Dell OPTIPLEX GX50 User Manual
Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX5 0 Sy stem s
User’s Guide
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 ind icates either potential damage to hardware or loss of
data and tells you how to avoid the probl e m.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potent ial fo r prope rty dama ge,
personal injury, or death.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the “Glossary.”
____________________
Information in this do cum e nt is subj ec t to change without notice.
© 2001 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written pe rmission of Dell Computer
Corporation is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text:
DellNet
, and
OptiPlex
trademark and
and
Windows
trademark of 3Com Corporation;
Machines Corporation;
ENERGY STAR partner , Dell Computer Corporation has determined that this product meets the
ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficiency.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities
claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Computer Corporation discla ims any
proprietary interest in trad em arks and trade names other than its own.
Models: DHS, DHP, and DHM
January 2002
January 2002 P/N 005VJ
January 2002January 2002
Celeron
are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation;
P/N 005VJ Rev. A03
P/N 005VJP/N 005VJ
Dell
, the
DELL
logo,
are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation;
is a trademark of Intel Corporation;
IBM
NetWare
is a registered trademark of International Business
and
Novell
Rev. A03
Rev. A03Rev. A03
Inspiron, Dimension, Latitude, Dell Precision
Microsoft, Windows NT, MS-DOS,
3Com
are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. As an
Intel
is a registered
is a registered
,
Contents
Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
When Working Inside Your Computer
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Ergonomic Computing Habits
1 About Your Computer
Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Front Panel Door
Speaker/Headphone Connector
Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Power Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Floppy Drive Access Light
Hard Drive Access Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Back View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Connecting Devices
Parallel Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Mouse Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
USB Connectors
Integrated Network Adapter Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Network Cable Requirements
Line-In Jack
Line-Out Ja ck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Microphone Jack
Serial Port Connectors
Keyboard Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Video Connector
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Inside Your Computer
Inside Your Computer
Inside Your ComputerInside Your Computer
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Contents iii
System Board Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Removing and Attaching the Computer Stand . . . . . . . . . . 35
2 Advanced Features
LegacySelect Technology Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Manageability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Dell OpenManage IT Assistant
Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation. . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Chassis Intrusion Detection
Security Cable Sl ot and Padlock Ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Password Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
System Password
Setup Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Disabling a Forgotten Password
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Computer Settings
Entering System Setup
System Setup Screens
Changing the Boot Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Additional System Setup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
If You Have a Problem
Jumper Settings
Software Installation and Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
3 Installing Upgrades
Opening the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Closing the Computer Cover
Expansion Cards
Installing an Expansion Card
iv Contents
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Rem ovi n g an Expa ns io n Car d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Expansion Card Cage (Small Desktop Computer Only) . . . . . . 74
Removing the Expansion-Card Cage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Replacing the Expansion-Card Cage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Installing DIMMs
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Removing DIMMs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Microprocessor
Front Panel Inserts
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Removing Front P anel Inserts—Small Form-Factor and Small Desktop
Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Removing Front Panel Inserts—Small Mini-Tower Computer . . 88
Replacing Front Panel Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Internal Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
IDE Drive Addressing
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Connecting Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Hard Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Detaching Hard Drive Cables
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Removing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Installing a Hard Drive
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Reattaching Hard Drive Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Adding a Second Hard Drive — Small Mini-Tower Computer . 107
Floppy Drives
Detaching Floppy Drive Cables
Removing a Floppy Drive
Installing a Floppy Drive and Reattaching Cables
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
. . . . . . . 116
CD Drives
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Detaching CD Drive Cables
Removing a CD Drive
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Installing a CD Drive and Reattaching Cables . . . . . . . . . 127
Contents v
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Replacing the Battery
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
4 Microsoft® Windows® XP Features
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Help and Support Center
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
New User Interface
Switching to Classic View
Clean Desktop Wizard
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Taskbar Grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Notification Area Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Files and Settings Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Application and Device Compatibil ity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Program Compatibility Wizard
System Restore
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Using System Restore
Restore Process
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Driver Rollback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
User Accounts and Fast User Swit ching . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
How to Use Fast User Switching
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
What Happens When a Fast User Switch Occurs? . . . . . . . 147
Special Considerations With Fast User Switching . . . . . . . 147
How to Turn Off Fast User Switching
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
How to Add Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
vi Contents
Home and Small Office Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Network Setup Wizard
Internet Connection Firewall
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
5 Technical Specifications
6 Solving Problems
Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Power P roblems
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Sound and Speaker Proble ms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Prin ter Problems
Serial or Parallel Device Problems
Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Keyboard Problems
Floppy Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Hard Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Battery Problems
Expansion Card Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Recover From a Program That Is Not Responding . . . . . . . 178
Restart a Computer That Is Not Responding
Repairing a Wet Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Repairing a Dropped or Damaged Computer . . . . . . . . . . 180
Hardware Conflicts
Computer Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
System Board Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Resetting a Damaged System Board
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
. . . . . . . . . . 179
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Dell Diagnostics
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics
Features
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Before You Start Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Running the Dell Diagnostics
Advanced Testing
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Advanced Testing Help Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Messages and Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Computer Messages
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Computer Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Contents vii
Warning Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Diagnostics Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Diagnostic Lights
Front Panel Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Back Panel Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Software Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Operating System Compatibility
Input Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Error Messages
Device Drivers
Memory-Resident Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Program Conflicts
Memory Address Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Interrupt Assignment Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
BIOS Recovery Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
7 Getting Help
Help Overvie w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Technical Assistance
Help Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Problems With Your Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Product Information
Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit . . . . . . . . . 213
Before You Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
8 Additional Information
viii Contents
Dell Contact Numbers
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Regulatory Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
FCC Notices (U.S. Only)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
IC Notice (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
CE Notice (European Union)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Battery Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
CCIB Notice (China Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
EN 55022 Compliance (Czech Republic Only)
. . . . . . . . . 237
VCCI Notice (Japan Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
MIC Notice (Republic of Korea Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Polish Center for Testing and Certification Notice
. . . . . . . 241
Wymagania Polskiego Centrum BadaÒ i Certyfikacji . . . . . 241
PozostaŠe instrukcje bezpiec zeÒstwa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
BSMI Notice (Taiwan Only)
NOM Information (Mexico Only)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Información para NOM (únicamente pa ra México) . . . . . . 246
ENERGY STAR® Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Limited Warranty and Return Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Contents ix
x Contents
Safety Instructions
When Working Inside Your Computer
Before you open the computer cover, perform the following steps in the
sequence indicated.
NOTICE: Do not attempt to service the co mputer yourself, except as
explained in your online Dell documentation or otherwise provided to you.
Always follow installation and service instructions closely.
NOTICE: To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds
after turning off the computer before removing a compo nent from the system
board or disconnecting a d evice from the computer.
1
Perform an orderly computer shutdown using the operating system
menu.
2 Turn off your computer and any devices.
3 Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface on the
chassis, such as the metal around the card-slot openings at the back of
the computer, before touching anything inside your computer.
While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the
computer chassis to dissipate any static electricity that might harm
internal components.
4 Disconnect your computer and devices from the ir power source s. Also,
disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the
computer.
Doing so reduces the potential for personal injury or shock.
In addition, take note of these safety gu idelines when appropriate:
• When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-
relief loop, not on the cable itself. Some cables have a connector with
locking tabs; if you are disconnecting this type of cable, pre ss in on the
locking tabs before disconnecting the cable. As you pull connectors
apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins.
Also, before you connect a cable, make sure both connectors are
correctly oriented and aligned.
9
• Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the
components or contacts on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its
metal mounting bracket. Hold a component such as a microprocessor
chip by its edges, not by its pins.
CAUTION: There is a danger of a new battery exploding if it is
incorrectly installed. Replace the batter y only with the same or
equivalent type recomme nded by the manufacture r. Discard used
batteries according to the manufacturer’s instructio ns.
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge
Static electricity can harm delicate components inside your computer. To
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prevent static damage, discharge static electricity from your body before you
touch any of your computer’s electroni c components, such as the
microprocessor. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on
the computer chassis.
As you continue to work inside the computer, periodically touch an
unpainted metal surface to remove any static charge your body may have
accumulated.
You can also take the following steps to prevent damage f r om electrostatic
discharge (ESD):
• When unpacking a static-sensitive component from its shipping
carton, do not remove the compon ent from the antistati c packing
material until you are ready to install the component in your
computer. Just before unwrapping the antistatic packaging, be sure to
discharge static electricity from your body.
10
• When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an antistatic
container or packaging.
• Handle all sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible, use
antistatic floor pads and workbench pads.
The following notice may appear throughout this document to remind you
of these precautions:
NOTICE: See "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge" in the safety
instructions at the front of this guide.
Ergonomic Computing Habits
CAUTION: Improper or prolonged keyboard use may result i n
injury.
CAUTION: Viewing the monitor screen for extended periods of
time may result in eye strain.
For comfort a nd efficiency, observe the following ergonomic guidelines
when setting up and using your computer:
• Position your computer so that the monitor and keyboard are directly
in front of you as you work. Special shelves are available (from Dell and
other sources) to help you correctly position your keyboard.
• Set the monitor at a comforta ble viewing distance (u sually 510 to 610
millimeters [20 to 24 inches] from your eyes).
• Make sure the monitor screen is at eye level or slightly lower when you
are sitting in front of the monitor.
• Adjust the tilt of the monitor, its contrast and brightness settings, and
the lighting around you (such as overhead lights, desk lamps, and the
curtains or blinds on nearby windows) to minimize reflections and
glare on the monitor screen.
• Use a chair that provides good lower back support.
• Keep your forearms horizontal with your wrists in a neutral,
comfortable position while using the keyboard or mouse.
• Always leave space to rest your hands while using the keyboard or
mouse.
• Let your upper arms hang naturally at your sides.
• Sit erect, with your feet resting on the floor and your thighs level.
• When sitting, make sure the weight of your legs is on your feet and not
on the front of your chair seat. Adjust your chair’s height or use a
footrest, if necessary, to maintain proper posture.
• Vary your work activities. Try to organize your work so that you do not
have to type for extended periods of time. When you stop typing, try
to do things that use both hands.
11
1
5
2
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4
3
12
1 Monitor screen at or below eye level 4 Arms at desk level
2 Monitor and keyboard positioned directly in
5 Wrists relaxed and flat
front of the user
3 Feet flat on the floor
SECTION 1
About Your Computer
Finding Information and Assistance
Front View
Back View
Inside Your Computer
Removing and Attaching the Computer Stand
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Finding Information and Assistance
The following table lists the resources that Dell provides as support tools.
Additional resources may be shipped with your computer system.
Resources Contents Using the Resource
Dell OptiPlex ResourceCD
•Dell Diagnostics
•Drivers
• Utilities
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•Computer and device
documentation
Setup and Quick Reference
Guide
• Getting started/setup
• Support tools
• Solving Problems
• Warranty information
From the main menu on the ResourceCD that was
shipped with your computer, use the pull-down menu to
make selections appropriate for your computer. You can
perform the following tasks:
• Diagnose a problem
• Install or reinstall drivers
• Obtain information on your computer and devices
NOTE: User documentation and drivers are already
installed on your computer when shipped from Dell. You
can use this CD to access docume ntation, reinst all drive rs,
or run diagnostics tools. You must boot your computer
from this CD to run the diagnostics, which may require
changing your computer’s boot sequence (see Changing
the Boot Sequence).
Read the Setup and Quick Reference Guide for
information on the following:
• Setting up your computer
• Finding and using support resources
• Diagnosing a problem
• Using tools and utilities
Service and Registration
Labels—located on the front
or side of your Dell™
computer.
• Express Service Code and
Service Tag N umber
•Product Key (also called the
Product ID or Certificate of
Authenticity [COA])
14 About Your Computer
The Express Service Code and Service Tag Number are
unique identifiers for your Dell computer.
You may need the Product K ey (or P ro duct ID ) numbe r to
complete th e o p er ating system set u p.
Resources Contents Using the Resource
Operating system CD Use the operating sys tem C D , which was shipped with
your computer, to reinstall your operating system.
NOTE: The operating system CD may not include all the
latest drivers for your computer. If you reinstall your
operating system, use the ResourceCD to reinstall drivers
for the devices shipped with your computer.
For more information about reinstalling your operating
system, see the op er ating system inst allation guide tha t
was shipped with your computer.
Operating system installatio n
guide
Read the operating sys tem installation guide for
information on reinstalling and configuring your
operating system.
Click the Start button and select Help or Help and
Support, depending on your operating system, to obtain
more information on your operating system.
User’s Guides
User’s guides for your
computer and devices
Depending on you r op er ating system, dou ble - cl ic k the
User’s Guides icon on your desktop or click the Start
button and then select Help and Support to access the
electronic documentation stored on your hard drive.
Obtain information o n the following:
• Using your computer
• Configuring system settings
• Removing and installing parts
• Installing and configuring software
• Diagnosing a problem
• Obtaining technical specifications
• Acquiring de vi ce documentation (on selected
operating systems)
• Getting tech nical assistance
About Your Computer 15
Resources Contents Using the Resource
Dell support website
• Technical support and
information
• Downloads for your
computer
•Order or delivery status
• Hints and tips, technology
papers, service information
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Dell Premier Support website
•Service call status
•Top technical issues by
product
• Frequently asked questions
by product number
• Customized servic e ta gs
• Syste m configuration detail
Go to support.dell.com.
• Get help with general usage, installation, and
troubleshooting questions
• Obtain answers to technical service and support
questions
• Get the latest ve rsions of the drivers for your computer
• Access documentation about your computer and
devices
• Join online discussions with other Dell customers and
Dell technical professionals
• Explore a list of online links to Dell's primary vendors
Go to premiersupport.dell.com:
The Dell Premier Support website is customized for
corporate, government, education, and healthcare
customers.
This site may not be available in all regions.
Front View
16 About Your Computer
The following figures show the controls, lights, and features located on the
front panel of the small form-factor, small desktop, and small mini-tower
computers.
Small Form-Factor Computer
12 345
1USB connectors (2)
23
2 Headphone connector
3 Hard drive access lights
4 Power button
5Power light
Small Desktop Computer
1
1 Front panel door
2 Power button
3Power light
4 Hard drive access light
5 Flo p py drive access light
45
About Your Computer 17
Small Mini-Tower Computer
1
2
3
4
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5
6
7
18 About Your Computer
1Removable CD drive panel
2 Flo p py drive access light
3 Removable floppy drive panel
4 Hard drive access light
5 Power button
6Power light
7 Front panel door
Front Panel Door
Open the front panel doo r to access two Universal Serial Bus (USB)
connectors and the headphone connector. This door is removable; if you
remove it or accidentally knock it off its hinges, it snaps back in place.
Small Desktop Computer
213
1 USB connectors (2)
2 Head phone connector
3 Breakaway hinges (2)
About Your Computer 19
Small Mini-Tower Computer
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1
2
3
20 About Your Computer
1 Breakaway hinges (2)
2USB connectors (2)
3 Headphone connector
Speaker/Headphone Connector
Used to connect computer speakers, headphones, or other audio output
devices. This connector is amplified to support headphones.
Power Button
The power button controls the computer's AC input power.
The Microsoft® Windows® 98, Windows 98 Second Edition (SE),
Windows 2000, and Windows XP operating systems let you configure the
function of the power button through the Advanced Configuration and
Power Interface (ACPI) feature, as shown in the following table.
NOTICE: To turn off your computer, perform an orderly computer shutdown
using the operating system menu when possible.
Power Button Functions for Windows 98, Windows 98 SE,
Windows 2000, and Windows XP with ACPI
Action Results
Computer Turned On
and ACPI Enabled
Press power
button
Computer goes into standby mode or
turns off (depending on the operating
system setup)
Hold power
Computer turns off Computer
button
for 6 seconds*
*Pressing or holding the power button to shut down the computer may result in data loss. Use
the power button to shut down the com pute r onl y if the ope r ati ng system is not responding.
Computer
in Standby
Mode
Computer
turns on
turns off
Computer
Turn ed Off
Boots and
computer
turns on
Boots and
computer
turns on
Power Button Functions for Windows 98, Windows 98 SE,
Windows 2000, and Windows XP with ACPI Disabled
Action Results
Computer Tu rned On
and ACPI Disabled
Press power button Computer turns off
immediately
Computer in
Suspend Mode
Computer turns
off immediately
Computer
Turn ed Off
Boots and
computer turns
on
Hold power button
for 6 seconds*
Computer turns off Computer turns
off
Boots and
computer turns
on
*Pressing or holding the power button to shut down the computer may result in data loss. Use
the power button to shut down the computer only if the operating system is not responding.
About Your Computer 21
Power Button Functions for Mic rosoft Windows NT®
Action Results
Computer
Tu rne d On
Press power button Computer shuts
down
Hold power button for 6 seconds* Computer turns
off
*Pressing or holding the power button to shut down the computer may result in data loss. Use
the power button to shut down the com pute r onl y if the ope rati ng system is not responding.
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Computer Turned Off
Boots and computer turns
on
Boots and computer turns
on
If the computer does not turn off when you press the power button, the
computer may be hung. Press and hold the power button until the
computer turns off completely (this process may take several seconds). If
the computer is hung and the power button fails to function properly,
unplug the AC power cable from the computer, wait for the computer to
completely stop running, and plug in the AC power cable. If the computer
does not restart, press the power button to restart the computer.
Power Light
The power light illuminates in two colors and blinks or remains solid to
indicate different states (normal and nonnormal). The following ar e normal
lights:
22 About Your Computer
• No light — computer is in the off state (S4, S5, or mechanical OFF)
• Steady green — normal operating state
• Blinking green — low-power state (S1 or S3)
See “Diagnostic Lights” for a description of nonnormal indications.
213
Floppy Drive Access Light
The floppy drive access light lights when the drive is reading data from, or
writing data to, a floppy disk. Wait until this light turns off before you
remove the floppy from the drive.
Hard Drive Access Light
The hard drive access light lights when the computer is reading data from,
or writing data to, the drive.
Back View
Small Form-Factor Computer
1 Half-height PCI expansion-card slot
2 AC adapter
3AC voltage switch
NOTE: Your computer
can resume from the S3
state (suspend to RAM) in
several ways. Pressing the
power button always
works. Certain USB
devices also wake the
computer from S3, and
the action required varies
by device. Check your
device documentation for
details. Remote Wake Up
also creates an S3 wake
event if enabled in system
setup and in your
operating system.
Personal System/2 (PS/2)
wake events also vary
depending on your
operating system. For
example, PS/2 mice will
not wake from S3 in
Windows 98 SE but will
wake from S3 in Wi ndows
2000 or Windows XP if
enabled in the operating
system (OS). PS/2
keyboards will always
wake the computer from
S3 in Windows 98 SE
and will wake from S3 in
Windows 2000 or
Windows XP if enabled in
the operating system.
About Your Computer 23
Small Desktop Computer
21
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1PCI slots (2)
2AC adapter
24 About Your Computer
Small Mini-Tower Computer
1
2
3
4
1 AC adapter
2AC voltage switch
3AGP slot
4PCI slots (4)
About Your Computer 25
I/O Panel—Small Form-Factor, Desktop, and Mini-Tower
Computers
213456
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1 Parallel connector 8 Microphone connector
2 Keyboard conn ec tor 9 Audio lin e - in connector
3 Mouse connector 10 Audio line-out connector
4 Link in tegrity light 11 USB connectors (2)
5 Network adapter 12 Diagnostic lights
6 Activity light 13 Serial 2 connec to r
7 Video connector (1) 14 Serial 1 connector
14 13 12 11 910 8
7
Connecting Devices
When you connect external devices to your computer's back panel, follow
these guidelines:
26 About Your Computer
• Check the documentation that accompanied the device for specific
installation and configuration instructions.
For example, you must connect most devices to a particular
input/output (I/O) port or connector to operate properly . Also , external
devices like a mouse or printer usually require you to load device
drivers into computer memory before they will work.
• Always attach external devices while your computer is turned off. Then
turn on the computer before turning on any external devices, unless
the documentation for the device specifies otherwise. (If the computer
does not seem to recognize the device, try turning on the device before
turning on the computer.)
NOTICE: When you disconnect external devices from the back of the
computer, wait 5 seconds after turning off the computer before you disconnect
any devices to avoid possible damage to the system board.
Parallel Connector
This is used to connect printers. Default designation is LPT1.
Mouse Connector
Turn off the computer and any attached devices before connecting a mouse
to the computer. If your computer uses Microsoft Windows
Windows NT 4.0, Dell installed the necessary mouse drivers on your hard
drive.
2000 or
USB Connectors
These are used to attach USB-compliant devices such as keyboards, mice,
printers, and computer speakers to your computer.
Integrated Network Adapter Connector
The network adapter, which includes a Remote Wake Up feature, has the
following lights:
• A yell ow activity light flashes when the computer is transmitting or
receiving network data. (A high volume of network traffic may make
this light appear to be in a steady "on" s t ate.)
• A dual-colored link integrity light, which is green when there is a good
connection between a 10-megabit per second (Mbps) network and the
network adapter and orange when there is a good connection between
a 100-Mbps network and the network adapter. When the light is off,
the computer is not detecting a physical connection to the network.
NOTE: The integrated
parallel port is
automatically disabled if
the computer detects an
installed expansion card
containing a paralle l po r t
configured to the same
address as specified in
"Additional Syste m Setu p
Options."
Network Cable Requirements
The network adapter connector attaches an unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
Ethernet cable to your computer. Pr ess one end of the UTP cable to an RJ45
jack wall plate or to an RJ45 port on a UTP concentrator or hub, depending
on your network configuration, and press the other end of the UTP cable
into the network adapter connector until the cable snaps securely into place
Dell recommends the use of Category 5 wiring and connectors for our
customers’ networks.
About Your Computer 27
Line-In Jack
This jack is used to attach record/playback devices such as cassette players,
CD players, and VCRs. Connect the line-out cable from any of these
devices to the line-in jack.
Line-Out Jack
This jack is used to attach computer speakers. This jack is amplified, so
speakers with integrated amplifiers are not required. Connect the audio
cable from the speakers to this jack.
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Microphone Jack
This jack is used to attach a standard personal computer microphone.
Connect the audio cable from the microphone to the microphone jack.
Serial Port Connectors
Default port designations: COM1 for serial port 1 and COM2 for serial port
2. You can reassign the serial port's designation if you add an expansion card
containing a serial port using this designation.
If you set the computer’s serial ports to Auto in system setup and add an
expansion card containing a serial port configured to a specific designation,
the computer automatic ally maps (assigns) the integrated ports to the
appropriate COM setting as necessary.
Before you add a card with a serial port, che ck the documentation that
accompanied your software to make sure that the software can be mapped
to the new COM port designation.
Keyboard Connector
Attach the keyboard cable to the 6-pin connector on the back panel.
Video Connector
This connector is used to attach a video graphics array (VGA)-compatible
monitor to your computer.
28 About Your Computer
NOTE: This connector can be used for a secondary display if multi-monitor is
supported and enabled in your operating system and you have an add-in
PCI video card.
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