Dell G374R, P04S User Manual

INSPIRON

SETUP GUIDE

™

INSPIRON

Model P04S series Regulatory type: P04S001

™

SETUP GUIDE

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings

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

computer.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.

WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

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

__________________

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.

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

Trademarks used in this text: of Dell Inc.; trademarks and

Vista,

United States and/or other countries.; Dell under license;

Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.

ATI Radeon

and

Windows Vista

Core

May 2009 P/N G374R Rev. A00

Dell

, the

DELL

logo,

is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc;

is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries;

start button logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the

Bluetooth

SRS Premium Sound, SRS,

Inspiron, YOURS IS HERE

is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by

and the symbol are trademarks of SRS Labs, Inc.

, Dell On Call, and

Intel, Celeron,

DellConnect

and

Pentium

Microsoft, Windows, Windows

are trademarks

are registered

Contents

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop. . . . . . . . .5

Before Setting Up Your Computer . . . . . . . . . 5

Connect the AC Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Connect the Network Cable (Optional) . . . . . 7

Press the Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Set Up Microsoft® Windows Vista®. . . . . . . . 9

Enable or Disable Wireless (Optional). . . . . 10

Connect to the Internet (Optional) . . . . . . . . 12

Using Your Inspiron Laptop. . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Right Side Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Left Side Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Computer Base Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Media Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Display Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Removing and Replacing the Battery . . . . . 24

Software Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Solving Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

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

Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Lockups and Software Problems . . . . . . . . . 35

Using Support Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Dell Support Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Hardware Troubleshooter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Restoring Your Operating System . . . . . . .43

System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Dell Factory Image Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Operating System Reinstallation . . . . . . . . . 47

Contents

Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Technical Support and Customer

Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

DellConnect™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Online Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Automated Order-Status Service. . . . . . . . . 52

Product Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Returning Items for Repair Under

Warranty or for Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Before You Call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Contacting Dell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Finding More Information and

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Appendix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Macrovision Product Notice. . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

INSPIRON

This section provides information about setting up your Inspiron 1320 laptop.

Before Setting Up Your Computer

When positioning your computer, ensure that you allow easy access to a power source, adequate ventilation, and a level surface to place your computer.

Restricting airflow around your Inspiron laptop may cause it to overheat. To prevent overheating ensure that you leave at least

10.2 cm (4 inches) at the back of the computer and a minimum of 5.1 cm (2 inches) on all other sides. You should never place your computer in an enclosed space, such as a cabinet or drawer when it is powered on.

WARNING: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your Dell™ computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is powered on. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire. The computer turns on the fan when the computer gets hot. Fan noise is normal and does not indicate a problem with the fan or the computer.

CAUTION: Placing or stacking heavy or sharp objects on the computer may result in permanent damage to the computer.

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Connect the AC Adapter

Connect the AC adapter to the computer and then plug the other end to an electrical outlet or surge protector.

WARNING: The AC adapter works with electrical outlets worldwide. However, power connectors and power strips vary among countries. Using an incompatible cable or improperly connecting the cable to a power strip or electrical outlet may cause fire or permanent damage to your computer.

NOTE: Use only Dell AC adapter family PA-12, PA-2E, and PA-3E with your computer.

Connect the Network Cable (Optional)

To use a wired network connection, connect the network cable.

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Press the Power Button

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Set Up Microsoft® Windows Vista

Your computer is preconfigured with Windows Vista operating system if you ordered it while purchasing your computer. To set up Windows Vista for the first time, follow the instructions on the screen. These steps are mandatory and may take up to 15 minutes to complete. The Windows Vista setup screen will take you through several procedures including accepting license agreements, setting preferences, and setting up an Internet connection.

CAUTION: Do not interrupt the operating system’s setup process. Doing so may render your computer unusable and you will need to reinstall the operating system.

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Enable or Disable Wireless (Optional)

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Press the <F2> key or press the1. key on the keyboard to enable or disable wireless. The wireless enable or disable dialog box will appear on your screen.

Press the left-arrow key or the right-arrow keys to:2.

Enable Bluetooth –

Enable Wireless LAN –

Enable Bluetooth and Wireless LAN –

Disable Bluetooth and Wireless LAN –

Press <Enter> to apply the change.3.

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Connect to the Internet (Optional)

To connect to the Internet, you need an external modem or network connection and an Internet service provider (ISP).

If an external USB modem or WLAN adapter is not a part of your original order, you can purchase one from the Dell website at www.dell.com.

You can connect to the Internet using either a wired or a wireless connection.

Setting Up a Wired Connection

If you are using a dial-up connection, • connect the telephone line to the external USB modem (optional) and to the telephone wall connector before you set up your Internet connection.

If you are using a DSL or cable/satellite • modem connection, contact your ISP or cellular telephone service for setup instructions

Setting Up a Wireless Connection

Before you can use your wireless Internet connection, you need to connect to your wireless router.

Ensure that wireless is enabled on your 1. computer (see “Enable or Disable Wireless” on page 10).

Save and close any open files, and exit any 2. open programs.

Click 3. Start → Connect To.

Follow the instructions on the screen to 4. complete the setup.

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

ISPs and ISP offerings vary by country. Contact your ISP for offerings available in your country.

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.

Have your ISP information ready. If you do not have an ISP, the Connect to the Internet wizard can help you get one.

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

NOTE: The following instructions are applicable for the Windows default view, they may not apply if you set your computer to the Windows Classic view.

Click 2. Start → Control Panel.

Click 3. Network and Internet→Network

and Sharing Center→Setup a Connection→Connect to the Internet.

The Connect to the Internet window appears.

NOTE: If you do not know which type of

connection to select, click Help me choose or contact your ISP.

Follow the instructions on the screen and 4. use the setup information provided by your ISP to complete the setup.

Using Your Inspiron Laptop

Your Inspiron 1320 laptop has indicators and buttons that provide information and enable you to

INSPIRON

perform common tasks. The connectors on your computer provide the option of attaching additional devices.

Right Side Features

ExpressCard slot – Supports one ExpressCard. The computer ships with a plastic blank

installed in the slot.

NOTE: Your computer ships with a plastic blank installed in the ExpressCard slot. Blanks protect unused slots from dust and other particles. Save the blank for use when no ExpressCard is installed in the slot; blanks from other computers may not fit your computer.

Using Your Inspiron Laptop

Audio out/Headphone connector – Connects to a pair of headphones, or sends audio to a

powered speaker or sound system.

Audio in/Microphone connector – Connects to a microphone or inputs signal for use

with audio programs.

IEEE 1394 connector – Connects to high-speed serial multimedia devices, such as digital

video cameras.

USB 2.0 connectors (2) – Connects to USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, printer,

external drive, or MP3 player.

eSATA/USB combo connector – Connects to eSATA compatible storage devices (such as external hard disk drives or optical drives) or USB devices (such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, external drive, or MP3 player).

Network connector – Connects your computer to a network or a broadband device if you are using a wired network.

Security cable slot – Attaches a commercially available antitheft device to the computer.

NOTE: Before you buy an antitheft device, ensure that it works with the security cable slot on

your computer.

Using Your Inspiron Laptop

1 2 3

Left Side Features

Using Your Inspiron Laptop

AC adapter connector – Connects to the AC adapter to power the computer and charge the battery.

VGA connector – Connects to a monitor or projector.

HDMI connector – Connects to a TV for both 5.1 audio and video signals.

NOTE: When used with a monitor, only the video signal is read.

share digital photos, music, videos, and documents stored on the following digital memory cards:

Secure Digital (SD) memory card• Secure Digital High Capacity •

(SDHC) card Multimedia Card (MMC)• Memory Stick• Memory Stick PRO•

NOTE: Your computer ships with a plastic blank installed in the Media Card Reader slot. Blanks protect unused slots from dust and other particles. Save the blank for use when no Media card is installed in the slot; blanks from other computers may not fit your computer.

5-in-1 Media Card Reader – Provides a fast and convenient way to view and

Using Your Inspiron Laptop

3 4 5

Computer Base Features

Using Your Inspiron Laptop

Power/Battery indicator light – The light indicates the following states when powered

using an AC adapter or a battery.

Indicator light status Computer state(s) Battery charge level

AC Adapter

Battery

NOTE: The battery is charging when the computer is powered using an AC adapter.

Solid white on

off/hibernate

Breathing white standby n/a

off off/hibernate >90%

Solid white on >10%

Breathing white standby >10%

Solid amber on/standby <10%

off off/hibernate n/a

n/a <90%

Using Your Inspiron Laptop

Hard drive activity light – Turns on when the computer reads or writes data. A blinking

light indicates hard drive activity.

NOTE: To avoid loss of data, never turn off the computer while the hard drive activity light is flashing.

Keyboard – The media controls are also located on the keyboard. These keys control CD, DVD,

and media playback. For more information about the keyboard, see the on your hard drive or on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Touch pad – Provides the functionality of a mouse to move the cursor, drag or move selected

items, and left-click by tapping the surface.

Touch pad buttons – Provide left- and right-click functions like those on a mouse.

Dell Technology Guide

Using Your Inspiron Laptop

Media Controls

The media control keys are located on the keyboard.

To use the media controls, press the required key. You can use the Function Key Behavior setting in the System Setup (BIOS) utility to configure the media control keys.

The options in the Function Key Behavior setting are:

Multimedia Key First – This is the default option. Press any multimedia key to perform the associated action. For function key, press <Fn> + the required function key.

Function Key First – Press any function key to perform the associated action. For multimedia key, press <Fn> + the required multimedia key.

Mute the sound

Decrease the volume level

Increase the volume level

Play the previous track or chapter

Play or pause

Play the next track or chapter

Eject the disc from optional USB/eSATA optical drive

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