Dell DHM, K0004 User Manual

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Page 1

Dell™ Dimension™ 8250 Series

CD or DVD volume control dial

CD or DVD activity light

CD or DVD drive eject button

floppy drive eject button*

floppy drive light*

USB 2.0 connectors (2)

headphone connector

service tag

power connector

voltage selection switch

serial connector

keyboard connector

USB 2.0 connectors (6)

microphone connector

hard drive light

power button

*On computers with an optional floppy drive.

parallel connector

mouse connector

network adapter

line-out connector

line-in connector

video connector

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Page 2

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

For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the Tell Me How help file. To access help files, see page 38.

If you purchased a Dell™ n Series computer, any references in this document to Microsoft

Windows® operating systems are not applicable.

____________________

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, Dimension, Inspiron, Latitude, OptiPlex, Dell Precision, and DellNet 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.

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.

January 2003 P/N K0004 Rev. A00

Page 3

Contents

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

General

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

When Using Your Computer

When Working Inside Your Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge

Ergonomic Computing Habits

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

Battery Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Finding Information for Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

1 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Setting Up a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Printer Cable

Connecting a Parallel Printer

Connecting a USB Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Connecting Two Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Connecting the Monitors to Your Computer

Enabling Clone Mode

Enabling Extended Desktop Mode

Transferring Information to a New Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . 25

Setting Up a Home and Office Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Connecting to a Network Adapter

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

Network Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Contents 3

Page 4

Copying CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Using Easy CD Creator Basic

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

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

. . . . . . . . 31

Helpful Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

How to Copy a CD

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

Hyper-Threading

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Turning Off the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

2 Solving Problems

Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Finding Help Information

Battery Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Drive Problems

Floppy drive problems

CD drive problems

Problems writing to a CD-RW drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

DVD drive problems

Hard drive problems

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

Error Messages

General Problems

The computer stops responding

A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

A program crashes repeatedly

A program is designed for an earlier Windows operating system

A solid blue screen appears

Other software problems

Other technical problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

General hardware problems

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

4 Contents

Page 5

IEEE 1394 Device Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Keyboard Problems

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

Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Network Problems

Power Problems

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

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

Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Scanner Problems

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

Sound and Speaker Problems

No sound from speakers

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

No sound from headphones

Video and Monitor Problems

If the screen is blank

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

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

If the screen is difficult to read

3 Advanced Troubleshooting

Diagnostic Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

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

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

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

Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

When to Use the Dell Diagnostics

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Starting the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Drivers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

What Is a Driver?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Identifying Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Reinstalling drivers

Using System Restore

Creating a Restore Point

Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State

Undoing the Last System Restore

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

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

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

. . . . . . 68

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

Contents 5

Page 6

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . 70

Reinstalling Microsoft

Before You Reinstall

Reinstalling Windows XP

Reinstalling Drivers and Software

4 Adding Parts

Front and Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Front View

Back View

Windows® XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Reattaching the Front Door and Hinge Arms

Reattaching the Hinge Arms

Reattaching the Front Door

Opening the Computer Cover

Looking Inside Your Computer

System Board

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

. . . . . . . . . . . 80

Installing and Removing Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

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

Cards

Installing a Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Removing a Card

Adding Memory

RDRAM Overview

Removing a Memory Module

Adding a Memory Module

Adding or Replacing the AGP Card

Removing an AGP Card

Installing an AGP Card

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

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

6 Contents

Adding a Second Hard Drive

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Page 7

Adding a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Removing the Front-Panel Insert

Installing a Floppy Drive

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

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

Closing the Computer Cover

5 Appendix

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Standard Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Viewing Settings

System Setup Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Clearing Forgotten Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Replacing the Battery

Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)

Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals

Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals

Contacting Dell

Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

NOM Information (Mexico Only)

Limited Warranties and Return Policy

Limited Warranty for the U.S.

"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (U.S. Only)

Limited Warranty Terms for Canada

"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (Canada Only)

Dell Software and Peripherals (Canada Only)

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

. . . . . . . . . 144

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

. . . . . . . . 148

. . . . . . . . . 148

Contents 7

Page 8

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) . . . . . . . 151

. . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

8 Contents

Page 9

CAUTION: Safety Instructions

Use the following safety guidelines to help ensure 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.

• To help prevent electric shock, plug the computer and device power cables into properly grounded electrical outlets. These cables are equipped with 3-prong plugs to help ensure proper grounding. Do not use adapter plugs or remove the grounding prong from a cable. If you must use an extension cable, use a 3-wire cable with properly grounded plugs.

• To help avoid the potential hazard of electric shock, do not use your computer during an electrical storm.

• 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.

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

• 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.

• To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds after turning off the computer before disconnecting a device from the computer.

CAUTION: Safety Instructions 9

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CAUTION: Safety Instructions

• To avoid shorting out your computer when disconnecting a network cable, first unplug the cable from the network adapter on the back of your computer, and then from the network jack. When reconnecting a network cable to your computer, first plug the cable into the network jack, and then into the network adapter.

• To help protect your computer from sudden, transient increases and decreases in electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner, or uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

• Ensure that nothing rests on your computer’s cables and that the cables are not located where they can be stepped on or tripped over.

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

• 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.

(continued)

10 CAUTION: Safety Instructions

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When Using Your Computer

As you use your computer, observe the following safe-handling guidelines.

CAUTION: Do not operate your computer with any cover(s) (including computer

covers, bezels, filler brackets, front-panel inserts, and so on) removed.

• Your computer is equipped with one of the following:

– A fixed-voltage power supply — Computers with a fixed-voltage power supply do not

have a voltage selection switch on the back panel and operate at only one voltage (see the regulatory label on the outside of the computer for its operating voltage).

– An auto-sensing voltage circuit — Computers with an auto-sensing voltage circuit do

not have a voltage selection switch on the back panel and automatically detect the correct operating voltage.

– A manual voltage selection switch — Computers with a voltage selection switch on

the back panel must be manually set to operate at the correct operating voltage.

NOTICE: To help avoid damaging a computer with a manual voltage selection switch, set the

switch for the voltage that most closely matches the AC power available in your location. For Japan, the voltage selection switch must be set to the 115-V position even though the AC power available in Japan is 100 V. Also, ensure that your monitor and attached devices are electrically rated to operate with the AC power available in your location.

• Before working inside the computer, unplug the computer to help prevent electric shock or system board damage. Certain system board components continue to receive power any time the computer is connected to AC power.

When Using Your Computer 11

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When Using Your Computer

(continued)

When Working Inside Your Computer

Before you open the computer cover, perform the following steps in the sequence indicated.

CAUTION: Do not attempt to service the computer yourself, except as explained in

your online Dell™ documentation or in instructions otherwise provided to you by Dell. Always follow installation and service instructions closely.

NOTICE: To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds after turning off the

computer before removing a component from the system board or disconnecting a device from the computer.

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1 Shut down the computer (page 33).

2 Turn off your computer and any devices connected to the computer.

3 Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface on the chassis, such as the metal

around the card-slot openings at the back of the computer, before touching anything inside your computer.

While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components.

4 Disconnect your computer and devices, including the monitor, from their electrical

outlets. Also, disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.

Doing so reduces the potential for personal injury or shock.

In addition, take note of these safety guidelines when appropriate:

• When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief loop, not on the cable itself. Some cables have a connector with locking tabs; if you are disconnecting this type of cable, press in on the locking tabs before disconnecting the cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable, ensure that both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.

12 When Using Your Computer

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When Using Your Computer

• Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting bracket. Hold a component such as a microprocessor chip by its edges, not by its pins.

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

Replace the battery only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. 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.

(continued)

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge

Static electricity can harm delicate 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 the microprocessor. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis.

As you continue to work inside the computer, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface to remove any static charge your body may have accumulated.

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

• Do not remove components from their antistatic packing material until you are ready to install the component in your computer. Just before unwrapping the antistatic packaging, discharge static electricity from your body.

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

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

Ergonomic Computing Habits

CAUTION: Improper or prolonged keyboard use may result in injury.

CAUTION: Viewing the monitor screen for extended periods of time may result in

eye strain.

For comfort and efficiency, observe the ergonomic guidelines in the Tell Me H ow help file when setting up and using your computer. To access the help file, see page 38.

When Using Your Computer 13

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When Using Your Computer

Battery Disposal

Your computer uses a lithium coin-cell battery. The lithium coin-cell 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, see page 117.

Do not dispose of the battery along with household waste. Contact your local waste disposal

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agency for the address of the nearest battery deposit site.

(continued)

14 When Using Your Computer

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Finding Information for Your Computer

What Are You Looking For? Find it Here

• A diagnostic program for my computer

• Drivers for my computer

• My computer documentation

• My device documentation

• How to set up a printer

• How to troubleshoot and solve problems

• How to add parts

• How to contact Dell

ResourceCD

You can use this CD to access documentation or reinstall drivers (see page 66)

Owner’s Manual

• Express Service Code and Service Tag Number

•Microsoft

Windows® License Label

Express Service Code and Product Key

Located on your computer.

Finding Information for Your Computer 15

Page 16

What Are You Looking For? Find it Here

• How to reinstall my operating system

Operating System CD

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• Latest drivers for my computer

• Answers to technical service and support questions

• Online discussions with other users and technical support

• Documentation for my computer

If you reinstall your operating system, use the ResourceCD to reinstall drivers for the devices that came with your computer.

Dell Support website

The Dell Support website provides several online tools, including:

• Knowledge Base — hints, tips, and online courses

• Customer Forum — online discussion with other Dell customers

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

• Customer Care — contact information, order status, warranty, and repair information

• Downloads — drivers, patches, and software updates

• Reference — computer documentation, product specifications, and white papers

16 Finding Information for Your Computer

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What Are You Looking For? Find it Here

• How to set up my computer Setup diagram

• Tips on using Windows

• How to clean my computer

• How to use my mouse and keyboard

• How to use Windows XP

• Documentation for my computer and devices

Tell Me How help file

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.

Windows XP Help and Support Center

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.

Finding Information for Your Computer 17

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18 Finding Information for Your Computer

Page 19

SECTION 1

Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Setting Up a Printer

Connecting Two Monitors

Transferring Information to a New Computer

Setting Up a Home and Office Network

Connecting to the Internet

Copying CDs

Hyper-Threading

Turning Off the Computer

Page 20

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 33).

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.

20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Page 21

parallel connector on computer

connector on printer

screws (2)

parallel printer cable

notches (2)

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

clips (2)

Hardware Wizard window appears, click Cancel.

5 Install the printer driver if necessary. See the documentation that

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 that

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.

HINT: You can connect

USB devices while the computer is turned on.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 21

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USB connector on computer

USB connector

USB printer cable

on printer

Connecting Two Monitors

If you purchased a video card that supports dual monitors, follow the instructions in this section to connect and enable your monitors.

Connecting the Monitors to Your Computer

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

computer.

2 Connect the monitor cables to the connectors on the back of the

computer.

HINT: If both monitors

have VGA connectors, you must have the optional VGA adapter.

If both monitors have VGA connectors:

a Connect one of the monitors to the VGA (blue) connector on the

computer.

b Connect the other monitor to the optional VGA adapter, and then

connect the VGA adapter to the DVI (white) connector on the computer.

22 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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optional VGA adapter

If one monitor has a VGA connector and the other one has a DVI connector:

a Connect the VGA connector on the monitor to the VGA (blue)

connector on the computer.

b Connect the DVI connector on the other monitor to the DVI

(white) connector on the computer.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 23

HINT: If you are

connecting two flat panel monitors, at least one of them must have a VGA connector.

Page 24

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3 Restart the computer.

The Microsoft

4 Use the instructions in the following sections to enable clone mode or

Windows® desktop displays on the primary monitor.

extended desktop mode in the display settings.

For more information on changing display settings, see the Help and Support Center (click the Start button and click Help and Support).

Enabling Clone Mode

In clone mode, both monitors display the same image.

1 Right-click an empty spot on the desktop and click Properties.

2 Click the Settings tab and click Advanced.

3 Click the nView tab, click Clone, and click OK.

24 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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4 Click OK to continue.

The screen temporarily blacks out, and then the same image displays on both monitors.

5 Click Ye s to accept the changes.

Enabling Extended Desktop Mode

In extended desktop mode, you can drag objects from one screen to the other, effectively doubling the amount of viewable work space.

1 Right-click an empty spot on the desktop and click Properties.

2 Click the Settings tab.

Two monitors are displayed on the Settings tab.

3 Click the grayed-out monitor icon.

4 Click Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor, and click OK.

The screen temporarily blacks out, and then the desktop displays on both monitors.

Transferring Information to a New Computer

The Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system provides a Files and Settings Transfer wizard to move data, such as e-mails, toolbar settings, window sizes, and Internet bookmarks, from the source or old computer to the new computer.

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 writable CD or floppy disk.

To prepare the new computer for the file transfer:

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

To ol s , and then click Files and Settings Tra n sfer Wizar d.

2 When the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard welcome screen

appears, click Next.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 25

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

then click Next.

4 On the Do you have a Windows XP CD? screen, click I will use the

wizard from the Windows XP CD, and then click Next.

5 When the Now go to your old computer screen appears, go to your old

or source computer. Do not click Next at this time.

To copy data from the old computer:

1 On the old computer, insert the Windows XP Operating System CD

into your CD or DVD drive.

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2 On the Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP screen, click Perform

additional tasks.

3 Under What do you want to do?, click Transfer files and settings.

4 On the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard welcome screen, click Next.

5 On the Which computer is this? screen, click Old Computer, and

then click Next.

6 On the Select a transfer method screen, click the transfer method you

prefer.

7 On the What do you want to transfer? screen, select the items you

want to transfer and then click Next.

After the information has been copied, the Completing the Collection Phase screen appears.

8 Click Finish.

To transfer data to the new computer:

1 On the Now go to your old computer screen on the new computer,

click Next.

2 On the Where are the files and settings? screen, select the method you

chose for transferring your settings and files, and then click Next.

The wizard reads the collected files and settings and applies them to your new computer.

When all of the settings and files have been applied, the Finished screen appears.

3 Click Finished and restart the new computer.

26 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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Setting Up a Home and Office Network

Connecting to a Network Adapter

Before you connect your computer to a network, the computer must have a network adapter installed and a network cable connected to it.

To connect a network cable:

1 Connect the network cable to the network adapter connector on the

back of your computer.

2 Connect the other end of the network cable to a network connection

device, such as a network wall jack.

network adapter connector on computer

network wall

network cable

jack

Network Setup Wizard

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.

HINT: Insert the cable

until it clicks into place, and then gently pull it to ensure that it is secure.

HINT: Do not use a

network cable with a telephone wall jack.

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

Communications, and then click Network Setup Wizard.

2 On the welcome screen, click Next.

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3 Click Checklist for creating a network.

HINT: Selecting the

connection method This computer connects directly to the Internet

enables the integrated firewall provided with Microsoft operating system.

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HINT: ISPs may vary by

country.

Windows® XP

Complete the checklist and required preparations, and 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 AOL or MSN. Your ISP will offer one or more of the following Internet connection options:

• Dial-up connections that provide Internet access through a 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.

If you are using a dial-up connection, connect a telephone line to the modem connector on your computer and to the telephone wall jack before you set up your Internet connection. If you are using a DSL or cable modem connection, contact your ISP for setup instructions.

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

To set up an AOL or 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.

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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 Internet Explorer.

The New Connection Wizard appears.

3 Click Connect to the Internet.

4 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.

5 Click Next.

If you selected Set up my connection manually, continue to step 6. Otherwise, follow the instructions on the screen to complete the setup.

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

the Internet?, and then click Next.

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

If you are having problems connecting to the Internet, see "E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems" on page 41. 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.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 29

HINT: If you do not know

which type of connection to select, contact your ISP.

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Copying CDs

HINT: Ensure that you

follow all copyright laws when you create CDs.

HINT: The information in

this section also applies to

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using Easy CD Creator Basic with a DVD+RW or a DVD+R drive.

This section applies only to computers that have a CD- or DVD-recording device.

The information in this section is based on the Roxio Easy CD Creator Basic documentation that came with your computer. See the following section, "Using Easy CD Creator Basic," for instructions on how to locate that documentation.

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.

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.

• 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 Creator, and then click Project Selector.

30 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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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 Information for Your Computer" on page 15). The documentation is also provided on the Dell Dimension ResourceCD, which is included with your computer. Each Easy CD Creator Basic project program also has thorough online help files.

Windows® XP Help and Support Center (see "Finding

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

Your CD-RW drive writes to two different types of recording 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 Windows Explorer 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 before 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

HINT: If you have a

DVD/CD-RW combo drive and you experience recording problems, first check for available software patches at the Dell Support website at support.dell.com and if necessary, the Roxio support website at support.roxio.com.

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.

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

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

The recording starts automatically.

7 After the recording completes, click OK.

Hyper-Threading

Hyper-Threading is an Intel® technology that can enhance overall performance by allowing one physical microprocessor to function as two logical microprocessors, capable of performing certain tasks simultaneously. It is recommended that you use the Microsoft system because Windows XP is optimized to take advantage of HyperThreading technology. While many programs will benefit from Hyper-Threading technology, some programs have not been optimized for Hyper-Threading, and may require an update from the software manufacturer. Contact the software manufacturer for updates and information on using your software with Hyper-Threading.

Windows® XP operating

HINT: Yo u m u st us e

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.

To determine if your computer is using Hyper-Threading technology:

1 Click the Start button, right-click My Computer, and then click

Properties.

2 Click Hardware and click Device Manager.

3 In the Device Manager window, click the plus (+) sign next to the

processor type. If Hyper-Threading is enabled, the processor is listed twice.

You can enable or disable Hyper-Threading through the system setup program. For information on accessing the system setup program, see page 114. For more information on Hyper-Threading, search the Knowledge Base on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

HINT: Hyper-Threading

is supported only on computers that have 3.06GHz microprocessors (or higher) installed.

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HINT: If you are having

difficulty turning off your computer, see "General Problems" on page 44.

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Turning Off the Computer

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

Microsoft® Windows® operating system shutdown, as described next, rather than by pressing the power button.

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

button, and then click Turn Off Computer.

2 In the Turn off computer window, click Tu rn of f .

The computer turns off after the shutdown process finishes.

3 Turn off your monitor and any other devices connected to power.

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SECTION 2

Solving Problems

Finding Solutions

Finding Help Information

Battery Problems

Drive Problems

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

Error Messages

General Problems

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

Keyboard Problems

Mouse Problems

Network Problems

Power Problems

Printer Problems

Scanner Problems

Sound and Speaker Problems

Video and Monitor Problems

Page 36

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Finding Solutions

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

See page 51.

Press a key or move the mouse. See the help file for information on standby mode.

Get technical assistance from Dell. See page 120.

See page 43.

Tell Me How

36 Solving Problems

Page 37

See page 56.

See page 55.

See page 53.

See page 41.

See page 49.

See page 48.

See page 39.

See page 50.

See page 54.

See page 43.

See page 44.

See page 41.

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Finding Help Information

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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 M e Ho w.

TO ACCESS WINDOWS HELP —

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.

TO LOCATE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR YOUR COMPUTER — See

page 15.

Tell Me How

HELP FILE —

Battery Problems

CAUTION: There is a danger of a new battery exploding if it is

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

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the safety instructions on page 9.

38 Solving Problems

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

information after turning on the computer, or if an incorrect time or date displays during start-up, replace the battery (see page 117). If the battery still does not work properly, contact Dell (see page 120).

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Drive Problems

Floppy drive problems

ENSURE THAT WINDOWS® RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Click the Start

button and click My Computer. If the floppy drive is not listed, perform a full scan with your antivirus software to check for and remove viruses. Viruses can sometimes prevent Windows from recognizing the drive.

TEST THE DRIVE —

• Insert another disk to eliminate the possibility that the original floppy disk is defective.

• Insert a bootable floppy disk and reboot the computer.

ENSURE THAT THE DISK IS NOT FULL OR WRITE- PROTECTED —

Ensure that the disk has available space and that it is not write-protected (locked). See the following illustration.

back of floppy disk

write-protected

not writeprotected

NOTICE: Do not attempt to clean drive heads with a swab. You may

accidentally misalign the heads, which can render the drive inoperable.

CLEAN THE DRIVE — Use a commercially available cleaning kit.

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HINT: High-speed CD

drive vibration is normal and may cause noise. This does not indicate a defect in the drive or the CD.

CD drive problems

ADJUST THE WINDOWS VOLUME CONTROL — Click the speaker icon in

the lower-right corner of your screen.

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

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

TEST THE DRIVE WITH ANOTHER CD — Insert another CD to eliminate the possibility that the original CD is defective.

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CHECK THE SPEAKERS AND SUBWOOFER — See "Sound and Speaker Problems" on page 55.

ENSURE THAT WINDOWS RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Click the Start button and click My Computer. If the CD 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.

CLEAN THE DISC — See the Tel l M e H ow help file for instructions on cleaning your CDs. To access help files, see page 38.

Problems writing to a CD-RW drive

CLOSE OTHER PROGRAMS — The CD-RW drive must receive a steady

stream of data when writing. If the stream is interrupted, an error occurs. Try closing all programs before writing to the CD-RW.

TURN OFF STANDBY MODE IN WINDOWS BEFORE WRITING TO A CD-RW DISC — For information on power conservation modes, see the Tel l

Me How help file or search for the keyword standby in Windows Help. To access help files, see page 38.

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DVD drive problems

TEST THE DRIVE WITH ANOTHER DVD — Insert another DVD to

eliminate the possibility that the original DVD is defective.

ENSURE THAT WINDOWS RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Click the Start button and click My Computer. If the DVD drive is not listed, perform a full scan with your antivirus software to check for and remove viruses. Viruses can sometimes prevent Windows from recognizing the drive.

CLEAN THE DISC — See the Tel l M e H ow help file for instructions on cleaning your DVDs. To access help files, see page 38.

CHECK FOR INTERRUPT REQUEST CONFLICTS — See page 70.

Hard drive problems

RUN CHECK DISK —

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.

HINT: Because of

different regions worldwide and different disc formats, not all DVD titles work in all DVD drives.

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

CHECK THE TELEPHONE LINE CONNECTION — Verify that the telephone

line is connected to the jack on the modem. (The jack has either a green label or a connector-shaped icon next to it.) Ensure that you hear a click when you insert the telephone line connector into the modem.

CHECK THE TELEPHONE JACK — Disconnect the telephone line from the modem and connect it to a telephone. Listen for a dial tone.

HINT: Connect the

modem to an analog telephone jack only. The modem does not operate while it is connected to a digital telephone network.

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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 to connect the modem directly to the telephone wall jack.

USE A DIFFERENT TELEPHONE LINE — If you are using a line that is 3 m (10 ft) or more in length, try a shorter one.

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

VERIFY THAT THE MODEM IS COMMUNICATING WITH WINDOWS®—

1 Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel. 2 Click Printers and Other Hardware. 3 Click Phone and Modem Options. 4 Click the Modems tab. 5 Click the COM port for your modem. 6 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.

42 Solving Problems

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 then click Control Panel. 2 Click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Phone and Modem

Options.

3 Click your connection type to highlight it. 4 Click the Dialing Rules tab, and then click Edit. 5 Click the To Disable Call Waiting box to place a checkmark in it. 6 Select the disable code from the drop-down menu (for example, *70). 7 Click Apply, and then click OK.

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ENSURE THAT YOU ARE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET — With the

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

ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE SUBSCRIBED TO AN INTERNET SERVICE

PROVIDER — Contact an Internet service provider to subscribe.

CONTACT YOUR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER — Contact your Internet

service provider for assistance.

Error Messages

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

A FILENAME CANNOT CONTAIN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING

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

filenames.

A REQUIRED .DLL FILE WAS NOT FOUND — The program that you are trying to open is missing an essential file. To remove and then reinstall the program:

1 Click the Start button. 2 Click Control Panel. 3 Click Add or Remove Programs. 4 Select the program you want to remove. 5 Click the Change or Remove Program icon. 6 See the program documentation for installation instructions.

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 ERROR — A floppy disk is in the floppy drive. Remove the floppy disk and restart the computer.

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NOT ENOUGH MEMORY OR RESOURCES. CLOSE SOME PROGRAMS AND

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

the program that you want to use. In some cases, you might have to restart your computer to restore computer resources. If so, try running the program that you want to use first.

OPERATING SYSTEM NOT FOUND — Contact Dell (see page 120).

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. Try

copying the file to a blank disk or using a larger-capacity disk.

:\ IS NOT ACCESSIBLE. THE DEVICE IS NOT READY — The floppy

drive cannot read the disk. Insert a floppy disk into the drive and try again.

General Problems

The computer stops responding

TURN THE COMPUTER OFF — If your computer locks up and you are unable

to get a response by pressing a key on your keyboard or moving your mouse, press and hold the power button for at least 8 to 10 seconds until the computer turns off. Then press the power button again to turn on the computer. You might lose data if you are unable to perform an operating system shutdown.

44 Solving Problems

A program stops responding

END THE PROGRAM —

1 Press <Ctrl><Shift><Esc> simultaneously. 2 Click Applications. 3 Click the program that is no longer responding. 4 Click End Task.

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A program crashes repeatedly

CHECK 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. If necessary, uninstall and then reinstall the program.

A program is designed for an earlier Windows operating system

RUN THE PROGRAM COMPATIBILITY WIZARD —

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

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

Program Compatibility Wizard.

2 In the welcome screen, click Next. 3 Follow the instructions on the screen.

A solid blue screen appears

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

keystroke or a proper shutdown, press the power button for at least 8 to 10 seconds until the computer turns off. Press the power button again to restart the computer. The chkdsk program automatically runs during the start-up process. Follow the instructions on the screen.

HINT: Software usually

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

Other technical problems

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

with general usage, installation, and troubleshooting questions.The support website offers several different tools to help you, such as Dell Forum—a chat room where you can communicate with other Dell customers about their computers and gain access to technical support through e-mail. See "Dell Support website" on page 16 for more information about the website.See "Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)" on page 119 for a description of the hardware and software support provided by Dell.

CALL DELL — If you cannot solve your problem using the Dell Support website or e-mail service, call Dell for technical assistance (see page 120). See "Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)" on page 119 for a description of the hardware and software support provided by Dell.

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General hardware problems

If your computer exhibits one or more of the following symptoms, a device conflict may exist:

• Your computer locks up, particularly while using a specific device.

• A recently added device does not work.

• A sound card emits noise or demonstrates other problems.

• Unintelligible characters print from the printer.

• The mouse pointer does not move or "stutters" when it moves.

• Messages appear stating that the computer is not operating at maximum performance.

• Errors occur and programs crash for no apparent reason.

• Nothing displays on the monitor.

REMOVE ANY RECENTLY ADDED HARDWARE TO SEE IF IT RESOLVES

THE CONFLICT — If removing the hardware resolves the conflict, see the

hardware documentation for configuration and troubleshooting instructions. If the problem persists, contact the hardware manufacturer for technical assistance.

CHECK YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION FOR ADDITIONAL

TROUBLESHOOTING INFORMATION

CHECK FOR INTERRUPT REQUEST CONFLICTS — See page 70.

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

CHECK THE IEEE 1394 DEVICE — Ensure that the IEEE 1394 device is

properly inserted into the connector.

HINT: Check Windows

Explorer to see if your device is listed as a drive.

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ENSURE THAT THE IEEE 1394 DEVICE IS RECOGNIZED BY

INDOWS

1 Click the Start button. 2 Click Control Panel. 3 Click Printers and Other Hardware.

—

If your IEEE 1394 device is listed, Windows recognizes the device.

IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH A DELL-PROVIDED IEEE 1394

DEVICE — Contact Dell (see page 120).

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IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH A IEEE 1394 DEVICE NOT PROVIDED

BY DELL — Contact the IEEE 1394 device manufacturer.

Keyboard Problems

RESTART THE COMPUTER —

• If the mouse is functioning, shut down the computer through the Start menu (see page 33). After the computer shuts down, press the power button to restart the computer.

• If the computer does not respond to a keystroke or the mouse, press the power button for at least 8 to 10 seconds until the computer turns off. Press the power button again to restart the computer.

CHECK THE KEYBOARD CABLE —

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

• Shut down the computer (see page 33), reconnect the keyboard cable as shown on the setup diagram for your computer, and then restart the computer.

• Check the cable connector for bent or broken pins and for damaged or frayed cables. Straighten bent pins.

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

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TEST THE KEYBOARD — Connect a properly working keyboard to the

computer, and try using the keyboard. If the new keyboard works, the original keyboard is faulty.

CHECK FOR INTERRUPT REQUEST CONFLICTS — See page 70.

Mouse Problems

RESTART THE COMPUTER —

1 Simultaneously press <Ctrl><Esc> to display the Start menu. 2 Ty p e u, press the keyboard arrow keys to highlight Shut down or Tur n O ff , and

then press <Enter>.

3 After the computer turns off, press the power button to restart the computer.

IF YOU CONNECTED THE MOUSE BEFORE TURNING ON THE

COMPUTER, RECONNECT THE MOUSE CABLE —

1 Simultaneously press <Ctrl><Esc> to display the Start menu. 2 Ty p e u, press the keyboard arrow keys to highlight Shut down or Tur n O ff , and

then press <Enter>.

3 After the computer turns off, reconnect the mouse cable as shown on the

setup diagram for your computer.

4 Start the computer.

IF YOU CONNECTED THE MOUSE AFTER TURNING ON THE COMPUTER,

REMOVE THE POWER CABLE, AND THEN RECONNECT THE MOUSE CABLE — If the mouse is connected after the power is turned on, the mouse

appears to be nonfunctional. To make the mouse function properly:

1 While your computer is on, remove the power cable from the back of the

computer.

2 Connect the mouse to the computer. 3 Reconnect the power cable. 4 Turn on your computer.

Pressing the power button does not clear the computer’s settings and does not restore mouse functionality.

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CHECK THE MOUSE CABLE —

• Check the cable connector for bent or broken pins and for damaged or frayed cables. Straighten bent pins.

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

TEST THE MOUSE — Connect a properly working mouse to the computer, and try using the mouse. If the new mouse works, the original mouse was faulty.

CHECK THE MOUSE SETTINGS —

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

Hardware.

2 Click Mouse. 3 Try adjusting the settings.

REINSTALL THE MOUSE DRIVER — See page 66.

CHECK FOR INTERRUPT REQUEST CONFLICTS — See page 70.

Network Problems

50 Solving Problems

CHECK THE NETWORK CABLE CONNECTOR — Ensure that the network

cable is connected as shown on page 27.

CHECK THE NETWORK LIGHTS ON THE BACK OF THE COMPUTER —

No light indicates that no network communication exists. Replace the network cable.

network activity lightconnection speed light

Page 51

RESTART THE COMPUTER AND TRY TO LOG ON TO THE NETWORK

AGAIN

CHECK YOUR NETWORK SETTINGS — Contact your network administrator

or the person who set up your network to verify that your network settings are correct and that the network is functioning.

CHECK FOR INTERRUPT REQUEST CONFLICTS — See page 70.

Power Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the safety instructions on page page 9.

ADJUST THE POWER PROPERTIES — Your computer may be in standby or

hibernate mode. For information on power conservation modes, see the Tell Me How help file, or search for the keyword standby or hibernate in Windows

To access help files, see page 38.

IF THE POWER LIGHT IS GREEN AND THE COMPUTER IS NOT

RESPONDING — See page 60.

Help.

IF THE POWER LIGHT IS BLINKING GREEN — The computer is in standby mode. Press a key on the keyboard or move the mouse to resume normal operation.

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

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

• If the computer is plugged into a power strip, ensure that the power strip is plugged into an electrical outlet and that the power strip is turned on.

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

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

• Ensure that the main power cable is securely connected to the system board (see page 87).

• Ensure that the front panel cable is securely connected to the system board (see page 87).

• If the problem persists, contact Dell (see page 120).

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

• Ensure that the voltage selection switch is set to match the AC power at your location (see page 11).

• Ensure that the microprocessor power cable is securely connected to the system board (see page 87).

• If the problem persists, contact Dell (see page 120).

52 Solving Problems

IF THE POWER LIGHT IS STEADY AMBER — The computer is receiving

electrical power, but an internal power problem might exist.

• Ensure that the microprocessor power cable is securely connected to the system board (see page 87).

• If the problem persists, contact Dell (see page 120).

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

• Remove and then reinstall the memory modules (see page 95).

• Remove and then reinstall any cards (see page 88).

• If the problem persists, contact Dell (see page 120).

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ELIMINATE INTERFERENCE — Electrical appliances on the same circuit or operating near the computer can cause interference. Other causes of interference are:

• Power extension cables

• Keyboard and mouse extension cables

• Too many devices on a power strip

• Multiple power strips connected to the same electrical outlet

Printer Problems

CHECK THE PRINTER DOCUMENTATION — See the printer documentation

for setup and troubleshooting information.

ENSURE THAT THE PRINTER IS TURNED ON — See the printer documentation for power button information.

VERIFY THE PRINTER CABLE CONNECTIONS —

• See the printer documentation for cable connection information.

• Ensure that the printer cables are securely connected to the printer and the computer (see page 20).

HINT: Dell does not

cover the printer’s warranty. If you need technical assistance for your printer, call the printer’s manufacturer. See the printer documentation for the correct phone number.

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

VERIFY THAT THE PRINTER IS RECOGNIZED BY WINDOWS®—

1 Click the Start button. 2 Click Control Panel. 3 Click Printers and Other Hardware. 4 Click View installed printers or fax printers.

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

5 Click Properties, and then select the Ports tab. For a parallel printer, ensure

that the Print to the following port(s): setting is LPT1 (Printer Port). For a USB printer, ensure that the Print to the following port(s): setting is USB.

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HINT: Dell does not

cover the scanner’s warranty. If you need technical assistance for your scanner, call the

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scanner’s manufacturer. See the scanner documentation for the correct phone number.

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

Scanner Problems

CHECK THE SCANNER DOCUMENTATION — See the scanner

documentation for setup and troubleshooting information.

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

RESTART THE COMPUTER AND TRY THE SCANNER AGAIN

CHECK THE CABLE CONNECTIONS —

• If your scanner has a power cable, ensure that the power cable is firmly connected to a working electrical outlet and that the scanner is turned on.

• Ensure that the scanner cable is firmly connected to the computer and to the scanner.

54 Solving Problems

VERIFY THAT THE SCANNER IS RECOGNIZED BY MICROSOFT®

INDOWS

1 Click the Start button. 2 Click Control Panel. 3 Click Printers and Other Hardware. 4 Click Scanners and Cameras.

If your scanner is listed, Windows recognizes the scanner.

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

—

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Sound and Speaker Problems

No sound from speakers

CHECK THE SPEAKER CABLE CONNECTIONS — Ensure that the speakers

are connected as shown on the setup diagram supplied with the speakers.

ENSURE THAT THE SUBWOOFER AND THE SPEAKERS ARE TURNED

ON — See the setup diagram supplied with the speakers. If your speakers have

volume controls, adjust the volume, bass, or treble to eliminate distortion.

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

DISCONNECT HEADPHONES FROM THE HEADPHONE CONNECTOR —

Sound from the speakers is automatically disabled when headphones are connected to the computer’s front-panel headphone connector.

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

HINT: The volume

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

volume

ENABLE DIGITAL MODE — Your speakers do not work if the CD drive is operating in analog mode. To enable digital mode:

1 Click the Start button, click Control Pan el, and then click Sounds, Speech,

and Audio Devices.

2 Click Sounds and Audio Devices. 3 Click the Hardware tab. 4 Double-click the name of your CD drive. 5 Click the Properties tab. 6 Check the Enable digital CD audio for this CD-ROM device box.

ELIMINATE POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE — Turn off nearby fans, fluorescent

lights, or halogen lamps to check for interference.

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RUN THE SPEAKER DIAGNOSTICS — Some speaker systems have self-

diagnostics. See the speaker documentation for diagnostics instructions.

REINSTALL THE AUDIO (SOUND) DRIVER — See page 66.

CHECK FOR INTERRUPT REQUEST CONFLICTS — See page 70.

No sound from headphones

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CHECK THE HEADPHONE CABLE CONNECTION — Ensure that the headphone cable is securely inserted into the headphone connector (see page 76).

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

DISABLE DIGITAL MODE — Your headphones do not work if the CD drive is operating in digital mode. To disable digital mode:

1 Click the Start button, click Control Panel, and then click Sounds, Speech,

and Audio Devices.

2 Click Sounds and Audio Devices. 3 Click the Hardware tab. 4 Double-click the name of your CD drive. 5 Click the Properties tab. 6 Uncheck the Enable digital CD audio for this CD-ROM device box.

Video and Monitor Problems

If the screen is blank

HINT: See the monitor

documentation for troubleshooting procedures.

56 Solving Problems

CHECK THE MONITOR POWER LIGHT — If the power light is off, firmly

press the button to ensure that the monitor is turned on. If the power light is lit or blinking, the monitor has power. If the power light is blinking, press a key on the keyboard or move the mouse.

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CHECK THE MONITOR CABLE CONNECTION — Check the connector for bent or broken pins. (It is normal for monitor cable connectors to have missing pins.)Ensure that the video cable is connected as shown on the setup diagram for your computer.

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

SWAP THE POWER CABLES — Swap the computer and monitor power cables to determine if the power cable is defective.

TEST THE VIDEO EXTENSION CABLE (IF USED)—If you are using a video extension cable and removing the cable solves the problem, the cable is defective.

TEST ANOTHER MONITOR — If another monitor is available, connect it to the computer.

CHECK THE DIAGNOSTIC LIGHTS — See page 60.

If the screen is difficult to read

CHECK THE MONITOR SETTINGS — See the monitor documentation for

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

MOVE THE SUBWOOFER AWAY FROM THE MONITOR — If your speaker system includes a subwoofer, ensure that the subwoofer is at least 60 cm (2 ft) away from the monitor.

MOVE THE MONITOR AWAY FROM EXTERNAL POWER SOURCES —

Fans, fluorescent lights, halogen lamps, and other electrical devices can cause the screen image to appear "shaky." Turn off nearby devices to check for interference.

ROTATE THE MONITOR TO FACE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION — Eliminate sunlight glare, which can cause poor picture quality.

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ADJUST THE WINDOWS® DISPLAY SETTINGS —

1 Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel. 2 Click Appearance and Themes. 3 Click Display, and then click the Settings tab. 4 Try different settings for Screen resolution and Color quality.

RESTORE THE RECOMMENDED SETTINGS — Restore the original

resolution and refresh rate settings. See the Tel l M e Ho w help file for instructions. To access help files, see page 38.

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SECTION 3

Advanced Troubleshooting

Diagnostic Lights

Dell Diagnostics

Drivers

Using System Restore

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities

Reinstalling Microsoft

Windows® XP

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Diagnostic Lights

YYGG

To help you troubleshoot a problem, your computer is equipped with four lights on the back panel labeled "A," "B," "C," and "D" (see page 78). These lights can be yellow or green. When the computer starts normally, the lights flash. After the computer starts, the lights remain green. If the computer malfunctions, the color and sequence of the lights identify the problem.

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the safety instructions on page 9.

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Diagnostic Code Definition Corrective Action

Memory modules are detected, but a memory failure has occurred.

ABCD

• Remove and reinstall all memory modules and CRIMMs. Ensure that all the connector tabs are locked. Restart the computer.

• Install the memory modules (see page 93) in memory connectors RIMM1 (located closest to the microprocessor) and RIMM2 and ensure that, if no additional memory is used, CRIMMs are installed in memory connectors RIMM3 and RIMM4.

• If you installed memory modules in memory connectors RIMM3 and RIMM4 that were not purchased from Dell, remove the modules and replace them with the CRIMMs that were originally installed in your computer.

• If available, install Dell memory of the same type into your computer (see page 93).

• If the problem persists, contact Dell (see page 120).

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Diagnostic Code Definition Corrective Action

GYGY

GGGY

YGYY

ABCD

Memory modules are detected, but a memory configuration or compatibility error exists.

• Ensure that there are no special memory module/memory connector placement requirements (see page 93).

• Verify that the memory modules that you are installing are compatible with the computer (see page 110).

• If the problem persists, contact Dell (see page 120).

Other failure. • Ensure that the cables are properly

connected from the hard drive, CD drive, and DVD drive to the system board (see page 87.

• If the problem persists, contact Dell (see page 120).

PCI bus failure has occurred.

1 Determine if a conflict exists by

removing a card (see page 92) (not the video card) and then restarting the computer.

2 If the problem persists, reinstall

the card that you removed (see page 88), remove a different card, and then restart the computer.

3 Repeat this process for each card.

If the computer starts normally, troubleshoot the last card removed from the computer for resource conflicts (see "Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities" on page 70).

4 If the problem persists, contact

Dell (see page 120).

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Diagnostic Code Definition Corrective Action

YGYG

GYYY

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Video controller failure.

ABCD

No memory modules are detected.

ABCD

• If the computer has a video card, remove the card and reinstall it (see page 98).

• If the problem persists or the computer has integrated video, contact Dell (see page 120).

• Reinstall all memory modules (see page 93) and then restart the computer.

• If the problem persists, contact Dell (see page 120).

Dell Diagnostics

When to Use the Dell Diagnostics

If you experience a problem with your computer, perform the checks in "Solving Problems" (see page 35) and run the Dell Diagnostics before you contact Dell for technical assistance. Running the Dell Diagnostics may help you resolve the problem without contacting Dell. If you do contact Dell, the test results can provide important information for Dell's service and support personnel.

The Dell Diagnostics allows you to:

• Perform express, extended, or custom tests on one or all devices.

• Select tests based on a symptom of the problem you are having.

• Choose how many times a test is run.

• Display test results.

• Suspend testing if an error is detected.

• Access online help information that describes the tests and devices.

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• Receive status messages that tell you whether tests completed successfully.

• Receive error messages if problems are detected.

Starting the Dell Diagnostics

NOTICE: Only use the Dell Diagnostics to test your Dell™ computer. Using

this program with other computers can result in error messages.

Start the Dell Diagnostics from either your hard drive (see page 63) or from the Dell Dimension ResourceCD (see page 63).

Starting the Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive

1 Shut down and restart the computer.

2 When the DELL™ logo appears, press <F12> immediately.

If you wait too long and the Microsoft® Windows® logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Windows desktop. Then shut down your computer through the Start menu and try again.

3 When the boot device list appears, highlight Boot to Utility Partition

and press <Enter>.

4 When the Dell Diagnostics Main Menu appears, select the test you

want to run (see page 64).

Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the ResourceCD

1 Insert the ResourceCD into the CD drive.

2 Shut down and restart the computer.

When the DELL™ logo appears, press <F12> immediately.

If you wait too long and the Windows logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Windows desktop. Then shut down your computer through the Start menu and try again.

When the boot device list appears, highlight IDE CD-ROM Device

and press <Enter>.

4 Select the IDE CD-ROM Device option from the CD boot menu.

5 Select the Boot from CD-ROM option from the menu that appears.

6 Ty p e 1 to start the ResourceCD menu.

HINT: If you receive a

message stating that no Diagnostics utility partition has been found, follow the instructions to run the Dell Diagnostics from your ResourceCD (see page 63).

HINT: This feature

changes the boot sequence for one time only. On the next start-up, the computer boots according to the devices specified in the system setup program.

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HINT: The Service Tag

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number for your computer is located at the top of each test screen.

7 Ty p e 2 to start the Dell Diagnostics.

8 Select Run the 32 Bit Dell Diagnostics from the numbered list. If

multiple versions are listed, select the version appropriate for your platform.

9 When the Dell Diagnostics Main Menu appears, select the test you

want to run (see page 64).

Dell Diagnostics Main Menu

1 After the Dell Diagnostics loads and the Main Menu screen appears,

click the button for the option you want.

Option Function

Express Te st

Extended Te st

Custom Te st

Symptom Tr ee

Performs a quick test of devices. This test typically takes 10 to 20 minutes and requires no interaction on your part. Run Express Test first to increase the possibility of tracing the problem quickly.

Performs a thorough check of devices. This test typically takes an hour or more and requires you to answer questions periodically.

Tests a specific device. You can customize the tests you want to run.

Lists the most common symptoms encountered and allows you to select a test based on the symptom of the problem you are having.

3 If you run a test from the Custom Test or Symptom Tree option, click

64 Advanced Troubleshooting

If a problem is encountered during a test, a message displaying the error code and a description of the problem appear. Write down the error code and problem description and follow the instructions on the screen.

If you cannot resolve the error condition, contact Dell (see page 120).

the applicable tab described in the following table for more information.

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Tab Fu nc tion

Results Displays the results of the test and any error conditions

encountered.

Errors Displays error conditions encountered, error codes, and

problem description.

Help Describes the test and may indicate requirements for

running the test.

Configuration Displays your hardware configuration for the selected

device.

The Dell Diagnostics obtains your configuration information for all devices from the system setup program, memory, and various internal tests and displays it in the device list in the left pane of the screen. The device list may not display the names of all the components installed on your computer or all devices attached to your computer.

Parameters Allows you to customize the test by changing the test

settings.

4 When the tests are completed, if you are running the Dell Diagnostics

from the ResourceCD, remove the CD.

5 Close the test screen to return to the Main Menu screen. To exit the

Dell Diagnostics and restart the computer, close the Main Menu screen.

Drivers

What Is a Driver?

A driver is a program that controls a device such as a printer, mouse, or keyboard. 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.

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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

• Reinstall your operating system

• 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 if necessary, to update the driver.

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Identifying Drivers

1 Click the Start button and click Control Panel.

2 Under Pick a Category, click Performance and Maintenance.

3 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.

Reinstalling drivers

NOTICE: The Dell Support website and your

provide 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

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.

Dell Dimension ResourceCD

To use Device Driver Rollback:

1 Click the Start button and click Control Panel.

2 Under Pick a Category, click Performance and Maintenance.

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3 Click System.

4 In the System Properties screen, click the Hardware tab.

5 Click Device Manager.

6 Right-click the device for which the new driver was installed, and then

click Properties.

7 Click the Drivers tab.

8 Click Roll Back Driver.

If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore (see page 68) to return your computer to the operating state that existed before you installed the new driver.

Using the Dell Dimension ResourceCD

If using Device Driver Rollback or System Restore (see page 68) does not resolve the problem, then reinstall the driver from the Dell Dimension ResourceCD:

1 With the Windows desktop displayed, insert the ResourceCD into the

CD or DVD drive.

If this is your first time to use the ResourceCD, go to step 2. If not, go to step 5.

2 When the ResourceCD installation program starts, follow the prompts

on the screen.

3 When the InstallShield Wizard Complete window appears, remove

the ResourceCD and click Finish to restart the computer.

4 When you see the Windows desktop, reinsert the ResourceCD into

the CD or DVD drive.

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5 At the Welcome Dell System Owner screen, click Next.

HINT: The ResourceCD

displays drivers only for hardware that came on your computer. If you installed additional hardware, the drivers for the new hardware might not be displayed by the ResourceCD. If those drivers are not displayed, exit the ResourceCD

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program. For drivers information, see the documentation that came with that product.

A message stating that the ResourceCD is detecting hardware in your computer appears.

The drivers that are used by your computer are automatically displayed in the My Drivers—The ResourceCD has identified these components in your system window.

6 Click the driver that you want to reinstall and follow the instructions

on the screen.

If a particular driver is not listed, then that driver is not required by your operating system.

Using System Restore

The Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system provides System Restore to allow you to return your computer to an earlier operating state (without affecting data files) if changes to the hardware, software, or other system settings have left the computer in an undesirable operating state. See Windows Help for information on using System Restore. To access Windows Help, see page 38.

NOTICE: Make regular backups of your data files. System Restore does not

monitor your data files or recover them.

Creating a Restore Point

1 Click the Start button and click Help and Support.

2 Click System Restore.

3 Follow the instructions on the screen.

Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State

If problems occur after installing a device driver, use Device Driver Rollback (see page 66) to resolve the problem. If that is unsuccessful, then use System Restore.

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

and close all open files and close 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

To ol s , 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 prefer.

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.

Undoing the Last System Restore

NOTICE: Before you undo the last system restore, save and close all open

files and close 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

To ol s , and then click System Restore.

2 Select Undo my last restoration and click Next.

3 Click Next.

The System Restore screen appears and the computer restarts.

4 After the computer restarts, click OK.

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Enabling System Restore

If you reinstall Windows XP with less than 200 MB of free hard-disk space available, System Restore is automatically disabled. To see if System Restore is enabled:

1 Click the Start button and click Control Pan el.

2 Click Performance and Maintenance.

3 Click System.

4 Click the System Restore tab.

5 Make sure that Turn off System Restore is unchecked.

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities

Windows XP IRQ conflicts occur if a device either is not detected during the operating system setup or is detected but incorrectly configured.

To check for conflicts on a computer running Windows XP:

1 Click the Start button and click Control Panel.

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.

5 Double-click any conflict to display the Properties window.

6 Resolve conflicts by reconfiguring the devices or removing the devices

To use the Windows XP Hardware Troubleshooter:

1 Click the Start button and click Help and Support.

2 Ty p e hardware troubleshooter in the Search field and click the

70 Advanced Troubleshooting

Conflicts are indicated by a yellow exclamation point ( conflicting device or a red

X if the device has been disabled.

!) beside the

If an IRQ conflict exists, the Device status area in the Properties window reports the cards or devices that share the device's IRQ.

from the Device Manager.

arrow to start the search.

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3 Click Hardware Troubleshooter in the Search Results list.

4 In the Hardware Troubleshooter list, click I need to resolve a hardware

conflict on my computer, and click Next.

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 66) 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 68) 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.

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 33) and restart the computer.

Operating System

CD provides options for reinstalling

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4 Press <F12> 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 <Enter>.

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 <Enter> to

select To set up Windows now.

2 Read the information in the Microsoft Windows Licensing

Agreement screen, and then press <F8> on your keyboard to accept

the license agreement.

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 <Esc> to

select the fresh copy option.

5 Press <Enter> to select the highlighted partition (recommended),

and then follow the instructions on the screen.

HINT: The time required

to complete the setup depends on the size of the hard drive and the speed of your computer.

72 Advanced Troubleshooting

Completing the GUI Setup

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

The Windows XP Setup screen appears, and the operating system begins to copy files and install the devices. The computer restarts multiple times.

NOTICE: When the computer restarts, the following message appears:

Do not

Press any key to boot from the CD. message appears.

press any key when this

When the Regional and Language Options screen appears, select the settings for your location and click Next.

Software screen and click Next.

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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 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, enter the requested information and

click Next when the Modem Dialing Information screen appears.

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 p i c a l in the

Networking Settings screen and click Next.

If your computer does not have a network adapter, this option does not appear.

7 If you are reinstalling Windows 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, configures the computer, and then restarts the computer.

Completing the Operating System Setup

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

Press any key to boot from the CD. message appears.

When the Welcome to Microsoft screen appears, click Next.

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.

Do not

press any key when this

not at this time and click Next.

When the Who will use this computer? screen appears, you can enter up to five users.

4 Click Next.

5 Click Finish to complete the setup and remove the CD from the drive.

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Reinstalling Drivers and Software

1 Reinstall the appropriate drivers (see page 66).

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 4

Adding Parts

Front and Back View of the Computer

Reattaching the Front Door and Hinge Arms

Opening the Computer Cover

Looking Inside Your Computer

Installing and Removing Cards

Adding Memory

Adding or Replacing the AGP Card

Adding a Second Hard Drive

Adding a Floppy Drive

Closing the Computer Cover

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Front and Back View of the Computer

Front View

*On computers with an optional floppy drive.

76 Adding Parts

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1 CD or DVD volume

control dial

2 CD or DVD drive

activity light

3 CD or DVD eject button Press this button to eject your CD from the CD or DVD drive.

4 floppy-drive eject

button*

5 floppy-drive light

button*

6 hard drive light The hard-drive light is on when the computer reads data from or writes data to the

7 power button Press this button to turn on the computer.

8 service tag The tag is used to identify your computer when you access the Dell Support

9 headphone connector Attach headphones.Use the headphone connector to attach headphones and most

10 USB 2.0 connectors (2) Use the front USB connectors for devices that you connect occasionally, such as

11 front-panel door Open the door to use the front-panel connectors.

*On computers with an optional floppy drive.

Move the dial to adjust the volume of your audio CD or DVD disc.

The drive activity light is on when the computer reads data from the CD or DVD drive.

Press this button to eject a floppy disk from the floppy drive.

The floppy-drive light is on when the computer reads data from or writes data to the floppy drive. Wait until this light turns off before you remove the floppy disk from the drive.

hard drive. The light might also be on when devices such as your CD player are operating.

NOTICE: To avoid losing data, do not use the power button to turn off the

computer. Instead, perform a Windows shutdown.

website or call technical support.

kinds of speakers. You can then hear all of the sounds your computer emits, such as system beeps and CDs.

joysticks or cameras.

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

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Back View

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1 power connector The connection for the power cable.

2 voltage selection switch

(may not be available on all computers)

3 parallel connector Connect a parallel device, such as a printer, to the parallel connector. If you have a

4 mouse connector Plug a standard mouse into the green mouse connector. Turn off the computer

5 network adapter Attach the UTP cable to an RJ45 jack wall plate or to an RJ45 port on a UTP

6 line-in connector Use the blue line-in connector (available on computers with integrated sound) to

7 video connector Plug the cable from your monitor into the blue connector.

8 line-out connector Use the green line-out connector (available on computers with integrated sound)

9 microphone connector Use the pink microphone connector (available on computers with integrated

10 USB 2.0 connectors (6) Connect a USB device such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, joystick, or speaker

11 keyboard connector If you have a standard keyboard, plug it into the purple keyboard connector. If you

12 diagnostic lights (4) Use the lights to help you troubleshoot a computer problem based on the

13 serial connector Connect a serial device, such as a handheld device, to the serial port.

Set the switch for the voltage that most closely matches the AC power available in your location. See "When Using Your Computer" on page 11 for additional information.

USB printer, plug it into a USB connector.

and any attached devices before you connect a mouse to the computer. If you have a USB mouse, plug it into a USB connector.

concentrator or hub and press the other end of the UTP cable into the network adapter connector until the cable snaps securely into place.

Dell recommends the use of Category 5 wiring and connectors for our customers’ networks.

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

On computers with a sound card, the line-in connector is on the card.

to attach headphones and most speakers with integrated amplifiers.

On computers with a sound card, the line-out connector is on the card.

sound) to attach a personal computer microphone for voice or musical input into a sound or telephony program.

On computers with a sound card, the microphone connector is on the card.

system into any of the USB connectors.

have a USB keyboard, plug it into a USB connector.

diagnostic code. For more information, see page 60.

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Reattaching the Front Door and Hinge Arms

To prevent damage to your computer, the front-panel door is designed to "break away" if it is lifted up too far. If the front-panel door is open and it is pushed inward too hard, the hinge arms may also break away (the hinge arms are loose when they are detached).

Reattaching the Hinge Arms

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the safety instructions listed in "When Working Inside Your Computer" on page 12.

Shut down the computer through the Start menu (see page 33).

2 Disconnect the computer power cable from the electrical outlet.

3 Remove the front-panel door by gently snapping it off the two hinge

arms.

4 Remove the front-panel insert above the door bay area by pulling the

bottom of the insert with your fingers.

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front-panel insert

use fingers to pull here

5 Lift both hinge arms to the horizontal position.

6 Use the two view slots to align the pivot bar with the two pivot-bar

slots.

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view slots (2)

hinge arms in horizontal position

pivot-bar slots (2)

pivot bar

82 Adding Parts

NOTICE: Before touching anything inside your computer, ground yourself by

touching an unpainted metal surface, such as the metal at the back of the computer. While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface to dissipate any static electricity that could harm internal components.

Pull the arms toward you until they snap into position.

If the hinge arms do not snap back into position on the first attempt, slightly reposition the arms and try again.

8 After the hinge arms snap into position, lower and raise the arms two

or three times to properly seat them.

9 Reattach the front-panel insert.

10 Reconnect the computer power cable to the electrical outlet.

11 Reattach the front door (see page 80).

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Reattaching the Front Door

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the safety instructions listed in "When Working Inside Your Computer" on page 12.

Shut down the computer through the Start menu (see page 33).

2 Disconnect the computer power cable from the electrical outlet.

3 Lower the hinge arms to the vertical position.

4 Align the two clips on the inside of the front door with the two hinge

arms.

5 Press inward on the front door until it clips to both hinge arms.

front-door clips (2)

hinge arms (2) in vertical position

front-panel door

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Opening the Computer Cover

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the steps listed in the safety instructions on page 12

CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your

computer from the electrical outlet before opening the cover.

Shut down the computer (see page 33).

NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your

computer and then unplug it from the network wall jack.

Turn off any attached devices and disconnect them from their

electrical outlets.

3 Disconnect the computer power cable from the wall outlet, and then

press the power button to ground the system board.

NOTICE: Ensure that sufficient space exists to support the open cover—at

least 30 cm (1 ft) of desk top space.

Lay the computer on its side so that the arrow on the bottom of the

computer points up.

5 Open the cover:

a Facing the back of the computer, press the release button on the

right side of the computer with one hand while pulling up on the top of the cover with the other hand.

84 Adding Parts

b Press the release button on the left side of the computer with one

hand while pulling up on the top of the cover with the other hand.

c Hold the bottom of the computer with one hand, and then pull

open the cover with the other hand.

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release button

back of computer

Looking Inside Your Computer

arrow

release button

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the safety instructions listed in "When Working Inside Your Computer" on page 12.

NOTICE: Be careful when opening the computer cover to ensure that you do

not inadvertently disconnect cables from the system board.

HINT: The AGP card is

removed from the following illustration to provide a better view of the inside of your computer.

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drive cables

power cables

computer cover* (page 84 and page 107)

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power supply

filler brackets for empty card slots (4) (page 88)

*Depending on the types of drives installed in your computer, the cover

may not open as widely as shown in the figure.

hard drive (page 100)

system board (page 87)

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System Board

floppy drive connector (FLOPPY)

main power connector (MAIN POWER)

memory module connectors (RIMM3, RIMM4) page 94

microprocessor fan connector (FAN2)

memory module connectors (RIMM1, RIMM2) page 94

microprocessor connector (J2E1)

system board power light (PWR LED)

CD drive connector (SEC IDE)

battery socket (BATTERY) page 117

front panel switch connector (FNT PNL)

hard drive connector (PRI IDE)

password jumper (PSWD) page 116

configuration jumper (CLR CM)

AGP slot connector (J6C1)

PCI card connectors (PCI1–PCI4)

CD audio connector (CD)*

telephony voice modem connector (TELE)*

back of computer

*On computers with optional integrated audio.

front panel audio cable connector (FNT PNL AUD)

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Installing and Removing Cards

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the steps in "When Working Inside Your Computer" on page 12.

CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your

computer from the electrical outlet before opening the cover.

Your Dell™ computer provides slots for up to four 32-bit, 33-MHz cards.

Cards

If you are installing or replacing a card, follow the procedures in the next section. If you are removing but not replacing a card, see "Removing a Card" on page 92.

Installing a Card

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the steps in "When Working Inside Your Computer" on page 12.

If you are replacing a card, remove the current driver for the card from

the operating system.

2 Shut down the computer (page 33).

NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your

computer and then unplug it from the network wall jack.

88 Adding Parts

Turn off any attached devices and disconnect them from their

electrical outlets.

4 Disconnect the computer power cable from the wall outlet, and then

press the power button to ground the system board.

5 Open the computer cover (see page 84).

6 Press the lever on the card retention arm and raise the retention arm.

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card

edge connector

card

filler bracket

retention arm

lever

7 If you are installing a new card, remove the filler bracket to create a

connector

card-slot opening. Then continue with step 9.

8 If you are replacing a card that is already installed in the computer,

remove the card.

If necessary, disconnect any cables connected to the card. Grasp the card by its top corners, and ease it out of its connector.

9 Prepare the card for installation.

See the documentation that came with the card for information on configuring the card, making internal connections, or otherwise customizing it for your computer.

CAUTION: Some network adapters automatically start the

computer when they are connected to a network. To guard against electrical shock, be sure to unplug your computer from its electrical outlet before installing any cards. Verify that the standby power light on the system board is off.

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bracket caught outside of slot

bracket within slot

10 Place the card in the connector and press down firmly. Ensure that the

card is fully seated in the slot.

If the card is full-length, insert the end of the card into the card guide bracket as you lower the card toward its connector on the system board. Insert the card firmly into the card connector on the system board.

not fully seated card

fully seated card

90 Adding Parts

11 Before you lower the retention arm, ensure that:

• The tops of all cards and filler brackets are flush with the alignment bar

• The notch in the top of the card or filler bracket fits around the alignment guide

Press the arm into place, securing the card(s) in the computer.

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retention arm

alignment guide

alignment bar

filler bracket

NOTICE: Do not route card cables over or behind the cards. Cables routed

over the cards can prevent the computer cover from closing properly or cause damage to the equipment.

Connect any cables that should be attached to the card.

See the documentation for the card for information about the card’s cable connections.

NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network

wall jack and then plug it into the computer.

Close the computer cover (see page 107), reconnect the computer and

devices to electrical outlets, and turn them on.

14 Install any drivers required for the card as described in the card

documentation.

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Removing a Card

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the steps in "When Working Inside Your Computer" on page 12.

Shut down the computer (page 33).

NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your

computer and then unplug it from the network wall jack.

2 Turn off any attached devices and disconnect them from their

electrical outlets.

3 Disconnect the computer power cable from the wall outlet, and then

press the power button to ground the system board.

4 Open the computer cover (see page 84).

5 Press the lever on the card retention arm and raise the retention arm

(see page 88).

6 If necessary, disconnect any cables connected to the card.

7 Grasp the card by its top corners, and ease it out of its connector.

8 If you are removing the card permanently, install a filler bracket in the

empty card-slot opening.

If you need a filler bracket, contact Dell (see page 120).

92 Adding Parts

9 Lower the retention arm and press it into place, securing the card(s) in

the computer.

NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network

wall jack and then plug it into the computer.

Close the computer cover (see page 107), reconnect the computer and

devices to electrical outlets, and turn them on.

11 Remove the card’s driver from the operating system.

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Adding Memory

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the steps in "When Working Inside Your Computer" on page 12.

CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your

computer from the electrical outlet before opening the cover.

You can increase your computer memory by installing memory modules on the system board. For information on the type of memory supported by your computer, look under "Memory" in "Specifications" on page 110.

RDRAM Overview

NOTICE: If you remove your original memory modules from the computer

during a memory upgrade, keep them separate from any new modules that you may have, even if the new modules were purchased from Dell. Your original memory modules must be installed as a pair in either connectors RIMM1 and RIMM 2 or RIMM 3 and RIMM4. Do not pair one original memory module with one new memory module in connectors RIMM1 and RIMM2 or RIMM3 and RIMM4. Otherwise, your computer may not start properly.

RDRAM technology requires that all memory connectors have either a memory module or a continuity module installed. Memory modules and continuity modules are easily identified—memory modules have a metal cover on one side of the module and continuity modules do not.

metal cover

HINT: The metal cover

on a memory module is manufactured in various colors. The color of the metal cover has no effect on the module’s performance.

memory module

continuity module

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HINT: Mixed pairs of

PC1066 and PC800 modules all function as PC800.

Memory modules are the actual components that provide memory for the microprocessor; continuity modules are used only to complete the memory circuit if memory modules are not installed in all of the memory connectors.

Another RDRAM requirement is that memory modules must be installed in pairs of matched memory size. This means that if you purchased your computer with 128 MB of memory installed and you want to add another 128 MB of memory, you must remove the two continuity modules and replace them with two 64-MB memory modules.

NOTICE: You can only install continuity modules in connectors RIMM 3 and

RIMM4.

The only two valid memory configurations are:

• A pair of matched memory modules installed in connectors RIMM1 and RIMM2 with continuity modules installed in connectors RIMM3 and RIMM4

• A pair of matched memory modules installed in connectors RIMM1 and RIMM2 and another matched pair installed in connectors RIMM3 and RIMM4

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continuity modules in connectors RIMM3 and RIMM4

matched pair of memory modules in connectors RIMM1 and RIMM2

matched pair of memory modules in connectors RIMM3 and RIMM4

matched pair of memory modules in connectors RIMM1 and RIMM2

Removing a Memory Module

1 Shut down the computer (see page 33).

NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your

computer and then unplug it from the network wall jack.

back of computer

HINT: Memory

purchased from Dell is covered under your computer warranty.

Turn off any attached devices and disconnect them from their

electrical outlets.

3 Disconnect the computer power cable from the wall outlet, and then

press the power button to ground the system board.

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4 Open the computer cover (see page 84).

5 Press out the securing clip at each end of the memory module

connector.

6 Grasp the module and pull up.

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

Adding a Memory Module

1 Shut down the computer (see page 33).

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NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your

computer and then unplug it from the network wall jack.

Turn off any attached devices and disconnect them from their

electrical outlets.

3 Disconnect the computer power cable from the wall outlet, and then

press the power button to ground the system board.

4 Open the computer cover (see page 84).

5 Press out the securing clip at each end of the memory module

connector.

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memory connectors on system board

securing clips (2)

notches (2)

memory module

connector

cutouts (2)

step 5

step 6

step 7

6 Align the notches on the bottom of the module with the crossbar in

the connector.

NOTICE: To avoid damage to the memory module, press the module straight

down into the socket with equal force applied at each end of the module.

7 Insert the module straight down into the connector, ensuring that it

fits into the vertical guides at each end of the connector. Press firmly on the ends of the module until it snaps into place.

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

8 Close the computer cover (see page 107).

NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network

wall jack and then plug it into the computer.

Connect your computer and devices to electrical outlets, and turn

them on.

10 Right-click the My Computer icon and then click Properties.

11 Click the General tab.

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12 To verify that the memory is installed correctly, check the amount of

memory (RAM) listed.

Adding or Replacing the AGP Card

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the steps in "When Working Inside Your Computer" on page 12.

CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your

computer from the electrical outlet before opening the cover.

Your Dell™ computer provides a connector for an AGP card.

1 Shut down the computer (see page 33).

NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your

computer and then unplug it from the network wall jack.

2 Turn off any attached devices and disconnect them from their

electrical outlets.

3 Disconnect the computer power cable from the wall outlet, and then

press the power button to ground the system board.

4 Open the computer cover (see page 84).

Removing an AGP Card

98 Adding Parts

1 Remove the filler bracket by raising the hinged lever and sliding the

bracket up.

2 Press the card lever toward the PCI connector.

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3 Pull the card up and out of the card clip.

notch

lever

tab

card clip

AGP connector

PCI connector

back of computer

Installing an AGP Card

1 To add or replace the card, press the card lever toward the PCI

connector and gently press the card into the AGP connector until it clicks into place.

AGP card

card clip lever

card clip

slot connector

2 Release the card lever, ensuring that the tab fits into the notch on the

front end of the card.

3 Secure the card by lowering the hinged lever on the back panel.

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4 Close the computer cover (see page 107).

5 Connect the monitor cable to the card’s video connector.

NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network

wall jack and then plug it into the computer.

Connect your computer and devices to electrical outlets, and turn

them on.

Adding a Second Hard Drive

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section,

follow the steps in "When Working Inside Your Computer" on page 12.

CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your

computer from the electrical outlet before opening the cover.

NOTICE: To avoid damage to the drive, do not set it on a hard surface.

Instead, set the drive on a surface, such as a foam pad, that will sufficiently cushion it.

Check the documentation for the drive to verify that it is configured

for your computer.

2 Shut down the computer (page 33).

3 Turn off your computer and any devices.

100 Adding Parts

4 Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface on the

chassis, such as the metal around the card-slot openings at the back of the computer, before touching anything inside your computer.

While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components.

NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your

computer and then unplug it from the network wall jack.

Disconnect your computer and devices from their electrical outlets.

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

6 Disconnect the computer power cable from the wall outlet, and then

press the power button to ground the system board.

7 Open the computer cover (see page 84).

Dell DHM, K0004 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual