Dell Inspiron 1520 User Manual

Dell™ Inspiron™ 1520 Owner’s Manual

Model PP22L

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

Notes, Notices, and Cautions

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

your computer.

NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data

and tells you how to avoid the problem.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury,

or death.

____________________

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Inspiron, W i-F i Catcher , and Dell MediaDir ect are

trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel is a registered trademark and Core is a trademark of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries; Blu-ray Disc is a trademark of the Blu-ray Disc Association; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by 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.

Model PP22L

October 2007 P/N UX862 Rev. A03

Contents

Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

1 About Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Determining Your Computer’s Configuration . . . . . . 21

Front View

Left Side View

Right Side View

Back View

Bottom View

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

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

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

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

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

2 Setting Up Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

Transferring Information to a New Computer

Windows Easy Transfer

Setting Up a Printer

Printer Cable

Connecting a USB Printer

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

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

. . . . . . . . 36

. . . . . 37

Contents 3

Power Protection Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Surge Protectors

Line Conditioners

Uninterruptible Power Supplies

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

. . . . . . . . . . 40

3 Using the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Adjusting Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Using a Projector

Making Images and Text Look Bigger or Sharper

Microsoft

Windows Vista

Using Both a Monitor and Your Computer Display

Microsoft Windows XP

Windows Vista

Setting Display Resolution and Refresh Rate

Microsoft Windows XP

Windows Vista

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

. . . 41

Windows® XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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

. . . 43

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

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

. . . . . . 44

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

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

4 Using the Keyboard and Touchpad . . . . . 47

Numeric Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Key Combinations

System Functions

Display Functions

Battery

Power Management

Microsoft

Dell™ QuickSet Key Combinations

Adjusting Keyboard Settings

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

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

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

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

Windows® Logo Key Functions . . . . 49

. . . . . . . . . 49

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

4 Contents

Touch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Customizing the Touch Pad

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

5 Using a Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Battery Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Checking the Battery Charge

Dell QuickSet Battery Meter

Microsoft

Charge Gauge

Windows® Battery Meter . . . . . . . 55

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

Low-Battery Warning

Conserving Battery Power

Power Management Modes

Standby and Sleep Mode

Hibernate Mode

Configuring Power Management Settings

Accessing Power Options Properties

Charging the Battery

Replacing the Battery

Storing a Battery

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

. . . . . . . . . . . . 54

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

. . . . . . . 58

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

6 Using Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Playing Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Playing Media Using Dell Travel Remote (Optional)

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

Contents 5

Copying CD, DVD, and Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) Media . . . 64

How to Copy a CD, DVD, or BD

Using Blank CD, DVD, and BD Media

Helpful Tips

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

. . . . . . . . . . . 64

. . . . . . . 65

Adjusting the Volume

Adjusting the Picture

Using Dell MediaDirect™

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

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

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

Connecting Your Computer to a TV or Audio Device

S-Video and Standard Audio

S-Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

Composite Video and Standard Audio

Composite Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

Component Video and Standard Audio

Component Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

Enabling the Display Settings for a TV

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

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

. . . . . . . . . 73

. . . . . . . 75

. . . . 77

. . . . . . 79

. . . . 81

. . . . . . . 84

7 Using ExpressCards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

ExpressCard Blanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Installing an ExpressCard

Removing an ExpressCard or Blank

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

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

8 Using the Memory Card Reader . . . . . . . 91

6 Contents

Memory Card Blanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Installing a Memory Card

Removing a Memory Card or Blank

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

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

9 Setting Up and Using Networks . . . . . . . 93

Connecting a Network or Broadband Modem Cable

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

Setting Up a Network

Windows XP

Windows Vista

Wireless Local Area Network

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

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

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

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

What You Need to Establish a WLAN Connection

Checking Your Wireless Network Card

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

. . . . . . 95

Setting Up a New WLAN Using a Wireless Router and a Broadband Modem

Connecting to a WLAN

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

. . . . 96

Mobile Broadband (or Wireless Wide Area Network)

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

What You Need to Establish a Mobile Broadband Network Connection

Checking Your Dell Mobile Broadband Card

. . . . . . . . . 100

. . . . 100

Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network

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

Enabling/Disabling the Dell Mobile Broadband Card

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

Dell Wi-Fi Catcher™ Network Locator . . . . . . . . . 102

10 Securing Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Security Cable Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen

. . . . . . . . . . . 105

Contents 7

11 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Dell Technical Update Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Dell Diagnostics

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

Dell Support Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Dell Support 3

Dell PC Tune-Up

Dell PC CheckUp

Dell Network Assistant

DellConnect

Drive Problems

Optical drive problems

Hard drive problems

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

Error Messages

ExpressCard Problems

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

Keyboard Problems

External Keyboard problems

Unexpected characters

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . 117

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

8 Contents

Lockups and Software Problems

The computer does not start

The computer stops responding

A program stops responding or crashes repeatedly

A program is designed for an earlier Microsoft

Windows® operating system . . . . . 127

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

A solid blue screen appears

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

. . . . . . . . . . 127

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

Dell MediaDirect problems . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Other software problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Memory Problems

Network Problems

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Mobile Broadband (Wireless Wide Area Network [WWAN])

Power Problems

Printer Problems

Scanner Problems

Sound and Speaker Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

No sound from integrated speakers

No sound from external speakers

No sound from headphones

Touch Pad or Mouse Problems

Video and Display Problems

If the display is blank

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

If the display is difficult to read

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

. . . . . . . . . 135

. . . . . . . . . . . . 136

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

. . . . . . . . . . 138

If only part of the display is readable

Drivers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

What Is a Driver?

Identifying Drivers

Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

. . . . . . . . . . 140

. . . . . . . . 135

. . . . . . . 139

Troubleshooting Software and Hardware Problems in the Microsoft Microsoft Windows Vista

Restoring Your Operating System

Using Microsoft

Windows® XP and

Operating Systems . . . . 143

. . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Windows System Restore . . . . 145

Contents 9

Starting System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Using Dell™ PC Restore and Dell Factory Image Restore

Using the Operating System Media

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

. . . . . . . . 150

12 Adding and Replacing Parts . . . . . . . . . 153

Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Recommended Tools

Turning Off Your Computer

Before Working Inside Your Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

. . . . . . . 154

Hard Drive

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Removing the Hard Drive

Replacing the Hard Drive

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Returning a Hard Drive to Dell

Optical Drive

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Removing the Optical Drive

Replacing the Optical Drive

Hinge Cover

Keyboard

Memory

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Removing the Hinge Cover

Replacing the Hinge Cover

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Removing the Keyboard

Replacing the Keyboard

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Removing the DIMM A Memory Module

Replacing the DIMM A Memory Module

Removing the DIMM B Memory Module

Replacing the DIMM B Memory Module

. . . . . . . . . . . 158

. . . . . . . . . . . . 159

. . . . . . . . . . . . 160

. . . . . . 163

. . . . . 165

. . . . . . 166

. . . . . 167

10 Contents

Subscriber Identity Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Wireless Mini Cards

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

Removing a WLAN Card

Replacing a WLAN Card

Removing a Mobile Broadband or WWAN Card

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Replacing a WWAN Card

Removing a WPAN Card

Replacing a WPAN Card

Flash Cache Module

Removing the FCM

Replacing the FCM

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Internal Card With Bluetooth Technology

Coin-Cell Battery

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

Removing the Card

Replacing the Card

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Removing the Coin-Cell Battery

Replacing the Coin-Cell Battery

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Wireless

. . . . . . . . . . 181

. . . . . . . . . . 182

13 Dell™ QuickSet Features . . . . . . . . . . . 183

14 Traveling With Your Computer

Identifying Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Packing the Computer

Travel Tips

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

Traveling by Air

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

. . . . . . . 185

Contents 11

15 Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Obtaining Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Technical Support and Customer Service

DellConnect

Online Services

AutoTech Service

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Automated Order-Status Service

. . . . . 188

. . . . . . . . . 189

Problems With Your Order

Product Information

Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit

Before You Call

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

. . . . . 190

Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

16 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

A Appendix

Using the System Setup Program . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Cleaning Your Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Viewing the System Setup Screen

System Setup Screen

Commonly Used Options

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Computer, Keyboard, and Display

Touch Pad

Mouse

Media

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

. . . . . . . . . 204

. . . . . . . . . 206

12 Contents

Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . 208

Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals

Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals

209

FCC Notice (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

FCC Class B

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

209

Macrovision Product Notice

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Contents 13

14 Contents

Finding Information

NOTE: Some features may be optional and may not ship with your computer. Some

features may not be available in certain countries.

NOTE: Additional information may ship with your computer.

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

•

A diagnostic program for my computer

•

Drivers for my computer

•

Device documentation

•

Notebook System Software (NSS)

Drivers and Utilities Media

Documentation and drivers are already installed on your computer. You can use the Drivers and Utilities media to reinstall drivers (see "Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities" on page 140) or run the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 107).

Readme files may be included on your Drivers and Utilities media 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.

Finding Information 15

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

•

Warranty information

•

Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)

•

Safety instructions

•

Regulatory information

•

Ergonomics information

•

End User License Agreement

•

How to set up my computer

Dell™ Product Information Guide

Setup Diagram

NOTE: See the setup diagram that came

with your computer.

•

How to remove and replace parts

•

Specifications

•

How to configure system settings

•

How to troubleshoot and solve problems

•

Service Tag and Express Service Code

•

Microsoft® Windows® Product Key

Microsoft Windows XP and Windows

Vista

Help and Support Center

Click

Start→ Dell User and System Guides System Guides

Click the

Service Tag and Microsoft Windows Product Key

These labels are located on your computer.

•

Use the Service Tag to identify your computer when you use

support.dell.com

NOTE: If your operating system is

Windows XP, this label might look different.

Help and Support→

User’s Guide

for your computer.

or contact support.

→

16 Finding Information

•

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

NOTE: As an increased security measure,

the newly designed Microsoft Windows license label incorporates a "security portal," which looks like a missing portion of the label, to discourage removal of the label.

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

•

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

•

Community — Online discussion with

Dell Support Website — support.dell.com

NOTE: Select your region or business

segment to view the appropriate support site.

other Dell customers

•

Upgrades — Upgrade information for components, such as the memory, hard drive, and operating system

•

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

•

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

•

Dell Technical Update Service — Proactive e-mail notification of software and hardware updates for your computer

•

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

•

Downloads — Certified drivers, patches, and software updates

•

Notebook System Software (NSS) — If you reinstall the operating system on your computer, you should also reinstall the NSS utility. NSS automatically detects your computer and operating system, and installs the updates appropriate for your configuration, providing critical updates for your operating system and support for Dell 3.5-inch USB floppy drives, Intel processors, optical drives, and USB devices. NSS is necessary for correct operation of your Dell computer.

To download Notebook System Software:

Go to

support.dell.com

country/region, and then click

Drivers & Downloads

Enter your Service Tag or product model, and then click

Select your operating system and language, and then click

Downloads

search for the keyword

Software

NOTE: The support.dell.com user

interface may vary depending on your selections.

, or under

Downloads Search

Notebook System

, select your

Find

Finding Information 17

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

•

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

Dell Support Utility

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

icon on the taskbar. For more information, see "Dell Support Center

•

How to use Windows XP or Windows Vista

•

How to work with programs and files

•

How to personalize my desktop

Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista Help and Support Center

Click

Start→

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

Click the topic that describes your problem.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

•

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

Dell QuickSet Help

To view

Dell QuickSet Help, right-click

the Dell QuickSet icon in the Windows notification area.

For more information on Dell QuickSet, see "Dell™ QuickSet Features" on page 183.

" on page 111

Help and Support

18 Finding Information

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

•

How to reinstall my operating system

Operating System Media

The operating system is already installed on your computer. To reinstall your operating system, use one of the following methods:

•

Microsoft Windows System Restore — Microsoft Windows System Restore returns your computer to an earlier operating state without affecting data files.

•

Dell PC Restore — Dell PC Restore returns your computer to its original operating state. Dell PC Restore may not ship with your computer.

•

Operating System Installation Media — If you received operating system media with your computer, you can use it to restore your operating system.

For more information, see "Restoring Your Operating System" on page 144.

After you reinstall your operating system, use the Drivers and Utilities media to reinstall drivers for the devices that came with your computer.

Your operating system product key label is located on your computer.

NOTE: The color of your operating system

installation media varies according to the operating system you ordered.

Finding Information 19

20 Finding Information

About Your Computer

Determining Your Computer’s Configuration

Based on selections that you made when purchasing your computer, your computer has one of several different video controller configurations. To determine your computer’s video controller configuration:

1 Click

From the My Computer Information - Hardware screen, you can view the type of video controller installed in your computer, as well as the other hardware components.

Start

Under

Pick a Task

and diagnose problems.

Under

My Computer Information

, and then click

, click

Help and Support

Use Tools to view your computer information

, select

Hardware

About Your Computer 21

Front View

1 camera indicator (optional) 2 camera (optional)

3 display latch 4 display

5 power button 6 keyboard

7 device status lights 8 touch pad

9 consumer IR 10 media control buttons

11 touch pad buttons 12 Dell MediaDirect™ button

13 keyboard status lights 14 digital array microphones

22 About Your Computer

CAMERA INDICATOR — Indicates that the camera is on. Based on configuration

selections you made when ordering your computer, your computer may not include a camera.

CAMERA — Built-in camera for video capture, conferencing, and chat. Based on

configuration selections you made when ordering your computer, your computer may not include a camera.

DISPLAY LATCH — Keeps the display closed.

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

page 41.

POWER BUTTON — Press the power button to turn on the computer or exit a power

management mode (see "Power Management Modes" on page 56).

NOTICE: To avoid losing data, turn off your computer by performing a Microsoft

Windows® operating system shutdown rather than by pressing the power button.

If the computer stops responding, press and hold the power button until the computer turns off completely (may take several seconds).

KEYBOARD — For more information about the keyboard, see "Using the Keyboard

and Touchpad" on page 47.

About Your Computer 23

DEVICE STATUS LIGHTS

The blue lights located to the right of the keyboard indicate the following:

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

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

NOTICE: To avoid loss of data, never turn off the computer while the

light is flashing.

Battery status light – Turns on steadily or blinks to indicate battery charge status.

WiFi status light – Turns on when wireless networking is enabled. To enable or disable wireless networking, use the wireless switch (see "wireless switch" on page 27).

24 About Your Computer

Bluetooth

status light – Turns on when a card with Bluetooth wireless

technology is enabled.

NOTE: The card with Bluetooth wireless technology is an optional feature.

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

To turn off only the Bluetooth wireless technology functionality, right-click the

icon in the notification area, and then click Disable Bluetooth Radio.

To quickly enable or disable all wireless devices, use the wireless switch (see "wireless switch" on page 27).

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

– Solid blue: The battery is charging. – Flashing blue: The battery is almost fully charged. – Off: The battery is adequately charged.

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

– Off: The battery is adequately charged (or the computer is turned off). – Flashing amber: The battery charge is low. – Solid

amber

: The battery charge is critically low.

TOUCH PAD — Provides the functionality of a mouse (see "Touch Pad" on page 50).

TOUCH PAD BUTTONS — Use these buttons much like the buttons on a mouse when

you use the touch pad to move the cursor on the display (see "Touch Pad" on page 50).

MEDIA CONTROL BUTTONS — Control CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc™ (BD), and Media

Player playback.

Mute the sound. Play the previous track.

Turn the volume down. Play the next track.

Turn the volume up. Stop.

Play or pause.

About Your Computer 25

DELL MEDIADIRECT™ BUTTON — Press the Dell MediaDirect button to launch Dell MediaDirect (see "Using Dell MediaDirect™" on page 68).

KEYBOARD STATUS LIGHTS

The blue lights located above the keyboard indicate the following:

Turns on when the numeric keypad is enabled.

Turns on when the uppercase letter (caps lock) function is enabled.

Turns on when the scroll lock function is enabled.

DIGITAL ARRAY MICROPHONES — Built-in microphone for conferencing and chat.

26 About Your Computer

Left Side View

1 2563 4

1 security cable slot 2 wireless switch

3 Wi-Fi Catcher light 4 air vents

5 audio connectors 6 ExpressCard slot

SECURITY CABLE SLOT — Lets you attach a commercially available antitheft device

to the computer (see "Security Cable Lock" on page 103).

WIRELESS SWITCH — When enabled through Dell QuickSet, this switch can scan for

a wireless local area network (WLAN) in your vicinity. You can also use it to rapidly turn off or on any wireless devices such as WLAN cards and internal cards with Bluetooth wireless technology (see "Dell Wi-Fi Catcher™ Network Locator" on page 102).

1 2 3 4

1 off Disables wireless devices.

2 on Enables wireless devices.

3 momentary Scans for WLAN networks (see "Dell Wi-Fi

Catcher™ Network Locator" on page 102).

4 Wi-Fi Catcher light

• Flashing green: Searching for networks

• Solid green: Strong network found

• Solid yellow: Weak network found

• Flashing yellow: Error

• Off: No signal found

About Your Computer 27

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

vents. Do not store your computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.

AIR VENTS — The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the vents,

which prevents the computer from overheating. The computer turns the fan on when the computer gets hot. Fan noise is normal and does not indicate a problem with the fan or the computer.

AUDIO CONNECTORS

Attach headphones to the connector.

Attach a microphone to the connector.

EXPRESSCARD SLOT — Supports one ExpressCard. The computer ships with a plastic blank installed in the slot. For more information, see "Using ExpressCards" on page 87.

28 About Your Computer

Right Side View

4 6 7

1 battery status light 2 hard drive activity light

3 power light 4 optical drive

5 eject button 6 8-in-1 memory card reader

7 IEEE 1394 connector 8 video connector (VGA)

9 network connector (RJ-45) 10 USB connectors (2)

OPTICAL DRIVE — For more information about the optical drive, see "Using

Multimedia" on page 61.

EJECT BUTTON — Press the eject button to open the optical drive.

IN-1 MEMORY CARD READER — Provides a fast and convenient way to view and

share digital photos, music, and videos stored on a memory card. The computer ships with a plastic blank installed in the slot. The 8-in-1 memory card reader reads the following digital memory cards:

• Secure Digital (SD) memory card

• SDIO card

• MultiMediaCard (MMC)

•Memory Stick

• Memory Stick PRO

• xD-Picture Card

• Hi Speed-SD

• Hi Density-SD

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

910

About Your Computer 29

VIDEO CONNECTOR

Connects video devices, such as a monitor.

NETWORK

USB

CONNECTOR (RJ-45)

Connects the computer to a network. The two lights next to the connector indicate status and activity for wired network connections.

For information on using the network adapter, see the device user’s guide supplied with your computer.

CONNECTORS

Connect USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or printer.

Back View

1 2

1 S-video TV-out connector 2 USB connectors (2)

3 AC adapter connector 4 battery

5 modem connector (RJ-11)

30 About Your Computer

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