Dell PP05XB, M1710 User Manual

Download

Dell™ XPS™ M1710

Owner’s Manual

Model PP05XB

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

Notes, Notices, and Cautions

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

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

problem.

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

Abbreviations and Acronyms

For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see "Glossary" on page 173.

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

Windows®

____________________

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Inspiron, Dell Precision, Dimension, OptiPlex, Latitude, PowerEdge, PowerConnect,

PowerVault, PowerApp, Dell TravelLite, ExpressChar g e , Dell MediaDirect, Strike Zone, Wi-Fi Catcher, and XPS are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel is a registered trademarks and Core is a trademark of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, Outlook, and Windows are registered trademarks of

Microsoft Corporation; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license; EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation; IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation; ENERGY STAR is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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

Model PP05XB

January 2006 P/N RD117 Rev. A00

Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

1 A Tour of Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Determining Your Computer’s Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Front View

Left Side View

Right Side View

Back View

Bottom View

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

2 Setting Up Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

Transferring Information to a New Computer

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard With the Operating System CD

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

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard Without the Operating System CD

Setting Up a Printer

Printer Cable Connecting a USB Printer

Power Protection Devices

Surge Protectors Line Conditioners

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uninterruptible Power Supplies

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

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

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

Contents 3

3 Using the Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Adjusting Brightness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Switching the Video Image

Setting Display Resolution

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

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

4 Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Numeric Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Key Combinations

System Functions Battery CD or DVD Tray Display Functions Wireless Networking and Bluetooth

Technology Function Power Management Speaker Functions Microsoft

Touch Pad

Customizing the Touch Pad

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Windows® Logo Key Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Wireless

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

5 Using a Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

4 Contents

Battery Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Checking the Battery Charge

Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter Microsoft Charge Gauge

Windows® Power Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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

Low-Battery Warning

Conserving Battery Power

Power Management Modes

Standby Mode

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

Configuring Power Management Settings

Charging the Battery

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

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

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

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

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

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

Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Storing a Battery

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

6 Dell™ QuickSet Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

7 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

Playing CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Adjusting the Volume

Adjusting the Picture

Copying CDs and DVDs

How to Copy a CD or DVD Using Blank CDs and DVDs Helpful Tips

Using Dell Media Experience and Dell MediaDirect™

If the Computer Is On or in Standby Mode If the Computer Is Off or in Hibernate Mode Dell MediaDirect and Dell Media Experience Help

Connecting Your Computer to a TV or Audio Device

S-Video and Standard Audio S-Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio Composite Video and Standard Audio Composite Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio Component Video and Standard Audio Component Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio Setting Up the Cyberlink (CL) Headphones Enabling the Display Settings for a TV in Microsoft

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Windows® XP . . . 70

8Using Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

ExpressCards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

ExpressCard Blanks Installing an ExpressCard Removing an ExpressCard or Blank

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

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

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

Contents 5

Media Memory Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Installing a Media Memory Card Removing a Media Memory Card

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

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

Smart Cards

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

Installing a Smart Card

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

9 Setting Up a Home and Office Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Physically Connecting to a Network or Broadband Modem . . . . . . . . . . 79

Network Setup Wizard

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

What You Need to Establish a WLAN Connection Checking Your Wireless Network Card Setting Up a New WLAN

Connecting to a Wireless Local Area Network

Determining the Wireless Network Device Manager Completing the Connection to the WLAN Enabling/Disabling the Wireless Network Card Monitoring the Status of the Wireless Network Card Through

Dell™ QuickSet

Mobile Broadband or Wireless Wide Area Network

What You Need to Establish a Mobile Broadband Network Connection

Checking Your Dell Mobile Broadband Card Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 Securing Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

6 Contents

Internet Connection Firewall

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Security Cable Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Passwords

Computer Tracking Software

If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen

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

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

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

11 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Dell Technical Update Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Dell Diagnostics

When to Use the Dell Diagnostics Starting the Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive

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

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

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

Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the Drivers and Utilities CD Dell Diagnostics Main Menu

Dell Support Utility

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

Accessing the Dell Support Utility Clicking the Dell Support Icon Double-Clicking the Dell Support Icon

Drive Problems

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

CD and DVD Drive Problems

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

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

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

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

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

If You Cannot Eject the CD, CD-RW, DVD, or DVD+RW Drive Tray If You Hear an Unfamiliar Scraping or Grinding Sound Hard Drive Problems

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

Error Messages

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

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

Keyboard Problems

External Keyboard Problems Unexpected Characters

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

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . 90

. . . . . 94

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

Lockups and Software Problems

The Computer Does Not Start Up The Computer Stops Responding

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

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

A Program Stops Responding or Crashes Repeatedly A Program Is Designed for an Earlier Microsoft

Operating System A Solid Blue Screen Appears Dell MediaDirect Problems Other Software Problems

Memory Problems

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . 101

Windows®

Contents 7

Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

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

General Mobile Broadband Network

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

ExpressCard Problems

Power Problems

Ensuring Sufficient Power for Your Computer Docking Power Considerations

Printer Problems

Scanner Problems

Sound and Speaker Problems

No Sound From Integrated Speakers No Sound From External Speakers No Sound From Headphones

Touch Pad or Mouse Problems

Video and Display Problems

If the Display Is Blank If the Display Is Difficult to Read If Only Part of the Display is Readable

Drivers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

What Is a Driver? Identifying Drivers Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

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

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

12 Adding and Replacing Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

8 Contents

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities

Restoring Your Operating System

Using Microsoft

Windows XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Using the Operating System CD

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

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

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

Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Recommended Tools Turning Off Your Computer Before Working Inside Your Computer

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Returning a Hard Drive to Dell

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Memory

Modem

Mini-Card

Hinge Cover

Keyboard

Coin-Cell Battery

Optical Drive

Internal Card With Bluetooth

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wireless Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

13 Traveling With Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Identifying Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Packing the Computer

Travel Tips

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

Traveling by Air

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

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

14 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

15 Getting Help

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

Obtaining Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Online Services AutoTech Service Automated Order-Status Service Support Service

Problems With Your Order

Product Information

Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit

Before You Call

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

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

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

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

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

Contents 9

16 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Using the System Setup Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Viewing the System Setup Screens System Setup Screen Commonly Used Options

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

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

Cleaning Your Computer

Computer, Keyboard, and Display Touch Pad

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

CDs and DVDs

FCC Notices (U.S. Only)

FCC Class B

Macrovision Product Notice

Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)

Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

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

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

. . . . . . . . . 153

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

17 Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Glossary

Index

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

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

10 Contents

Finding Information

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

not be available in certain countries.

NOTE: Additional information may ship with your computer.

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• A diagnostic program for my computer

• Drivers for my computer

• My device documentation

• Notebook System Software (NSS)

• Warranty information

• Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)

• Safety instructions

• Regulatory information

• Ergonomics information

• End User License Agreement

Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as ResourceCD)

Documentation and drivers are already installed on your computer. You can use the CD to install drivers (see "Manually Reinstalling Drivers" on page 112) or to run the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89).

Readme files may be included on your CD to provide last-minute updates about technical changes to your computer or advanced technicalreference material for technicians or experienced users.

NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates can be found at

support.dell.com.

Dell™ Product Information Guide

Finding Information 11

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• How to set up my computer

Setup Diagram

• Service Tag and Express Service Code

• Microsoft Windows License Label

Service Tag and Microsoft® Windows® License

These labels are located on the bottom of your computer.

• Use the Service Tag to identify your computer when you

support.dell.com

use

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

or contact technical support.

12 Finding Information

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

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

Dell Support Website — support.dell.com

NOTE: Select your region to view the appropriate support

site.

• Community 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, service call and order status, warranty, and repair information

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

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

• Downloads — Certified drivers, patches, and software updates

• Notebook System Software (NSS)— If you reinstall the operating system for your computer, you should also reinstall the NSS utility. NSS provides critical updates for your operating system and support for Intel

processors, Dell™ 3.5-inch USB floppy drives, optical drives, and USB devices. NSS is necessary for correct operation of your Dell computer. The software automatically detects your computer and operating system and installs the updates appropriate for your configuration.

• Software upgrades and troubleshooting hints

• Frequently asked questions, hot topics, and general health of your computing environment

To download Notebook System Software:

Go to

support.dell.com

Enter your Service Tag or product model.

In the

Select the operating system and operating system language for your computer, and click

Under

Configuration Utilities Software

Dell Support Utility

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

icon in the taskbar. For more information, see "Dell Support Utility" on page 92.

• How to use Windows XP

• How to work with programs and files

• How to personalize my desktop

Windows Help and Support Center

Click the

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

Click the topic that describes your problem.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

and click

Download Category

Select a Device

, scroll to

, and click

Start

button and click

Downloads

drop-down menu, click

Submit.

System and

Dell Notebook System

Help and Support

All

Finding Information 13

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• How to reinstall my operating system

Operating System CD

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

• Microsoft Windows Windows earlier operating state without affecting data files.

•

Operating System System

your operating system.

For more information, see "Restoring Your Operating System" on page 113.

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

System Restore

CD with your computer, you can use it to restore

returns your computer to an

CD — If you received an

— Microsoft

Operating

NOTE: The color of your CD

varies based on the operating system you ordered.

14 Finding Information

A Tour of Your Computer

Determining Your Computer’s Configuration

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

Access the Windows Help and Support Center. For instructions, see "Windows Help and Support Center" on page 13.

Under

Pick a Task

Under

My Computer Information

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

, click

Use Tools to view your computer information and diagnose problems.

, select

Hardware

A Tour of Your Computer 15

Front View

1 display latches (2) 5 device status lights 9 touch pad buttons

2 display latch release 6 touch pad 10 keyboard

3 display 7 media control buttons 11 Dell MediaDirect button

4 power button 8 speakers 12 keyboard and wireless

status lights

DISPLAY LATCHES — Keeps the display closed.

DISPLAY LATCH RELEASE — Slide to release the display latches and open the display.

DISPLAY — For more information about your display, see "Using the Display" on page 37.

POWER BUTTON — Press to turn on the computer or to enter or exit a power management mode. For more

information on power management modes, see "Power Management Modes" on page 45.

16 A Tour of Your Computer

DEVICE STATUS LIGHTS

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

Turns on when the computer reads or writes data.

NOTICE: To avoid loss of data, never turn off the computer while the light is flashing.

Turns on steadily or blinks to indicate battery charge status.

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

• Solid green: The battery is charging.

• Flashing green: The battery is almost fully charged.

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

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

• Flashing orange: The battery charge is low.

• Solid orange: The battery charge is critically low.

A Tour of Your Computer 17

TOUCH PAD — Provides the functionality of a mouse.

TOUCH PAD SCROLL ZONE — Provides the functionality of the scroll button on a mouse. A vertical scroll zone is

located on the right side of the touch pad. A horizontal scroll zone is located on the bottom of the touch pad.

MEDIA CONTROL BUTTONS — Control CD, DVD, and Media Player playback.

1 touch pad scroll zone

Mute the sound.

Turn the volume down.

Turn the volume up.

Play or pause.

Play the previous track.

Play the next track.

Stop.

SPEAKERS — To adjust the volume of the integrated speakers, press the media control buttons or speaker-volume

keyboard shortcuts. For more information, see "Speaker Functions" on page 41.

TOUCH PAD BUTTONS — Touch pad buttons provide the same functionality as mouse buttons.

KEYBOARD — The keyboard includes a numeric keypad as well as the Microsoft Windows logo key. For information

on supported keyboard shortcuts, see "Key Combinations" on page 40.

18 A Tour of Your Computer

DELL™ MEDIADIRECT™ BUTTON — Press the Dell MediaDirect button to launch Dell MediaDirect or Microsoft® Windows

KEYBOARD AND WIRELESS STATUS LIGHTS

Media Center Edition. See "Using Dell Media Experience and Dell MediaDirect™" on page 56.

The lights located above the keyboard indicate the following:

Turns on when the numeric keypad is enabled.

Turns on when the uppercase letter function is enabled.

Turns on when the scroll lock function is enabled.

Turns on when wireless networking is enabled. To quickly enable or disable wireless networking, press <Fn><F2>.

Turns on when a card with Bluetooth

wireless technology

is enabled.

NOTE: The card with Bluetooth wireless technology is an

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

To turn off only the Bluetooth wireless technology functionality, right-click the icon in the Windows taskbar (in the lower-right corner of your screen) and click Disable Bluetooth Radio.

To quickly enable or disable all wireless devices, press <Fn><F2>.

A Tour of Your Computer 19

Left Side View

1 2345

1 security cable slot 3 USB connectors (2) 5 optical-drive-tray eject

button

2 air vent 4 optical drive

SECURITY CABLE SLOT — Lets you attach a commercially available antitheft device to the computer. For more

information, see the instructions included with the device.

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

AIR VENT — The computer uses fan(s) to create airflow through the vent(s), which prevents the computer from

overheating.

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

computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.

CONNECTORS — Connect USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or printer. You can also connect the

USB

optional floppy drive directly to a USB connector using the optional floppy-drive cable

OPTICAL DRIVE — You can install devices such as a DVD drive or other optical drive in the optical drive bay. For

more information, see "Optical Drive" on page 132.

OPTICAL-DRIVE-TRAY EJECT BUTTON — Press this button to eject a CD or DVD from the optical drive. This

button only works when the computer is turned on.

20 A Tour of Your Computer

Right Side View

2 345671

1 smart card slot 4 IEEE 1394 connector 7 air vent

2 hard drive 5 5-in-1 media memory card

reader

3 ExpressCard slot 6 audio connectors (2)

SMART CARD SLOT — Supports one smart card. See "Smart Cards" on page 76.

NOTE: The smart card slot is optional and may not ship with your computer.

HARD DRIVE — Stores software and data.

A Tour of Your Computer 21

EXPRESSC ARD SLOT — Supports one ExpressCard, such as a modem or network adapter. The computer ships with a plastic blank installed in the slot. For more information, see

"Using Cards" on page 71.

NOTE: The ExpressCard slot does NOT support PC Cards.

IEEE 1394

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

video cameras.

IN-1MEDIA MEMORY CARD READER — Provides a fast and convenient way to view and share digital photos,

music, and videos stored on a media memory card. The 5-in-1 media memory card reader reads the following digital media memory cards:

• Secure Digital (SD) card/SDIO

• MultiMediaCard (MMC)

•Memory Stick

• Memory Stick PRO

• xD-Picture Card

AUDIO CONNECTORS

Attach headphones or speakers to the connector.

Attach a microphone to the connector.

AIR

VENT — The computer uses fan(s) to create airflow through the vent(s), which prevents the computer from

overheating.

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

computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.

22 A Tour of Your Computer

Back View

1 2345 6 7 8 9 10

1 air vent 5 USB connectors (2) 9 AC adapter connector

2 S-video TV-out connector 6 USB connectors (2) 10 air vent

3 network (RJ-45) connector 7 Digital-Video Interface

(DVI) connector

4 modem (RJ-11) connector 8 video (VGA) connector

AIR VENT — The computer uses fan(s) to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from

overheating.

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

computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.

VIDEO TV-OUT CONNECTOR

S-

Connects your computer to a TV. Also connects digital audio capable devices using the TV/digital audio adapter cable.

A Tour of Your Computer 23

NETWORK CONNECTOR (RJ-45)

NOTICE: The network connector is slightly larger than the modem connector. To avoid damaging the computer, do

not plug a telephone line into the network connector.

Connects the computer to a network. The two lights at the top of the connector indicate link status and activity for wired network connections. The solid light on the connector provides link status information. Off indicates no link, green indicates a 10-Mb/sec link, orange indicates a 100-Mb/sec link, and yellow indicates 1000-Mb/sec link. The blinking yellow light on the connector indicates wired network activity.

For information on using the network adapter, see the network adapter documentation supplied with your computer under the Windows Help and Support Center. To access the Help and Support Center, see "Windows Help and Support Center" on page 13.

MODEM CONNECTOR (RJ-11)

To use the internal modem, connect the telephone line to the modem connector.

For additional information on using the modem, see the modem documentation supplied with your computer under the Windows Help and Support Center. To access the Help and Support Center, see "Windows Help and Support Center" on page 13.

USB

CONNECTORS

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

DIGITAL

-VIDEO INTERFACE (DVI) CONNECTOR

Connects an external DVI-compatible monitor, such as a flat-panel monitor. With an adapter cable, you can also connect an external VGA-compatible monitor to the DVI connector.

24 A Tour of Your Computer

VIDEO CONNECTOR

Connects an external VGA-compatible monitor.

AC ADAPTER CONNECTOR — Attaches an AC adapter to the computer.

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

CAUTION: The AC adapter works with electrical outlets worldwide. However, power connectors and power

strips vary among countries. Using an incompatible cable or improperly connecting the cable to the power strip or electrical outlet may cause fire or equipment damage.

NOTICE: When you disconnect the AC adapter cable from the computer, grasp the connector, not the cable itself,

and pull firmly but gently to avoid damaging the cable.

NOTE: For optimum system performance, you should always use the 130-W AC adapter that came with your

computer. Using less-powerful AC adapters may cause you to receive a WARNING message and may also cause your computer to experience a degradation in performance.

A Tour of Your Computer 25

Bottom View

12 3 4

1 subwoofer 5 cover for optional internal

card with Bluetooth

9 docking connector

wireless technology

2 battery charge gauge 6 hard drive 10 memory module cover

3 battery-bay latch release 7 air vent 11 air vent

4 battery 8 Mini-Card/modem cover 12 optical-drive locking screw

SUBWOOFER — Produces a broader bass output than is provided by the speakers.

BATTERY CHARGE GAUGE — Provides information on the battery charge status. For more information, see

"Checking the Battery Charge" on page 44.

BATTERY-BAY LATCH RELEASE — Releases the battery from the battery bay. For more information, see "Replacing

the Battery" on page 47.

BATTERY — When a battery is installed, you can use the computer without connecting the computer to an

electrical outlet. For more information, see "Using a Battery" on page 43.

COVER FOR OPTIONAL INTERNAL CARD WITH BLUETOOTH

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY — For more information, see

the documentation that came with your card. To quickly enable or disable all wireless devices, press <Fn><F2>.

HARD DRIVE — Stores software and data. For more information, see "Hard Drive" on page 119. The size displayed

for your hard drive in Windows Explorer is the capacity of the drive before any operating system or programs are installed.

26 A Tour of Your Computer

AIR VENT — The computer uses fan(s) to create airflow through the vent(s), which prevents the computer from

overheating.

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

computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.

MINI-CARD/ MODEM COVER — Covers the compartment that contains the Mini-Card and the modem. For more

information, see "Mini-Card" on page 126 and "Modem" on page 124.

MEMORY MODULE COVER — Covers the compartment that contains the memory modules. For more information,

see "Memory" on page 121.

OPTICAL-DRIVE LOCKING SCREW — Secures the optical drive in the optical drive bay. For more information, see

"Optical Drive" on page 132.

DOCKING-DEVICE CONNECTOR — Lets you attach your computer to a docking device. See the documentation that

came with your docking device for more information.

A Tour of Your Computer 27

28 A Tour of Your Computer

Setting Up Your Computer

Connecting to the Internet

NOTE: ISPs and ISP offerings vary by country.

To connect to the Internet, you need a modem or network connection and an Internet service provider (ISP). Your ISP will offer one or more of the following Internet connection options:

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

• DSL connections that provide high-speed Internet access through your existing telephone line. With a DSL connection, you can access the Internet and use your telephone 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 Internet connection with a provided ISP desktop shortcut:

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

Double-click the ISP icon on the Microsoft® Windows® desktop.

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the setup.

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

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

Click the

The

Start

button and click

New Connection Wizard

Internet Explorer

appears.

Click

Connect to the Internet

Setting Up Your Computer 29

In the next window, click the appropriate option:

• If you do not have an ISP and want to select one, click

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

Click

If you selected on the screen to complete the setup.

NOTE: If you do not know which type of connection to select, contact your ISP.

Click the appropriate option under

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 94. 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.

Use the CD I got from an ISP

Set up my connection manually

How do you want to connect to the Internet?

, continue to step 6. Otherwise, follow the instructions

Choose from a list of Internet service

, and then click

Transferring Information to a New Computer

The Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system provides a Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to move data from a source computer to a new computer. You can transfer data, such as:

• E-mail messages

• Toolbar settings

• Internet bookmarks

You can transfer the data to the new computer over a network connection, or you can store it on removable media, such as a writable CD, for transfer to the new computer.

For transferring information to a new computer, you must run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. You can use the optional Operating System CD for this process or you can create a wizard disk with the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard utility.

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard With the Operating System CD

NOTE: This procedure requires the Operating System CD. This CD is optional and may not be included with all

computers.

30 Setting Up Your Computer

Prepare the New Computer for the File Transfer

Click

Start

→ All Programs→ Accessories→ System Tools→ Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

Start the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

When the

On the

On the and click

When the click

Copy Data From the Old Computer

On the old computer, insert the Windows XP

On the

Under

On the

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

screen, click

Do you have a Windows XP CD?

Now go to your old computer

at this time.

Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP

What do you want to do?

, click

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

Select a transfer method

screen, click

screen, click the transfer method you prefer.

What do you want to transfer?

After the information has been copied, the

Click

Finish

welcome screen appears, click

New Computer

screen, click

I will use the wizard from the Windows XP CD

and click

screen appears, go to your old or source computer. Do

Operating System

screen, click

Transfer files and settings

welcome screen, click

Old Computer

CD.

Perform additional tasks

and click

screen, select the items you want to transfer and click

Completing the Collection Phase

screen appears.

not

Transfer Data to the New Computer

On the

On the settings and files and click

Now go to your old computer

screen on the new computer, click

Where are the files and settings?

screen, select the method you chose for transferring your

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

Click

Finished

and restart the new computer.

Finished

screen appears.

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard Without the Operating System CD

To run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard without the optional Operating System CD, you must create a wizard disk that lets you create a backup of your data files. Create the wizard disk on removable media so that you can move it from your new computer to your old computer.

Setting Up Your Computer 31

Create a Wizard Disk

To create a wizard disk, use your new computer with Windows XP and perform the following steps:

Click

Start

→ All Programs→ Accessories→ System Tools→ Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

When the

On the

drive:

Insert the removable media, such as a writable CD, and click OK.

When the disk creation completes and the

Go to the old computer.

Copy Data From the Old Computer

On the old computer, insert the wizard disk.

Click the

In the media) and click

On the

After the information has been copied, the

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

screen, click

Do you have a Windows XP CD?

and click

Next.

Start

Open

button and click

field on the

Run

window, browse to the path for

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

Select a transfer method

screen, click

screen, click the transfer method you prefer.

What do you want to transfer?

welcome screen appears, click

New Computer

screen, click

and click

I want to create a Wizard Disk in the following

Now go to your old computer

message appears,

fastwiz

(on the appropriate removable

welcome screen, click

Old Computer

and click

screen, select the items you want to transfer and click

Completing the Collection Phase

screen appears.

do not

click

Click

Finish

Transfer Data to the New Computer

On the

Now go to your old computer

Where are the files and settings?

settings and files and click

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

32 Setting Up Your Computer

screen on the new computer, click

screen, select the method you chose for transferring your

. Follow the instructions on the screen.

Finished

screen appears.

Click

Finished

NOTE: For more information about this procedure, access the Windows Help and Support center (See "Windows

Help and Support Center" on page 13) and search for Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. For additional information, search dell.support.com for document #PA1089586 (How Do I Transfer Files From My Old Computer to My New Dell

Computer Using the Microsoft

NOTE: Access to the Dell Knowledge Base document may not be available in certain countries.

and restart the new computer.

Windows® XP Operating System CD?).

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.

For technical assistance, refer to the printer owner's manual or contact the printer manufacturer.

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 and computer. If you purchased a printer cable at the same time you purchased your computer, the cable may arrive in the box in which your computer was shipped.

Connecting a USB Printer

NOTE: You can connect USB devices while the computer is turned on.

Complete the operating system setup if you have not already done so.

Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connectors on the computer and the printer. The USB connectors fit only one way.

Setting Up Your Computer 33

1 USB connector on

computer

Turn on the printer and then turn on the computer. If the appears, click

Install the printer driver if necessary. See the documentation that came with your printer.

Cancel

2 USB printer cable 3 connector on printer

Add New Hardware Wizard

window

Power Protection Devices

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

• Surge protectors

• Line conditioners

• Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)

Surge Protectors

Surge protectors and power strips equipped with surge protection help prevent damage to your computer from voltage spikes that can occur during electrical storms or after power interruptions. Some surge protector manufacturers include warranty coverage for certain types of damage. Carefully read the device warranty when choosing a surge protector. A device with a higher joule rating offers more protection. Compare joule ratings to determine the relative effectiveness of different devices.

34 Setting Up Your Computer

NOTICE: Most surge protectors do not protect against power fluctuations or power interruptions caused by

nearby lightning strikes. When lightning occurs in your area, disconnect the telephone line from the telephone wall jack and disconnect your computer from the electrical outlet.

Many surge protectors have a telephone jack for modem protection. See the surge protector documentation for modem connection instructions.

NOTICE: Not all surge protectors offer network adapter protection. Disconnect the network cable from the

network wall jack during electrical storms.

Line Conditioners

NOTICE: Line conditioners do not protect against power interruptions.

Line conditioners are designed to maintain AC voltage at a fairly constant level.

Uninterruptible Power Supplies

NOTICE: Loss of power while data is being saved to the hard drive may result in data loss or file damage.

NOTE: To ensure maximum battery operating time, connect only your computer to a UPS. Connect other devices,

such as a printer, to a separate power strip that provides surge protection.

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

Setting Up Your Computer 35

36 Setting Up Your Computer

Using the Display

Adjusting Brightness

When a Dell™ computer is running on battery power, you can conserve power by setting the brightness to the lowest comfortable setting by pressing <Fn> and the up- or down-arrow key on the keyboard.The Dell QuickSet Brightness Meter shows the current brightness setting for the display. You can click the icon in the taskbar and then select or deselect Disable On Screen Brightness Meter to enable or disable the Brightness Meter on the screen.

NOTE: By default, the Brightness Meter appears in the lower-right

corner of the display when you use the keyboard shortcuts to adjust display brightness. You can click and drag the meter to a preferred location.

NOTE: Brightness key combinations only affect the display on your

portable computer, not monitors or projectors that you attach to your portable computer or docking device. If your computer is connected to an external monitor and you try to change the brightness level, the Brightness Meter appears, but the brightness level on the monitor does not change.

You can press the following keys to adjust display brightness:

• Press <Fn> and the up-arrow key to increase brightness on the integrated display only (not on an external monitor).

• Press <Fn> and the down-arrow key to decrease brightness on the integrated display only (not on an external monitor).

For more information on using QuickSet, right-click the icon in the taskbar and click Help.

Switching the Video Image

When you start the computer with an external device (such as an external monitor or projector) attached and turned on, the image may appear on either the computer display or the external device, depending on your settings.

Press <Fn><F8> to switch the video image between the display only, the external device only, or the display and the external device simultaneously.

Using the Display 37

Setting Display Resolution

To display a program at a specific resolution, both the graphics card and the display must support the program, and the necessary video drivers must be installed.

NOTE: If you change the display resolution from the current settings, the image may appear blurry or text may be

hard to read. Before you change any of the display settings, make a note of the current settings for future reference.

If you choose a resolution or color palette that is higher than the display supports, the settings adjust automatically to the closest supported values.

Click the

Under

Display

Try different settings for

NOTE: As the resolution increases, icons and text appear smaller on the screen.

Start

button and click

Pick a category

Pick a task...

, click the area you want to change, or under

Control Panel

, click

Appearance and Themes

Color quality

and

Screen resolution

or pick a Control Panel icon

, click

38 Using the Display

Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad

Numeric Keypad

The numeric keypad functions like the numeric keypad on an external keyboard. Each key on the keypad has multiple functions. The keypad numbers and symbols are marked in blue on the right of the keypad keys. To type a number or symbol, press <Fn> and the desired key after enabling the keypad.

• To enable the keypad, press <Num Lk>. The light indicates that the keypad is active.

• To disable the keypad, press <Num Lk> again.

Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad 39

Key Combinations

System Functions

<Ctrl><Shift><Esc> Opens the Task Manager window.

Battery

<Fn><F3> Displays the Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter. For more

information about the Battery Meter, see "Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter" on page 44.

CD or DVD Tray

<Fn><F10> Ejects the tray out of the drive (if Dell QuickSet is

installed). For more information about Dell QuickSet, see "Dell™ QuickSet Features" on page 49.

Display Functions

<Fn><F8> Displays a list of icons representing all currently available

display options (for example, display only, external monitor or projector only, both display and projector, and so on). Highlight the icon that represents the desired state to switch to that option.

<Fn> and up-arrow key Increases brightness on the integrated display only (not

on an external monitor).

<Fn> and down-arrow key

Decreases brightness on the integrated display only (not on an external monitor).

Wireless Networking and Bluetooth

<Fn><F2> Enables and disables wireless networking and Bluetooth

wireless technology.

Wireless Technology Function

40 Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad

Power Management

<Fn><Esc> Activates a power management mode. You can

reprogram this keyboard shortcut to activate a different power management mode using the Advanced tab in the Power Options Properties window. See "Power Management Modes" on page 45.

<Fn><F1> Puts the system into hibernate mode (if Dell QuickSet is

installed). For more information, see

"Dell™ QuickSet

Features" on page 49.

Speaker Functions

<Fn><Page Up> Increases the volume of the integrated speakers and

external speakers, if attached.

<Fn><Page Dn> Decreases the volume of the integrated speakers and

external speakers, if attached.

<Fn><End> Enables and disables the integrated speakers and external

speakers, if attached.

Microsoft

Windows logo key and <m>

Windows logo key and <Shift><m>

Windows logo key and <e> Runs Windows Explorer.

Windows logo key and <r> Opens the Run dialog box.

Windows logo key and <f> Opens the Search Results dialog box.

Windows logo key and <Ctrl><f>

Windows logo key and <Pause>

Windows® Logo Key Functions

Minimizes all open windows.

Restores all minimized windows. This command functions as a toggle to restore all minimized windows following the use of the Windows logo key and <m> key combination.

Opens the Search Results-Computer dialog box (if the computer is connected to a network).

Opens the System Properties dialog box.

To adjust keyboard operation, such as the character repeat rate, open the Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and click Keyboard. For information about the Control Panel, see the Windows

Help and Support Center. To access the Help and Support Center, see "Windows Help and Support Center" on page 13.

Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad 41

Touch Pad

The touch pad detects the pressure and movement of your finger to allow you to move the cursor on the display. Use the touch pad and touch pad buttons as you would use a mouse.

• To move the cursor, lightly slide your finger over the touch pad.

• To select an object, position the cursor on the object and lightly tap once on the surface of the touch pad or use your thumb to press the left touch-pad button.

• To select and move (or drag) an object, position the cursor on the object and tap twice on the touch pad. On the second tap, leave your finger on the touch pad and move the selected object by sliding your finger over the surface.

• To double-click an object, position the cursor on the object and tap twice on the touch pad or use your thumb to press the left touch-pad button twice.

The touch pad has silk screening on the right side and the bottom to indicate scrolling abilities. Scrolling is enabled by default. To disable this feature, modify the mouse properties within the Control Panel.

NOTE: The scroll zones may not work with all applications. For the scroll zones to function properly, the application

being used must take advantage of the touch pad scroll feature.

Customizing the Touch Pad

1 You can use the Mouse Properties window to disable the touch pad or adjust their settings.

the Control Panel, click the Control Panel, see the Windows Help and Support Center. To access the Help and Support Center, see "Windows Help and Support Center" on page 13.

In the

Mouse Properties

Click OK to save the settings and close the window.

42 Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad

Printers and Other Hardware

window, click the

Touch Pad

, and then click

tab to adjust touch pad settings.

Mouse

. For information about

Open

Using a Battery

Battery Performance

NOTE: For information about the Dell warranty for your computer, see the Product Information Guide or

separate paper warranty document that shipped with your computer.

For optimal computer performance and to help preserve BIOS settings, operate your Dell™ portable computer with the battery installed at all times. One battery is supplied as standard equipment in the battery bay.

NOTE: Because the battery may not be fully charged, use the AC adapter to connect your new computer to an

electrical outlet the first time you use the computer. For best results, operate the computer with the AC adapter until the battery is fully charged. To view battery charge status, click the Start button, point to Control Panel→ Power Options, and click the Power Meter tab.

NOTE: Battery operating time (the time the battery can operate the computer) decreases over time.

Depending on how often the battery is used and the conditions under which it is used, you may need to purchase a new battery during the life of your computer.

Battery operating time varies depending on operating conditions.

Operating time is significantly reduced when you perform operations including, but not limited to, the following:

• Using optical drives

• Using wireless communications devices, ExpressCards, media memory cards, or USB devices

• Using high-brightness display settings, 3D screen savers, or other power-intensive programs such as complex 3D graphics applications

• Running the computer in maximum performance mode (See "Power Management Modes" on page 45.)

NOTE: It is recommended that you connect your computer to an electrical outlet when writing to a CD or DVD.

You can check the battery charge before you insert the battery into the computer. You can also set power management options to alert you when the battery charge is low.

CAUTION: Using an incompatible battery may increase the risk of fire or explosion. Replace the battery

only with a compatible battery purchased from Dell. The battery is designed to work with your Dell computer. Do not use a battery from other computers with your computer.

CAUTION: Do not dispose of batteries with household waste. When your battery no longer holds a charge,

call your local waste disposal or environmental agency for advice on disposing of a lithium-ion battery. See "Battery Disposal" in the Product Information Guide.

Using a Battery 43

CAUTION: Misuse of the battery may increase the risk of fire or chemical burn. Do not puncture, incinerate,

disassemble, or expose the battery to temperatures above 65°C (149°F). Keep the battery away from children. Handle damaged or leaking batteries with extreme care. Damaged batteries may leak and cause personal injury or equipment damage.

Checking the Battery Charge

The Dell QuickSet Battery Meter, the Microsoft Windows Power Meter window and icon, the battery charge gauge and health gauge, and the low-battery warning provide information on the battery charge.

NOTE: Dell QuickSet may not be available on your computer.

Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter

If Dell QuickSet is installed, press <Fn><F3> to display the QuickSet Battery Meter window. The Battery Meter window displays status, battery health, charge level, and charge completion time for the

battery in your computer.

NOTE: You can use your docking device to charge a computer battery. However, a battery in a docking device

does not power the docking device or computer.

Microsoft® Windows® Power Meter

The Windows Power Meter indicates the remaining battery charge. To check the Power Meter, doubleclick the icon on the taskbar.

If the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, a icon appears.

Charge Gauge

By pressing once or pressing and holding the status button on the charge gauge on the battery, you can check:

• Battery charge (check by pressing and

• Battery health (check by pressing and

The battery operating time is largely determined by the number of times it is charged. After hundreds of charge and discharge cycles, batteries lose some charge capacity—or battery health. That is, a battery can show a status of "charged" but maintain a reduced charge capacity (health).

Check the Battery Charge

To check the battery charge, press and release the status button on the battery charge gauge to illuminate the charge-level lights. Each light represents approximately 20 percent of the total battery charge. For example, if the battery has 80 percent of its charge remaining, four of the lights are on. If no lights appear, the battery has no charge.

44 Using a Battery

releasing

holding

the status button)

Check the Battery Health

NOTE: You can check battery health in one of two ways: by using the charge gauge on the battery as described

below and by using the Battery Meter in Dell QuickSet. For information about QuickSet, right-click the the taskbar, and click Help.

To check the battery health, press and hold the status button on the battery charge gauge for at least 3 seconds. If no lights appear, the battery is in good condition, and more than 80 percent of its original charge capacity remains. Each light represents incremental degradation. If five lights appear, less than 60 percent of the charge capacity remains, and you should consider replacing the battery. See "Specifications" on page 137 for more information about the battery operating time.

icon in

Low-Battery Warning

NOTICE: To avoid losing or corrupting data, save your work immediately after a low-battery warning. Then

connect the computer to an electrical outlet. If the battery runs completely out of power, hibernate mode begins automatically.

By default, a pop-up window warns you when the battery charge is approximately 90 percent depleted. You can change the settings for the battery alarms in QuickSet or the Power Options Properties window. See "Configuring Power Management Settings" on page 47 for information about accessing QuickSet or the Power Options Properties window.

Conserving Battery Power

Perform the following actions to conserve battery power:

• Connect the computer to an electrical outlet when possible because battery life is largely determined by the number of times the battery is used and recharged.

• Place the computer in standby mode or hibernate mode when you leave the computer unattended for long periods of time. See "Power Management Modes" on page 45 for more information about standby and hibernate modes.

• Use the Power Management Wizard options can also be set to change when you press the power button, close the display, or press <Fn><Esc>.

to select options to optimize your computer’s power usage. These

NOTE: See "Power Management Modes" on page 45 for more information on conserving battery power.

Power Management Modes

Standby Mode

Standby mode conserves power by turning off the display and the hard drive after a predetermined period of inactivity (a time-out). When the computer exits standby mode, it returns to the same operating state it was in before entering standby mode.

NOTICE: If your computer loses AC or battery power while in standby mode, it may lose data.

Using a Battery 45

To enter standby mode:

• Click the

Start

button, click

Turn off computer

, and then click

Stand by

• Depending on how you set the power management options in the

Power Options Properties

window

or the QuickSet Power Management Wizard, use one of the following methods:

– Press the power button.

– Close the display.

– Press <Fn><Esc>.

To exit standby mode, press the power button or open the display depending on how you set the power management options. You cannot make the computer exit standby mode by pressing a key or touching the touch pad.

Hibernate Mode

Hibernate mode conserves power by copying system data to a reserved area on the hard drive and then completely turning off the computer. When the computer exits hibernate mode, it returns to the same operating state it was in before entering hibernate mode.

NOTICE: You should not remove devices while your computer is in hibernate mode.

Your computer enters hibernate mode if the battery charge level becomes critically low.

To manually enter hibernate mode:

• Click the

Start

button, click

Turn off computer

, press and hold <Shift>, and then click

Hibernate

• Depending on how you set the power management options in the

Power Options Properties

window or the QuickSet Power Management Wizard, use one of the following methods to enter hibernate mode:

– Press the power button.

– Close the display.

– Press <Fn><Esc>.

NOTE: Some ExpressCards may not operate correctly after the computer exits hibernate mode. You may need to

remove and reinsert the card (see "Removing an ExpressCard or Blank" on page 73), or simply restart (reboot) your computer.

To exit hibernate mode, press the power button. The computer may take a short time to exit hibernate mode. You cannot make the computer exit hibernate mode by pressing a key or touching the touch pad. For more information on hibernate mode, see the documentation that came with your operating system.

46 Using a Battery

Configuring Power Management Settings

You can use the QuickSet Power Management Wizard or Windows Power Options Properties to configure the power management settings on your computer.

• To access the QuickSet Power Management Wizard, double-click the icon in the taskbar. For more information about QuickSet, click the

• To access the For information on any field in the the title bar and then click on the area where you need information.

Power Options Properties

Help

button in the Power Management Wizard.

window, click the

Power Options Properties

Start

button

window, click the question mark icon on

→ Control Panel→ Power Options

Charging the Battery

NOTE: With Dell™ ExpressCharge™, when the computer is turned off, the AC adapter charges a completely

discharged battery to 80 percent in about 1 hour and to 100 percent in approximately 2 hours. Charge time is longer with the computer turned on. You can leave the battery in the computer for as long as you like. The battery’s internal circuitry prevents the battery from overcharging.

When you connect the computer to an electrical outlet or install a battery while the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, the computer checks the battery charge and temperature. If necessary, the AC adapter then charges the battery and maintains the battery charge.

If the battery is hot from being used in your computer or being in a hot environment, the battery may not charge when you connect the computer to an electrical outlet.The battery is too hot to start charging if the light flashes alternately orange and green. Disconnect the computer from the electrical outlet and allow the computer and the battery to cool to room temperature. Then connect the computer to an electrical outlet to continue charging the battery.

For more information about resolving problems with a battery, see "Power Problems" on page 105.

Replacing the Battery

CAUTION: Before performing these procedures, turn off the computer, disconnect the AC adapter from the

electrical outlet and the computer, disconnect the modem from the wall connector and computer, and remove any other external cables from the computer.

NOTICE: You must remove all external cables from the computer to avoid possible connector damage.

CAUTION: Using an incompatible battery may increase the risk of fire or explosion. Replace the battery only

with a compatible battery purchased from Dell. The battery is designed to work with your Dell™ computer. Do not use a battery from other computers with your computer.

To remove the battery:

If the computer is connected to a docking device (docked), undock it. See the documentation that came with your docking device for instructions.

Ensure that the computer is turned off.

Using a Battery 47

Slide and hold the battery-bay latch release on the bottom of the computer, and then lift the battery from the bay.

1 2

1 battery-bay latch release 2 battery

To replace the battery, place the battery in the bay and press down until the battery-bay latch release clicks.

Storing a Battery

Remove the battery when you store your computer for an extended period of time. A battery discharges during prolonged storage. After a long storage period, recharge the battery fully before you use it. For more information, see "Charging the Battery" on page 47.

48 Using a Battery

Dell™ QuickSet Features

NOTE: This feature may not be available on your computer.

Dell™ QuickSet provides you with easy access to configure or view the following types of settings:

• Network connectivity

• Power management

•Display

• System information

Depending on what you want to do in Dell™ QuickSet, you can start it by either clicking, doubleclicking, or right-clicking the QuickSet icon, , in the Microsoft

is located in the lower-right corner of your screen.

For more information about QuickSet, right-click the QuickSet icon and select Help.

Windows® taskbar. The taskbar

Dell™ QuickSet Features 49

50 Dell™ QuickSet Features

Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

Playing CDs or DVDs

NOTICE: Do not press down on the CD or DVD tray when you open or close it. Keep the tray closed when you

are not using the drive.

NOTICE: Do not move the computer when you are playing CDs or DVDs.

Press the eject button on the front of the drive.

Pull out the tray.

1 CD/DVD tray

Place the disc, label side up, in the center of the tray and snap the disc onto the spindle.

NOTE: If you use a CD/DVD drive that shipped with another computer, you need to install the drivers and

software necessary to play CDs or DVDs or write data. For more information, see the Drivers and Utilities CD (the Drivers and Utilities CD is optional and may not be available for your computer or in certain countries).

Push the tray back into the drive.

Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia 51

To format CDs for storing data, to create music CDs, or to copy CDs, see the CD software that came with your computer.

NOTE: Ensure that you follow all copyright laws when you create CDs.

Adjusting the Volume

NOTE: When the speakers are muted, you do not hear the CD or DVD playing.

To adjust the speaker volume when playing a CD or DVD, use the media control buttons on the front of the computer.

Mute the sound.

Turn the volume down.

Turn the volume up.

Play or pause.

Play the previous track.

Play the next track.

Stop.

52 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

You can also adjust the volume with the Volume Control option through the Start menu.

Click the

Multimedia

In the or down to increase or decrease the volume.

For more information on volume control options, click Help in the Volume Control window.

The Volume Meter displays the current volume level, including mute, on your computer. Either click the

icon in the taskbar and select or deselect Disable On Screen Volume Meter, or press the volume

control buttons to enable or disable the Volume Meter on the screen.

Start

button, point to

), and then click

Volume Control

1 volume icon 2 Volume Meter 3 mute icon

window, click and drag the bar in the

All Programs (or Programs)→ Accessories→ Entertainment

Volume Control

(or

column and slide it up

When the Volume Meter is enabled, adjust the volume with the volume control buttons or by pressing the following key combinations:

• Press <Fn><PageUp> to increase the volume.

• Press <Fn><PageDn> to decrease the volume.

• Press <Fn><End> to mute the volume

For more information about QuickSet, right-click the icon in the taskbar and click Help.

Adjusting the Picture

If an error message notifies you that the current resolution and color depth are using too much memory and preventing DVD playback, adjust the display properties.

Click the

Under

In the resolution setting.

Start

button and click

Pick a category

Pick a task...

Display Properties

, click

Control Panel

Appearance and Themes

Change the screen resolution

window, click and drag the bar in

Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia 53

Screen resolution

to reduce the screen

Click the drop-down menu under

Click OK to save the settings and close the window.

Color quality

, and then click

Medium (16 bit)

Copying CDs and DVDs

NOTE: Ensure that you observe all copyright laws when creating CDs or DVDs.

This section applies only to computers that have a CD-RW, DVD+/-RW, or CD-RW/DVD (combo) drive.

NOTE: The types of CD or DVD drives offered by Dell may vary by country.

The following instructions explain how to make an exact copy of a CD or DVD. You can also use Sonic DigitalMedia for other purposes, such as creating music CDs from audio files stored on your computer or backing up important data. For help, open Sonic DigitalMedia and then click the question mark icon in the upper-right corner of the window.

How to Copy a CD or DVD

NOTE: CD-RW/DVD combo drives cannot write to DVD media. If you have a CD-RW/DVD combo drive and you

experience recording problems, check for available software patches on the Sonic support website at www.sonic.com.

The DVD-writable drives installed in Dell™ computers can write to and read DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW and DVD+R DL (dual layer) media, but cannot write to and may not read DVD-RAM or DVD-R DL media.

NOTE: Most commercial DVDs have copyright protection and cannot be copied using Sonic DigitalMedia.

Click the

Under the

To copy the CD or DVD:

•

Start

button, point to

Copy

tab, click

If you have one CD or DVD drive

button. The computer reads your source CD or DVD and copies the data to a temporary folder on your computer hard drive.

When prompted, insert a blank CD or DVD into the drive and click

All Programs→

Disc Copy

Sonic→ DigitalMedia Projects

, ensure that the settings are correct and click the

, and then click Copy

Disc Copy

If you have two CD or DVD drives

•

DVD and click the to the blank CD or DVD.

Once you have finished copying the source CD or DVD, the CD or DVD that you have created automatically ejects.

Disc Copy

, select the drive into which you have inserted your source CD or

button. The computer copies the data from the source CD or DVD

Using Blank CDs and DVDs

CD-RW drives can write to CD recording media only (including high-speed CD-RW) while DVD-writable drives can write to both CD and DVD recording media.

54 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

Use blank CD-Rs to record music or permanently store data files. After creating a CD-R, you cannot write to that CD-R again (see the Sonic documentation for more information). Use blank CD-RWs to write to CDs or to erase, rewrite, or update data on CDs.

Blank DVD+/-Rs can be used to permanently store large amounts of information. After you create a DVD+/-R disc, you may not be able to write to that disc again if the disc is "finalized" or "closed" during the final stage of the disc creation process. Use blank DVD+/-RWs if you plan to erase, rewrite, or update information on that disc later.

CD-Writable Drives

Media Type Read Write Rewritable

CD-R Yes Yes No

C D- RW Ye s Ye s Ye s

DVD-Writable Drives

Media Type Read Write Rewritable

CD-R Yes Yes No

C D- RW Ye s Ye s Ye s

DVD+R Yes Yes No

DVD-R Yes Yes No

DV D +R W Ye s Ye s Ye s

DV D -R W Ye s Ye s Ye s

DVD+R DL Yes Yes No

DVD-R DL Maybe No No

DVD-RAM Maybe No No

Helpful Tips

• Use Microsoft® Windows® Explorer to drag and drop files to a CD-R or CD-RW only after you start Sonic DigitalMedia and open a DigitalMedia project.

• Use CD-Rs to burn music CDs that you want to play in regular stereos. CD-RWs do not play in most home or car stereos.

• You cannot create audio DVDs with Sonic DigitalMedia.

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

• Commercially available DVD players used in home theater systems may not support all available DVD formats. For a list of formats supported by your DVD player, see the documentation provided with your DVD player or contact the manufacturer.

Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia 55

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

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

• See the Sonic website at

www.sonic.com

for additional information.

Using Dell Media Experience and Dell MediaDirect™

Based on configuration settings and selections you made when ordering your computer, your computer provides support for:

• Dell Media Experience, which is a multimedia user interface for accessing and playing digital media, such as music and videos.

• Dell MediaDirect, which is an instant-on multimedia playback mode for digital media.

NOTE: Dell QuickSet is necessary for Dell MediaDirect to function. Changing or disabling QuickSet’s default

settings can limit Dell MediaDirect’s functionality. For more information about Dell QuickSet, see "Dell™ QuickSet Features" on page 49.

Press the Dell MediaDirect button, located on the hinge cover, to launch either Dell Media Experience or Dell MediaDirect.

If the Computer Is On or in Standby Mode

If you press the Dell MediaDirect button while the computer is on or in standby mode, either Windows XP Media Center Manager or Dell Media Experience launches, depending on your system setup. If both applications are present, Windows XP Media Center Manager will launch.

NOTE: If both Windows XP Media Center and Dell Media Experience are installed on your computer, you must

→

launch Dell Media Experience through the Start desktop.

All Programs function or click the Media Experience icon on the

If the Computer Is Off or in Hibernate Mode

When your computer is off or in hibernate mode, you can press the Dell MediaDirect button to start the computer and automatically launch the Dell MediaDirect application.

NOTICE: You cannot reinstall the Dell Media Experience or Dell MediaDirect feature if you voluntarily reformat the

hard drive. You will need the installation software to reinstall these media applications. Contact Dell for assistance

(see "Contacting Dell" on page 155).

56 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

1 Dell MediaDirect button

Dell MediaDirect and Dell Media Experience Help

The Dell media application on your computer provides help information. When you launch the media application, click on the desktop icon for additional help.

Connecting Your Computer to a TV or Audio Device

NOTE: Video and audio cables for connecting your computer to a TV or other audio device may not be included

with your computer. Cables and TV/digital audio adapter cables are available for purchase from Dell.

Your computer has an S-video TV-out connector that, together with a standard S-video cable (available from Dell), enables you to connect the computer to a TV.

Your TV has either an S-video input connector, a composite video-input connector, or a component video-input connector. Depending on what type of connector is available on your TV, you can use a commercially available S-video cable, composite video cable, or component video cable to connect your computer to your TV.

1 S-video TV-out connector 2 S-video connector

Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia 57

1 S-video TV-out connector 2 composite video adapter 3 S/PDIF digital audio

4 composite video-output

connector

1 S-video TV-out connector 2 component video adapter 3 S/PDIF digital audio

4 Pr (red) component video-

output connector

5 S-video connector

5 Pb (blue) component video-

output connector

connector

6 Y (green) component video-

output connector

If you want to connect your computer to a TV or audio device, it is recommended that you connect video and audio cables to your computer in one of the following combinations.

NOTE: See the diagrams at the beginning of each subsection to help you determine which method of connection

you should use.

• S-video and standard audio

• Composite video and standard audio

• Component-out video and standard audio

When you finish connecting the video and audio cables between your computer and your TV, you must enable your computer to work with the TV. See "Enabling the Display Settings for a TV in Microsoft Windows

XP" on page 70 to ensure that the computer recognizes and works properly with the TV.

Additionally, if you are using S/PDIF digital audio, see "Enabling S/PDIF Digital Audio" on page 69.

58 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

S-Video and Standard Audio

1 audio connector 2 S-video TV-out connector

1 standard S-video cable 2 standard audio cable

Turn off the computer and the TV and/or audio device that you want to connect.

NOTE: You can connect an S-video cable directly to the S-video TV-out connector on the computer (without the

TV/digital audio adapter cable) if your TV or audio device supports S-video but not S/PDIF digital audio.

Plug one end of the S-video cable into the S-video output connector on the computer.

Plug the other end of the S-video cable into the S-video input connector on your TV.

Plug the single-connector end of the audio cable into the headphone connector on your computer.

Plug the two RCA connectors on the other end of the audio cable into the audio input connectors on your TV or other audio device.

Turn on the TV and any audio device that you connected (if applicable), and then turn on the computer.

See "Enabling the Display Settings for a TV in Microsoft® Windows® XP" on page 70 to ensure that the computer recognizes and works properly with the TV.

Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia 59

S-Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

1 2

1 S-video TV-out connector 2 composite video adapter

1 composite video adapter 2 S-video cable 3 S/PDIF digital audio cable

Turn off the computer and the TV and/or the audio device that you want to connect.

Connect the composite video adapter to the S-video TV-out connector on your computer.

Plug one end of the S-video cable into the S-video output connector on the composite video adapter.

60 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

1 composite video adapter 2 S-video cable

Plug the other end of the S-video cable into the S-video input connector on the TV.

Plug one end of the S/PDIF digital audio cable into the digital audio connector on the composite video

adapter cable.

1 2

1 composite video adapter 2 S/PDIF digital audio cable

Plug the other end of the S/PDIF digital audio cable into the audio input connector on your TV or audio device.

Turn on the TV, turn on any audio device that you connected (if applicable), and then turn on the computer.

See "Enabling the Display Settings for a TV in Microsoft® Windows® XP" on page 70 to ensure that the computer recognizes and works properly with the TV.

Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia 61

Composite Video and Standard Audio

1 audio input connector 2 S-video TV-out connector 3 composite video adapter

1 composite video adapter 2 composite video cable 3 standard audio cable

Turn off the computer and the TV and/or audio device that you want to connect.

Connect the composite video adapter to the S-video TV-out connector on your computer.

Plug one end of the composite video cable into the composite video-output connector on the composite video adapter.

62 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

1 composite video adapter 2 composite video cable

Plug the other end of the composite video cable into the composite video-input connector on the TV.

Plug the single-connector end of the audio cable into the headphone connector on the computer.

Plug the two RCA connectors on the other end of the audio cable in to the audio input connectors on your TV or other audio device.

Turn on the TV, turn on any audio device that you connected (if applicable), and then turn on the computer.

See "Enabling the Display Settings for a TV in Microsoft® Windows® XP" on page 70 to ensure that the computer recognizes and works properly with the TV.

Composite Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

1 2

1 S-video TV-out connector 2 composite video adapter

Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia 63

1 composite video adapter 2 composite video cable 3 SPDIF digital audio cable

Turn off the computer and the TV and/or audio device that you want to connect.

Connect the composite video adapter to the S-video TV-out connector on the computer.

Plug one end of the composite video cable into the composite video-input connector on the composite video adapter.

1 composite video adapter 2 composite video cable

Plug the other end of the composite video cable into the composite video-input connector on the TV.

Plug one end of the S/PDIF digital audio cable in to the S/PDIF audio connector on the composite video adapter.

1 composite video adapter 2 S/PDIF digital audio cable

64 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

1 2

Plug the other end of the digital audio cable into the S/PDIF input connector on your TV or other audio device.

Turn on the TV, turn on any audio device that you connected (if applicable), and then turn on the computer.

See "Enabling the Display Settings for a TV in Microsoft® Windows® XP" on page 70 to ensure that the computer recognizes and works properly with the TV.

Component Video and Standard Audio

1 S-video TV-out connector 2 component video adapter

1 component video adapter 2 component video cable 3 standard audio cable

Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia 65

Turn off the computer and the TV and/or audio device that you want to connect.

Connect the component video adapter to the S-video TV-out connector on your computer.

Plug all three ends of the component video cable into the component video-output connectors on the component video adapter. Make sure that the red, green, and blue colors of the cable match the corresponding adapter ports.

1 component video adapter 2 component video cable

Plug all three connectors from the other end of the component video cable into the component videoinput connectors on the TV. Make sure that the red, green, and blue colors of the cable match the colors of the TV input connectors.

Plug the single-connector end of the audio cable into the headphone connector on the computer.

Plug the two RCA connectors on the other end of the audio cable into the audio input connectors on your TV or audio device.

Turn on the TV, turn on any audio device that you connected (if applicable), and then turn on the computer.

See "Enabling the Display Settings for a TV in Microsoft® Windows® XP" on page 70 to ensure that the computer recognizes and works properly with the TV.

66 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

Component Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

1 2

1 S-video TV-out connector 2 component video adapter

1 component video adapter 2 component video cable 3 SPDIF digital audio cable

Turn off the computer and the TV and/or audio device that you want to connect.

Connect the component video adapter to the S-video TV-out connector on the computer.

Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia 67

1 component video adapter 2 component video-output

connectors

Plug all three connectors from the other end of the component video cable into the component video-

3 component video cable

input connectors on the TV. Make sure that the red, green, and blue colors of the cable match the colors of the TV input connectors.

Plug one end of the S/PDIF digital audio cable into the S/PDIF audio connector on the component video adapter.

1 component video adapter 2 S/PDIF digital audio cable

Plug the other end of the digital audio cable into the S/PDIF input connector on your TV or other audio device.

Turn on the TV, turn on any audio device that you connected (if applicable), and then turn on the computer.

See "Enabling the Display Settings for a TV in Microsoft® Windows® XP" on page 70 to ensure that the computer recognizes and works properly with the TV.

68 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

Enabling S/PDIF Digital Audio

If your computer has a DVD drive, you can enable digital audio for DVD playback.

Click

Start

, and point to

All Programs

, and click

PowerDVD

to launch the

Cyberlink PowerDVD

application.

Insert a DVD into the DVD drive.

If the DVD begins playing, click the stop button.

Click the

Click the arrows beside the

SPDIF

Click the

Enabling S/PDIF in the Windows Audio Driver

Double-click the speaker icon in the Windows notification area.

Click the

Click

Click OK.

Settings

DVD

option.

DVD Audio Setting

option.

Back

button once, and then click the

Options

Advanced

menu and then click

S/PDIF Interface

icon.

Speaker Configuration

Advanced Controls

setting to scroll through the options, and select the

Back

button again to return to the main menu screen.

Setting Up the Cyberlink (CL) Headphones

NOTE: The CL headphone feature is available only if your computer has a DVD drive.

If your computer has a DVD drive, you can enable digital audio for DVD playback.

Click

Start

, and point to

program.

Insert a DVD into the DVD drive.

If the DVD begins playing, click the stop button.

Click the

Click the arrows beside the

Headphones

Settings

DVD

option.

DVD Audio Setting

option.

All Programs

, and click

icon.

Speaker Configuration

PowerDVD

to launch the

Cyberlink PowerDVD

setting to scroll through the options, and select the

Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia 69

Click the arrows beside the

CL Headphone

Click the arrows beside the

Click the

option.

Back

button once, and then click the

Audio listening mode

setting to scroll through the options, and select the

Dynamic range compression

Back

button again to return to the main menu screen.

option to select the most suitable option.

Enabling the Display Settings for a TV in Microsoft® Windows® XP

Video Controller

NOTE: To ensure that the display options appear correctly, connect the TV to the computer before you enable the

display settings.

Click the

Double-click

Click

Click the tab for your video card.

NOTE: To determine the type of video card installed in your computer, see the Windows Help and Support Center.

To access the Help and Support Center, click Start your computer information and diagnose problems. Then, under My Computer Information, select Hardware.

In the display devices section, select the appropriate option for using either a single display or multiple displays, ensuring that the display settings are correct for your selection.

Start

Display

Advanced

button, point to

and click the

Settings

, and then click

Control Panel

tab.

→ Help and Support. Under Pick a Task, click Use Tools to view

70 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

Using Cards

ExpressCards

ExpressCards leverage PC Card technology to provide a fast and convenient way to add memory, wired and wireless network communications (including wireless wide area network [WWAN] communications), multimedia, and security features to your computer.

See "Specifications" on page 137 for information on supported ExpressCards.

NOTE: An ExpressCard is not a bootable device.

ExpressCard Blanks

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

To remove the blank, see "Removing an ExpressCard or Blank" on page 73.

Installing an ExpressCard

You can install an ExpressCard in the computer while the computer is running. The computer automatically detects the card.

ExpressCards are generally marked with a symbol (such as a triangle or an arrow) or a label to indicate which end to insert into the slot. The cards are keyed to prevent incorrect insertion. If card orientation is not clear, see the documentation that came with the card.

Supported and Unsupported Card Comparison

The ExpressCard slot of your computer is designed to support only ExpressCards.

Using Cards 71

1 supported cards 2 unsupported cards

NOTICE: Your computer does not support PC Cards. To avoid damaging the pins or card, you should not attempt to

insert an unsupported card into the ExpressCard slot.

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

To install an ExpressCard:

Hold the card with the top side of the card facing up. The latch may need to be in the "in" position before you insert the card.

Slide the card into the slot until the card is completely seated in its connector.

72 Using Cards

If you encounter too much resistance, do not force the card. Check the card orientation and try again.

1 ExpressCard

The computer recognizes the ExpressCard and automatically loads the appropriate device driver. If the configuration program tells you to load the manufacturer's drivers, use the CD that came with the ExpressCard.

Removing an ExpressCard or Blank

NOTICE: Use the ExpressCard configuration utility (click the icon in the taskbar) to select a card and stop it

from functioning before you remove it from the computer. If you do not stop the card in the configuration utility, you could lose data.

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

Press the latch and remove the card or blank. Press the latch twice: once to pop the latch out, and then a second time to pop the card out. Save a blank to use when no ExpressCard is installed in a slot. Blanks protect unused slots from dust and other particles.

Using Cards 73

1 release button 2 ExpressCard

Media Memory Cards

The 5-in-1 media memory card reader provides a fast and convenient way to view and share digital photos, music, and videos stored on a media memory card.

NOTE: A media memory card is not a bootable device.

The 5-in-1 media memory card reader reads the following media memory cards:

• Secure Digital (SD) card/SDIO

• MultiMediaCard (MMC)

• Memory Stick

• Memory Stick PRO

•xD-Picture Card

Installing a Media Memory Card

You can install a media memory card in the computer while the computer is running. The computer automatically detects the card.

Media memory cards are generally marked with a symbol (such as a triangle or an arrow) or a label to indicate which end to insert into the slot. The cards are keyed to prevent incorrect insertion. If card orientation is not clear, see the documentation that came with the card.

74 Using Cards

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

To install a media memory card:

Hold the card with the top side of the card facing up.

Slide the card into the slot until the card is completely seated in its connector.

If you encounter too much resistance, do not force the card. Check the card orientation and try again.

1 5-in-1 media memory card

slot

2 media memory card

The computer recognizes the media memory card and automatically loads the appropriate device driver. If the configuration program tells you to load the manufacturer's drivers, use the CD that came with the media memory card, if applicable.

Removing a Media Memory Card

NOTICE: Use the media memory card configuration utility (click the icon in the taskbar) to select a card and

stop it from functioning before you remove it from the computer. If you do not stop the card in the configuration utility, you could lose data.

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

Press the card in to release and remove the card.

Using Cards 75

Smart Cards

NOTE: For information on how to secure your computer while traveling, see "Traveling With Your Computer" on

page 135.

NOTE: The smart card slot is optional and may not ship with your computer.

Smart cards are portable credit-card shaped devices with internal integrated circuits. The top surface of the smart card usually contains an embedded processor under the gold contact pad. The combination of the small size and integrated circuits make smart cards valuable tools for security, data storage, and special programs. Using smart cards can improve system security by combining something a user has (the smart card) with something only the user should know (a PIN) to provide more secure userauthentication than passwords alone.

Installing a Smart Card

You can install a smart card in the computer while the computer is running. The computer automatically detects the card.

To install a smart card:

Hold the card so that the gold contact pad is facing upward and pointing toward the smart card slot.

1 gold contact pad 2 smart card (top)

Slide the smart card into the smart card slot until the card is completely seated in its connector. The smart card will protrude approximately 1/2 inch from the slot.

If you encounter too much resistance, do not force the card. Check the card orientation and try again.

76 Using Cards

1 smart card slot 2 smart card 3 ExpressCard slot

Using Cards 77

78 Using Cards

Setting Up a Home and Office Network

Physically Connecting to a Network or Broadband Modem

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:

Connect the network cable to the network adapter connector on the back of your computer.

NOTE: Insert the cable connector until it clicks into place, and then gently pull the cable to ensure that it is

securely attached.

Connect the other end of the network cable to a network connection device or a network wall connector.

NOTE: Do not use a network cable with a telephone wall connector.

Setting Up a Home and Office Network 79

Network Setup Wizard

The Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system 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.

Click the

Network Setup Wizard

On the welcome screen, click

Click

NOTE: Selecting the connection method labeled This computer connects directly to the Internet enables the

integrated firewall provided with Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).

Complete the checklist.

Return to the Network Setup Wizard and follow the instructions on the screen.

Start

button, point to

Checklist for creating a network

All Programs→ Accessories→ Communications

, and then click

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

A WLAN is a series of interconnected computers that communicate with each other over the air waves rather than through a network cable connected to each computer. In a WLAN, a radio communications device called an access point or wireless router connects network computers and provides Internet, or network, access. The access point or wireless router and the wireless network card in the computer communicate by broadcasting data from their antennas over the air waves.

What You Need to Establish a WLAN Connection

Before you can set up a WLAN, you need:

• High-speed (broadband) Internet access (such as cable or DSL)

• A broadband modem that is connected and working

• A wireless router or access point

• A wireless network card for each computer that you want to connect to your WLAN

• A network cable with the network (RJ-45) connector

Checking Your Wireless Network Card

Depending on what you selected when you purchased your computer, the computer has a variety of configurations. To confirm that your computer has a wireless network card and to determine the type of card, use one of the following:

• The

• The order confirmation for your computer

80 Setting Up a Home and Office Network

Start

button and the

Connect To

option

Start Button and Connect To Option

Click the

Point to

Start

button.

Connect To

, and then click

Show all connections

If Wireless Network Connection does not appear under LAN or High-Speed Internet, you may not have a wireless network card.

If Wireless Network Connection appears, you have a wireless network card. To view detailed information about the wireless network card:

Right-click

Click card’s name and model number are listed on the

NOTE: If your computer is set to the Classic Start menu option, you can view network connections by clicking the

Start button, pointing to Settings, and then pointing to Network Connections. If Wireless Network Connection does

not appear, you may not have a wireless network card.

Order Confirmation for Your Computer

Wireless Network Connection.

Properties

. The

Wireless Network Connection Properties

General

window appears. The wireless network

tab.

The order confirmation that you received when you ordered your computer lists the hardware and software that shipped with your computer.

Setting Up a New WLAN

Connecting a Wireless Router and a Broadband Modem

Contact your Internet service provider (ISP) to obtain specific information about the connection requirements for your broadband modem.

Ensure that you have wired Internet access through your broadband modem before you attempt to set up a wireless Internet connection. See "Physically Connecting to a Network or Broadband Modem" on page 79.

Install any software required for your wireless router. Your wireless router may have been shipped with an installation CD. Such CDs usually contain installation and troubleshooting information. Install the required software according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Shut down your computer and any other wireless-enabled computers in the vicinity through the menu.

Disconnect your broadband modem power cable from the electrical outlet.

Disconnect the network cable from the computer and the modem.

Start

NOTE: Wait for a minimum of 5 minutes after disconnecting your broadband modem before you continue with the

network setup.

Disconnect the AC adapter cable from your wireless router to ensure that there is no power connected to the router.

Insert a network cable into the network (RJ-45) connector on the unpowered broadband modem.

Setting Up a Home and Office Network 81

Connect the other end of the network cable into the Internet network (RJ-45) connector on the unpowered wireless router.

Ensure that no network or USB cables, other than the network cable connecting the modem and the wireless router, are connected to the broadband modem.

NOTE: Restart your wireless equipment in the order described below to prevent a potential connection failure.

Tu r n o n

ONLY

your broadband modem and wait for at least 2 minutes for the broadband modem to

stabilize. After 2 minutes, proceed to step 12.

Turn on your wireless router and wait for at least 2 minutes for the wireless router to stabilize. After 2 minutes, proceed to the step 13.

Start your computer and wait until the boot process completes.

See the documentation that came with your wireless router to do the following in order to set up the wireless router:

• Establish communication between your computer and your wireless router.

• Configure your wireless router to communicate with your broadband router.

• Find out your wireless router’s broadcast name. The technical term for the name of your router’s

broadcast name is Service Set Identifier (SSID) or network name.

If necessary, configure your wireless network card to connect to the wireless network. See "Connecting to a Wireless Local Area Network" on page 82.

Connecting to a Wireless Local Area Network

NOTE: Before you connect to a WLAN, ensure that you have followed the instructions in "Wireless Local Area

Network (WLAN)" on page 80.

NOTE: The following networking instructions do not apply to internal cards with Bluetooth

or cellular products.

wireless technology

This section provides general procedures for connecting to a network via wireless technology. Specific network names and configuration details vary. See "Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)" on page 80 for more information about how to prepare for connecting your computer to a WLAN.

Your wireless network card requires specific software and drivers for connecting to a network. The software is already installed.

NOTE: If the software is removed or corrupted, follow the instructions in the user documentation for your wireless

network card. Verify the type of wireless network card installed in your computer and then search for that name on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com. For information on the type of wireless network card that is installed in your computer, see "Checking Your Wireless Network Card" on page 80.

82 Setting Up a Home and Office Network

Determining the Wireless Network Device Manager

Depending on the software installed on your computer, different wireless configuration utilities may manage your network devices:

• Your wireless network card’s client utility

• The Windows XP operating system

To determine which wireless configuration utility is managing your wireless network card:

Click the

Double-click

Right-click the

If the Choose a wireless network window states Windows cannot configure this connection, the wireless network card’s client utility is managing the wireless network card.

If the Choose a wireless network window states Click an item in the list below to connect to a wireless network in range or to get more information, the Windows XP operating system is managing the wireless network card.

For specific information about the wireless configuration utility installed on your computer, see your wireless network documentation in the Windows Help and Support Center.

To access the Help and Support Center:

Click the

Under

Start

button, point to

Network Connections

Wireless Network Connection

Start

button and click

Pick a Help topic

Device Guides

, select the documentation for your wireless network card.

Settings

, and then click

icon, and then click

Help and Support

, click

Dell User and System Guides

Control Panel

View Available Wireless Networks

Completing the Connection to the WLAN

When you turn on your computer and a network (for which your computer is not configured) is detected in the area, a pop-up appears near the network icon in the notification area (in the lower-right corner of the Windows desktop).

Follow the instructions provided in any utility prompts that appear on your screen.

Once you have configured your computer for the wireless network that you selected, another pop-up notifies you that your computer is connected to that network.

Thereafter, whenever you log on to your computer within the range of the wireless network that you selected, the same pop-up notifies you of the wireless network connection.

NOTE: If you select a secure network, you must enter a WEP or WPA key when prompted. Network security

settings are unique to your network. Dell cannot provide this information.

NOTE: Your computer can take up to 1 minute to connect to the network.

Setting Up a Home and Office Network 83

Enabling/Disabling the Wireless Network Card

NOTE: If you are unable to connect to a wireless network, ensure that you have all the components for

establishing a WLAN (see "What You Need to Establish a WLAN Connection" on page 80), and then verify that your wireless network card is enabled by pressing <Fn><F2>.

You can turn your computer’s wireless networking function on and off by pressing the <Fn><F2> key combination. If the wireless networking function is turned on, press <Fn><F2> to disable it. If the wireless networking function is turned off, press <Fn><F2> to enable it.

Monitoring the Status of the Wireless Network Card Through Dell™ QuickSet

The wireless activity indicator provides you with an easy way to monitor the status of your computer’s wireless devices. Right-click the Dell QuickSet icon in your taskbar to select or deselect Wireless Activity Indicator Off to turn the wireless activity indicator on or off.

The wireless activity indicator displays whether your computer’s integrated wireless devices are enabled or disabled. When you turn the wireless networking function on or off, the wireless activity indicator changes to display the status.

For more information about the wireless activity indicator, see the Dell QuickSet Help file. For information about QuickSet and how to access the Dell QuickSet Help file, see "Dell™ QuickSet Features" on page 49.

Mobile Broadband or Wireless Wide Area Network

Much like a WLAN, a Mobile Broadband network (also known as a WWAN) is a series of interconnected computers that communicate with each other through wireless technology. However, a Mobile Broadband network uses cellular technology and therefore provides Internet access in the same varied locations from which cellular telephone service is available. Your computer can maintain the Mobile Broadband network connection regardless of its physical location, as long as the computer remains in the service area of your cellular service provider.

What You Need to Establish a Mobile Broadband Network Connection

To set up a Mobile Broadband network connection, you need:

• A Mobile Broadband ExpressCard

NOTE: For instructions on using ExpressCards, see "ExpressCards" on page 71. Also, see the Quick Start Guide that

came with your ExpressCard.

• Activated Mobile Broadband ExpressCard or activated Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) for your service provider

84 Setting Up a Home and Office Network

• The Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility (already installed on your computer if you purchased the card when you purchased your computer, or on the CD that accompanied your card if purchased separately from your computer)

If the utility is corrupted or deleted from your computer, see the Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility user’s guide for instructions. The user’s guide is available through the Windows Help and Support Center (or on the CD that accompanied your card if you purchased it separately from your computer). To access the Help and Support Center, see "Windows Help and Support Center" on page 13.

Checking Your Dell Mobile Broadband Card

Depending on what you selected when you purchased your computer, the computer has a variety of configurations. To determine your computer configuration, see one of the following:

• Your order confirmation

• Microsoft

To check your Mobile Broadband card in the Help and Support Center:

Click the

Under

installed on this computer.

On the My Computer Information - Hardware screen, you can view the type of Mobile Broadband card installed in your computer as well as other hardware components.

NOTE: The Mobile Broadband card is listed under Modems.

Windows® Help and Support Center

Start

button and click

Pick a task

Tools

, click

Use Tools to view your computer information and diagnose problems

My Computer Information

Help and Support

and then click

Find information about the hardware

Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network

NOTE: These instructions only apply to Mobile Broadband ExpressCards. They do not apply to internal cards with

wireless technology.

NOTE: Before you connect to the Internet, you must activate Mobile Broadband service through your cellular

service provider. For instructions and for additional information about using the Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility, see the "Dell Mobile Broadband Utility User’s Guide" available through the Windows Help and Support Center. To access the Help and Support Center, see "Windows Help and Support Center" on page 13. The user's guide is also available on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com and on the CD included with your Mobile Broadband card if you purchased the card separately from your computer.

Your Mobile Broadband ExpressCard requires the Mobile Broadband Card Utility to connect to your service provider network. This utility is already installed if your ordered your mobile broadband ExpressCard with your computer. For information about this utility, see the Dell Mobile Broadband Utility User’s Guide available through the Windows Help and Support Center or the CD included with your card.

Setting Up a Home and Office Network 85

Use the Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility to establish and manage a Mobile Broadband network connection to the Internet:

Click the

Click

Follow the instructions on the screen to manage the network connection with the utility.

Click the

Click

Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility icon,

Connect

NOTE: The Connect button changes to the Disconnect button.

Dell Wireless Broadband

Start

button, point to

All Programs→

and follow the instructions on the screen.

Dell Wireless.

, in the Windows taskbar, to run the utility.

Internet Connection Firewall

The Internet Connection Firewall provides basic protection from unauthorized access to the computer while the computer is connected to the Internet. The firewall is automatically enabled when you run the Network Setup Wizard. When the firewall is enabled for a network connection, the firewall icon appears with a red background in the Network Connections section of the Control Panel.

Note that enabling the Internet Connection Firewall does not reduce the need for virus-checking software.

For more information, see the Help and Support Center for the Microsoft system. To access the Help and Support Center, see "Windows Help and Support Center" on page 13.

Window® XP operating

86 Setting Up a Home and Office Network

Securing Your Computer

Security Cable Lock

NOTE: Your computer does not ship with a security cable lock.

A security cable lock is a commercially available antitheft device. To use the lock, attach it to the security cable slot on your Dell™ computer. For more information, see the instructions included with the device.

NOTICE: Before you buy an antitheft device, ensure that it will work with the security cable slot on your

computer.

Passwords

Passwords prevent unauthorized access to your computer. When you first start your computer, you must assign a primary password at the prompt. If you do not enter a password within 2 minutes, the computer returns to its previous operating state.

When using passwords, observe the following guidelines:

• Choose a password that you can remember, but not one that is easy to guess. For example, do not use the names of family members or pets for passwords.

Securing Your Computer 87

• It is recommended that you do not write down your password. If you do write it down, however, ensure that the password is stored in a secure place.

• Do not share your password with other people.

• Ensure that people are not watching you when you type your password.

NOTICE: Passwords provide a high level of security for data in your computer or hard drive. However, they are not

foolproof. If you require more security, obtain and use additional forms of protection, such as data encryption programs.

To add or change passwords, access User Accounts from the Control Panel.

If you forget any of your passwords, contact Dell (see "Contacting Dell" on page 155). For your protection, Dell technical support staff will ask you for proof of your identity to ensure that only an authorized person can use the computer.

Computer Tracking Software

Computer tracking software may enable you to locate your computer if it is lost or stolen. The software is optional and may be purchased when you order your Dell™ computer, or you can contact your Dell sales representative for information about this security feature.

NOTE: Computer tracking software may not be available in certain countries.

NOTE: If you have computer tracking software and your computer is lost or stolen, you must contact the company

that provides the tracking service to report the missing computer.

If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen

• Call a law enforcement agency to report the lost or stolen computer. Include the Service Tag in your description of the computer. Ask that a case number be assigned and write down the number, along with the name, address, and phone number of the law enforcement agency. If possible, obtain the name of the investigating officer.

NOTE: If you know where the computer was lost or stolen, call a law enforcement agency in that area. If you do not

know, call a law enforcement agency where you live.

• If the computer belongs to a company, notify the security office of the company.

• Contact Dell customer service to report the missing computer. Provide the computer Service Tag, the case number, and the name, address, and phone number of the law enforcement agency to which you reported the missing computer. If possible, give the name of the investigating officer.

The Dell customer service representative will log your report under the computer Service Tag and record the computer as missing or stolen. If someone calls Dell for technical assistance and gives your Service Tag, the computer is identified automatically as missing or stolen. The representative will attempt to get the phone number and address of the caller. Dell will then contact the law enforcement agency to which you reported of the missing computer.

88 Securing Your Computer

Troubleshooting

Dell Technical Update Service

The Dell Technical Update service provides proactive e-mail notification of software and hardware updates for your computer. The service is free and can be customized for content, format, and how frequently you receive notifications.

To enroll for the Dell Technical Update service, go to support.dell.com/technicalupdate.

Dell Diagnostics

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

Product Information Guide.

When to Use the Dell Diagnostics

If you experience a problem with your computer, perform the checks in "Lockups and Software Problems" on page 101 and run the Dell Diagnostics before you contact Dell for technical assistance.

NOTICE: The Dell Diagnostics works only on Dell™ computers.

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD is optional and may not ship with your computer.

Start the Dell Diagnostics from either your hard drive or from the Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as the ResourceCD).

Starting the Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive

The Dell Diagnostics is located on a hidden diagnostic utility partition on your hard drive.

NOTE: If your computer cannot display a screen image, contact Dell (see "Contacting Dell" on page 155).

Before working inside your computer, read the safety instructions in your Product Information Guide.

Shut down the computer.

If the computer is connected to a docking device (docked), undock it. See the documentation that came with your docking device for instructions.

Connect the computer to an electrical outlet.

Troubleshooting 89

Diagnostics can be invoked one of two ways:

Turn on the computer. When the DELL™ logo appears, press <F12> immediately. Select Diagnostics from the boot menu and press <Enter>.

NOTE: If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the

Microsoft

Press and hold the <Fn> key while powering the computer on.

NOTE: If you see a message stating that no diagnostics utility partition has been found, run the Dell

Diagnostics from the Drivers and Utilities CD.

Windows® desktop. Then shut down your computer and try again.

The computer runs the Pre-boot System Assessment, a series of initial tests of your system board, keyboard, hard drive, and display.

• During the assessment, answer any questions that appear.

• If a failure is detected, the computer stops and beeps. To stop the assessment and restart the

computer, press <Esc>; to continue to the next test, press <y>; to retest the component that failed, press <r>.

• If failures are detected during the Pre-boot System Assessment, write down the error code(s) and

contact Dell see "Contacting Dell" on page 155).

If the Pre-boot System Assessment completes successfully, you receive the message

Diagnostic Utility Partition. Press any key to continue

Press any key to start the Dell Diagnostics from the diagnostics utility partition on your hard drive.

Booting Dell

Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the Drivers and Utilities CD

Insert the

Shut down and restart the computer.

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

Drivers and Utilities

CD.

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

NOTE: The next steps change 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.

When the boot device list appears, highlight

Select the

Ty p e 1 to start the menu and press <Enter> to proceed.

Select

Boot from CD-ROM

Run the 32 Bit Dell Diagnostics

the version appropriate for your computer.

When the Dell Diagnostics

90 Troubleshooting

CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive

and press <Enter>.

option from the menu that appears and press <Enter>.

from the numbered list. If multiple versions are listed, select

Main Menu

appears, select the test you want to run.

Dell Diagnostics Main Menu

After the Dell Diagnostics loads and the you want.

Option Function

Express Test 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.

Extended Test Performs a thorough check of devices. This test typically

takes 1 hour or more and requires you to answer questions periodically.

Custom Test Tests a specific device. You can customize the tests you

want to run.

Symptom Tree Lists the most common symptoms encountered and

allows you to select a test based on the symptom of the problem you are having.

If a problem is encountered during a test, a message appears with an error code and a description of the problem. 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 "Contacting Dell" on page 155.

NOTE: The Service Tag for your computer is located at the top of each test screen. If you contact Dell,

technical support will ask for your Service Tag.

If you run a test from the

Custom Test

the following table for more information.

Main Menu

Symptom Tree

screen appears, click the button for the option

option, click the applicable tab described in

Tab Function

Results Displays the results of the test and any error conditions

encountered.

Errors Displays error conditions encountered, error codes, and

the problem description.

Help Describes the test and may indicate requirements for

running the test.

Troubleshooting 91

Tab Function

Configuration Displays your hardware configuration for the selected

device.

The Dell Diagnostics obtains configuration information for all devices from system setup, memory, and various internal tests, and it displays the information 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.

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

Drivers and Utilities

CD, remove the CD.

When the tests are complete, close the test screen to return to the Diagnostics and restart the computer, close the

Main Menu

screen.

Main Menu

screen. To exit the Dell

Dell Support Utility

The Dell Support Utility is installed on your computer and available from the Dell Support icon on the taskbar or from the Start button. Use this support utility for self-support information, software updates, and health scans of your computing environment.

Accessing the Dell Support Utility

Access the Dell Support Utility from the Dell Support icon on the taskbar or from the Start menu.

If the Dell Support icon does not appear in your taskbar:

Click the

Click

Ensure that the

NOTE: If the Dell Support Utility is not available from the Start menu, go to support.dell.com and download the

software.

The Dell Support Utility is customized for your computing environment.

The Dell Support icon in the taskbar functions differently when you click, double-click, or right-click the icon.

92 Troubleshooting

Start

button and point to

Dell Support

Show icon on the taskbar

and point to

Programs

Dell Support Settings

option is checked.

Clicking the Dell Support Icon

Click or right-click the icon to perform the following tasks:

• Check your computing environment.

• View the Dell Support Utility settings.

• Access the help file for the Dell Support Utility.

• View frequently asked questions.

• Learn more about the Dell Support Utility.

• Turn the Dell Support Utility off.

Double-Clicking the Dell Support Icon

Double-click the icon to manually check your computing environment, view frequently asked questions, access the help file for the Dell Support Utility, and view Dell Support settings.

For more information about the Dell Support Utility, click the question mark (?) at the top of the Dell Support screen.

Drive Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

NSURE THAT MICROSOFT

Computer. If the floppy, CD, or 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.

EST THE DRIVE —

• Insert another floppy disk, CD, or DVD to eliminate the possibility that the original one is defective.

• Insert a bootable floppy disk or CD and restart the computer.

CLEAN THE DRIVE OR DISK — See "Cleaning Your Computer" on page 151.

ENSURE THAT THE CD IS SNAPPED ONTO THE SPINDLE

CHECK THE CABLE CONNECTIONS

CHECK FOR HARDWARE INCOMPATIBILITIES —

page 112.

RUN THE DELL DIAGNOSTICS —

WINDOWS® RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Click the Start button and click My

See "Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities" on

See

"Dell Diagnostics" on page 89

CD and DVD Drive Problems

NOTE: High-speed CD or DVD drive vibration is normal and may cause noise, which does not indicate a defect in

the drive or the CD or DVD.

NOTE: Because of different regions worldwide and different disc formats, not all DVD titles work in all DVD drives.

Troubleshooting 93

Problems Writing to a CD/DVD-RW Drive

CLOSE OTHER PROGRAMS — The CD/DVD-RW drive must receive a steady stream of data when writing.

If the stream is interrupted, an error occurs. Try closing all programs before you write to the CD/DVD-RW.

TURN OFF STANDBY MODE IN WINDOWS BEFORE WRITING TO A CD/DVD-RW DISC — See "Standby Mode"

on page 45 or search for the keyword standby in the Windows Help and Support Center for information on power management modes.

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

If You Cannot Eject the CD, CD-RW, DVD, or DVD+RW Drive Tray

Ensure that the computer is shut down.

Straighten a paper clip and insert one end into the eject hole at the front of the drive; push firmly until the tray is partially ejected.

Gently pull out the tray until it stops.

If You Hear an Unfamiliar Scraping or Grinding Sound

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

• Ensure that the disk or disc is inserted properly.

Hard Drive Problems

ALLOW THE COMPUTER TO COOL BEFORE TURNING IT ON — A hot hard drive may prevent the operating

system from starting. Try allowing the computer to return to room temperature before turning it on.

RUN CHECK DISK —

Click the

Right-click

Click

Click the

Under

Click

Start

button and click

Local Disk C:

Properties

To ol s

tab.

Error-checking

, click

My Computer

Check Now

Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors

Start

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

NOTE: Connect the modem to an analog telephone jack only. The modem does not operate while it is connected to

a digital telephone network.

94 Troubleshooting

CHECK THE MICROSOFT OUTLOOK® EXPRESS SECURITY SETTINGS — If you cannot open your e-mail

attachments:

In Outlook Express, click

Click

Do not allow attachments

CHECK THE TELEPHONE LINE CONNECTION

CHECK THE TELEPHONE JACK

CONNECT THE MODEM DIRECTLY TO THE TELEPHONE WALL JACK

USE A DIFFERENT TELEPHONE LINE —

Tools

, click

Options

to remove the checkmark.

, and then click

Security

• 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.

• Disconnect the telephone line from the modem and connect it to a telephone. Listen for a dial tone.

• 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 connect the modem directly to the telephone wall jack. 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 certain computers.)

VERIFY THAT THE MODEM IS COMMUNICATING WITH WINDOWS —

Click the

Click

Click the

Click the COM port for your modem.

Click

Start

button and click

Control Panel

Printers and Other Hardware

Phone and Modem Options

Modems

Properties

tab.

, 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.

ENSURE THAT YOU ARE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET — Ensure that you have subscribed to an Internet

provider. 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. For help, contact your Internet service provider.

SCAN THE COMPUTER FOR SPYWARE — If you are experiencing slow computer performance, you

frequently receive pop-up advertisements, or you are having problems connecting to the Internet, your computer might be infected with spyware. Use an anti-virus program that includes anti-spyware protection (your program may require an upgrade) to scan the computer and remove spyware. For more information, go to support.dell.com and search for the keyword spyware.

Troubleshooting 95

Error Messages

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

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

AUXILIARY DEVICE FAILURE — The touch pad, track stick, or external mouse may be faulty. For an external

mouse, check the cable connection. Enable the Pointing Device option in the system setup program. If the problem persists, contact Dell. See "Contacting Dell" on page 155.

BAD COMMAND OR FILE NAME — Ensure that you have spelled the command correctly, put spaces in the

proper place, and used the correct pathname.

CACHE DISABLED DUE TO FAILURE — The primary cache internal to the microprocessor has failed. Contact

Dell. See "Contacting Dell" on page 155.

CD DRIVE CONTROLLER FAILURE — The CD drive does not respond to commands from the computer. See

"Dell Support Utility" on page 92.

DATA ERROR — The hard drive cannot read the data. See "Dell Support Utility" on page 92.

DECREASING AVAILABLE MEMORY — One or more memory modules may be faulty or improperly seated.

Reinstall the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. See "Memory" on page 121.

DISK C: FAILED INITIALIZATION — The hard drive failed initialization. Run the hard drive tests in the Dell

Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

DRIVE NOT READY — The operation requires a hard drive in the bay before it can continue. Install a hard

drive in the hard drive bay. See "Hard Drive" on page 119.

ERROR READING EXPRESSC ARD — The computer cannot identify the ExpressCard. Reinsert the card or try

another ExpressCard. See "Using Cards" on page 71.

EXTENDED MEMORY SIZE HAS CHANGED — The amount of memory recorded in NVRAM does not match

the memory installed in the computer. Restart the computer. If the error appears again, contact Dell. See "Contacting Dell" on page 155.

THE FILE BEING COPIED IS TOO LARGE FOR THE DESTINATION DRIVE — The file that you are trying to copy is

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

A FILENAME CANNOT CONTAIN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERS: \ / : * ? “ < > | — Do not use these

characters in filenames.

GATE A20 FAILURE — A memory module may be loose. Reinstall the memory modules and, if necessary,

replace them. See "Memory" on page 121.

GENERAL FAILURE — The operating system is unable to carry out the command. The message is usually

followed by specific information—for example, Printer out of paper. Take the appropriate action.

96 Troubleshooting

HARD-DISK DRIVE CONFIGURATION ERROR — The computer cannot identify the drive type. Shut down the

computer, remove the hard drive (see "Hard Drive" on page 119), and boot the computer from a CD. Then shut down the computer, reinstall the hard drive, and restart the computer. Run the Hard-Disk Drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

HARD-DISK DRIVE CONTROLLER FAILURE 0— The hard drive does not respond to commands from the

computer. Shut down the computer, remove the hard drive (see "Hard Drive" on page 119), and boot the computer from a CD. Then shut down the computer, reinstall the hard drive, and restart the computer. If the problem persists, try another drive. Run the Hard-Disk Drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

HARD-DISK DRIVE FAILURE — The hard drive does not respond to commands from the computer. Shut

down the computer, remove the hard drive (see "Hard Drive" on page 119), and boot the computer from a CD. Then shut down the computer, reinstall the hard drive, and restart the computer. If the problem persists, try another drive. Run the Hard-Disk Drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

HARD-DISK DRIVE READ FAILURE — The hard drive may be defective. Shut down the computer, remove

the hard drive (see "Hard Drive" on page 119), and boot the computer from a CD. Then shut down the computer, reinstall the hard drive, and restart the computer. If the problem persists, try another drive. Run the Hard-Disk Drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

INSERT BOOTABLE MEDIA — The operating system is trying to boot to a nonbootable CD. Insert a

bootable CD.

INVALID CONFIGURATION INFORMATION-PLEASE RUN SYS T E M SETUP PROGRAM — The system configuration

information does not match the hardware configuration. The message is most likely to occur after a memory module is installed. Correct the appropriate options in the system setup program. See "Using the System Setup Program" on page 149.

KEYBOARD CLOCK LINE FAILURE — For external keyboards, check the cable connection. Run the Keyboard

Controller test in the Dell Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

KEYBOARD CONTROLLER FAILURE — For external keyboards, check the cable connection. Restart the

computer, and avoid touching the keyboard or the mouse during the boot routine. Run the Keyboard Controller test in the Dell Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

KEYBOARD DATA LINE FAILURE — For external keyboards, check the cable connection. Run the Keyboard

Controller test in the Dell Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

KEYBOARD STUCK KEY FAILURE — For external keyboards or keypads, check the cable connection. Restart

the computer, and avoid touching the keyboard or keys during the boot routine. Run the Stuck Key test in the Dell Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

LICENSED CONTENT IS NOT ACCESSIBLE IN MEDIADIRECT — Dell MediaDirect™ cannot verify the Digital Rights Management (DRM) restrictions on the file, so the file cannot be played. See "Dell MediaDirect Problems" on page 102.

EMORY ADDRESS LINE FAILURE AT ADDRESS, READ VALUE EXPECTING VALUE — A memory module may be

faulty or improperly seated. Reinstall the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them. See "Memory" on page 121.

Troubleshooting 97

MEMORY ALLOCATION ERROR — The software you are attempting to run is conflicting with the operating

system, another program, or a utility. Shut down the computer, wait 30 seconds, and then restart it. Try to run the program again. If the error message still appears, see the software documentation.

MEMORY DATA LINE FAILURE AT ADDRESS, READ VALUE EXPECTING VALUE — A memory module may be

faulty or improperly seated. Reinstall the memory modules (see "Memory" on page 121) and, if necessary, replace them.

MEMORY DOUBLE WORD LOGIC FAILURE AT ADDRESS, READ VALUE EXPECTING VALUE — A memory module

may be faulty or improperly seated. Reinstall the memory modules (see "Memory" on page 121) and, if necessary, replace them.

MEMORY ODD/ EVEN LOGIC FAILURE AT ADDRESS, READ VALUE EXPECTING VALUE — A memory module may

be faulty or improperly seated. Reinstall the memory modules (see "Memory" on page 121) and, if necessary, replace them.

MEMORY WRITE/ READ FAILURE AT ADDRESS, READ VALUE EXPECTING VALUE — A memory module may be

faulty or improperly seated. Reinstall the memory modules (see "Memory" on page 121) and, if necessary, replace them.

NO BOOT DEVICE AVAILABLE — The computer cannot find the hard drive. If the hard drive is your boot

device, ensure that the drive is installed, properly seated, and partitioned as a boot device.

NO BOOT SECTOR ON HARD DRIVE — The operating system may be corrupted. Contact Dell. See

"Contacting Dell" on page 155.

NO TIMER TICK INTERRUPT — A chip on the system board may be malfunctioning. Run the System Set

tests in the Dell Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

NOT ENOUGH MEMORY OR RESOURCES. EXIT SOME PROGRAMS AND TRY AGAIN — You have too many

programs open. Close all windows and open the program that you want to use.

OPERATING SYSTEM NOT FOUND — Reinstall the hard drive (see "Hard Drive" on page 119). If the problem

persists, contact Dell. See "Contacting Dell" on page 155.

OPTIONAL ROM BAD CHECKSUM — The optional ROM apparently failed. Contact Dell. See "Contacting

Dell" on page 155.

A REQUIRED .DLL FILE WAS NOT FOUND — The program that you are trying to open is missing an essential

file. Remove and then reinstall the program.

Click the Start button and click

Click

Add or Remove Programs

Select the program you want to remove.

Click

Remove

See the program documentation for installation instructions.

SECTOR NOT FOUND — The operating system cannot locate a sector on the hard drive. You may have a

Change/Remove

Control Panel

and follow the prompts on the screen.

defective sector or corrupted FAT on the hard drive. Run the Windows error-checking utility to check the file structure on the hard drive. See the Help and Support Center for instructions. If a large number of sectors are defective, back up the data (if possible), and then reformat the hard drive.

98 Troubleshooting

SEEK ERROR — The operating system cannot find a specific track on the hard drive.

SHUTDOWN FAILURE — A chip on the system board may be malfunctioning. Run the System Set tests in

the Dell Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

TIME- OF-DAY CLOCK LOST POWER — System configuration settings are corrupted. Connect your computer

to an electrical outlet to charge the battery. If the problem persists, try to restore the data by entering the system setup program (see "Using the System Setup Program" on page 149). Then immediately exit the program. If the message reappears, contact Dell. See "Contacting Dell" on page 155.

TIME- OF-DAY CLOCK STOPPED — The reserve battery that supports the system configuration settings may

need to be replaced. Contact Dell. See "Contacting Dell" on page 155.

TIME- OF-DAY NOT SET-PLEASE RUN THE SYST E M SETUP PROGRAM — The time or date stored in the system

setup program does not match the system clock. Correct the settings for the Date and Time options. See "Using the System Setup Program" on page 149.

TIMER CHIP COUNTER 2 FAILED — A chip on the system board may be malfunctioning. Run the System

Set tests in the Dell Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

UNEXPECTED INTERRUPT IN PROTECTED MODE — The keyboard controller may be malfunctioning, or a

memory module may be loose. Run the System Memory tests and the Keyboard Controller test in the Dell Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89.

X :\ IS NOT ACCESSIBLE. THE DEVICE IS NOT READY — Insert a disk into the drive and try again.

WARNING: BATTERY IS CRITICALLY LOW — The battery is running out of charge. Replace the battery, or

connect the computer to an electrical outlet. Otherwise, activate hibernate mode or shut down the computer.

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

NSURE THAT THE IEEE 1394 DEVICE IS RECOGNIZED BY WINDOWS —

Click the

Click

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

IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH A DELL- PROVIDED IEEE 1394 DEVICE — Contact Dell (

on page 155)

IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH AN IEEE 1394 DEVICE NOT PROVIDED BY DELL — Contact the IEEE 1394

device manufacturer.

ENSURE THAT THE IEEE 1394 DEVICE IS PROPERLY INSERTED INTO THE CONNECTOR

Start

button and click

Control Panel

Printers and Other Hardware

see "Contacting Dell"

Troubleshooting 99

Keyboard Problems

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

NOTE: Use the integrated keyboard when running the Dell Diagnostics or the system setup program. When you

attach an external keyboard, the integrated keyboard remains fully functional.

External Keyboard Problems

NOTE: When you attach an external keyboard, the integrated keyboard remains fully functional.

HECK THE KEYBOARD CABLE — Shut down the computer. Disconnect the keyboard cable and check it for

damage, and firmly reconnect the cable.

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

CHECK THE EXTERNAL KEYBOARD —

Shut down the computer, wait 1 minute, and turn it on again.

Verify that the numbers, capitals, and scroll lock lights on the keyboard blink during the boot routine.

From the Windows desktop, click the

Notepad

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

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

TO VERIFY THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE EXTERNAL KEYBOARD, CHECK THE INTEGRATED KEYBOARD —

Shut down the computer.

Disconnect the external keyboard.

Turn on the computer.

From the Windows desktop, click the

Notepad

Type some characters on the internal keyboard and verify that they appear on the display.

If the characters appear now but did not with the external keyboard, you may have a defective external keyboard. Contact Dell. See "Contacting Dell" on page 155.

Start

button, point to

Start

button, point to

Programs

, point to

Accessories

, and click

RUN THE KEYBOARD DIAGNOSTICS TESTS — Run the PC-AT Compatible Keyboards tests in the Dell

Diagnostics. See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 89. If the tests indicate a defective external keyboard, contact Dell. See "Contacting Dell" on page 155.

Unexpected Characters

DISABLE THE NUMERIC KEYPAD — Press <Num Lk> to disable the numeric keypad if numbers are

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

100 Troubleshooting

Dell PP05XB, M1710 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Owner’s Manual

Contents

Finding Information

A Tour of Your Computer

Determining Your Computer’s Configuration

Front View

Left Side View

Right Side View

Back View

Bottom View

Setting Up Your Computer

Connecting to the Internet

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

Transferring Information to a New Computer

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard With the Operating System CD

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard Without the Operating System CD

Setting Up a Printer

Printer Cable

Connecting a USB Printer

Power Protection Devices

Surge Protectors

Line Conditioners

Uninterruptible Power Supplies

Using the Display

Adjusting Brightness

Switching the Video Image

Setting Display Resolution

Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad

Numeric Keypad

Key Combinations

System Functions

Battery

CD or DVD Tray

Display Functions

Power Management

Speaker Functions

Touch Pad

Customizing the Touch Pad

Using a Battery

Battery Performance

Checking the Battery Charge

Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter

Microsoft® Windows® Power Meter

Charge Gauge

Low-Battery Warning

Conserving Battery Power

Power Management Modes

Standby Mode

Configuring Power Management Settings

Charging the Battery

Replacing the Battery

Storing a Battery

Dell™ QuickSet Features

Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia

Playing CDs or DVDs

Adjusting the Volume

Adjusting the Picture

Copying CDs and DVDs

How to Copy a CD or DVD

Using Blank CDs and DVDs

Helpful Tips

Using Dell Media Experience and Dell MediaDirect™

If the Computer Is On or in Standby Mode

If the Computer Is Off or in Hibernate Mode

Dell MediaDirect and Dell Media Experience Help

Connecting Your Computer to a TV or Audio Device

S-Video and Standard Audio

S-Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

Composite Video and Standard Audio

Composite Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

Component Video and Standard Audio

Component Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

Setting Up the Cyberlink (CL) Headphones

Enabling the Display Settings for a TV in Microsoft® Windows® XP

Using Cards

ExpressCards