Dell XPS 600 User Manual

Dell™ XPS 600

Owner’s Manual

Model WHL

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.

If you purchased a Dell™ n Series computer, any references in this document to Microsoft® Windows® 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, Inspiron, Dell Precision, Dimension, OptiPlex, Latitude, PowerEdge, PowerVault, and

PowerApp are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are re gistered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

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

Model WHL

November 2005 P/N HC098 Rev. A03

Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

1 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Opening the Drive Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Changing the Front-Panel Light Color

Using a Media Card Reader (Optional)

Connecting Monitors

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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

Connecting a Monitor to a PCI Express Graphics Card Dual Configuration

Connecting Two Monitors Connecting a TV

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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

Changing the Display Settings to Support Two Monitors

About Serial ATA Drives

About Your RAID Configuration

RAID Level 0 Configuration RAID Level 1 Configuration Configuring Your Hard Drives for RAID

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

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

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

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

Creating an Array using the Nvidia MediaShield ROM Utility Using Nvidia MediaShield

Transferring Information to a New Computer

Playing CDs and DVDs

Playing a CD or DVD Adjusting the Volume Adjusting the Picture

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

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . 20

. . . . . . . 23

Copying CDs and DVDs

How to Copy a CD or DVD Using Blank CDs and DVDs Helpful Tips

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

Network Setup Wizard

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

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

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

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

Contents 3

Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Overview Standby Mode Hibernate Mode Power Options Properties

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

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

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

2 Optimizing Performance

Hyper-Threading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

PCI Express Cards

NVIDIA SLI Dual Graphics Technology

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

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

3 Solving Problems

Troubleshooting Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Battery Problems

Drive Problems

CD and DVD drive problems Hard drive problems

E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems

Error Messages

IEEE 1394 Device Problems

Keyboard Problems

Lockups and Software Problems

The computer does not start up The computer stops responding A program stops responding A program crashes repeatedly A program is designed for an earlier Windows operating system A solid blue screen appears Other software problems

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . 46

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

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

4 Contents

Memory Problems

Mouse Problems

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

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

Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Power Problems

Printer Problems

Scanner Problems

Sound and Speaker Problems

No sound from speakers No sound from headphones

Video and Monitor Problems

If the screen is blank If the screen is difficult to read If 3-D image quality is poor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4 Advanced Troubleshooting

Diagnostic Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Dell Diagnostics

When to Use the Dell Diagnostics

Drivers

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

What Is a Driver? Identifying Drivers Reinstalling Drivers

Using Microsoft

Creating a Restore Point Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State Undoing the Last System Restore

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

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

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

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

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

Windows® XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

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

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

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

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities

Reinstalling Microsoft

Before You Begin Reinstalling Windows XP

Windows® XP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

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

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

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

Contents 5

5 Removing and Installing Parts

Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Recommended Tools Turning Off Your Computer Before Working Inside Your Computer

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

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

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

Front and Back View of the Computer

Front View

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

Front View (Doors Open) Back View

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

Opening the Computer Cover

Inside View of Your Computer

System Board Components

Memory

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

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

Addressing Memory Configurations Installing Memory Removing Memory

Cards

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Removing a PCI Express Graphics Card from a Dual Configuration Installing PCI Express Graphics Cards in a Dual Configuration Removing PCI and PCI Express Cards Installing PCI and PCI Express Cards Network Adapter and Sound Card Settings

Drives

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

General Installation Guidelines Connecting Drive Cables

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . 86

. . . . 84

6 Contents

Hard Drive

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

Removing a Hard Drive Installing a Hard Drive

Floppy Drive

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

Removing a Floppy Drive Installing a Floppy Drive

Media Card Reader

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

Removing a Media Card Reader Installing a Media Card Reader

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

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

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

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

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

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

CD/DVD Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Removing a CD/DVD Drive Installing a CD/DVD Drive

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

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

Processor Airflow Shroud

Removing the Processor Airflow Shroud Installing the Processor Airflow Shroud

Processor

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

Removing the Processor Installing the Processor

Front Panel

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

Removing the Front Panel Replacing the Front Panel

Drive Door

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

Removing the Drive Door Replacing the Drive Door

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

Battery

Replacing the Battery

Closing the Computer Cover

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 Appendix

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

System Setup

Overview Entering System Setup System Setup Options Boot Sequence

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Clearing Forgotten Passwords

Clearing CMOS Settings

Cleaning Your Computer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

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

Computer, Keyboard, and Monitor Mouse

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

Floppy Drive CDs and DVDs

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

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

Contents 7

Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals

. . . . . . . . . 140

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

FCC Notices (U.S. Only)

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

Class A

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

Class B FCC Identification Information

Contacting Dell

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

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

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

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

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

• Desktop System Software (DSS)

• How to set up my computer

• Basic troubleshooting information

• How to run the Dell Diagnostics

• How to set up a printer

• Additional information about setting up my computer

• How to troubleshoot and solve problems

• How to remove and install parts

• Specifications

• How to contact Dell

Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as ResourceCD)

Documentation and drivers are already installed on your computer. You can use the CD to reinstall drivers or to run the Dell Diagnostics.

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

NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates can be found at

support.dell.com.

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD is optional and may not

ship with your computer.

Owner’s Manual

NOTE: This document is available as a PDF at

support.dell.com.

Finding Information 9

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• Warranty information

• Terms and Conditions (U.S. and Canada)

• Safety instructions

• Regulatory information

• Ergonomics information

• End User License Agreement

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

• How to set up my computer

Dell™ Product Information Guide

Setup Diagram

10 Finding Information

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• Service Tag and Express Service Code

• Microsoft Windows License Label

Service Tag and Microsoft® Windows® License

These labels are located on your computer.

• Use the Service Tag to identify your computer when you use

support.dell.com

contact technical support.

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

Finding Information 11

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

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

• Community — Online discussion with other Dell customers

• Upgrades — Upgrade information for components, such

Dell™ Support Website — support.dell.com

NOTE: Select your region to view the appropriate support

site.

NOTE: Corporate, government, and education customers

can also use the customized Dell Premier Support website at premier.support. dell.com.

as memory, the hard drive, and the operating system

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

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

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

technical support

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

• Downloads — Certified drivers, patches, and software updates

• Desktop System Software (DSS)— If you reinstall the operating system for your computer, you should also reinstall the DSS utility. DSS provides critical updates for your operating system and support for Dell 3.5-inch USB floppy drives, Intel

Pentiu m® M processors, optical drives, and USB devices. DSS is necessary for correct operation of your Dell computer. The software automatically detects your computer and operating system and installs the updates appropriate for your configuration.

To download Desktop System Software:

Go to

support.dell.com

Enter your Service Tag or product model.

In the

Download Category

Select the operating system and operating system language for your computer, and click

Under

Select a Device Configuration Utilities System Software

• How to use Windows XP

and click

Downloads

drop-down menu, click

Submit.

, scroll to

, then click

System and

Dell Desktop

All

Windows Help and Support Center

Click the

Start

button, then click

Help and Support

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

Click the topic that describes your problem. Follow the instructions on the screen.

12 Finding Information

What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

• How to reinstall my operating system

Operating System CD

The operating system is already installed on your computer. To reinstall your operating system, use the Operating System CD. See "Reinstalling Windows XP" on page 65.

After you reinstall your operating system, use the ResourceCD to reinstall drivers for the devices that came with your computer.

NOTE: The color of your CD

varies based on the operating system you ordered.

Finding Information 13

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

14 Finding Information

Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Opening the Drive Door

Changing the Front-Panel Light Color

You can use this exclusive Dell™ XPS feature either to change the color of the front-panel light that illuminates the Dell name and displays around the badge on the front of your computer, or to turn off the front-panel light entirely.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 15

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

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

located in the Product Information Guide.

front-panel light

badge

You can choose from several color choices:

•Off

•Ruby

•Emerald

•Sapphire (default)

•Amber

•Amethyst

•Topaz

•Diamond

NOTE: The front-panel light is not for diagnostic purposes.

Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 69.

Turn on (or restart) your computer.

Enter system setup by pressing <F2>. (See "Entering System Setup" on page 131 for details about entering system setup).

Select the

Select

Press the left- and right- arrow keys to scroll through the color options. The front-panel light

Onboard Devices

Front LED Color

color changes as you scroll through the options.

Select the color you want, and press <Enter>.

Press <Esc>, and press

16 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

option.

, and press <Enter>.

Save and Exit

to save the new front-panel light color setting.

Using a Media Card Reader (Optional)

Use the media card reader to transfer data directly to your computer.

The media card reader supports the following memory types:

• xD-Picture card

• SmartMedia (SMC)

• CompactFlash Type I and II (CF I/II)

• MicroDrive card

• SecureDigital card (SD)

• MultiMediaCard (MMC)

• Memory Stick (MS/MS Pro)

For information on installing a media card reader, see "Installing a Media Card Reader" on page 106.

xD-Picture card and SmartMedia (SMC)

CompactFlash Type I and II (CF I/II) and MicroDrive card

Memory Stick (MS/MS Pro)

SecureDigital card (SD)/ MultiMediaCard (MMC)

To use the media card reader:

Check the media or card to determine the proper orientation for insertion.

Slide the media or card into the appropriate slot until it is completely seated in the connector.

If you encounter resistance, do not force the media or card. Check the card orientation and try again.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 17

Connecting Monitors

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

located in the Product Information Guide.

NOTE: Dependent upon options selected when you purchased your computer, your video card may have

either two DVI ports or one DVI port and one VGA port.

Connecting a Monitor to a PCI Express Graphics Card Dual Configuration

If you are using PCI Express graphics cards in a dual configuration, only a single monitor is supported. Connect the monitor to the primary video card or the monitor will not function.

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

primary video card

Connecting Two Monitors

NOTE: Your graphics card and configuration must support dual monitors for you to connect and enable

two monitors using the instructions in this section.

The graphics card that came with your computer has an S-video port and either two DVI ports and a DVI-to-VGA adapter, or one DVI port and one VGA port.

To connect a monitor by attaching the DVI or VGA connector of the monitor directly to the DVI or the (optional) VGA port on your computer, see "Connecting Two Monitors (Without an Adapter)" on page 19. If you purchased a graphics card that has two DVI ports instead of a VGA port and need to use a VGA monitor, see "Connecting Two Monitors (With the Use of an Adapter)" on page 20.

18 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Connecting Two Monitors (Without an Adapter)

NOTE: Dependent upon options selected when you purchased your computer, your video card may have

either two DVI ports or one DVI port and one VGA port.

Follow these instructions if you are connecting two monitors with DVI connectors to the two optional DVI ports on your computer, or if you are connecting one monitor with a DVI connector and one VGA monitor to the DVI and optional VGA ports on your computer.

If you have a monitor with a VGA connector, but your computer has two DVI ports, follow the instructions in "Connecting Two Monitors (With the Use of an Adapter)" on page 20.

NOTE: If you are using PCI Express graphics cards in a dual configuration, only a single monitor is

supported.

Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 69.

Connect each of the monitors to a the appropriate connector on the back of the computer.

If your monitor has a DVI connector, use the white DVI port on your computer.

If your monitor has a VGA connector, use the (optional) blue VGA port on your computer.

Change the display settings to support both monitors (see "Changing the Display Settings to Support Two Monitors" on page 20).

DVI (white) connector

TV-OUT connector

VGA (blue) connector (optional)

DVI-to-VGA adapter

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 19

Connecting Two Monitors (With the Use of an Adapter)

Follow these instructions if you purchased a graphics card that has two DVI ports instead of a VGA port and need to use a VGA monitor.

NOTE: If you are using PCI Express graphics cards in a dual configuration, only a single monitor is

supported.

Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 69.

Attach the DVI connector on the appropriate monitor to the white DVI port on the back of the computer.

NOTE: Your graphics card must support a VGA monitor being connected to the DVI port.

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Connect the DVI-to-VGA adapter to the VGA connector on the other monitor, then connect the adapter to the white DVI port on the back of the computer.

Change the display settings to support both monitors (see "Changing the Display Settings to Support Two Monitors" on page 20).

Connecting a TV

NOTE: If you are connecting a TV, you may connect only one monitor (VGA or DVI) in addition to the TV.

NOTE: See the documentation that came with your TV to ensure that you properly configure and connect

the TV.

To connect a TV to your computer, you must purchase an S-video cable, which is available at most consumer electronics stores. An S-video cable is not included with your computer.

Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 69.

Connect one end of the S-video cable to the TV-OUT connector on the back of the computer.

Connect the other end of the S-video cable to the S-video input connector on your TV.

Connect one VGA or DVI monitor as described in the preceding subsection, "Connecting Two Monitors (Without an Adapter)" on page 19.

Changing the Display Settings to Support Two Monitors

After you connect the monitors, turn on the computer.

The Microsoft

Enable clone mode or extended desktop mode in the display settings.

• In clone mode, both monitors display the same image.

• In extended desktop mode, you can drag objects from one screen to the other, effectively doubling the amount of viewable work space.

For information on changing the display settings for your graphics card, see the user’s guide in the Help and Support Center (click the

system guides

20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Windows® desktop displays on the primary monitor.

, click

Device guides

Start

button, click

Help and Support

, click

, and then click the guide for your graphics card).

User and

About Serial ATA Drives

Your computer supports up to three serial ATA hard drives. Serial ATA drives provide the following benefits by transferring data using serial technology and flexible cables that are thinner and longer than IDE cables:

• Improved cable routing facilitates more efficient airflow inside the chassis.

• Compact cable connectors save space on the system board and on the hard drive. Combined with the improved cable routing, this allows a more efficient utilization of space inside the chassis.

See "Hard Drive" on page 97 for information on serial ATA drive connections.

About Your RAID Configuration

NOTICE: If you might ever decide to migrate to a RAID array, before loading the operating system onto a

hard drive, set up that drive as a single drive RAID 0 array. See "Creating an Array using the Nvidia MediaShield ROM Utility" on page 23 for instructions.

This section provides an overview of the RAID configuration that you might have selected when you purchased your computer. Dell offers either a RAID level 0 configuration or a RAID level 1 configuration on your Dell™ XPS computer. A RAID level 0 configuration is recommended for high-performance gaming, and a RAID level 1 configuration is recommended for the data integrity requirements of digital photography and audio.

NOTE: RAID levels do not represent a hierarchy. A RAID level 1 configuration is not inherently better or

worse than a RAID level 0 configuration.

The drives in an array should be the same size in order to ensure that the larger drive does not contain unallocated (and therefore unusable) space.

RAID Level 0 Configuration

A RAID level 0 configuration uses a storage technique known as "data striping" to provide a high data access rate. Data striping is a method of writing consecutive segments, or stripes, of data sequentially across the physical drives to create a large virtual drive. Data striping allows one of the drives to read data while the other drive is searching for and reading the next block.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 21

serial ATA RAID configured for RAID level 0

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Another advantage of a RAID level 0 configuration is that it utilizes the full capacities of the drives. For example, if you have two 120-GB drives installed, you have 240 GB on which to store data.

NOTICE: Because RAID level 0 configurations provide no data redundancy, if one drive fails, then the

data on the other drive is also inaccessible. Therefore, ensure that you perform regular backups when you use a RAID level 0 configuration.

RAID Level 1 Configuration

RAID level 1 uses a data-redundancy storage technique known as "mirroring." When data is written to the primary drive, it is then duplicated, or mirrored, on the other drive. A RAID level 1 configuration sacrifices high data-access rates for its data redundancy advantages.

segment 1

segment 3

segment 5

hard drive 1

serial ATA RAID configured for RAID level 1

segment 2

segment 4

segment 6

hard drive 2

segment 1

segment 2

segment 3

segment 4

segment 5

segment 6

hard drive 1

22 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

segment 1 duplicated

segment 2 duplicated

segment 3 duplicated

segment 4 duplicated

segment 5 duplicated

segment 6 duplicated

hard drive 2

If a drive failure occurs, subsequent read and write operations are directed to the surviving drive. A replacement drive can then be rebuilt using the data from the surviving drive. Also, because data is duplicated on both drives, a RAID level 1 configuration using two 120-GB hard drives collectively has a maximum of 120 GB on which to store data.

Configuring Your Hard Drives for RAID

NOTICE: If you might ever decide to migrate to a RAID array, before loading the operating system onto a

hard drive, set up that drive as a single drive RAID 0 array. See "Creating an Array using the Nvidia MediaShield ROM Utility" on page 23 for instructions.

At some point you may want to configure your computer for RAID if you did not select a RAID configuration when you purchased your computer. You must have at least two hard drives installed in your computer to set up a RAID configuration. For instructions on how to install a hard drive, see "Installing a Hard Drive" on page 98.

You can use one of two methods to configure RAID hard drive volumes. One method uses the Nvidia MediaShield ROM utility and is performed before you install the operating system onto the hard drive. The second method uses Nvidia MediaShield, and this method is performed after you have installed the operating system with the Nvidia RAID drivers.

Both methods require that you set your computer to RAID-enabled mode before starting any of the RAID configuration procedures in this document.

Setting Your Hard Drives to RAID-Enabled Mode

Enter system setup (see "Entering System Setup" on page 131).

Press the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight

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

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

Drives

, and press <Enter>.

RAID On

, press <Enter>, and then

NOTE: For more information about RAID options, see "System Setup Options" on page 132.

Press the left- and right-arrow keys to highlight

Save/Exit

, and press <Enter> to exit system

setup and resume the boot process. Repeat the process as necessary for each SATA hard drive.

Creating an Array using the Nvidia MediaShield ROM Utility

NOTICE: You will lose any data on your hard drives when you create a RAID configuration using the

following procedure. Back up data you want to keep before continuing.

NOTICE: If you might ever decide to migrate to a RAID array, before loading the operating system onto a

hard drive, set up that drive as a single drive RAID 0 array. See "Creating an Array using the Nvidia MediaShield ROM Utility" on page 23 for instructions.

NOTE: 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 a RAID configuration.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 23

Although any size drives may be used to create a RAID configuration, ideally the drives should be of equal size. In a RAID level 0 configuration, the size of the configuration will be the size of the smaller drive multiplied by the number (two) of drives in the configuration. In a RAID level 1 configuration, the size of the configuration will be the smaller of the two drives used.

Enable RAID on your hard drives (see "Setting Your Hard Drives to RAID-Enabled Mode" on page 23).

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

NOTICE: If you do not press <Ctrl-n> before the window closes, restart your computer and wait for

the prompt to appear again.

The

Define a New Array

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Press <Tab> to navigate to the

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

window appears.

RAID Mode

field.

Striping

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

Press <Tab> to navigate to the

Use the right- and left-arrow keys to select the hard drive or drives to include in your RAID array; move the listed hard drives from the

NOTE: Your computer supports a maximum of two drives per RAID1 array and three per RAID0

array.

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

NOTICE: You will lose all data on the selected drives in the next step.

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

Array Detail

The

To specify the array as bootable, use the arrow keys to select the array and press <B>.

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

Array Detail

window appears.

window and press <Enter>.

Free Disks

field.

Free Disks

field to the

Mirroring

Array Disks

field.

To delete an array, navigate to the array using the arrow keys and press <D>.

Press <Enter> to return to the previous screen.

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

Using Nvidia MediaShield

Nvidia MediaShield

have one hard drive with the operating system installed on it, and you want to add a second hard drive and reconfigure both drives into a RAID volume without losing the existing operating system and any data, you need to use the morphing option (see "Morphing from a Single Drive RAID 0 Configuration to a Dual Drive RAID Configuration" on page 26).

allows you to create, view, and manage RAID configurations. If you already

24 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Create a RAID level 0 volume or RAID level 1 volume only when you are adding two new drives to an existing single-drive computer configured as a single-drive level 0 RAID array, and you want to configure the two new drives into a RAID array.

Although any size drives may be used to create a RAID configuration using Nvidia MediaShield, ideally the drives should be of equal size. In a RAID level 0 configuration, the size of the configuration will be the size of the smallest drive multiplied by the number (two) of drives in the configuration. In a RAID level 1 configuration, the size of the configuration will be the smaller of the two drives used.

Creating a RAID Array

NOTICE: You will lose any data on your hard drives when you create a RAID configuration using the

following procedure. Back up data you want to keep before continuing.

NOTE: Do not use the following procedure to migrate an existing storage configuration to RAID level 0

configuration.

Enable RAID on your hard drives (see "Setting Your Hard Drives to RAID-Enabled Mode" on page 23).

After rebooting your computer, launch Nvidia MediaShield.

Click

Create Array

Create Array Wizard

The

Use the drop-down box to select

Click

Click to select the drives that will make up the RAID configuration.

in the

System Tasks

appears.

pane.

Striping

(for RAID 0) or

Mirroring

(for RAID 1).

NOTE: Your computer supports a maximum of two drives per RAID1 array and three per RAID0

array.

Select desired options.

NOTICE: The Clear System Data option will delete all data on the selected drive.

Click

Finish

to create the RAID configuration.

The array and any other installed hard drives should be visible in the NVRAID management utility window.

Deleting a RAID Array

NOTE: While this procedure deletes the RAID 1 volume, it also splits the RAID 1 volume into two non-

RAID hard drives with a partition, and leaves any existing data files intact. Deleting a RAID 0 volume, however, destroys all data on the volume.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 25

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

become unbootable.

Launch Nvidia MediaShield.

Click to select an array.

Click

Delete Array

Delete Array Wizard

The

Click

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

Click

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Finish

Any other arrays and installed hard drives should be visible in the NVRAID management utility window.

Morphing from a Single Drive RAID 0 Configuration to a Dual Drive RAID Configuration

Follow this procedure if you have added a new hard drive to your computer and want to reconfigure it and your old hard drive into a RAID level 1 configuration without losing any data.

Launch Nvidia MediaShield.

NOTE: Select your pre-existing hard drive as your source drive (it should be the hard drive containing the

data or operating system files that you want to keep on the RAID volume).

Click to select an array.

Click

Convert Array

The

Convert Array Wizard

in the

System Tasks

pane.

appears.

to delete the RAID configuration.

in the

System Tasks

pane.

appears.

Click

Select

Mirroring

Click

NOTICE: In the following step, you will lose all data contained on the target member drive.

Select the new hard drive by clicking the checkbox beside it.

Click

Finish

Rebuilding a Degraded RAID Level 1 Configuration

Striping

If your computer has reported a degraded RAID level 1 volume, you can manually rebuild the computer’s redundancy mirror to a new hard drive by performing the following steps:

Launch Nvidia MediaShield.

Click

Mirroring

in the management utility window.

26 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

from the drop-down menu.

Select

Rebuild Array

The

Rebuild Array Wizard

Click

Click to select the hard drive that you want to rebuild.

Click

Finish

You can use your computer while the computer is rebuilding the RAID level 1 volume.

in the

appears.

System Tasks

pane.

Transferring Information to a New Computer

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

•E-mails

• 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 medium, such as a writable CD or floppy disk.

To prepare the new computer for the file transfer:

Click the

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

When the

On the

Windows XP CD

When the

Do not

To copy data from the old computer:

On the old computer, insert the Windows XP

On the

Under

On the

Start

button, point to

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

Do you have a Windows XP CD?

and click

Now go to your old computer

click

at this time.

Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP

What do you want to do?

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Which computer is this?

Select a transfer method

All Programs→ Accessories→ System Tools

screen, click

screen appears, go to your old or source computer.

, click

Transfer files and settings

screen, click

screen, click the transfer method you prefer.

welcome screen appears, click

New Computer

Operating System

screen, click

welcome screen, click

Old Computer

and click

I will use the wizard from the

CD.

Perform additional tasks

and click

, and then click

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 27

On the

After the information has been copied, the

Click

To transfer data to the new computer:

On the

On the your settings and files and click

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

What do you want to transfer?

Finish

Now go to your old computer

Where are the files and settings?

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

screen appears.

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

Click

Finished

Playing CDs and DVDs

Playing a CD or DVD

NOTICE: Do not press down on the CD or DVD tray when you open or close it. Keep the tray closed when

you are not using the drive.

NOTICE: Do not move the computer when you are playing CDs or DVDs.

Press the eject button on the front of the drive.

Place the disc, label side up, in the center of the tray.

and restart the new computer.

Finished

screen appears.

Press the eject button or gently push in the tray.

To format CDs for storing data, to create music CDs, or to copy CDs, see the CD software that came with your computer.

28 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

NOTE: Ensure that you follow all copyright laws when you create CDs.

A CD player includes the following basic buttons:

Play

Move backward within the current track

Pau se

Move forward within the current track

Stop

Go to the previous track

Eject

Go to the next track

A DVD player includes the following basic buttons:

Stop

Restart the current chapter

Play

Fast forward

Pau se

Fast reverse

Advance a single frame while in pause mode

Go to the next title or chapter

Continuously play the current title or chapter

Go to the previous title or chapter

Eject

For more information on playing CDs or DVDs, click Help on the CD or DVD player (if available).

Adjusting the Volume

NOTE: When the speakers are muted, you do not hear the CD or DVD playing.

Click the

Volume Control

In the slide it up or down to increase or decrease the volume.

For more information on volume control options, click Help in the Volume Control window.

Start

button, point to

Volume Control

All Programs→ Accessories→ Entertainment

window, click and drag the bar in the

, and then click

Volume Control

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 29

column and

Adjusting the Picture

If an error message notifies you that the current resolution and color depth are using too much memory and preventing DVD playback, adjust the display properties.

Click the

Under

Pick a category

Under

Pick a task...

In the

Display Properties

setting to

Click the drop-down menu under

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Click OK.

Copying CDs and DVDs

NOTE: Ensure that you observe all copyright laws when creating CDs or DVDs.

This section applies only to computers that have a CD-RW, DVD+/-RW, or CD-RW/DVD (combo) drive.

NOTE: The types of CD or DVD drives offered by Dell™ may vary by country.

The following instructions explain how to make an exact copy of a CD or DVD. You can also use Sonic DigitalMedia for other purposes, such as creating music CDs from audio files stored on your computer or backing up important data. For help, open Sonic DigitalMedia and then click the question mark icon in the upper-right corner of the window.

Start

button and click

, click

window, click and drag the bar in

800 by 600 pixels

Control Panel

Appearance and Themes

Change the screen resolution

Color quality

, and then click

Screen resolution

Medium (16 bit)

to change the

How to Copy a CD or DVD

NOTE: CD-RW/DVD combo drives cannot write to DVD media. If you have a CD-RW/DVD combo drive

and you experience recording problems, check for available software patches on the Sonic support website at www.sonic.com.

The DVD-writable drives installed in Dell computers can write to and read DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW and DVD+R DL (dual layer) media, but cannot write to and may not read DVD-RAM or DVD-R DL media.

NOTE: Most commercial DVDs have copyright protection and cannot be copied using Sonic

DigitalMedia.

Click the click

Under the

30 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Copy

Start

button, point to

Copy

tab, click

All Programs→

Disc Copy

Sonic→ DigitalMedia Projects

, and then

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