Dell PP20L User Manual

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www.dell.com | support.dell.com

Dell™ Inspiron™ 6400/E1505

Owner’s Manual

Model PP20L

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 169.

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

Windows

operating systems are not applicable.

____________________

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.

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, DellNet, OptiPlex, Latitude, P owerEdge, P owerConnect,

PowerVault, PowerApp, Dell TravelLite, ExpressCharge, Dell Media Experience, MediaDirect, XPS, and Strike Zone are trademarks of Dell

Inc.; Core is a trademark and Intel and Celeron 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;

IBM is a registered trademark of IBM Corporation; EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation; ENERGY STAR is a re gistered 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 PP20L

August 2006 P/N MD402 Rev. A04

Contents 3

Contents

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

1 About Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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

Front View

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

Left Side View

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

Right Side View

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

Back View

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

Bottom View

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

2 Setting Up Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Setting Up Your Internet Connection

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

Transferring Information to a New Computer

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

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

With the Operating System CD

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

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Without the Operating System CD

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

Setting Up a Printer

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

Printer Cable

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

Connecting a USB Printer

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

Power Protection Devices

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

Surge Protectors

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

Line Conditioners

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

Uninterruptible Power Supplies

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

4 Contents

3 Using the Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Adjusting Brightness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Switching the Video Image

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

Setting Display Resolution

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

4 Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Numeric Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Key Combinations

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

System Functions

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

Display Functions

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

Power Management

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

Speaker Functions

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

Microsoft

Windows

Logo Key Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

QuickSet Key Combinations

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

Adjusting Keyboard Settings

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

Touch Pad

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

Customizing the Touch Pad

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

5 Using a Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Battery Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Checking the Battery Charge

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

Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter

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

Microsoft

Windows

Power Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Charge Gauge

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

Low-Battery Warning

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

Conserving Battery Power

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

Power Management Modes

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

Configuring Power Management Settings

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

Charging the Battery

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

Replacing the Battery

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

Storing a Battery

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

Contents 5

6 Using Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Playing CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Copying CDs and DVDs

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

How to Copy a CD or DVD

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

Using Blank CDs and DVDs

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

Helpful Tips

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

Adjusting the Volume

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

Adjusting the Picture

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

Using Dell Media Experience™ and Dell MediaDirect™

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

If the computer is turned on or in standby mode

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

If the computer is turned off or in hibernate mode

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

Dell MediaDirect and Dell Media Experience Help

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

Connecting Your Computer to a TV or Audio Device

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

S-Video and Standard Audio

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

S-Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

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

Composite Video and Standard Audio

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

Composite Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

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

Component Video and Standard Audio

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

Component Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio

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

Setting Up the Cyberlink (CL) Headphones

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

Enabling the Display Settings for a TV

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

7Using Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

ExpressCards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

ExpressCard Blanks

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

Installing an ExpressCard

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

Removing an ExpressCard or Blank

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

Media Memory Cards

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

Installing a Media Memory Card

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

Removing a Media Memory Card

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

6 Contents

8 Setting Up a Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Physically Connecting to a Network or Broadband Modem . . . . . . . . . . 69

Network Setup Wizard

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

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

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

What You Need to Establish a WLAN Connection

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

Checking Your Wireless Network Card

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

Setting Up a New WLAN

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

Connecting to a Wireless Local Area Network

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Enabling/Disabling the Wireless Network Card

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

Monitoring the Status of Wireless Network Connections

Through Dell™ QuickSet

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

Mobile Broadband or Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)

. . . . . . . . . 74

What You Need to Establish a Mobile Broadband

Network Connection

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

Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network

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

9 Securing Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Security Cable Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Passwords

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Computer Tracking Software

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

If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen

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

10 Solving Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Dell Support Utility

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

Accessing the Dell Support Utility

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

Clicking the Dell Support Icon

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

Double-Clicking the Dell Support Icon

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

Drive Problems

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

CD and DVD drive problems

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

If you cannot eject the CD, CD-RW, DVD, or DVD+RW drive tray

. . . . . 83

If you hear an unfamiliar scraping or grinding sound

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

Hard drive problems

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

Contents 7

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Error Messages

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

ExpressCard Problems

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

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

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

Keyboard Problems

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

External Keyboard problems

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

Unexpected characters

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

Lockups and Software Problems

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

The computer does not start up

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

The computer stops responding

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

A program stops responding or crashes repeatedly

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

A program is designed for an earlier

Microsoft

Windows

operating system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

A solid blue screen appears

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

Dell MediaDirect problems

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

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 reinstall drivers (see

"Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities" on page 100) or to run

the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 79).

Readme files may be

included on your CD to

provide last-minute

updates about technical

changes to your computer

or advanced technical-

reference material for

technicians or experienced

users.

NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates can be found at

support.dell.com.

• Warranty information

• Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)

• Safety instructions

• Regulatory information

• Ergonomics information

• End User License Agreement

Dell™ Product Information Guide

12 Finding Information

• 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

use

support.dell.com

or contact technical support.

• Enter the Express

Service Code to direct

your call when

contacting technical

support.

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

Finding Information 13

• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips; articles

from technicians; online courses; and frequently asked

questions

• Community — 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

Dell Support Website — support.dell.com

NOTE: Select your region to view the appropriate support

site.

• 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

configuration.

To download Notebook System Software:

Go to

support.dell.com

and click

Downloads

Enter your Service Tag or product model.

In the

Download Category

drop-down menu, click

All

Select the operating system and operating system

language for your computer, and click

Submit.

Under

Select a Device

, scroll to

System and

Configuration Utilities

, and click

Dell Notebook System

Software

• 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 82.

• How to use Windows XP

• How to work with programs and files

• How to personalize my desktop

Windows Help and Support Center

Click the

Start

button and click

Help and Support

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.

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

14 Finding Information

• 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

System Restore

— Microsoft

Windows

System Restore

returns your computer to an

earlier operating state without affecting data files.

•Dell

PC Restore

— Dell

PC Restore

returns your computer

to its original operating state. Dell

PC Restore

may not

ship with your computer.

•

Operating System

CD — If you received an

Operating

System

CD with your computer, you can use it to restore

your operating system.

For more information, see "Restoring Your Operating

System" on page 102.

After you reinstall your

operating system, use the

Drivers and Utilities CD

(ResourceCD) (see

"Reinstalling Drivers and

Utilities" on page 100) to

reinstall drivers for the

devices that came with

your computer.

NOTE: The color of your CD

varies based on the

operating system you ordered.

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

About Your Computer 15

About 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 Microsoft

Windows

Help and Support Center. For instructions, see

"Windows Help

and Support Center" on page 13

Under

Pick a Task

, click

Use Tools to view your computer information and diagnose problems.

Under

My Computer Information

, select

Hardware

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.

16 About Your Computer

Front View

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

DISPLAY — For more information about your display, see "Using the Display" on page 33.

1 display latch release 5 touch pad 9 keyboard

2 display 6 media control buttons 10 Dell MediaDirect™ button

3 power button 7 speakers (2) 11 keyboard and wireless

status lights

4 device status lights 8 touch pad buttons 12 display latches (2)

About Your Computer 17

POWER BUTTON

Press the power button to turn on the computer or to enter or exit a power management mode. See "Power

Management Modes" on page 41.

DEVICE STATUS LIGHTS

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.

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.

18 About Your Computer

TOUCH PAD — Provides the functionality of a mouse. Silk screening on the touch pad indicates scrolling

capabilities.

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

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 36.

TOUCH PAD BUTTONS — Touch pad buttons provide the functionality of a mouse.

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 36.

ELL MEDIADIRECT™ BUTTON — You can press the Dell MediaDirect button to launch either Microsoft

Windows Media Center Edition or another version of Windows XP with Dell Media Experience if either of these

media applications is installed.

Mute the sound.

Turn the volume down.

Turn the volume up.

Play or pause.

Play the previous track.

Play the next track.

Stop.

About Your Computer 19

KEYBOARD AND WIRELESS STATUS LIGHTS

The green lights located above the keyboard indicate the following:

DISPLAY LATCHES — Keep the display closed.

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 enable

or disable wireless networking, press <Fn><F2>.

Turns on when a card with Bluetooth

wireless

technology is enabled.

NOTE: The card with Bluetooth wireless technology is an

optional feature, so the light turns on only if you

ordered the card with your computer. For more information,

see the documentation that came with your card.

To turn off only the Bluetooth wireless technology

functionality, right-click the icon in the notification

area and click Disable Bluetooth Radio.

To quickly enable or disable all wireless devices, press

<Fn><F2>.

20 About Your Computer

Left Side View

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.

AIR VENT — The computer uses fans to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from

overheating.

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

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

information, see the instructions included with the device.

1 air vent 3 optical drive bay

2 security cable slot 4 optical-drive-tray eject

button

3241

About Your Computer 21

OPTICAL DRIVE BAY — 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 111.

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

Right Side View

HARD DRIVE — Stores software and data. For more information, see "Hard Drive" on page 112 and "Hard drive

problems" on page 84.

XPRESSCARD SLOT — Supports one ExpressCard. The computer ships with a plastic blank installed in the slot.

You can add an ExpressCard to make WWAN connectivity available on your computer. For more information, see

"Using Cards" on page 65.

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

music, and videos stored on a media memory card. 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

1 hard drive 3 5-in-1 media memory card

reader

5 USB connectors (2)

2 ExpressCard slot 4 audio connectors (2) 6 IEEE 1394 connector

34 5261

22 About Your Computer

AUDIO CONNECTORS

USB CONNECTORS

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

video cameras.

Back View

Attach headphones or speakers to the connector.

Attach a microphone to the connector.

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

the optional floppy drive

directly to a USB connector using the optional floppy-

drive

cable.

1 AC adapter connector 3 modem connector (RJ-11) 5 video connector

2 network connector (RJ-45) 4 USB connectors (2) 6 S-video TV-out connector

1 4 532 6

About Your Computer 23

AC ADAPTER CONNECTOR — Attaches an AC adapter to the computer. The AC adapter converts AC power to the

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

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

strips vary among countries. Using an incompatible cable or improperly connecting the cable to the power strip

or electrical outlet may cause fire or equipment damage.

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

and pull firmly but gently to help prevent damage to the cable.

NETWORK CONNECTOR (RJ-45)

MODEM CONNECTOR (RJ-11)

NOTICE: The network connector is slightly larger than the modem connector. To help prevent damage to the

computer, do not plug a telephone line into the network connector.

VIDEO CONNECTOR

S-VIDEO TV-OUT CONNECTOR

Connects the computer to a network. The green and yellow lights next to the

connector indicate activity for wired network communications.

For information on using the network adapter, see the online network adapter

documentation supplied with your computer.

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

For additional information on using the modem, see the online modem

documentation supplied with your computer.

Connects an external VGA-compatible monitor.

Connects your computer to a TV. Also connects digital audio-capable devices

using the TV/digital audio adapter cable.

24 About Your Computer

Bottom View

BATTERY CHARGE GAUGE — Provides information on the battery charge status. See "Checking the Battery Charge"

on page 40.

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

"Optical Drive" on page 111.

BATTERY-BAY LATCH RELEASE — Releases the battery from the battery bay. See "Replacing the Battery" on page 43.

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 39.

HARD DRIVE — Stores software and data. For more information, see "Hard Drive" on page 112 and "Hard drive

problems" on page 84.

MODEM/MEMORY MODULE COVER — Covers the compartment that contains the modem and the memory modules.

For more information, see "Modem" on page 117 and "Memory" on page 114.

FAN — The computer uses a fan to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from

overheating.

1 battery charge gauge 4 battery 7 fan

2 optical-drive locking screw 5 hard drive

3 battery-bay latch release 6 modem/memory module

cover

1 2

Setting Up Your Computer 25

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

Start

button and click

Internet Explorer

The

New Connection Wizard

appears.

Click

Connect to the Internet

In the next window, click the appropriate option:

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

Choose from a list of Internet service

providers (ISPs)

26 Setting Up Your Computer

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

click

Set up my connection manually

• If you have a CD, click

Use the CD I got from an ISP

Click

If you selected

Set up my connection manually

, continue to step 6. Otherwise, follow the instructions

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

How do you want to connect to the Internet?

, and then click

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 84. 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.

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

• Window sizes

• 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.

NOTE: For instructions on setting up a direct cable connection between two computers, go to

support.microsoft.com and search for Microsoft Knowledge Base Article #305621, titled How to Set Up a Direct

Cable Connection Between Two Computers in Windows XP. This information may not be available in some

countries.

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.

Setting Up Your Computer 27

Prepare the New Computer for the File Transfer

Start the

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

When the

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

welcome screen appears, click

On the

Which computer is this?

screen, click

New Computer

and click

On the

Do you have a Windows XP CD?

screen, click

I will use the wizard from the Windows XP CD

and click

When the

Now go to your old computer

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

not

click

at this time.

Copy Data From the Old Computer

On the old computer, insert the Windows XP

Operating System

CD.

On the

Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP

screen, click

Perform additional tasks

Under

What do you want to do?

, click

Transfer files and settings

On the

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

welcome screen, click

On the

Which computer is this?

screen, click

Old Computer

and click

On the

Select a transfer method

screen, click the transfer method you prefer.

On the

What do you want to transfer?

screen, select the items you want to transfer and click

After the information has been copied, the

Completing the Collection Phase

screen appears.

Click

Finish

Transfer Data to the New Computer

On the

Now go to your old computer

screen on the new computer, click

On the

Where are the files and settings?

screen, select the method you chose for transferring your

settings and files and click

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

When all of the settings and files have been applied, the

Finished

screen appears.

Click

Finished

and restart the new computer.

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

To run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard without the optional Operating System CD, you must

create a wizard disk that lets you create a backup of your data files. Create the wizard disk on removable

media so that you can move it from your new computer to your old computer.

28 Setting Up Your Computer

Create a Wizard Disk

Click the

Start

button.

Click

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

When the

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

welcome screen appears, click

On the

Which computer is this?

screen, click

New Computer

and click

On the

Do you have a Windows XP CD?

screen, click

I want to create a Wizard Disk in the following

drive:

and click

Next.

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

When the disk creation completes and the

Now go to your old computer

message appears,

do not

click

Go to the old computer.

Copy Data From the Old Computer

On the old computer, insert the wizard disk.

Click the

Start

button and click

Run

In the

Open

field on the

Run

window, browse to the path for

fastwiz

(on the appropriate removable

media) and click

On the

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

welcome screen, click

On the

Which computer is this?

screen, click

Old Computer

and click

On the

Select a transfer method

screen, click the transfer method you prefer.

On the

What do you want to transfer?

screen, select the items you want to transfer and click

After the information has been copied, the

Completing the Collection Phase

screen appears.

Click

Finish

Transfer Data to the New Computer

On the

Now go to your old computer

screen on the new computer, click

On the

Where are the files and settings?

screen, select the method you chose for transferring your

settings and files and click

. Follow the instructions on the screen.

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

When all of the settings and files have been applied, the

Finished

screen appears.

Click

Finished

and restart the new computer.

NOTE: For more information about this procedure, search dell.support.com for document #PA1089586 (How Do I

Transfer Files From My Old Computer to My New Dell Computer Using the Microsoft

Windows

XP Operating

System?).

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

Setting Up Your Computer 29

Setting Up a Printer

NOTICE: Complete the operating system setup before you connect a printer to the computer.

See the documentation that came with the printer for setup information, including how to:

• Obtain and install updated drivers.

• Connect the printer to the computer.

• Load paper and install the toner or ink cartridge.

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

Printer Cable

Your printer connects to your computer with either a USB cable or a parallel cable. Your printer may not

come with a printer cable, so if you purchase a cable separately, ensure that it is compatible with your

printer and computer. If you purchased a printer cable at the same time you purchased your computer,

the cable may arrive in the box in which your computer was shipped.

Connecting a USB Printer

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

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

Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connectors on the computer and the printer. The USB

connectors fit only one way.

30 Setting Up Your Computer

Turn on the printer and then turn on the computer. If the

Add New Hardware Wizard

window

appears, click

Cancel

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

Power Protection Devices

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

• Surge protectors

• Line conditioners

• Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)

Surge Protectors

Surge protectors and power strips equipped with surge protection help prevent damage to your computer

from voltage spikes that can occur during electrical storms or after power interruptions. Some surge

protector manufacturers include warranty coverage for certain types of damage. Carefully read the device

warranty when choosing a surge protector. A device with a higher joule rating offers more protection.

Compare joule ratings to determine the relative effectiveness of different devices.

1 USB connector on

computer

2 USB printer cable 3 connector on printer

+ 156 hidden pages