Before You Begin
About Your Computer
Technical Overview
Specifications
Troubleshooting
System Setup
Removing the Computer Cover
Removing and Installing Parts
Replacing the Computer Cover
Notes, Notices, and Cautions
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the
problem.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, and Dimension are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel, Pentium, Intel SpeedStep, and Celeron 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 Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
Before You Begin: Dell Dimension 9200C Service Manual
Back to Contents Page
Before You Begin
Dell™ Dimension™ 9200C Service Manual
Getting StartedRecommended ToolsTurning Off Your ComputerBefore Working Inside Your Computer
Getting Started
This manual provides procedures for removing and replacing the components in your computer. Unless otherwise noted, each
procedure assumes that the following conditions exist:
You have performed the steps in Turning Off Your Computer and Before Working Inside Your Computer.
You have read the safety information in your Dell™ Product Information Guide.
A component can be replaced by performing the removal procedure in reverse order.
Recommended Tools
The procedures in this document may require the following tools:
Small flat-blade screwdriver
Phillips #0, #1, or #2 screwdriver
Flash BIOS update program (download from support.dell.com)
Turning Off Your Computer
NOTICE: To avoid losing data, save and close any open files and exit any open programs before you turn off your
computer.
1. Shut down the operating system:
a. Save and close any open files, exit any open programs, click the Start button, and then click Shutdown.
b. In the Shut Down Windows window, select Shut Down.
The computer turns off after the operating system shutdown process finishes.
2. Ensure that the computer and any attached devices are turned off. If your computer and attached devices did not
automatically turn off when you shut down your operating system, press and hold the power button for 4 seconds.
Before You Begin: Dell Dimension 9200C Service Manual
Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer from potential damage and to help ensure your own
personal safety.
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the
Product Information Guide.
CAUTION: Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on a card.
Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting bracket. Hold a component such as a processor by its
edges, not by its pins.
NOTICE: Only a certified service technician should perform repairs on your computer. Damage due to servicing that is
not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty.
NOTICE: When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief loop, not on the cable itself. Some
cables have a connector with locking tabs; if you are disconnecting this type of cable, press in on the locking tabs
before you disconnect the cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any
connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable, ensure that both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.
NOTICE: To avoid damaging the computer, perform the following steps before you begin working inside the computer.
1. Follow the steps in Turning Off Your Computer
NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer and then unplug it from the
network port or device.
2. Disconnect any telephone or network cables from the computer.
3. Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets, and then press the power button to
ground the system board.
.
CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your computer from the electrical outlet before
opening the cover.
4. Remove the computer cover (see Removing the Computer Cover
NOTICE: Before touching anything inside your computer, ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface,
such as the metal at the back of the computer. While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface to
dissipate any static electricity that could harm internal components.
Press this button to eject a CD/DVD from the drive.
The drive activity light is on when the computer reads data from the CD or
DVD drive.
Use the front USB connectors for devices that you connect occasionally, such
as joysticks or cameras (see System Setup
to a USB device).
for more information on booting
About Your Computer: Dell Dimension 9200C Service Manual
It is recommended that you use the back USB connectors for devices that
typically remain connected, such as printers and keyboards.
4IEEE 1394
connector
5ventsFor adequate cooling, do not block any of the vents.
6power
button
7power lightThe power light illuminates and indicates different power states:
Attach high-speed serial multimedia devices, such as digital video cameras.
It is recommended that you use the back IEEE 1394 connector for devices
that typically remain connected, such as external hard drives and other
storage devices.
NOTICE: Ensure that there is a minimum of two inches of space between all
vents and any object near the vents.
NOTICE: Do not lift or carry the computer by the vents to avoid damage to
the computer.
NOTICE: Keep the vent area clean and dust free to ensure that the computer
is adequately ventilated. Use only a dry cloth to clean the vent area to avoid
water damage to the computer.
Press this button to turn on the computer.
NOTICE: To avoid losing data, do not use the power button to turn off the
computer. Instead, perform an operating system shutdown.
No light — The computer is turned off.
Steady green — The computer is in a normal operating state.
Blinking green — The computer is in a power-saving state.
Blinking or solid amber — See Power Problems in your computer
Owner's Manual.
8front panel
door
release
button
9microphone
connector
10 headphone
connector
11 FlexBayUse the Flexbay for an optional floppy drive or Media Card Reader.
12 hard drive
activity
light
13 diagnostic
lights
14 front panel
door
Press this button to access the front panel connectors.
Use the pink microphone connector to attach a personal computer
microphone for voice or musical input into a sound or telephony program.
On computers with a sound card, use the microphone connector on the card.
Use the green headphone connector to attach headphones and most kinds of
speakers.
The hard drive activity light is on when the computer reads data from, or
writes data to the hard drive. The light might also be on when a device such
as a CD player is operating.
For an explanation of the diagnostic light codes, see Diagnostic Lights
This panel covers the CD/DVD drive, the Media Card Reader, and the optional
floppy drive.
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.
Off — The computer is not detecting a physical connection to the
network.
About Your Computer: Dell Dimension 9200C Service Manual
2network
adapter
connector
3network
activity
light
4modem
connector
5rear
surround
sound
connector
6line-in
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. Connect the other end of the network cable to the network adapter
connector on the back panel of your computer. A click indicates that the
network cable has been securely attached.
NOTE: Do not plug a telephone cable into the network connector.
On computers with a network connector card, use the connector on the card.
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.
Flashes a yellow light when the computer is transmitting or receiving network
data. A high volume of network traffic may make this light appear to be in a
steady "on" state.
Use the modem connector to connect your computer to the Internet.
Use the black surround sound connector to attach multichannel-capable
speakers.
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.
7line-out
connector
8microphone Use the pink connector to attach a personal computer microphone for voice or
9side
surround
sound
connector
10 center/LFE
connector
11 S/PDIF
connector
12 VGA
connector
13 USB 2.0
connectors
(6)
Use the green line-out connector to attach headphones and most speakers
with integrated amplifiers.
On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the card.
musical input into a sound or telephony program.
On computers with a sound card, use the microphone connector on the card.
Use the grey surround sound connector to attach multichannel-capable
speakers.
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.
This connector is used to transmit digital audio without going through an
analog audio conversion process.
If your monitor has a VGA connector, plug it into the VGA connector on the
computer.
Use the back USB connectors for devices that typically remain connected,
such as printers and keyboards.
It is recommended that you use the front USB connectors for devices that you
connect occasionally, such as joysticks or cameras.
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in
the Product Information Guide.
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics
If you experience a problem with your computer, perform the checks in this section and run the Dell Diagnostics before you
contact Dell for technical assistance.
NOTE: The Dell Diagnostics only operate on Dell computers.
Starting the Dell Diagnostics
1. Turn on (or restart) your computer.
2. When the DELL logo appears, press <F12> immediately.
NOTE: Keyboard failure may result when a key is held down for extended periods of time. To avoid possible
keyboard failure, press and release <F12> in even intervals to open the Boot Device Menu.
If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Microsoft® Windows®
desktop, then shut down your computer and try again.
3. At the Boot Device Menu, use the up- and down-arrow keys or press the appropriate number on the keyboard to
highlight Boot to Utility Partition, and then press <Enter>.
NOTE: The Quickboot feature changes the boot sequence for the current boot only. Upon restart, the computer
boots according to the boot sequence specified in system setup.
4. At the Dell Diagnostics Main Menu, left-click with the mouse, or press <Tab> and then <Enter>, to select the test you
want to run (see Dell Diagnostics Main Menu
NOTE: Write down any error codes and problem descriptions exactly as they appear and follow the instructions
on the screen.
5. After all tests have completed, close the test window to return to the Dell Diagnostics MainMenu.
6. Close the Main Menu window to exit the Dell Diagnostics and restart the computer.
Troubleshooting: Dell Dimension 9200C Service Manual
Dell Diagnostics Main Menu
The following tests can be run from the Dell Diagnostics Main Menu:
OptionFunction
Express
Test
Extended
Test
Custom
Test
Symptom
Tree
For any problem encountered during a test, a message appears with an error code and a description of the problem. Write
down the error code and problem description exactly as it appears and follow the instructions on the screen. If you cannot
resolve the problem, see "Contacting Dell" in your Owner's Manual for instructions on obtaining technical assistance.
NOTE: The Service Tag for your computer is located at the top of each test screen. When contacting Dell support, have
your Service Tag ready.
The following tabs provide additional information for tests run from the Custom Test or Symptom Tree option:
TabFunction
ResultsDisplays the results of the test and any error conditions encountered.
ErrorsDisplays error conditions encountered, error codes, and the problem description.
HelpDescribes the test and any requirements for running the test.
Performs a quick test of system devices. The test typically takes 10 to 20 minutes and requires no interaction on
your part. Run Express Test first to increase the possibility of tracing the problem quickly.
Performs a thorough check of system devices. The test typically takes an hour or more and peridocially requires
your input to answer specific questions.
Tests a specific device in the system and can be used to customize the tests you want to run.
Lists a number of common symptoms and allows you to select a test based on the symptom of the problem you
are having.
Configuration
(Custom
Test
only)
Parameters
(Custom
Test
only)
Displays the hardware configuration for the selected device.
The Dell Diagnostics obtains configuration information for all devices from system setup, memory, and
various internal tests, and it displays the information in the device list in the left pane of the screen.
NOTE: The device list may not display the names of all the components installed on your computer or all
devices attached to your computer.
Allows you to customize the test, if applicable, by changing the test settings.
System Lights
Your power button light and hard drive activity light may indicate a computer problem.
Power LightProblem DescriptionSuggested Resolution