Dell PD598 User Manual

Dell™ Inspiron™ 9400/E1705

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, ExpressCharge, Dell MediaDirect, XPS, and Strike Zone are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel, Celeron, and Pe nti um are registered trademarks 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; Mobility is a trademark and Radeon is a registered trademark of ATI Technologies Inc. in the United States and other countries and is used by Dell under license; EMC is a registered trademark of EMC 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

April 2006 P/N PD598 Rev. A01

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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

9 Setting Up a Home and Office Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Physically Connecting to a Network or Broadband Modem . . . . . . . . . . 77

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

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

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

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

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

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

Mobile Broadband or Wireless Wide Area Network

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

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

What You Need to Establish a Mobile Broadband Network Connection

Checking Your Mobile Broadband Card Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network

Internet Connection Firewall

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

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

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

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

10 Securing Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Security Cable Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

6 Contents

Passwords

Computer Tracking Software

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

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

If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen

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

11 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Dell Technical Update Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Dell Diagnostics

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

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

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

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

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

Dell Support Utility

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

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

Drive Problems

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

CD and DVD Drive Problems

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

Keyboard Problems

External Keyboard Problems Unexpected Characters

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

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

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

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

. . . . . . 88

. . . . . 92

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

Lockups and Software Problems

The Computer Does Not Start Up The Computer Stops Responding

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Windows®

Contents 7

Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

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

General Mobile Broadband Network

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

ExpressCard Problems

Power Problems

Ensuring Sufficient Power for Your Computer

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

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

What Is a Driver? Identifying Drivers Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8 Contents

Restoring Your Operating System

Using Microsoft

Windows XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec Using the Operating System CD

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

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)

Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as ResourceCD)

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD may be optional and may

not ship with your computer.

Documentation and drivers are already installed on your computer. You can use the CD to install drivers (see "Manually Reinstalling Drivers" on page 110) or to run the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 87).

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.

• Warranty information

• Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)

• Safety instructions

• Regulatory information

• Ergonomics information

• End User License Agreement

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 Dell™

3.5-inch USB floppy drives, Intel

processors, 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

To download Notebook System Software:

Go to

support.dell.com

segment, and enter your Service Tag.

Select

Select the operating system and search for the keywords

Notebook System Software

NOTE: The support.dell.com user interface may vary

depending on your selections.

configuration.

• Software upgrades and troubleshooting hints

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

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 90.

• 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.

, select your region or business

Drivers & Downloads

Start

button and click

and click Go.

Help and Support

Finding Information 13

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• Information on network activity, the Power Management Wizard, hotkeys, and other items controlled by Dell QuickSet.

Dell QuickSet Help

To vi ew Dell QuickSet Help, right-click the Microsoft

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

Windows® taskbar.

icon in the

• How to reinstall my operating system

Operating System CD

NOTE: The Operating System CD is optional and may not ship

with your computer.

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.

•Dell to its original operating state. Dell ship with your computer.

Operating System

•

System

your operating system.

For more information, see "Restoring Your Operating System" on page 111.

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

PC Restore

CD with your computer, you can use it to restore

System Restore

returns your computer to an

— Dell

PC Restore

CD — If you received an

— Microsoft

returns your computer

PC Restore

may not

Operating

NOTE: The Drivers and

Utilities CD may be optional

and may not ship with your computer.

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.

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.

ELL™ MEDIADIRECT™ BUTTON — Press the Dell MediaDirect button to launch Dell MediaDirect or Microsoft

Windows

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

18 A Tour of Your Computer

KEYBOARD AND WIRELESS STATUS LIGHTS

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 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>.

wireless technology

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 "Security Cable Lock" on page 85. Also, 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 133.

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

1 23456

1 hard drive 3 IEEE 1394 connector 5 audio connectors (2)

2 ExpressCard slot 4 5-in-1 media memory card

reader

HARD DRIVE — Stores software and data.

XPRESSCARD 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 "ExpressCards" on page 71

NOTE: The ExpressCard slot does not support PC Cards.

IEEE 1394

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

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

6 air vent

A Tour of Your Computer 21

AUDIO CONNECTORS

Attach headphones or speakers to the connector.

Attach a microphone to the connector.

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

AIR

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. When the status information light is "off," it indicates no link, green indicates a 10-Mb/sec link, and orange indicates a 100-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.

A Tour of Your Computer 25

The AC adapter is available in both 2-wire and 3-wire configurations. Use the AC adapter that is compatible with the power connectors in your country.

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 computer performance, always use the AC adapter that came with your computer. Using less-

powerful AC adapters may cause your computer to display a WARNING message or experience a degradation in performance.

26 A Tour of Your Computer

Bottom View

12 3 4

1 subwoofer 5 cover for optional internal

card with Bluetooth

9 memory module cover

wireless technology

2 battery charge gauge 6 hard drive 10 air vent

3 battery-bay latch release 7 air vent 11 optical-drive locking screw

4 battery 8 Mini-Card/modem cover

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.

A Tour of Your Computer 27

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 "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 133.

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 92. 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

+ 158 hidden pages

Dell PD598 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