Dell TX453 User Manual

Dell Precision™ M4300

User’s Guide

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

Notes, Notices, and Cautions

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

NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the

problem.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see "Glossary" on page 149.

If you purchased a Dell™ n Series computer, any references in this document to Microsoft operating systems are not applicable.

____________________

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Dell Precision, ExpressCharge, TravelLite, Strike Zone, Wi-F i Catcher, and Dell OpenManage

are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel is a registered trademark and Core is a trademark of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, Outlook, Windows, and Windows Vista are registered trademarks and the W indows V ista Start b utton is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license; EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation; ENERGY STAR is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As an ENERGY STAR partner, Dell Inc. has determined that this product meets the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficiency.

Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.

Windows®

Model PP04X

August 2008 P/N TX453 Rev. A03

Contents

1 Finding Information

2 About Your Computer

Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Left Side View

Right Side View

Back View

Bottom View

Transferring Information to a New Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

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

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

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

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard With the Operating System Media 25

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard Without the Operating System Media 26

Windows Vista®

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

3 Using a Battery

Battery Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Checking the Battery Charge

Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter

Microsoft Charge Gauge

Windows® Power Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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

Low-Battery Warning

Conserving Battery Power

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

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

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

Power Management Modes

Standby Mode Hibernate Mode

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Configuring Power Management Settings

Charging the Battery

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

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

Contents 1

Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Storing a Battery

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

4 Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad

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

Key Combinations

System Functions Battery Display Functions Power Management Microsoft

Touch Pad

Customizing the Touch Pad and Track Stick

Changing the Track Stick Cap

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

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

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

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

Windows® Logo Key Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

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

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

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

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

5 Using Multimedia

Playing CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Adjusting the Volume

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

6 Using the Display

2 Contents

Adjusting the Picture

Connecting Your Computer to a TV

Enabling the Display Settings for a TV

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

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

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

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

Adjusting Brightness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Switching the Video Image From Your Computer Display to a Projector

. . . . 45

Making Images and Text Look Bigger or Sharper on the Screen: Setting Display Resolution and Refresh Rate

Microsoft

Windows® XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Windows Vista®

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

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

Using an External Monitor Simultaneously as an Extension of Your Computer Display 47

Microsoft Windows Vista®

Windows® XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

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

Using an External Monitor as Your Primary Display: Swapping Primary and Secondary Displays

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

Microsoft Windows Vista®

Windows® XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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

Using the Ambient Light Sensor

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

7 Setting Up and Using Networks

Connecting a Network or Broadband Modem Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Setting Up a Network in Microsoft® Windows® XP

Setting Up a Network in Microsoft Windows Vista®

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

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

What You Need to Establish a WLAN Connection Checking Your Wireless Network Card

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

Setting Up a New WLAN Using a Wireless Router and a Broadband Modem Connecting to a WLAN

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

Monitoring the Status of Wireless Network Connections Through Dell™ QuickSet 55

Mobile Broadband or Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)

What You Need to Establish a Mobile Broadband Network Connection Checking Your Mobile Broadband Card Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network Enabling/Disabling the Dell Mobile Broadband Network Card Managing Your Network Settings Through the Dell QuickSet Location Profiler

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

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

. . . . . . . . . 56

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

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

. . . . . . . 57

. 56

Dell™ Wi-Fi Catcher™ Network Locator

Internet Connection Firewall

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

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

8Using Cards

Card Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Card Blanks

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Contents 3

Extended Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Installing a PC Card or ExpressCard

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

PC Card ExpressCard

Removing a Card or Blank

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

9 Securing Your Computer

Security Cable Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Smart Cards

Passwords

Trusted Platform Module (TPM)

Security Management Software

Computer Tracking Software

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

About Smart Cards Installing a Smart Card

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

Using a Primary/System Password Using an Administrator Password Using a Hard Drive Password

Enabling the TPM Feature

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 Troubleshooting

4 Contents

If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen

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

Dell Technical Update Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Dell Diagnostics

When to Use the Dell Diagnostics Starting the Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the Drivers and Utilities Media Dell Diagnostics Main Menu

Dell Support Utility

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

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

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

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

. . . . 74

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

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

Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

CD and DVD drive problems Hard drive problems

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

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

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

Error Messages

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

Keyboard Problems

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

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

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

External keyboard problems Unexpected characters

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

Lockups and Software Problems

The computer does not start up The computer stops responding A program stops responding or crashes repeatedly

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

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

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

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

A program is designed for an earlier Microsoft® Windows® operating system A solid blue screen appears Other software problems

Memory Problems

Network Problems

General

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

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

PC Card or ExpressCard Problems

Power Problems

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

Ensuring Sufficient Power for Your Computer Docking Power Considerations

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

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

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

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

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

Printer Problems

Scanner Problems

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

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

Sound and Speaker Problems

No sound from integrated speakers No sound from external speakers No sound from headphones

Touch Pad or Mouse Problems

Video and Display Problems

If the display is blank

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

If the display is difficult to read

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contents 5

If only part of the display is readable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

11 System Setup Program

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Viewing the System Setup Screens

System Setup Screens

Commonly Used Settings

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

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

Changing the Boot Sequence Changing COM Ports

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

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

12 Traveling With Your Computer

Identifying Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Packing the Computer

Travel Tips

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

Traveling by Air

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

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

13 Reinstalling Software

Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

What Is a Driver? Identifying Drivers Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities

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

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

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

14 Adding and Replacing Parts

6 Contents

Using the Hardware Troubleshooter Tool in Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista Operating Systems

Restoring Your Operating System

Using Microsoft Using the Operating System Media

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

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

Windows System Restore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

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

Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Recommended Tools Turning Off Your Computer

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

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

Before Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Hard Drive

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

Returning a Hard Drive to Dell

Media Bay

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

Removing and Installing Media Bay Devices

Hinge Cover

Keyboard

Memory

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

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

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

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card

Wireless Cards

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

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Cards Mobile Broadband or Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) Cards

FCM (Flash Cache Module)

Internal Card With Bluetooth

Coin-Cell Battery

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

15 Dell™ QuickSet

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

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

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

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

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

. . 122

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

Wireless Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

16 Specifications

17 Getting Help

Obtaining Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Technical Support and Customer Service DellConnect Online Services AutoTech Service

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

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

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

Automated Order-Status Service

Problems With Your Order

Product Information

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

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

Contents 7

Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Before You Call

Contacting Dell

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

18 Appendix

Cleaning Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Computer, Keyboard, and Display Touch Pad Mouse CDs and DVDs

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

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

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

Macrovision Product Notice

FCC Notice (U.S. Only)

FCC Class B

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

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

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

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

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

8 Contents

Finding Information

NOTE: Some features or media may be optional and may not ship with your computer. Some features or

media may not be available in certain countries.

NOTE: Additional information may ship with your computer.

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• A diagnostic program for my computer

• Drivers for my computer

• My device documentation

• Notebook System Software (NSS)

Drivers and Utilities Media

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities media may be optional and

may not ship with your computer.

Documentation and drivers are already installed on your computer. You can use the media to reinstall drivers (see "Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities" on page 100), to run the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 73), or to access your documentation.

Readme files may be included on your media to provide last-minute updates about technical changes to your computer or advanced technicalreference material for technicians or experienced users.

NOTE: Drivers and

documentation updates

can be found at support.dell.com.

Finding Information 9

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• How to set up my computer

• Basic troubleshooting information

• How to run the Dell Diagnostics

Quick Reference Guide

NOTE: This document may be optional and may not ship with

your computer.

NOTE: This document is available as a PDF at

support.dell.com.

• Warranty information

• Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)

• Safety instructions

• Regulatory information

• Ergonomics information

• End User License Agreement

Dell™ Product Information Guide

• Service Tag and Express Service Code

• Microsoft Windows License Label

10 Finding Information

Service Tag and Microsoft® Windows® License

These labels are located on your computer.

Enter the Express Service Code to direct your call when contacting Dell technical support.

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips, articles from technicians, and online courses, frequently asked questions

• Community — Online discussion with other Dell customers

• Upgrades — Upgrade information for components, such as memory, the hard drive, and the operating system

Dell Support Website — support.dell.com

NOTE: Select your region or business segment to view the

appropriate support site.

NOTE: Corporate, government, and education customers

can also use the customized Dell Support website at HTTP://support.us.dell.com. The website may not be available in all regions.

• Customer Care — Contact information, service call and order status, warranty, and repair information

• Service and support — Service call status and support history, service contract, online discussions with technical support

• Dell Technical Update Service — Proactive e-mail notification of software and hardware updates for your computer

• Reference — Computer documentation, details on my computer configuration, product specifications, and white papers

• Downloads — Certified drivers, patches, and software updates

• Notebook System Software (NSS)— If you reinstall the operating system for your computer, you should also reinstall the NSS utility. NSS provides critical updates for your operating system and support for Dell™

3.5-inch USB floppy drives, Intel

processors, optical drives, and USB devices. NSS is necessary for correct operation of your Dell computer. The software automatically detects your computer and operating system and installs the updates appropriate for your

To download Notebook System Software:

Go to

support.dell.com

segment, and enter your Service Tag.

Select

Click your operating system and search for the keywords

Notebook System Software

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

depending on your selections.

configuration.

• Software upgrades and troubleshooting hints — Frequently asked questions, hot topics, and general health of your computing environment

Dell Support Utility

The Dell Support Utility is an automated upgrade and notification system installed on your computer. This support provides real-time health scans of your computing environment, software updates, and relevant self-support information. Access the Dell Support Utility from the

icon in the taskbar. For more information, see "Dell Support Utility" on page 76.

, select your region or business

Drivers & Downloads

and click Go.

Finding Information 11

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• How to use Windows XP and Windows Vista

• How to work with programs and files

• How to personalize my desktop

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

Windows Help and Support Center

Click

Start or

Type a word or phrase that describes your problem and click the arrow icon.

Click the topic that describes your problem.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

Dell QuickSet Help

To view

Dell QuickSet Help, right-click the Quickset

icon in the Microsoft

For more information on Dell QuickSet, see "Dell™ QuickSet" on page 129.

• How to reinstall my operating system

Operating System Media

NOTE: The Operating System media may be optional and may

not ship with your computer.

The operating system is already installed on your computer. To reinstall your operating system, use the Operating System media (see "Reinstalling Windows" on page 104).

media varies based on the operating system you ordered.

→

Help and Support

Windows® taskbar.

After you reinstall your operating system, use the Drivers and Utilities media to reinstall drivers for the devices that came with your computer.

Your operating system product key label is located on your computer.

NOTE: The color of your

12 Finding Information

About Your Computer

Front View

About Your Computer 13

display latch

device status lights

touch pad

keyboard status lights

ambient light sensor

DISPLAY LATCH — Keeps the display closed.

DISPLAY — For more information about your display, see "Using the Display" on page 45.

POWER BUTTON — Press the power button to turn on the computer or exit a

display

speakers

(2) 6

touch pad/track stick buttons

volume control buttons

power button

keyboard

track stick

mute button

power management mode (see "Power

Management Modes" on page 31).

NOTICE: To avoid losing data, turn off your computer by performing a Microsoft

Windows® operating system

shutdown rather than by pressing the power button.

If the computer stops responding, press and hold the power button until the computer turns off completely (which may take several seconds).

DEVICE STATUS LIGHTS

14 About Your Computer

Turns on when you turn on the computer and blinks when the computer is in a power management mode.

Turns on when the computer reads or writes data.

NOTICE: To avoid loss of data, never turn off the computer while the

light is flashing.

Turns on steadily or blinks to indicate battery charge status.

Turns on when wireless devices are enabled. To enable or disable WiFi, use the wireless switch on the left side of the computer

Turns on when Bluetooth® wireless technology is enabled. To enable or disable Bluetooth

side of the computer

wireless technology, use the wireless switch on the left

NOTE: Bluetooth wireless technology is an optional feature on your

computer, so the icon turns on only if you ordered Bluetooth wireless technology with your computer. For more information, see the

documentation that came with your Bluetooth wireless technology.

If the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, the light operates as follows:

– Solid green: The battery is charging. – Flashing green: The battery is almost fully charged. – Off: The battery is adequately charged (or external power is not available to charge the battery).

If the computer is running on a battery, the light operates as follows:

– Off: The battery is adequately charged (or the computer is turned off). – Flashing orange: The battery charge is low.

– Solid orange: The battery charge is critically low.

SPEAKER — To adjust the volume of the integrated speaker, press the volume control buttons or mute button.

KEYBOARD — The keyboard includes a numeric keypad as well as the Windows logo key. For information on

supported keyboard shortcuts, see "Numeric Keypad" on page 35.

TOUCH PAD — Provides the functionality of a mouse. See "Touch Pad" on page 37 for more information.

TOUCH PAD/TRACK STICK BUTTONS — Provide the functionality of a mouse. See "Touch Pad" on page 37 for more

information.

TRACK STICK — Provides the functionality of a mouse (see "Customizing the Touch Pad and Track Stick" on

page 38).

FINGERPRINT READER (OPTIONAL)—Helps to keep your Dell™ computer secure. When you slide your finger over

the reader, it uses your unique fingerprint to authenticate your user identity. For information on how to activate and use the security management software that controls the fingerprint reader, see "Securing Your Computer" on page 65.

About Your Computer 15

KEYBOARD STATUS LIGHTS

The green lights located above the keyboard indicate the following:

Turns on when the numeric keypad is enabled.

Turns on when the uppercase letter function is enabled.

Turns on when the scroll lock function is enabled.

VOLUME CONTROL BUTTONS — Press these buttons to adjust the speaker volume.

MUTE BUTTON — Press this button to turn off the speakers.

AMBIENT LIGHT SENSOR — Helps to control display brightness. For more information, see "Using the Ambient

Light Sensor" on page 48.

16 About Your Computer

Left Side View

1 2 3 4 65 7 8 9

security cable slot

audio connectors

Wi-Fi Catcher™ light

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

information, see "Security Cable Lock" on page 65.

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

AIR VENTS — The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer

from overheating.

CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your Dell™

computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.

NOTE: The computer turns on the fan when the computer gets hot. Fan noise is normal and does not indicate a

problem with the fan or the computer.

IEEE 1394

video cameras.

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

air vents

ExpressCard slot

PC Card slot

IEEE 1394 connector

wireless switch

smart card slot

About Your Computer 17

AUDIO CONNECTORS

Attach headphones to the connector.

Attach a microphone to the connector.

EXPRESSCARD SLOT — Supports 34- and 54-mm PCI ExpressCards or USB-based ExpressCards (see "Using Cards" on page 61).

WIRELESS SWITCH — Turns on/off wireless devices such as WiFi and internal cards with Bluetooth wireless

technology and scans for WiFi networks. For more information about scanning for wireless networks, see "Dell™ WiFi Catcher™ Network Locator" on page 58.

NOTE: The wireless switch does not detect Mobile Broadband networks or networks that use internal cards with

Bluetooth technology.

1 "off" position 2 "on" position 3 "momentary" position

4 Wi-Fi Catcher light

18 About Your Computer

WIRELESS SWITCH POSITIONS

"off" Disables wireless devices.

"on" Enables wireless devices.

"momentary" Scans for WiFi networks. See "Dell™ Wi-Fi Catcher™

Network Locator" on page 58 for more information.

WI-FI CATCHER™ LIGHT — The light operates as follows:

– Flashing green: Searching for networks – Solid green: Strong network found

– Solid yellow: – Flashing yellow: Error

– Off: No signal found

NOTE: The Dell Wi-Fi Catcher Network Locator light appears only when the computer is turned off and wireless

networking is activated in the system setup program. While working in Microsoft Windows operating systems, the light is designed not to appear.

ARD SLOT — Supports one PC Card, such as a modem or network adapter. The computer ships with a blank

PC C

installed in the slot to prevent dust particles from entering the computer. For more information, see "Using Cards" on page 61.

SMART CARD SLOT — Supports one smart card (see "Smart Cards" on page 65).

Weak network found

Right Side View

media bay

MEDIA BAY — Supports a floppy drive, optical drives, a second battery, or a second hard drive (see "Media Bay" on

page 110).

USB connectors

(2)

About Your Computer 19

USB CONNECTORS

Connect USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or printer.

Back View

CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your

computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.

1 2 63 4 75 8

network connector (RJ-45)

modem connector (RJ-11)

AC adapter connector

S-video TV-out connector

serial connector

air vents

powered USB connector

video connector

NETWORK CONNECTOR (RJ-45)

NOTICE: The network connector is slightly larger than the modem connector. To avoid damaging the computer,

do not plug a telephone line into the network connector.

Connects the computer to a network. The two lights next to the connector indicate status and activity for wired network connections.

For information on using the network adapter, see the device user’s guide supplied with your computer (see "Connecting a Network or Broadband Modem Cable" on page 51).

S-

VIDEO TV-OUT CONNECTOR

Connects your computer to a TV.

20 About Your Computer

POWERED USB 2.0 CONNECTOR

Connects USB 2.0 compliant devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or printer. Can also be used for peripherals that require more than 5 V of power.

MODEM

CONNECTOR (RJ-11)

Connects the telephone line to the modem connector (if you ordered the optional internal modem).

For information on using the modem, see the online modem documentation supplied with your computer (see "Finding Information" on page 9).

SERIAL CONNECTOR

Connects serial devices, such as a mouse or handheld device.

VIDEO

CONNECTOR

Connects video devices, such as a monitor.

AC ADAPTER CONNECTOR — Connects an AC adapter to the computer.

About Your Computer 21

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

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

strips vary among countries. Using an incompatible cable or improperly connecting the cable to the power strip or electrical outlet may cause fire or equipment damage.

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

and pull firmly but gently to avoid damaging the cable. When you wrap the AC adapter cable, ensure that you follow the angle of the connector on the AC adapter to avoid damaging the cable.

AIR VENTS — The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer

from overheating.

CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your

computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.

NOTE: The computer turns on the fan when the computer gets hot. Fan noise is normal and does not indicate a

problem with the fan or the computer.

22 About Your Computer

Bottom View

battery-bay latch release

docking-device connector

battery

fan air vents

memory module cover

hard drive

BATTERY-BAY LATCH RELEASE — Releases the battery. See "Replacing the Battery" on page 33 for instructions.

BATTERY — When a battery is installed, you can use the computer without connecting the computer to an

electrical outlet (see "Using a Battery" on page 29).

MEMORY MODULE COVER — Covers the compartment that contains the second memory module (see "Memory" on

page 115).

DOCKING-DEVICE CONNECTOR — Lets you attach your computer to the Media Base or other docking device. See

the Dell documentation that came with your docking device for more information.

FAN AIR VENTS — The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the fan air vents, which prevents the

computer from overheating.

CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your

computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.

NOTE: The computer turns on the fan when the computer gets hot. Fan noise is normal and does not indicate a

problem with the fan or the computer.

HARD DRIVE — Stores software and data.

About Your Computer 23

24 About Your Computer

Transferring Information to a New Computer

The Microsoft® Windows® operating system provides the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to move data from a source computer to a new computer. You can transfer data, such as:

• E-mail messages

• Toolbar settings

• Window sizes

• Internet bookmarks

You can transfer the data to the new computer over a network or serial connection, or you can store it on a removable media, such as a writable CD, for transfer to the new computer.

NOTE: You can transfer information from the old computer to the new computer by directly connecting a serial

cable to the input/output (I/O) ports of the two computers. To transfer data over a serial connection, you must access the Network Connections utility from the Control Panel and perform additional configuration steps, such as setting up an advanced connection and designating the host computer and the guest computer.

For instructions on setting up a direct cable connection between two computers, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article #305621, titled How to Set Up a Direct Cable Connection Between Two Computers in Windows XP. This information may not be available in some countries.

For transferring information to a new computer, you must run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. You can use the optional Operating System media for this process or you can create a wizard disk with the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

Running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard With the Operating System Media

NOTE: This procedure requires the Operating System media. This media is optional and may not be included with

all computers.

To prepare the new computer for the file transfer:

Start the

When the

On the

On the and click

When the click

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

screen, click

Do you have a Windows XP CD?

Now go to your old computer

at this time.

welcome screen appears, click

New Computer

screen, click

I will use the wizard from the Windows XP CD

and click

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

To copy data from the old computer:

On the old computer, insert the Windows XP

On the

Under

Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP

What do you want to do?

, click

Operating System

screen, click

media.

Perform additional tasks

Transfer files and settings

not

On the

After the information has been copied, the

Click

To transfer data to the new computer:

On the

On the settings and files and click

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

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

Select a transfer method

What do you want to transfer?

Finish

Now go to your old computer

Where are the files and settings?

screen, click

screen, click the transfer method you prefer.

welcome screen, click

Old Computer

screen, select the items you want to transfer and click

Completing the Collection Phase

screen on the new computer, click

screen, select the method you chose for transferring your

and click

screen appears.

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

Click

Finished

and restart the new computer.

Finished

screen appears.

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

To run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard without the Operating System media, you must create a wizard disk that will allow you to create a backup image file to removable media.

To create a wizard disk, use your new computer with Windows XP and perform the following steps:

Click

Start→ Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

When the

On the

drive

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

When the disk creation completes and the

do not

Go to the old computer.

To copy data from the old computer:

On the old computer, insert the wizard disk.

Click the

In the media) and click

On the

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

Do you have a Windows XP CD?

→

Next.

click

Start→

Run

Open

field on the

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

screen, click

Run

window, browse to the path for

screen, click

welcome screen appears, click

New Computer→

screen, click

Now go to your old computer

welcome screen, click

Old Computer→

I want to create a Wizard Disk in the following

fastwiz

(on the appropriate removable

message appears,

On the

After the information has been copied, the

Click

Select a transfer method

screen, click the transfer method you prefer.

What do you want to transfer?

Finish

screen, select the items you want to transfer and click

Completing the Collection Phase

To transfer data to the new computer:

On the

On the settings and files and click

Now go to your old computer

screen on the new computer, click

Where are the files and settings?

. Follow the instructions on the screen.

screen, select the method you chose for transferring your

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

screen appears.

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

Click

Finished

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

Transfer Files From My Old Computer to My New Dell Computer Using the Microsoft System?).

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

and restart the new computer.

Finished

screen appears.

Windows® XP Operating

Windows Vista®

Click the Windows Vista Start button, , click

Transfer.

In the

User Account Control

Click

Start a new transfer

dialog box, click

Continue a transfer in progress

Follow the instructions provided on the screen by the Windows Easy Transfer wizard.

Transfer files and settings→

Continue

Start Windows Easy

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