Dell Dimension 2200 User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ Dimension™ 2200
Owner’s Manual

Hints, Notices, and Cautions
HINT: A HINT indicates important information that helps you make better
use of your computer.
NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of
data and tells you how to avoid the problem.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage,
personal injury, or death.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the Tell Me How help
file. To access help files, see page 26.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2002 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Computer
Corporation is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Dimension, Inspiron, Latitude, OptiPlex, Dell
Precision, and DellNet are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation; Intel and Celeron are
registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered 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 Computer Corporation disclaims any proprietary interest
in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by method claims of
certain U.S. patents and other intellectual property rights owned by Macrovision Corporation and
other rights owners. Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision
Corporation, and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses only unless otherwise
authorized by Macrovision Corporation. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited.
May 2002 P/N 5J510 Rev. A01

Contents 3
Contents
Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
When Using Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
When Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Ergonomic Computing Habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Battery Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1Setting Up
Connecting a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Parallel Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
USB Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Installing the Printer Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Transferring Information to a New Computer
(Windows XP Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Setting Up a Home and Office Network (Windows XP Only) . . . 20
Turning Off the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2Solving Problems
Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Accessing Help Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Start-Up Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

4Contents
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
If the screen is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
If the screen is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
No sound from speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
If you cannot print to a parallel port printer . . . . . . . . . . 32
If you cannot print to a USB printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Modem Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
If you cannot save a file to a floppy disk . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
If you cannot play a music CD or install a program
from a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
If you cannot play a DVD movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
If the CD-RW drive stops writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
If you have a hard drive problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Microsoft®Windows®Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
General Program Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
A program crashes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
A program error causes the system to lock up . . . . . . . . . 42
A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
A program is designed for an earlier Windows
operating system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Contents 5
Internet Connection Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
If you have a problem with your Internet connection . . . . . . . 43
E-Mail Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Resolving Other Technical Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Reinstalling Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Using the Windows XP Device Driver Rollback . . . . . . . . . 46
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . 47
Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Using System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Creating a Restore Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State . . . . . . 51
Undoing the Last System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Reinstalling Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Reinstalling Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
3Adding Parts
Front and Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Removing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Rotating the Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Looking Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
System Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Adding a 3.5-Inch Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Adding Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Removing Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

6Contents
Adding Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Replacing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
4Appendix
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Standard Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Viewing Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
System Setup Program Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Clearing Forgotten Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . 91
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . 91
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Contact Numbers and Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit . . . . . . . . . 107
Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
FCC Notices (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
NOM Information (Mexico Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Limited Warranties and Return Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
One-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Two-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Three-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Four-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
One-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Two-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Contents 7
Three-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . 129
"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . 133
One-Year End-User Manufacturer Guarantee
(Latin America and the Caribbean Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

8Contents

Safety Instructions 9
Safety Instructions
Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer from
potential damage and to ensure your own personal safety.
When Using Your Computer
As you use your computer, observe the following safe-handling guidelines.
CAUTION: Do not operate your computer with any cover(s)
(including computer covers, bezels, filler brackets, front-panel
inserts, and so on) removed.
• Your computer is equipped with one of the following:
– A fixed-voltage power supply — Computers with a fixed-voltage
powersupply do nothave a voltageselection switch on the back panel
and operate at only one voltage (see the regulatory label on the
outside of the computer for its operating voltage).
– An auto-sensing voltage circuit — Computers with an auto-sensing
voltage circuit do not have a voltage selection switch on the back
panel and automatically detect the correct operating voltage.
– A manual voltage selection switch — Computers with a voltage
selection switch on the back panel must be manually set to operate at
the correct operating voltage.
115V

10 Safety Instructions
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
To help avoid damaging a computer with a manual voltage selection
switch, ensure that the voltage selection switch is set to match the AC
power available at your location:
– 115 V/60 Hz in most of North and South America and some Far
Eastern countries such as South Korea and Taiwan
– 100 V/50 Hz in eastern Japan and 100 V/60 Hz in western Japan
NOTE: The voltage selection switch must be set to the 115-V position even
though the AC power available in Japan is 100 V.
– 230 V/50 Hz in some regions in the Caribbean and South America
and most of Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East
Also, ensure that your monitor and attached devices are electrically rated
to operate with the AC power available in your location.
• Beforeworking insidethe computer, unplug the computer to help prevent
electricshockor systemboarddamage. Certainsystemboardcomponents
continue to receive power any time the computer is connected to AC
power.
• To avoid shorting out your computer when disconnecting a network
cable, first unplug the cable from the network adapter on the back of your
computer, and then from thenetworkjack. When reconnectinga network
cable to your computer, first plug the cable into the network jack, and
then into the network adapter.
• To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds after
turning off the computer before disconnecting a device from the
computer.
• To help prevent electric shock, plug the computer and device power
cables into properly grounded electrical outlets. These cables are
equippedwith 3-prong plugsto help ensure proper grounding. Donot use
adapter plugs or remove the grounding prong from a cable. If you must
use an extension cable, use a 3-wire cable with properly grounded plugs.
Safety Instructions (continued)

Safety Instructions 11
• To help protect your computer from sudden, transient increases and
decreases in electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner, or
uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
• Be sure nothing rests on your computer’s cables and that the cables are
not located where they can be stepped on or tripped over.
• Do not push any objects into the openings of your computer. Doing so
can cause fire or electric shock by shorting out interior components.
• Keep your computer away from radiators and heat sources. Also, do not
block cooling vents. Avoid placing loose papers underneath your
computer; do not place your computer in a closed-in wall unit or on a
bed, sofa, or rug.
When Working Inside Your Computer
Before you open the computer cover, perform the following steps in the
sequence indicated.
CAUTION: Do not attempt to service the computer yourself, except
as explained in your online Dell documentation or otherwise provided
to you. Always follow installation and service instructions closely.
NOTICE: To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds
after turning off the computer before removing a component from the system
board or disconnecting a device from the computer.
1Perform an orderly computer shutdown using the operating system menu.
2Turn off your computer and any devices.
Safety Instructions (continued)

12 Safety Instructions
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
3Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface on the chassis,
such as the metal around the card-slot openings at the back of the
computer, before touching anything inside your computer.
While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the
computer chassis to dissipate any static electricity that might harm
internal components.
4Disconnect your computer and devices, including the monitor, from their
electrical outlets. Also, disconnect any telephone or telecommunication
lines from the computer.
Doing so reduces the potential for personal injury or shock.
5Disconnect the power cable to your computer, and then press the power
button to ground the system board.
In addition, take note of these safety guidelines when appropriate:
• When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief
loop, not on the cable itself. Some cables have a connector with locking
tabs; if you are disconnecting this type of cable, press in on the locking
tabs before disconnecting the cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep
them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before
you connect a cable, ensure that both connectors are correctly oriented
and aligned.
• Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components
or contacts on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting
bracket. Hold a component such as a microprocessor chip by its edges,
not by its pins.
CAUTION: There is a danger of a new battery exploding if it is
incorrectly installed. Replace the battery only with the same or
equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Discard used
batteries according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Safety Instructions (continued)

Safety Instructions 13
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge
Static electricity can harm delicate components inside your computer. To
prevent static damage, discharge static electricity from your body before you
touch any of your computer’s electronic components, such as the
microprocessor. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the
computer chassis.
As you continue to work inside the computer, periodically touch an unpainted
metal surface to remove any static charge your body may have accumulated.
You can also take the following steps to prevent damage from electrostatic
discharge (ESD):
• Do not remove components from their antistatic packing material until
you are ready to install the component in your computer. Just before
unwrapping the antistatic packaging, discharge static electricity from
your body.
• When transporting an electrostatic sensitive component, first place it in
an antistatic container or packaging.
• Handle all electrostatic sensitive components in a static-safe area. If
possible, use antistatic floor pads and workbench pads.
The following notice may appear throughout this document to remind you of
these precautions:
NOTICE: See "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge" in the safety
instructions at the front of this guide.
Ergonomic Computing Habits
CAUTION: Improper or prolonged keyboard use may result in injury.
CAUTION: Viewing the monitor screen for extended periods of time
may result in eye strain.
Safety Instructions (continued)

14 Safety Instructions
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Battery Disposal
Your computer uses a lithium coin-cell battery. The lithium coin-cell battery is
a long-life battery, and it is very possible that you will never need to replace it.
However, should you need to replace it, see page 89.
Do not dispose of the battery along with household waste. Contact your local
waste disposal agency for the address of the nearest battery deposit site.
Safety Instructions (continued)

1
SECTION 1
Setting Up
Connecting a Printer
Transferring Information to a New Computer
(Windows XP Only)
Setting Up a Home and Office Network
(Windows XP Only)
Turning Off the Computer

16 Setting Up
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Connecting a Printer
See the documentation that came with the printer for any recommended
preparation procedures, such as:
• Removing the packaging
• Installing the toner or ink cartridge
• Loading paper
Then follow the instructions that came with the printer to connect it to the
computer. If no information is provided, see the following sections.
Parallel Printer
Follow the instructions that came with the parallel printer to connect it to
the computer. If no information is provided, then follow the instructions in
this section.
1Turn off the computer (see page 20).
NOTICE: Use only a standard IEEE parallel cable measuring 3 m (10 ft) or
less to connect the printer to the computer. Use of a nonstandard cable may
prevent the printer from working.
2Attach the parallel printer cable to the parallel connector on the
computer and tighten the two screws. Attach the cable to the parallel
connector on the printer and snap the two clips into the two notches.

Setting Up 17
3Turn on the printer and then turn on the computer. If the Add New
Hardware Wizard window appears, click Cancel.
4Install the printer driver if necessary (see "Installing the Printer Driver"
on page 18).
USB Printer
Follow the instructions that came with the USB printer to connect it to the
computer. If no information is provided, then follow the instructions in this
section.
HINT: You can connect
USB devices while the
computer is turned on.
1Install the printer driver if necessary (see the following section).
2Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connector on the computer
and the printer. The USB connectors only fit one way.
notches (2)
parallel printer
cable
screws (2)
parallelconnector
on printer
clips (2)
parallel connector
on computer

18 Setting Up
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
HINT: Yourcomputerhas
four USB connectors on
the back panel (see
page 58).
Installing the Printer Driver
Follow the instructions that came with the printer to install printer drivers.
If no information was provided with the printer, then refer to the following
instructions.
If you need to install a printer driver, insert the printer installation CD into
the CD or DVD drive. Then follow the prompts on the screen using the
instructions that came with the printer.
If your printer installation CD does not automatically run, click the Start
button on the Microsoft®Windows®desktop, click Run, and type
x:\setup.exe (where xis the letter of your CD or DVD drive [usually
drive D]). Then click OK and follow the prompts on your screen. If your
printer installation CD still does not run, check the documentation that
came with your printer for instructions on how to start the printer
installation CD.
If you connect an older printer and it doesn’t work after you install the
driver, access the system setup program (see page 86) and ensure that the
parallel port is set to operate in bidirectional mode.
USB printer
cable
USB connector
on computer
USB connector
on printer

Setting Up 19
To check if your printer driver is installed on a computer running the
Windows XP operating system, click the Start button, click Control Panel,
click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click View installed printers
or fax printers. If your computer runsWindows 2000, click the Start button,
point to Settings, and then click Printers. If your printer is listed in the
Printers window, the printer is ready to use.
Transferring Information to a New
Computer (Windows XP Only)
Windows XP provides a Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to move data,
such as e-mails, window sizes, toolbar settings, and Internet bookmarks,
from one computer to another. First you collect the data from the source
computer, and then you import the data to the new computer.
HINT: The CD that you
need to place in your CD
or DVD drive is titled
Operating System .
If the source computer uses another Windows operating system, the wizard
can be launched from the Windows XP operating system CD or from a
floppy disk created on the Windows XP computer. You may transfer the
data to the new computer over a network or serial connection, or you may
store it on a removable medium, such as a floppy disk, a Zip disk, or a
writable CD.
1On the computer running Windows XP, click the Start button, point
to All Programs—> Accessories—> System Tools, and then click
Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.
2On the welcome screen, click Next.
3On the Which computer is this? screen, select New Computer, and
then click Next.
4Follow the instructions on the screen.

20 Setting Up
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Setting Up a Home and Office Network
(Windows XP Only)
Windows XP provides a Network Setup Wizard to guide you through the
process of sharing files, printers, or an Internet connection between
computers in a home or small office.
HINT: Selecting the
connection method This
computer connects
directly to the Internet
enables the integrated
firewall provided with
Windows XP.
1Click the Start button, point to All Programs—>
Accessories—> Communications, and then click Network Setup
Wizard.
2On the welcome screen, click Next.
3Click checklist for creating a network.
4Complete the checklist and required preparations, and then return to
the Network Setup Wizard.
5Follow the instructions on the screen.
Turning Off the Computer
NOTICE: To prevent data loss, you must turn off your computer through the
Start menu rather than by pressing the power button.
HINT: If you are having
difficulty turning off your
computer, see "General
Program Problems" on
page 42.
Windows XP
1Save and close any open files and exit any open programs.
2Click the Start button and then click Turn off Computer.
3Click Turn off.
The computer automatically turns off after the shutdown process
finishes.
4Turn off your monitor and any other devices connected to power.
Windows 2000
1Save and exit any programs and files you have open.
2Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down.
3Click the pull-down menu under What do you want the computer
to do?.