Dell Dimension 4500 User manual

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Dell™ Dimension™ 4500

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.
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, DellPlus, and DellNet are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation; EMC is the
registered trademark of EMC Corporation; Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel
Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Othertrademarksandtradenamesmaybeusedinthisdocumenttorefertoeithertheentitiesclaiming
themarksandnamesortheirproducts.DellComputerCorporationdisclaimsanyproprietaryinterest
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
otherrightsowners.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.
April 2002 P/N 9N756 Rev. A00

Contents 3
Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
When Using Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
When Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Battery Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Finding Information for Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1Setting Up
Connecting a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Parallel Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
USB Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Installing the Printer Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Transferring Information to a New Computer . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Setting Up a Home and Office Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Connecting to a Network Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Network Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Turning Off the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2Solving Problems
Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Finding Help Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Battery Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

4Contents
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Floppy drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
CD drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Problems writing to a CD-RW drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
DVD drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Hard drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
General Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
A program crashes repeatedly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
A program is designed for an earlier Windows
operating system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Other software problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Other technical problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
General hardware problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
If the screen is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
If the screen is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Contents 5
3Advanced Troubleshooting
Diagnostic Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Using System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Creating a Restore Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State . . . . . . 51
Undoing the Last System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Reinstalling Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Using Windows®XP Device Driver Rollback . . . . . . . . . . 53
Using the Dell Dimension ResourceCD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . 54
Reinstalling Windows®XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
4Adding Parts
Front and Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Reattaching the Front Door and Hinge Arms . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Reattaching the Front Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Reattaching the Hinge Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Opening the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Looking Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
System Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Installing and Removing Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Installing a Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Removing a Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Adding Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Removing a Memory Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Adding a Memory Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

6Contents
Adding or Replacing the AGP Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Card Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Card Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Adding a Second Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Closing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
5Appendix
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Standard Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Viewing Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
System Setup Program Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Clearing Forgotten Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . 95
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . 95
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Contact Numbers and Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit . . . . . . . . . 111
Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
NOM Information (Mexico Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Limited Warranties and Return Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
One-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Two-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Three-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Four-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
One-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Two-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Three-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 131

Contents 7
"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . 135
One-Year End-User Manufacturer Guarantee (Latin America and the
Caribbean Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

8Contents

Safety Instructions 9
Use the following safety guidelines to protect yourself and your computer.
When Using Your Computer
CAUTION: Do not operate your computer with any cover(s)
(including the computer cover, filler brackets, front-panel inserts,
and so on) removed or opened.
• Your computer is equipped with either an auto-sensing voltage selector
or a manual voltage selection switch. Computers with an auto-sensing
voltage selector do not have a voltage selection switch on the back
panel and automatically detect the correct operating voltage.
Computers with a voltage selection switch on the back panel must be
manually set to operate at the correct operating voltage. To help avoid
damaging a computer with a manual voltage selection switch, be sure
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 115V position
even though the AC supply in Japan is 100 V.
– 230 V/50 Hz in most of Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East
NOTE: Auto-select power supplies do not require a voltage selection
switch. Your power supply may not have this switch.
Also be sure that your monitor and attached devices are electrically
rated to operate with the AC power available in your location.
• 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 the network jack. When reconnecting a
network cable to your computer, first plug the cable into the network
jack, and then into the network adapter.

10 Safety Instructions
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•To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds
after turning off the computer before disconnecting or connecting a
non-USB device from the computer.
•To help prevent electric shock, plug the computer and device power
cables into properly grounded power sources. These cables are
equipped with three-prong plugs to help ensure proper grounding. Do
not use adapter plugs or remove the grounding prong from a cable. If
you must use an extension cable, use a three-wire cable with properly
grounded plugs.
•To help protect your computer from sudden, transient increases and
decreases in electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner,
or uninterruptible power supply.
•Be sure that 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 spill food or liquids on your computer. If the computer gets
wet, contact Dell (see page 95).
•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 this guide and elsewhere in Dell
documentation. Always follow installation and service
instructions closely.

Safety Instructions 11
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 (see page 22).
2Turn off your computer and any devices.
3Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface at the back of
the computer before touching anything inside your computer.
While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the
computer to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal
components.
4Disconnect any devices connected to the computer, including the
monitor, from their electrical outlets to reduce the potential for
personal injury or shock. Also, disconnect any telephone or
telecommunication lines from the computer.
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, not on the cable
itself. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid
bending any pins. Also, before you connect a cable, make sure that
both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.
•Handle components and cards with care. Don’t touch the components
on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal bracket.
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.
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge
To prevent static damage, discharge static electricity from your body before
you touch anything inside your computer and periodically while you work
inside the computer. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface
on the back of the computer.

12 Safety Instructions
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You can also take the following steps to prevent static damage:
•Do not remove items from their antistatic packing material until you
are ready to install them in your computer. Just before unwrapping the
antistatic packaging, be sure to discharge static electricity from your
body.
•When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an antistatic
container or packaging.
Battery Disposal
Your computer uses a lithium battery. For instructions about replacing the
lithium battery in your computer, see page 93. The lithium battery is a long-
life battery, and it is very possible that you will never need to replace it.
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 13
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
• A diagnostic program for my computer
• Drivers for my computer
• My computer documentation
• My device documentation
ResourceCD
You can use this CD to access documentation and reinstall drivers (see
page 52).
• How to set up a printer
• How to troubleshoot and solve problems
• How to add parts
• How to contact Dell
• Warranty information
Owner’s Manual
• Express Service Code and Service Tag
Number
• Windows License Label
Express Service Code and Windows License Label
Located on your computer.

14 Safety Instructions
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•How to reinstall my operating system Operating System CD
If you reinstall your operating system, use the ResourceCD to reinstall
drivers for the devices that came with your computer (see page 55).
•Latest drivers for my computer
•Answers to technical service and support
questions
•Online discussions with other users and
technical support
•Documentation for my computer
Dell | Support website
The Dell | Support website provides several online tools, including:
•Knowledge Base —hints, tips, and online courses
•Customer Forum —online discussion with other Dell customers
•Upgrades —upgrade information for components, such as memory,
the hard drive, and the operating system
•Customer Care —contact information, order status, warranty, and
repair information
•Downloads —drivers, patches, and software updates
•Reference —computer documentation, product specifications, and
white papers
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here

Safety Instructions 15
•How to set up my computer Start Here Setup Diagram
•Tips on using Windows
•How to clean my computer
•How to use my mouse and keyboard
Tell Me How Help File
1Click the Start button, and then click Help and Support.
2Click User and system guides, and then click User’s guides.
3Click Tell Me How.
•How to use Windows®XP
•Documentation for my computer and
devices
Windows XP Help and Support Center
1Click the Start button, and then click Help and Support.
2Type a word or phrase that describes your problem, and then click
the arrow icon.
3Click the topic that describes your problem.
4Follow the instructions shown on the screen.
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here

16 Safety Instructions
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SECTION 1
Connecting a Printer
Transferring Information to a New Computer
Setting Up a Home and Office Network
Turning Off the Computer

18 Setting Up
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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
1Turn off the computer (see page 22).
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.
notches (2)
parallel printer
cable
screws (2)
parallel connector
on printer
clips (2)
parallel connector
on computer

Setting Up 19
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 19).
USB Printer
HINT: You can connect
USB devices while the
computer is turned on.
1Install the printer driver if necessary (see the following section).
2 Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connector on the computer
and the printer. The USB connectors only fit one way.
HINT: Your computer has
six USB 2.0 connectors,
four on the back panel
(see page 62) and two
inside the door on the
front panel (see page 60).
Installing the Printer Driver
HINT: A driver is a
software program that
allows a hardware device
controller to function
properly and to
communicate with the
computer.
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.
USB printer
cable
USB connector
on computer
USB connector
on printer

20 Setting Up
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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 90) and ensure that the
parallel port is set to operate in bidirectional mode.
To check if your printer driver is installed on a computer, click Control
Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click View installed
printers or fax printers. If your printer is listed in the Printers window, the
printer is ready to use.
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.
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 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 floppy disk, a Zip disk, or a writable CD.
To transfer information to a new computer:
HINT: The CD that you
need to place in your CD
or DVD drive is titled
Operating System.
1Click 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.