Dell Inspiron 4150 User Manual

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Dell™ Inspiron™ 4150

Owner’s Manual

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Hints, Notices, and Cautions

HINT: A HINT indicates important information that helps you make better

use of your computer.

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

data and tells you how to avoid the problem.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage,

personal injury, or death.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

F or a co mplete list of abbr eviations and acronyms, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 56.

____________________

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Computer Corporation is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Inspiron, Dell TrueMobile, Dell Pr ecision, Dimension, OptiPlex, Latitude, DellNet, Dell T ravelLite, AccessDirect, DellPlus, and DellWare are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation; Intel, Celeron, and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; EMC is a registered trademark of EMC 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 Computer Corporation disclaims an y proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.

November 2002 P/N 1R408 Rev. A02

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CAUTION: Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

General Power

Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Air Travel EMC Instructions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

When Using Your Computer

Ergonomic Computing Habits When Working Inside Your Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Battery Disposal

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

1 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

A Tour of Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Front View Left Side View Right Side View

Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Bottom View

Setting Up a Printer

Printer Cable Connecting a Parallel Printer Connecting a USB Printer

Transferring Information to a New Computer With Windows

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Setting Up a Home and Office Network With Windows XP

. . . . 33

Contents 3

Page 4

Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

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

Copying CDs

Using Easy CD Creator Basic Using Blank CD-R Discs or Blank CD-RW Discs Helpful Tips

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

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

. . . . . . . . 36

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

How to Copy a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Turning Off the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

About the Module Bay Swapping Devices While the Computer Is Turned Off

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

. . . . . . 38

Swapping Devices While the Computer Is Running . . . . . . . 39

Using the Floppy Drive as an External Device Enabling the Infrared Sensor

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

. . . . . . . . . . 40

Connecting a Television to the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

S-Video Connection

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

Composite Video Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Enabling the Display Settings for a Television

Setting Up the Dolby Headphone

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

. . . . . . . . . 47

Setting Up the Docking Device to Connect to a Network . . . . 49

Power Protection Devices

Surge Protectors Line Conditioners

Uninterruptible Power Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

2 Solving Problems

Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Accessing Help

4 Contents

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

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

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Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Error Messages

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

Video and Display Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

If the display is blank

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

If the display is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

If only part of the display is readable

Sound and Speaker Problems

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

If you have a problem with integrated speakers If you have a problem with external speakers

Printer Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

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

. . . . . . . . . 60

. . . . . . . . . . 61

Modem and Internet Connection Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Scanner Problems Touch Pad or Mouse Problems

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

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

External Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Unexpected Characters Drive Problems

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

If you cannot save a file to a floppy disk drive If you cannot play a CD, CD-RW, or DVD If you cannot eject the CD, CD-RW, or DVD drive tray

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

. . . . . . . . . . 66

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

. . . . . 68

If you hear an unfamiliar scraping or grinding sound . . . . . . 68

If the CD-RW drive stops writing If you have problems with a hard drive

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

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

PC Card Problems Network Problems

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

General Program Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

A program crashes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

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A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Error messages appear

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

E-Mail Problems If Your Computer Gets Wet

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

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

If You Drop or Damage Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Resolving Other Technical Problems Drivers

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

What Is a Driver? Identifying Drivers Reinstalling Drivers

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

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

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

Manually Reinstalling Drivers for Windows XP. . . . . . . . . 76

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . 77

Using Microsoft

Creating a Restore Point Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State

Windows® System Restore . . . . . . . . . . 78

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

. . . . . 80

Undoing the Last System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Reinstalling Microsoft® Windows® XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Before You Reinstall

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

Reinstalling Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Reinstalling Drivers and Software

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

3 Adding and Replacing Parts

Palm Rests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Display Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Hard Drive

6 Contents

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

Returning a Hard Drive to Dell

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

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Memory, Mini PCI Card, and Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Adding Memory Adding a Mini PCI Card

Adding a Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

4 Appendix

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

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

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

Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)

Definition of “Dell-Installed” Software and Peripherals Definition of “Third-Party” Software and Peripherals

Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit Contacting Dell

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

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

. . . . 107

. . . . . 108

. . . . . . . . . 108

Regulatory Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

NOM Information (Mexico Only)

Limited Warranties and Return Policy

Limited Warranty for the U.S. "Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (U.S. Only)

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . 132

Limited Warranty Terms for Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (Canada Only) Dell Software and Peripherals (Canada Only)

. . . . . . . . 136

. . . . . . . . . 137

One-Year End-User Manufacturer Guarantee (Latin America and the Caribbean Only)

Intel

Warranty Statement for Pentium® and

Celeron

Processors Only (U.S. and Canada Only). . . . . . . 139

. . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Contents 7

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8 Contents

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CAUTION: Safety Instructions

Use the following safety guidelines to help ensur e your own personal safety and to help protect your computer and working environment from potential damage.

General

• Do not attempt to service the computer yourself unless you are a trained service technician. Always follow installation instructions closely.

• 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.

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

• 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.

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

• Place the AC adapter in a ventilated area, such a s 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.

• Do not allow your portable computer to operate with the base resting directly on exposed skin for extended periods of time. The surface temperature of the base will rise during normal operation (particularly when AC power is present). Allowing sustained contact with exposed skin can cause discomfort or, eventually, a burn.

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

• If your computer includes an integrated or optional (PC Card) modem, disconnect the modem cable if an electrical stor m is approaching to avoid the remote risk of elec t r ic shock from lightning via the telephone line.

CAUTION: Safety Instructions 9

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CAUTION: Safety Instructions

• 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 computer includes a modem, the cable used with the modem should be manufactured with a minimum wir e si ze of 26 A merican wir e gauge (AWG) and an FCCcompliant RJ-11 modular plug.

• Before you open the memory module/Mini PCI card/modem cover on the bottom of your

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computer, disconnect all cables from their electrical outlets and disconnect the telephone cable.

• If your computer has a modem RJ-11 connector and a network RJ-45 connector, insert the telephone cable into the RJ-11 connector, not the R-45 connector.

•PC Cards may become very warm during normal operation. Use care when removing PC Cards after their continuous operation.

• 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.

Power

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

(continued)

• Before you connect the computer 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, remove the battery pack, and disconnect the AC adapter from the electrical outlet.

• 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.

• Be sure 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.

10 CAUTION: Safety Instructions

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CAUTION: Safety Instructions

• 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 computer, 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.

(continued)

Battery

• Use only Dell™ battery modules that are approved for use with this computer. Use of other types may increase the risk of fire or e xplosion.

• 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 60ºC (140ºF). When heated to excessive temperatures, battery cells could explode or vent, posing a risk of fire.

• Do not dispose of your computer’s battery in a fire or with normal household waste. Battery cells may explode. Discard a used battery according to the manufacturer’s instructions or contact your local waste disposal agency for disposal instructions. Dispose of a spent or damaged battery promptly.

CAUTION: Safety Instructions 11

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CAUTION: Safety Instructions

Air Travel

• Certain Federal Aviation Administration regulations and/or airline-specific restrictions may apply to the operation of your Dell computer while you are on board an aircraft. For example, such regulations/restrictions may prohibit the use of any personal electronic device (PED) that has the capacity for intentional transmission of radio frequency or other electromagnetic signals while on an aircraft.

– In order to best comply with all such restrictions, if your Dell portable computer is

equipped with Dell TrueMobile™ or some other wireless communication device,

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EMC Instructions

Use shielded signal cables to ensure that you maintain the appropriate EMC classificati on for the intended environment. F or parallel printers, a cable is available from Dell. If you prefer, you can order a cable from Dell at its worldwide website at www.dell.com.

please disable this device before you board the aircraft and follow all instructions provided by airline personnel with regard to such device.

– Additionally, the use of any PED, such as a portable computer, may be prohibited in

aircraft during certain critical phases of flight, for example, takeoff and landing. Some airlines may further define the critical flight phase as any time the aircraft is below 3050 m (10,000 ft). Please follow the airline’s specific instructions as to when the use of a PED is allowed.

(continued)

Static electricity can harm electronic components inside your computer. To prevent static damage, discharge static electricity from your body before you touch any of your computer’s electronic components, such as a memory module. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the computer’s input/output panel.

12 CAUTION: Safety Instructions

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When Using Your Computer

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

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

• When traveling, do not check the computer as baggage. You can put your computer through an X-ray security machine, but never put your computer through a metal detector. If you have the computer checked by hand, be sure to have a charged battery available in case you are asked to turn on the computer.

• When traveling with the hard drive removed from the computer, wrap the drive in a nonconducting material, such as cloth or paper. If you have the drive checked by hand, be ready to install the drive in the computer. You can put the hard drive through an X-ray security machine, but never put the drive through a metal detector.

• When traveling, do not place the computer in overhead storage compartments where it could slide around. Do not drop your computer or subject it to other mechanical shocks.

• Protect your computer, battery, and hard drive from environmental hazards such as dirt, dust, food, liquids, temperature extremes, and overexpo sure to sunlight.

• When you move your computer between environments with very different temperature and/or humidity ranges, condensation may form on or within the computer. To avoid damaging the computer, allow sufficient time for the moisture to evaporate before using the computer.

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 before turning on power.

• When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief loop, not on the cable itself. As you pull out the connector, keep it evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable make sure both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.

• Handle components with care. Hold a component such as a memory module by its edges, not its pins.

• When preparing to remove a memory module from the system board or disconnect a device from the computer, turn off the computer, disconnect the AC adapter cable, and then wait 5 seconds before proceeding to help avoid possible damage to the system board.

When Using Your Computer 13

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When Using Your Computer

• 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. Longterm exposure to moisture can damage the display. Do not use a commercial window cleaner to clean your display.

• If your computer gets wet or is damaged, follow the procedures described in "Solving Problems" on page72 or 73. If, after following these procedures, you confirm that your computer is not operating properly, contact Dell (see "Contacting Dell" on page 108 for the appropriate contact information).

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Ergonomic Computing Habits

CAU TION: Improper or prolonge d keyboard use may result in injur y. CAUTION: Viewing the display or external monitor screen for extended periods of

time may result in eye strain.

F or comfort an d efficiency, observe the ergonomi c guidelines in the Tell Me How help file when setting up and using your computer. To access the help file, see page 56.

When Working Inside Your Computer

Before removing or installing memory modules, Mini PCI cards, or modems, perform the following steps in the sequence indicated.

(continued)

NOTICE: The only time you should ever access the inside of your computer is when you are

installing memory modules, a Mini PCI card, or a modem.

NOTICE: Wait 5 seconds after turning off the computer before disconnecting a device or removing

a memory module, Mini PCI card, or modem to help prevent possible damage to the system board.

Shut down your computer and turn off any attached devices.

1 2 Disconnect your computer and devices from electrical outlets to reduce the potential for

personal injury or shock. Also, disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.

3 Remove the main battery from the battery bay and, if necessary, the secondary battery

from the module bay.

14 When Using Your Computer

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When Using Your Computer

4 Ground yourself by touching the unpainted metal surface of the I/O panel on the back of

the computer. While you work, periodically touch the I/O panel to dissipate any static electricity that

might harm internal components.

(continued)

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge

As you continue to work inside the computer, periodically touch an I/O connector to remove any static charge your body may have accumulated.

You can also take the following steps to prevent damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD):

• When unpacking a static-sensitive component from its shipping carton, do not remove the component from the antistatic packing material until you are ready to install the component. Just before unwrapping the antistatic packaging, be sure to discharge static electricity from your body.

• When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an antistatic container or packaging.

• Handle all sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible, use antistatic floor pads and workbench pads.

Battery Disposal

Your computer uses a lithium-ion battery and a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) reserve battery. For instructions about replacing the lithium-ion battery in your computer, refer to the section about replacing the battery in your Dell computer documentation. The NiMH battery is a long-life battery, and it is very possible that you will never need to replace it. However, should you need to replace it, the procedure must be performed by an authorized service technician.

Do not dispose of the battery along with household waste. Contact your local waste disposal agency for the address of the nearest battery deposit site.

When Using Your Computer 15

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16 When Using Your Computer

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SECTION 1

Setting Up and Using Your Computer

A Tour of Your Computer Setting Up a Printer Transferring Information to a New Computer With

Windows

Setting Up a Home and Office Network With

Windows XP Connecting to the Internet Copying CDs Turning Off the Computer About the Module Bay Swapping Devices While the Computer Is Turned Off Swapping Devices While the Computer Is Running Using the Floppy Drive as an External Device Enabling the Infrared Sensor Connecting a Television to the Computer Setting Up the Dolby Headphone Setting Up the Docking Device to Connect to a Network Power Protection Devices

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Dell AccessDirect button

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power button

keyboard

touch pad/track stick buttons

A Tour of Your Computer

Front View

display latch

keyboard status lights

air vent

microphone

device status lights

battery bay

display latch button module bay

18 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

touch pad

Page 19

DISPLAY L ATCH — Keeps the display closed.

EYBOARD STATUS LIGHTS — The green lights located above the keyboard

indicate the following:

Turns on when the numeric keypad is enabled

Turns on when the caps lock function is enabled

Turns on when the scroll lock function is enabled

IR VENT — The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the

vents, which prevents the computer from overheating.

CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to

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

ICROPHONE — Allows you to record audio.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 19

HINT: The computer

turns on the fans when the computer gets hot. The fans may make noise, which is normal and does not indicate a problem with the fans or the computer.

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DEVICE STATUS LIGHTS

Turns on when you turn on the computer.

Turns on when the computer reads or writes data.

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

the light is flashing.

Turns on steadily or blinks when the computer is in a power management mode. It also blinks to indicate battery charge status.

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

• Solid green: The battery is charging.

• Flashing green: The battery is fully charged.

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

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

•Flashing orange: The battery charge is low.

•Solid orange: The battery charge is critically low.

20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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TOUCH PAD — Use the touch pad and touch pad buttons as you would use a

mouse. For more information, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 56.

ODULE BAY — You can install devices such as an optical drive or the Dell

TravelLite™ module in the module bay.

ISPLAY LATCH BUTTON — Press this button to release the display latch and

open the display.

ATTERY BAY — When a battery is installed, you can use the computer without

connecting it to an electrical outlet. For more information, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 56.

EYBOARD — The keyboard includes a numeric keypad as well as the Microsoft

Windows® logo key . F or information on supported keyboard shortcuts, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 56.

OWER BUTTON — Press the power button to turn on the computer or to enter

or exit a power management mode. If the computer stops responding, press and hold the power button until the

computer turns off completely (which may take about 4 seconds).

NOTICE: Turn off your computer by performing a Windows shutdown (see

page 38). Otherwise, you may lose data.

ELL™ ACCESSDIRECT™ BUTTON — Press this button to launch various

resources, such as support and educational tools. For more information, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 56.

Left Side View

PC Card slot

hard drive

security cable slot

speaker

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 21

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PC CARD SLOT — Has two connectors that support various types of PC Cards, including modems and network adapters. For mor e information, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 56.

ARD DRIVE —Reads and writes data on a hard disk.

ECURITY CABLE SLOT — Lets you attach a commercially available antitheft

device to the computer. Instructions for installing antitheft devices are usually included with the device.

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

security cable slot.

PEAKERS — Press the volume control keyboard shortcuts to adjust the volume

of the integrated speakers. For more information, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 56.

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Right Side View

modem connector

infrared sensor

speaker

audio connectors network connector

SPEAKERS — Press the volume control keyboard shortcuts to adjust the volume of the integrated speakers. For more information, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 56.

NFRARED SENSOR — The infrared sensor lets you transfer files from your

computer to another infrared-compatible device without using cable connections.

S-video TV-out connector

air vent

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AUDIO CONNECTORS

Attach a microphone to the connector. Attach headphones or speakers to the connector.

ODEM CONNECTOR

Connect the telephone line to the optional modem connector.

For information on using the modem, see the online modem documentation supplied with your computer. To access device user’s guides, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 56.

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NETWORK CONNECTOR

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

For information on using the network adapter, see the online network adapter documentation supplied with your computer. To access device user’s guides, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 56.

NOTICE: The network connector is slightly larger than the modem connector.

Do not plug a telephone line into the network connector.

IDEO TV-OUT CONNECTOR

S-V

Connects your computer to a TV. For more information, see page 42.

AIR VENT — The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from overheating.

CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to

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

Back View

NOTICE: To avoid damaging the computer, wait 5 seconds after turning off

the computer before you disconnect an external device.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 25

HINT: The computer

turns on the fans when the computer gets hot. The fans may make noise, which is normal and does not indicate a problem with the fans or the computer.

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CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to

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

AC adapter connector

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serial connector

fan

docking connector fan

PS/2 connector

video connector

parallel connector

USB connector

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

which prevents the computer from overheating.

ERIAL CONNECTOR

Connects serial devices, such as a mouse or handheld device.

PARALLEL CONNECTOR

26 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Connects a parallel device, such as a printer. You can also connect the optional floppy drive directly to the parallel connector using the optional floppy drive cable.

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DOCKING CONNECTOR

Connects the optional docking device. A docking device allows you to easily use external devices with your computer, such as an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

See the documentation that came with your docking device for additional information.

HINT: Docking devices

may not be available in all countries.

PS/2 C

USB C

ONNECTOR

VIDEO CONNECTOR

Connects PS/2-compatible devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or external numeric keypad.

Shut down the computer before attaching or r emoving a PS/2-compatible device. If the device does not work, install the device drivers from the floppy disk or CD that came with the device, and restart the computer.

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

Connects an external monitor. For more information, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 56.

HINT: You can use the

integrated keyboard and an external keyboard at the same time. When you attach a PS/2 keyboard or PS/2 numeric keypad, the integrated keypad is disabled.

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AC ADAPTER CONNECTOR — Attach the AC adapter to the computer.

The AC adapter converts AC power to the DC power requir e d by the computer. You can connect the AC adapter with your computer turned either on or off.

CAUTION: The AC adapter works with e lectrical outlets

worldwide. However, power connectors and power strips vary among countries. Using an incompatible cable or improperly connecting the cable to the power strip or electrical outle t may cause fire or equipment damage.

NOTICE: When you disconnect the AC adapter from the computer, grasp the

adapter cable connector, not the cable itself, and pull firmly but gently to avoid damaging the cable.

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Bottom View

fan

docking device latch

device latch releases

memory module, Mini PCI card, and modem cover

FAN — The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from overheating.

EVICE LATCH RELEASES — Press a latch release to remove a device in the

module bay or battery bay. See page 38.

EMORY MODULE, MINI PCI CARD, AND MODEM COVER — Protects

the memory module(s) and the optional modem. See page 93.

OCKING DEVICE LATCH — Latches onto the docking device.

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Setting Up a Printer

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

the computer.

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

• Obtain and install updated drivers

• Connect the printer to the computer

• Load paper and install the toner or ink cartridge

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• Contact the printer manufacturer for technical assistance

Printer Cable

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

Connecting a Parallel Printer

1 Complete the operating system setup, if you have not already done so. 2 Turn off the computer (see page 38).

NOTICE: For best results, use a 3 m (10 ft) or shorter parallel cable.

Attach the parallel printer cable to the parallel connector on the

computer and tighten the two screws. Attach the cable to the connector on the printer and snap the two clips into the two notches.

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screws (2)

parallel printer cable

4 Turn on the printer and then turn on the computer. If the Add New

parallel connector on computer

connector on printer

clips (2)

notches (2)

Hardware Wizard window appears, click Cancel.

5 Install the printer driver if necessary. See the documentation t h at

came with your printer.

Connecting a USB Printer

1 Complete the operating system setup, if you have not already done so. 2 Install the printer driver if necessary. See the documentation t h at

came with your printer.

3 Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connector on the computer

and the printer. The USB connectors fit only one way.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 31

HINT: You can connect

USB devices while the computer is turned on.

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USB connector on the computer

USB connector on printer

USB printer cable

Transferring Information to a New Computer With Windows® XP

Windows XP provides a Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to move data, such as e-mails, window sizes, toolbar settings, and Internet bookmarks, from one computer to another. First you collect the data from the sourc e computer, and then you import the data to the new comput er.

If the source computer uses another Windows operating system, you can launch the wizard from the Windows XP operating system CD or from a floppy disk created on the computer that is running Windows XP. You can transfer the data to the new computer over a network or serial connection, or you can store it on a removable medium, such as a floppy disk, a Zip disk, or a writable CD.

1 On the computer running Windows XP, click Start, point to All

Programs→ Accessories→ System Tools, and then click Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

2 On the welcome screen, click Next.

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3 On the Which computer is this? screen, select New Computer, and

then click Next.

4 Follow the instructions on the screen.

Setting Up a Home and Office Network With Windows XP

Windows XP 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.

1 Click the Start button, point to All Programs→ Accessories

→ Communications, and then click Network Setup Wizard.

2 On the welcome screen, click Next. 3 Click checklist for creating a network.

Complete the checklist and required preparations, and then return to

the Network Setup Wizard.

5 Follow the instructions on the screen.

Connecting to the Internet

To connect to the Internet, you need a modem or network connection and an Internet service provider (ISP), such as America Online or DellNet™ by MSN. Your ISP will offer one or more of the following Internet connection options:

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

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

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

HINT: Selecting the This

computer connects directly to the Internet

connection method enables the integrated firewall provided with Windows XP.

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If you are using a dial-up connection, connect a telephone cable 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 America Online or DellNet by MSN connection:

1 Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs. 2 Double-click the MSN Explorer or AOL icon on the Windows

desktop.

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

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

1 Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs. 2 Click the Start button and click Control Panel. 3 Click Network and Internet Connections. 4 Click Set up or change your Internet connection. 5 In the Internet Properties window, click Setup and then click Next.

The New Connection Wizard appears.

6 Click Connect to the Internet. 7 In the next window, click the appropriate option:

• If you do not have an ISP and want to select one, click Choose from a list of Internet service providers (ISPs).

• If you have already obtained setup information from your ISP but you did not receive a setup CD, click Set up my connection manually.

• If you have a CD, click Use the CD I got from an ISP.

8 Click Next.

If you selected Set up my connection manually, continue to step 9. Otherwise, follow the instructions on the screen to complete the setup.

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9 Click the appropriate option under How do you want to connect to

the Internet?, and then click Next.

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

If you are having problems connecting to the Internet, see "Modem and Internet Connection P roblems" on page 62. If you cannot connect to the Internet but have successfully connected in the past, the ISP might ha ve a service outage. Contact your ISP to check the service status, or try connecting again later.

Copying CDs

HINT: If you do not know

which type of connection to select, contact your ISP.

To burn CDs, you need to use CD-burner software. Roxio Easy CD Creator Basic is your computer's CD-burner software. The software includes these project programs that enable you to record specialty CDs for different types of uses:

• DirectCD allows you to format a blank CD-R or CD-RW disc so that you can use Microsoft

Windows® Explorer to drag and drop data files to the CD-RW drive. You can use a DirectCD-formatted CD-RW disc like another hard drive on your computer because CD-RW discs are fully rewritable (CD-R discs can be used with DirectCD, but that media type has overwriting limitations—see "Using Blank CD-R Discs or Blank CD-RW Discs" for recording media differences).

• MusicCD allows you to burn custom music CDs.

• DataCD allows you to copy a variety of your documents, such as spreadsheet or accounting files, to a CD for permanent storage.

• Disc Copier allows you to make a backup copy of almost any type of CD. This program allows you to make a copy of a CD for everyday use so that you can archive and save the original copy. (Disc Copier is titled "CD Copier" in some versions of Roxio CD Creator Basic.)

All four project programs are available on the Easy CD Creator Basic Select

a Project menu screen. To view the Select a Project menu screen, click the Start button, point to All Programs→ Roxio Easy CD Cr eator, and then click Project Selector.

HINT: The information in

this section also applies to using Easy CD Creator Basic with a DVD+RW or a DVD+R drive.

HINT: Some music and

game CDs are copyprotected. If you have a CD that cannot be copied, you must use the original CD for everyday use.

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Using Easy CD Creator Basic

See the Easy CD Creator Basic documentation for instructions on how to use the program, information about different recording techniques, and CD media limitations. The Easy CD Creator Basic documentation is located in the Microsoft

Windows® XP Help and Support Center (see "Accessing Help" on page 56). Each Easy CD Creator Basic project program also has thorough online help files.

Using Blank CD-R Discs or Blank CD-RW Discs

Your CD-RW drive writes to two different types of recor ding media—CD-R and CD-RW discs. Use blank CD-R (CD-Recordable) disks to record music or permanently store data files. After creating a CD-R disc, you cannot write to that disc again without changing your method of recording (see the Roxio documentation for more information). Use blank CD-RW (CD-ReWritable) discs when you want to write, erase, rewrite, and update your files onto CDs.

Helpful Tips

• You must use the Easy CD Creator Basic project programs to copy and record all music and data CDs. You can use W i ndows Explor er to drag and drop files to a CD-R or CD-RW disc only after you first use DirectCD to format the disc.

• You must use CD-R discs to burn music CDs that you want to play in regular stereos. CD-RW discs do not play in most home or car stereos.

• If you want to copy files from the Internet or files from a floppy or Zip drive, copy those files to your hard drive first, and then burn your CD. Your CD-RW drive requires a steady stream of data to properly record. Direct Internet downloads, floppy drives, and Zip drives may not be able to provide a steady data stream to your CD-RW drive.

• Music MP3 files can be played only on MP3 players or on computers that have MP3 software installed.

• Ensure that you set the sampling rate to at least 128 Kbps when you burn MP3 files to a CD. Otherwise, recording errors may occur.

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• Do not burn a blank CD-R or CD-RW disc to its maximum capacity; for example, do not copy a 650-MB file to a 650-MB blank CD. The CD-RW drive needs 1 or 2 MB of the blank CD to finalize the recording.

• Use a blank CD-RW disc to practice CD recording until you are familiar with CD recording techniques. If you make a mistake, you can erase the CD-RW disc and try again. You can also use blank CD-RW discs to test music file projects bef ore you record the project permanently to a blank CD-R disc .

• See the Roxio support website at support.roxio.com for additional helpful tips.

How to Copy a CD

The procedure assumes that your computer is equipped with a single CD-RW drive (without an additional CD drive). If your computer is equipped with both types of drives, see the Roxio documentation for instructions on how to copy CDs from a CD drive to a CD-RW drive.

1 Click the Start button, point to All Programs→ Roxio Easy CD

Creator, and then click Project Selector. The Select a Project window appears.

2 Click Disc Copier. (Disc Copier is titled "CD Copier" in some versions

of Easy CD Creator Basic.) The Disc Copier window appears and displays your CD-RW drive in

the Copy from and the Record to lists.

3 Insert the source CD that you want to copy into the CD-RW drive.

The Disc Copier project program briefly checks the source CD in the CD-RW drive to ensure that it is a readable CD.

4 Click Copy.

Depending on the size of the files that are being copied, the copy process may take a few minutes.

5 After the source CD is copied, remove the source CD from the

CD-RW drive tray.

HINT: If you have a

DVD/CD-RW combo drive and experience recording problems, check the Roxi o support website at support.roxio.com for available software patches.

The CD-RW drive tray opens automatically after the source CD is copied.

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HINT: You must use

CD-R discs to burn music CDs that you want to play in regular stereos. CD-RW discs do not play in most home or car stereos.

HINT: If you are having

difficulties turning off

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your computer because a program stops responding, see "General Program Probl ems" on page 70.

Insert a blank CD into the CD-RW drive and close the tray.

The recording starts automatically.

7 After the recording completes, click OK.

Turning Off the Computer

NOTICE: To prevent data loss, you must turn off your computer through the

Start menu rather than by pressing the power button.

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

1 2 Click the Start button and then click Turn off Computer. 3 Click Turn off.

The computer automatically turns off after the shutdown process finishes.

About the Module Bay

You can install optional devices such as a floppy drive, CD drive, CD-RW drive, DVD drive, DVD/CD-R W drive, second har d drive, or second battery in the module bay.

NOTICE: To prevent damage to the docking connector, do not remove or

replace devices while the computer is connected to a docking device.

Swapping Devices While the Computer Is Turned Off

1 Save and close any open files, exit any open programs, and shut down

the computer (see "Turning Off the Computer" on page 38).

2 If the computer is connected (docked) to a docking device, undock it.

See the documentation that came with your docking station for instructions.

3 Close the display and turn the computer over. 4 Slide and hold the latch release, and pull the device out of the bay.

NOTICE: To prevent damage to devices, place them in a travel case when they

are not installed in the computer. Store devices in a dry, safe place, and avoid pressing down on them or placing heavy objects on top of them.

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device

bottom of computer

latch release

NOTICE: Insert devices before you dock and turn on the computer.

Insert the new device into the bay, and push it until you hear a click.

5 6 Turn on the computer.

Swapping Devices While the Computer Is Running

NOTICE: To prevent damage to the docking connector, do not remove or

replace devices while the computer is connected to a docking device.

1 Double-click the Safely Remove Hardware icon on the taskbar. 2 Click the device you want to eject. 3 Keep the display open, and tilt the computer back so that you can

access the bottom of the computer.

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4 Slide and hold the latch release, and pull the device out of the bay. 5 Insert the new device into the bay, and push it until you hear a click. 6 If necessary, enter your password to unlock your computer.

Using the Floppy Drive as an External Device

If you ordered a floppy drive and a floppy drive cable, you can use the floppy drive as an external device when the module bay is already occupied by another device.

NOTICE: Use the floppy drive cable with the floppy drive only.

Use the floppy drive cable to connect the floppy drive to the parallel connector on the back of the computer.

parallel connector

floppy drive cable

40 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

floppy drive

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Enabling the Infrared Sensor

1 Enter the system setup program:

a Turn on your computer. b Press when the Dell™ logo appears.

2 Press until you locate Infrared Data Port under Basic

Device Configuration.

3 Press the down-arrow key to highlight Disabled next to Infrared Data

Port.

4 Press the right-arrow key to change the setting to a COM port.

Ensure that the COM port that you select is different from the COM port assigned to the serial connector.

5 Press the down-arrow key to sele ct Infrared Mode, and press the right-

arrow key to change the setting to Fast IR or Slow IR. Dell recommends that you use Fast IR. If the infrared device cannot

communicate with your computer, turn off the computer and repeat steps 1 through 5 to change the setting to Slow IR.

6 Press to save the changes and exit the system setup program.

If you are prompted to restart your computer, click Yes.

7 F ollow t he instructions on the s creen whi le the infrar ed sensor drive r is

being installed.

8 At the end of the installation process, click Yes to restart the computer.

After you enable the infrared sensor, you can use it to establish a link to an infrared device. To set up and use an infrared device, see the infrared device documentation and the Windows XP Help and Support Center (to access help, see page 56).

HINT: You canno t use the

infrared sensor when the computer is docked.

HINT: If the infrared

device cannot communicate with your computer after you repeat steps 1 through 5 to change the system setup program setting to Slow IR, refer to the documentation that came with the device or contact the infrared device manufacturer.

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Connecting a Television to the Computer

Your computer has an S-video TV-out connector that enables you to connect the computer to a television. Using a commercially available S-video cable or composite video cable, you can connect the computer to a television in one of two ways:

HINT: Diagrams for each

connection combination appear at the beginning of each subsection to help

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you determine which method you should use.

• S-video (for a television with an S-video input)

• Composite video (for a television with only a composite video input; also uses the Dell-supplied composite TV-out adapter cable)

The audio connector on the side of the computer enables you to connect the computer to your television or audio device, using a commercially available audio cable.

When you complete the cable connection, see "Enabling the Display Settings for a Television" on page 47 to ensure that the computer recognizes and works properly with the television.

S-Video Connection

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Before you begin, ensure that you have the following cables:

S-video cable

audio cable

1 Turn off the computer and the television and/or audio device you want

to connect.

2 Plug one end of the S-video cable into the S-video connector on the

computer.

3 Plug the other end of the S-video cable into your television.

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4 Plug the single-connector end of the audio cable into the

connector on your computer.

5 Plug the two RCA connectors on the other end of the audio cable into

the audio input connectors on your television or other audio device.

6 Turn on the television, turn on any audio device you connected, and

then turn on the computer.

7 See "Enabling the Display Settings for a Television" on page 47 to

ensure that the computer recognizes and works properly with the television.

Composite Video Connection

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To connect the computer to a television that has a composite video input only, Dell provides a composite TV-out adapter cable. Before you begin, ensure that you have the following cables:

composite TV-out adapter cable

composite video cable

audio cable

1 Turn off the computer and the television and/or audio device you want

to connect.

2 Connect the composite TV-out adapter cable to th e S-video TV-out

connector on the computer.

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S-video TV-out connector

S-video connector

composite video connector

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composite TV-out adapter cable

3 Plug one end of the composite video cable into the composite video

connector on the composite TV-out adapter cable.

4 Plug the other end of the composite video cable into the composite

video connector on the television.

5 Plug the single-connector end of the audio cable into the

connector on the computer.

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6 Plug the two RCA connectors on the other end of the audio cable into

the audio input connectors on your television or other audio device.

Enabling the Display Settings for a Television

1 Click the Start button and click Control Pane l. 2 Click Appearance and Themes and click Display. 3 Click the Settings tab and click Advanced.

HINT: Ensure that you

properly connect the television before you enable the display settings.

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4 Click the Displays tab. 5 Click the upper-left corner of the TV button to enable the television. 6 To play a DVD on the television, click the small "primary" button

(resembles a bulls-eye), at the lower-left corner of the window, under the TV picture.

HINT: Various programs

access the hardware in different ways. You may or may not need to click the primary button for operations other than playing DVDs.

48 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Click Apply.

7 8 Click Yes to keep the new settings . 9 Click OK.

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DVD video is visible only on the display that is set to primary. While the DVD is playing, the DVD player window on your computer display is blank or (if the DVD player window is set to full-screen mode) the entire computer display screen is blank.

Setting Up the Dolby Headphone

1 Double-click the Intervideo Win DVD icon on the Windows desktop. 2 Click the Properties icon. 3 Click the Dolby Headphone tab.

4 Click Enable Dolby Headphone.

5 Select one of the four options to set the level of surround sound

effects. Option 1 is a baseline stereo option and Options 2, 3, and 4 are surround sound levels.

6 Click Apply, and then click OK to close the WinDVD Properties

window.

7 Click Exit.

Setting Up the Docking Device to Connect to a Network

NOTICE: Do not install a network adapter or a network adapter/modem

combination PC Card until you complete the docking device setup.

NOTICE: To prevent serious operating system problems, do not connect your

computer to a docking device until the Windows operating system setup on the computer is complete.

A docking device allows you to more fully integrate your portable computer into a desktop environment.

HINT: The Dolby

headphone feature is available only if your computer has a DVD drive.

HINT: Icon labels may be

visible only when you place the pointer over the icon.

HINT: A network adapter

is also referred to as a network interface controller (NIC).

For instructions and details on setting up a docking device, refer to the documentation that came packaged with the device.

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Power Protection Devices

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

• Surge protectors

• Line conditioners

• Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)

Surge Protectors

Surge protectors and power strips equipped with surge protection help to prevent damage to your computer from voltage spikes that can occur during electrical storms or following power interruptions. The level of protection is usually commensurate with the cost of the surge protector. Some surge protector manufacturers include warranty coverage for certain types of damage. Dell recommends that you carefully read the device warranty when choosing a surge protector. Compare joule ratings to determine the relative effectiveness of different devices.

NOTICE: Most surge protectors do not protect against lightning strikes. Dell

recommends that you disconnect your computer from the elec trical outlet when lightning occurs in your area.

NOTICE: Surge protectors do not protect against power fluctuations or power

interruptions.

Power surges on telephone lines can damage modems. Dell recommends that you disconnect the telephone line from the telephone wall jack during electrical storms. Many surge protectors have a telephone jack for modem protection. See the surge protector documentation for modem connection instructions.

NOTICE: Network adapter protection is not available on surge protectors.

Dell recommends that you disconnect the network cable from the network wall jack during electrical storms.

Line Conditioners

NOTICE: Line conditioners do not protect against power interruptions.

Line conditioners are designed to maintain AC voltage at a fairly constant level. Line conditioners cost considerably more than surge protectors.

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Uninterruptible Power Supplies

NOTICE: Loss of power while data is being saved to the hard drive may result

in data loss or file damage.

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

HINT: T o ensure

maximum battery operating time, connect only your computer to a UPS. Connect other devices, such as a printer, to a separate power strip that provides surge protection.

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52 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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SECTION 2

Solving Problems

Finding Solutions Accessing Help Power Problems Error Messages Video and Display Problems Sound and Speaker Problems Printer Problems Modem and Internet Connection Problems Scanner Problems Touch Pad or Mouse Problems External Keyboard Problems Unexpected Characters Drive Problems PC Card Problems Network Problems General Program Problems E-Mail Problems If Your Computer Gets Wet If You Drop or Damage Your Computer Resolving Other Technical Problems Drivers Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities Using Microsoft Reinstalling Microsoft

Windows® System Restore

Windows® XP

Page 54

Finding Solutions

HINT: If you have a

problem with an external device, see the device documentation or contact the manufacturer.

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Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out where to go for answers. Use this chart to quickly find the answers to your questions.

See page 56.

Press the power button to exit standby mode. See the

How

help file for more infor-

mation on standby mode.

Get technical assistance from Dell. See page 108.

See page 57.

T ell Me

54 Solving Problems

Page 55

See page 58.

See page 60.

See page 61

See page 62.

See page 64.

See page 65.

See page 66.

See page 66– 69

See page 70.

See page 57.

See page 73.

See page 70.

See page 62.

See page 71.

Solving Problems 55

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Accessing Help

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HINT: See the

How

help file for information on standby mode. To access the help file, see "Accessing Help" on page 56.

Tell Me

TO ACCESS THE

1 Click the Start button and then click Help and Support. 2 Click User and system guides and then click User’s guides. 3 Click Tell Me How.

TO ACCESS HELP IN WINDOWS XP —

1 Click the Start button and then click Help and Support. 2 Type a word or phrase that describes your problem and then click the arrow

icon.

3 Click the topic that describes your problem. 4 Follow the instructions shown on the screen.

ELL ME HOW

HELP FILE —

Power Problems

CHECK THE POWER LIGHT — When the power light is lit or blinking, the

computer has power. If the power light is blinking, the computer is in standby mode—press the power button to exit standby mode. If the light is off, press the power button to turn on the computer.

CHARGE THE BATTERY — The battery charge may be depleted.

1 Reinstall the battery. 2 Use the AC adapter to connect the computer to an electrical outlet. 3 Turn on the computer.

56 Solving Problems

CHECK THE BATTERY STATUS LIGHT — If the battery status light flashes

orange or is a steady orange, the battery charge is low or depleted. Connect the computer to an electrical outlet.

If the battery status light flashes green and orange, the battery is too hot to charge. Turn off the computer (see page 38), disconnect the computer from the electrical outlet, and then let the battery and computer cool to room temperature.

If the battery status light rapidly flashes orange, the battery may be defective. Contact Dell (see page 108).

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

CHECK THE AC ADAPTER — Check the AC adapter cable connections. If the AC adapter has a light, ensure that the light is on.

CONNECT THE COMPUTER DIRECTLY TO AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET —

Bypass power protection devices, power strips, and the extension cable to verify that the computer turns on.

ELIMINATE POSSIBLE INTER FERENCE — T urn off nearby fans, fluorescent lights, halogen lamps, or other appliances.

ADJUST THE POWER PROPERTIES — Your computer may be in standby or hibernate mode. For information on power management modes, see the Tell Me How help file, or search for the keyword standby or hibernate in the Windows XP Help and Support Center . To access help files, see page 56.

RESEAT THE MEMORY MODULES — If the computer power light turns on but the display remains blank, reseat the memory modules (see page 93).

Error Messages

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

THE FILE BEING COPIED IS TOO LARGE FOR THE DESTINATION

DRIVE — The file that you are trying to copy is too large to fit on the disk, or

the disk is too full. Try copying the file to a different disk or use a larger capacity disk.

A FILENAME CANNOT CONTAIN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING

CHARACTERS: \ / : * ? “ < > | — Do not use these characters in

filenames.

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INSERT BOOTABLE MEDIA — The operating system is trying to boot to a

nonbootable floppy disk or CD. Insert a bootable floppy disk or CD.

NON-SYSTEM DISK OR DISK ERROR — A floppy disk is in the floppy drive. Remove the floppy disk and restart the computer.

NOT ENOUGH MEMOR Y OR RESOURCES. EXIT SOME PROGRAMS AND

TRY AGAIN — You have too many programs open. Close all windows and open

the program that you want to use.

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HINT: If you are using a

program that requires a higher resolution than your computer supports, Dell recommends that you attach an external monitor to your computer.

OPERATING SYSTEM NOT FOUND — Contact Dell (see page 108).

A REQUIRED .DLL FILE WAS NOT FOUND — The program that you are

trying to open is missing an essential file. Remove and then reinstall the program.

1 Click the Start button and then click Control Panel. 2 Click Add or Remove Programs. 3 Select the program you want to remove. 4 Click Remove or Change/Remove and follow the prompts on the screen. 5 See the program documentation for installation instructions.

X:\ IS NOT ACCESSIBLE. THE DEVICE IS NOT READY — Insert a disk

into the drive and try again.

Video and Display Problems

If the display is blank

CHECK THE LIGHT — When the light is blinking, the computer

has power.

• If the light is blinking, the computer is in standby mode—press the power button to exit standby mode.

• If the light is off, press the power button.

• If the light is on, your power management settings may have caused the display to turn off. Try pressing any key or move the cursor to exit standby mode.

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CHECK THE BATTERY — If you are using a battery to power your computer,

the battery charge may be depleted. Connect the computer to an electrical outlet using the AC adapter, and turn on the computer.

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

CHECK THE AC ADAPTER — Check the AC adapter cable connections. If the AC adapter has a light, ensure that it is on.

CONNECT THE COMPUTER DIRECTLY TO AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET —

Bypass power protection devices, power strips, and the extension cable to verify that the computer turns on.

SWITCH THE VIDEO IMAGE — If your computer is attached to an external monitor, press to switch the video image to the display.

If the display is difficult to read

ADJUST THE BRIGHTNESS — See the Tell Me How help file for instructions

on adjusting the brightness. To access the help file, see page 56.

MOVE THE SUBWOOFER AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER OR MON ITOR —

If your external speaker system includes a subwoo fer, ensure that the subwoofer is at least 60 cm (2 ft) away from the computer or external monitor.

ELIMINATE POSSIBLE INTER FERENCE — T urn off nearby fans, fluorescent lights, halogen lamps, or other appliances.

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ROTATE THE COMPUTER TO FACE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION —

Eliminate sunlight glare, which can cause poor picture quality.

ADJUST THE WINDOWS DISP LAY SETTINGS —

1 Click the Start button and then click Control Panel. 2 Click Appearance and Themes. 3 Click the area you want to change or click the Display icon. 4 Try different settings for Color quality and Screen resolution.

SEE "ERROR MESSAGES"—If an error message appears, see page 57.

If only part of the display is readable

CONNECT AN EXTERNAL MONITOR —

1 Turn off your computer and connect an external monitor to the computer. 2 Turn on the computer and th e monitor and adjust the monitor brightness and

contrast controls.

If the external monitor works, the computer display or video controller may be defective. Contact Dell (see page 108).

60 Solving Problems

Sound and Speaker Problems

If you have a problem with integrated speakers

ADJUST THE WINDOWS® VOLUME CONTROL — 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. Adjust the volume, bass, or treble controls to eliminate distortion.

ADJUST THE VOLUME USING KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS — Press

to disable (mute) or reenable the integrated speakers.

REINSTALL THE SOUND (AUDIO) DRIVER — See page 75.

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If you have a problem with external speakers

CHECK THE SPEAKER CABLE CONNECTIONS — See t h e setup diagram

supplied with the speakers.

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

ENSURE THAT THE SPEAKERS ARE TURNED ON — See the setup diagram supplied with the speakers.

ADJUST THE WINDOWS VOLUME CONTROL — 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. Adjust the volume, bass, or treble controls to eliminate distortion.

TEST THE SPEAKE RS — Plug the speaker audio cable into the line-out connector on the computer. Ensure that the headphone volume control is turned up. Play a music CD.

RUN THE SPEAKER SELF-TEST — Some speaker systems have a self-test button on the subwoofer. See the speaker documentation for self-test instructions.

HINT: The volume

control in some MP3 players overrides the Windows volume setting. If you have been listening to MP3 songs, make sure that you did not turn the player volume down or off.

ELIMINATE POSSIBLE INTER FERENCE — T urn off nearby fans, fluorescent lights, or halogen lamps to check for interference.

REINSTALL THE SOUND (AUDIO) DRIVER — See page 75.

Printer Problems

CHECK THE PRINTER CABLE CONNECTIONS — Ensure that the printer

cable is properly connected to the computer (see page 30).

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HINT: If you can connect

to your Internet service provider (ISP), your modem is functioning properly. If you are sure that your modem is working properly and you still experience problems, contact your ISP.

TEST THE EL ECTRICAL OUTLE T — Ensure that the electrical outlet is working by testing it with another device, such as a lamp.

ENSURE THAT THE PRINTER IS TURNED ON — See the documentation supplied with the printer.

VERIFY THAT WINDOWS® RECOGNIZES THE PRINTER —

1 Click the Start button and then click Control Panel. 2 Click Printers and Other Hardware. 3 Click View installed printers or fax printers. If the printer model is listed,

right-click the printer icon.

4 Click Properties, and then click the Ports tab. Ensure that the Print to the

following port(s): setting is LPT1 (Printer Port).

REINSTALL THE PRINTER DRIVER — See the documentation that came with the printer.

Modem and Internet Connection Problems

NOTICE: Connect the modem to an analog telephone wall jack only.

Connecting the modem to a digital telephone network damages the modem.

NOTICE: Modem and network connectors look similar. Do not plug a

telephone line into the network connector.

CHECK THE TELEPHONE WALL JACK — Disconnect the telephone line from the modem and connect it to a telephone. Listen for a dial tone. Ensure that you have touch tone telephone service. Try connecting the modem to a different telephone wall jack.

Slow connection speeds can be caused by telephone noise as well as by telephone line or network conditions. Contact your telephone company or network administrator for more inform atio n.

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CONNECT THE MODEM DIRECTLY TO THE TELEPHONE WALL JACK —

If you have other telephone devices sharing the line, such as an answering machine, fax machine, surge protector, or line splitter, then bypass them and use the telephone line to connect the modem directly to the telephone wall jack.

CHECK THE CONNECTION — Verify that the telephone line is connected to the modem.

CHECK THE TELEPHONE LINE — T ry using a different tele phone line. If you are using a line that is 3 m (10 ft) or more in length, try a shorter one.

IRREGULAR DIAL TONE —If you have voice mail service, you might hear an irregular dial tone when you have messages. Contact your telephone company for instructions on restoring a dial tone.

TURN OFF CALL WAITING (CATCH-PHONE)—See your telephone directory for instructions on deactivating this feature. Then adjust the dial-up networking connection properties.

1 Click the Start button and click Control Panel. 2 Click Printers and Other Hardware, click Phone and Modem Options, click

the Dialing Rules tab, and then click Edit....

3 In the Edit Location window, ensure that To disable call waiting, dial: is

checked, and then select the proper code as listed in your telephone directory.

4 Click Apply and click OK. 5 Close the Phone and Modems Options window. 6 Close the Control Panel window.

VERIFY THAT THE MODEM IS COMMUNICATING WITH WINDOWS —

1 Click the Start button and click Control Panel. 2 Click Printers and Other Hardware and click Phone and Modem Options. 3 Click the Modems tab. 4 Click the COM port for your modem. 5 Click Properties, click the Diagnostics tab, and then click Query Modem to

verify that the modem is communicating with Windows.

If all commands receive responses, the modem is operating properly.

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Scanner Problems

CHECK THE POWER CABLE CONNECTIO N — Ensure that the scanner

power cable is firmly connected to a working electrical power source and that the scanner is turned on.

CHECK THE SCANNER CABLE CONNECTION — Ensure that the scanner cable is firmly connected to the computer and to the scanner.

UNLOCK THE SCANNER — Ensure that your scanner is unlocked if it has a locking tab or button.

REINSTALL THE SCANNER DRIVER — See the scanner documentation for instructions.

Touch Pad or Mouse Problems

CHECK THE TOUCH PAD SETTINGS —

1 Click the Start button, click Control Panel, and then click Printers and Other

Hardware.

2 Click Mouse. 3 Try adjusting the settings.

64 Solving Problems

CHECK THE MOUSE CABLE — Shut down the computer (see page 38).

Disconnect the mouse cable and check it for damage. For PS/2 cables, check the cable connector for bent or broken pins. Firmly reconnect the cable.

If you are using a mouse extension cable, disconnect it and connect the mouse directly to the computer.

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TO VERIFY THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE MOUSE, CHECK THE

TOUCH PAD —

1 Turn off the computer. 2 Disconnect the mouse. 3 Turn on the computer. 4 At the Windows

desktop, use the touch pad to move the cursor around, select

an icon, and open it.

If the touch pad operates correctly, the mouse may be defective.

REINSTALL THE TOUCH PAD DRIVER — See page 75.

External Keyboard Problems

CHECK THE KEYBOARD CABLE — Shut down the computer (see page 38).

Disconnect the keyboard cable and check it for damage. For PS/2 cables, check the cable connector for bent or broken pins. Firmly reconnect the cable.

If you are using a keyboard extension cable, disconn ect it and conne ct the keyboard directly to the computer.

CHECK THE EXTERNAL KEYB OARD —

1 Turn off the computer, wait 1 minute, and turn it on again. 2 Verify that the numbers, capitals, and scroll lock lights on the keyboard blink

during the boot routine.

3 From the Windows

to Accessories, and click Notepad.

4 Type some characters on the external keyboard and verify that they appear on

the display.

If you cannot verify these steps, you may have a defective external keyboard.

desktop, click the Start button, point to Programs, point

HINT: When you attach

an external keyboard, the integrated keyboard remains fully functional.

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TO VERIFY THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE EXTERNAL KEYBOARD,

CHECK THE INTEGRATED KEYBOARD —

1 Turn off the computer. 2 Disconnect the external keyboard. 3 Turn on the computer. 4 From the Windows desktop, click the Start button, point to Programs, point

to Accessories, and click Notepad.

5 Type some characters on the external keyboard and verify that they appear on

the display.

If the characters appear now but did not with the external keyboard, you may have a defective external keyboard. Contact Dell (see page 108).

Unexpected Characters

DISABLE THE NUMERIC KEYPAD — Press to disable the numeric

keypad if numbers are displayed instead of letters. Verify that the numbers lock light is not lit.

Drive Problems

HINT: For information

on saving files to a floppy disk, see the help file. To access the help file, see page 56.

66 Solving Problems

Tell Me How

If you cannot save a file to a floppy disk drive

ENSURE THAT WINDOWS® RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Click the Start

button and click My Computer. If the 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. Insert a bootable disk and restart the computer. Verify that the light is blinking, indicating normal operation.

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ENSURE THAT THE DISK IS NOT WRITE-PROTECTED — You cannot s ave data to a write-protected disk.

back of floppy disk

write-protected

not write-protected

TRY ANOTHER FLOPPY DISK — Insert another disk to eliminate the possibility that the original disk is defective.

REINSTALL THE DRIVE —

1 Save and close any open files, exit any open programs, and shut down the

computer.

2 Remove the drive from the module bay. See "About the Module Bay" on

page 38 for instructions.

3 Reinstall the drive. 4 Turn on the computer.

CLEAN THE DRIVE — See "Cleaning Your Computer" in the Tell Me How

help file for instructions. To access the help file, see page 56.

If you cannot play a CD, CD-RW, or DVD

High-speed CD drive vibration is normal and may cause noise. This noise does not indicate a defect with the drive or the CD.

HINT: Because of

different worldwide file types, not all DVD titles work in all DVD drives.

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ENSURE THAT WINDOWS® RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Click the Start button and click My Computer. If the 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. Insert a bootable disk and restart the computer. Verify that the light is blinking, indicating normal operation.

TRY ANOTHER DIS C — Insert another disc to eliminate the possibility that the original disc is defective.

ADJUST THE WINDOWS VOL UME CONTROL — 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.

REINSTALL THE DRIVE —

1 Save and close any open files, exit any open programs, and shut down the

computer.

2 Remove the drive. See "About the Module Bay" on page 38 for instructions. 3 Reinstall the drive. 4 Turn on the computer.

CLEAN THE DRIVE OR DISC — See "Cleaning Your Computer" in the Tell

Me How help file for instructions. To access the help file, see page 56.

68 Solving Problems

If you cannot eject the CD, CD-RW, or DVD drive tray

1 Ensure that the computer is turned off. 2 Straighten a paper clip and insert one end into the eject hole at the front of

the drive; push firmly until the tray is partially ejected.

3 Gently pull out the tray until it stops.

If you hear an unfamiliar scraping or grinding sound

• Ensure that the sound is not caused by the program that is running.

• Ensure that the disk or disc is inserted properly.

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If the CD-RW drive stops writing

DISABLE STAN DBY MODE IN WINDOWS BEFORE WRITING TO A CD-RW — For more information on power manage ment modes, search for the

keyword standby in the Windows XP Help and Support Center. To access the help file, see page 56.

CHANGE THE WRITE SPEED TO A SLOWER RATE — See the help files for your CD creation software.

EXIT ALL OTHER OPEN PROGRAMS — Exiting all other open programs before writing to the CD-RW may alleviate the problem.

If you have problems with a hard drive

ALLOW THE COMPUTER TO COOL BEFORE TURNING IT ON — A hot

hard drive may prevent the operating system from starting. Try allowing the computer to return to room temperature before turning it on.

CHECK THE DRIVE FOR ERRORS —

1 Click the Start button and click My Computer. 2 Right-click the drive letter (local disk) that you want to scan for errors, and

then click Properties.

3 Click the Tools tab. 4 Under Error-checking, click Check Now. 5 Click Start.

PC Card Problems

CHECK THE PC CARD — Ensure that the PC Card is properly inserted into

the connector.

ENSURE THAT THE CARD IS RECOGNIZED BY WINDOWS®— Doubleclick the Unplug or Eject Hardware icon in the Windows taskbar. Ensure that the card is listed.

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IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH A DELL-PROVIDED PC CARD —

Contact Dell (see page 108).

IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH A PC CARD NOT PROVIDED BY

ELL — Contact the PC Card manufacturer.

Network Problems

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HINT: Software usually

includes installation instructions in its documentation or on a floppy disk or CD.

CHECK THE NETWORK CA BLE CONNECTOR — Ensure that the network cable connector is firmly connected to the connector on the computer and the network wall jack.

CHECK THE NETWORK LI GHTS ON THE NETWORK CONNECTOR —

Green indicates that the network connection is active. If the status light is not green, try replacing the network cable. Amber indicates that the network adapter driver is loaded and the adapter is detecting activity.

REST ART THE COMPUTER — Try to log on to the network again.

CONTACT YOUR NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR — Verify that your network

settings are correct and that the network is functioning.

General Program Problems

A program crashes

SEE THE SOFTWARE DOCUMENTATION — Many software manufacturers

maintain websites with information that may help you solve the problem. Ensure that you properly installed and configured the program. Reinstall the program if necessary.

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A program stops responding

END THE PROGRAM —

1 Simultaneously press . 2 Click the Applications tab, and then select the program that is no longer

responding.

3 Click End Task.

A solid blue screen appears

TURN THE COMPUTER OFF — If the computer does not respond to a

keystroke or a proper shutdown (see page 38), press the power button until the computer turns off. Press the power button again to restart the computer. The solid blue screen appears because you were not able to perform a proper Windows Follow the instructions on the screen.

shutdown. ScanDisk automatically runs during the start-up process.

Error messages appear

REVIEW "ERROR MESSAGES" ON PAGE 57 — Look up the message and

take the appropriate action. See the software documentation.

E-Mail Problems

ENSURE THAT YOU ARE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET — With the

Outlook Express e-mail program open, click File. If Work Offline has a check mark next to it, click the check mark to remove it and connect to the Internet.

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If Your Computer Gets Wet

CAUTION: Perform this procedure only after you are certain that

it is safe to do so. If the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, Dell recommends that you turn off AC power at the circuit breaker before attempting to remove the power cables from the electrical outlet. Use the utmost caution when removing wet cables from a live power source.

Turn off the computer (see page 38), disconnect the AC adapter from

the computer, and then disconnect the AC adapter from the electrical outlet.

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2 Turn off any attached external devices, and disconnect them from

their power sources and then from the computer.

3 Ground yourself by touching one of the metal connectors on the back

of the computer.

4 Remove the module bay device (see page 38) and any installed PC

Cards, and put them in a safe place to dry.

5 Remove the battery. 6 Wipe off the battery and put it in a safe place to dry. 7 Remove the hard drive (see page 88). 8 Remove the memory module(s) (see page 93). 9 Open the display and place the computer right-side up across two

books or similar props to let air circulate all around it. Let the computer dry for at least 24 hours in a dry area at room temperature.

NOTICE: Do not use artificial means, such as a hair dryer or a fan, to speed

the drying process.

CAUTION: To help prevent electrical shock, veri fy that the

computer is thoroughly dry before continuing with the rest of this procedure.

10 Ground yourself by touching one of the metal connectors on the back

of the computer.

72 Solving Problems

11 Replace the memory module(s), the memory module cover, and the

screw(s).

12 Replace the hard drive. 13 Replace the module bay device and any PC Cards you removed.

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14 Replace the battery. 15 Turn on the computer and verify that it is working properly.

If the computer does not start, or if you cannot identify the damaged components, contact Dell (see page 108).

If You Drop or Damage Your Computer

1 Save and close any open files, exit any open programs, and shut down

the computer (see page 38).

2 Disconnect the AC adapter from the computer and from the electrical

outlet.

3 Turn off any attached external devices, and disconnect them from

their power sources and then from the computer.

4 Remove and reinstall the battery. 5 Turn on the computer.

If the computer does not start, or if you cannot identify the damaged components, contact Dell (see page 108).

Resolving Other Technical Problems

GO TO THE DELL SUPPORT WEBSITE — Go to support.dell.com for help

with general usage, installation, and troubleshooting questions. See "Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)" on page 107 for a description of the hardware and software support provided by Dell.

HINT: See "Limited

Warranties and Return Policy" on page 129 for information on your warranty coverage.

HINT: See "Limited

Warranties and Return Policy" on page 129 for information on your warranty coverage.

E-MAIL DELL — Go to support.dell.com and then click E-Mail Dell in the Communicate list. Send an e-mail message to Dell about your problem; you can

expect to receive an e-mail message from Dell within hours. See "Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)" on page107 for a description of the hardware and software support provided by Dell.

CONTACT DELL — If you cannot solve your problem using the Dell™ support website or e-mail service, call Dell for technical assistance (see page 108). See "Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)" on page107 for a description of the hardware and software support provided by Dell.

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Drivers

What Is a Driver?

A driver is a program that controls a device such as a printer, mouse, or keybo ard. All devices require a driver program.

A driver acts like a translator between the device and the programs that use the device. Each device has its own set of specialized commands that only its driver recognizes.

Many drivers such as the keyboard driver come with your Microsoft Windows

operating system. You may need to install drivers if:

• You upgrade your operating system.

• You reinstall your operating system.

• You connect or install a new device.

If you experience a problem with any device, perform the steps in the following sections to identify whether the driver is the source of your problem and to update the driver, if necessary.

Identifying Drivers

1 Click the Start button and click Control Panel.

74 Solving Problems

2 In the Control Panel window, under Pick a Category , click

Performance and Maintenance.

3 In the Performance and Maintenance window, click System. 4 In the System Properties screen, click the Hardware tab. 5 Click Device Manager. 6 In the Device Manager window , scroll down the list to see if any device

has an exclamation point (a yellow circle with a [!]) on the device icon. If an exclamation point is next to the device name, you may need to

reinstall the driver or install a new driver.

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Reinstalling Drivers

NOTICE: The Dell Support website and your

approved drivers for Dell™ computers. If you install drivers obtained from other sources, your computer might not work correctly.

Using Windows XP Device Driver Rollback

Drivers and Utilities

CD provide

If a problem occurs on your computer after you install or update a driver, use Windows XP Device Driver Rollback to replace the driver with the previously installed version.

To use Device Driver Rollback:

1 Click the Start button and click Control Pane l. 2 In the Control Panel window, under Pick a Category, click

Performance and Maintenance.

3 In the Performance and Maintenance window, click System. 4 In the System Properties screen, click the Hardware tab. 5 Click Device Manager. 6 In the Device Manager window, right-click the device for which the

new driver was installed, and then click Properties.

7 Click the Drivers tab. 8 Click Roll B ack D river.

If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore (see page 78) to return your operating system to the operating state it was in before you installed the new driver.

Using the Drivers and Utilities CD

If using Device Driver Rollback or System Restore (see page 78) does not resolve the problem, then reinstall the driver from the Drivers and Utilities CD.

1 Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs. 2 Insert the Drivers and Utilities CD.

In most cases, the CD starts running automatically. If it does not, start Microsoft Windows Explorer, click your CD drive directory to display the CD contents, and then double-click the autocd.exe file. The first

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time that you run the CD, it might prompt you to install setup files. Click OK, and follow the instructions on the screen to continue.

3 From the Language pull-down menu in the toolbar, select your

preferred language for the driver or utility (if available). A welcome screen appears.

4 Click Next. The CD automatically scans your hardware to detect

drivers and utilities used by your computer. After the CD completes the hardware scan, you can also detect other

drivers and utilities. Under Search Criteria, select the appropriate categories from the System Model, Operating System, and Topic pulldown menus.

A link or links appear(s) for the specific drivers and utilities used by your computer.

5 Click the link of a specific driver or utility to display information about

the driver or utility that you want to install.

6 Click the Install button (if present) to begin installing the driver or

utility. At the welcome screen, follow the screen prompts to complete the installation.

If no Install button is present, automatic installation is not an option. For installation instructions, either see the appropriate instructions in the following section, or click Extract, follow the extracting instructions, and read the readme file.

If instructed to navigate to the driver files, click the CD directory on the driver information window to display the files associated with that driver.

HINT: If you are

reinstalling an infrared sensor driver, you must first enable the infrared sensor in the system setup program (see page 41) before continuing with the driver installation.

76 Solving Problems

Manually Reinstalling Drivers for Windows XP

After extracting the driver files to your hard drive as described in the

previous section, click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.

2 Click the Start button and right-click My Computer. 3 Click Properties. 4 Click the Hardware tab and click Device Manager. 5 Double-click the type of device for which you are installing the driver

(for example, Modems or Infrared devices).

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6 Double-click the name of the device for which you are installing the

driver.

7 Click the Driver tab and then click Update Driver. 8 Click Install from a list or specific location (Advanced), and then

click Next.

9 Click Browse, and browse to the location to which you previously

extracted the driver files.

10 When the name of the appropriate driver appears, click Next. 11 Click Finish and restart your computer.

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities

In the Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system, IRQ conflicts occur if a device either is not detected during the operating system setup or is detected but incorrectly configured. To check for IRQ conflicts on your computer:

1 Click the Start button and click Control Pane l. 2 Click Performance and Maintenance and click System. 3 Click the Hardware tab and click Device Manager. 4 In the Device Manager list, check for conflicts with the other devices.

Conflicts are indicated by a yellow exclamation point (!) beside the conflicting device or a red X if the device has been disabled.

5 Double-click any conflicting device listed to bring up the Properties

window so that you can determine what needs to be reconfigured or removed from the Device Manager.

6 Resolve these conflicts before checking specific devices. 7 Double-click the malfunctioning device type in the Device Manager

list.

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8 Double-click the icon for the specific device in the expanded list.

The Properties window appears. If an IRQ conflict exists, the Device status area in the Properties

window reports what other devices are sharing the device's IRQ.

9 Resolve any IRQ conflicts.

You can also use the Windows XP Hardware Troubleshooter. To use the troubleshooter, click the Start button and click Help and Support. Type

hardware troubleshooter in the Search field, and then click the arrow

to start the search. Click Hardware Troubleshooter in the Search Results list. In the Hardware Troubleshooter list, click I need to resolve a hardware conflict on my computer, and then click Next.

Using Microsoft® Windows® System Restore

The Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system provides a System Restore utility that allows you to return your computer to an earlier operating state if changes to the computer’s hardware or software (including new hardware or program installations) or system settings have left the computer in an undesirable operating state. You can also undo the last system restore.

78 Solving Problems

System Restore automatically creates system checkpoints. You can also manually create your own checkpoints by creating restore poi nts. To limit the amount of hard disk space used, older restore points will be automatically purged.

To resolve an operating system problem, you can use System Resto re from Safe Mode or Normal Mode to return your computer to an earlier operating state.

System Restore does not cause you to lose personal files stored in the My Documents folder, data files, or e-mail messages after restoring the computer to an earlier time. If you restore the computer to an operating state that existed before you installed a program, the program’s data files are not lost, but you must reinstall the actual program again.

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NOTICE: It is important to make regular backups of your data files. System

Restore does not monitor changes to or recover your data files. If the original data on the hard disk is accidentally erased or overwritten, or if it becomes inaccessible because of a hard disk malfunction, use your backup files to recover the lost or damaged data.

System Restore is enabled on your new computer. However, if you reinstall Windows XP with less than 200 MB of free hard-disk space available, System Restore is automatically disabled. Before you use System Restore, confirm that it is enabled.

1 Click the Start button and click Control Panel. 2 Click the Performance and Maintenance. 3 Click System. 4 Click the System Restore tab. 5 Ensure that Turn off System Restore is not checked.

Creating a Restore Point

In Windows XP, you can either use the System Restore Wizard or manually create a restore point.

Using the System Restore Wizard

To use the System Restore Wizard, click the Start button, click Help and Support, click System Restore, and then follow the instructions in the System Restore Wizard window. You can also create and name a restore

point if you are logged on as the computer administrator or a user with administrator rights.

Manually Creating a Restore Point

1 Click the Start button, point to All Programs→

Accessories→ System Tools, and then click System Restore.

2 Click Create a restore point. 3 Click Next. 4 Type a name for the new restore point in the Restore point description

field. The present date and time are automatically added to the description

of the new restore point.

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5 Click Create. 6 Click OK.

Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State

If problems occur after installing a device driver, first try using Device Driver Rollback (see page 75). If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore.

NOTICE: Before restoring the computer to an earlier operating state, save

and close all open files and exit all open programs. Do not alter, open, or delete any files or programs until the system restoration is complete.

Click the Start button, point to All Programs→

Accessories→ System Tools, and then click System Restore.

2 Ensure that Restore my computer to an earlier time is selected and

click Next.

3 Click a calendar date to which you want to restore your computer.

The Select a Restore Point screen provides a calendar that allows you to see and select restore points. All calendar dates with available restore points appear in bold.

4 Select a restore point and click Next.

If a calendar date has only one restore point, then that restore point is automatically selected. If two or more restore points are available, click the restore point that you want to use.

80 Solving Problems

5 Click Next.

The Restoration Complete screen appears after System Restore finishes collecting data, and then the computer automatically restarts.

6 After the computer restarts, click OK.

To change the restore point, you can either repeat the steps using a different restore point, or you can undo the restoration.

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Undoing the Last System Restore

NOTICE: Save and close all open files and exit all open programs. Do not

alter, open, or delete any files or programs until the system restoration is complete.

Click the Start button, point to All Programs→

Accessories→ System Tools, and then click System Restore.

2 Select Undo my last restoration and click Next. 3 Click Next.

The System Restore screen appears, and then the computer automatically restarts.

4 After the computer restarts, click OK.

Reinstalling Microsoft® Windows® XP

Before You Reinstall

If you are reinstalling the Windows XP operating system to correct a problem with a newly installed driver, use Windows XP Device Driver Rollback (see page 75) to replace the device driver with the previously installed version.

If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore (see page 78) to return your operating system to the operating state it was in before you installed the new device driver.

Reinstalling Windows XP

To reinstall Windows XP, perform the steps in the following sections in the order in which they are listed.

The reinstallation process can take 1 to 2 hours to complete. After the reinstallation is complete, you will need to reinstall the device drivers, virus protection program, and other software.

NOTICE: The

Windows XP. The options can overwrite files and possibly affect programs installed on your hard drive. Therefore, do not reinstall Windows XP unless instructed to do so by a Dell technical support representative.

Operating System

CD provides options for reinstalling

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NOTICE: To prevent conflicts with Windows XP, disable any virus protection

software installed on your computer before you reinstall Windows XP. See the documentation that came with the software for instructions.

Preparing to Boot From the Operating System CD

1 Insert the Operating System CD into the CD or DVD drive. 2 Exit any program or utility that might run after you insert the CD. 3 Shut down (see page 38) and restart the computer. 4 Press immediately after the Dell™ logo appears.

If the operating system logo appears, wait until you see the Windows desktop, and then shut down the computer and try again.

5 Use the arrow keys to select CD-ROM, and then press . 6 Press any key when the Press any key to boot from CD message

appears on the screen.

Starting Windows XP Setup

1 When the Windows XP Setup screen appears, press to

select To set up Windows now.

2 Read the information in the Microsoft Windows Licensing

Agreement screen, and then press on your keyboard to accept

the license agreement.

HINT: The time required

to complete the setup depends on the size of the hard drive and the speed of your computer . You can step away from the computer at this time if you need to do so.

82 Solving Problems

3 If your computer already has Windows XP installed and you want to

recover your current Windows XP data, type

r to select the repair

option, and then remove the CD from the drive.

4 If you want to install a new copy of Windows XP, press to select

the fresh copy option.

5 Press to select the highlighted partition (recommended),

and then follow the instructions on the screen. The Windows XP Setup screen appears, and the operating system

begins to copy files and install the devices. The computer automatically restarts multiple times.

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Completing the GUI Setup

NOTICE: When the computer restarts, you will see the following message:

Press any key to boot from the CD. Do not press any key when this message appears.

When the Regional and Language Options screen appears, select the

settings for your location, and then click Next.

2 Enter your name and organization (optional) in the Personalize Your

Software screen, and then click Next.

3 If you are reinstalling Windows XP Home Edition, at the What's your

computer's name

window, enter a name for your computer (or accept

the name provided), and then click Next.

If you are reinstalling Windows XP Professional, at the Computer Name and Administrator Password window, enter a name for your

computer (or accept the one provided) and a password, and then click Next.

4 If you have a modem installed, the Modem Dialing Information

screen appears. Enter the requested information and click Next.

5 Enter the date, time, and time zone in the Date and Time Settings

window and click Next.

6 If your computer has a network adapter, select Ty pical in the

Networking Settings screen and click Next.

If your computer does not have a network adapter, you do not see this option.

7 If you are reinstalling W indows XP Professional, you may be prompted

to provide further network information regarding your network configuration, such as the domain name or workgroup name. If you are unsure of your settings, accept the default selections.

Windows XP installs the operating system components and configures the computer. The computer automatically restarts.

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Completing the Operating System Setup

NOTICE: When the computer restarts, you will see the following message:

Press any key to boot from the CD. Do not press any key when this message appears.

When the Welcome to Microsoft screen appears, click Next.

1 2 When the How will this computer connect to the

Internet?

3 When the Ready to register with Microsoft? screen appears, select No,

message appears, click Skip.

not at this time, and then click Next.

4 When the Who will use this computer? screen appears, you can enter

up to five users.

5 Click Next. 6 Click Finish to complete the setup, and remove the CD from the

drive.

Reinstalling Drivers and Software

1 Reinstall the appropriate drivers (see page 75). 2 Reinstall your virus protection software. See the documentation that

came with the software for instructions.

3 Reinstall your other software programs. See the documentation that

came with the software for instructions.

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SECTION 3

Adding and Replacing Parts

Palm Rests Display Cover Hard Drive Memory, Mini PCI Card, and Modem

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Palm Rests

HINT: Complete

instructions for replacing the palm rests are included with the optional color inserts.

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1 Save and close any open files, exit any open programs, and shut down

the computer (see page 38).

2 If the computer is connected docked to a docking station, undock it.

See the documentation that came with your docking station for instructions.

3 Keep the display open and tilt the computer back so that you can

access the bottom of the computer.

4 Slide and hold the latch release on the left side, and remove any device

installed in the modular bay.

5 Slide and hold the latch release on the right side, and remove any

battery installed in the battery bay.

6 Locate the orange palm rest removal buttons. F irmly pr ess the buttons

with the eraser end of a pencil (or a dull utensil smaller than your finger) to release the palm rests.

7 Remove the palm rests.

86 Adding and Replacing Parts

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8 To replace the palm rests, insert the tabs on the inside edge of the

palm rest into the slots on the computer. Then press along the outside edges of the palm rest until it snaps into place.

Repeat the process on each side.

Display Cover

Slide your index fingers under the straight edge of the display cover

until the cover pops out.

2 Slide the display cover towards the back of the computer. 3 Use your fingers to release the cover completely, and remove it.

HINT: Complete

instructions for replacing the display cover are included with the optional color inserts.

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4 To replace the display cover, bend it slightly to insert the four tabs on

the rounded edge of the cover into the slots on the top of the computer.

5 Press the cover alo n g the straight edge at the back of the computer

until it snaps into place.

6 Firmly press the Dell logo until it snaps into place. Press above both

hinge covers to engage the final snaps.

Hard Drive

HINT: You need the

Operating System

install the Microsoft Windows system. You also need the

Drivers and Utilities

for your computer to install the drivers and utilities on the new hard drive.

88 Adding and Replacing Parts

CD to

operating

CAUTION: If you remove the hard drive from the computer when

CAUTION: Before working inside your computer, read the safety

NOTICE: To prevent data loss, turn off your computer (see page 38) before

NOTICE: Hard drives are extremely fragile; even a slight bump can damage

the drive is hot,

instructions at the front of this document (see page 9).

removing the hard drive. Do not remove the hard drive while the computer is on, in standby mode, or in hibernate mode.

the drive.

do not touch

the metal housing of the hard drive.

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To replace the hard drive in the hard drive bay:

1 Ensure that the work surface is flat and clean to prevent scratching the

computer cover.

2 Save and close any open files, exit any open programs, and then shut

down the computer (see page 38).

3 If the computer is connected to a docking device, undock it. See the

documentation that came with your docking station for instructions.

4 Disconnect the computer from the electrical outlet. 5 Wait 10 to 20 seconds, and then disconnect any attached devices. 6 Remove any installed PC Cards, batteries, and module bay devices.

Handle components and cards by their edges, and avoid touching pins and contacts.

7 Ground yourself by touching a metal connector on the back of the

computer. Continue to ground yourself periodically during this procedure.

8 Turn the computer over, and remove the hard drive screw(s).

screw

HINT: Dell does not

guarantee compatibility or provide support for hard drives from sources other than Dell.

hard drive

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NOTICE: When the hard drive is not in the computer, store it in protective

antistatic packaging. See "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge" on page 15.

Lift the hard drive door until you hear a click.

10 Slide the hard drive out of the computer. 11 Remove the new drive from its pa ckaging.

Save the original packaging for storing or shipping the hard drive.

NOTICE: Use firm and even pressure to slide the drive into place. If you use

excessive force, you may damage the connector.

Insert the drive into the bay, and lift the hard drive door. P ush the har d

drive until it is fully seated in the bay. Press the hard drive door down.

13 Replace and tighten the screw(s). 14 Use the Operating System CD to install the operating system for your

computer (see page 81).

15 Use the Drivers and Utilities CD to install the drivers and utilities for

your computer (see page 75).

Returning a Hard Drive to Dell

Return your old hard drive to Dell in its original or comparable foam packaging. Otherwise, the hard drive may be damaged in transit.

90 Adding and Replacing Parts

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hard drive

foam packaging

Memory, Mini PCI Card, and Modem

CAUTION: Before working inside your computer, read the safety

instructions on page 9.

Save and close any open files, exit any open programs, and shut down

the computer (see page 38).

2 If the computer is docked, undock it. See the documentation that

came with your docking device for instructions.

3 Remove any installed PC Cards. 4 Remove all installed batteries, and disconnect the AC adapter cable

and any external devices from the computer. Wait 10 to 20 seconds before proceeding.

5 Ground yourself by touching a metal connector on the back of the

computer, and continue to do so periodically during this procedure.

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NOTICE: While you work, periodically touch unpainted metal on the

computer to dissipate static electricity that might harm internal components.

Turn the computer over.

captive screws (2)

M2.5 x 12-mm screw (1)

7 Remove the screw(s) from the cover, and lift up the cov er.

92 Adding and Replacing Parts

cover

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M2.5 x 12-mm screw (1)

8 Continue to the appropriate section:

• To add memory, see the following section.

• To add a Mini PCI card, see page 95.

• To add a modem, see page 96.

cover

captive screws (2)

Adding Memory

You can increase your computer memory by installing memory modules on the system board. See "Specifications" on page 100 for information on the memory supported by your computer. Be sure to add only memory modules that are intended for your computer.

Adding and Replacing Parts 93

HINT: Memory modules

purchased from Dell are covered under your computer warranty.

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NOTICE: To prevent damage to the memory module connector, do not use

tools to spread the inner metal tabs that secure the memory module.

If you are replacing a memory module, remove the ex isting module.

NOTICE: Handle memory modules by their edges, and do not touch the

components on a module.

a Use your fingertips to carefully spread apart the securing clips on

each end of the memory module connector. The module should pop up.

b Remove the module from the connector.

memory module

NOTICE: If you need to install memory modules in two connectors, install a

HINT: If the memory

module is not installed properly, the computer does not boot. No error message indicates this failure.

94 Adding and Replacing Parts

securing clips (2)

memory module in the connector labeled “JDIM (DIMMA)” before you install a module in the connector labeled “JDIM2 (DIMMB).”

Ground yourself and install the new memory module:

a Align the notch in the module with the slot in the center of the

connector.

b Slide the edge of the module firmly into the connector, and rotate

the module down until you hear a click. If you do not hear the click, remove the module and reinstall it.

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3 Replace the cover and screw(s).

NOTICE: If the memory module cover is difficult to close, remove the module

and reinstall it. Forcing the cover to close may damage your computer.

Insert the battery into the battery bay, or connect the AC adapter to

your computer and an electrical outlet.

5 Turn on the computer.

As the computer boots, it detects the additional memory and automatically updates the system configuration information.

Adding a Mini PCI Card

If you ordered a Mini PCI card with your computer, the card is already installed.

1 If a Mini PCI card is not already installed, go to step 2. If you are

replacing a Mini PCI card, remove the existing card:

a Disconnect the Mini PCI card from any attached cables. b Release the Mini PCI card by spreading the metal securing tabs

until the card pops up slightly.

c Lift the Mini PCI card out of its connector.

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NOTICE: To avoid damaging the Mini PCI card, never place cables on top of

or under the card.

NOTICE: The connectors are keyed to ensure correct insertion. If you feel

resistance, check the connectors and realign the card.

Align the Mini PCI card with the connector at a 45-degree angle, and press the Mini PCI card into the connector until you hear a click.

3 Connect the antenna cable(s) on the Mini PCI card to the antenna

connector(s) on the computer.

antenna connectors on card (2)

4 Replace the cover, and tighten the screws.

Adding a Modem

If you ordered the optional modem at the same time that you ordered your computer, the mo dem i s already installed.

1 If a modem is not already installed, go to step 2. If you are replacing a

96 Adding and Replacing Parts

antenna cables (2)

modem, remove the existing modem:

a Remove the screw(s) securing the modem to the system board. b Pull straight up on the attached pull-tab to lift the modem out of

its connector on the system board, and disconnect the modem cable.

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screw (2)

modem

2 Connect the modem cable to the modem.

NOTICE: The cable connectors are keyed for correct insertion; do not force

the connections.

Align the modem with the screw hole(s), and press the modem into

the connector on the system board.

4 Install the screw(s) to secure the modem to the system board. 5 Replace the modem cover.

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98 Adding and Replacing Parts

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SECTION 4

Appendix

Specifications Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit Contacting Dell Regulatory Notices Limited Warranties and Return Policy

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Specifications

Microprocessor

Microprocessor type Intel® Mobile P entium® 4M L1 cache 8 KB (internal) L2 cache 512 KB (on die) External bus frequency 400 MHz

System Information

System chip set Intel 845MP Data bus width 64 bits DRAM bus width 64 bits Microprocessor address bus width 32 bits

PC Card

CardBus controller Texas Instruments PCI 1420 CardBus

controller

PC Card connector two (supports two Type I or T ype II car ds or

one Type III card)

100 Appendix

Cards supported 3.3 V and 5 V PC Card connector size 68 pins Data width (maximum) PCMCIA 16 bits

CardBus 32 bits

Memory

Memory module connector two user-accessible SODIMM sockets Memory module capacities 128, 256, and 512 MB Memory type 266-MHz DDR SDRAM Standard memory 128 MB Maximum memory 1 GB

Dell Inspiron 4150 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Setting Up and Using Your Computer

A Tour of Your Computer

Setting Up a Printer

Transferring Information to a New Computer With Windows® XP

Connecting to the Internet

Copying CDs

Turning Off the Computer

About the Module Bay

Swapping Devices While the Computer Is Turned Off

Swapping Devices While the Computer Is Running

Using the Floppy Drive as an External Device

Enabling the Infrared Sensor

Connecting a Television to the Computer

Setting Up the Dolby Headphone

Setting Up the Docking Device to Connect to a Network

Power Protection Devices

Solving Problems

Finding Solutions

Accessing Help

Power Problems

Error Messages

Video and Display Problems

Sound and Speaker Problems

Printer Problems

Modem and Internet Connection Problems

Scanner Problems

Touch Pad or Mouse Problems

External Keyboard Problems

Unexpected Characters

Drive Problems

PC Card Problems

Network Problems

General Program Problems

E-Mail Problems

If Your Computer Gets Wet

If You Drop or Damage Your Computer

Resolving Other Technical Problems

Drivers

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities

Using Microsoft® Windows® System Restore

Reinstalling Microsoft® Windows® XP

Adding and Replacing Parts

Palm Rests

Display Cover

Hard Drive

Memory, Mini PCI Card, and Modem

Appendix

Specifications