Dell E1405 User Manual

Dell™ Inspiron™ 640M/ E1405

Owner’s Manual

Model PP19L

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

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.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the "Glossary" on page 171.

If you purchased a Dell™ n Series computer, any references in this document to Microsoft operating systems are not applicable.

Windows®

____________________

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Inspiron, Dell Precision, Dimension, DellNet, OptiPlex, Latitude, P owerEdge, P owerConnect,

PowerVault, PowerApp, Dell TravelLite, ExpressChar g e, Dell Media Experience, and Strike Zone are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel, Celeron, and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, Outlook, and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; Bluetooth is a registered trademark o wned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license; IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation; EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation; ENERGY STAR is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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 PP19L

June 2006 P/N YF920 Rev. A01

Contents

Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

1 A Tour of Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Left Side View

Right Side View

Back View

Bottom View

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

2 Setting Up Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

Transferring Information to a New Computer

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard With the Operating System CD Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard Without the Operating System CD

Setting Up a Printer

Printer Cable Connecting a USB Printer

Power Protection Devices

Surge Protectors Line Conditioners

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

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

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

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

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

Uninterruptible Power Supplies

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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

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

3 Using the Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Adjusting Brightness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Switching the Video Image

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

Contents 3

Setting Display Resolution and Refresh Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

4 Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Numeric Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Key Combinations

System Functions Battery CD or DVD Tray Display Functions Radios (Including Wireless Networking and an Internal Card With

Bluetooth Power Management Speaker Functions Microsoft

Touch Pad

Customizing the Touch Pad

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

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

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

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

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

Wireless Technology) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

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

Windows® Logo Key Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

5 Using a Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Battery Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Checking the Battery Charge

Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter Microsoft Charge Gauge

Windows® Power Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

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

Low-Battery Warning

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

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

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

4 Contents

Conserving Battery Power

Power Management Modes

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

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

Configuring Power Management Settings

Charging the Battery

Replacing the Battery

Storing a Battery

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

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

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

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

6 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Playing CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Adjusting the Volume

Adjusting the Picture

Microsoft

Using Dell Media Experience™ and Dell MediaDirect™

If the computer is on or in standby mode If the computer is off or in hibernate mode Dell MediaDirect and Dell Media Experience Help

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

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

Windows® XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Using the Dell MediaDirect™ Repair Utility CD or the Dell MediaDirect Reinstallation

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

CD Repairing Dell MediaDirect Reinstalling Dell MediaDirect

Connecting Your Computer to a TV or Audio Device

S-Video and Standard Audio S-Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio Composite Video and Standard Audio Composite Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio Component Video and Standard Audio Component Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio Configuring DVD Playback Using Headphones Enabling the Display Settings for a TV

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

7 Using ExpressCards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

ExpressCard Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

ExpressCard Blanks

Installing an ExpressCard

Removing an ExpressCard or Blank

Media Memory Card Types

Media Memory Card Blanks

Installing a Media Memory Card

Removing a Media Memory Card or Blank

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Contents 5

8 Setting Up a Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Physically Connecting to a Network or Broadband Modem . . . . . . . . . . 71

Network Setup Wizard

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

What You Need to Establish a WLAN Connection Checking Your Wireless Network Card Setting Up a New WLAN Connecting to a Wireless Local Area Network Enabling/Disabling the Wireless Network Card

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Monitoring the Status of Wireless Network Connections Through Dell™ QuickSet 76

Mobile Broadband or Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)

What You Need to Establish a Mobile Broadband Network Connection Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network

Bluetooth Network

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Setting up your Bluetooth Connection Connecting to a Bluetooth Network

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

. . . . . . . . . 76

. 76

9 Securing Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Security Cable Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Passwords

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

10 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

6 Contents

Computer Tracking Software

If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Dell Technical Update Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Dell Diagnostics

When to Use the Dell Diagnostics Starting the Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the Drivers and Utilities CD Dell Diagnostics Main Menu

Dell Support Utility

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

. . . . . . . . . . . . 81

. . . . . . 82

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

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

Accessing the Dell Support Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Clicking the Dell Support Icon Double-Clicking the Dell Support Icon

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Drive Problems

CD and DVD drive problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

If you cannot eject the CD, CD-RW, DVD, or DVD+RW drive tray If you hear an unfamiliar scraping or grinding sound Hard drive problems

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

Error Messages

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

ExpressCard Problems

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

Keyboard Problems

External Keyboard problems Unexpected characters

Lockups and Software Problems

The computer does not start up The computer stops responding

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

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

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

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

A program stops responding or crashes repeatedly A program is designed for an earlier Microsoft A solid blue screen appears Dell MediaDirect problems Other software problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Windows® operating system 94

. . . . . 86

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

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

Memory Problems

Network Problems

Power Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Ensuring Sufficient Power for Your Computer

Printer Problems

Scanner Problems

Sound and Speaker Problems

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

No sound from integrated speakers No sound from external speakers No sound from headphones

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Contents 7

Touch Pad or Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Video and Display Problems

If the display is blank If the display is difficult to read If only part of the display is readable

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Drivers

What Is a Driver? Identifying Drivers Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities

Restoring Your Operating System

Using Microsoft Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec Using the Operating System CD

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

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

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . 103

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Windows XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

11 Adding and Replacing Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Recommended Tools Turning Off Your Computer Before Working Inside Your Computer

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

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

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

8 Contents

Hard Drive

Optical Drives

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Returning a Hard Drive to Dell

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

About the Device Security Screw

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Removing and Installing Optical Drives

Memory

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Installing a Memory Module in Connector DIMM B Installing a Memory Module in Connector DIMM A

Modem (Optional)

Mini-Card

Hinge Cover

Removing the Hinge Cover Replacing the Hinge Cover

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

. . . . . . . . . . . 116

. . . . . . . . . . . 118

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Removing the Keyboard Replacing the Keyboard

Internal Card With Bluetooth

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Wireless Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Coin-Cell Battery

Removing the Coin-Cell Battery Replacing the Coin-Cell Battery

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

12 Dell™ QuickSet Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

13 Traveling With Your Computer

Identifying Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Packing the Computer

Travel Tips

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Traveling by Air

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

14 Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

15 Specifications

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

16 Appendix

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Using the System Setup Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Viewing the System Setup Screen System Setup Screen Commonly Used Options

Cleaning Your Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Computer, Keyboard, and Display Touch Pad Floppy Drive CDs and DVDs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Contents 9

Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . . . . 169

Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals

. . . . . . . . . . . 169

FCC Notice (U.S. Only)

FCC Class B

Macrovision Product Notice

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Index

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

10 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.

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• A diagnostic program for my computer

• Drivers for my computer

• My device documentation

• Notebook System Software (NSS)

Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as ResourceCD)

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD may be optional and may

not ship with your computer.

Documentation and drivers are already installed on your computer. You can use the CD to reinstall drivers (see "Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities" on page 102) or to run the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 81).

Readme files may be included on your CD to provide last-minute updates about technical changes to your computer or advanced technicalreference material for technicians or experienced users.

• Warranty information

• Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)

• Safety instructions

• Regulatory information

• Ergonomics information

• End User License Agreement

NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates can be found at

support.dell.com.

Dell™ Product Information Guide

Finding Information 11

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• How to set up my computer

Setup Diagram

• Service Tag and Express Service Code

• Microsoft Windows License Label

Service Tag and Microsoft® Windows® License

These labels are located on

• Use the Service Tag to identify your computer when you

support.dell.com

use

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

the bottom of

or contact technical support.

your computer.

12 Finding Information

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips, articles from technicians, and online courses, frequently asked questions

• Community — Online discussion with other Dell customers

• Upgrades — Upgrade information for components, such

Dell Support Website — support.dell.com

NOTE: Select your region to view the appropriate support

site.

NOTE: Corporate, government, and education customers

can also use the customized Dell Premier Support website at premier.support.dell.com.

as memory, the hard drive, and the operating system

• Customer Care — Contact information, service call and order status, warranty, and repair information

• Service and support — Service call status and support history, service contract, online discussions with technical support

• Reference — Computer documentation, details on my computer configuration, product specifications, and white papers

• Downloads — Certified drivers, patches, and software updates

• Notebook System Software (NSS)— If you reinstall the operating system for your computer, you should also reinstall the NSS utility. NSS provides critical updates for your operating system and support for Dell™

3.5-inch USB floppy drives, Intel

Pentium® M processors, optical drives, and USB devices. NSS is necessary for correct operation of your Dell computer. The software automatically detects your computer and operating system and installs the updates appropriate for your configuration.

• Software upgrades and troubleshooting hints — Frequently asked questions, hot topics, and general health of your computing environment

To download Notebook System Software:

Go to

support.dell.com

Enter your Service Tag or product model.

In the

Select the operating system and operating system language for your computer, and click

Under

Configuration Utilities Software

Dell Support Utility

The Dell Support Utility is an automated upgrade and notification system installed on your computer. This support provides real-time health scans of your computing environment, software updates, and relevant self-support information. Access the Dell Support Utility from the

icon in the taskbar. For more information, see "Dell Support Utility" on page 84.

• How to use Windows XP

• How to work with programs and files

• How to personalize my desktop

Windows Help and Support Center

Click the

Type a word or phrase that describes your problem and click the arrow icon.

Click the topic that describes your problem.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

and click

Download Category

Select a Device

, scroll to

, and click

Start

button and click

Downloads

drop-down menu, click

Submit.

System and

Dell Notebook System

Help and Support

All

Finding Information 13

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• Information on network activity, the Power Management Wizard, hotkeys, and other items controlled by Dell QuickSet

Dell QuickSet Help

To vie w

Dell QuickSet Help, right-click the icon

in the Microsoft

For more information on Dell QuickSet, see "Dell™ QuickSet Features" on page 131.

• How to reinstall my operating system

Operating System CD

NOTE: The Operating System CD may be optional and may

not ship with your computer.

drivers for the devices that came with your computer.

NOTE: The color of your CD varies based on the operating

system you ordered.

Windows® taskbar.

The operating system is already installed on your computer. To reinstall your operating system, use the Operating System CD. See "Using the Operating System CD" on page 107. After you reinstall your operating system, use the Drivers and Utilities CD (ResourceCD) to reinstall

14 Finding Information

A Tour of Your Computer

Front View

1 display latch release 2 display 3 power button

4 device status lights 5 touch pad 6 media control buttons

7 speakers 8 touch pad buttons 9 keyboard

10 keyboard and wireless

status lights

11 display latches (2)

A Tour of Your Computer 15

DISPLAY LATCH RELEASE — Slide and hold to release the display latches and open the display.

DISPLAY — For more information about your display, see "Using the Display" on page 31.

POWER BUTTON — Press the power button to turn on the computer or to enter or exit a power management mode.

NOTICE: To avoid losing data when you turn off your computer, shut down your computer through the Start menu

instead of pressing the power button.

DEVICE STATUS LIGHTS

Turns on when you turn on the computer, and blinks when the computer is in a power management mode.

Turns on when the computer reads or writes data.

NOTICE: To avoid loss of data, never turn off the computer while the light is flashing.

Turns on steadily or blinks to indicate battery charge status.

If the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, the light operates as follows:

• Solid green: The battery is charging.

• Flashing green: The battery is almost fully charged.

If the computer is running on a battery, the light operates as follows:

• Off: The battery is adequately charged (or the computer is turned off).

• Flashing orange: The battery charge is low.

• Solid orange: The battery charge is critically low.

16 A Tour of Your Computer

TOUCH PAD — Provides the functionality of a mouse.

MEDIA CONTROL BUTTONS — Control CD, DVD, and Media Player playback.

Mute the sound.

Turn the volume down.

Turn the volume up.

Play or pause.

Play the previous track.

Play the next track.

Stop.

Launch Dell MediaDirect or Microsoft

Windows® Media Center Edition. See

"Using Dell Media Experience™ and Dell MediaDirect™" on page 46.

SPEAKERS — To adjust the volume of the integrated speakers, press the media control buttons or speaker-volume

keyboard shortcuts. For more information, see "Speaker Functions" on page 35.

TOUCH PAD BUTTONS — Touch pad buttons provide the functionality of a mouse.

KEYBOARD — The keyboard includes a numeric keypad as well as the Microsoft Windows logo key. For information

on supported keyboard shortcuts, see "Key Combinations" on page 34.

A Tour of Your Computer 17

KEYBOARD AND WIRELESS STATUS LIGHTS

The green lights located above the keyboard indicate the following:

Turns on when the numeric keypad is enabled.

Turns on when the uppercase letter function is enabled.

Turns on when the scroll lock function is enabled.

Turns on when wireless networking is enabled. To enable or disable wireless networking, press <Fn><F2>.

Turns on when a card with Bluetooth

technology is enabled.

NOTE: The card with Bluetooth wireless technology is an

optional feature, so the light turns on only if you ordered the card with your computer. For more information, see the documentation that came with your card.

To turn off only the Bluetooth wireless technology functionality, right-click the icon in the notification area and click Disable Bluetooth Radio.

To quickly enable or disable all wireless devices, press <Fn><F2>.

wireless

DISPLAY LATCHES — Keep the display closed.

18 A Tour of Your Computer

Left Side View

345267 81

1 security cable slot 2 air vent 3 S-video TV-out connector

4 IEEE 1394 connector 5 microphone connector 6 headphone connector

7 5-in-1 media memory card

reader

CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your

computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.

NOTICE: Before you buy an antitheft device, ensure that it will work with the security cable slot.

SECURITY CABLE SLOT — Lets you attach a commercially available antitheft device to the computer. For more

information, see the instructions included with the device.

8 ExpressCard slot

AIR VENT — The computer uses fans to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from

overheating.

A Tour of Your Computer 19

S-VIDEO TV-OUT CONNECTOR

Connects your computer to a TV. Also connects digital audio capable devices using the TV/digital audio adapter cable.

IEEE 1394 CONNECTOR — Connects devices supporting IEEE 1394 high-speed transfer rates, such as some digital video cameras.

AUDIO CONNECTORS

Attach a microphone to the connector.

Attach headphones or speakers to the connector.

5-IN-1 MEDIA MEMORY CARD READER — Provides a fast and convenient way to view and share digital photos, music, and videos stored on a memory card. The 5-in-1 media memory card reader reads the following digital media

memory cards:

• Secure Digital (SD) card/SDIO

• MultiMediaCard (MMC)

•Memory Stick

• Memory Stick PRO

• xD-Picture Card

EXPRESSCARD SLOT — Supports one ExpressCard. The computer ships with a plastic blank installed in the slot. For more information, see "Using ExpressCards" on page 65.

NOTE: The ExpressCard slot does NOT support PC cards.

20 A Tour of Your Computer

Right Side View

345261

1 optical drive bay 2 optical drive-tray eject

button

4 modem connector (RJ-11) 5 network connector (RJ-45) 6 video connector

OPTICAL DRIVE BAY — You can install devices such as a DVD drive or other optical drive in the optical drive bay.

For more information, see "Optical Drives" on page 114.

OPTICAL DRIVE-TRAY EJECT BUTTON — Press this button to eject a CD or DVD from the optical drive.

CONNECTORS

USB

Connect USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or printer. You can also connect the optional floppy drive

cable.

drive

CONNECTOR (RJ-11)

MODEM

To use the internal modem, connect the telephone line to the modem connector.

For additional information on using the modem, see the online modem documentation supplied with your computer.

NOTICE: The network connector is slightly larger than the modem connector. To avoid damaging the computer, do

not plug a telephone line into the network connector.

directly to a USB connector using the optional floppy-

3 USB connectors (2)

A Tour of Your Computer 21

NETWORK CONNECTOR (RJ-45)

Connects the computer to a network. The green and yellow lights next to the connector indicate activity for wired network communications.

For information on using the network adapter, see the online network adapter documentation supplied with your computer.

VIDEO CONNECTOR

Connects an external VGA-compatible monitor.

Back View

1 USB connectors (2) 2 AC adapter connector

USB CONNECTORS

Connect USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or printer. You can also connect the optional floppy drive drive

cable.

AC ADAPTER CONNECTOR — Attaches an AC adapter to the computer. The AC adapter converts AC power to the DC power required by the computer. You can connect the AC adapter with your computer turned either on or off.

directly to a USB connector using the optional floppy-

22 A Tour of Your Computer

CAUTION: The AC adapter works with electrical outlets worldwide. However, power connectors and power

strips vary among countries. Using an incompatible cable or improperly connecting the cable to the power strip or electrical outlet may cause fire or equipment damage.

NOTICE: When you disconnect the AC adapter cable from the computer, grasp the connector, not the cable itself,

and pull firmly but gently to avoid damaging the cable.

Bottom View

1 battery 2 memory module cover 3 battery-bay latch release

4 fan vent 5 processor and thermal

module cover

7 optical-drive locking screw 8 hard drive 9 battery charge gauge

6 modem/Mini-Card/

wireless cover

BATTERY — When a battery is installed, you can use the computer without connecting the computer to an

electrical outlet. For more information, see "Using a Battery" on page 37.

MEMORY MODULE COVER — Covers the compartment that contains the memory modules. For more information,

see page 115.

BATTERY-BAY LATCH RELEASE — Releases the battery from the battery bay. See "Replacing the Battery" on

page 41.

FAN — The computer uses a fan to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from

overheating.

A Tour of Your Computer 23

PROCESSOR AND THERMAL MODULE COVER — Covers the processor and thermal module.

MODEM/MINI CARD/WIRELESS COVER — Covers the compartment that contains the modem, Mini Card, and

internal card with Bluetooth wireless technology. For more information, see page 120.

OPTICAL-DRIVE LOCKING SCREW — Secures the optical drive in the optical drive bay. For more information, see

"Optical Drives" on page 114.

HARD DRIVE — Stores software and data. For more information, see "Hard Drive" on page 111 and "Hard drive

problems" on page 86. The size displayed for your hard drive in Windows Explorer is the capacity of the drive before any operating system or programs are installed.

BATTERY CHARGE GAUGE — Provides information on the battery charge status. See "Checking the Battery Charge"

on page 38.

24 A Tour of Your Computer

Setting Up Your Computer

Connecting to the Internet

NOTE: ISPs and ISP offerings vary by country.

To connect to the Internet, you need a modem or network connection and an Internet service provider (ISP). Your ISP will offer one or more of the following Internet connection options:

• Dial-up connections that provide Internet access through a telephone line. Dial-up connections are considerably slower than DSL and cable modem connections.

• DSL connections that provide high-speed Internet access through your existing telephone line. With a DSL connection, you can access the Internet and use your telephone on the same line simultaneously.

• Cable modem connections that provide high-speed Internet access through your local cable TV line.

If you are using a dial-up connection, connect a telephone line to the modem connector on your computer and to the telephone wall jack before you set up your Internet connection. If you are using a DSL or cable modem connection, contact your ISP for setup instructions.

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

To set up an Internet connection with a provided ISP desktop shortcut:

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

Double-click the ISP icon on the Microsoft® Windows® desktop.

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the setup.

If you do not have an ISP icon on your desktop or if you want to set up an Internet connection with a different ISP:

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

Click the

The

Start

button and click

New Connection Wizard

Internet Explorer

appears.

Click

Connect to the Internet

In the next window, click the appropriate option:

• If you do not have an ISP and want to select one, click

providers (ISPs)

Choose from a list of Internet service

Setting Up Your Computer 25

• If you have already obtained setup information from your ISP but you did not receive a setup CD,

Set up my connection manually

click

• If you have a CD, click

Click

If you selected on the screen to complete the setup.

NOTE: If you do not know which type of connection to select, contact your ISP.

Click the appropriate option under

Use the setup information provided by your ISP to complete the setup.

If you are having problems connecting to the Internet, see "E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems" on page 86. If you cannot connect to the Internet but have successfully connected in the past, the ISP might have a service outage. Contact your ISP to check the service status, or try connecting again later.

Set up my connection manually

Use the CD I got from an ISP

, continue to step 6. Otherwise, follow the instructions

How do you want to connect to the Internet?

, and then click

Transferring Information to a New Computer

The Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system provides a Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to move data from a source computer to a new computer. You can transfer data, such as:

• E-mail messages

• Toolbar settings

• Window sizes

• Internet bookmarks

You can transfer the data to the new computer over a network connection, or you can store it on a removable medium, such as a writable CD or floppy, for transfer to the new computer.

NOTE: For instructions on setting up a direct cable connection between two computers, see Microsoft Knowledge

Base Article #305621, titled How to Set Up a Direct Cable Connection Between Two Computers in Windows XP. This information may not be available in some countries.

For transferring information to a new computer, you must run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. You can use the optional Operating System CD for this process or you can create a wizard disk with the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard utility.

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard With the Operating System CD

NOTE: This procedure requires the Operating System CD. This CD is optional and may not be included with all

computers.

To open the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard:

Click the

Settings Transfer Wizard

When the

26 Setting Up Your Computer

Start

button, point to

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

All Programs→ Accessories→ System Tools

welcome screen appears, click

, and then click

Files and

On the

On the and click

When the click

To copy data from the old computer:

On the old computer, insert the Windows XP

On the

Under

On the

After the information has been copied, the

Click

To transfer data to the new computer:

On the

On the settings and files and click

The wizard reads the collected files and settings and applies them to your new computer.

Which computer is this?

Do you have a Windows XP CD?

Now go to your old computer

at this time.

Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP

What do you want to do?

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

Select a transfer method

What do you want to transfer?

Finish

Now go to your old computer

Where are the files and settings?

screen, click

, click

screen, click

screen, click the transfer method you prefer.

screen on the new computer, click

New Computer

screen, click

screen appears, go to your old or source computer. Do

Operating System

screen, click

Transfer files and settings

welcome screen, click

Old Computer

screen, select the items you want to transfer and click

Completing the Collection Phase

screen, select the method you chose for transferring your

I will use the wizard from the Windows XP CD

and click

CD.

Perform additional tasks

and click

screen appears.

not

When all of the settings and files have been applied, the

Click

Finished

and restart the new computer.

Finished

screen appears.

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard Without the Operating System CD

To run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard without the optional Operating System CD, you must create a wizard disk that will allow you to create a backup image file to removable media.

To create a wizard disk, use your new computer with Windows XP and perform the following steps:

Click the

Settings Transfer Wizard

When the

On the

drive:

Insert the removable media, such as a floppy disk or CD, and click OK.

Start

button, point to

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

Do you have a Windows XP CD?

and click

Next.

All Programs→ Accessories→ System Tools

screen, click

welcome screen appears, click

New Computer

screen, click

and click

I want to create a Wizard Disk in the following

, and then click

Setting Up Your Computer 27

Files and

When the disk creation completes and the

click

Go to the old computer.

Now go to your old computer

message appears,

To copy data from the old computer:

On the old computer, insert the wizard disk.

Click the

In the media) and click

On the

After the information has been copied, the

Click

Start

Open

button and click

field on the

Run

window, browse to the path for

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

Select a transfer method

screen, click

screen, click the transfer method you prefer.

What do you want to transfer?

Finish

fastwiz

(on the appropriate removable

welcome screen, click

Old Computer

and click

screen, select the items you want to transfer and click

Completing the Collection Phase

To transfer data to the new computer:

On the

On the settings and files and click

Now go to your old computer

screen on the new computer, click

Where are the files and settings?

. Follow the instructions on the screen.

screen, select the method you chose for transferring your

The wizard reads the collected files and settings and applies them to your new computer.

screen appears.

do not

When all of the settings and files have been applied, the

Click

Finished

NOTE: For more information about this procedure, search dell.support.com for document #PA1089586 (How Do I

Transfer Files From My Old Computer to My New Dell Computer Using the Microsoft System CD?).

NOTE: Access to the Dell Knowledge Base document may not be available in some countries.

and restart the new computer.

Finished

screen appears.

Windows® XP Operating

Setting Up a Printer

NOTICE: Complete the operating system setup before you connect a printer to the computer.

See the documentation that came with the printer for setup information, including how to:

• Obtain and install updated drivers.

• Connect the printer to the computer.

• Load paper and install the toner or ink cartridge.

For technical assistance, refer to the printer owner's manual or contact the printer manufacturer.

28 Setting Up Your Computer

Printer Cable

Your printer connects to your computer with either a USB cable or a parallel cable. Your printer may not come with a printer cable, so if you purchase a cable separately, ensure that it is compatible with your printer and computer. If you purchased a printer cable at the same time you purchased your computer, the cable may arrive in the box in which your computer was shipped.

Connecting a USB Printer

NOTE: You can connect USB devices while the computer is turned on.

Complete the operating system setup if you have not already done so.

Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connectors on the computer and the printer. The USB connectors fit only one way.

1 USB connector on

computer

Turn on the printer and then turn on the computer. If the appears, click

Install the printer driver if necessary. See the documentation that came with your printer.

Cancel

2 USB printer cable 3 connector on printer

Add New Hardware Wizard

Setting Up Your Computer 29

window

Power Protection Devices

Several devices are available to protect against power fluctuations and failures:

• Surge protectors

• Line conditioners

• Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)

Surge Protectors

Surge protectors and power strips equipped with surge protection help prevent damage to your computer from voltage spikes that can occur during electrical storms or after power interruptions. Some surge protector manufacturers include warranty coverage for certain types of damage. Carefully read the device warranty when choosing a surge protector. A device with a higher joule rating offers more protection. Compare joule ratings to determine the relative effectiveness of different devices.

NOTICE: Most surge protectors do not protect against power fluctuations or power interruptions caused by

nearby lightning strikes. When lightning occurs in your area, disconnect the telephone line from the telephone wall jack and disconnect your computer from the electrical outlet.

Many surge protectors have a telephone jack for modem protection. See the surge protector documentation for modem connection instructions.

NOTICE: Not all surge protectors offer network adapter protection. Disconnect the network cable from the

network wall jack during electrical storms.

Line Conditioners

NOTICE: Line conditioners do not protect against power interruptions.

Line conditioners are designed to maintain AC voltage at a fairly constant level.

Uninterruptible Power Supplies

NOTICE: Loss of power while data is being saved to the hard drive may result in data loss or file damage.

NOTE: To ensure maximum battery operating time, connect only your computer to a UPS. Connect other devices,

such as a printer, to a separate power strip that provides surge protection.

A UPS protects against power fluctuations and interruptions. UPS devices contain a battery that provides temporary power to connected devices when AC power is interrupted. The battery charges while AC power is available. See the UPS manufacturer documentation for information on battery operating time and to ensure that the device is approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

30 Setting Up Your Computer

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