Dell Dimension 4550 Series User manual

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Dell™ Dimension™ 4550 Series
CD or DVD
activity light
CD or DVD drive
eject button
floppy drive light*
floppy drive
eject button*
hard drive light
power button
CD or DVD volume
control dial
service tag
headphone connector
USB 2.0
connectors (2)
voltage selection switch
power connector
parallel connector
keyboard connector
USB 2.0 connectors (2)
microphone
connector*
line-out
connector*
line-in
connector*
network adapter
video connector
serial connector
diagnostic lights (4)
USB 2.0 connectors (2)
* On computers with integrated audio.
mouse connector
*On computers
with an optional
floppy drive.

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 38.
If you purchased a Dell™ nSeries computer, any references in this
document to Microsoft®Windows®operating systems are not applicable.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2003 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, Celeron, 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
other rightsowners.Use of thiscopyrightprotectiontechnologymustbeauthorizedbyMacrovision
Corporation, and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses only unless otherwise
authorized by Macrovision Corporation. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited.
January 2003 P/N D0995 Rev. A00

Contents 3
Contents
CAUTION: Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
When Using Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
When Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Ergonomic Computing Habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Battery Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Finding Information for Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Setting Up a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Printer Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Connecting a Parallel Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Connecting a USB Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Connecting Two Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Connecting the Monitors to Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Enabling Clone Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Enabling Extended Desktop Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Transferring Information to a New Computer . . . . . . . . . . 25
Setting Up a Home and Office Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Connecting to a Network Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Network Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Setting Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

4Contents
Copying CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Using Easy CD Creator Basic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Using Blank CD-R Discs or Blank CD-RW Discs . . . . . . . . 31
Helpful Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
How to Copy a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Hyper-Threading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Booting to a USB Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Turning Off the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2Solving Problems
Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Finding Help Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Battery Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Floppy drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
CD drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Problems writing to a CD-RW drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
DVD drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Hard drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
General Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
A program crashes repeatedly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
A program is designed for an earlier
Windows operating system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Other software problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Other technical problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
General hardware problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Contents 5
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
No sound from speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
If the screen is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
If the screen is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
3Advanced Troubleshooting
Diagnostic Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Starting the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
What Is a Driver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Identifying Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Reinstalling drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Using System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Creating a Restore Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State . . . . . . 68
Undoing the Last System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . 70

6Contents
Reinstalling Microsoft®Windows®XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Before You Reinstall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Reinstalling Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Reinstalling Drivers and Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
4Adding Parts
Front and Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Reattaching the Front Door and Hinge Arms . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Reattaching the Hinge Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Reattaching the Front Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Opening the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Looking Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
System Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Installing and Removing Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Installing a Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Removing a Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Adding Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Removing a Memory Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Adding a Memory Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Adding or Replacing the AGP Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Card Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Card Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Adding a Second Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Adding a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Removing the Front-Panel Insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Installing a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Closing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Contents 7
5Appendix
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Standard Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Viewing Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
System Setup Program Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Clearing Forgotten Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . 115
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . 115
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Contact Numbers and Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit . . . . . . . . 133
Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
NOM Information (Mexico Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Limited Warranties and Return Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Limited Warranty for the U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . 140
Limited Warranty Terms for Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . 144
Dell Software and Peripherals (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . 145
One-Year End-User Manufacturer Guarantee
(Latin America and the Caribbean Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Intel®Warranty Statement for Pentium®and
Celeron®Processors Only (U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . . . . 147
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

8Contents

CAUTION: Safety Instructions 9
CAUTION: Safety Instructions
Use the following safety guidelines to help ensure your own personal safety and to help protect
your computer and working environment from potential damage.
General
• Do not attempt to service the computer yourself unless you are a trained service
technician. Always follow installation instructions closely.
• To help prevent electric shock, plug the computer and device power cables into properly
grounded electrical outlets. These cables are equipped with 3-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 3-wire cable with properly grounded plugs.
• To help avoid the potential hazard of electric shock, do not use your computer during an
electrical storm.
• To help avoid the potential hazard of electric shock, do not connect or disconnect any
cables or perform maintenance or reconfiguration of this product during an electrical
storm.
• If your computer includes a modem, the cable used with the modem should be
manufactured with a minimum wire size of 26 American wire gauge (AWG) and an FCC-
compliant RJ-11 modular plug.
• Before you clean your computer, disconnect the computer from the electrical outlet.
Clean your computer with a soft cloth dampened with water. Do not use liquid or aerosol
cleaners, which may contain flammable substances.
• To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds after turning off the
computer before disconnecting a device from the computer.

10 CAUTION: Safety Instructions
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• 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.
• 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).
• Ensure 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 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.
CAUTION: Safety Instructions (continued)

When Using Your Computer 11
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 power supply do not
have a voltage selection 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.
NOTICE: To help avoid damaging a computer with a manual voltage selection switch, set the
switch for the voltage that most closely matches the AC power available in your location. For Japan,
the voltage selection switch must be set to the 115-V position even though the AC power available in
Japan is 100 V. Also, ensure that your monitor and attached devices are electrically rated to
operate with the AC power available in your location.
• Before working inside the computer, unplug the computer to help prevent electric shock
or system board damage. Certain system board components continue to receive power
any time the computer is connected to AC power.

12 When Using Your Computer
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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 in instructions otherwise provided to you by
Dell. 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 connected to the computer.
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.
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.
When Using Your Computer (continued)

When Using Your Computer 13
• 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. 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.
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.
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.
For comfort and efficiency, observe the ergonomic guidelines in the Tel l Me H o w help file when
setting up and using your computer.
When Using Your Computer (continued)

14 When Using Your Computer
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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 113.
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.
When Using Your Computer (continued)

Finding Information for Your Computer 15
Finding Information for Your Computer
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 65).
• How to set up a printer
• How to troubleshoot and solve problems
• How to add parts
• How to contact Dell
•Warrantyinformation
Owner’s Manual
• Express Service Code and Service Tag
Number
•Microsoft
®Windows®License Label
Express Service Code and Product Key
Located on your computer.

16 Finding Information for Your Computer
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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.
• 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

Finding Information for Your Computer 17
• How to set up my computer 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

18 Finding Information for Your Computer
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1
SECTION 1
Setting Up and Using
Your Computer
Setting Up a Printer
Connecting Two Monitors
Transferring Information to a New Computer
Setting Up a Home and Office Network
Connecting to the Internet
Copying CDs
Hyper-Threading
Booting to a USB Device
Turning Off the Computer

20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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Setting Up a Printer
NOTICE: Complete the operating system setup before you connect a printer to
the computer.
See the documentation that came with the printer for setup information,
including how to:
• Obtain and install updated drivers
• Connect the printer to the computer
• Load paper and install the toner or ink cartridge
• Contact the printer manufacturer for technical assistance
Printer Cable
Your printer connects to your computer with either a USB cable or a parallel
cable. Your printer may not come with a printer cable, so if you purchase a
cable separately, ensure that it is compatible with your printer. If you
purchased a printer cable at the same time you purchased your computer,
the cable may arrive in the computer box.
Connecting a Parallel Printer
1Complete the operating system setup, if you have not already done so.
2Turn off the computer (see page 33).
NOTICE: For best results, use a 3 m (10 ft) or shorter parallel cable.
3Attach the parallel printer cable to the parallel connector on the
computer and tighten the two screws. Attach the cable to the
connector on the printer and snap the two clips into the two notches.