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XPS 700
User Manual [fr]
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Dell XPS 700 User Manual

Contents
Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1 Setting Up and Using Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Front and Back View of the Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Front View
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Front I/O Connectors Back View
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Back I/O Connectors
Attaching the Computer Stand
Connecting Monitors
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Connecting a Monitor (Without an Adapter) Connecting a Monitor (With an Adapter)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Connecting a Monitor in a Dual Graphics Card Configuration Connecting Two or More Monitors Connecting a TV
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Changing the Display Settings to Support Two or More Monitors
About Your RAID Configuration
RAID Level 0 Configuration RAID Level 1 Configuration Configuring Your Hard Drives for RAID Using the Nvidia MediaShield ROM Utility Using Nvidia MediaShield
Playing CDs and DVDs
Playing a CD or DVD Adjusting the Volume Adjusting the Picture
Copying CDs and DVDs
How to Copy a CD or DVD Using Blank CDs and DVDs Helpful Tips
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
. . . . . . . 22
. . . . . 25
Using a Media Card Reader (Optional)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Contents 3
Network Setup Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Transferring Information to a New Computer
Power Management
Overview Standby Mode Hibernate Mode Power Options Properties
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2 Optimizing Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Understanding Hyper-Threading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Understanding PCI Express Cards
Understanding Dual Graphics Technology
Understanding CPU Over-Clocking
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
3 Solving Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Troubleshooting Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Battery Problems
Drive Problems
CD and DVD drive problems Hard drive problems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
4 Contents
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems
Error Messages
IEEE 1394 Device Problems
Keyboard Problems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Lockups and Software Problems
The computer does not start up The computer stops responding A program stops responding A program crashes repeatedly
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
A program is designed for an earlier Windows operating system
. . . . . 51
A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Other software problems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Memory Problems
Mouse Problems
Network Problems
Power Problems
Printer Problems
Scanner Problems
Sound and Speaker Problems
No sound from speakers No sound from headphones
Video and Monitor Problems
The screen is blank The screen is difficult to read 3-D image quality is poor
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4 Advanced Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Diagnostic Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Dell Diagnostics
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Drivers
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
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
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities
Reinstalling Microsoft
Before You Begin Reinstalling Windows XP
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
®
Windows® XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
. . . . . . . . . . . 70
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
®
Windows® XP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Contents 5
5 Removing and Installing Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Recommended Tools Preparing to Work Inside Your Computer
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Removing the Computer Cover
Inside View of Your Computer System Board Components
Memory
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
DDR2 Memory Overview Addressing Memory Configurations Installing Memory Removing Memory
Cards
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Removing PCI and PCI Express Cards Installing PCI and PCI Express Cards
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Removing a PCI Express Graphics Card from a Dual Configuration Installing a PCI Express Graphics Card in a Dual Configuration Network Adapter and Sound Card Settings
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Drives
About Serial ATA Drives
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
General Drive Installation Guidelines
Hard Drive
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Removing a Hard Drive Installing a Hard Drive
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
. . . . 91
. . . . . . 93
6 Contents
Drive Panel
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Removing the Drive Panel Replacing the Drive Panel
Floppy Drive
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Removing a Floppy Drive Installing a Floppy Drive
Media Card Reader
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Removing a Media Card Reader Installing a Media Card Reader
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
CD/DVD Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Removing a CD/DVD Drive Installing a CD/DVD Drive
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Processor Airflow Shroud
Removing the Processor Airflow Shroud Installing the Processor Airflow Shroud
Processor
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Removing the Processor Installing the Processor
Battery
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Replacing the Battery
Removing the Computer Stand
Replacing the Computer Cover
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
6 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
System Setup
Overview Entering System Setup System Setup Options Boot Sequence
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Clearing Forgotten Passwords
Clearing CMOS Settings
Cleaning Your Computer
Computer, Keyboard, and Monitor Mouse
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Floppy Drive CDs and DVDs
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals
. . . . . . . . . 143
. . . . . . . . . . . 143
Contents 7
FCC Notices (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Class A
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Class B FCC Identification Information
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Contacting Dell
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Index
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)
• Warranty information
• Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)
• Safety instructions
• Regulatory information
• Ergonomics information
• End User License Agreement
Drivers and Utilities CD (ResourceCD)
Documentation and drivers are already installed on your computer. You can use the Drivers and Utilities CD to reinstall drivers (see "Reinstalling Drivers" on page 67), access your documentation or run the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 64).
Readme files may also be included on your CD to provide last-minute updates about technical changes to your computer or advanced technical reference material for technicians and experienced users.
NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates can be found at
support.dell.com.
Dell™ Product Information Guide
Finding Information 9
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here
• How to set up my computer
Setup Diagram
• Service Tag and Express Service Code
• Microsoft
®
Windows® Product Key Label
Service Tag and Microsoft Windows Product Key
These labels are located on your computer.
• Use the Service Tag to identify your computer when you use
support.dell.com
or
contact support.
• Enter the Express Service Code to direct your call when contacting support.
10 Finding Information
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here
• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips, articles from technicians, online courses, and frequently asked questions
Dell Support Website — support.dell.com
NOTE: Select your region or business segment to view the
appropriate support site.
• Community — Online discussion with other Dell customers
• Upgrades — Upgrade information for components, such as the memory, hard drive, and operating system
• Customer Care — Contact information, service call and order status, and warranty and repair information
• Service and Support — Service call status, support history, service contract, and online discussions with 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 on your computer, you should also reinstall the DSS utility. DSS automatically detects your computer and operating system and installs the updates appropriate for your configuration, providing critical updates for your operating system and support for Dell™
3.5-inch USB floppy drives, Intel
®
Pentium® M processors, optical drives, and USB devices. DSS is necessary for correct operation of your Dell computer.
• How to use Windows XP
• How to work with programs and files
• How to personalize my desktop
To download Desktop System Software:
1
Go to
support.dell.com
and then enter your Service Tag or product model.
2
Select
Drivers & Downloads
3
Select your operating system and language, and then search for the keyword
NOTE: The support.dell.com user interface may vary
depending on your selections.
Windows Help and Support Center
1
Click
Start→
2
Type a word or phrase that describes your problem, and then click the arrow icon.
3
Click the topic that describes your problem.
4
Follow the instructions on the screen.
, select your business segment,
, and then click Go.
Desktop System Software
Help and Support
.
.
Finding Information 11
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 Microsoft on page 71).
NOTE: The color of your Operating System CD varies
according to the operating system you ordered.
®
Windows® XP"
After you reinstall the operating system, use the Drivers and Utilities CD to reinstall drivers for the devices that came with your computer.
The operating system product key label is located on your computer.
12 Finding Information

Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Front and Back View of the Computer

Front View

7
6
8
5
4
3
2
1
9
10
11
12
Setting Up and Using Your Computer 13
1 front I/O connectors Plug USB and other devices into the
Connectors" on page 15).
2 3.5-inch drive bays (2) Can hold an optional Media Card Reader or floppy drive.
3-6 5.25-inch drive bays (4) Can hold a CD/DVD drive, or a SATA hard drive in a 5.25-inch drive bay carrier.
appropriate connectors (
see "Front I/O
NOTE: The hard-drive carrier is only for use in the 5.25-inch drive bays. The
floppy-drive/Media Card Reader and hard-drive carriers are not interchangeable.
7 front panel LEDs (4) Multi-colored lights provide illumination for the front of the computer.
NOTE: The color of the front panel LEDs can be adjusted in system setup (see
"System Setup" on page 132).
8 CD/DVD drive tray eject
button (4)
9 front panel LEDs (4) Multi-colored lights provide illumination for the front of the computer.
Use to eject the drive tray of a CD/DVD drive.
NOTE: The CD/DVD drive tray eject button is not a handle. The self-tending doors
open automatically when the eject button is pressed and the drive tray is ejected.
NOTE: The color of the front panel LEDs can be adjusted in system setup (see
"System Setup" on page 132).
10 power button Press to turn on the computer.
NOTICE: To avoid losing data, do not use the power button to turn off the
computer. Instead, perform an operating system shutdown.
NOTE: The power button can also be used to wake the system or to place it into a
power-saving state (see "Power Management" on page 39).
11 power light The power light illuminates and blinks or remains solid to indicate different states:
• No light — The computer is turned off.
• Steady green — The computer is in a normal operating state.
• Blinking green — The computer is in a power-saving state.
• Steady amber — There may be a problem with an installed device (see "Solving Problems" on page 45).
• Blinking amber — An internal power problem may exist (see "Power Problems" on page 54).
12 computer stand Attach the computer stand to provide stability to the system.
CAUTION: The computer stand should be installed at all times to ensure
maximum system stability. Failure to install the stand could result in the computer tipping over, potentially resulting in bodily injury or damage to the computer.
14 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Front I/O Connectors

4567213
1 microphone connector Use the microphone connector to attach a personal computer microphone for
voice or musical input into a sound or telephony program.
2 headphone connector Use the headphone connector to attach headphones.
3 diagnostic lights (4) Use the sequence of these diagnostics lights to help troubleshoot a problem with
your computer (see "Diagnostic Lights" on page 61).
4 hard-drive activity light The hard drive light is on when the computer reads data from or writes data to the
hard drive. The light may also be on when a device such as your CD player is operating.
5 network link light The network link light is on when a good connection exists between a network and
the computer.
6 USB 2.0 connectors (2) Use the front USB connectors for devices that you connect occasionally, such as
flash memory keys, cameras, or bootable USB devices. For more information on bootable USB devices see "Boot Sequence" on page 138.
It is recommended that you use the back USB connectors for devices that typically remain connected, such as printers and keyboards.
7 IEEE 1394 connector Use the IEEE 1394 connector for high-speed data devices such as digital video
cameras and external storage devices.
Setting Up and Using Your Computer 15

Back View

1
2
3
4
1 power connector Insert the power cable. The appearance of this connector may differ from what is
pictured.
2 back panel LEDs (2) Multi-colored lights provide illumination for the I/O panel on the back of the
computer.
NOTE: The color of the back panel LEDs can be adjusted in system setup (see
"System Setup" on page 132).
3 back I/O connectors Plug serial, USB, and other devices into the
Connectors" on page 17).
4 card slots Access connectors for any installed PCI or PCI Express cards.
appropriate connectors
(see "Back I/O
NOTE: Some connector slots support full-length cards.
16 Setting Up and Using Your Computer

Back I/O Connectors

213
15
1 link integrity light
2 network adapter
connector
14
• Green — A good connection exists between a 10-Mbps network and the computer.
• Orange — A good connection exists between a 100-Mbps network and the computer.
• Yellow — A good connection exists between a 1000-Mbps (1-Gbps) network and the computer.
• Off — The computer is not detecting a physical connection to the network.
NOTICE: Do not plug a telephone cable into the network adapter connector.
Use the network adapter connector to attach your computer to a network or broadband device. Connect one end of a network cable to either a network jack or your network or broadband device, and then connect the other end of the network cable to the network adapter connector on your computer. A click indicates that the network cable has been securely attached.
On computers with an additional network connector card, use the connectors on the card and on the back of the computer when setting up multiple network connections (such as a separate intra- and extranet).
45 6 7 8
9
10
11
1213
NOTE: It is recommended that you use Category 5 wiring and connectors for your
network. If you must use Category 3 wiring, force the network speed to 10 Mbps to ensure reliable operation.
3 network activity light Flashes a yellow light when the computer is transmitting or receiving network
data. A high volume of network traffic may make this light appear to be in a steady "on" state.
4 keyboard connector Plug a standard PS/2 keyboard into the purple keyboard connector. Turn off the
computer and any attached devices before you connect a keyboard to the computer. If you have a USB keyboard, plug it into a USB connector.
5 mouse connector Plug a standard PS/2 mouse into the green mouse connector. Turn off the
computer and any attached devices before you connect a mouse to the computer. If you have a USB mouse, plug it into a USB connector.
Setting Up and Using Your Computer 17
6 side surround sound
connector
7 center subwoofer/LFE
connector
8 surround sound
connector
9 line-in connector Use the (blue) line-in connector to attach a record/playback device such as a
10 line-out/headphone
connector
11 microphone connector Use the (pink) microphone connector to attach a personal computer microphone
12 S/PDIF connector Use the S/PDIF connector to transmit digital audio without going through an
13 serial connector Connect a serial device, such as a handheld device, to the serial port. If necessary,
14 USB 2.0 connectors (6) Use the back USB connectors for devices that typically remain connected, such as
Use the (silver) side surround connector to attach additional speakers.
Use the (orange) subwoofer connector to attach a single subwoofer.
NOTE: The LFE (Low Frequency Effects) Audio channel, found in digital surround
sound audio schemes, carries only low frequency information of 80 Hz and below. The LFE channel drives a subwoofer to provide extremely low bass extension. Systems not using subwoofers can shunt the LFE information to the main speakers in the surround sound setup.
Use the (black) surround sound connector to attach multichannel-capable speakers.
cassette player, CD player, or VCR.
On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the card.
Use the (green) line-out connector to attach headphones and speakers with integrated amplifiers.
On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the card.
for voice or musical input into a sound or telephony program.
analog audio conversion process.
the address for this port can be modified through system setup (see "System Setup" on page 132).
printers and keyboards.
NOTE: It is recommended that you use the front USB connectors for devices that you
connect occasionally, such as flash memory keys, cameras, or bootable USB devices.
15 IEEE 1394 connector Use the IEEE 1394 connector for high-speed data devices such as digital video
cameras and external storage devices.

Attaching the Computer Stand

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product
Information Guide.
CAUTION: Your computer is heavy and can be difficult to maneuver. Seek assistance before attempting to lift,
move, or tilt the computer and always lift correctly to avoid injury; avoid bending over while lifting.
18 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
CAUTION: The computer stand should be installed at all times to ensure maximum system stability. Failure to
install the stand could result in the computer tipping over, potentially resulting in bodily injury or damage to the computer.
1
Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 75.
2
Remove the thumb screw that is installed on the base of the computer.
NOTE: If the thumb screw is not already installed in the stand, it has been packaged separately.
3
Insert the six alignment tabs into the corresponding slots on the base of the computer, then slide the stand forward until all six tabs catch in the slots.
4
Ensure that the screw hole on the stand is aligned with the screw hole on the base of the computer.
5
Insert the captive screw into the screwhole, then tighten the screw to secure the stand to the base of the computer.
1
2
3
4
1 captive screw 2 stabilizing feet (closed) 3 computer stand
4 slots (6)
6
With the help of an assistant, carefully set the computer upright.
7
Carefully, lift the rear of the computer and slide the stabilizing feet outward into the open position.
Setting Up and Using Your Computer 19

Connecting Monitors

CAUTION: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product
Information Guide.
CAUTION: To reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, or injury, do not overload an electrical outlet, power strip, or
convenience receptacle. The total ampere rating of all products plugged into an electrical outlet, power strip, or other receptacle should not exceed 80 percent of the branch circuit rating.
NOTE: Depending on the options selected when you purchased your computer, your video card may have two DVI
ports, or one DVI and one VGA port.
1
2
3
1 DVI (white) connector 2 TV-OUT connector 3 VGA (blue) connector

Connecting a Monitor (Without an Adapter)

CAUTION: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product
Information Guide.
NOTE: If your monitor has a VGA connector and your computer does not have a VGA port, follow the instructions in
"Connecting a Monitor (With an Adapter)" on page 21.
1
Turn off the computer and all attached devices:
a
Click
Start
, then click
b
In the
Turn off computer
The computer performs a shutdown of the operating system, and then turns off.
NOTE: Ensure that the computer is off and not in a power management mode. If you cannot shut down the
computer using the operating system, press and hold the power button for 4 seconds.
20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Turn Off Computer
window, click
Tur n off
.
.
2
Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.
3
Connect the DVI or VGA connector of your monitor to the appropriate connector on the back of the computer:
To connect a monitor with a DVI connector, use the (white) DVI port on your computer.
To connect a monitor with a VGA connector, use the (blue) VGA port on your computer.

Connecting a Monitor (With an Adapter)

CAUTION: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product
Information Guide.
NOTE: In order to connect a monitor with a VGA connector to the DVI port on the back of your computer, a DVI-to-
VGA adapter is required.
1
Turn off the computer and all attached devices:
a
Click
Start
, then click
b
In the
Turn off computer
The computer performs a shutdown of the operating system, and then turns off.
NOTE: Ensure that the computer is off and not in a power management mode. If you cannot shut down the
computer using the operating system, press and hold the power button for 4 seconds.
2
Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.
3
Connect the DVI-to-VGA adapter to the VGA connector on your monitor, and then connect the other end of the adapter to the (white) DVI port on the back of the computer.
Turn Off Computer
window, click
Tur n off
.
.
Setting Up and Using Your Computer 21
2
1
1 DVI (white) connector 2 DVI-to-VGA adapter
(optional)
3
3 TV-OUT connector

Connecting a Monitor in a Dual Graphics Card Configuration

CAUTION: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product
Information Guide.
Dual graphics card configurations with multi-GPU technology enabled support only a single monitor. The monitor must be connected to the primary graphics card in order to function.
NOTE: If your primary graphics card is equipped with two DVI ports and you are using a monitor with a VGA
connector, a DVI-to-VGA adapter is required to connect the monitor (see "Connecting a Monitor (With an Adapter)" on page 21).
22 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
primary video card
1
Turn off the computer and all attached devices:
a
Click
Start
b
In the
Turn off computer
, then click
Turn Off Computer
window, click
Tur n off
.
.
The computer performs a shutdown of the operating system, and then turns off.
NOTE: Ensure that the computer is off and not in a power management mode. If you cannot shut down the
computer using the operating system, press and hold the power button for 4 seconds.
2
Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.
3
Connect the DVI or VGA connector of your monitor to the appropriate connector on the computer’s primary graphics card:
To connect a monitor with a DVI connector, use the (white) DVI port on the primary graphics card.
To connect a monitor with a VGA connector, use the (blue) VGA port on the primary graphics card.

Connecting Two or More Monitors

CAUTION: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product
Information Guide.
NOTE: In order to connect and use two or more monitors in a dual graphics card configuration, multi-GPU
technology must be disabled. To disable multi-GPU, see "Changing the Display Settings to Support Two or More Monitors" on page 25.
Setting Up and Using Your Computer 23
NOTE: Depending on the options selected when you purchased your computer, your video card may have two DVI
ports, or one DVI and one VGA port.
1
Turn off the computer and all attached devices:
a
Click
Start
b
In the
Turn off computer
, then click
Turn Off Computer
window, click
Tur n off
.
.
The computer performs a shutdown of the operating system, and then turns off.
NOTE: Ensure that the computer is off and not in a power management mode. If you cannot shut down the
computer using the operating system, press and hold the power button for 4 seconds.
2
Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.
3
Connect two or more monitors to the appropriate DVI or VGA ports on the back of the computer.
NOTE: In order to connect a monitor with a VGA connector to the DVI port on the back of your computer, a
DVI-to-VGA adapter is required.
To connect two or more monitors directly to the DVI or VGA ports on your computer, see "Connecting a Monitor (Without an Adapter)" on page 20.
To connect the VGA connectors of one or more monitors to the DVI port(s) on your computer, see "Connecting a Monitor (With an Adapter)" on page 21.
4
Change the display settings to support multiple monitors (see "Changing the Display Settings to Support Two or More Monitors" on page 25).

Connecting a TV

CAUTION: Before you perform any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product
Information Guide.
NOTE: If you are connecting a TV to your computer, 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, an S-video cable is required. If you do not have an S-video cable, you may purchase one at most consumer electronics stores. An S-video cable is not included with your computer.
1
Turn off the computer and all attached devices:
a
Click
Start
b
In the
Turn off computer
, then click
Turn Off Computer
window, click
Tur n off
.
.
The computer performs a shutdown of the operating system, and then turns off.
NOTE: Ensure that the computer is off and not in a power management mode. If you cannot shut down the
computer using the operating system, press and hold the power button for 4 seconds.
2
Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.
3
Connect one end of the S-video cable to the TV-OUT connector on the back of the computer.
24 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
4
Connect the other end of the S-video cable to the S-video input connector on your TV.
5
Connect one monitor, as needed, with a DVI or VGA connector as described in "Connecting Monitors" on page 20.

Changing the Display Settings to Support Two or More Monitors

NOTE: Dual graphics card configurations with multi-GPU technology enabled support only a single monitor. In
order to connect and use two or more monitors in a dual graphics card configuration with multi-GPU technology, multi-GPU must be disabled.
1
With your monitors connected and turned on, turn on the computer.
The Microsoft
2
Disable multi-GPU technology in the display settings (applies only to dual graphics card configurations with multi-GPU technology enabled):
For information on disabling multi-GPU technology, see the documentation that came with your graphics card.
3
Enable clone mode or extended desktop mode in the display settings.
• In clone mode, all monitors display the same image.
• In extended desktop mode, you can drag objects from one screen to the other, increasing the amount of viewable work space.
For more information on changing the display settings for your graphics card, see the device user’s guide in the Help and Support Center (click Start, click Help and Support, click User and system guides, click Device guides, and then click the guide for your graphics card).
®
Windows® desktop displays on the primary monitor.

About Your RAID Configuration

NOTICE: In order to use the migrating option to convert a RAID configuration without losing data, your hard drive
must initially be set up as a single drive RAID 0 array before the operating system is loaded onto the drive (see "Using the Nvidia MediaShield ROM Utility" on page 28 for instructions).
This section provides an overview of the RAID configuration you may have selected when you purchased your computer. There are several RAID configurations available in the computer industry for different types of uses. Your Dell XPS computer supports RAID level 0 and RAID level 1. A RAID level 0 configuration is recommended for high-performance programs while RAID level 1 is recommended for users that desire a high level of data integrity.
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 a RAID configuration should be the same size in order to ensure that the larger drive does not contain unallocated (and therefore unusable) space.
Setting Up and Using Your Computer 25

RAID Level 0 Configuration

NOTICE: Because a RAID level 0 configuration provides no data redundancy, a failure of one drive results in the
loss of all data. To protect your data when using a RAID level 0 configuration, perform regular backups.
RAID level 0 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 drive(s) 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.
serial ATA RAID configured for RAID level 0
segment 1
segment 3
segment 5
hard drive 1
segment 2
segment 4
segment 6
hard drive 2
Another advantage of a RAID level 0 configuration is that it utilizes the full storage capacities of the drives. For example, two 120-GB hard drives combine to provide 240 GB of hard drive space on which to store data.
NOTE: In a RAID level 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 Configuration

RAID level 1 uses a data-redundancy storage technique known as 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. A RAID level 1 configuration sacrifices high data-access rates for its data redundancy advantages.
26 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
serial ATA RAID configured for RAID level 1
segment 1
segment 2
segment 3
segment 4
segment 5
segment 6
hard drive 1
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.
NOTE: In a RAID level 1 configuration, the size of the configuration is equal to the size of the smallest drive in the
configuration.

Configuring Your Hard Drives for RAID

Your computer can be configured for RAID, even if you did not select a RAID configuration when the computer was purchased. For an explanation of RAID levels and their requirements, see "About Your RAID Configuration" on page 25. For information on how to install a hard drive, see "Installing a Hard Drive" on page 101.
You can use one of two methods to configure RAID hard drive volumes. The first 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 is performed after you have installed the operating system and Nvidia RAID drivers.
Both methods require that you set your computer to RAID-enabled mode before you begin.
Setting Your Computer to RAID-Enabled Mode
1
Enter system setup (see "Entering System Setup" on page 132).
2
Press the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight
3
Press the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight the applicable SATA drive, then press <Enter>.
4
Press the left- and right-arrow keys to highlight
Drives
, then press <Enter>.
RAID On
, and then press <Enter>. Repeat the
process, as needed, for each SATA hard drive.
NOTE: For more information about RAID options, see "System Setup Options" on page 133.
Setting Up and Using Your Computer 27
5
Press <Esc>, press the left- and right-arrow keys to highlight
Save/Exit
, and then press <Enter> to
exit system setup and resume the boot process.

Using the Nvidia MediaShield ROM Utility

NOTICE: The following procedure will result in the loss of all data on your hard drive(s). Back up any data you want
to keep before continuing.
NOTE: Do not use the following procedure to migrate an existing RAID configuration (see "Converting From One
RAID Configuration to Another RAID Configuration" on page 30.
Hard drives of any size may be used to create a RAID configuration. Ideally, however, the drives should be of equal size to avoid unallocated or unused space. For an explanation of RAID levels and their requirements, see "About Your RAID Configuration" on page 25. For information on how to install a hard drive, see "Installing a Hard Drive" on page 101.
1
Enable RAID for each applicable hard drive on your computer (see "Setting Your Computer to RAID­Enabled Mode" on page 27).
2
Restart the computer.
3
Press <Ctrl><N> when prompted to enter the RAID BIOS.
NOTE: If the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Microsoft Windows desktop,
then shut down your computer and try again.
The
Define a New Array
4
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
5
Press <Tab> to navigate to the
6
Use the up- and down-arrow keys to select a hard drive to include in the RAID array and then use the
Free Disks
field.
right-arrow key to move the selected drive from the each disk you want to include in the RAID array.
NOTE: Your computer supports a maximum of two drives per RAID 1 array and four drives per RAID 0 array.
7
After assigning the hard drives to an array, press <F9>.
The
Clear disk data
NOTICE: You will lose all data on the selected drives in the next step.
8
Press <Y> to clear all data from the selected drives.
The
Array List
prompt appears.
window appears.
28 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Free Disks
Mirroring
field to the
.
Array Disks
field. Repeat for
9
To review the details of the array that you set up, use the arrow keys to highlight the array in the
window and press <Enter>.
Detail
The
Array Detail
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.
window appears.
Array

Using Nvidia MediaShield

Nvidia MediaShield allows you to create, view, and manage RAID configurations.
NOTE: 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.
Hard drives of any size may be used to create a RAID configuration using Nvidia MediaShield. Ideally, however, the drives should be of equal size to avoid unallocated or unused space. For an explanation of RAID levels and their requirements, see "About Your RAID Configuration" on page 25.
Creating a RAID Array
NOTICE: The following procedure will result in the loss of all data on your hard drive(s). Back up any data you want
to keep before continuing.
NOTE: Do not use the following procedure to migrate an existing RAID configuration (see "Converting From One
RAID Configuration to Another RAID Configuration" on page 30.
1
Enable RAID on your hard drives (see "Setting Your Computer to RAID-Enabled Mode" on page 27).
2
After rebooting your computer, launch Nvidia MediaShield.
3
Click
Create
The
NVIDIA Create Array Wizard
under
System Tasks
.
appears and lists the disks that are available for configuration.
4
Click
Next
.
5
Click
Custom
6
Use the drop-down box to select
7
Click
Next
Free Disk Selection
The
NOTE: Only RAID-enabled hard drives are listed as free disks.
8
Click to select the drives that will make up the RAID configuration, click
, then click
.
Next
.
Striping
window appears.
(RAID 0) or
Mirroring
(RAID 1).
Next
, and then click
again.
NOTE: Your computer supports a maximum of two drives per RAID 1 array and four per RAID 0 array.
The
Clearing System Data
window appears.
Setting Up and Using Your Computer 29
Next
NOTICE: The Clear System Data option deletes all data on the selected drive.
9
Click
Next
.
10
Click
Finish
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
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.
NOTE: If your computer currently boots to RAID and you delete the RAID volume, your computer will become
unbootable.
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.
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
NOTICE: In order to use the migrating option to convert a RAID configuration without losing data, your hard drive
must initially be set up as a single drive RAID 0 array before the operating system is loaded onto the drive (see "Using the Nvidia MediaShield ROM Utility" on page 28 for instructions).
Nvidia MediaShield utilizes a one-step process known as migrating to change the current state of a disk or array without losing any data. If needed, additional hard drives can be added to an existing array, including a single-drive RAID 0 configuration for conversion to a two-drive RAID 0 configuration; however, the capacity of the resulting array must be equal to or greater than the size of the original configuration.
RAID 1 to RAID 1
NOTICE: Additional hard drives to be used in the (migrated) array must be no smaller than any of the drives in the
current configuration.
conversions cannot be performed using the migrating process:
30 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
NOTE: Ensure that all drives to be used in the RAID configuration are RAID-enabled (see "Setting Your Computer to
RAID-Enabled Mode" on page 27.)
1
Launch Nvidia MediaShield.
2
Click to select the array you want to convert.
3
Click
Convert Array
NVIDIA Convert Array Wizard
The
4
Click
Next
.
5
Under
RAID Mode Selection
6
Click
Next
.
NOTICE: You will lose all data on the selected drives in the next step.
7
Under
Free Disk Selection
in the
System Tasks
pane.
appears.
, select
Mirroring
or
Striping
from the drop-down menu.
, select the hard drive(s) you want to include in the (migrated) array by
clicking the checkbox beside it.
8
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.
NOTE: The time it takes to convert an array depends on several factors, such as the speed of the CPU, the
type and size of the hard drive being used, the operating system, etc.
Rebuilding a RAID Configuration
If one of the hard drives in a RAID array fails, you can rebuild the array by restoring the data to a replacement drive.
NOTE: Rebuilding an array can only be performed on RAID 1 and configurations.
1
Launch Nvidia MediaShield.
2
Click to select your RAID configuration (
3
Select
Rebuild Array
NVIDIA Rebuild Array Wizard
The
4
Click
Next
.
5
Select the hard drive you want to rebuild by clicking the checkbox beside it.
6
Click
Next
.
7
Click
Finish
.
in the
System Tasks
Mirroring
pane.
appears.
) in the management utility window.
The MediaShield RAID management utility window appears and displays the status of the rebuild process.
NOTE: You can use your computer while the computer is rebuilding the array.
NOTE: You can use any available (RAID-enabled) free disk to rebuild an array.
Setting Up and Using Your Computer 31

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 or tilt the computer when you are playing CDs or DVDs.
1
Press the eject button on the front of the computer (see "Front View" on page 13) to open the drive tray.
2
Place the disc, label side up, in the center of the drive tray.
3
Press the eject button or gently push on the tray to close it.
To format CDs for storing data, to create music CDs, or to copy CDs, see the CD software that came with your computer.
NOTE: Ensure that you observe all copyright laws when you create CDs or DVDs.
A CD player includes the following basic controls:
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
32 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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