Dell PRECISION 530 User Manual

Dell Precision™ WorkStation 530

USER’S GUIDE

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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 problem.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potent ial f or pr operty damage,

personal injury, or death.

Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Definitions

For a complete list of abbreviations, acronyms, and definitions, see the

Glossary.

——————————————

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Computer Corporation is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text:

Inspiron, Latitude

Corporation; Microsoft Corporation; of Intel Corporation; Corporation; registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. As an 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 Corporatio n discla ims any proprietary interest in trad em arks and trade names other than its own.

Model WHL

September 2001 63RVR A02

, the

Microsoft, Windows, MS-DOS

3Com

is a registered trademark of 3Com Corporati on;

Dell, Dell Precision, OptiPlex, Dell OpenManage, Dimension

DELL

logo,

DellNet

, and

DellWare

, and

Intel

and

IBM

Pentium

is a registered trademark of Internati ona l Bu sine ss Mach in es

Windows NT

are registered trademarks, and

are trademarks of Dell Computer

are registered trademarks of

Novell

Xeon

and

is a trademark

NetWare

are

1 Safety Information

Safety First—For You and Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

When Working Inside Your Computer

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

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge

Ergonomic Computing Habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2 About Your Computer

Finding Information and Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Front View of Your Computer

Controls and Light s Connecting Devices

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

Back View of Your Computer

Connecting Devices

Inside Your Computer

System Cables

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

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

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

System Board Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Front Panel Components

3 Advanced Features

. . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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

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

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

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

System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Entering System Setup System Setup Screens System Setup Navigati on Keys

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

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

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

Contents 3

Changing the Boot Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Network Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Integrated Devices

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

Manageability

Dell OpenManage IT Assistant Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation

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

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

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

Downloading Systems Management Utilities . . . . . . . . . . 47

Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Chassis Intrusion Detection

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

Security Cable Sl ot and Padlock Ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Jumper Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Password Protection

System Password Setup Password

Installing and Configuring Software

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

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

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

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

TAPI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Installing a TAPI Device

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

Installing a TAPI Sound Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

IEEE 1394 (FireWire) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Dell System Utilities

AutoShutdown Asset Tag

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

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

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

Auto Power On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

4 Removing and Installing Parts

Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Opening the Computer Cover Closing the Computer Cover

4 Contents

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

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

Interior Service Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Computer Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Computer Memory Installation Guidelines

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

Upgrading Comput er Mem o ry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Removing a Memory Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Installing a Memory Module

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

Removing Memory Riser Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Installing Memory Riser Boards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Disk Drives and Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Installing a CD, Zip, or Other Externally Accessible Drive

. . . . 88

Installing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

EIDE Device Installation Guidelines

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

SCSI Device Installation Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Expansion Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Installing an Expansion Card

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

Rem ovi n g an Expa ns io n Car d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Microprocessor Airflow Shroud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Removing the Microprocessor Airflow Shroud

. . . . . . . . . 117

Installing the Microprocessor Airflow Shroud . . . . . . . . . 118

Microprocessor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Installation Guidelines

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Upgrading the Microprocessor(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

VRM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Removing a VRM

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

Installing a VRM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Computer Battery

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

Contents 5

5 Technical Specifications

6 Solving Problems

Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Power Probl ems

Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Video Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Sound and Speaker Proble ms

Prin ter Probl ems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Serial or Parallel Device Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Mouse Problems

Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Diskette Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Hard Drive Problems

Battery Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Expansion-Card Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Network Problems

Recover From a Program That Is Not Responding . . . . . . . 166

Restart a Computer That Is Not Responding . . . . . . . . . . 166

Repair a Wet Computer

Repair a Dropped or Damaged Comp uter . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Hardware Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

System Memory Problems Microprocessor Problems

System Board Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Reset Corrupted BIOS Settings

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

6 Contents

Dell Diagnostics

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

When to Use the Dell Diagnostics Features

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Before You Start Testing Running the Dell Diagnostics Advanced Testing

Messages and Codes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

System Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Warning Messages

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Diagnostics Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Diagnostic Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

SNMP Platform Event Traps

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Software Problems

Operating System Compatibility Multiple Microprocessor Compatibility

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

. . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Input Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Device Drivers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Memory-Resident Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Program Conflicts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Memory Address Conflicts

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Interrupt Assignment Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

BIOS Recovery Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

7 Microsoft® Windows® XP Features

Overview of Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Help and Support Center

New User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

Switching to Classic View Clean Desktop Wizard

Taskbar Grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Notification Area Cleanup

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220

Application and Device Compatibility

Program Compatibility Wizard

System Restore

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Contents 7

Using System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Restore Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225

Driver Rollback

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

User Accounts and Fast User Swit ching

How to Use Fast User Switching What Happens When a Fast User Switch Occurs?

Special Considerations With Fa st User Switching . . . . . . . 228

How to Turn Off Fast User Switching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

How to Add Users

Home and Small Office Networking

Network Setup Wizard

Internet Connection Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

8 Getting Help

Help Overvie w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

Technical Assistance

Help Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

Problems With Your Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Product Information

Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit . . . . . . . . . 239

Before You Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

. . . . . . . 227

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Dell Contact Numbers

9 Additional Information

Regulatory Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258

FCC Notices (U.S. Only) IC Notice (Canada Only) CE Notice (European Union) Battery Disposal EN 55022 Compliance (Czech Republic Only) VCCI Notice (Japan Only)

8 Contents

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262

. . . . . . . . . 263

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263

MIC Notice (Republic of Korea Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

Polish Center for Te sting and Certification Notice . . . . . . . 266

BSMI Notice (Taiwan Only)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269

NOM Information (Mexico Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270

Información para NOM (únicamente para México) . . . . . . 271

ENERGY STAR® Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273

Limited Warranty and Return Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274

Three-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only)

. . . . . . . . . . . 274

Three-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . 277

One-Year End-User Manufacturer Guarantee (Latin America and the Caribbean Only)

. . . . . . . . . . . . 281

"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (U.S. and Canada Only) . . . 283

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Contents 9

10 Contents

SECTION 1

Safety Information

Safety First—For You and Your Computer Protecting Against Electrostatic Disch arge Ergonomic Computing Habits

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Safety First—For You and Your Computer

Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer system from potential damage and to ensure your own personal safety.

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 computer yourself, except as

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explained in your online Dell documentation or otherwise provided to you. Always follow installation and service instructions closely.

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.

Turn off the computer and any peripherals.

1 2 Wear a wrist grounding strap, and clip it to an unpainted metal

surface, such as the padlock loop on the back of the chassis. If a wrist grounding strap is not available, ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface on the chassis, such as the power supply, before touching anything inside your computer.

12 Safety Information

While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components. Also avoid touching components or contacts on a card and avoid touching pins on a chip.

3 Disconnect your computer and peripherals from their power sources.

Before disconnecting a peripheral device from the computer , wait 10 to 20 seconds after disconnecting the computer from its electrical outlet. Before removing a component from the system board, verify that the standby power light on the system board has turned off. To locate this light, see "System Board Components" or the interior service label.

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.

• 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.

Also see "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge." Dell recommends that you periodically review the safety instructions in your System Information Guide.

Safety Informa tion 13

Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge

Static electricity can harm delicate components inside your computer. To 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

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accumulated. You can also take the following steps to prevent damage from ESD:

• When unpacking a static-sensitive component from its shipping

carton, do not remove the compon ent from the antistat ic packing material until you are ready to install the component in your computer. Just before unwrapping the antistatic packaging, be sure to discharge static electri city from your body.

• 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.

14 Safety Information

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 and efficiency, observe the following ergonomic guidelines when setting up and using your computer system:

• Position your system 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 (usually 510 to

610 mm [20 to 24 inches] from your eyes).

• Ensure that 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, ensure that 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.

Safety Informa tion 15

Wrists rel a xed and flat

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Arms at desk level

Feet flat on the floor

Monitor screen at or below eye level

Monitor and keyboard positioned directly in front of the user

16 Safety Information

SECTION 2

About Your Computer

Finding Information and Assistance Front View of Your Co mp u te r Back View of Your Computer Inside Your Computer

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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 and Support Tools

Resource Contents Using the Resour ce

Setup and Quick Reference Guide

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• System setup

• Support tools

• Frequently asked questions

• Basic troubleshooting

• Upg rade information

See the Setup and Quick Reference Guide for information on the following:

• Setting up your computer

• Finding and using support resources

• Diagn osing a problem

• Using tools and utilities

Service and Registration Labels

• Express Service Code and

Service Tag Number

• Product Key (also called the Product ID or COA)

The labels located on your Dell computer.

Dell Precision ResourceCD

•Dell Diagnostics

•Drivers

• Utilities

•Computer and device documentation

The Express Service Code and Service Tag Number are unique identifiers for your Dell computer.

You will need the Product Key (or Product ID) number to complete th e OS setup.

For more information, see the Setup and Quick Reference Guide.

See 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 diagnostic s tools.

18 About Your Computer

Resources and Support Tools

Resource Contents Using the Resour ce

OS CD To reinstall your operat ing system, use the OS C D that

OS installation guide See the OS installation guide for information on

(continued)

was shipped with your computer.

NOTE: The OS CD may not include all the latest drivers

for your computer. If you reinstall your OS, use the ResourceCD to reinstall drivers for the devices shipped with your computer.

For more information about reinstalling your OS, see the OS installation documentation that was shipped with your computer.

reinstalling and configuring your OS.

User’s Guides

User’s guides for your computer and devices

Depending on your operating system, double-click the User’s Guides icon on your desktop to access the electronic do c ume ntation store d on yo ur hard drive or click Start and select Help and Support. Obtain information on the following:

• Using your computer

• Configuring system settings

• Removing and installing parts

• Installing and config uring software

• Diagn osing a problem

• Technical specifications

•Device documentation

• Get ting technical assistan ce

About Your Computer 19

Resources and Support Tools

(continued)

Resource Contents Using the Resour ce

Dell support site

• Frequently asked questions

• Downloads for your computer

• Documentation

• Online discussion about your computer

• Searchable database

Go to http://support.dell.com:

• Get help with general usage, installation, and troubleshooting questions (Ask Dudley, Dell Knowledge Base)

• Access documentation about your computer and devices (Dell Documents)

• Get the latest versions of the drivers for your computer (Downloads for Your Dell)

• Join online discussions with other Dell customers and

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Dell technical professionals (Dell Talk)

• Explore a list of online links to Dell's primary vendors

Dell Premier Support website

•Service call status

•Top technical issues by product

Go to http://premiersupport.dell.com: The Dell Premier Support website is customized for

corporate, government, and education customers. It may not be available in all regions.

• Frequently asked questions by product number

•Customized service tags

• System configura tion detail

Interior service label A service label affixed to the inside of y o ur computer

cover provides information about working inside your computer.

OS documentation Click Start and select Help to ob ta in in fo rmat io n on your

20 About Your Computer

OS. For information on some of the new features in Windows

XP, see "Overview of Windows XP."

Front View of Your Computer

• Controls and lights

• Connecting devices

The following figures show the controls, lights, and other features on the front panel of your computer. The drive door can open and fold against the side of the computer. This allows fully unobstructed use of the externally accessible drives. See "Opening the Drive Door."

Front View of the Computer

hard-drive access light power button power light

externally accessible drive door

front I/O panel do or

About Your Computer 21

diskette drive

Front View of the Computer (Doors Open)

hard-drive access light power button power light

externally accessibl e dr i v e s

speaker/headphone jack Port 2 USB connectors (2)

IEEE 1394 connector diagnostic lights

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NOTE: See "System Lights" and "Diagnostic Lights" for descriptions of light

codes and operation s .

22 About Your Computer

Opening the Drive Door

Controls and Lights

• Power button — controls the computer's AC input power. See the

following table for power button functions on computers running Microsoft

Windows® or WindowsNT®.

About Your Computer 23

Computer Status Power Button Function

Off Press and r el ease to turn the comp u te r on . On Press and hold for more than 6 seconds to immediately turn

the computer off.

NOTE: Using this method to turn off the computer may

result in loss of data. Use this method only if the computer will not shut down normally.

On (Windows NT) Press and release to attempt an orderly shutdown.

NOTE: This works only if the Dell System Utilities are

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Sleep state Press and release to bring the computer out of the sleep

Off Press and r el ease to turn the comp u te r on .

loaded on the computer. Without the utilities, the computer immediately turns off rather than performing an orderly shut down.

state. For more information, see “Power Management.”

•Power light — illuminates in two colors and blinks or remains solid to

indicate different states.

• Diskette-drive access light — illuminates when the drive is reading

data from, or writing data to, a diskette. Wait until this light turns off before you re mov e a d iskette from th e drive.

• Hard-drive access light — illuminates when a hard drive is reading data

from, or writing data to, the drive.

24 About Your Computer

• Diagnostic lights — a series of lights that can help you diagnose a

problem with your computer.

Connecting Devices

When you connect external devices to your computer's back panel, follow these guidelines:

• Check the documentation that accompanied the device for specific

installation and configuration instructions. F or exa mple, you must connect most devices to a particular I/O port or

connector to operate properly. Also, external devices like a printer usually require you to load device drivers before they will work.

• When connecting a USB mouse or keyboard, ensure that you connect

to one of the Port 1 USB connectors on the back of the computer.

• 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.

NOTICE: Before disconnecting a device from the computer , wait 10 to 20

seconds aft er turning off the computer to avoid possible damage to the system board.

Speaker/Headphone Jack

Used to connect computer speakers, headphones, or other audio output devices. This jack is amplified to support headphones.

IEEE 1394 (FireWire) Connector

Used to attach high-speed serial multimedia devices. For more information, see "IEEE 1394 (FireWire)."

USB Connectors

Used to attach USB-compliant devices such as pr inters and speak ers to your computer.

NOTE: When connecting a USB mouse or keyboard, ensure that you connect

to one of the Port 1 USB connectors on the back of the computer.

NOTICE: USB devices do not operate with Microsoft Windows NT.

About Your Computer 25

Back View of Your Computer

The following figure shows the connectors, lights, and other features on the back of your computer.

Back-Panel Features

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serial port 1 connector

parallel port connector

serial port 2 connector

PS/2 keyboard connector

audio connectors

IEEE 1394 connector

Port 1 USB connectors (2)

AGP expansion slot

PCI expansion slots (5)

cover release latch PS/2 mouse connector

network activity light network adapt e r network link integrity light

security cable slot padlock ring

26 About Your Computer

AC power connector

Connecting Devices

When you connect external devices to your computer's back panel, follow these guidelines:

• Check the documentation that accompanied the device for specific

installation and configuration instructions.

F or exa mple, you must connect most devices to a particular I/O port or connector to operate properly. Also, external devices like a printer usually require you to load device drivers before they will work.

• When connecting a USB mouse or keyboard, ensure that you connect

to one of the Port 1 USB connectors on the back of the computer.

• 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.

NOTICE: Before disconnecting a device from the computer , wait 10 to 20

seconds aft er turning off the computer to avoid possible damage to the system board.

Serial Port Connectors

Default serial port designations: COM1 for port 1 and COM2 for port 2. You can reassign the serial port's designation in system setup 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 automatically maps (assigns) the in tegrated ports to the appropriate COM setting as necessary.

Before you add a card with a serial port, ch e ck the docume ntation that accompanied your software to ensure that the software can be mapped to the new COM port designation.

Parallel Port Connector

Used to connect printers. Default parallel port designation: LPT1.

NOTE: The integrated parallel port is automatically disabled if the computer

detects an installed expansion card containing a parallel port configured to the same address as specified in the Parallel Port option in system setup.

Audio Connectors

The audio controller provides the following connectors:

• Microphone jack—used to connect a standard computer microphone.

About Your Computer 27

• Speaker/headphone jack—used to connect computer speakers,

headphones, or other audio output devices. This jack is amplified to support headphones.

• Line-in jack—used to connect record/playback devi ces such as cassette

players, CD players, and VCRs.

PS/2 Mouse Connector

Attach the PS/2 mouse cable to the 6-pin mouse connector on the back panel. If your computer uses Microsoft

Windows®, Dell installed the

necessary mouse drivers on your hard drive.

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NOTE: This connector is similar to the keyboard connector. Ensure that you

correctly identify the mouse connector befo re you connect the device.

NOTE: Do not attempt to operate a PS/2 mouse and a USB mouse

simultaneously.

PS/2 Keyboard Connector

Attach the PS/2 keyboard cable to the 6-pin keyboard connector on the back panel.

NOTE: This connector is similar to the mouse connector. Ensure that you

correctly identify the keyboard connector before you connect the device.

IEEE 1394 (FireWire) Connector

Used to attach high-speed serial multimedia device s. For more information, see "IEEE 1394 (FireWire)."

USB Connectors

Used to attach USB-compliant devices such as keyboards, mice, printers, and speakers to your computer.

NOTE: When connecting a USB mouse or keyboard, ensure that you connect

to one of the Port 1 USB connectors on the back of the computer.

NOTE: Do not attempt to operate a PS/2 mouse and a USB mouse

simultaneously.

NOTICE: USB devices do not operate with Microsoft Windows NT

28 About Your Computer

Network Adapter

The network adapter has the following lights:

• A yellow network 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" state.)

• A dual-colored network link and speed light, which is green when a

good connection exists between a 10-Mbps network and the computer, or is orange when a good connection exists between a 100-Mbps network and the computer. When the light is off, the computer is not detecting a physical connection to the network.

The network controller includes a Remote Wake Up feature. For more information, see "Network Operations" and "Power Management."

NOTICE: Do not connect a modem cable to the network adapter. Voltage

from telephone communications can damage the network adapter.

Network Connection Requirements

Press one end of the UTP Ethernet cable into the network adapter on your computer until the cable snaps securely into place. Connect the other end to an RJ45 jack wall plate or to an RJ45 port on a UTP concentrator or hub, depending on your network configuration.

Dell recommends the use of Category 5 wiring and connectors for our customers' networks.

NOTE: Verify the type of network device to which you are connecting the

computer. A hub typically operates at 10-Mbps. A switch can operate at 10- or 100-Mbps. Ensure th at the network adapter is configured for the appropriate speed. See network adapter diagnostics and configuration utility on Dell

Diagnostics.

About Your Computer 29

Inside Your Computer

•System cables

•System board components

• Front panel components

The following figure shows the computer with the cover open.

NOTE: User service access points are color-coded green.

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30 About Your Computer

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