Dell Inspiron M792N, Inspiron PP42L Setup Manual

SETUP GUIDE

INSPIRON

™

Model PP42L

INSPIRON

™

SETUP GUIDE

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings

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

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

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

__________________

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.

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

Trademarks used in this text:

Dell

, the

DELL

logo,

Inspiron, YOURS IS HERE

, and

DellConnect

are trademarks of Dell Inc.;

Intel, Celeron,

and

Pentium

are registered trademarks and

Core

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

countries;

Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista,

and

Windows Vista

start button logo are either trademarks or registered

trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries;

Blu-ray Disc

is a registered trademark of

the Blu-ray Disc Association;

Bluetooth

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

license.

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

March 2009 P/N M792N Rev. A00

INSPIRON

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

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

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

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

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

Windows Vista

Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Enable or Disable Wireless. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Connect to the Internet (Optional) . . . . . . . . 10

Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop. . . . . . . . . . . .12

Right Side Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Left Side Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Front Side Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Computer Base and Keyboard Features . . . 18

Touch Pad Gestures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Media Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Display Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Removing and Replacing the Battery . . . . . 26

Software Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Solving Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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

Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Lockups and Software Problems . . . . . . . . . 34

Using Support Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Dell Support Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

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

Hardware Troubleshooter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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

Contents

Restoring Your Operating System . . . . . . .42

System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Dell Factory Image Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Operating System Reinstallation . . . . . . . . . 46

Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Technical Support and Customer

Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Online Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Automated Order-Status Service. . . . . . . . . 51

Product Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Before You Call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Contacting Dell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Finding More Information and

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

INSPIRON

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

This section provides information about setting up your Inspiron 1440 laptop and connecting peripherals.

Before Setting Up Your Computer

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

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

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

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

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

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Connect the AC Adapter

Connect the AC adapter to the computer and then plug it into a wall outlet or surge protector.

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

NOTE: Charge the computer battery for at least 12 hours before using your computer on

battery power.

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Connect the Network Cable (Optional)

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

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Press the Power Button

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Windows Vista® Setup

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

CAUTION: Do not interrupt the operating system’s setup process. Doing so may render your computer unusable.

NOTE: It is recommended that you

download and install the latest BIOS and drivers for your computer available on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Enable or Disable Wireless

To turn on wireless, with the computer turned on:

Press <Fn><F2> or press the 1.

key on the

keyboard.

The Wireless Enable/Disable dialog box appears.

Select one of the following:2.

Enable Bluetooth –

Enable Wireless LAN –

Click 3. OK.

To turn off wireless, press <Fn><F2> again to turn off all radios.

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Connect to the Internet (Optional)

NOTE: Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and

ISP offerings vary by country.

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

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

NOTE: If you cannot connect to the Internet but have successfully connected in the past, the ISP might have a service outage. Contact your ISP to check the service status, or try connecting again later.

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

Setting Up a Wired Connection

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

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

To complete setting up your wired internet connection, follow the instructions in “Setting Up Your Internet Connection” on page 11.

Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Setting Up a Wireless Connection

NOTE: To set up your wireless router,

see the documentation that shipped with your router.

Before you can use your wireless Internet connection, you need to connect to your wireless router. To set up your connection to a wireless router:

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

Click 2. Start

→ Connect To.

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

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

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

Click 2. Start

→ Control Panel.

Under 3. Network and Internet, click Connect to the Internet.

The Connect to the Internet window appears.

Click either 4. Broadband (PPPoE) or Dial-up, depending on how you want to connect:

Choose – Broadband if you use a DSL, satellite modem, cable TV modem, or Bluetooth

wireless technology

connection. Chose – Dial-up if you use an optional USB

dial-up modem or ISDN.

NOTE: If you do not know which type of connection to select, click Help me choose or contact your ISP.

Follow the instructions on the screen and 5. use the setup information provided by your ISP to complete the setup.

INSPIRON

Your Inspiron 1440 laptop has indicators and buttons that provide information and enable you to perform common tasks. The connectors on your computer provide the option of attaching additional devices.

Right Side Features

2 31 4 5 6 7

Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop

ExpressCard slot – Provides support for additional memory, wired and wireless

communications, multimedia, and security features. Supports 34 mm ExpressCards.

NOTE: Your computer ships with a plastic

blank

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

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

powered speaker or sound system.

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

audio programs.

Optical drive – Plays or burns CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray disc (optional). Ensure that the side with

print or writing is facing upward when inserting discs.

Optical drive light – Blinks when you press the optical drive eject button or when you insert a

disc and it is being read.

Optical drive eject button – Opens the optical drive.

USB 2.0 connector – Connects to USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, printer,

external drive, or MP3 player.

Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Left Side Features

2 31 4 5

Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop

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

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

on your computer.

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

the battery.

VGA connector – Connects to a monitor or projector.

Network connector – Connects your computer to a network or a broadband device if you

are using a wired network.

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

external drive, or MP3 player.

Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Front Side Features

1 2 3

Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Integrated single analog microphone – Provides quality sound for video chatting and voice

recording.

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

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

Secure digital (SD) memory card• Secure Digital Input Output (SDIO) card• Multi Media Card (MMC)• Memory Stick•

Memory Stick PRO• Hi Speed-SD• Hi Density-SD•

Power/Battery indicator light – Turns on steadily or blinks to indicate

power/battery charge status. The light indicates the following states while charging or using the computer with:

an AC adapter

Solid white • – The computer is on/off and the battery is charging. Blinking white • – The computer is in standby mode. Off • – The computer is off or in hibernate mode.

a battery

Solid white • – The computer is on. Blinking white • – The computer is in standby mode. Solid amber • – The battery charge is low. Connect the AC adapter to charge the battery. Off • – The computer is off or in hibernate mode

Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Computer Base and Keyboard Features

1 2 3

Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop

Keyboard – For more information about the keyboard, see the

Dell Technology Guide

. The media controls are also located on the keyboard. These keys control CD, DVD, Blu-ray (optional), and media playback.

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

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

items, and left-click by tapping the surface.

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Dell Inspiron M792N, Inspiron PP42L Setup Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual