Dell EC280 User Manual

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Page 1

Dell™ EC280

Owner’s Manual

Model EC280

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

Page 2

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 and the DELL logo are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel, Pentium, 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.

Model EC280

March 2007 P/N RW965 Rev. A00

Page 3

Contents

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

1 Setting Up and Using Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Front View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Installing Drivers for Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Setting Up a Printer (USB type) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Printer Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Connecting a USB Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Setting Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Playing CDs and DVDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Adjusting the Volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Adjusting the Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Setting Up a Home and Office Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connecting to a Network Adapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Network Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Standby Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Hibernate Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

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Power Options Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Power Schemes Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Advanced Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Hibernate Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

2 Solving Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Troubleshooting Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Battery Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

CD and DVD Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Problems writing to a CD/DVD-RW drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Hard Drive Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Keyboard Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Lockups and Software Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

The computer does not start up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

The computer stops responding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

A program stops responding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

A program crashes repeatedly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

A program is designed for an earlier Windows operating system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Other software problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Sound and Speaker Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

No sound from speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

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The screen is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

The screen is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

3 Removing and Installing Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Recommended Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Turning Off Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Before Working Inside Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Removing the Computer Cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Inside View of Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

System Board Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Removing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Installing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Replacing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

4 Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Safety Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Power Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Battery Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Equipment Protection Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Page 6

5 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Entering System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

System Setup Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Boot Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Clearing Forgotten Passwords and CMOS Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Jumper Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Clearing CMOS and Password Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Cleaning Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Computer, Keyboard, and Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Page 7

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

• Drivers for my computer

• My device documentation

• Warranty information

•Safety instructions

• Regulatory information

• Ergonomics information

• End User License Agreement

• How to set up my computer

Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as Resource CD)

NOTE: The

may not ship with your computer.

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

NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates can be found at

support.dell.com.

NOTE: You may need to purchase Microsoft Windows

separately.

Dell™ Owner’s Manual

Setup Diagram

Drivers and Utilities

CD may be optional and

Page 8

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• Service Tag and Express Service Code

• Microsoft Windows License Label (optional)

Service Tag and Microsoft® Windows® License

These labels are located on your computer.

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

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

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

Dell Support Website — support.dell.com

NOTE: Select your region or business segment to view the

appropriate support site.

• Community — Online discussion with other Dell customers

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

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

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

• Downloads — Certified drivers, patches, and software updates

• How to use Windows XP

• How to work with programs and files

•How to personalize my

NOTE: The support.dell.com user interface may vary

depending on your selections.

Windows Help and Support Center

Click

Start>Help and Support

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

Click the topic that describes your problem.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

support.dell.com

Page 9

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• How to reinstall my operating system

Operating System CD

NOTE: The

not ship with your computer.

After you reinstall your operating system, use the

and Utilities

the devices that came with your computer. Your operating system product key label is located on your computer.

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

system you ordered.

NOTE: You may need to purchase Microsoft Windows

separately.

Operating System

CD (

Resource

CD may be optional and may

Drivers

CD) to reinstall drivers for

Page 10

Setting Up and Using Your Computer

CAUTION: Your computer should only be mounted horizontally. Never mount it vertically.

CAUTION: To ensure adequate cooling, do not block any of the vents.

• Ensure that there is a minimum of 2 inches of space between all vents and any object near these vents.

• Keep the vent area clean and dust-free to ensure that the system is adequately ventilated. Use only a dry

cloth to clean the vent area to avoid water damage to the system.

10 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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Front View of the Computer

123 5674

1 CD or DVD drive Type of drive depends on model

2 CD or DVD eject button Press to eject a disk from the CD or DVD drive.

3 power button Press 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.

4 power light The power light indicates when the computer is powered on.

5 microphone connector Use the microphone connector to attach a personal computer

microphone for voice or musical input into a sound or telephony program.

6 line-out/headphone connector Use the headphone connector to attach headphones and most

kinds of speakers.

7 USB 2.0 connectors (2) Use the front USB connectors for devices that you connect

occasionally, such as joysticks or cameras, or for bootable USB devices (see "System Setup Options" on page 55 for more information on booting to a USB device).

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

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 11

Page 12

Back View of the Computer

13 12 11 10 9 8 7

1 cable clip Use to hold DC-in or other cables.

2 line-out/headphone connector Use the (green) line-out connector to attach

3 line-in connector Use the (blue) line-in connector to attach a

4 link integrity light

45632

headphones and most speakers with integrated amplifiers.

record/playback device such as a cassette player, CD player, or VCR.

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

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

• Off — The computer is not detecting a physical connection to the network.

12 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Page 13

5 network adapter connector NOTICE: Do not plug a telephone cable into the network

connector.

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

On computers with an additional network connector card, use the connectors on the card and on the back of the computer when setting up multiple network connections (such as a separate intra- and extranet).

NOTE: It is recommended that you use Category 5 wiring

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

6 network activity light 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.

7 modem (optional) Connect to internet using a dial-up connection.

8 parallel port Connect compatible printers or scanners here.

9 USB 2.0 connectors (2)

(rear quad)

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

NOTE: It is recommended that you use the front USB

connectors for devices that you connect occasionally, such as joysticks, cameras, or bootable USB devices.

10 microphone connector 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 connector on the card.

11 VGA video connector If your monitor has a VGA connector, plug it into the

VGA connector on the computer.

12 PS-2 connectors Connect PS-2 keyboard and mouse

13 DC-in connector Connect the AC adapter.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 13

Page 14

Installing Drivers for Your Computer

To install drivers:

Insert

Drivers and Utilities

installation screen appears.

Click on

If you have a modem, click on

Once all driver insallation is complete, click on

VGA Driver

Audio Driver

LAN Driver

CD into CD /DVD drive. The installation starts automatically and the

and follow the instructions to complete installation.

Modem Driver

and follow the instructions to complete installation.

EXIT

14 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Page 15

Setting Up a Printer (USB type)

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.

Printer Cable

Your printer connects to your computer with a USB 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. If you purchased a printer cable at the same time you purchased your computer, the cable may arrive in the computer box.

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 only fit into the ports when correctly oriented.

1 USB connector on computer 2 USB printer cable 3 USB connector on printer

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 15

Page 16

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

Add New Hardware Wizard

window

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), such as AOL or MSN. 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

Click

In the next window, click the appropriate option:

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

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

• If you have a CD, click

Start

button, then click

New Connection Wizard

Connect to the Internet

providers (ISPs)

click

Set up my connection manually

Use the CD I got from an ISP

Internet Explorer

appears.

Choose from a list of Internet service

16 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Page 17

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 26. 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

How do you want to connect to the Internet?

, continue to step 6. Otherwise, follow the instructions

, and then click

Playing CDs and DVDs

NOTICE: Do not press down on the CD or DVD tray when you open or close it. Keep the tray closed when you are

not using the drive.

NOTICE: Do not move the computer when you are playing CDs or DVDs.

Press the eject button on the front of the drive.

Place the disc, label side up in the center of the tray.

Press the disc into the center of the tray until it clicks into place.

Press the eject button or gently push in the tray

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 17

Page 18

To format CDs for storing data, to create music CDs, or to copy CDs, see the CD software that came with your computer.

NOTE: Ensure that you follow all copyright laws when you create CDs.

A CD player includes the following basic buttons:

Play

Move backward within the current track

Pau se

Move forward within the current track

Stop

Go to the previous track

Eject

Go to the next track

A DVD player includes the following basic buttons:

Stop

Restart the current chapter

Play

Fast forward

Pau se

Fast reverse

Advance a single frame while in pause mode

Go to the next title or chapter

Continuously play the current title or chapter

Go to the previous title or chapter

Eject

For more information on playing CDs or DVDs, click Help on the CD or DVD player (if available).

18 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Page 19

Adjusting the Volume

NOTE: When the speakers are muted, you do not hear the CD or DVD playing.

Click the

Control

In the increase or decrease the volume.

For more information on volume control options, click Help in the Volume Control window.

Start

button, point to

Volum e Co nt ro l

All Programs>Accessories>Entertainment

window, click and drag the bar in the

Volu me Cont r ol

, and then click

column up or down to

Vo lu me

Adjusting the Picture

If an error message notifies you that the current resolution and color depth are using too much memory and preventing DVD playback, adjust the display properties:

Click the

Under

In the

800 by 600 pixels

Click the drop-down menu under

Click OK.

Start

button, then click

Pick a category

Pick a task...

Display Properties

, click

Control Panel

Appearance and Themes

Change the screen resolution

window, click and drag the bar in

Color quality

, then click

Screen resolution

Medium (16 bit)

to change the setting to

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 19

Page 20

Setting Up a Home and Office Network

Connecting to a Network Adapter

NOTICE: Plug the network cable into the network adapter connector on the computer. Do not plug the network

cable into the modem connector on the computer.

NOTICE: Do not plug a network cable into a telephone wall jack.

Connect the network cable to the network adapter connector on the back of your computer. Insert the cable until it clicks into place, and then gently pull it to ensure that it is secure.

Connect the other end of the network cable to a network device.

1 network device 2 network cable

3 network adapter connector 4 network connector on the back of the computer

Network Setup Wizard

The Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system provides a Network Setup Wizard to guide you through the process of sharing files, printers, or an Internet connection between computers in a home or small office.

Click the

Network Setup Wizard

On the welcome screen, click

Click

Complete the checklist and required preparations.

Return to the

20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Start

button, point to

Checklist

NOTE: Selecting the connection method This computer connects directly to the Internet enables the

integrated firewall provided with Windows XP.

for creating a network.

Network Setup Wizard

All Programs>Accessories>Communications

and follow the instructions on the screen.

, and then click

Page 21

Power Management

The Microsoft® Windows® XP power management features can reduce the amount of electricity your computer uses when it is on and you are not using it. You can reduce power to just the monitor or the hard drive, or you can use standby mode or hibernate mode to reduce power to the entire computer. When the computer exits from a power conservation mode, the Windows desktop is restored to the state it was in before it entered the mode.

NOTE: Windows XP Professional includes security and networking features not available in Windows XP Home

Edition. When a Windows XP Professional computer is connected to a network, different options related to security and networking appear in certain windows.

Standby Mode

Standby mode conserves power by turning off the display and the hard drive after a time-out. When the computer exits from standby mode, it returns to the operating state it was in before it entered standby mode.

To set standby mode to automatically activate after a defined period of inactivity:

Click the

Switch to Category View

Category View

Under

Under the and then click

To immediately activate standby mode without a period of inactivity, click the Start button, click Tu r n Off Computer, and then click Stand by.

To exit from standby mode, press a key on the keyboard or move the mouse.

Start

button, then click

appears in the

Pick a category

or pick a Control Panel icon

Power Schemes

, click

Performance and Maintenance

tab, change the settings in the drop-down boxes to those that you desire,

Control Panel

, click

Power Options

in the left of the window, click

Switch to

NOTICE: If your computer loses power while in standby mode, it may lose data.

Hibernate Mode

Hibernate mode conserves power by copying system data to a reserved area on the hard drive and then completely turning off the computer. When the computer exits from hibernate mode, the desktop is restored to the state it was in before it entered hibernate mode.

To activate hibernate mode:

Click the

Under

Define your hibernate settings on the "Power Options Properties" on page 22).

Start

button, then click

Pick a category

or pick a Control Panel icon

, click

Performance and Maintenance

Control Panel

, click

Power Options

Power Schemes

tab,

Advanced

tab, and

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 21

Hibernate

tab (see

Page 22

To exit from hibernate mode, press the power button. The computer may take a short time to exit from hibernate mode. Pressing a key on the keyboard or moving the mouse does not bring the computer out of hibernation because the keyboard and the mouse do not function when the computer is in hibernate mode.

Because hibernate mode requires a special file on your hard drive with enough disk space to store the contents of the computer memory, Dell creates an appropriately sized hibernate mode file before shipping the computer to you. If the computer’s hard drive becomes corrupted, Windows XP recreates the hibernate file automatically.

Power Options Properties

Define your standby mode settings, hibernate mode settings, and other power settings in the Power Options Properties window. To access the Power Options Properties window:

Click the

Under

Define your power settings on the

Power Schemes Tab

Each standard power setting is called a scheme. If you want to select one of the standard Windows schemes installed on your computer, choose a scheme from the Power schemes drop-down menu. The settings for each scheme appear in the fields below the scheme name. Each scheme has different settings for starting standby or hibernate mode and for turning off the monitor and hard drive.

The Power schemes drop-down menu displays the following schemes:

•

Always On (default)

•

Home/Office Desk

power conservation.

•

Portable/Laptop

•

Presentation

•

Minimal Power Management

•

Max Battery

extended periods of time.

If you want to change the default settings for a scheme, click the drop-down menu in the Turn off monitor, Turn off hard disks, System standby, or System hibernates field, and then select a time-out from the displayed list. Changing the time-out for a scheme field permanently changes the default settings for that scheme, unless you click Save As and enter a new name for the changed scheme.

Start

button, then click

Pick a category

or pick a Control Panel icon

— If you want your computer to run without interruption (using no power conservation).

— If your computer is a portable computer and you run your computer from batteries for

, click

— If you want to use your computer with no power conservation.

— If you use your computer as a home or office computer and you require minimal

— If your computer is a portable computer that you use for traveling.

Control Panel

Performance and Maintenance

, click

Power Schemes

— If you want your computer to run with minimal power conservation.

Power Options

tab,

Advanced

tab, and

Hibernate

tab.

22 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Page 23

NOTICE: If you set the hard drive (hard disk) to time-out before the monitor does, your computer may appear to be

locked up. To recover, press any key on the keyboard or click the mouse. To avoid this problem, always set the monitor to time-out before the hard drive.

Advanced Tab

The Advanced tab allows you to:

• Place the power options icon in the Windows taskbar for quick access.

• Set the computer to prompt you for your Windows password before the computer exits from standby mode or hibernate mode.

• Program the power button to activate standby mode, activate hibernate mode, or turn off the computer.

To program these functions, click an option from the corresponding drop-down menu, and then click OK.

Hibernate Tab

The Hibernate tab allows you to enable hibernate mode. If you want to use the hibernate settings you defined on the Power Schemes tab, click the Enable hibernate support check box on the Hibernate tab.

For more information on power management options:

Click the

In the

Start

button, then click

Help and Support

window, click

Help and Support

Performance and maintenance

window, click

Conserving power on your computer

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 23

Page 24

Solving Problems

Troubleshooting Tips

Follow these tips when you troubleshoot your computer:

• If you added or removed a part before the problem started, review the installation procedures and ensure that the part is correctly installed.

• If a peripheral device does not work, ensure that the device is properly connected.

• If an error message appears on the screen, write down the exact message. This message may help support personnel diagnose and fix the problem.

• If an error message occurs in a program, see the program’s documentation.

Battery Problems

CAUTION: There is a danger of a new battery exploding if it is incorrectly installed. Replace the battery

only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer's instructions.

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

REPLACE THE BATTERY — If you have to repeatedly reset time and date information after turning

on the computer, or if an incorrect time or date displays during start-up, replace the battery (see "Battery" on page 45). If the battery still does not work properly, contact Dell (see "Contacting Dell" on page 63).

Drive Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

24 Solving Problems

Page 25

ENSURE THAT MICROSOFT ® WINDOWS ® RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Click the Start

button, then click My Computer. If the CD or 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 —

• Insert another CD or DVD to eliminate the possibility that the original one is defective.

CLEAN THE DRIVE OR DISK — See "Cleaning Your Computer" on page 61.

CHECK THE CABLE CONNECTIONS

CD and DVD Drive Problems

NOTE: High-speed CD or DVD drive vibration is normal and may cause noise, which does not indicate a defect in

the drive or the CD or DVD.

NOTE: Because of different regions worldwide and different disc formats, not all DVD titles work in all DVD drives.

ADJUST THE WINDOWS VOLUME CONTROL —

• Click the speaker icon in the lower-right corner of your screen.

• Ensure that the volume is turned up by clicking the slidebar and dragging it up.

• Ensure that the sound is not muted by clicking any boxes that are checked.

CHECK THE SPEAKERS AND SUBWOOFER — See "Sound and Speaker Problems" on page 34.

Problems writing to a CD/DVD-RW drive

CLOSE OTHER PROGRAMS — The CD/DVD-RW drive must receive a steady stream of data when

writing. If the stream is interrupted, an error occurs. Try closing all programs before you write to the CD/DVD-RW.

Solving Problems 25

Page 26

TURN OFF STANDBY MODE IN WINDOWS BEFORE WRITING TO A CD/DVD-RW DISC —

Click the

Under

From the

Start

button and click

Pick a Category

, click

Control Panel

Performance and Maintenance

or pick a Control Panel icon

Power Schemes

tab, select

, click

Power Options

Always On

Hard Drive Problems

RUN CHECK DISK —

Click the

Right-click

Click

Click the

Under

Click

Start

button, then click

Local Disk C:

Properties

To ol s

tab.

Error-checking

, click

Check Now

My Computer

Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors Start

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

NOTE: Connect the modem to an analog telephone jack only. The modem does not operate while it is connected to

a digital telephone network.

CHECK THE MICROSOFT OUTLOOK® EXPRESS SECURITY SETTINGS — If you cannot open your e-mail attachments:

In Outlook Express, click

Click

Do not allow attachments

To ol s

, click

Options

to remove the checkmark.

, and then click

Security

26 Solving Problems

Page 27

CHECK THE TELEPHONE LINE CONNECTION — CHECK THE TELEPHONE JACK — CONNECT THE MODEM DIRECTLY TO THE TELEPHONE WALL JACK — USE A DIFFERENT TELEPHONE LINE —

• Verify that the telephone line is connected to the jack on the modem. The jack has either a green label or a connector-shaped icon next to it.

• Ensure that you hear a click when you insert the telephone line connector into the modem.

• Disconnect the telephone line from the modem and connect it to a telephone. Listen for a dial tone.

• If you have other telephone devices sharing the line, such as an answering machine, fax machine, surge protector, or line splitter, bypass them and use the telephone to connect the modem directly to the telephone wall jack. If you are using a line that is 3 m (10 ft) or more in length, try a shorter one.

RUN THE MODEM HELPER DIAGNOSTICS — Click the Start button, point to All Programs, and then click Modem Helper. Follow the instructions on the screen to identify and resolve modem problems. Modem Helper is not available on all computers.

VERIFY THAT THE MODEM IS COMMUNICATING WITH WINDOWS —

Click the

Click

Click the

Click the COM port for your modem.

Click communicating with Windows. If all commands receive responses, the modem is operating properly.

Start

button, then click

Printers and Other Hardware Phone and Modem Options

Modems

Properties

tab.

, click the

Diagnostics

Control Pan el

tab, and then click

Query Modem

to verify that the modem is

ENSURE THAT YOU ARE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET — Ensure that you have subscribed to an Internet provider. With the Outlook Express e-mail program open, click File. If Work Offline has a checkmark next to it, click the checkmark to remove it and connect to the Internet. For help, contact your Internet service provider.

Error Messages

If the message is not listed, see the documentation for the operating system or the program that was running when the message appeared.

A FILENAME CANNOT CONTAIN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERS: \ / : * ? “ < > |—Do not use these characters in filenames.

Solving Problems 27

Page 28

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:

Click the

Select the program you want to remove.

Click the

See the program documentation for installation instructions.

drive letter :\ IS NOT ACCESSIBLE. THE DEVICE IS NOT READY — The drive cannot read the disk. Insert a disk into the drive and try again.

INSERT BOOTABLE MEDIA — Insert a bootable floppy disk or CD.

NOT ENOUGH MEMORY OR RESOURCES. CLOSE SOME PROGRAMS AND TRY AGAIN —

Close all windows and open the program that you want to use. In some cases, you might have to restart your computer to restore computer resources. If so, run the program that you want to use first.

OPERATING SYSTEM NOT FOUND — Contact Dell (see "Contacting Dell" on page 63).

Start

button, click Control Panel, and then click

Change or Remove Program

icon.

Add or Remove Programs

Keyboard Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

CHECK THE KEYBOARD CABLE —

• Ensure that the keyboard cable is firmly connected to the computer.

• Shut down the computer (see "Turning Off Your Computer" on page 37), reconnect the keyboard cable as shown on the setup diagram for your computer, and then restart the computer.

• Ensure that the cable is not damaged or frayed and check cable connectors for bent or broken pins. Straighten any bent pins.

• Remove keyboard extension cables and connect the keyboard directly to the computer.

TEST THE KEYBOARD — Connect a properly working keyboard to the computer. Then, try using the keyboard.

28 Solving Problems

Page 29

Lockups and Software Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

The computer does not start up

ENSURE THAT THE POWER CABLE IS FIRMLY CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTER AND TO THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET

The computer stops responding

NOTICE: You might lose data if you are unable to perform an operating system shutdown.

TURN THE COMPUTER OFF — If you are unable to get a response by pressing a key on your

keyboard or moving your mouse, press and hold the power button for at least 8 to 10 seconds until the computer turns off, then restart your computer.

A program stops responding

END THE PROGRAM —

Press <Ctrl><Shift><Esc> simultaneously.

Click

Applications

Click the program that is no longer responding.

Click

End Task

A program crashes repeatedly

NOTE: Software usually includes installation instructions in its documentation or on a CD.

CHECK THE SOFTWARE DOCUMENTATION — If necessary, uninstall and then reinstall the

program.

Solving Problems 29

Page 30

A program is designed for an earlier Windows operating system

RUN THE PROGRAM COMPATIBILITY WIZARD —

The Program Compatibility Wizard configures a program so it runs in an environment similar to non-Windows XP operating system environments.

Click the

Wizard

In the welcome screen, click

Follow the instructions on the screen.

Start

button, point to

All Programs>Accessories

, and then click

Program Compatibility

A solid blue screen appears

TURN THE COMPUTER OFF — If you are unable to get a response by pressing a key on your

keyboard or moving your mouse, press and hold the power button for at least 8 to 10 seconds until the computer turns off, then restart your computer.

Memory Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

IF YOU RECEIVE AN INSUFFICIENT MEMORY MESSAGE —

• Save and close any open files and exit any open programs you are not using to see if that resolves the problem.

• Reseat the memory module (See "Memory" on page 42) to ensure that your computer is successfully communicating with the memory.

IF YOU EXPERIENCE OTHER MEMORY PROBLEMS —

• Reseat the memory module ("Memory" on page 42) to ensure that your computer is successfully communicating with the memory.

• Ensure that you are following the memory installation guidelines ("Memory" on page 42).

• Your computer supports SODIMM DDRI memory. For more information about the type of memory supported by your computer, see "Memory" on page 42.

Mouse Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

CLEAN THE MOUSE — For instructions on cleaning the mouse, see "Mouse" on page 61.

CHECK THE MOUSE CABLE —

Remove mouse extension cables, if used, and connect the mouse directly to the computer.

Reconnect the mouse cable as shown in the setup diagram for your computer.

RESTART THE COMPUTER —

Simultaneously press <Ctrl><Esc> to display the

Ty p e u, press the keyboard arrow keys to highlight

After the computer turns off, reconnect the mouse cable as shown on the on the setup diagram for your computer.

Start the computer.

TEST THE MOUSE — Connect a properly working mouse to the computer, and try using the mouse.

Start

menu.

Shut down

Tur n Of f

, and then press <Enter>.

Solving Problems 31

Page 32

CHECK THE MOUSE SETTINGS —

Click the

Click

Try adjusting the settings.

Start

Mouse

button, click

Control Panel

, and then click

Printers and Other Hardware

Network Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

CHECK THE NETWORK CABLE CONNECTOR — Ensure that the network cable is firmly inserted

into both the network connector on the back of the computer and the network port or device.

CHECK THE NETWORK LIGHTS ON THE BACK OF THE COMPUTER — If the link integrity light is off, that indicates no network communication exists. Replace the network cable. For a description of network lights, see "Back View of the Computer" on page 12.

RESTART THE COMPUTER AND LOG ON TO THE NETWORK AGAIN

CHECK YOUR NETWORK SETTINGS — Contact your network administrator or the person who set

up your network to verify that your network settings are correct and that the network is functioning.

Power Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

IF THE POWER LIGHT IS BLINKING GREEN — The computer is in standby mode. Press a key on

the keyboard, move the mouse, or press the power button to resume normal operation.

32 Solving Problems

Page 33

IF THE POWER LIGHT IS OFF — The computer is either turned off or is not receiving power.

• Reseat the power cable into both the power connector on the back of the computer and the electrical outlet.

• If the computer is plugged into a power strip, ensure that the power strip is plugged into an electrical outlet and that the power strip is turned on. Also bypass power protection devices, power strips, and power extension cables to verify that the computer turns on properly.

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

• Ensure that the main power cable and front panel cable are securely connected to the system board (see "System Board Components" on page 42).

IF THE POWER LIGHT IS STEADY AMBER — A device might be malfunctioning or incorrectly installed.

• Remove and then reinstall the memory modules (see "Memory" on page 42).

IF THE POWER LIGHT IS BLINKING AMBER — The computer is receiving electrical power, but an internal power problem might exist.

• Ensure that the voltage selection switch is set to match the AC power at your location (if applicable).

• Ensure that the processor power cable is securely connected to the system board (see "System Board Components" on page 42).

ELIMINATE INTERFERENCE — Some possible causes of interference are:

• Power, keyboard, and mouse extension cables.

• Too many devices on a power strip.

• Multiple power strips connected to the same electrical outlet.

Printer Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

NOTE: If you need technical assistance for your printer, contact the printer’s manufacturer.

CHECK THE PRINTER DOCUMENTATION — See the printer documentation for setup and

troubleshooting information.

ENSURE THAT THE PRINTER IS TURNED ON

Solving Problems 33

Page 34

CHECK THE PRINTER CABLE CONNECTIONS —

• See the printer documentation for cable connection information.

• Ensure that the printer cables are securely connected to the printer and the computer (see "Setting Up a Printer (USB type)" on page 15).

TEST THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET — Ensure that the electrical outlet is working by testing it with another device, such as a lamp.

VERIFY THAT THE PRINTER IS RECOGNIZED BY WINDOWS —

Click the

Click If the printer is listed, right-click the printer icon.

Click

port(s)

REINSTALL THE PRINTER DRIVER — See the printer documentation for instructions.

Start

button, click

View

installed printers or fax printers.

Properties

: setting is

, then click the

USB

Control Panel

Ports

, and then click

tab. For a USB printer, ensure that the

Printers and Other Hardware

Print to the following

Sound and Speaker Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

No sound from speakers

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

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

CHECK THE SPEAKER CABLE CONNECTIONS — Ensure that the speakers are connected as shown on the setup diagram supplied with the speakers. If you purchased a sound card, ensure that the speakers are connected to the card.

ENSURE THAT THE CORRECT AUDIO SOLUTION IS ENABLED IN THE BIOS SETUP PROGRAM — See "System Setup" on page 54.

ENSURE THAT THE SUBWOOFER AND THE SPEAKERS ARE TURNED ON — See the setup

diagram supplied with the speakers. If your speakers have volume controls, adjust the volume, bass, or treble to eliminate distortion.

34 Solving Problems

Page 35

ADJUST THE WINDOWS VOLUME CONTROL — Click or double-click the speaker icon in the

lower-right corner of your screen. Ensure that the volume is turned up and that the sound is not muted.

DISCONNECT HEADPHONES FROM THE HEADPHONE CONNECTOR — Sound from the speakers is automatically disabled when headphones are connected to the computer’s front-panel headphone connector.

TEST THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET — Ensure that the electrical outlet is working by testing it with another device, such as a lamp.

ELIMINATE POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE — Turn off nearby fans, fluorescent lights, or halogen lamps to check for interference.

No sound from headphones

CHECK THE HEADPHONE CABLE CONNECTION — Ensure that the headphone cable is securely

inserted into the headphone connector (see "Front View of the Computer" on page 11).

ADJUST THE WINDOWS VOLUME CONTROL — Click or double-click the speaker icon in the lower-right corner of your screen. Ensure that the volume is turned up and that the sound is not muted.

ENSURE THAT THE CORRECT AUDIO SOLUTION IS ENABLED IN THE BIOS SETUP PROGRAM — See "System Setup" on page 54.

Video and Monitor Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

NOTE: See the monitor documentation for troubleshooting procedures.

Solving Problems 35

Page 36

The screen is blank

CHECK THE MONITOR CABLE CONNECTION —

• Ensure that the graphics cable is connected as shown on the setup diagram for your computer.

• If you are using a graphics extension cable and removing the cable solves the problem, the cable is defective.

• Check the connector for bent or broken pins. It is normal for monitor cable connectors to have missing pins.

CHECK THE MONITOR POWER LIGHT — If the power light is off, firmly press the button to ensure that the monitor is turned on. If the power light is lit or blinking, the monitor has power. If the power light is blinking, press a key on the keyboard or move the mouse.

TEST THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET — Ensure that the electrical outlet is working by testing it with another device, such as a lamp.

The screen is difficult to read

CHECK THE MONITOR SETTINGS — See the monitor documentation for instructions on

adjusting the contrast and brightness, demagnetizing (degaussing) the monitor, and running the monitor self-test.

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.

MOVE THE MONITOR AWAY FROM EXTERNAL POWER SOURCES — Fans, fluorescent lights, halogen lamps, and other electrical devices can cause the screen image to appear "shaky." Turn off nearby devices to check for interference.

ROTATE THE MONITOR TO ELIMINATE SUNLIGHT GLARE AND POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE

ADJUST THE WINDOWS DISPLAY SETTINGS —

Click

Start

, click

Control Panel

Click

Display

, then click the

Try different settings for

, and then click

Settings

tab.

Screen resolution

Appearance and Themes

and

Color quality

36 Solving Problems

Page 37

Removing and Installing Parts

Before You Begin

This chapter provides procedures for removing and installing 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" on page 37 and "Before Working Inside Your Computer" on page 38.

• You have read the safety information in "Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, a component can be replaced or—if purchased separately—installed 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 screwdriver

• Flash BIOS executable update program on

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.

Shut down the operating system:

Save and close any open files, exit any open programs, click the

Turn Off Computer

In the

Turn off computer

The computer turns off after the operating system shutdown process finishes.

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.

window, click

Tur n o f f

Start

button, and then click

Removing and Installing Parts 37

Page 38

Before Working Inside Your Computer

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 located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

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 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.

Turn off your computer (see "Turning Off Your Computer" on page 37).

NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer and then unplug it from the

network port or device.

Disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.

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

removing the cover.

Remove the computer cover (see "Removing the Computer Cover" on page 38).

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.

Removing the Computer Cover

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your computer from the electrical outlet before

removing the cover.

Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 37.

NOTICE: Ensure that sufficient space exists to support the removed cover—at least 30 cm (1 ft) of desktop space.

38 Removing and Installing Parts

Page 39

NOTICE: Work on a level, protected surface to avoid scratching either the computer or the surface on which it

rests.

Lay your computer horizontally, with the computer cover facing up.

NOTICE: Be careful when opening the computer cover to ensure that you do not accidentally disconnect cables

from the system board.

Remove the two screws from the back of the computer, as shown in the following image.

1 cover screws

Slide the cover back about 10mm (2/5"), then lift it off vertically.

Set the cover aside on a soft nonabrasive surface.

Removing and Installing Parts 39

Page 40

Inside View of Your Computer

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

CAUTION: To avoid electrical shock, always unplug your computer from the electrical outlet before removing

the computer cover.

NOTICE: Be careful when opening the computer cover to ensure that you do not accidentally disconnect cables

from the system board.

1 drive bay (hard drive) 2 hard drive release screws

3 front panel release clips

Remove the hard drive bay

Remove hard drive release screws (2).

Slide drive bay (hard drive) back about 10mm (2/5").

Carefully lift hard drive out.

NOTICE: Be careful not to pull too hard, which might cause damage to cables.

4 drive bay (CD/DVD)

40 Removing and Installing Parts

Page 41

After removing the hard drive, you will have access to the memory module and the battery, as shown in the following image.

1 battery 2 memory module

Removing and Installing Parts 41

Page 42

System Board Components

1 battery 2 memory module 3 reset CMOS jumper (J16)

Memory

Your computer has one memory module installed on the system board. You can increase your computer memory by replacing this with a larger memory module. You must remove the old memory module before replacing with new memory.

Your computer supports SODIMM DDRI memory. For additional information on the type of memory supported by your computer, see "Specifications" on page 52.

42 Removing and Installing Parts

Page 43

See the label on the module to determine the module’s capacity.

NOTICE: Do not install ECC or buffered memory modules. Only unbuffered, non-ECC memory is supported.

NOTE: Memory purchased from Dell is covered under your computer warranty.

Removing Memory

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

NOTICE: To prevent static damage to components inside your computer, discharge static electricity from your

body before you touch any of your computer’s electronic components. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis.

Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 37.

Carefully bend out the securing clip at each end of the memory module connector. When both clips are bent out at the same time, the module will pop up slightly.

2 memory module1 connector 3 securing clips (2)

Removing and Installing Parts 43

Page 44

Pull module back to release.

If the module is difficult to remove, gently ease the module back and forth to remove it from the connector.

Installing Memory

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

NOTICE: To prevent static damage to components inside your computer, discharge static electricity from your

body before you touch any of your computer’s electronic components. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis.

Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 37.

Carefully bend out the securing clip at each end of the memory module connector.

Align the notch on the bottom of the module with the crossbar in the connector.

1 notches (2) 2 memory module 3 notch 4 crossbar

44 Removing and Installing Parts

Page 45

NOTICE: To avoid damage to the memory module, press the module straight down into the connector while you

apply equal force to each end of the module.

Push the module forward into the connector (1), then press down until the module snaps into position (2).

If you insert the module correctly, the securing clips snap into the notches at each end of the module.

Replace the computer cover (see "Replacing the Computer Cover" on page 47).

NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network port or device, and then plug it into the

computer.

Connect your computer and devices to electrical outlets, and then turn them on.

When a message appears stating that memory size has changed, press

Log on to your computer.

Right-click the

Click the

To verify that the memory is installed correctly, check the amount of memory (RAM) listed.

My Computer

General

tab.

icon, then click

Properties

<F1>

to continue.

Battery

Replacing the Battery

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

Removing and Installing Parts 45

Page 46

NOTICE: To prevent static damage to components inside your computer, discharge static electricity from your

body before you touch any of your computer’s electronic components. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis.

A coin-cell battery maintains computer configuration, date, and time information. The battery can last several years. If you have to repeatedly reset time and date information after turning on the computer, replace the battery.

CAUTION: A new battery can explode if it is incorrectly installed. Replace the battery only with the same or

equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

To replace the battery:

Record all of the settings in system setup (see "System Setup Options" on page 55) so that you can restore the correct settings in step 8.

Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 37.

Locate the battery socket (see "System Board Components" on page 42).

NOTICE: If you pry the battery out of its socket with a blunt object, be careful not to touch the system board with

the object. Ensure that the object is inserted between the battery and the socket before you attempt to pry out the battery. Otherwise, you may damage the system board by prying off the socket or by breaking circuit traces on the system board.

Remove the battery by carefully prying it out of its socket with your fingers or with a blunt, nonconducting object, such as a plastic screwdriver.

Insert the new battery into the socket with the side labeled "+" facing the wall of the computer case, and snap the battery into place.

Replace the computer cover (see "Removing the Computer Cover" on page 38).

NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network port or device, and then plug it into the

computer.

Connect your computer and devices to electrical outlets, and then turn them on.

Enter system setup (see "System Setup" on page 54) and restore the settings you recorded in step 1.

Properly dispose of the old battery. See "Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48 for battery disposal information.

46 Removing and Installing Parts

Page 47

Replacing the Computer Cover

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

Ensure that all cables are connected, and fold cables out of the way.

Ensure that no tools or extra parts are left inside the computer.

To replace the cover:

Place the cover on the computer with a gap of about 10mm (2/5") at the front.

Push the cover forward until it is flat against the front bezel.

Replace the two cover screws at the back of the computer.

Ensure that the cover is seated correctly before moving the computer.

NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network port or device, and then plug it into the

computer.

Connect your computer and devices to electrical outlets, and then turn them on.

Removing and Installing Parts 47

Page 48

Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions

Use the following safety guidelines to help ensure your own personal safety and to help protect your device (computer, port replicator, media base, docking station, and similar devices) and working environment from potential damage.

Safety Instructions

Observe the following safe-handling guidelines to ensure personal safety:

• When setting up the device for work, place it on a level surface.

• Do not attempt to service the device yourself, except as explained in your Dell™ documentation or in instructions otherwise provided to you by Dell. Always follow installation and service instructions closely.

• To help avoid the potential hazard of electric shock, do not connect or disconnect any cables or perform maintenance or reconfiguration of this product during an electrical storm. Do not use your computer during an electrical storm unless all cables have been disconnected and the computer is operating on battery power.

• If your device includes an integrated or optional (PC Card) modem, disconnect the modem cable if an electrical storm is approaching to avoid the remote risk of electric shock from lightning via the telephone line.

• Do not push any objects into air vents or openings of your device. Doing so can cause fire or electric shock by shorting out interior components.

• If your device includes a modem, the cable used with the modem should be manufactured with a minimum wire size of 26 American wire gauge (AWG) and an FCC-compliant RJ-11 modular plug.

• If your device has both a modem RJ-11 connector and a network RJ-45 connector, which look alike, make sure that you insert the telephone cable into the RJ-11 connector, not the RJ-45 connector.

• Keep your device away from radiators and heat sources. Also, do not block cooling vents. Avoid placing loose papers underneath your device; do not place your device in a closed-in wall unit or on a bed, sofa, or rug.

• Do not use your device in a wet environment, for example, near a bath tub, sink, or swimming pool or in a wet basement.

48 Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions

Page 49

• Do not spill food or liquids on your computer.

• Before you clean your device, disconnect the device from the electrical outlet. Clean your device with a soft cloth dampened with water. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners, which may contain flammable substances.

• Ensure that nothing rests on your AC adapter’s power cable and that the cable is not located where it can be tripped over or stepped on.

• Do not store your computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a carrying case or a closed briefcase, while the computer is turned on. Restricting airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.

CAUTION: Handling the cord on this product, or cords associated with accessories sold with this product, will

expose you to lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash your hands after handling the cord.

Power Safety

• To help prevent electric shock, plug the AC adapter and device power cables into properly grounded power sources. These power cables may be equipped with 3-prong plugs to provide an earth grounding connection. Do not use adapter plugs or remove the grounding prong from the power cable plug. If you use a power extension cable, use the appropriate type, 2-prong or 3-prong, to mate with the AC adapter power cable.

• If you use an extension power cable with your AC adapter, ensure that the total ampere rating of the products plugged in to the extension power cable does not exceed the ampere rating of the extension cable.

• Use only the Dell-provided AC adapter approved for use with this device. Use of another AC adapter may cause a fire or explosion.

• If you are using a multiple-outlet power strip, use caution when plugging the AC adapter’s power cable into the power strip. Some power strips may allow you to insert the plug incorrectly. Incorrect insertion of the power plug could result in permanent damage to your device, as well as risk of electric shock and/or fire. Ensure that the ground prong of the power plug is inserted into the mating ground contact of the power strip.

• Before you connect the device to an electrical outlet, check the AC adapter voltage rating to ensure that the required voltage and frequency match the available power source.

• To remove the computer from all power sources, turn the computer off, disconnect the AC adapter from the electrical outlet, and remove any battery installed in the battery bay or module bay.

• Place the AC adapter in a ventilated area, such as a desk top or on the floor, when you use it to run the computer or to charge the battery. Do not cover the AC adapter with papers or other items that will reduce cooling; also, do not use the AC adapter inside a carrying case.

• The AC adapter may become hot during normal operation of your computer. Use care when handling the adapter during or immediately after operation.

Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions 49

Page 50

Battery Safety

CAUTION: Using an incompatible battery may increase the risk of fire or explosion. Replace the battery only

with a compatible battery purchased from Dell that is designed to work with your Dell computer. Do not use a battery from other computers with your computer.

• Do not carry a battery pack in your pocket, purse, or other container where metal objects (such as car keys or paper clips) could short-circuit the battery terminals. The resulting excessive current flow can cause extremely high temperatures and may result in damage to the battery pack or cause fire or burns.

• The battery poses a burn hazard if you handle it improperly. Do not disassemble it. Handle a damaged or leaking battery pack with extreme care. If the battery is damaged, electrolyte may leak from the cells and may cause personal injury.

• Keep the battery away from children.

• Do not store or leave your computer or battery pack near a heat source such as a radiator, fireplace, stove, electric heater, or other heat-generating appliance or otherwise expose it to temperatures in excess of 65ºC (149ºF). When heated to excessive temperatures, battery cells could explode or vent, posing a risk of fire.

• Dispose of used batteries properly. See Battery Disposal in this document.

Equipment Protection Instructions

Observe the following safe-handling guidelines to prevent damage to your equipment:

NOTICE: When taking the computer from low-temperature conditions into a warmer environment or from high-

temperature conditions into a cooler environment, allow the computer to acclimate to room temperature and for any condensation that may have formed to evaporate before turning on power to avoid damage to the computer.

• Protect your device from environmental hazards such as dirt, dust, food, liquids, temperature extremes, and overexposure to sunlight.

• Keep the computer away from direct or excessive moisture and extremely hot or cold temperatures to ensure that the computer is used within the specified operating range.

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

• Do not restrict airflow into the computer by blocking any vents or air intakes.

• Do not stack computers on top of each other or place computers so close to each other that they are subject to each other's re-circulated or preheated air.

• Do not operate the computer within a separate enclosure unless adequate intake and exhaust ventilation are provided on the enclosure that adhere to the guidelines listed above.

• Clean the air vents on the front, back, and vented sides of the computer. Lint, dust and other foreign materials can block the vents and restrict the airflow.

50 Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions

Page 51

• Clean the display with a soft, clean cloth and water. Apply the water to the cloth; then stroke the cloth across the display in one direction, moving from the top of the display to the bottom. Remove moisture from the display quickly and keep the display dry. Long-term exposure to moisture can damage the display. Do not use a commercial window cleaner to clean your display.

CAUTION: When preparing your AC adapter for travel, wrap both of the cords around the adapter in the same

direction. Failure to wrap the cords in the correct direction can result in damage to the cords not covered by the adapter warranty. Never use an AC adapter that shows signs of damage or excessive wear.

Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions 51

Page 52

Appendix

Specifications

Microprocessor

Microprocessor type Intel Celeron M processor

Memory

Type 333 MHz SODIMM DDRI

Memory Socket x1

Memory modules supported 256 MB, 512 MB, or 1 GB non-ECC

Minimum memory 256 MB

Maximum memory 1 GB

Computer Information

Chipset SisM661GX

DMA channels six

BIOS chip LPC Flash 4 Mb

NIC integrated network interface

Capable of 10/100 communication

Video

Type SiS integrated video (DirectX 7.0) Graphics

Audio

Type Realtek Alc655 CODEC

52 Appendix

Page 53

Controllers

Drives two PATA controllers supporting two devices

Drives

Externally accessible one 3.5-inch drive bay

one 5.25-inch drive bay

Available devices PATA hard drive, CD drive, DVD drive, DVD +/- RW drive, and CD-RW/DVD

Combo drive

Connectors

External connectors:

Power

Video

Network adapter

USB

Audio

System board connectors:

PATA 40-pin connector

MDC

Fan

Internal USB

Memory modules

Power 12V, 5V

Power

Battery

DC Jack

15-hole VGA connector

RJ45 connector

two front-panel and two back-panel USB 2.0–compliant connectors

three connectors for line-in and line-out and microphone; two front-panel connectors for headphones and microphone

3-pin connector

10-pin connector (supports two USB ports)

200-pin connector for DDR I

4-pin connector (for HDD & DVD drive power)

24-pin connector

2-pin socket

Controls and Lights

Power control push button

Power light green light — solid green indicates a power-on state.

amber light — blinking amber indicates a sleep mode;

Appendix 53

Page 54

Controls and Lights

Link light solid yellow light indicates network connection

Link integrity light orange off — 10 Mb operation

orange light — 100 Mb operation

Power

DC adapter:

Wattage

Vo lt a ge

Backup battery 3-V CR2032 lithium coin cell

Physical

Height 7.5 cm (2.95 inches)

Width 27.0 cm (10.63 inches)

Depth 22.5 cm (8.86 inches)

Weight 3.6 kg (7.93 lb)

65 W

automatic selection power supplies — 100 to 240 V at 50/60 Hz

System Setup

Overview

Use system setup as follows:

• To change the system configuration information after you add, change, or remove any hardware in your computer

• To set or change a user-selectable option such as the user password

• To read the current amount of memory or set the type of hard drive installed

Before you use system setup, it is recommended that you write down the system setup screen information for future reference.

NOTICE: Unless you are an expert computer user, do not change the settings for this program. Certain changes

can make your computer work incorrectly.

Entering System Setup

Turn on (or restart) your computer.

When “Enter Boot Menu” is displayed, press <Del> to enter (or <F1> to enter from reinstall), or <F2> to continue.

54 Appendix

Page 55

NOTE: The “Enter Boot Menu” prompt indicates that the keyboard has initialized. This prompt can appear

very quickly, so you must watch for it to display, and then press <Del>. If you press <Del> before you are prompted, this keystroke will be lost.

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 (see "Turning Off Your Computer"

on page 37) and try again.

System Setup Screen

The system setup screen displays current or changeable configuration information for your computer. Information on the screen is divided into four areas: the menu at the top, the main window, the Item Help field on the right, and key functions listed on the bottom.

Options List — This field appears on the left side of the system setup window. The field is a scrollable list containing features that define the configuration of your computer, including installed hardware, power conservation, and security features.

Scroll up and down the list by using the up- and down-arrow keys. As an option is highlighted, the Option Field displays more information about that option and the option’s current and available settings.

Option Field — This field contains information about each

option. In this field you can view your current settings and

make changes to your settings.

Use the right- and left-arrow keys to highlight an option.

Press <Enter> to make that selection active.

Key Functions — This field appears below the Option

Field and lists keys and their functions within the active

system setup field.

System Setup Options

NOTE: Depending on your computer and installed devices, the items listed in this section may not appear, or may

not appear exactly as listed.

System

System Info Lists the computer name, BIOS Version, Service Tag, Express Service Code, (if

applicable), and the Asset Tag. None of these fields can be modified.

Processor Info Identifies the CPU type, processor clock speed, bus speed, L2 cache size, and

processor ID.

Memory Info Lists the type, size, speed, and channel mode (dual or single) of installed

memory.

Date/Time Displays current date and time settings.

Appendix 55

Page 56

System

Boot Sequence The computer attempts to boot from the sequence of devices specified in this

list.

System Info Lists the computer name, BIOS Version and Service Tag. None of these fields

can be modified.

Drives

Primary IDE Master Identifies, enables and disables the drives attached to the IDE connectors on the

system board and lists the capacities for the hard drives.

Primary IDE Slave Identifies, enables and disables the drives attached to the IDEconnectors on the

system board and lists the capacities for the hard drives.

SMART Reporting

(Off default)

Onboard Devices

Integrated NIC

(On default)

This setting determines whether integrated drive errors are reported or not during system startup.

Enables or disables the integrated NIC controller. Settings are Off or On w/ PXE. When the On w/ PXE setting is active, if a boot routine is not available from the network server, the computer attempts to boot from the next device in the boot sequence list.

Video

Graphic Memory Size

(32 MB default)

Security

Admin Password

(Not Set default)

System Password

(Not Set default)

56 Appendix

This setting configures the amount of system memory that is reserved for the integrated video controller. The settings are 32 MB, 64 MB, or 128 MB.

Displays the current status of your system setup program’s password security feature and allows you to verify and assign a new admin password.

Displays the current status of the system's password security feature and allows a new system password to be assigned and verified.

Page 57

Security

Password Changes

(Unlocked default)

Power Management

AC Recovery

(Off default)

Auto Power On

(Off default)

Determines the interaction between the System password and the Admin password. Locked prevents a user without a valid Admin password from being able to modify the System password. Unlocked allows a user with a valid System password to modify the system password.

Determines how the system responds when AC power is re-applied after a power loss. Off commands the system to stay off when the power is re-applied. You must press the front-panel power button before the system turns on. On commands the system to turn on when the power is re-applied. Last commands the system to return to the last power state the system was in just before it was turned off.

Sets the computer to automatically turn on. Off disables this feature. Everyday turns the computer on every day at the time set in Auto Power Time. Weekdays turns the computer on every day from Monday through Friday at the time set in Auto Power Time.

NOTE: This feature does not work if you turn off your computer using the switch on

a power strip or surge protector.

Auto Power Time Sets time to automatically turn on the computer.

Time is kept in the standard 12-hour format (hours:minutes). Change the startup time by pressing the right- or left-arrow key to increase or decrease the numbers, or type numbers in both the date and time fields.

Suspend Mode

(S3 default)

Sets the computer’s suspend mode. The options are S1, a suspend state in which the computer is running in a low-power mode, and S3, a suspend state in which the power is reduced or turned off for many components, however, system memory remains active.

Maintenance

Service Tag Displays the service tag for your computer.

Load Defaults Restores system setup options to their factory defaults.

Appendix 57

Page 58

POST Behavior

POST Hotkeys

(Setup & Boot Menu default)

Determines whether the sign-on screen displays a message stating the keystroke sequence that is required to enter the Setup program or the Quickboot feature. Setup & Boot Menu displays both messages (Del=Setup and F11=Boot Menu). Setup displays the setup message only (Del=Setup). Boot Menu displays the Quickboot message only (F11=Boot Menu). None displays no message.

Boot Menu

This feature allows you to change the boot sequence for devices.

Option Settings

•

Bootable Hard Drive

system is on the drive, the computer generates an error message.

•

Onboard CD-ROM Drive

drive, or if the CD has no operating system, the computer generates an error message.

•

Integrated NIC

connected, the computer generates an error message.

•

USB-Device, USB-Floppy, USB-CDROM

computer before selecting the option from the Boot Menu. The computer will attempt to boot from the appropriate USB device. If no operating system is on the appropriate drive or disk, the computer will generate an error message.

NOTE: To boot to a USB device, the device must be bootable. To ensure that a device is bootable, check the

device documentation.

— The computer attempts to boot from the primary hard drive. If no operating

— The computer attempts to boot from the CD drive. If no CD is in the

— The computer attempts to boot using the integrated NIC. If integrated NIC is not

— Attach the device to a USB port and restart the

Changing Boot Sequence for the Current Boot

You can use this feature, for example, to restart your computer to a USB CD-RW drive.

NOTE: If you are booting to a USB floppy drive, you must first set Diskette Interface to Disabled in system setup

(see "System Setup" on page 54).

If you are booting to a USB device, connect the USB device to a USB connector (see "Front View of the Computer" on page 13).

Turn on (or restart) your computer.

When

Del = Setup, F11 = Boot Menu

appears in the upper-right corner of the screen, press <F11>.

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 (see "Turning Off Your Computer" on page 37) and try again.

Press <F2> to continue.

58 Appendix

Page 59

The

Boot Menu

Use the arrow keys to select the appropriate device (for the current boot only).

NOTE: To boot to a USB device, the device must be bootable. To ensure that a device is bootable, check the

device documentation.

Changing Boot Sequence for Future Boots

Enter system setup, select Boot Sequence from the System group (see "System Setup Options" on

appears, listing all available boot devices.

page 55).

Press <Enter> to access the menu.

NOTE: Write down your current boot sequence in case you want to restore it.

Press the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight the appropriate

Press the + or - keys to move the option up or

Press <F10> to

Save

the changes or <Esc> to

down

in the boot sequence.

Cancel

Boot Sequence

option.

Clearing Forgotten Passwords and CMOS Settings

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

Appendix 59

Page 60

Jumper Location

Clearing CMOS and Password Settings

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions located in

"Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 37.

Reset the current CMOS settings:

Locate the 2-pin CMOS jumper (J16) on the system board (see "Jumper Location" on page 60).

Remove the jumper plug from the "Normal" position.

Place the jumper plug in the "Reset CMOS" position and wait approximately five seconds.

Replace the jumper plug in the "Normal" position.

Replace the computer cover (see "Replacing the Computer Cover" on page 47).

NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network port or device, and then plug it into the

computer.

Connect your computer and devices to electrical outlets, and then turn them on.

60 Appendix

Page 61

Cleaning Your Computer

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in "Safety,

Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions" on page 48.

Computer, Keyboard, and Monitor

CAUTION: Before you clean your computer, disconnect the computer from the electrical outlet. Clean your

computer with a soft cloth dampened with water. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners, which may contain flammable substances.

• Use a can of compressed air to remove dust from between the keys on the keyboard.

NOTICE: To prevent damage to the antiglare coating, do not wipe the display with soap or alcohol.

• To clean your monitor screen, lightly dampen a soft, clean cloth with water. You can also use a special screen-cleaning tissue or solution suitable for the monitor’s antistatic coating.

• Wipe the keyboard, computer, and monitor plastics with a soft cleaning cloth moistened with a solution of three parts water and one part dishwashing detergent.

Do not soak the cloth or let water drip inside your computer or keyboard.

Mouse

NOTICE: Disconnect the mouse from the computer before cleaning the mouse

If your screen cursor skips or moves abnormally, clean the mouse.

Cleaning a Non-Optical Mouse

Clean the outside casing of the mouse with a cloth moistened with a mild cleaning solution.

Turn the retainer ring on the underside of your mouse counterclockwise, and then remove the ball.

Wipe the ball with a clean, lint-free cloth.

Blow carefully into the ball cage or use a can of compressed air to dislodge dust and lint.

If the rollers inside the ball cage are dirty, clean the rollers with a cotton swab moistened lightly with isopropyl alcohol.

Recenter the rollers in their channels if they are misaligned. Ensure that fluff from the swab is not left on the rollers.

Replace the ball and retainer ring, and turn the retainer ring clockwise until it clicks into place.

Cleaning an Optical Mouse

Clean the outside casing of the mouse with a cloth moistened with a mild cleaning solution.

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CDs and DVDs

NOTICE: Always use compressed air to clean the lens in the CD/DVD drive, and follow the instructions that come

with the compressed-air product. Never touch the lens in the drive.

If you notice problems, such as skipping, with the playback quality of your CDs or DVDs, try cleaning

the discs.

Hold the disc by its outer edge. You can also touch the inside edge of the center hole.

NOTICE: To avoid damaging the surface, do not wipe in a circular motion around the disc.

With a soft, lint-free cloth, gently wipe the bottom of the disc (the unlabeled side) in a straight line from the center to the outer edge of the disc.

For stubborn dirt, try using water or a diluted solution of water and mild soap. You can also purchase commercial products that clean discs and provide some protection from dust, fingerprints, and scratches. Cleaning products for CDs are also safe to use on DVDs.

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Contacting Dell

When you need to contact Dell, use the electronic addresses, telephone numbers, and codes provided in the following table. If you need assistance in determining which codes to use, contact a local or international operator.

Country (City) International Access Code Country Code City Code

China (Xiamen)

Country Code: 86

City Code: 592

Department Name or Service Area,

Website and E-Mail Address

Technical support website: http://support.dell.com.cn

Technical support BBS: http://bbs.dell.com.cn

Email support: http://support.dell.com.cn/email

Technical Support Hotline:

Customer Care Hotline:

Area Codes,

Local Numbers, and

Toll-Free Numbers

400-881-1850

800-858-2060

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Glossary

Terms in this Glossary are provided for informational purposes only and may or may not describe features included with your particular computer.

AC — alternating current — The form of electricity that powers your computer when you plug the AC adapter power cable in to an electrical outlet.

ACPI — advanced configuration and power interface — A power management specification that enables Microsoft computer in standby or hibernate mode to conserve the amount of electrical power allocated to each device attached to the computer.

AGP — accelerated graphics port — A dedicated graphics port that allows system memory to be used for videorelated tasks. AGP delivers a smooth, truecolor video image because of the faster interface between the video circuitry and the computer memory.

AHCI — Advanced Host Controller Interface — An interface for a SATA hard drive Host Controller which allows the storage driver to enable technologies such as Native Command Queuing (NCQ) and hot plug.

ALS — ambient light sensor. antivirus software — A program designed to identify, quarantine, and/or delete viruses from your computer.

ASF — alert standards format — A standard to define a mechanism for reporting hardware and software alerts to a management console. ASF is designed to be platform- and operating system-independent.

Windows® operating systems to put a

battery life span — The length of time (years) during which a portable computer battery is able to be depleted and recharged.

battery operating time — The length of time (minutes or hours) that a portable computer battery powers the computer.

BIOS — basic input/output system — A program (or utility) that serves as an interface between the computer hardware and the operating system. Unless you understand what effect these settings have on the computer, do not change them. Also referred to as system setup.

bit — The smallest unit of data interpreted by your computer.

Bluetooth technology standard for short-range (9 m [29 feet]) networking devices that allows for enabled devices to automatically recognize each other.

boot sequence — Specifies the order of the devices from which the computer attempts to boot.

bootable CD — A CD that you can use to start your computer. In case your hard drive is damaged or your computer has a virus, ensure that you always have a bootable CD or floppy disk available. Your Drivers and Utilities or ResourceCD is a bootable CD.

bootable disk — A disk that you can use to start your computer. In case your hard drive is damaged or your computer has a virus, ensure that you always have a bootable CD or floppy disk available.

bps — bits per second — The standard unit for measuring data transmission speed.

wireless technology — A wireless

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BTU — British thermal unit — A measurement of heat output.

bus — A communication pathway between the components in your computer.

bus speed — The speed, given in MHz, that indicates how fast a bus can transfer information.

byte — The basic data unit used by your computer. A byte is usually equal to 8 bits.

C — Celsius — A temperature measurement scale where 0° is the freezing point and 100° is the boiling point of water.

cache — A special high-speed storage mechanism which can be either a reserved section of main memory or an independent high-speed storage device. The cache enhances the efficiency of many processor operations.

L1 cache — Primary cache stored inside the processor.

L2 cache — Secondary cache which can either be external to the processor or incorporated into the processor architecture.

carnet — An international customs document that facilitates temporary imports into foreign countries. Also known as a merchandise passport.

CD-R — CD recordable — A recordable version of a CD. Data can be recorded only once onto a CD-R. Once recorded, the data cannot be erased or written over.

CD-RW — CD rewritable — A rewritable version of a CD. Data can be written to a CD-RW disc, and then erased and written over (rewritten).

CD-RW drive — A drive that can read CDs and write to CD-RW (rewritable CDs) and CD-R (recordable CDs) discs. You can write to CD-RW discs multiple times, but you can write to CD-R discs only once.

CD-RW/DVD drive — A drive, sometimes referred to as a combo drive, that can read CDs and DVDs and write to CD-RW (rewritable CDs) and CD-R (recordable CDs) discs. You can write to CD-RW discs multiple times, but you can write to CD-R discs only once.

clock speed — The speed, given in MHz, that indicates how fast computer components that are connected to the system bus operate.

COA — Certificate of Authenticity — The Windows alpha-numeric code located on a sticker on your computer. Also referred to as the Product Key or Product ID.

Control Panel — A Windows utility that allows you to modify operating system and hardware settings, such as display settings.

controller — A chip that controls the transfer of data between the processor and memory or between the processor and devices.

CRIMM — continuity rambus in-line memory module — A special module that has no memory chips and is used to fill unused RIMM slots.

cursor — The marker on a display or screen that shows where the next keyboard, touch pad, or mouse action will occur. It often is a blinking solid line, an underline character, or a small arrow.

DDR SDRAM — double-data-rate SDRAM — A type of SDRAM that doubles the data burst cycle, improving system performance.

DDR2 SDRAM — double-data-rate 2 SDRAM — A type of DDR SDRAM that uses a 4-bit prefetch and other architectural changes to boost memory speed to over 400 MHz.

device — Hardware such as a disk drive, printer, or keyboard that is installed in or connected to your computer. device driver — See driver.

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DIMM — dual in-line memory module — A circuit board with memory chips that connects to a memory module on the system board.

DIN connector — A round, six-pin connector that conforms to DIN (Deutsche Industrie-Norm) standards; it is typically used to connect PS/2 keyboard or mouse cable connectors.

disk striping — A technique for spreading data over multiple disk drives. Disk striping can speed up operations that retrieve data from disk storage. Computers that use disk striping generally allow the user to select the data unit size or stripe width.

DMA — direct memory access — A channel that allows certain types of data transfer between RAM and a device to bypass the processor.

docking device — See APR.

DMTF — Distributed Management Task Force — A consortium of hardware and software companies who develop management standards for distributed desktop, network, enterprise, and Internet environments.

domain — A group of computers, programs, and devices on a network that are administered as a unit with common rules and procedures for use by a specific group of users. A user logs on to the domain to gain access to the resources.

DRAM — dynamic random-access memory — Memory that stores information in integrated circuits containing capacitors.

driver — Software that allows the operating system to control a device such as a printer. Many devices do not work properly if the correct driver is not installed in the computer.

DSL — Digital Subscriber Line — A technology that provides a constant, high-speed Internet connection through an analog telephone line.

dual display mode — A display setting that allows you to use a second monitor as an extension of your display. Also referred to as extended display mode.

DVD-R — DVD recordable — A recordable version of a DVD. Data can be recorded only once onto a DVD-R. Once recorded, the data cannot be erased or written over.

DVD+RW — DVD rewritable — A rewritable version of a DVD. Data can be written to a DVD+RW disc, and then erased and written over (rewritten). (DVD+RW technology is different from DVD-RW technology.)

DVD+RW drive — drive that can read DVDs and most CD media and write to DVD+RW (rewritable DVDs) discs.

DVI — digital video interface — A standard for digital transmission between a computer and a digital video display.

ECC — error checking and correction — A type of memory that includes special circuitry for testing the accuracy of data as it passes in and out of memory.

ECP — extended capabilities port — A parallel connector design that provides improved bidirectional data transmission. Similar to EPP, ECP uses direct memory access to transfer data and often improves performance.

EIDE — enhanced integrated device electronics — An improved version of the IDE interface for hard drives and CD drives.

EMI — electromagnetic interference — Electrical interference caused by electromagnetic radiation.

ENERGY STAR Agency requirements that decrease the overall consumption of electricity.

EPP — enhanced parallel port — A parallel connector design that provides bidirectional data transmission.

— Environmental Protection

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ESD — electrostatic discharge — A rapid discharge of static electricity. ESD can damage integrated circuits found in computer and communications equipment.

expansion card — A circuit board that installs in an expansion slot on the system board in some computers, expanding the capabilities of the computer. Examples include video, modem, and sound cards.

expansion slot — A connector on the system board (in some computers) where you insert an expansion card, connecting it to the system bus.

ExpressCard — A removable I/O card adhering to the PCMCIA standard. Modems and network adapters are common types of ExpressCards. ExpressCards support both the PCI Express and USB 2.0 standard.

Express Service Code — A numeric code located on a sticker on your Dell™ computer. Use the Express Service Code when contacting Dell for assistance. Express Service Code service may not be available in some countries.

extended display mode — A display setting that allows you to use a second monitor as an extension of your display. Also referred to as dual display mode.

extended PC Card — A PC Card that extends beyond the edge of the PC Card slot when installed.

FCC — Federal Communications Commission — A

Fahrenheit — A temperature measurement scale where 32° is the freezing point and 212° is the boiling point of water.

FBD — fully-buffered DIMM — A DIMM with DDR2 DRAM chips and an Advanced Memory Buffer (AMB) that speeds communication between the DDR2 SDRAM chips and the system.

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Most programs that operate on the Windows operating systems are GUIs.

hard drive — A drive that reads and writes data on a hard disk. The terms hard drive and hard disk are often used interchangeably.

heat sink — A metal plate on some processors that helps dissipate heat.

hibernate mode — A power management mode that saves everything in memory to a reserved space on the hard drive and then turns off the computer. When you restart the computer, the memory information that was saved to the hard drive is automatically restored.

HTTP — hypertext transfer protocol — A protocol for exchanging files between computers connected to the Internet.

Hz — hertz — A unit of frequency measurement that equals 1 cycle per second. Computers and electronic devices are often measured in kilohertz (kHz), megahertz (MHz), gigahertz (GHz), or terahertz (THz).

IC — integrated circuit — A semiconductor wafer, or chip, on which thousands or millions of tiny electronic components are fabricated for use in computer, audio, and video equipment.

IDE — integrated device electronics — An interface for mass storage devices in which the controller is integrated into the hard drive or CD drive.

IEEE 1394 — Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. — A high-performance serial bus used to connect IEEE 1394-compatible devices, such as digital cameras and DVD players, to the computer.

infrared sensor — A port that allows you to transfer data between the computer and infrared-compatible devices without using a cable connection.

integrated — Usually refers to components that are physically located on the computer’s system board. Also referred to as built-in.

I/O — input/output — An operation or device that enters and extracts data from your computer. Keyboards and printers are I/O devices.

I/O address — An address in RAM that is associated with a specific device (such as a serial connector, parallel connector, or expansion slot) and allows the processor to communicate with that device.

IrDA — Infrared Data Association — The organization that creates international standards for infrared communications.

IRQ — interrupt request — An electronic pathway assigned to a specific device so that the device can communicate with the processor. Each device connection must be assigned an IRQ. Although two devices can share the same IRQ assignment, you cannot operate both devices simultaneously.

ISP — Internet service provider — A company that allows you to access its host server to connect directly to the Internet, send and receive e-mail, and access websites.

The ISP typically provides you with a software package, user name, and access phone numbers for a fee.

Kb — kilobit — A unit of data that equals 1024 bits. A measurement of the capacity of memory integrated circuits.

KB — kilobyte — A unit of data that equals 1024 bytes but is often referred to as 1000 bytes.

key combination — A command requiring you to press multiple keys at the same time.

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kHz — kilohertz — A measurement of frequency that equals 1000 Hz.

LAN — local area network — A computer network covering a small area. A LAN usually is confined to a building or a few nearby buildings. A LAN can be connected to another LAN over any distance through telephone lines and radio waves to form a wide area network (WAN).

LCD — liquid crystal display — The technology used by portable computer and flat-panel displays.

LED — light-emitting diode — An electronic component that emits light to indicate the status of the computer.

local bus — A data bus that provides a fast throughput for devices to the processor.

LPT — line print terminal — The designation for a parallel connection to a printer or other parallel device.

Mb — megabit — A measurement of memory chip capacity that equals 1024 Kb.

Mbps — megabits per second — One million bits per second. This measurement is typically used for transmission speeds for networks and modems.

MB — megabyte — A measurement of data storage that equals 1,048,576 bytes. 1 MB equals 1024 KB. When used to refer to hard drive storage, the term is often rounded to 1,000,000 bytes.

MB/sec — megabytes per second — One million bytes per second. This measurement is typically used for data transfer ratings.

media bay — A bay that supports devices such as optical drives, a second battery, or a Dell TravelLite™ module.

memory — A temporary data storage area inside your computer. Because the data in memory is not permanent, it is recommended that you frequently save your files while you are working on them, and always save your files before you shut down the computer. Your computer can contain several different forms of memory, such as RAM, ROM, and video memory. Frequently, the word memory is used as a synonym for RAM.

memory address — A specific location where data is temporarily stored in RAM.

memory mapping — The process by which the computer assigns memory addresses to physical locations at start-up. Devices and software can then identify information that the processor can access.

memory module — A small circuit board containing memory chips, which connects to the system board.

MHz — megahertz — A measure of frequency that equals 1 million cycles per second. The speeds for computer processors, buses, and interfaces are often measured in MHz.

Mini PCI — A standard for integrated peripheral devices with an emphasis on communications such as modems and NICs. A Mini PCI card is a small external card that is functionally equivalent to a standard PCI expansion card.

Mini-Card — A small card designed for integrated peripherals, such as communication NICs. The MiniCard is functionally equivalent to a standard PCI expansion card.

modem — A device that allows your computer to communicate with other computers over analog telephone lines. Three types of modems include: external, PC Card, and internal. You typically use your modem to connect to the Internet and exchange e-mail.

module bay — See media bay.

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ms — millisecond — A measure of time that equals one thousandth of a second. Access times of storage devices are often measured in ms.

network adapter — A chip that provides network capabilities. A computer may include a network adapter on its system board, or it may contain a PC Card with an adapter on it. A network adapter is also referred to as a NIC (network interface controller).

NIC — See network adapter.

notification area — The section of the Windows taskbar that contains icons for providing quick access to programs and computer functions, such as the clock, volume control, and print status. Also referred to as system tray.

ns — nanosecond — A measure of time that equals one billionth of a second.

NVRAM — nonvolatile random access memory — A type of memory that stores data when the computer is turned off or loses its external power source. NVRAM is used for maintaining computer configuration information such as date, time, and other system setup options that you can set.

optical drive — A drive that uses optical technology to read or write data from CDs, DVDs, or DVD+RWs. Example of optical drives include CD drives, DVD drives, CD-RW drives, and CDRW/DVD combo drives.

parallel connector — An I/O port often used to connect a parallel printer to your computer. Also referred to as an LPT port.

partition — A physical storage area on a hard drive that is assigned to one or more logical storage areas known as logical drives. Each partition can contain multiple logical drives.

PC Card — A removable I/O card adhering to the

PCMCIA standard. Modems and network adapters are common types of PC Cards.

PCI — peripheral component interconnect — PCI is a local bus that supports 32-and 64-bit data paths, providing a high-speed data path between the processor and devices such as video, drives, and networks.

PCI Express — A modification to the PCI interface that boosts the data transfer rate between the processor and the devices attached to it. PCI Express can transfer data at speeds from 250 MB/sec to 4 GB/sec. If the PCI Express chip set and the device are capable of different speeds, they will operate at the slower speed.

PCMCIA — Personal Computer Memory Card International Association — The organization that establishes standards for PC Cards.

PIO — programmed input/output — A method of transferring data between two devices through the processor as part of the data path.

pixel — A single point on a display screen. Pixels are arranged in rows and columns to create an image. A video resolution, such as 800 x 600, is expressed as the number of pixels across by the number of pixels up and down.

Plug-and-Play — The ability of the computer to automatically configure devices. Plug and Play provides automatic installation, configuration, and compatibility with existing hardware if the BIOS, operating system, and all devices are Plug and Play compliant.

POST — power-on self-test — Diagnostics programs, loaded automatically by the BIOS, that perform basic tests on the major computer components, such as

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memory, hard drives, and video. If no problems are detected during POST, the computer continues the start-up.

processor — A computer chip that interprets and executes program instructions. Sometimes the processor is referred to as the CPU (central processing unit).

PS/2 — personal system/2 — A type of connector for attaching a PS/2-compatible keyboard, mouse, or keypad.

PXE — pre-boot execution environment — A WfM (Wired for Management) standard that allows networked computers that do not have an operating system to be configured and started remotely.

RAID — redundant array of independent disks — A method of providing data redundancy. Some common implementations of RAID include RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, and RAID 50.

RAM — random-access memory — The primary temporary storage area for program instructions and data. Any information stored in RAM is lost when you shut down your computer.

readme file — A text file included with a software package or hardware product. Typically, readme files provide installation information and describe new product enhancements or corrections that have not yet been documented.

read-only — Data and/or files you can view but cannot edit or delete. A file can have read-only status if:

• It resides on a physically write-protected floppy disk, CD, or DVD.

• It is located on a network in a directory and the system administrator has assigned rights only to specific individuals.

refresh rate — The frequency, measured in Hz, at which your screen's horizontal lines are recharged (sometimes also referred to as its vertical frequency). The higher the refresh rate, the less video flicker can be seen by the human eye.

resolution — The sharpness and clarity of an image produced by a printer or displayed on a monitor. The higher the resolution, the sharper the image.

RFI — radio frequency interference — Interference that is generated at typical radio frequencies, in the range of 10 kHz to 100,000 MHz. Radio frequencies are at the lower end of the electromagnetic frequency spectrum and are more likely to have interference than the higher frequency radiations, such as infrared and light.

ROM — read-only memory — Memory that stores data and programs that cannot be deleted or written to by the computer. ROM, unlike RAM, retains its contents after you shut down your computer. Some programs essential to the operation of your computer reside in ROM.

RPM — revolutions per minute — The number of rotations that occur per minute. Hard drive speed is often measured in rpm.

RTC — real time clock — Battery-powered clock on the system board that keeps the date and time after you shut down the computer.

RTCRST — real-time clock reset — A jumper on the system board of some computers that can often be used for troubleshooting problems.

SAS — serial attached SCSI — A faster, serial version of the SCSI interface (as opposed to the original SCSI parallel architecture).

SATA — serial ATA — A faster, serial version of the ATA (IDE) interface.

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ScanDisk — A Microsoft utility that checks files, folders, and the hard disk’s surface for errors. ScanDisk often runs when you restart the computer after it has stopped responding.

SCSI — small computer system interface — A highspeed interface used to connect devices to a computer, such as hard drives, CD drives, printers, and scanners. The SCSI can connect many devices using a single controller. Each device is accessed by an individual identification number on the SCSI controller bus.

SDRAM — synchronous dynamic random-access memory — A type of DRAM that is synchronized with the optimal clock speed of the processor.

serial connector — An I/O port often used to connect devices such as a handheld digital device or digital camera to your computer.

Service Tag — A bar code label on your computer that identifies your computer when you access Dell Support at customer service or technical support.

setup program — A program that is used to install and configure hardware and software. The setup.exe or install.exe program comes with most Windows software packages. Setup program differs from system setup.

shortcut — An icon that provides quick access to frequently used programs, files, folders, and drives. When you place a shortcut on your Windows desktop and double-click the icon, you can open its corresponding folder or file without having to find it first. Shortcut icons do not change the location of files. If you delete a shortcut, the original file is not affected. Also, you can rename a shortcut icon.

smart card — A card that is embedded with a processor and a memory chip. Smart cards can be used to authenticate a user on computers equipped for smart cards.

support.dell.com

or when you call Dell for

S/PDIF — Sony/Philips Digital Interface — An audio transfer file format that allows the transfer of audio from one file to another without converting it to and from an analog format, which could degrade the quality of the file.

standby mode — A power management mode that shuts down all unnecessary computer operations to save energy.

Strike Zone™ — Reinforced area of the platform base that protects the hard drive by acting as a dampening device when a computer experiences resonating shock or is dropped (whether the computer is on or off).

surge protectors — Prevent voltage spikes, such as those that may occur during an electrical storm, from entering the computer through the electrical outlet. Surge protectors do not protect against lightning strikes or against brownouts, which occur when the voltage drops more than 20 percent below the normal AC-line voltage level.

Network connections cannot be protected by surge protectors. Always disconnect the network cable from the network connector during electrical storms.

SIM — Subscriber Identity Module. A SIM card contains a microchip that encrypts voice and data transmissions. SIM cards can be used in phones or portable computers.

SVGA — super-video graphics array — A video standard for video cards and controllers. Typical SVGA resolutions are 800 x 600 and 1024 x 768. The number of colors and resolution that a program displays depends on the capabilities of the monitor, the video controller and its drivers, and the amount of video memory installed in the computer.

S-video TV-out — A connector used to attach a TV or digital audio device to the computer.

SXGA — super-extended graphics array — A video standard for video cards and controllers that supports resolutions up to 1280 x 1024.

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SXGA+ — super-extended graphics array plus — A video standard for video cards and controllers that supports resolutions up to 1400 x 1050.

system board — The main circuit board in your computer. Also known as the motherboard.

system setup — A utility that serves as an interface between the computer hardware and the operating system. System setup allows you to configure userselectable options in the BIOS, such as date and time or system password. Unless you understand what effect the settings have on the computer, do not change the settings for this program.

TAPI — telephony application programming interface — Enables Windows programs to operate with a wide variety of telephony devices, including voice, data, fax, and video.

text editor — A program used to create and edit files that contain only text; for example, Windows Notepad uses a text editor. Text editors do not usually provide word wrap or formatting functionality (the option to underline, change fonts, and so on).

TPM — trusted platform module — A hardwarebased security feature that when combined with security software enhances network and computer security by enabling features such as file and e-mail protection.

travel module — A plastic device designed to fit inside the module bay of a portable computer to reduce the weight of the computer.

UMA — unified memory allocation — System memory dynamically allocated to video.

UPS — uninterruptible power supply — A backup power source used when the electrical power fails or drops to an unacceptable voltage level. A UPS keeps a computer running for a limited amount of time when there is no electrical power. UPS systems typically provide surge suppression and may also provide voltage regulation. Small UPS systems provide battery power for a few minutes to enable you to shut down your computer.

USB — universal serial bus — A hardware interface for a low-speed device such as a USB-compatible keyboard, mouse, joystick, scanner, set of speakers, printer, broadband devices (DSL and cable modems), imaging devices, or storage devices. Devices are plugged directly in to a 4-pin socket on your computer or in to a multi-port hub that plugs in to your computer. USB devices can be connected and disconnected while the computer is turned on, and they can also be daisy-chained together.

UTP — unshielded twisted pair — Describes a type of cable used in most telephone networks and some computer networks. Pairs of unshielded wires are twisted to protect against electromagnetic interference, rather than relying on a metal sheath around each pair of wires to protect against interference.

UXGA — ultra extended graphics array — A video standard for video cards and controllers that supports resolutions up to 1600 x 1200.

video controller — The circuitry on a video card or on the system board (in computers with an integrated video controller) that provides the video capabilities—in combination with the monitor—for your computer.

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video memory — Memory that consists of memory chips dedicated to video functions. Video memory is usually faster than system memory. The amount of video memory installed primarily influences the number of colors that a program can display.

video mode — A mode that describes how text and graphics are displayed on a monitor. Graphics-based software, such as Windows operating systems, displays in video modes that can be defined as x horizontal pixels by y vertical pixels by z colors. Character-based software, such as text editors, displays in video modes that can be defined as x columns by y rows of characters.

video resolution — See resolution.

virus — A program that is designed to inconvenience you or to destroy data stored on your computer. A virus program moves from one computer to another through an infected disk, software downloaded from the Internet, or e-mail attachments. When an infected program starts, its embedded virus also starts.

V — volt — The measurement of electric potential or electromotive force. One V appears across a resistance of 1 ohm when a current of 1 ampere flows through that resistance.

W — watt — The measurement of electrical power. One W is 1 ampere of current flowing at 1 volt.

WHr — watt-hour — A unit of measure commonly used to indicate the approximate capacity of a battery. For example, a 66-WHr battery can supply 66 W of power for 1 hour or 33 W for 2 hours.

wallpaper — The background pattern or picture on the Windows desktop. Change your wallpaper through the Windows Control Panel. You can also scan in your favorite picture and make it wallpaper.

WLAN — wireless local area network. A series of interconnected computers that communicate with each other over the air waves using access points or wireless routers to provide Internet access.

write-protected — Files or media that cannot be changed. Use write-protection when you want to protect data from being changed or destroyed. To write-protect a 3.5-inch floppy disk, slide its writeprotect tab to the open position.

WWAN — wireless wide area network. A wireless highspeed data network using cellular technology and covering a much larger geographic area than WLAN.

WXGA — wide-aspect extended graphics array — A video standard for video cards and controllers that supports resolutions up to 1280 x 800.

XGA — extended graphics array — A video standard for video cards and controllers that supports resolutions up to 1024 x 768.

ZIF — zero insertion force — A type of socket or connector that allows a computer chip to be installed or removed with no stress applied to either the chip or its socket.

Zip — A popular data compression format. Files that have been compressed with the Zip format are called Zip files and usually have a filename extension of .zip. A special kind of zipped file is a self-extracting file, which has a filename extension of .exe. You can unzip a self-extracting file by double-clicking it.

Zip drive — A high-capacity floppy drive developed by Iomega Corporation that uses 3.5-inch removable disks called Zip disks. Zip disks are slightly larger than regular floppy disks, about twice as thick, and hold up to 100 MB of data.

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Index

battery

problems, 24 replacing, 45

BIOS, 54

boot sequence

about, 58 changing, 58 option settings, 58

booting

to a USB device, 59

CD/DVD

playing, 17

CD/DVD drive

eject button, 11 problems, 25

CDs

operating system, 9

Check Disk, 26

CMOS settings

clearing, 59

computer

crashes, 29-30 inside view, 40 stops responding, 29

connectors

DC-in, 13 line-in, 12

line-out/headphone, 11-12 microphone, 11, 13 modem, 13 parallel port, 13 PS-2, 13 USB 2.0, 11, 13 VGA video, 13

cover

removing, 38 replacing, 47

Dell

documentation

End User License

Agreement, 7 ergonomics, 7 online, 8 regulatory, 7 safety, 7 warranty, 7

support website, 8

Drivers and Utilities CD, 7

drives

problems, 24

e-mail

problems, 26

End User License

Agreement, 7

ergonomics information, 7

error messages

troubleshooting, 27

hard drive

problems, 26

headphone connector, 11-12

Help and Support Center, 8

help file

Windows Help and Support

Center, 8

hibernate mode, 23

installing parts

before you begin, 37 recommended tools, 37 turning off your computer, 37

Internet

connection

about, 16 options, 16 problems, 26 setting up, 16

keyboard

Index 75

Page 76

problems, 28

labels

Microsoft Windows, 8 Service Tag, 8

memory

installing, 44 overview, 42 problems, 31 removing, 43

messages

error, 27

monitor

problems, 35

motherboard, 42

mouse

problems, 31

Network

Network Setup Wizard, 20

network

problems, 32 setting up, 20

Network Setup Wizard, 20

operating system

reinstalling, 9

Operating System CD, 9

password

clearing, 59 jumper, 60

playing CDs and DVDs, 17

power

button, 11 connector, 13 conserving, 21 hibernate mode, 21 managing, 21 options, 22

advanced, 23 hibernate, 23 properties, 22 schemes, 22

standby mode, 21 problems, 32 standby mode, 21

power light, 11

printer

cable, 15 connecting, 15 problems, 33 setting up, 15 USB, 15

problems

adjust volume, 35 battery, 24 blue screen, 30 CD/DVD drive, 25 computer crashes, 29 computer stops responding, 29

drives, 24 email, 26 error messages, 27 general, 29 hard drive, 26 Internet, 26 keyboard, 28 memory, 31 monitor, 35 mouse, 31 network, 32 power, 32 printer, 33 program crashes, 29 program stops responding, 29 programs and Windows

compatibility, 30 screen, 35 software, 29 sound and speakers, 34 troubleshooting tips, 24

Program Compatibility

Wizard, 30

safety instructions, 7

Service Tag, 8

software problems, 29

sound

problems, 34 volume, 25, 35

speaker

problems, 34 volume, 35

specifications, 52

76 Index

Page 77

standby mode, 21

support

website, 8

system board, 42

system setup

entering, 54 options, 55 overview, 54 screen, 55

troubleshooting

Help and Support Center, 8 tips, 24

USB

booting to devices, 59 connectors, 11, 13

Help and Support Center, 8 Network Setup Wizard, 20 Program Compatibility

Wizard, 30

reinstalling, 9

wizards

Network Setup Wizard, 20 Program Compatibility

Wizard, 30

VGA

connector, 13

video

connector, 13

volume

adjusting, 35

warranty information, 7

Windows XP

Index 77

Dell EC280 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Owner’s Manual

Finding Information

Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Front View of the Computer

Back View of the Computer

Installing Drivers for Your Computer

Setting Up a Printer (USB type)

Printer Cable

Connecting a USB Printer

Connecting to the Internet

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

Playing CDs and DVDs

Adjusting the Volume

Adjusting the Picture

Setting Up a Home and Office Network

Connecting to a Network Adapter

Network Setup Wizard

Power Management

Standby Mode

Hibernate Mode

Power Options Properties

Power Schemes Tab

Advanced Tab

Hibernate Tab

Solving Problems

Troubleshooting Tips

Battery Problems

Drive Problems

CD and DVD Drive Problems

Problems writing to a CD/DVD-RW drive

Hard Drive Problems

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

Error Messages

Keyboard Problems

Lockups and Software Problems

The computer does not start up

The computer stops responding

A program stops responding

A program crashes repeatedly

A program is designed for an earlier Windows operating system

A solid blue screen appears

Other software problems

Memory Problems

Mouse Problems

Network Problems

Power Problems

Printer Problems

Sound and Speaker Problems

No sound from speakers

No sound from headphones

Video and Monitor Problems

The screen is blank

The screen is difficult to read

Removing and Installing Parts

Before You Begin

Recommended Tools

Turning Off Your Computer

Before Working Inside Your Computer

Removing the Computer Cover

Inside View of Your Computer

System Board Components

Memory

Removing Memory

Installing Memory

Battery

Replacing the Battery

Replacing the Computer Cover

Safety, Environmental, and Ergonomic Instructions

Safety Instructions

Power Safety

Battery Safety

Equipment Protection Instructions

Specifications

System Setup

Overview

Entering System Setup