Dell Studio 1749 User Manual

Dell™ Technology Guide

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

Notes, Notices, and Cautions

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of

your computer.

NOTICE: A NOTICE 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.

____________________

Steps pertaining to Microsoft
Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows XP Professional edition respectively in
default view.

NOTE: Steps may vary depending on the version of operating system

installed on your computer.

represents Windows Vista Start button.

represents Windows XP Start button.

____________________

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Some of the information
contained in this document may not apply to all Dell systems.
© 2007—2008 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc.
is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, DellConnect, StrikeZone, Wi-Fi Catcher,
ExpressCharge, and Dell TravelLite are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel and iAMT are registered
trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.; Bluetooth is a trademark owned by
Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell Inc. under license; Blu-ray Disc is a trademark of Blu-ray
Disc Association; Microsoft, Windows, Internet Explor er, Windows V ista, and the W indows V ista start
button logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United
States and/or other countries.

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.

®

Windows Vista® and Windows® XP refer to

August 2008 Rev. A01

Contents

1 Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Start Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Microsoft Windows Help and Support

®

Windows Vista

Windows

Control Panel

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

®

XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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

Information About Installed Hardware

Device Manager

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

Hardware Devices Installed on Your
Computer

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

Programs Installed on Your Computer

Wireless Networking

Dell Support Website

Technical Support

Customer Service

Warranty Information

Dell Forums

Contact Us

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

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

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

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

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

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

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

BIOS (System Setup Program) Settings

. . . . . . . . . 24

. . . . . . . . . 26

. . . . . . . . . . 28

. . . . . . . . . 31

2 Microsoft Windows Desktop . . . . . . . . . . 33

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Tas k ba r

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

Contents 3

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Displaying the Taskbar

Customizing the Taskbar

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

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

Displaying Hidden Icons From the Notification

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

Area

Adding Icons in the Notification Area

. . . . . . . 35

Desktop Icons and Shortcuts

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

Deleting an Icon From the Desktop

Creating and Deleting Program Shortcuts
on the Desktop

Shortcut Menus

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

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

Changing the Desktop Appearance

®

Windows Vista

Windows

Setting up a Screen Saver

Windows Vista

Windows XP

Start Button (Menu)

Overview

Customizing the Start Menu

Control Panel

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

®

XP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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

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

Accessing and Using the Control Panel

Customizing Your Computer Settings

Managing Your Computer Performance

. . . . . . . . . 36

. . . . . . . . . . . 39

. . . . . . 45

. . . . . . . . 45

. . . . . . 45

3 Monitors and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

4 Contents

Cleaning Your Computer’s Display Screen . . . . . . . 47

Adjusting the Resolution of Your Display . . . . . . . . 48

®

Windows Vista

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

Windows® XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Troubleshooting

Choosing the Best Display Settings

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

. . . . . . . . 50

Setting the Display Resolution for External
LCD Monitors

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

Setting the Display for Multiple Monitors

Windows Vista

Windows XP

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

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

. . . . . . . 51

Using the Ambient Light Sensor in Bright or
Low-Light Environments:

Cables and Connections

DisplayPort™ - Features and Benefits

NVIDIA SLI and ATI Crossfire Technologies

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

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

. . . . . . . 56

. . . . . . 56

4 Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard,

Touch Pad)

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Touch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

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

Controlling the Speed of the Mouse Buttons

Controlling the Speed of the Scroll Wheel

Cleaning a Non-Optical Mouse

Cleaning an Optical Mouse

®

Using a Bluetooth

Circular Scrolling

Single Finger Zoom

-Enabled Wireless Mouse . . 60

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

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

Cleaning the Touch Pad

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

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

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

. . . . 58

. . . . . 59

Using a Touch Pointer (Track Stick or
Tablet PC Pen)

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

Contents 5

Turning the Touch Pointer On or Off From the
Control Panel

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

Turning the Touch Pointer On or Off From the

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Taskbar

Using a USB Pointing Device (Mouse)

Troubleshooting a USB Pointing Device

Keyboard

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

Customizing Your Keyboard

Backlit Keyboard

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

. . . . . . . . . 64

. . . . . . 64

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

Changing the Input Language of Your
Keyboard

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

Using the Numeric Keypad on a Laptop
Computer

General Keyboard Shortcuts

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

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

5 Printers—Settings and Drivers . . . . . . . 71

Accessing Printer Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Changing Printer Settings

For Windows Vista

For Windows

Setting up Printers

Adding a Printer

Setting the Default Printer

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

®

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

®

XP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

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

6 Drives and Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

6 Contents

Sharing Printers on a Network

Installing a Printer Driver

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

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

Freeing up Hard Drive Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Shadow Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Reducing Hard Drive Space Used by Shadow
Storage

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

Solid-State Drive (SSD)

Installing Drivers for Media Drives

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

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

Determining Whether a Device Driver is the
Source of a Device Problem

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

Replacing a Driver With a Previous Version of
the Driver

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

Using the Drivers and Utilities Media to Reinstall
a Driver

Manually Reinstalling a Driver

Drive Problems

Optical Drive Problems

Hard Drive Problems

Working with RAID

RAID Level 0

RAID Level 1

RAID Level 0+1 Configuration

RAID Level 5 Configuration

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Setting Your Computer to RAID-Enabled

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

Mode

Configuring RAID

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

7 Shutting Down Your Computer . . . . . . . . 99

Windows Vista

Windows

Shutdown States

Microsoft

Windows

®

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

®

XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

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

®

Windows Vista

®

XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

®

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

Contents 7

Ending a Program That is not Responding . . . . 101

Ending a Process That is not Responding

. . . . 103

Docking and Undocking Your Laptop Computer

. . . . 104

Undocking Your Computer While it is
Running— Hot Undocking

Undocking Without Shutting Down

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

. . . . . . . . 104

Shutting Down Your Computer When it Fails to
Shut Down Normally

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

Shutting Down a Stalled or "Frozen"
Computer

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

Shutting Down a Computer When it Stops Responding
and Displays a Solid Blue Screen

Starting Your Computer in Safe Mode

Restarting Your Computer After a Power Loss

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

. . . . . . . . . 107

. . . . 108

8 Files and Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Navigating to Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Selecting and Opening Files

Selecting a Group of Files

Selecting Several Random Files

Opening and Saving a File

Opening a Graphic Image (Picture or Art)

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

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

. . . . . . . . . 111

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

. . . . 112

8 Contents

Finding Files

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

Searching for a File

Renaming Files

Printing Files

Deleting Files

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Sharing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Windows Vista

Windows XP

Sharing Files With Password Protection.

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

. . . . . 115

Restricting Access to a File

Transferring Files and Settings to a New Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

. . 116

Transferring Files From a Computer Running
Windows XP to a Computer Running
Windows Vista

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Transferring Files Between Computers Running
Windows XP

Backing up Files

Windows Vista

Windows XP

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Running Backup When the Settings Have
Been Preconfigured

Running Backup With Hidden Drives

Restoring Files

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Windows Vista

Windows XP

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

. . . . . . . . 119

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

9 Managing Applications (Programs) . . . 121

Installing Applications on Your Computer . . . . . . . 121

Installing Applications From a CD or DVD With
Microsoft

Installing (Downloading) Applications From the
Internet

Installing Applications From a Network

Windows Vista

Windows

®

Windows

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

®

XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

®

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

. . . . . . 122

®

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Contents 9

Removing Applications From Your Computer . . . . . 123

Windows Vista

Windows XP

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Ending an Application When it Does not
Respond

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

10 Maintenance Tasks (Enhance

Performance and Ensure Security)

Performing Maintenance Tasks to Increase
Computer Speed and Ensure Security

. . . . 125

. . . . . . . . . 125

Cleaning Your Computer

Before You Start

Cleaning the Computer

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

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

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

Cleaning Optical Drives and Optical Drive

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

Media

Managing Your Computer Performance

Windows Vista

Windows

Performance Tuning

®

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

®

XP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

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

System Setup Based Performance Tuning

Software Based Performance Tuning

NVIDIA Performance

NVIDIA Monitor

Cleaning Up Your Hard Drive

Defragmenting Your Hard Drive

Detecting and Repairing Disk Errors

Scanning for Viruses and Spyware

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

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

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

. . . . . . . . . 133

. . . . . . . . . . 133

. . . . . . . 127

. . . . 129

. . . . . . 129

10 Contents

11 Power (Power Settings, Power

Protection Devices, and Batteries)

Setting Power Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

®

Windows Vista

Windows

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

®

XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

. . . 135

Power Protection Devices

Surge Protector

Power Line Conditioner

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

Laptop Computer Batteries

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

Using Your Laptop Computer for the
First Time

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Preserving the Life of a Battery

Replacing a Battery

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Checking the Battery Charge

Conserving Battery Power

Charging the Battery

Storing a Battery

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

US Department of Transportation (DOT)
Notebook Battery Restrictions

Dell™ ControlPoint Power Manager

12 Networks (LAN, Wireless,

Mobile Broadband)

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

. . . . . . . . 141

. . . . . . . . . . 142

. . . . . . . . . . . . 143

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

. . . . . . . . . . . 146

. . . . . . . . 146

Local Area Networks (LAN)

What You Need to Set up a LAN

Setting up a new LAN

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

. . . . . . . . . . 151

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN)

. . . . . . . . 153

Contents 11

What you Need to set up a WLAN . . . . . . . . 153

Checking Your Wireless Network Card

. . . . . . 154

Reinstalling Software and Drivers for Your
Wireless Network Card

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Setting up a new Wireless Local Area
Network (WLAN)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Ad Hoc Networks

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Mobile Broadband (or Wireless Wide Area Network)
Networks

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Establishing a Mobile Broadband Network
Connection

Checking Your Mobile Broadband Card

Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network

Activating Mobile Broadband Service

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

. . . . . 160

. . 160

. . . . . . 160

Managing the Network With the Dell Mobile
Broadband Card Utility

WiMAX

WPAN

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Managing Your Network

Securing Your Network

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Securing Your Wireless Local Area Network

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

(WLAN)

Ensuring Security When Using Public Wi-Fi
Networks (Hotspots)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Locating Networks With the Dell Wi-Fi Catcher™
Network Locator

Scanning for a Wireless Network

Enabling the Network Locator

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

. . . . . . . . 167

. . . . . . . . . . 167

12 Contents

Managing Networked Computers With Intel
Active Management Technology

. . . . . . . . . . . 168

®

13 Accessing the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

What you Need to Connect to the Internet

Web Browsers for Viewing Internet Sites

Web Addresses

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

. . . . . 171

. . . . . 172

Setting up Your Internet Connection

®

Windows Vista

Windows

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

®

XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

. . . . . . . . . . 173

Troubleshooting Problems Connecting to the

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

Internet

Web Browser Settings

Setting the Browser Home Page

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

. . . . . . . . . . 175

Setting the Way the Browser Displays
Web Pages

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Saving Space by Setting the way the Browser
Logs Viewing History

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

Increasing Computer Speed by Limiting the
Number of Open Internet Windows

. . . . . . . . 177

Using Accessibility Options for Visual
Impairments

Internet Security and Privacy

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

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

Increasing Security for Your Computer While
Accessing the Internet

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

Protecting Your Privacy While Accessing the
Internet

Viruses

Firewalls

Spyware and Malware

Spam

Phishing Scams

Shopping Securely Over the Internet

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

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

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

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

. . . . . . . 183

Contents 13

Controlling Pop-ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

Controlling Unwanted Toolbars

Content Advisory/Parental Controls

Bookmarking Favorite Websites

Searching for Information on the Internet

. . . . . . . . . . . . 185

. . . . . . . . . . 185

. . . . . . . . . . . 185

. . . . . . . 186

Changing the Internet Communications Protocol
(TCP/IP) Settings

Printing a Web Page

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Freeing up Space and Protecting Your
Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

Clearing Browser History

Deleting Temporary Internet Files

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

. . . . . . . . 188

Decreasing the Size of the Temporary Files

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

Folder

Maintaining Privacy by Blocking and Deleting
Cookies

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

14 E-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

14 Contents

Setting up a new E-mail Account . . . . . . . . . . . 191

®

Windows Vista

Windows

Managing and Organizing E-mail Messages

Windows Vista

Windows XP

Securing Your E-mail

Reducing Spam

Viruses and Phishing

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

®

XP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

. . . . . 192

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Avoiding E-mail Attachments. . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Viewing E-mail Messages

Sending E-mail

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Windows Vista

Windows XP

Creating a Contact Group (Mailing List)

Windows Vista

Windows XP

Backing Up E-mail Messages

Windows Vista

Windows XP

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

. . . . . . . . . 198

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

15 Multimedia (CDs/DVDs, 5.1 Audio,

MP3s, TVs, Digital Cameras, and
Projectors)

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Disc™ Media

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

. . . . . . . . . 204

Playing a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray Disc Media

Copying CD, DVD, or Blu-ray Disc Media

. . . . . 204

. . . . . 205

5.1 Audio

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

Setting up the 5.1 Audio Connections

. . . . . . . 207

Laptop Media Devices (MP3 Players). . . . . . . . . . 208

Connecting a Laptop Media Device (MP3 Player)
to Your Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

Setting up the Laptop Media Device to Sync in
Windows Media Player

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

Setting up the Laptop Media Device the First

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

Tim e

Contents 15

Copying Audio and Video Files to Your Laptop
Media Device

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

Playing Media Using the Dell Travel Remote

Adjusting the Volume on Your Computer

. . . . . 210

. . . . . . . 210

Enabling S/PDIF Digital Audio Through the Media
Software

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

Enabling S/PDIF Digital Audio in the Windows Audio

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Driver

Setting up the Cyberlink (CL) Headphones

Using a Digital Camera With Your Computer

Using Windows Media Player

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

. . . . . . 211

. . . . . 212

16 Connecting Your Computer to a TV and

Adjusting Display Settings

Accessing a TV With Your Computer Using a
TV Tuner Card

Connecting Your Computer to a TV or Audio
Device

Determining What you Have and What you
Need

Identifying the Connectors on Your
Computer

Identifying the Connectors on Your TV

Determining the Combination of Cables and
Adapters you Need

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . 215

. . . . . . 219

16 Contents

Physically Connecting Your Computer to a TV or
Audio Device

Performing the Basic Connection Steps

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

. . . . . . . . 224

Selecting the Correct Input Signal From the
TV Menu

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

TV Menu Example

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

What to do If the TV Does not Recognize a

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

Signal

Evaluating Suggested Connection Configurations

Enabling the Display View for the Computer and
the TV

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

Verify the Connection to the TV

Verify the Input Signal for the TV

Set up the TV as a Display Device

Configure the Display Views

Dual Independent Display Mode

. . . . . . . . . . 239

. . . . . . . . . . 239

. . . . . . . . . 239

. . . . . . . . . . . . 240

. . . . . . . . . . 241

Swapping Primary and Secondary Displays

Switching the Display Image

Configuring Display Settings

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

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

Setting Display Resolution With the Windows
Display Properties Menu

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Accessing the Settings tab of the Display
Properties Menu

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

Accessing Additional Functions With the
Advanced Button

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Accessing the Video Card Control Features

Getting Help for Video Display Resolution
Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

. . . 229

. . . . 242

. . . . 245

Adjusting Display Settings With the Vendor Video
Card Control Panel

Windows Vista

Windows XP

Using the Wizards

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Using a Video Card Wizard to Configure
Display Settings

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Contents 17

Using a TV Wizard to Configure Display
Settings

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248

Getting Help for Video Card Control Panels

. . . 249

Troubleshooting Display Settings

Where to Find Help

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

Resolving Common Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . 249

. . . . . . . . . . . 249

17 Security and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Protecting Your Computer—Using Administrator
Rights, User Groups, and Passwords

Administrator Rights

User Groups

Passwords

Smart Cards

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

Fingerprint Readers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

Facial Recognition Software

Using a Firewall to Secure Your Computer

Turning On Windows Firewall

Encrypting Files and Folders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

. . . . . . . . . 251

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

. . . . . . 255

. . . . . . . . . . . 255

18 Contents

Using Antivirus Software

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Maintaining Security When Using a Public
Wireless Network

Reducing the Risk of Getting Computer Viruses

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

. . . 257

Dealing With Cookies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258

Blocking all Cookies

Avoiding Spyware and Malware

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258

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

18 Microsoft®Windows® XP Pro

Remote Desktop

Enabling Remote Desktop on the Host Computer . . . . 261

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

Installing Remote Desktop Client Software

Calling From a Remote Location

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

. . . . . . . 262

19 Restoring Your Operating System . . . . . 265

Using Microsoft® Windows® System Restore . . . . . 265

Starting System Restore

Undoing the Last System Restore

Enabling System Restore

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

. . . . . . . . . 266

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

Using Dell™ PC Restore and Dell Factory Image

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

Restore

Windows Vista: Dell Factory Image Restore

Using the Operating System Media

Before you Begin

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

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

Reinstalling Windows XP or Windows Vista

. . . . 268

. . . . 269

20 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271

Troubleshooting Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

Power Lights for Desktop Computers

Diagnostic Lights for Desktop Computers

Diagnostic Lights for Laptop Computers

System Messages for Desktop Computers

System Messages for Laptop Computers

Windows Hardware Troubleshooter

Running the Dell Diagnostics

. . . . . . . 273

. . . . . 274

. . . . . . 275

. . . . . 275

. . . . . 276

. . . . . . . . 280

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

Contents 19

Dell Support Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Solving Problems

Battery Problems

Drive Problems

Optical Drive Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

Error Messages

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

. . . . . . . . . . . . 291

Keyboard Problems for External Keyboards

Lockups and Software Problems

Memory Problems

Mouse Problems

Network Problems

Power Problems

Printer Problems

Scanner Problems

Sound and Speaker Problems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299

. . . . . . . . . . 299

Touch Pad or Mouse Problems for Laptop
Computers

Video and Monitor Problems

Power Lights

Dell Technical Update Service

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301

. . . . . . . . . . . 302

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304

. . . . . . . . . . . . 305

. . . . . 289

. . . 292

. . . . . . . . . 292

21 System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

20 Contents

Viewing System Settings With the System Setup
Program

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

Entering the System Setup Program

. . . . . . . 308

Working With Options on the System Setup
Program Screen

Changing the Boot Sequence

Performing a One-Time Boot

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

. . . . . . . . . . . 309

. . . . . . . . . . . 310

Changing Boot Sequence to a USB Device . . . . 310

Changing the BIOS Settings

Viewing the BIOS Settings

Upgrading the BIOS (Flashing the BIOS)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

. . . . . . 311

22 Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313

USB Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313

IEEE 1394 Port

RS232 Serial Port

Parallel Port

eSATA Port

Modem

Ethernet Port

Keyboard and Mouse Port (PS2)

VGA Port

DVI-I Port

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 320

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322

S-Video TV-Out Port

Component Video

Composite Video

HDMI Port

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326

DisplayPort™

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

S/PDIF Port (Coaxial RCA)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

Contents 21

S/PDIF Port (Toslink) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

Audio Ports

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329

23 Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331

Obtaining Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331

Dell Support Service

Technical Support and Customer Service

DellConnect™

Online Services

AutoTech Service

Automated Order-Status Service

Problems With Your Order

Product Information

Returning Items for Warranty Repair or

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334

Credit

Before You Call

Contacting Dell

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332

. . . . 332

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334

. . . . . . . . . 334

. . . . . . . . . . . . 334

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

22 Contents

Finding Information

Start Button

From the Microsoft® Windows® operating system desktop, you can click the
Start button to access resources, programs, and specialized tools for managing
the way Windows appears and functions on your computer.

The Start button may differ in appearance depending on the version of
Windows, but it is consistently located on the left side of the Windows
taskbar.

Start
button

From the Start button menu, you can access:

• Microsoft Windows Help and Support

• Control Panel

• Information About Installed Hardware

• Device Manager

• Programs Installed on Your Computer

• Wireless Networking

• Dell Support Website

Finding Information 23

Microsoft Windows Help and Support

This information center provides instructions, hints, and general information
about Microsoft Windows and explains how to use available features. It also
provides access to documentation for your computer and devices installed on
your computer. To access Windows Help and Support:

1

Click

Start

2

Click the topic or task you want to perform.

3

If the specific task is not listed, use the search option.

Start Search

In the
that describes your question, and then press <Enter> or click the arrow or
the magnifying glass.

4

Click the topic that describes your question.

5

Follow the instructions on the screen.

or

→ Help and Support

field (or

Search

in Windows XP), type a word or phrase

.

24 Finding Information

Windows Vista

Basic Computer Information

Click

Start → Control Panel→ System and Maintenance→ System to

®

view your computer information.

Windows® XP

User’s Guides

To view the user’s guides available on your computer, click Start →
Help and Support→ Dell User and System guides (from the Pick a Topic

options).

Basic Information

Click

Start → Help and Support→ To ol s (from the Pick a Task

options) to view your computer information and to diagnose problems.

You can also view more details about your computer through the Control
Panel (see "Control Panel" on page 26).

Finding Information 25

Control Panel

To manage viewing features and computer functions,

→ Control Panel.

click

Start or

FOR MORE INFORMATION: See Windows Help and Support:

Start or → Help and Support.

click

Information About Installed Hardware

Device Manager

Use the Device Manager to view a list of all devices installed on your
computer and to learn more about how a specific device is configured.

26 Finding Information

Windows Vista

Click Start

®

→

Control Panel→ System and Maintenance→ System→

Device Manager (listed under Tasks).

Windows® XP

Click Start → Control Panel→ Performance and Maintenance→
System

→

Hardware tab→ Device Manager.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about your computer’s

hardware components, see the View your computer information topic
in Windows Help and Support:

click

Start

or

→ Help

and Support.

Hardware Devices Installed on Your Computer

Click Start or → All Programs→ Accessories→ System
To ol s → System Information.

Double click Components to expand the Components category.

Device Specifications

1

Click

Start

Tools→

2

Double click

3

Click the device category to view a table identifying the component or

System Information

device name and related setting and configuration information.

or

Components

→

All Programs→

.

to expand the

Accessories→

Components

System

category.

Exporting System Information as a Text File

1

Click

Start

Tools→

2

On the

3

In

4

Select the file type from the

5

Click

System Information

File

File name

Save

or

menu, click

Export

, type the filename.

.

→

All Programs→

.

.

Save as type

Accessories→

drop-down menu.

Finding Information 27

System

Programs Installed on Your Computer

Click

Start

or

→

All Programs

to view available programs.

If a program is not listed under All Programs, use the Search feature to search
for a specific program:

Windows Vista

1

Click

2

Enter the name of the program in the Search field.

3

Press <Enter>.

Windows® XP

1

Click

2

Enter the name of the program and click

®

Start

→

Search.

Start → Search→

All Files or Folders

Search

.

.

Wireless Networking

Wireless network information is available in the following sources:

Device guides See Microsoft Windows Help and Support to access

device guide for the specific wireless card installed in your
computer. The device guide provides helpful information
about connecting to a wireless network, as well as
managing a wireless network connection.

Windows Help and
Support

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

see "Networks (LAN, Wireless, Mobile Broadband)

28 Finding Information

See Microsoft Windows Help and Support for general
information about wireless networking. The “Networking
and the Web” topic provides an overview, requirements,
details on connections, and tutorials in basic networking.

To learn more about wireless networking,

" on page 149.

Dell Support Website

The Dell Support website at support.dell.com provides a variety of
information:

•

Technical Support:

your Dell product.

•

Customer Service:

Dell products.

• Warranty Information:

•

Dell Forums:

products.

•

Contact Us

: Information on various options available for contacting Dell.

Research and find the latest solutions and help for

Explore options such as order status and pickup for

Information relating to warranty for Dell products.

Information on forums for discussion and support of Dell

Technical Support

• Drivers and Downloads

• Enterprise Resource Center

• Find Express Service Code

• Manuals

Finding Information 29

• My Systems List

• Security Center

• Support History & Status

• System Configuration

• Technical Subscriptions

• Troubleshooting Search

• Windows Vista Center

• Windows XP Support Center

• Wireless Center

Customer Service

• Dell Financial Services

•FAQs

•Invoices

• Missing, Wrong & Damaged

• Order Status

• Ownership Transfer

• International Ownership Transfer

• Packing Slips

• Pickup/Redelivery

• Dell Dollars/Rebate Center

• Report a Stolen System

• Returns

• Update Billing Address

Warranty Information

• Expired Warranty Service

• Extend & Upgrade Warranty

• Ownership Transfer

• International Ownership Transfer

30 Finding Information

• Service Contracts & Forms

• Warranty Status

Dell Forums

• Support Forums

• Discussion Forums

Contact Us

• Customer Service

• Financing Support

• Sales Support

• Technical Support

• International Notebook Support

BIOS (System Setup Program) Settings

The BIOS is a utility that serves as an interface between the computer
hardware and the operating system. You may need to update your BIOS
settings when you remove and replace certain hardware components.

NOTE: Although your computer’s time, date, or password can be changed using

the BIOS, using options provided by the operating system is recommended.

Use the system setup program to:

• Change the system configuration information after you add, change, or
remove hardware in your computer.

• Set or change user-selectable options such as your password.

• Verify information about your computer’s current configuration, such as
the amount of system memory.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about accessing the system

setup program and configuring hardware components, see "System
Setup" on page 301.

Finding Information 31

32 Finding Information

Microsoft Windows Desktop

desktop

shortcut

icons

Start button

taskbar

notification area

Overview

The Microsoft® Windows® desktop is the display screen area that appears
after the Windows operating system starts up. The components of the
desktop include a background, icons, shortcuts, and a taskbar that is usually
located at the bottom of the screen.

Microsoft Windows Desktop 33

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the Windows desktop,

see “Windows Basics” in Windows Help and Support:

or

→ Help and Support.

click

Start

Taskbar

Start button

Quick Launch toolbar notification areataskbar button

Overview

The Windows taskbar is usually located at the bottom of the desktop,
although you can relocate it. The taskbar provides quick access to open
minimized windows on the desktop, or to frequently-used programs, files, or
utilities on your computer.

The basic sections of the taskbar are:

Start button Provides access to the Start menu, which lists the

programs and system utilities installed in your
computer. Use the Start menu to start software
applications and to change computer settings. If you
move or resize your taskbar, the Start button moves or
resizes with it.

Quick Launch toolbar Contains icons for quick access to programs.

taskbar button area Contains buttons representing minimized windows for

open application programs.

notification area Includes a clock and icons associated with programs.

34 Microsoft Windows Desktop

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the Windows desktop,

see “Windows Basics” in Windows Help and Support:

or

→ Help and Support.

click

Start

Displaying the Taskbar

1

Right-click on an open area of the taskbar.

2

Click

Properties

3

On the

As you open applications and files, you may not be able to view your desktop.

To view the desktop by minimizing all open windows at once:

Position the cursor over an open area of the taskbar.

1

2

Right-click to display a shortcut menu.

3

Click

Taskbar

Show the Desktop

to open the

tab, select

.

Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

Keep the taskbar on top of other windows

window.

.

Customizing the Taskbar

1

Right-click on an open area of the taskbar.

2

Click

Properties.The Taskbar and Start menu Properties window

appears.

3

Customize the taskbar by checking the desired boxes on the

Taskbar

tab.

Displaying Hidden Icons From the Notification Area

The Notification area includes icons for quick program access. Click the
arrow on the right side of the taskbar near the notification area to temporarily
display the hidden icons. Click the required icon to display it again.

Adding Icons in the Notification Area

Customize the taskbar by choosing the icons it displays or hides.

1

Right-click on an open area of the taskbar.

2

Click

Properties

3

For computers running Windows Vista®, select the

. The screen defaults to the

Microsoft Windows Desktop 35

Taskbar

tab.

Notification Area

tab.

For computers running Windows® XP, continue with the next step.

4

Click the

5

Select an item, then choose its behavior.

6

Click OK.

Customize

button in the Notification area.

Desktop Icons and Shortcuts

icon shortcut

Icons displayed on the Windows desktop are links that provide quick access to
programs, documents, and folders. Double-click icons to open a file or folder
or to run a program.

Some icons are shortcuts and other icons are direct links.

• Icons for shortcuts — Identified by an arrow in the icon, shortcuts are links
to programs, files, or folders. You can safely delete a shortcut without
affecting the item it links to.

• Icons for programs and files — Icons for program files, documents, or
folders do not include an arrow graphic.

HINT: For better performance of your computer, create shortcuts to

files and folders rather than placing them on the desktop.

Deleting an Icon From the Desktop

1

Right-click the icon, and click

2

Click

Yes .

36 Microsoft Windows Desktop

Delete

.

HINT: If you delete an icon with an arrow, you are simply deleting the

shortcut link. If you delete an icon without an arrow, you are deleting
the file or folder, not just a link to the file.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the Windows desktop,

see “Windows Basics” in Windows Help and Support:

or

→ Help and Support.

Creating and Deleting Program Shortcuts on the Desktop

You can create a shortcut to a
Explorer or Desktop.

Using Windows Explorer:

1

Right-click the

Start

to which you want to create a shortcut.

2

Right-click on the item, highlight

shortcut)

.

Using the desktop:

1

Right-click an open area of the desktop, highlight

2

Shortcut

In the

.

Create Shortcut

of the item you want the shortcut to link to.

3

Highlight the file or folder, and click OK.

4

Click

Next

.

5

Name the shortcut, and then click

program, file, or folder by using

button, select

window, click

Explore

Send to,

Browse

Finish

. Navigate to the folder or file

and then click

and navigate to the location

.

New,

click

Start

: Windows

Desktop (create

then click

Microsoft Windows Desktop 37

Shortcut Menus

Create Shortcut

Delete

Rename

Properties

Shortcut menus are available for many components of the Windows desktop,
including files and folders. These menus provide quick access to the most
common commands for an item.

To access the shortcut menus, position the cursor over the item and right­click (click the right mouse button or the right touch-pad button).

38 Microsoft Windows Desktop

Changing the Desktop Appearance

Start button

Control
Panel

Display
Properties
window

You can personalize the appearance of your desktop by changing various
components. Most of these components are accessible through the Display
Properties window.

You can manage your computer’s desktop theme, resolution, screen saver,
icon size and appearance, and monitor settings from the Display Properties
Menu screen. Use the tabs to select the items you want to adjust.

Windows Vista

®

From the desktop:

1

Right-click an open area of the desktop.

2

Click

Personalize

, and the

Personalize appearance and sounds

window

appears.

3

Review the available options and follow the instructions provided.

From the Start menu:

Microsoft Windows Desktop 39

1

Click

Start

→

Control Panel→ Appearance and Personalization.

2

Click

Personalization

appears.

3

Review the available options and follow the instructions provided.

. The

Personalize appearance and sounds

Windows® XP

From the desktop:

1

Right-click an open area of the desktop.

2

Click

Properties

3

Click

Display

4

Review the available options and follow the instructions provided.

From the Start menu:

1

Click

Start → Control Panel→

2

The

Appearance and Themes

3

Review the available options and follow the instructions provided.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the Windows desktop,

see “Windows Basics” in Windows Help and Support:

or

→ Help and Support.

.

. The

Display Properties

window appears.

Appearance and Themes

window appears.

click

window

.

Start

40 Microsoft Windows Desktop

Setting up a Screen Saver

screen saver
preview

screen saver
selections

inactivity
time setting

A screen saver is an animated graphic that appears after your computer is left
inactive for a specified time. You can set the length of inactive time and select
a personal graphic.

Windows Vista

1

Right-click an open area of the desktop.

2

Click

Personalize

appears.

3

Click

Screen Saver

4

Adjust the length of time for your computer to remain inactive before the
screen saver appears.

5

Click OK.

. The

Personalize appearance and sounds

to select a new screen saver.

window

NOTE: After the screen saver activates, you may need to log-in again to access

your computer.

Windows XP

1

Right-click an open area of the desktop.

2

Click

3

Click the

Properties

. The

Screen Saver

Display Properties

window appears.

tab, and select a new screen saver.

Microsoft Windows Desktop 41

4

Select the length of time for your computer to remain inactive before the
screen saver appears.

5

Click OK.

NOTE: After the screen saver activates, you may need to log-in to access your

computer.

Start Button (Menu)

Overview

The Start button opens the Start menu, which provides access to:

• Control Panel

•Programs

•Files

• Computer settings

• Tools that monitor your computer’s performance

• Windows Help and Support

42 Microsoft Windows Desktop

The programs available on the Start menu depend on the software installed in
your computer.

You can use the Start menu to restart or shut down your computer. See
"Shutting Down Your Computer" on page 99

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the Start button, see

"Start Button

" on page 23.

.

Customizing the Start Menu

Customize the Start menu through the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties
window.

1

Right-click an open area of the taskbar.

2

Select

Properties

appears.

3

Customize the
menu tab.

HINT: You can add shortcuts to the Start menu by dragging an icon

from a program, folder, or file onto the Start button.

. The

Taskbar and Start menu Properties

Start

menu by selecting the desired option on the

window

Start

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the Windows desktop,

click

see “Windows Basics” in Windows Help and Support:

or

→ Help and Support.

Microsoft Windows Desktop 43

Start

Control Panel

The Control Panel contains programs and tools to help you maintain and
customize your computer. Through the Control Panel, you can:

• Add and monitor hardware

• Add or remove programs

• Change hardware settings

• Set network and Internet preferences

• Customize the appearance of your desktop

• Set up printers and other devices

• Perform maintenance to enhance performance

HINT: A list of the items you can customize appears in the Control

Panel screen. Hold your cursor over each item to display the pop-up
text box that explains its function.

44 Microsoft Windows Desktop

Accessing and Using the Control Panel

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the Windows desktop,

click

see “Windows Basics” in Windows Help and Support:

or

→ Help and Support.

Start

Customizing Your Computer Settings

1

Click

Start

or

2

Select a category. If you are not sure which category contains the necessary
tool, hold your cursor over the category to display its pop-up text box.

→

Control Panel

.

Managing Your Computer Performance

The Control Panel provides tools for you to manage and improve your
computer’s performance. Use options provided to free up the space on your
hard drive or rearrange items on your hard drive to make programs run faster,
and so on to enhance the performance of your computer.

See "Maintenance Tasks (Enhance Performance and Ensure Security)" on
page 125 for related information.

Windows Vista

1

Click

Start

→ Control Panel→ System and Maintenance→

Performance Information and Tools

2

Select one of the available options in the
computer’s performance and make changes to enhance performance.

.

Ta s k

area to monitor your

Windows XP

1

Click

Start

2

Select one of the options to evaluate system performance, view events,
monitor the performance log, or perform computer management.

Use the Device Manager to manage devices that are installed in or attached
to your computer.

→

Control Panel→

Performance and Maintenance

Microsoft Windows Desktop 45

.

HINT: Typically, to access the Device Manager:

Windows Vista
Click Start→ Control Panel→ System and Maintenance→
Administrative Tools→ Computer Management.

Windows XP
Click Start→ Control Panel→ Performance and Maintenance→
Administrative Tools→ Computer Management.

OR
Right-click My Computer and select Properties. Then click Device
Manager.

46 Microsoft Windows Desktop

Monitors and Displays

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

screen, see the documentation for your computer. Also see the safety
information that shipped with your computer for safety procedures to
follow when working with your computer. For additional safety best
practices information, see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at
www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.

To learn more about your computer’s display

Cleaning Your Computer’s Display Screen

To clean the display for a desktop computer, wipe the screen with a soft cloth
dampened with water.

To clean the display screen for a laptop computer, wipe the screen with a soft
cloth dampened with either water or an LCD cleaner.

CAUTION: Do not wipe the computer’s display screen with any soap or solution

not designed for monitors. These solutions can damage the monitor’s anti-glare
coating. Do not spray cleaners directly onto the screen.

Monitors and Displays 47

Adjusting the Resolution of Your Display

The display resolution defines the clarity of images on your display. As you
increase the resolution, items appear smaller on the screen. As you decrease
resolution, text and images appear larger.

Before you change any of the display settings, make a note of the current
settings so you can change back to them if needed.

NOTE: Use only the Dell recommended video drivers, which are designed to offer

the best performance with your Dell-installed operating system.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

"Adjusting Display Settings With the Vendor Video Card Control Panel

on page 246

48 Monitors and Displays

. Also, see Windows Help and Support:

→ Help and Support.

To learn more about display resolution, see

click

Start or

"

use slide bar to
set resolution

HINT: To display a program at a specific resolution, both the video card

and the display must support the resolution, and the necessary video
drivers must be installed.

Windows Vista

1

Right-click an open area of the desktop.

2

Click

®

Personalize

. The

Personalize appearance and sounds

appears.

3

Click

4

Display Settings

In the

Display Settings

.

window under

Resolution

the left or right to decrease/increase the screen resolution.

5

Click

Apply

to check if the selected resolution is ok, if not repeat step 4.

6

Click OK.

Windows® XP

1

Right-click an open area of the desktop.

2

Click

3

Select the

Properties

Setting

. The

Display Properties

tab.

window appears.

Monitors and Displays 49

window

, move the slide bar to

4

Under the
to decrease/increase the screen resolution.

5

Click

6

Click OK.

Screen resolution

Apply

to check if the selected resolution is ok, if not repeat step 4.

section, move the slide bar to the left or right

Troubleshooting

Blurry text: If you change the display resolution from the current settings to
one not supported by your computer and display, the image may appear blurry
or text may be hard to read.

Unsupported resolution or color settings: If you choose a resolution or color
palette that is higher than the display supported by your computer, the
settings adjust automatically to the closest supported values.

Choosing the Best Display Settings

Default display settings are set for your computer based on the monitor or
display screen. Access the Display Properties window from the Control Panel
to determine the resolution of your monitor and make any changes.

Setting the Display Resolution for External LCD Monitors

Set external LCD monitors to their native resolution, the resolution at which
the display performs the best. See the manufacturer’s documentation for this
information.

If you cannot determine the native resolution, set the monitor to perform at
the highest resolution. Although your monitor can probably support lower
resolutions, the display quality will be not be as good.

Windows Vista

1

Right-click an open area of the desktop.

2

Click
appears.

3

Click

4

Select the external LCD monitor in the drop-down menu.

50 Monitors and Displays

®

Personalize

Display Settings

. The

Personalize appearance and sounds

.

window

5

In the

Display Settings

or right to select a screen resolution that matches the native resolution of
the external LCD monitor.

6

Click OK.

Windows® XP

1

Right-click an open area of the desktop.

2

Click

Properties

3

Select the

4

Select the external LCD monitor in the Display drop-down menu.

5

Under the
to select a screen resolution that matches the native resolution of the
external LCD monitor.

6

Click OK.

Settings

Screen resolution

window, move the

. The

Display Properties

tab.

Resolution slider bar

window appears.

section, move the slide bar to the left or right

to the left

Setting the Display for Multiple Monitors

Multiple monitors can be setup with your computer to improve productivity
by expanding the size of your desktop. You can then work on more than one
task at a time by moving items from one monitor to another or by stretching
them across monitors.

click and drag monitor icons
to match arrangement of
monitors

Monitors and Displays 51

NOTE: Your video card must support multiple monitors. See Windows Help and

Support for information on the requirements for setting up multiple monitors.

Windows Vista

1

Right-click an open area of the desktop.

2

Click

Personalize

appears.

3

Click

Display Settings

4

Drag the monitor icons to match the physical arrangement of your
monitors.

5

Select either or both of the following check boxes depending on your need:

This is my main Monitor

•

•

Extend the desktop onto this monitor

across your screen onto alternate monitors.

6

Click

OK.

, and the

.

Personalize appearance and sounds

— allows you to set the main monitor.

— allows you to drag items

Windows XP

1

Right-click an open area of the desktop.

2

Click

Properties

3

Select the

4

Drag the monitor icons to match the physical arrangement of your
monitors.

5

Select either or both of the following check boxes depending on your need:

•

Use this device as a primary monitor

monitor.

Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor

•

items across your screen onto alternate monitors.

6

Click OK.

, and the

Settings

Display Properties

tab.

window appears.

— allows you to set the primary

— allows you to drag

window

52 Monitors and Displays

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about accessing the Display

Properties window to configure multiple monitors, see "Control Panel

on page 44

“Windows Basic” in Windows Help and Support:

. For more detailed information about the Control Panel, see

click

Start

→ Help and Support.

or

"

Using the Ambient Light Sensor in Bright or Low­Light Environments:

NOTE: Your laptop computer may not have an ambient light sensor.

NOTE: The ambient light sensor adjusts the display brightness on your laptop

computer only. It does not control the brightness on external monitors or projectors.

The ambient light sensor is located on the front of the computer display. The
sensor detects available environmental light and automatically increases or
decreases the display backlighting to compensate for low-light and high-light
environments.

1

1 Ambient Light Sensor

Monitors and Displays 53

You can enable or disable the ambient light sensor feature by pressing the
<Fn> and left-arrow key combination.

NOTE: Do not cover the ambient light sensor with any adhesive labels. If covered,

the sensor—when enabled—automatically sets the display brightness to the
minimum level.

NOTE: The ambient light sensor is disabled when your computer is connected to

an electrical outlet.

Using the display brightness key combinations disables the ambient light
sensor and the display brightness increases or decreases accordingly.

NOTE: Rebooting the computer returns the ambient light sensor to it’s prior setting

(either enabled or disabled).

54 Monitors and Displays

Cables and Connections

Every monitor has at least two cable requirements, power and data. Your Dell
monitor may support one or more of the following data connectors:

1 23 456

Connector Signal Type Audio Support Connects to

1 VGA Analog No Monitor or Projector

2 DVI Digital No Monitor or Projector

3 Composite Analog No Home entertainment system

4 Component Analog No Home entertainment system

5 S-Video Analog No

6 HDMI Digital Yes

7 DisplayPort Digital Yes

• Home entertainment system

• Monitor

• Projector

• Home entertainment system

• Monitor

• Projector

• Home entertainment system

• Monitor

• Projector

7

For pin assignments of the above ports, see "Ports" on page 313.

Monitors and Displays 55

DisplayPort™ - Features and Benefits

Dell, in collaboration with a group of leading PC, graphics, and
semiconductor companies, has developed an open-standards based, royalty­free, and extensible interface, DisplayPort, suited for both external desktop
monitors and internal display interfaces.

By consolidating the internal and external signaling methods, DisplayPort
enables the introduction of "direct drive" digital monitors, resulting in the
most efficient means possible for delivering flat panel display technology to
end users.

DisplayPort is also suitable for connectivity between high definition content
applications such as optical disc players, mobile devices, personal video
recorders, and TVs.

Other features include:

•Higher resolutions such as WQXGA (2048x1536 pixels).

•Variable color depth (up to 30 bits-per-pixel (bpp)).

•Up to 120Hz refresh rate.

•HDCP v1.3 support for viewing Blu-ray disc content.

•Support for cables up to 15m long.

•A single interface and cable that accommodates two-way audio and video for
systems with built-in or external speakers, microphone, and camera.

•Better performance than dual link DVI (10.6 Gbps vs. 9.6 Gbps)

•High-bandwidth audio.

For more information, see www.displayport.org.

NVIDIA SLI and ATI Crossfire Technologies

In some graphics configurations, two or more identical graphics cards can be
configured to enable NVIDIA SLI (Scalable Link Interface) or ATI Crossfire
technologies. Doing so can increase gaming and 3D application performance.

Detailed information about the benefits of using these technologies can be
found on the NVIDIA and ATI websites respectively.

56 Monitors and Displays

Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad)

You can use a mouse, a keyboard, a touch pad, and a pointing stick (track
stick) to navigate and make selections from the features available on your
Microsoft

®

Windows® desktop.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about these devices, see the

documentation for your computer. Also, see Windows Help and
Support: click Start → Help and Support.

Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad) 57

Mouse

left button right button

scroll wheel

A mouse typically consists of two buttons and a scroll wheel.

• Use the left and right buttons to select or click items on the screen.

• Use the scroll wheel to scroll through pages or windows on the screen. To
scroll down, roll the wheel backward (toward you). To scroll up, roll the
wheel forward (away from you).

Controlling the Speed of the Mouse Buttons

Windows Vista

1

Click

2

On the
select the speed that feels right for you.

3

Click OK.

Windows® XP

1

Click

Hardware

2

On the
select the speed that feels right for you.

3

Click OK.

58 Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad)

®

Start

→ Control Pane l→

Button

tab in the

Start → Control Pane l→ Printers and Other

→

Mouse

Buttons

tab of the

Mouse Properties

.

Mouse Properties

Hardware and Sound→ Mouse

window, use the slide bar to

window, use the slide bar to

.

Controlling the Speed of the Scroll Wheel

Windows Vista

1

Click

2

On the

®

Start

Wheel

→ Control Pane l→

tab in the

Mouse Properties

Hardware and Sound→ Mouse

window, set the options for

.

how the scroll wheel on your mouse operates.

3

Click OK.

Windows® XP

1

Click

Start → Control Pane l→ Printers and Other

Hardware

2

On the
with each notch on the wheel, or click

3

Click OK.

→

Mouse

Wheel

.

tab, under

Scrolling

, select the number of lines to scroll

One screen at a time

.

Cleaning a Non-Optical Mouse

If your screen cursor (mouse pointer) skips or moves abnormally, clean the
mouse.

NOTICE: Disconnect the mouse from the computer before cleaning the mouse.

1

Clean the outside casing of the mouse with a cloth moistened with a mild
cleaning solution.

2

Turn the retainer ring on the underside of your mouse counterclockwise,
and then remove the ball.

3

Wipe the ball with a clean, lint-free cloth.

Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad) 59

4

Blow carefully into the ball cage, or use a can of compressed air, to dislodge
dust and lint.

5

If the rollers inside the ball cage are dirty, clean the rollers with a cotton
swab moistened lightly with isopropyl alcohol.

6

Recenter the rollers in their channels if they are misaligned. Ensure that
fluff from the swab is not left on the rollers.

7

Replace the ball and retainer ring, and turn the retainer ring clockwise
until it clicks into place.

Cleaning an Optical Mouse

Clean the outside casing of the mouse with a cloth moistened with a mild
cleaning solution.

Using a Bluetooth® -Enabled Wireless Mouse

Before you set up a Bluetooth-enabled device, you need to:

Add a Bluetooth adapter to your computer, if one is not already built in to

1

your computer.

2

Set up the device so that your computer can find (or discover) it. Check
the manufacturer’s guide or website for instructions.

3

Install the device, using the instructions in the following section that
corresponds to the operating system installed in your computer.

Windows Vista

1

Click

Start

→ Control Pane l

2

Click

Hardware and Sound→

3

Click the device that you want to change, and then click

4

Do any of the following:

• To change the name of the device, type a new name, click the

tab, and click OK.

• To enable a service, select the check box next to the service on the

Services

• To disable a service, clear the check box next to the service on the

Services

60 Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad)

tab, and click OK.

tab, and click OK.

.

Bluetooth Devices

.

Properties

.

General

• To make your computer discoverable to Bluetooth-enabled devices, in
the

Bluetooth Devices

Allow Bluetooth devices to find this computer

dialog box on the

Options

check box.

tab, select the

• To be notified when a Bluetooth-enabled device wants to connect to
your computer, in the
tab, select the

connect

Windows® XP

1

Attach or turn on your Bluetooth-enabled adapter.

2

Make your mouse discoverable by pressing a button on the bottom of the

Alert me when a new Bluetooth device wants to

check box.

Bluetooth Devices

dialog box on the

mouse. See your mouse documentation for more information.

3

Click

Start→

4

On the

5

Select the

Next

.

6

Click the icon that represents the Bluetooth-enabled mouse, and click

Next

.

7

Click

Don’t use a passkey→

Control Pane l→

Devices

tab, click

Bluetooth Devices

Add

.

My device is set up and ready to be found

Next

. Check the documentation for the

.

check box, and click

mouse for any passkey instructions.

8

Follow the remaining instructions in the wizard.

Options

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about adding and configuring

or

devices, see Windows Help and Support: click Start

→ Help and Support.

Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad) 61

Touch Pad

You can use your finger for touch input (or a Tablet PC pen on some
computers) to move the cursor or select objects on the screen:

• To move the cursor, lightly slide your finger or pen over the touch pad.

• To select an object, lightly tap once on the surface of the touch pad or use
your thumb to press the left touch-pad button.

• To select and move (or drag) an object, position the cursor on the object
and tap twice on the touch pad. On the second tap, leave your finger or
pen on the touch pad and move the selected object by sliding your finger
or pen over the surface.

• To double-click an object, position the cursor on the object and tap twice
on the touch pad or use your thumb to press the left touch pad button
twice.

Circular Scrolling

NOTE: Your laptop computer may not support the circular scrolling feature.

To configure the circular scrolling, double-click the Dell Touch pad icon in
the notification area of your desktop.

In the Scrolling tab, enable or disable scrolling or circular scrolling, choose the
scroll zone width and scroll speed.

When circular scrolling is enabled, you can scroll up or down by moving your
finger anti-clockwise or clockwise on the touch pad.

62 Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad)

Single Finger Zoom

NOTE: Your laptop computer may not support single finger zoom feature.

To change the zoom settings, double-click the Dell Touch Pad icon in the
notification area of your desktop.

In the Gestures tab, enable or disable the one-finger zoom (zoom in and out
moving the finger upward or downward) or the pinch zoom (zoom in and out
by spreading two fingers or by bringing the two fingers together).

Cleaning the Touch Pad

1

Shut down and turn off your computer.

2

Disconnect any attached devices from the computer and from their
electrical outlets.

3

Remove any installed batteries.

4

Moisten a soft, lint-free cloth with water, and wipe it gently across the
surface of the touch pad. Do not allow water from the cloth to seep
between the touch pad and the surrounding palm rest.

Using a Touch Pointer (Track Stick or Tablet PC Pen)

Turning the Touch Pointer On or Off From the Control Panel

Windows Vista

1

Click

Input Devices

2

On the

when I’m interacting with items on the screen

3

Click OK.

Windows® XP

1

Click

Hardware

®

Start

→ Control Pane l→

.

Touch Pointer

Start → Control Pane l→

→

Pen and Input Devices

tab, select or clear the

Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad) 63

Hardware and Sound→ Pen and

Show the touch pointer

check box.

Printers and Other

.

2

On the

when I’m interacting with items on the screen

3

Click OK.

Touch Pointer

tab, select or clear the

Show the touch pointer

check box.

Turning the Touch Pointer On or Off From the Taskbar

1

Use your finger to press and hold the taskbar.

2

Point to

3

To turn the touch pointer on or off, tap the
taskbar.

Toolbars

, and then tap

Touch Pointer

Touch Pointer

.

icon on the

Using a USB Pointing Device (Mouse)

Your computer usually auto-detects and installs the drivers for your mouse
when the mouse is connected to the USB port.

NOTE: Certain mice may not be auto-detected by your computer. You then need to

install the appropriate drivers manually.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about using a USB pointing

device, see the pointing device’s manufacturer’s guide for more
information. Also, see Windows Help and Support: click Start

→ Help and Support.

or

Troubleshooting a USB Pointing Device

You may need to reactivate a USB pointing device if any of the following
problems occur:

• The pointer moves erratically.

• The pointer does not respond when you move the pointing device.

• Nothing happens when you click a button on the pointing device.

• The pointing device stops working after a few minutes of use.

System Restore can be performed if you fail to reactivate the USB pointing
device.

64 Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad)

For more information on System Restore see "Using Microsoft® Windows
System Restore" on page 265

HINT: If you still have problems with the pointing device, check the

software driver for the device. You may have to reinstall the driver.
See "Determining Whether a Device Driver is the Source of a Device
Problem

" on page 79.

®

Keyboard

Your keyboard provides different sets of keys to perform different sets of
functions:

• Alphanumeric keys for typing letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols

• Control keys for performing certain actions: <Ctrl>, <Alt>, <Esc>, and
the Windows logo key

• Function keys, labeled <F1>,< F2>, <F3>, and so on, for performing
specific tasks

• Navigation keys for moving the cursor around in documents or windows:
<Home>, <End>, <Page Up>, <Page Down>, <Delete>, <Insert >,
and arrow keys

• Numeric keypad of numbers grouped together like those on an adding
machine (The numeric keypad on most laptop computers is integrated
into the alphabetic keys.)

Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad) 65

Customizing Your Keyboard

You can adjust your keyboard settings to:

• Change the delay before keyboard characters repeat.

• Change the speed at which keyboard characters repeat.

• Change the cursor blink rate.

• Customize key sequences for input languages.

Windows Vista

1

Click

Start

→ Control Pane l→

2

Adjust the keyboard settings you want to change and click OK.

Windows XP

1

Click

Start → Control Pane l→

Hardware

2

On the
want to change and click

→

Keyboard

Keyboard Properties

.

OK

window, adjust the keyboard settings you

.

Hardware and Sound→

Printers and Other

Backlit Keyboard

NOTE: Your computer may not support a backlit keyboard feature.

Keyboard

.

The backlit keyboard provides visibility in dark environments by illuminating
all symbols on the keys.

Keyboard/ Touch Pad brightness settings — Press <Fn> and the right-arrow
key to toggle between the three lighting states (in the given order).

The three lighting states are:

66 Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad)

1

full keyboard/touch pad brightness.

2

half keyboard/touch pad brightness.

3

no lighting.

Changing the Input Language of Your Keyboard

Windows Vista

1

Click

Start

→ Control Pane l→

Regional and Language Options

2

Click

Change keyboards or other input methods.

3

On the

4

Under

5

Click the language you want to add, select the text services you want to
add, and then click

NOTE: If the Language bar is not visible, right-click the taskbar, point to Toolbars,

and then click Language bar.

6

Click the

7

Select the input language you want to use.

8

Click the

Windows XP

1

Click

Regional Options

2

On the

Keyboards and Languages

Installed services

Input language

Keyboard layout

, click

OK

.

button on the language bar.

button, and then select a keyboard layout.

Start → Control Pane l→

→

Regional and Language Options

Regional Options

tab of the

window, select a language and click

Clock, Language, and Region→

.

tab, click

Add

.

Change keyboards

Date, Time, Language, and

.

Regional and Language Options

OK

.

.

Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad) 67

Using the Numeric Keypad on a Laptop Computer

numeric keypad

Your laptop computer may have a numeric keypad integrated into the
keyboard. The keypad corresponds to the keypad of an extended keyboard.

• To type a number or symbol, press and hold <Fn> and press the desired
key.

• To enable the numeric keypad, press <Num Lk>. The light indicates
that the keypad is active.

• To disable the numeric keypad, press <Num Lk> again.

9

68 Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad)

General Keyboard Shortcuts

<Ctrl><Shift><Esc> Opens the Task Manager window.

<Fn><F8> Displays icons representing all currently

available display options (display only, external
monitor or projector only, both display and
projector, and so on). Highlight the desired
icon to switch the display to that option.

<Fn> and up-arrow key Increases brightness on an integrated display.

<Fn> and down-arrow key Decreases brightness on the integrated display

only (not on an external monitor).

<Fn><Esc> Activates a power management mode. You can

reprogram this keyboard shortcut to activate a
different power management mode using the

Advanced tab in the Power Options
Properties window.

<F2> Renames the selected item.

<F3> Searches for a file or folder.

<F4> Displays the Address bar list in Windows

Explorer.

<F5> Refreshes the active window.

<F6> Cycles through screen elements in a window

or on the desktop.

<F10> Activates the menu bar in the active program.

<Ctrl><c> Copies a selected item.

<Ctrl><x> Cuts a selected item.

<Ctrl><v> Pastes a selected item.

<Ctrl><z> Undoes an action.

<Ctrl><a> Selects all items in a document or window.

<Ctrl><F4> Closes the active window (in programs that

allow you to have multiple documents open
simultaneously).

<Ctrl><Alt><Tab> Uses the arrow keys to switch between open

items.

Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad) 69

<Alt><Tab> Switches between open items.

<Alt><Esc> Cycles through items in the order in which

they were opened.

<Delete> Deletes a selected item and move it to the

Recycle Bin.

<Shift><Delete> Deletes the selected item without moving it to

the Recycle Bin first.

<Ctrl> and right-arrow key Moves the cursor to the beginning of the next

word.

<Ctrl> and left-arrow key Moves the cursor to the beginning of the

previous word.

<Ctrl> and down-arrow key Moves the cursor to the beginning of the next

paragraph.

<Ctrl> and up-arrow key Moves the cursor to the beginning of the

previous paragraph.

<Ctrl><Shift> with an arrow key Selects a block of text.

<Shift> with any arrow key Selects more than one item in a window or on

the desktop, or select text within a document.

Windows logo key and <m> Minimizes all open windows.

Windows logo key and
<Shift><m>

Windows logo key and <e> Starts Windows Explorer.

Windows logo key and <r> Opens the Run dialog box.

Windows logo key and <f> Opens the Search Results dialog box.

Windows logo key and <Ctrl><f> Opens the Search Results-Computer dialog

Windows logo key and <Pause> Opens the System Properties dialog box.

Restores all minimized windows. This key
combination functions as a toggle to restore
minimized windows following the use of the
Windows logo key and <m> combination.

box (if the computer is connected to a
network).

70 Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad)

Printers—Settings and Drivers

Accessing Printer Information

You can find information about your printer(s) through the Start button.
From the Start menu, click
computer, including a list of printers connected to your computer.

See your printer manufacturer’s documentation for hardware-specific
information.

Control Panel

to access the hardware on your

Printers—Settings and Drivers 71

HINT: Add a shortcut to your printer on your Start menu. For more

information, see "Desktop Icons and Shortcuts
Microsoft

®

Windows® Help and Support: click Start or

→ Help and Support.

" on page 36. Also, see

Changing Printer Settings

Your printer settings determine print quality, finishing options (such as
double-sided print) and ink or toner usage, supported paper size, and so on.

For Windows Vista

1

Click

Start

Faxes

.

®

→

Control Panel→

Hardware and Sound→

For Windows® XP

Click

Start → Control Panel→

Hardware

2

Navigate through the list of available printers, and right-click the desired
printer to change the settings.

3

Select either
have will determine the type of selections you can make.

•

•

→ Printers and Faxes

Properties

Printing Preferences

quality, manage color, or set up effects.

Properties

and make changes to the device itself.

EXAMPLE: If you want to print pictures from a digital camera onto

photo paper, use the Quality Type tab to select your photo paper type.

: Use the tabs in this window to view your current settings

or

.

Printing Preferences

: Use the tabs in this window to select image

Printers and Other

. The model of printer you

Printers and

72 Printers—Settings and Drivers

Setting up Printers

You can connect one or more printers to your computer and add one or more
computers to your printer.

EXAMPLE: You have a laptop computer that you use at work and at

home. If you want to print at both locations, you can install both the
printers on your computer.

Adding a Printer

Windows Vista

1

Click

For Windows XP

Click

Hardware

2

Click

3

Follow the instructions on the

®

Start

→

Start → Control Panel→

→

Printers and Faxes

Add a Printer

Control Panel→

.

.

Add Printer Wizard

Hardware and Sound→

Printers and Other

screen.

Printers—Settings and Drivers 73

Printers

.

Setting the Default Printer

Set the printer you use most often as the default printer.To set a specific
printer as your default printer, right-click on the printer icon, and select Set as
Default Printer. A checkmark appears above the icon of the printer selected
as the default.

Sharing Printers on a Network

A shared printer is one that receives input from more than one computer. A
shared printer is also called a network printer. Once you are connected to a
shared printer on the network, you can use it as if it were attached to your
computer.

To share your printer on a network, you must first add a network service to
your computer.

For instructions on installing a network service, see "Networks (LAN,
Wireless, Mobile Broadband)" on page 149. Once your computer is connected
to a network, you can add your printer to that connection.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about connecting to a network,

see Windows Help and Support: click Start
and Support.

74 Printers—Settings and Drivers

or

→ Help

Installing a Printer Driver

printer drivers CD

inkjet printer

laser printer

A driver is a program that controls a device, such as a printer, and allows it to
interface with your computer. All devices require a driver program.

Printer drivers are shipped on a CD along with the printer.

You may need to install or reinstall printer drivers if you:

• Upgrade your operating system

• Reinstall your operating system

• Connect or install a new printer

To install a printer driver:

1

Insert your

If this is your first time to use your

Drivers and Utilities media

Drivers and Utilities media

.

, continue

to step 2. If not, proceed to step 5.

2

When the

Drivers and Utilities

installation program starts, follow the

prompts on the screen.

NOTE: In most cases, the Drivers and Utilities program starts automatically. If it

does not, start Windows Explorer, click your media drive directory to display the
media contents, and then double-click the autorcd.exe file.

3

When the

Drivers and Utilities media

4

When you see the Windows desktop, reinsert the

media

InstallShield Wizard Complete

and click

.

window appears, remove the

Finish

to restart the computer.

Drivers and Utilities

Printers—Settings and Drivers 75

5

When the

A message appears, stating that the

Welcome Dell System Owner

Drivers and Utilities program

screen appears, click

Next

.

is

detecting hardware in your computer.

HINT: The drivers that are used by your computer are automatically

displayed in the My Drivers—The Resource CD has identified these
components in your system

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities menu displays drivers only for hardware that came

installed in your computer. If you installed additional hardware, the drivers for the
new hardware may not be displayed. If those drivers are not displayed, exit the
Drivers and Utilities program, shut down all programs, and restart your computer.
For device driver information, see the documentation that came with the device.

6

Click the driver that you want to reinstall and follow the instructions on

window.

the screen.

If a particular driver is not listed, then that driver is not required by your
operating system.

76 Printers—Settings and Drivers

Drives and Media

Freeing up Hard Drive Space

®

Microsoft
operating system functions, leaving the remaining space for other standard
operations.

To determine how much space is available for standard operations, click Start

→ Computer. A list of drives and storage devices appears. The free space

on drive C (the hard drive) is displayed.

Shadow Storage

Shadow Storage is space reserved on
the hard drive for conducting a
System Restore (see "Using
Microsoft
Restore" on page 265).

Windows Vista® reserves approximately 1 GB on a hard drive for

®

Windows® System

To determine the amount of hard drive space used by Shadow Storage:

Click

1

2

Right-click

Start

→ All Programs→

Command Prompt

Accessories

.

.

Drives and Media 77

3

Click

Run as administrator

4

If a window appears asking permission to continue, click

5

Type the following:

vssadmin list shadowstorage

6

Press <Enter>.

The

Command Prompt

Storage.

.

Continue

.

displays the amount of space used by Shadow

Reducing Hard Drive Space Used by Shadow Storage

1

Click

Start

2

Right-click

3

Click

Run as administrator

4

If a window appears asking permission to continue, click

5

Type the following:

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /On=C: /Maxsize=[the maximum space
you will allow for Shadow Storage]

6

Press <Enter>.

7

Click

Start

drive space has been allocated to Shadow Storage.

→ All Programs→

Command Prompt

.

→ Computer→

Accessories

.

Local Disk (C:)

.

Continue

to confirm that less

.

.

NOTE: See Windows Help and Support for information on optimum and

minimum sizes for this storage area.

Solid-State Drive (SSD)

A solid-state drive (SSD) is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory
to store persistent data. Solid-state is an electrical term that refers to
electronic circuitry that is built entirely out of semiconductors whereas Hard
Drives use a magnetic media.

Unlike flash-based memory cards, an SSD emulates a hard disk drive, thus
easily replacing it in most applications. An SSD using SRAM (Static Random
Access Memory) or DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), instead of a
flash memory, is often called a RAM-drive.

78 Drives and Media

Installing Drivers for Media Drives

A driver is a program that controls your media drive. You may need to install
drivers if you:

• Upgrade your operating system.

• Reinstall your operating system.

• Connect or install a new device.

HINT: You must be logged in with administrator privileges to perform

the tasks mentioned in this section.

Determining Whether a Device Driver is the Source of a Device Problem

1

Click

Start

2

Click

Properties→ Device Manager

3

If a window appears asking permission to continue, click

4

Scroll down the list to see if any device has an exclamation point (a yellow
circle with a [!]) on the device icon.

If an exclamation point is next to the device name, you may need to
reinstall or update the driver.

Replacing a Driver With a Previous Version of the Driver

If a problem occurs on your computer after you install or update a driver, use
Windows Device Driver Rollback.

1

Click

Start

2

Click

Properties→ Device Manager

3

Right-click the device for which the new driver was installed, and click

Properties

4

Click the

If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, use System Restore
(see "Using Microsoft
your computer to the state that existed before you installed the new driver.

and right-click

and right-click

.

Drivers

tab→ Roll Back Driver

®

Windows® System Restore" on page 265) to return

Computer

Computer

.

.

Continue

.

.

.

.

Drives and Media 79

Using the Drivers and Utilities Media to Reinstall a Driver

1

With the Windows desktop displayed, insert the

media

.

If this is your first time to use the
If not, go to step 5.

2

When the
the prompts on the screen.

3

When the

Drivers and Utilities media

4

When you see the Windows desktop, reinsert the

media

5

At the

A message appears, stating that the
hardware in your computer.

Drivers and Utilities media

InstallShield Wizard Complete

.

Welcome Dell System Owner

Drivers and Utilities media

installation program starts, follow

and click

Finish

screen, click

Drivers and Utilities

Drivers and Utilities

window appears, remove the

to restart the computer.

Drivers and Utilities

Next

.

media is detecting

, go to step 2.

The drivers used by your computer are automatically displayed in the

Drivers—The
components in your system

HINT: The drivers for additionally installed devices may not be

included on the Drivers and Utilities media. See the documentation
that came with the device for information about the driver for that
device.

6

Click the driver that you want to reinstall and follow the instructions on
the screen.

Drivers and Utilities

window.

media has identified these

Manually Reinstalling a Driver

1

Download the driver for the device to your hard drive.

2

Click

Start

and right-click

3

Click

Properties→ Device Manager

4

Double-click the type of device for which you are installing the driver (for

Audio

or

example,

80 Drives and Media

Video

).

Computer

.

.

My

5

Double-click the name of the device for which you are installing the driver.

6

Click the

software

7

Click

Driver

tab→

Update Driver→ Browse my computer for driver

.

Browse

, and browse to the location to which you previously copied

the driver files.

8

When the name of the appropriate driver appears, click the name of the
driver

→ OK→

9

Click

Finish

HINT: The Dell Support website at support.dell.com and your Drivers

Next

.

and restart your computer.

and Utilities media provide approved drivers for Dell computers. If you
install drivers obtained from other sources, your computer might not
work correctly.

Drive Problems

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

safety instructions that came with your computer.

NSURE THAT MICROSOFT WINDOWS RECOGNIZES THE DRIVE — Click Start→ My

E

Computer. If the drive is not listed, contact Dell (see "Contacting Dell" on page 337).

T

EST THE DRIVE —

• Insert another CD, DVD, or Blu-ray Disc® (BD) to eliminate the
possibility that the original media is defective.

• Insert a bootable disc and restart the computer.

CLEAN THE DRIVE OR DISK — See the user documentation that came with your

computer.

FOR DRIVES WITH SPINDLES AND/OR TRAYS, ENSURE THAT THE MEDIA IS SNAPPED

ONTO THE SPINDLE

FOR DRIVES THAT USE SLOT-LOADING, ENSURE THAT THE MEDIA IS COMPLETELY IN

THE SLOT

CHECK THE CABLE CONNECTIONS

RUN THE HARDWARE TROUBLESHOOTER — See "Windows Hardware

Troubleshooter" on page 280.

Drives and Media 81

RUN THE DELL DIAGNOSTICS — See "Running the Dell Diagnostics" on

page 281.

Optical Drive Problems

NOTE: High-speed optical drive vibration is normal and may cause noise, which

does not indicate a defect in the drive or the media.

NOTE: Because of different regions worldwide and different disc formats, not all

DVDs work in all DVD drives.

Problems writing to a media drive

CLOSE OTHER PROGRAMS

CHANGE THE WRITE SPEED TO A SLOWER RATE — See the help files for your

CD, DVD, or BD software.

The drive tray cannot eject (for drives that are not slot-loading)

1

Ensure that the computer is shut down.

2

Straighten a paper clip and insert one end into the eject hole at the front
of the drive, and then push firmly until the tray is partially ejected.

3

Gently pull out the tray until it stops.

The drive makes a scraping or grinding sound

• Ensure that the sound is not caused by a program.

• Ensure that the disc is inserted properly.

Hard Drive Problems

ALLOW THE COMPUTER TO COOL BEFORE TURNING IT ON — A hot hard drive may

prevent the operating system from starting. Try allowing the computer to
return to room temperature before turning it on.

RUN CHECK DISK —

82 Drives and Media

Windows Vista

1

Click

®

Start

→ Computer

.

For Windows® XP:

Click

Start → My

2

Right-click

3

Click

NOTE: The User Account Control window may appear. If you are an

4

Click to check
click

Local Disk (C:)

Properties→ To ol s→

administrator on the computer, click Continue; otherwise, contact your
administrator to continue the desired action.

Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors

Start

.

Computer

.

Check Now

.

.

, and then

Working with RAID

A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) is a disk storage
configuration that increases performance or data redundancy. There are four
basic RAID levels discussed in this section.

NOTE: RAID requires multiple hard drives. The number of hard drives required

varies depending on the RAID configuration.

• RAID level 0 is recommended for higher performance (faster throughput).

• RAID level 1 is recommended for users who need a high level of data
integrity.

• RAID level 0+1 is recommended for higher performance and data
integrity

• RAID level 5 is recommended for higher performance and fault tolerance.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Your computer may support other RAID
levels (5, 10, 50). For information about these levels, see
support.dell.com.

RAID Level 0

NOTICE: RAID level 0 provides no redundancy. Therefore, a failure of one drive

results in the loss of all data. Perform regular backups to protect your data.

Drives and Media 83

RAID level 0 uses data striping to provide a high data access rate. Data
striping writes consecutive segments, or stripes, of data sequentially across
the physical drive(s) to create a large virtual drive. This allows one of the
drives to read data while the other drive is searching for and reading the next
block.

RAID 0 uses the full storage capacities of both drives. For example, two 120­GB hard drives combine to provide 240 GB of hard drive space on which to
store data.

NOTE: In a RAID 0 configuration, the size of the configuration is equal to the size of

the smallest drive multiplied by the number of drives in the configuration.

RAID Level 1

RAID level 1 uses data mirroring to enhance data integrity. When data is
written to the primary drive, the data is also duplicated, or mirrored, on the
second drive in the configuration. RAID 1 sacrifices high data-access rates for
data redundancy.

84 Drives and Media

If a drive failure occurs, read and write operations are directed to the
remaining drive. A replacement drive can then be rebuilt using the data from
the remaining drive.

NOTE: In a RAID 1 configuration, the size of the configuration is equal to the size of

the smallest drive in the configuration.

Drives and Media 85

RAID Level 0+1 Configuration

A RAID 0+1 array combines the high data access rate of a RAID level 0 array
and the data protection (redundancy) of a RAID level 1 mirror by striping
data across two drives and mirroring that striped data on a second set of two
drives.

If a drive failure occurs, subsequent read and write operations are directed to
the other surviving drives. A replacement drive can then be rebuilt using the
data from the surviving drives. Also, because data is duplicated on the primary
and additional drives, four 120-GB RAID level 1 drives collectively have a
maximum of 240-GB on which to store data.

86 Drives and Media

RAID Level 5 Configuration

RAID level 5 uses data parity. RAID level 5 stripes both data and parity
information across three or more drives. It provides data striping at the byte
level and also stripe error correction information (rotating parity array). This
results in excellent performance and good fault tolerance.

If a drive failure occurs, subsequent read and write operations are directed to
the other surviving drives. A replacement drive can then be rebuilt using the
data from the surviving drives. Also, because data is duplicated on the primary
and additional drives, four 120-GB RAID level 1 drives collectively have a
maximum of 360-GB on which to store data.

Setting Your Computer to RAID-Enabled Mode

Before creating a RAID configuration, you must set your computer to RAID­enabled mode.

1

Enter the system setup program (see "Entering the System Setup Program"
on page 308).

2

Press the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight
<Enter>.

3

Press the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight the applicable hard drive,
and then press <Enter>.

Drives

, and then press

Drives and Media 87

4

Press the left- and right-arrow keys to highlight

RAID On

, and then press

<Enter>.

5

Repeat the process, as needed, for each hard drive.

NOTE: Hard drives in a RAID configuration should be of equal size to avoid

unallocated space.

6

Press <Esc>, press the left- and right-arrow keys to highlight

Save/Exit

,
and then press <Enter> to exit the system setup program and resume the
boot process.

Configuring RAID

Your computer can be configured for RAID, even if you did not select a RAID
configuration when the computer was purchased. This can be done before or
after the operating system is installed.

Depending on your computer, you will use either the NVIDIA (see "Using the
NVIDIA Utilities" on page 88) or Intel (see "Using the Intel
on page 92) programs to create and manage RAID arrays.

Using the NVIDIA Utilities

If installed on your system, see the following sections for information about
using the NVIDIA utilities.

• "Assigning Drives to a RAID Array Before Installing the Operating System"
on page 88.

• "Assigning New Drives to a RAID Array With the Operating System
Installed" on page 90.

• "Deleting a RAID Array" on page 90.

• "Converting From One RAID Configuration to Another RAID
Configuration" on page 91.

• "Rebuilding a RAID Configuration (RAID 1 only)" on page 92.

®

RAID Utilities"

Assigning Drives to a RAID Array Before Installing the Operating System

NOTICE: The following procedure deletes all data on your hard drive(s). Back up

any data you want to keep before continuing.

1

Enable RAID for each applicable hard drive on your computer (see
"Setting Your Computer to RAID-Enabled Mode" on page 87).

88 Drives and Media

2

Restart the computer.

3

Press <Ctrl><n> when prompted to enter the RAID BIOS.

The

Define a New Array

NOTE: If the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the

Microsoft Windows desktop, and then shut down your computer and try
again.

4

Press <Tab> to navigate to the

window appears.

RAID Mode

field.

To create a RAID 0 configuration, use the arrow keys to select

Striping

.

To create a RAID 1 configuration, use the arrow keys to select

5

Press <Tab> to navigate to the

6

Use the up- and down-arrow keys to select a hard drive to include in the

Free Disks

field.

Mirroring

RAID array and then use the right-arrow key to move the selected drive
from the

Free Disks

field to the

Array Disks

field. Repeat these steps for

each disk you want to include in the RAID array.

NOTE: The number of drives supported in each RAID array varies, depending

on what computer you have.

7

After assigning the hard drives to an array, press <F9>.

Clear disk data

The

NOTICE: You lose all data on the selected drives in the next step. Back up any data

you want to keep before continuing.

8

Press <y> to clear all data from the selected drives.

The

Array List

9

To review the details of the array that you set up, use the arrow keys to
highlight the array in the

Array Detail

The

NOTE: To delete an array, use the arrow keys to select the array and

press <d>.

10

Press <Enter> to return to the previous screen.

11

Press <Ctrl><x> to exit the RAID BIOS.

prompt appears.

window appears.

Array Detail

window appears.

window and press <Enter>.

.

Drives and Media 89

Assigning New Drives to a RAID Array With the Operating System Installed

Use Nvidia MediaShield to create a RAID configuration only when you are
adding one or more new hard drives to an existing (non-RAID) single-drive
computer, and you want to configure the new drive(s) into a RAID array.

NOTICE: The following procedure deletes all data on your hard drive(s). Back up

any data you want to keep before continuing.

1

Enable RAID on your hard drives (see "Setting Your Computer to RAID­Enabled Mode" on page 87).

2

After restarting your computer, launch Nvidia MediaShield.

3

Click

Create

The

NVIDIA Create Array Wizard

under

System Tasks

.

screen appears and lists the disks that

are available for configuration.

4

Click

Next→

5

Use the drop-down box to select

Custom→

Next.

Striping

(RAID 0) or

Mirroring

(RAID 1).

6

Click

Next

.

The

Free Disk Selection

NOTE: Only RAID-enabled hard drives are listed as free disks.

7

Click to select the drives that will make up the RAID configuration, click

Next

, and then click

window appears.

Next

again.

NOTE: The number of drives supported in each RAID array varies, depending

on what computer you have.

The

Clearing System Data

NOTICE: The Clear System Data option deletes all data on the selected drive. Back

up any data you want to keep before continuing.

8

Click

Next→

Finish

window appears.

to create the RAID configuration.

The MediaShield RAID management utility window appears and lists the
array along with any other installed hard drives.

Deleting a RAID Array

Deleting a RAID 1 volume splits the volume into two non-RAID hard drives
with a partition, and leaves any existing data intact.

90 Drives and Media

NOTICE: Deleting a RAID 0 volume destroys all data on the volume. Back up any

data you want to keep before continuing.

NOTICE: If your computer currently boots to RAID and you delete the RAID volume,

your computer will not boot.

1

Launch Nvidia MediaShield.

2

Click to select the array you want to delete.

3

Click

4

Delete Array

The

NVIDIA Delete Array Wizard

Click

Next

.

in the

System Tasks

pane.

screen appears.

A confirmation screen appears with the name and size of the array that you
have marked for deletion.

5

Click

Finish

to delete the RAID configuration.

The MediaShield RAID management utility window appears and lists any
remaining arrays along with any other installed hard drives.

Converting From One RAID Configuration to Another RAID Configuration

You can change the current state of a disk or array — from striped to mirrored,
for example — without losing any data. Also, you can add hard drives to an
existing array.

The time to convert an array depends on several factors, such as the speed of
the processor, the type and size of the hard drive being used, and the
operating system.

NOTICE: Additional hard drives to be used in the array must be no smaller than any

of the drives in the current configuration.

1

Ensure that all drives to be used in the RAID configuration are RAID­enabled (see "Setting Your Computer to RAID-Enabled Mode" on
page 87).

2

Launch Nvidia MediaShield.

3

Click to select the array you want to convert.

4

Click

5

Convert Array

NVIDIA Convert Array Wizard

The

Click

Next

.

in the

System Tasks

screen appears.

pane.

Drives and Media 91

6

Under

RAID Mode Selection

, select

Mirroring

or

Striping

from the drop-

down menu.

7

Click

Next

.

NOTICE: You lose all data on the drives selected in the next step. Back up any data

you want to keep before continuing.

8

Under

Free Disk Selection

, click the check box next to the hard drive(s)

you want to include in the array.

9

Click

Finish

.

The MediaShield RAID management utility window appears and displays
the status of the upgrade/migration process along with any other installed
hard drives.

Rebuilding a RAID Configuration (RAID 1 only)

If one of the hard drives in a RAID 1 array fails, you can rebuild the array by
restoring the data to a replacement drive.

1

Launch Nvidia MediaShield.

2

Click to select your RAID configuration (

Mirroring

) in the management

utility window.

3

Select

Rebuild Array

The

NVIDIA Rebuild Array Wizard

4

Click

Next

.

5

Select the hard drive you want to rebuild by clicking the check box beside

in the

System Tasks

screen appears.

pane.

it.

6

Click

Next→

Finish.

The MediaShield RAID management utility window appears and displays
the status of the rebuild.

NOTE: You can use your computer while the computer is rebuilding the array.

Using the Intel® RAID Utilities

If installed on your system, see the following sections for information about
using the Intel utilities.

• "Configuring a RAID 0 or RAID 1 Array Before Installing the Operating
System" on page 93.

92 Drives and Media

• "Creating a RAID Level 0 Configuration With the Operating System
Installed" on page 94.

• "Creating a RAID Level 0 Configuration With the Operating System
Installed" on page 94.

• "Creating a RAID Level 1 Configuration With the Operating System
Installed" on page 95.

• "Recovering From a Single Hard Drive Failure (RAID 1)" on page 95.

• "Migrating to a RAID Level 0 Configuration" on page 96.

• "Migrating to a RAID Level 1 Configuration" on page 97.

Configuring a RAID 0 or RAID 1 Array Before Installing the Operating System

NOTICE: You lose any data on your hard drives when you create a RAID

configuration using the following procedure. Back up data that you want to keep
before continuing.

NOTICE: Use the following procedure only if you are reinstalling your operating

system. Do not use the following procedure to migrate an existing storage
configuration to RAID level 0 configuration.

1

Set your computer to RAID-enabled mode (see "Setting Your Computer to
RAID-Enabled Mode" on page 87).

2

Press <Ctrl><i> when you are prompted to enter the Intel RAID Option
ROM utility.

3

Press the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight

Create RAID Volume

press <Enter>.

4

Enter a RAID volume name or accept the default, and press <Enter>.

, and

For RAID 0

a

b

Press the up- and down-arrow keys to select

NOTE: Select the stripe size closest to the size of the average file that you

want to store on the RAID volume. If you do not know the average file size,
choose 128 KB as your stripe size.

RAID0 (Stripe).

Press the up- and down-arrow keys to change the stripe size and press
<Enter>.

Drives and Media 93

For RAID 1

Press the up- and down-arrow keys to select

5

Select the desired capacity for the volume and press <Enter>.

RAID1 (Mirror)

.

The default value is the maximum available size.

6

Press <Enter> to create the volume.

7

Press <y> to confirm that you want to create the RAID volume.

8

Confirm that the correct volume configuration is displayed on the main
Intel RAID Option ROM utility screen.

9

Press the up- and down-arrow keys to select

10

Install the operating system (see "Restoring Your Operating System" on

Exit

and press <Enter>.

page 265).

Creating a RAID Level 0 Configuration With the Operating System Installed

NOTE: When you perform this operation, all data on the RAID drives will be lost.

1

Set your computer to RAID-enabled mode (see "Setting Your Computer to
RAID-Enabled Mode" on page 87).

2

Click

Start→

Matrix Storage Console

NOTE: If you do not see an Actions menu option, you have not yet set your

computer to RAID-enabled mode.

3

On the
RAID Volume Wizard, and then click

4

On the

Programs→

Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager→ Intel

.

Actions

menu, select

Create RAID Volume

Select Volume Location

to launch the Create

Next

.

screen, select the first hard drive you want

to include in your RAID level 0 volume, and then click the right arrow.

5

Select a second hard drive to include in your RAID level 0 volume, and
then click the right arrow. The selected hard drives appear in the
window. Click

Next

.

Selected

6

In the
then click

7

Click

NOTE:

To add a third hard drive in your RAID level 0 volume

the above step after selecting the third hard drive.

Specify Volume Size

Next

.

Finish

to create the volume, or click

94 Drives and Media

window, click the

Back

Volume Size

desired, and

to make changes.

, follow

Creating a RAID Level 1 Configuration With the Operating System Installed

NOTE: When you perform this operation, all data on the RAID drives is lost.

1

Set your computer to RAID-enabled mode (see "Setting Your Computer to
RAID-Enabled Mode" on page 87).

2

Click

Start→

Matrix Storage Console

NOTE: If you do not see an Actions menu option, you have not yet set your

computer to RAID-enabled mode.

3

On the

Programs→ Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager→ Intel

.

Actions

menu, select

Create RAID Volume

to launch the Create

RAID Volume Wizard.

4

Click

Next

at the first screen.

5

Confirm the volume name, select

Next

to continue.

Select Volume Location

6

click

On the

RAID 1

as the RAID level, and then

screen, click the first hard drive you want

to use, and then click the right arrow.

7

Click a second hard drive until two drives appear in the
and then click

8

In the

Specify Volume Size

click

Next

9

Click

Finish

10

Follow the Microsoft Windows procedures for creating a partition on the

Next

.

window, select the

.

to create the volume, or click

Volume Size

Back

to make changes.

Selected

desired and

window,

new RAID volume.

Recovering From a Single Hard Drive Failure (RAID 1)

NOTE: Perform the following steps only after you have replaced the failed hard

drive (see the appropriate "Drives" section for your computer).

1

Turn on or restart your computer.

2

Press <Ctrl><i> when you are prompted to enter the Intel RAID Option
ROM utility.

3

Under

DEGRADED VOLUME DETECTED

, confirm that the new

(non-RAID) drive is listed and then press <Enter>.

4

Under

Disk/Volume Information

Rebuild

.

, confirm that the volume status is

Drives and Media 95

NOTE: Volumes with a status of Rebuild are rebuilt within the operating

system.

5

Use the up- and down-arrow keys to select

Exit

, and then press <Enter>.

Your computer boots to the operating system and begins rebuilding the
RAID volume automatically.

NOTE: You can use your computer while the computer is rebuilding the RAID

1 volume.

Migrating to a RAID Level 0 Configuration

1

Set your computer to RAID-enabled mode (see "Setting Your Computer to
RAID-Enabled Mode" on page 87).

2

Click

Start→

Matrix Storage Console

NOTE: If you do not see an Actions menu option, you have not yet set your

computer to RAID-enabled mode

3

On the

to launch the Migration Wizard.

Drive

4

Click

Next

5

Enter a RAID volume name or accept the default.

6

From the drop-down box, select

7

Select the appropriate stripe size from the drop-down box, and then click

Next

.

All Programs→ Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager→ Intel

.

.

Actions

menu, select

on the

Migration Wizard

Create RAID Volume From Existing Hard

screen.

RAID 0

as the RAID level

.

The stripe size should be closest to the size of the average file you want to
store on the RAID volume. If you do not know the average file size, choose
128 KB as your stripe size.

8

On the
which you want to migrate, and click

Select Source Hard Drive

screen, double-click the hard drive from

Next

.

This drive should be the hard drive containing the data or operating
system files that you want to keep on the RAID volume.

9

On the

Select Member Hard Drive

screen, double-click the hard drive(s)

to select the member drive(s) to span the stripe array, and click

10

On the
click

Specify Volume Size

Next

.

screen, select the

Volume S i ze

96 Drives and Media

Next

.

you want, and

NOTICE: In the following step, all data contained on the member drive is removed.

11

Click

Finish

to start migrating, or click

NOTE: You can use your computer normally during the migration process.

Migrating to a RAID Level 1 Configuration

1

Set your computer to RAID-enabled mode (see "Setting Your Computer to

Back

to make changes.

RAID-Enabled Mode" on page 87).

2

Click

Start→

Matrix Storage Console

NOTE: If you do not see an Actions menu option, you have not yet set your

computer to RAID-enabled mode

3

On the

Drive

to launch the Migration Wizard.

4

Click

Next

5

Enter a RAID volume name or accept the default.

6

From the drop-down box, select

NOTE: Select the hard drive that you want to use as your source hard drive (it

should be the hard drive containing the data or operating system files that you
want to keep on the RAID volume).

7

On the
which you want to migrate, and click

All Programs→ Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager→ Intel

to launch the Intel Storage Utility.

.

Actions

Select Source Hard Drive

menu, click

on the first

Create RAID Volume From Existing Hard

Migration Wizard

RAID 1

screen.

as the RAID level

screen, double-click the hard drive from

Next

.

.

This drive should be the hard drive containing the data or operating
system files that you want to keep on the RAID volume.

8

On the

Select Member Hard Drive

screen, double-click the hard drive to
select the member drive that you want to act as the mirror in the
configuration, and click

9

On the
click

NOTICE: In the following step, all data contained on the member drive is removed.

10

Click

Specify Volume Size

Next

.

Finish

to start migrating, or click

NOTE: You can use your computer normally during migration process.

Next

.

screen, select the volume size you want, and

Back

to make changes.

Drives and Media 97

98 Drives and Media

Shutting Down Your Computer

Ensure that you shut down the Microsoft® Windows® operating system
before you turn off the computer.

Windows Vista

1

Save and close all open files and close all programs.

2

Click
button.

3

Click

®

Start

and move the mouse pointer to the arrow next to the lock

Shut Down

.

Windows® XP

1

Save and close all open files and close all programs.

Shutting Down Your Computer 99

2

Click

3

The

4

Click the

Start

Turn off computer

Turn Off

If your computer is not operating properly, restarting Windows

HINT:

and then select

Turn Off menu

dialog box appears.

button to shut down the computer.

.

often solves the problem.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about turning off your

computer properly in Windows, see Windows Help and Support: click
Start

NOTE: Windows operating systems start automatically when you turn on the

computer.

or

→ Help and Support.

100 Shutting Down Your Computer