Up

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SECTION 2

Finding Solutions

Accessing Help Files

Power Problems

Start-Up Error Messages

Video and Monitor Problems

Sound and Speaker Problems

Printer Problems

Scanner Problems

Modem Problems

Mouse Problems

Keyboard Problems

Drive Problems

Network Problems

Windows

Error Messages

General Program Problems

Internet Connection Problems

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E-Mail Problems

Resolving Other Technical Problems

Reinstalling Drivers

Reinstalling Windows 2000

Reinstalling Windows Me

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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.

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See page 18.

Get technical assistance from Dell. See page 70.

See page 19.

16 Solving Problems

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See page 20.

See page 22.

See page 23.

See page 24.

See page 25.

See page 26.

See page 32.

See page 26.

See page 27.

See page 29.

See page 30.

See page 31.

Solving Problems 17

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TO ACCESS THE TELL ME HOW HELP FILE — Click the Start button, point

to Programs—> User’s Guides, and then click Tell Me How.

TO ACCESS MICROSOFT® WINDOWS® 2000 HELP

1 Click the Start button and then click Help. 2 Click the Search tab. 3 Type a word or phrase that describes your problem and then click List Topics. 4 Click the topic that describes your problem and then click Display.

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5 Follow the instructions shown on the screen.

HINT: See the Tell M e

How help file for

information on standby mode.

TO ACCESS WINDOWS ME HELP

1 Click the Start button and then click Help. 2 Type a word or phrase that describes your problem in the Search box and then

click Go.

3 Click the topic that describes your problem and then click Display. 4 Follow the instructions shown on the screen.

NOTICE: To help prevent damage to your computer when disconnecting a

CHECK THE POWER LIGHT — When the power light is lit or blinking, the

computer has power. If the power light is blinking, the computer is in standby mode—press a key on the keyboard or move the mouse to exit standby mode.

TEST THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET — Ensure that the electrical outlet is

working by testing it with another device, such as a lamp.

CHECK THE POWER CABLE CONNECTION — Be sure that the power cable

is firmly inserted into the electrical outlet and the computer power connector.

18 Solving Problems

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CONNECT THE COMPUTER DIRECTLY TO AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET —

Turn off the computer and then bypass power protection devices, power strips, and the extension cable to verify that the computer turns on.

SWAP THE COMPUTER AND MONITOR POWER CABLES — Turn off the

computer and then swap the computer and monitor power cables to determine if the power cable is defective.

CHECK FOR INTER FERENCE — Electrical appliances on the same circuit or

operating near the computer can cause interference. Other causes of interference: power extension cables, keyboard and mouse extension cables, too many devices on a power strip, or multiple power strips connected to the same electrical outlet.

CHECK THE POWER PROPERTIES — See the Tell Me How help file or

search for the keyword standby in Windows Help. For instructions on accessing help files, see page 18.

OPERATING SYSTEM NOT FOUND — Contact Dell (see page 70).

INSERT BOOTABLE MEDIA — The operating system is trying to boot to a

nonbootable floppy disk or CD. Insert a bootable floppy disk or CD.

NON-SYSTEM DISK ERROR — A floppy disk is in the floppy drive. Remove

the floppy disk and restart the computer.

Solving Problems 19

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If the screen is blank

HINT: See the monitor

documentation for fault indications and

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troubleshooting procedures specific to your monitor.

CHECK THE VIDEO CABLE CONNECTION — Check for bent pins. Ensure

that the video cable is connected as shown on the Start Here sheet for your computer.

PRESS THE MONITOR POWER BUTTON — Be sure that you firmly pressed

the monitor power button.

NOTICE: To help prevent damage to your computer when disconnecting a

CHECK THE POWER LIGHT — When the monitor power light is lit or

blinking, the monitor has power. If the power light is blinking, the computer is in standby mode; press a key on the keyboard or move the mouse to exit standby mode.

TEST THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET — Turn off your computer and then ensure

that the electrical outlet is working by testing it with another device, such as a lamp.

SWAP THE COMPUTER AND MONITOR POWER CABLES — Turn off your

computer and then swap the computer and monitor power cables to determine if the power cable is defective.

TEST THE VIDEO EXTENSIO N CABLE (IF USED)— If removing the video

extension cable solves the problem, the cable is defective.

TEST THE MONITOR — If another monitor is available, connect it to the

computer.

CHECK THE BACK PANEL LIGHTS — If all four lights below the serial

connector are not green, contact Dell (see page 70).

20 Solving Problems

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CHECK THE POWER PROPERTIES — See the Tell Me How help file or

search for the keyword standby in Windows Help. For instructions on accessing help files, see page 18.

If the screen is difficult to read

ADJUST THE CONTRAST AND BRIGHTNESS — See the monitor

documentation for instructions on adjusting the contrast and brightness.

MOVE THE SUBWOOFER AWAY FROM THE MONITOR — If your speaker

system includes a subwoofer, ensure that the subwoofer is at least 60 cm (2 ft) away from the monitor.

ELIMINATE POSSIBLE INTER FERENCE — Turn off nearby fans, fluorescent

lights, or halogen lamps to check for interference.

ROTATE THE MONITOR TO FACE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION — Eliminate

sunlight glare, which can cause poor picture quality.

DEGAUSS (DEMAGNETIZE) THE MONITOR — See the monitor

documentation.

RUN THE MONITOR SELF- TEST — See the monitor documentation.

RESTORE THE RECOMMENDED SETTINGS — Restore the original

resolution and refresh rate settings. See the Tell Me How help file for instructions. For instructions on accessing help files, see page 18.

CHECK FOR ADDITIONAL ADJUSTMENTS — See the monitor

documentation for any additional adjustments that your monitor may require.

ADJUST THE WINDOWS DISPLAY SETTINGS — Click the Start button,

point to Settings, and click Control Panel. Double-click the Display icon and then click the Settings tab. Try different settings for Colors and Screen area.

Solving Problems 21

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HINT: The volume

control in some MP3 players overrides the Windows volume setting. If you have been listening

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to MP3 songs, make sure that you did not turn the player volume down or off.

VERIFY THE SPEAKER CABLE CONNECTIONS — Ensure that the speakers

are connected as shown on the Start Here sheet for your computer and the setup diagram supplied with the speakers.

TEST THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET — Ensure that the electrical outlet is

working by testing it with another device, such as a lamp.

NOTICE: To help prevent damage to your computer when disconnecting a

ENSURE THAT THE SPEAKERS ARE TURNED ON — See the setup

diagram supplied with the speakers.

ADJUST THE SPEAKER CONTROLS — Adjust the volume, bass, or treble

controls to eliminate distortion.

BE SURE HEADPHONES ARE NOT CONNECTED TO THE FRONT- PANEL

INE-OUT CONNECTOR — The speakers are automatically muted when

headphones are connected to the line-out connector on the front of the computer (see the Start Here sheet for the location of the line-out connector).

ADJUST THE WINDOWS VOLUME CONTROL — Double-click the yellow

speaker icon in the lower-right corner of your screen. Be sure that the volume is turned up and that the sound is not muted.

TEST THE SPEAKERS — Plug the speaker audio cable into the headphone

jack of the CD drive. Ensure that the headphone volume control is turned up. Play a music CD.

RUN THE SPEAKER SELF- TEST — Some speaker systems have a self-test

button on the subwoofer. See the speaker documentation for self-test instructions.

22 Solving Problems

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MOVE THE SUBWOOFER AWAY FROM THE MONITOR — If your speaker

system includes a subwoofer, ensure that the subwoofer is at least 60 cm (2 ft) away from the monitor.

ELIMINATE POSSIBLE INTER FERENCE — Turn off nearby fans, fluorescent

lights, or halogen lamps to check for interference.

REINSTALL THE SOUND (AUDIO) DRIVER — See page 32.

NOTICE: To help prevent damage to your computer when disconnecting a

If you cannot print to a parallel port printer

VERIFY THE PRINTER CABLE CONNECTIONS — Ensure that the printer

cable is connected as described on page 12.

TEST THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET — Ensure that the electrical outlet is

working by testing it with another device, such as a lamp.

ENSURE THAT THE PRINTER IS TURNED ON — See the documentation

supplied with the printer.

VERIFY THAT THE PRINTER IS RECOGNIZED BY WINDOWS

1 Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Printers.

If the printer is listed, right-click the printer icon, click Properties, and then select the Details tab.

2 Ensure that the Print to the following port: setting is LPT1 (Printer Port).

REINSTALL THE PRINTER DRIVER — See page 13.

Solving Problems 23

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If you cannot print to a USB printer

VERIFY THE PRINTER CABLE CONNECTIONS — Ensure that the printer

cable is connected as described on page 13.

TEST THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET — Ensure that the electrical outlet is

working by testing it with another device, such as a lamp.

ENSURE THAT THE PRINTER IS TURNED ON — See the documentation

supplied with the printer.

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VERIFY THAT THE PRINTER IS RECOGNIZED BY WINDOWS — Click the

Start button, point to Settings, and then click Printers. If the printer is listed, right-click the printer icon, click Properties, and then select the Details tab.

REINSTALL THE PRINTER DRIVER — See page 13.

NOTICE: To help prevent damage to your computer when disconnecting a

CHECK THE POWER CABLE CONNECTION — Ensure that the scanner

power cable is firmly connected to a working electrical power source and that the scanner is turned on.

CHECK THE SCANNER CABLE CONNECTION — Ensure that the scanner

cable is firmly connected to the computer and to the scanner.

UNLOCK THE SCANNER — Ensure that your scanner is unlocked if it has a

locking tab or button.

REINSTALL THE SCANNER DRIVER — Reinstall the scanner driver. See the

scanner documentation for instructions.

24 Solving Problems

4C381a00.book Page 25 Thursday, June 14, 2001 9:38 AM

NOTICE: Connect the modem to an analog telephone jack only. Connecting

the modem to a digital telephone network damages the modem.

CHECK THE TELEPHONE JACK — Disconnect the telephone line from the

modem and connect it to a telephone. Listen for a dial tone.

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 connect the modem directly to the telephone wall jack with the telephone line. —

CHECK THE CONNECTION — Verify that the telephone line is connected to

the green jack on the modem. (The green line-in jack has either a LINE IN label or a connector-shaped icon next to it.)

CHECK THE TELEPHONE LINE — Try using a different telephone line. If you

are using a line that is 3 m (10 ft) or more in length, try a shorter one.

VERIFY THAT THE MODEM IS COMMUNICATING WITH WINDOWS

1 Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel. 2 In the Control Panel, double-click Modems.

If there are multiple entries for the same modem or modems listed that are not installed, delete the entries and restart the computer.

3 Click the Diagnostics tab. 4 Click the COM port for your modem. 5 Click More Info to verify that the modem is communicating with Windows.

If all commands receive responses, the modem is operating properly.

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If the mouse does not respond

RECONNECT THE MOUSE CABLE

1 Press <Ctrl><Esc> to display the Start menu. 2 Press the arrow keys to highlight Shut Down and then press <Enter>.

3 Disconnect the mouse cable from the computer. 4 Reconnect the mouse cable as shown on the Start Here sheet for your

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5 Turn on the computer.

If the computer has stopped responding, press the power button until the computer turns off.

computer.

CHECK THE MOUSE SETTINGS — Click the Start button, select Control

Panel, and then double-click the Mouse icon. Try adjusting the settings.

CLEAN THE MOUSE — If the pointer doesn’t move on the screen when you

move the mouse, or if the mouse stops responding, remove the mouse ball by unscrewing the cover located on the bottom of the mouse. Clean the ball and rollers, and then replace the mouse ball and cover. See the Tell Me How help file for more detailed instructions. For instructions on accessing help files, see page 18.

RESTART THE COMPUTER — The computer may have stopped responding.

Press and hold the power button until the computer turns off, and then press the power button again to turn the computer on.

RECONNECT THE KEYBOARD CABLE — Shut down the computer (see

page 14), reconnect the keyboard cable as shown on the

Start Here sheet for

your computer, and then restart the computer.

26 Solving Problems

4C381a00.book Page 27 Thursday, June 14, 2001 9:38 AM

If you cannot save a file to a floppy disk

ENSURE THAT WINDOWS RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Double-click the

My Computer icon. 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.

CANNOT SAVE FILES TO A FLOPPY DISK — Ensure that the floppy disk is

not full or write-protected (locked). See the following illustration.

HINT: For information

on saving files to a floppy disk, see the Tell Me How help file. For instructions on accessing help files, see page 18.

TEST THE DRIVE WITH ANOTHER FLOPPY DISK — Insert another floppy

disk to eliminate the possibility that the original floppy disk is defective.

back of floppy disk

write-protected

not writeprotected

If you cannot play a music CD or install a program from a CD

ENSURE THAT WINDOWS RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Double-click the

My Computer icon. 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.

HINT: High-speed CD

drive vibration is normal and may cause noise. This noise does not indicate a defect in the drive or the CD.

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TEST THE DRIVE WITH ANOTHER CD — Insert another CD to eliminate

the possibility that the original CD is defective.

CLEAN THE DISC — See the Tell Me How help file for instructions. For

instructions on accessing help files, see page 18.

ADJUST THE WINDOWS VOLUME CONTROL — Double-click the yellow

speaker icon in the lower-right corner of your screen. Be sure that the volume is turned up and that the sound is not muted.

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HINT: Because of

different worldwide file types, not all DVD titles work in all DVD drives.

HINT: If you disable

standby mode to write to a CD-RW drive, remember to reenable standby mode when you finish writing the CD.

If you cannot play a DVD movie

ENSURE THAT WINDOWS RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Double-click the

My Computer icon. 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.

TEST THE DRIVE WITH ANOTHER DVD — Insert another DVD to

eliminate the possibility that the original DVD is defective.

CLEAN THE DISC — See the Tell Me How help file for instructions. For

instructions on accessing help files, see page 18.

If the CD-RW drive stops writing

DISABLE STANDBY MODE IN WINDOWS BEFORE WRITING TO A CD-RW — Search for the keyword standby in Windows Help. For instructions

on accessing help files, see page 18.

CHANGE THE WRITE SPEED TO A SLOWER RATE — See the help files for

your CD creation software.

CLOSE ALL OTHER OPEN PROGRAMS — Closing all other open programs

before writing to the CD-RW may alleviate the problem.

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If you have a hard drive problem

RUN SCAND ISK — Click the Start button, point to Programs—>

Accessories—> System Tools, and then click ScanDisk.

NOTICE: To help prevent damage to your computer when disconnecting a

CHECK THE NETWORK CABLE CONNECTOR — Ensure that the network

cable connector is firmly connected to the connector on the computer and the network wall jack as shown on the Start Here sheet for your computer.

RESTART THE COMPUTER — Try to log on to the network again.

CONTACT YOUR NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR — Verify that your network

settings are correct and that the network is functioning.

X :\ IS NOT ACCESSIBLE. THE DEVICE IS NOT READY — Insert a disk

into the drive and try again.

A FILENAME CANNOT CONTAIN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING

CHARACTERS: \ / : * ? “< > | — Do not use these characters in

filenames.

NOT ENOUGH MEMORY OR RESOURCES. CLOSE SOME PROGRAMS AND

TRY AGAIN — You have too many programs open. Close all windows, restart

the computer, and then open the program that you want to use.

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THE FILE BEING COPIED IS TOO LARGE FOR THE DESTINATION

DRIVE — The file that you are trying to copy is too large to fit on the disk. Try

copying the file to a blank disk or use a larger capacity disk.

A REQUIRED .DLL FILE WAS NOT FOUND — The program that you are

trying to open is missing an essential file. To remove and then reinstall the program:

1 Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 2 Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. 3 Select the program that you want to remove. 4 Click Add/Remove (or Change/Remove in Windows 2000) and follow the

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5 See the program documentation for installation instructions.

prompts on the screen.

A program crashes

SEE THE SOFTWARE DOCUMENTATION — Many software manufacturers

maintain websites with information that may help you to solve the problem.

A program stops responding

PRESS <CTRL><ALT><DEL>

1 If necessary, click Task Manager. When the Close Program window appears,

click the name of the program that is no longer responding.

2 Click End Task. 3 Restart the computer.

A solid blue screen appears

TURN THE COMPUTER OFF — If the monitor screen is blue or the computer

stops responding, press the power button until the computer turns off. Press the power button again to turn on the computer. ScanDisk may run during Windows start-up. Follow the instructions on the screen.

30 Solving Problems

+ 84 hidden pages

Dell Dimension 4200 Solution Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual