Dell MTC2, DMC, G7279 User Manual

Dell™ Dimension™ 4600 Series

Service Tag

CD or DVD headphone connector

CD or DVD volume control dial

floppy drive light*

power light

power button

USB 2.0 connectors (2) headphone connector

power connector

voltage selection switch

serial connector

CD or DVD drive activity light

CD or DVD eject button

floppy drive eject button*

hard-drive activity light

*On computers with an optional floppy drive.

parallel connector

integrated video connector**

keyboard connector center/LFE connector*

line-out connector*

microphone connector*

USB 2.0 connectors (6)

PCI card slots (3)

*On computers with integrated sound.

**On computers with integrated video.

***On computers with a video card.

Model DMC, MTC2

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diagnostic lights (4)

mouse connector

surround connector*

line-in connector*

cover latch

network adapter connector

video connector***

optional sound card connector (see the setup diagram)

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 the

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

Tell Me How

help file. To access help files, see page 21.

Windows®

operating systems are not applicable.

____________________

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, DellNet, Inspiron, Dell Pr ecision, Dimension, OptiPlex, PowerVault, PowerApp, PowerEdge,

PowerConnect, Axim, and Latitude are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel, Pentium, and Celeron are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation.

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

Model DMC, MTC2

July 2004 P/N G7279 Rev. A00

Contents

Safety Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Finding Information for Your Computer

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

1 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Setting Up a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Printer Cable Connecting a Parallel Printer Connecting a USB Printer

Setting Up a Home and Office Network

Connecting to a Network Adapter Network Setup Wizard

Connecting to the Internet

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

Copying CDs and DVDs

How to Copy a CD or DVD Using Blank CD-Rs and CD-RWs Helpful Tips

Hyper-Threading

Booting to a USB Device

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

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

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

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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

Turning Off Your Computer

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

2 Solving Problems

Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Finding Help Information

Battery Problems

Drive Problems

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

Floppy drive problems CD drive problems

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

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

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

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Contents 3

Problems writing to a CD-RW drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

DVD drive problems Hard drive problems

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

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

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

Error Messages

General Problems

The computer stops responding A program stops responding A program crashes repeatedly

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

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

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

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

A program is designed for an earlier Microsoft operating system A solid blue screen appears Other software problems Other technical problems General hardware problems

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

Keyboard Problems

Mouse Problems

Network Problems

Power Problems

Printer Problems

Scanner Problems

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

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

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

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

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

Windows®

4 Contents

Sound and Speaker Problems

No sound from speakers No sound from headphones

Video and Monitor Problems

If the screen is blank

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

If the screen is difficult to read

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

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

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

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

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

3 Advanced Troubleshooting

Diagnostic Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Dell Diagnostics

Starting the Dell Diagnostics Dell Diagnostics Main Menu

Drivers

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

What Is a Driver? Identifying Drivers Reinstalling Drivers

Restoring Your Operating System

Using Microsoft Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Windows XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

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

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

4 Adding Parts

Front and Back View of the Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Front View Back View

Removing the Computer Cover

Looking Inside Your Computer

System Board

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

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

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

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

Adding Cards

Adding or Replacing the AGP Card

Removing an AGP Card Installing an AGP Card

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

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

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

Adding or Replacing a Second Hard Drive

Adding a Floppy Drive

Adding a Second CD or DVD Drive

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

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

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

Contents 5

Adding Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

DDR Memory Overview Memory Installation Guidelines Installing Memory

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

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

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

Replacing the Computer Cover

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

5 Appendix

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

System Setup

Overview Viewing Settings Boot Sequence

Clearing Forgotten Passwords

Replacing the Battery

Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)

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

FCC Notices (U.S. Only)

Class A Class B FCC Identification Information

Contacting Dell

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

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

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

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

6 Contents

Safety Instructions

See your

Product Information Guide

for safety instructions.

Safety Instructions 7

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8 Safety Instructions

Finding Information for Your Computer

What are you looking for? Find It Here

• How to set up my computer

Setup Diagram

• Tips on using the Microsoft® Windows

• How to clean my computer

• How to use my mouse and keyboard

• Express Service Code and Service Tag

• Microsoft Windows License Label

operating system

Tell Me How Help File

Click the

Click

Express Service Code and Product Key Label

Start

button and click

User and system guides Tell Me How

Help and Support

and click

These labels are located on your computer.

User’s guides

Finding Information for Your Computer 9

What are you looking for? Find It Here

• Latest drivers for my computer

• Answers to technical service and support questions

• Online discussions with other users and technical support

• Documentation for my computer

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

• How to use Windows XP

• Documentation for my computer

• Documentation for devices (such as a modem)

Dell Support Website — support.dell.com

The Dell Support website provides several online tools, including:

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

• 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, order status, warranty, and repair information

• Downloads — Drivers, patches, and software updates

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

Windows XP Help and Support Center

Click the

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

Start

button and click

Help and Support

icon.

Click the topic that describes your problem.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

10 Finding Information for Your Computer

Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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.

• Contact the printer manufacturer for technical assistance.

Printer Cable

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

Connecting a Parallel Printer

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

Shut down the computer through the

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

Attach the parallel printer cable to the parallel connector on the computer and tighten the

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

Start

menu (see page 18).

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 11

parallel connector on computer

connector on printer

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

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

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.

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

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

screws (2)

parallel printer cable

Cancel

notches (2)

clips (2)

Add New Hardware Wizard

12 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

USB connector on computer

USB connector

USB printer cable

on printer

Setting Up a Home and Office Network

Connecting to a Network Adapter

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

To connect a network cable:

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

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

Connect the other end of the network cable to a network connection device, such as a

network wall jack.

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

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 13

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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

click

On the welcome screen, click

Click

Checklist for creating a network

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

integrated firewall provided with Windows XP.

Complete the checklist and required preparations, and return to the Network Setup Wizard.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

Start

button, point to

network adapter connector on computer

All Programs→ Accessories→ Communications

network wall jack

network cable

, and then

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), such as AOL or MSN. Your ISP will offer one or more of the following Internet connection options:

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

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

14 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

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

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

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

To set up an AOL or MSN connection:

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

Double-click the

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the setup.

If you do not have an Internet connection with a different ISP:

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

Click the

The

Click

In the next window, click the appropriate option:

Start

New Connection Wizard

Connect to the Internet

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

service providers (ISPs)

• If you have already obtained setup information from your ISP but you did not receive a

setup CD, click

• If you have a CD, click

Click

If you selected instructions on the screen to complete the setup.

MSN Explorer

button and click

AOL

Internet Explorer

appears.

Set up my connection manually

Use the CD I got from an ISP

Set up my connection manually

icon on the Windows® desktop.

icon on your desktop or if you want to set up an

Choose from a list of Internet

, continue to step 6. Otherwise, follow the

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

Click the appropriate option under

click

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

How do you want to connect to the Internet?

, and then

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

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 15

Copying CDs and DVDs

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

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

The following instructions show how to make an exact copy of a CD or DVD. You can also use Sonic RecordNow for other purposes, including creating CDs from audio files on your computer and creating MP3 CDs. For instructions, see the Sonic RecordNow documentation that came with your computer. Open Sonic RecordNow, click the question mark icon in the upper-right corner of the window, and click

RecordNow Help

RecordNow Tutorial

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How to Copy a CD or DVD

NOTE: If you have a DVD/CD-RW combo drive and you experience recording problems, check for

available software patches at the Sonic support website at support.sonic.com.

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

RecordNow.

Click the

Click either the audio tab or the data tab, depending on the kind of CD you are planning to copy.

Click

Exact Copy

To copy the CD or DVD:

•

If you have one CD or DVD drive

computer reads your source CD or DVD and copies it to a temporary folder on your computer hard drive.

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

•

If you have two CD or DVD drives

source CD or DVD and click 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.

Using Blank CD-Rs and CD-RWs

Your CD-RW drive can write to two different types of recording media—CD-Rs and CD-RWs. 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 without changing your method of recording (see the Sonic documentation for more information). Use blank CD-RWs to write to CDs or to erase, rewrite, or update data on CDs.

Start

button, point to

All Programs→

Sonic→ RecordNow!→ RecordNow!.

, ensure that the settings are correct and click

, select the drive into which you have inserted your

Copy

. The computer copies the data on the CD or DVD to

Copy

. The

16 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Helpful Tips

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

• You must 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 RecordNow.

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

• 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 650-MB blank CD. The CD-RW drive needs 1 or 2 MB of the blank CD to finalize the recording.

• Use a blank CD-RW 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 support website at

support.sonic.com

for additional information.

Hyper-Threading

Hyper-Threading is an Intel® technology that can enhance overall computer performance by allowing one physical microprocessor to function as two logical microprocessors, capable of performing certain tasks simultaneously. It is recommended that you use the Microsoft Windows

XP operating system because Windows XP is optimized to take advantage of HyperThreading technology. While many programs can benefit from Hyper-Threading, some programs have not been optimized for Hyper-Threading and may require an update from the software manufacturer. Contact the software manufacturer for updates and information about using HyperThreading with your software.

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

Click the

Click

In the

Start

button, right-click

Hardware

and click

Device Manager

My Computer

Device Manager

, and then click

Properties

window, click the plus (+) sign next to the processor type. If Hyper-

Threading is enabled, the processor is listed twice.

You can enable or disable Hyper-Threading through system setup. For more information on HyperThreading, search the Knowledge Base on the Dell Support website at

support.dell.com

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 17

Booting to a USB Device

NOTE: To boot to a USB device, the device must be bootable. To make sure your device is bootable,

check the device documentation.

To restart your computer to a USB device such as a floppy drive, memory key, or CD-RW drive:

Connect the USB device to a USB connector..

Shut down (see page 18) and restart the computer.

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

If you wait too long and the Microsoft see the Windows desktop. Then shut down your computer through the

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again.

NOTE: This procedure changes the boot sequence for one time only. On the next start-up, the computer

boots according to the devices specified in system setup.

When the boot device list appears, highlight

The computer restarts to the connected USB device.

Turning Off Your Computer

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

system shutdown, as described next, rather than by pressing the power button.

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

Turn Off Computer

In the

Turn off computer

The computer turns off after the shutdown process finishes.

window, click

Windows® logo appears, continue to wait until you

Start

menu and try

USB Flash Device

Tur n o f f

and press <Enter>.

Start

button, and then click

18 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Solving Problems

Finding Solutions

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

See page 32.

Press a key or move the mouse. See the Tell Me How help file for information on standby mode. For more information, see page 32.

Get technical assistance from Dell. See page 88.

See page 25.

Solving Problems 19

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

See page 36.

See page 35.

See page 33.

See page 24.

See page 30.

See page 21.

See page 31.

See page 34.

See page 25.

See page 26.

20 Solving Problems

See page 24.

See page 26.

Finding Help Information

TO ACCESS THE TELL ME HOW HELP FILE —

Click the

Click

TO ACCESS WINDOWS HELP —

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 shown on the screen.

TO LOCATE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR YOUR COMPUTER — See page 9.

Start

button and click

User and system guides Tell Me How

Start

button and click

Help and Support

and click

User’s guides

Help and Support

Battery Problems

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

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

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

located in the Product Information Guide.

REPLACE THE BATTERY — If you have to repeatedly reset time and date information after turning on

the computer, or if an incorrect time or date displays during start-up, replace the battery (see page 86). If the battery still does not work properly, contact Dell (see page 90).

Drive Problems

Floppy drive problems

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

Solving Problems 21

TEST THE DRIVE —

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

• Insert a bootable floppy disk and reboot the computer.

ENSURE THAT THE DISK IS NOT FULL OR WRITE-PROTECTED — Ensure that the disk has available space and that it is not write-protected (locked). See the following figure.

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NOTICE: Do not attempt to clean drive heads with a swab. You may accidentally misalign the heads,

which can render the drive inoperable.

back of floppy disk

write-protected

not writeprotected

CLEAN THE DRIVE — Use a commercially available cleaning kit.

CD drive problems

NOTE: High-speed CD drive vibration is normal and may cause noise, which does not indicate a defect in

the drive or the CD.

ADJUST THE WINDOWS VOLUME CONTROL — Click the speaker icon in the lower-right corner of your screen.

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

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

22 Solving Problems

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

CHECK THE SPEAKERS AND SUBWOOFER — See "Sound and Speaker Problems" on page 35.

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

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

CLEAN THE DISC — See the Tell Me How help file for instructions on cleaning your CDs. To access help files, see page 21.

Problems writing to a CD-RW drive

CLOSE OTHER PROGRAMS — The CD-RW drive must receive a steady stream of data when writing. If the stream is interrupted, an error occurs. Try closing all programs before writing to the CD-RW.

TURN OFF STANDBY MODE IN WINDOWS BEFORE WRITING TO A CD-RW DISC — For information on power conservation modes, see the Tell Me How help file or search for the keyword standby in Windows Help. To access help files, see page 21.

DVD drive problems

NOTE: Because of different regions worldwide and different disc formats, not all DVD titles work in all

DVD drives.

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

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

CLEAN THE DISC — See the Tell Me How help file for instructions on cleaning your DVDs. To access help files, see page 21.

CHECK FOR INTERRUPT REQUEST CONFLICTS — See page 49.

Solving Problems 23

Hard drive problems

RUN CHECK DISK —

Click the

Right-click the drive letter (local disk) that you want to scan for errors, and then click

Click the

Under

Click

Start

button and click

Tools

tab.

Error-checking

Start.

, click

My Computer

Check Now

Properties

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E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

NOTE: Connect the modem to an analog telephone jack only. The modem does not operate while it is

connected to a digital telephone network.

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

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

CONNECT THE MODEM DIRECTLY TO THE TELEPHONE WALL JACK — If you have other telephone devices sharing the line, such as an answering machine, fax machine, surge protector, or line splitter, then bypass them and use the telephone to connect the modem directly to the telephone wall jack.

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

RUN THE MODEM HELPER DIAGNOSTICS — Click the Start button, point to All Programs, and then click Modem Helper. Follow the instructions on the screen to identify and resolve modem problems.

(Modem Helper is not available on all computers.)

24 Solving Problems

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.

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

Click the

Click

Click your connection type to highlight it.

Click the

Select the disable code from the drop-down menu (for example, *70).

Click

Start

button and click

Control Panel. Printers and Other Hardware

Dialing Rules

tab and click

To Disable Call Waiting

Apply

and click OK.

, and then click

Edit

Phone and Modem Options.

box to place a checkmark in it.

ENSURE THAT YOU ARE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET — With the Outlook Express e-mail program open, click File. If Work Offline has a checkmark next to it, click the checkmark to remove it and connect to the Internet.

ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE SUBSCRIBED TO AN INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER — Contact an Internet service provider to subscribe.

CONTACT YOUR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER — Contact your Internet service provider for assistance.

Error Messages

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

A FILENAME CANNOT CONTAIN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERS: \ / : * ? “ < > | — Do not use these characters in filenames.

Solving Problems 25

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

Click the

Click

Add or Remove Programs

Select the program you want to remove.

Click the

See the program documentation for installation instructions.

INSERT BOOTABLE MEDIA — The operating system is trying to boot to a nonbootable floppy disk or CD. Insert a bootable floppy disk or CD.

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

NOT ENOUGH MEMORY OR RESOURCES. CLOSE SOME PROGRAMS AND TRY AGAIN — You have too many programs open. Close all windows and open the program that you want to use. In some cases, you might have to restart your computer to restore computer resources. If so, run the program that you want to use first.

OPERATING SYSTEM NOT FOUND — Contact Dell (see page 90).

THE FILE BEING COPIED IS TOO LARGE FOR THE DESTINATION DRIVE — The file that you are trying to copy is

too large to fit on the disk. Try copying the file to a blank disk or using a larger-capacity disk.

Start

button and click

Change or Remove Program

Control Panel

icon.

x:\ IS NOT ACCESSIBLE. THE DEVICE IS NOT READY — The floppy drive cannot read the disk. Insert a floppy disk into the drive and try again.

General Problems

The computer stops responding

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

26 Solving Problems

A program stops responding

END THE PROGRAM —

Press <Ctrl><Shift><Esc> simultaneously.

Click

Applications

Click the program that is no longer responding.

Click

End Task

A program crashes repeatedly

NOTE: Software usually includes installation instructions in its documentation or on a floppy disk or CD.

CHECK THE SOFTWARE DOCUMENTATION — Many software manufacturers maintain websites with

information that may help you solve the problem. Ensure that you properly installed and configured the program. If necessary, uninstall and then reinstall the program.

A program is designed for an earlier Microsoft® Windows® operating system

RUN THE PROGRAM COMPATIBILITY WIZARD —

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

Click the

Wizard

In the welcome screen, click

Follow the instructions on the screen.

Start

button, point to

All Programs→ Accessories

, and then click

Program Compatibility

A solid blue screen appears

TURN THE COMPUTER OFF — If the computer does not respond to a keystroke or a proper shutdown, press the power button for at least 8 to 10 seconds until the computer turns off. Press the power button again to restart the computer. The chkdsk program automatically runs during the start-up process. Follow the instructions on the screen.