Dell Dimension 4700 Series User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ Dimension™ 4700 Series
*On computers with a floppy drive.
CD or DVD drive
activity light
CD or DVD eject button
floppy drive light*
floppy drive eject button*
hard-drive activity light
power button
power light
USB 2.0 connectors (2)
Service Tag
headphones
PCI card (2), PCI Express x1 card (1),
PCI Express x16 card (1) slots
keyboard connector
USB 2.0 connectors (6)
microphone connector
line-out connector
serial connector
voltage selection switch
power connector
center/LFE connector
integrated VGA video connector mouse connector
line-in connector
parallel connector
network adapter connector
diagnostic lights (4)
VGA video connector*
cover latch
surround connector
optional sound card connector*
TV-OUT connector*
DVI video connector*
*Not present on
all computers.

Notes, Notices, and Cautions
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the
problem.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the Dell Dimension Help file. To access the help file, see
page 9.
If you purchased a Dell™ n Series computer, any references in this document to Microsoft
®
Windows
®
operating systems are not applicable.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2004 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Inspiron, Dell Precision, Dimension, OptiPlex, Latitude, PowerEdge, PowerVault,
PowerApp, DellNet, PowerConnect, and Axim are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation;
Microsoft, Windows, and Outlook 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 Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
Model DMC
July 2004 P/N Y6949 Rev. A00

Contents 3
Contents
Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Setting Up a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Printer Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting a USB Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting a Parallel Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Connecting Two Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Connecting Two Monitors With VGA Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Connecting One Monitor With a VGA connector and One
Monitor With a DVI Connector:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Connecting a Television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Changing the Display Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Setting Up a Home and Office Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Connecting to a Network Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Network Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Setting Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Copying CDs and DVDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
How to Copy a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Using Blank CD-Rs and CD-RWs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Helpful Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Hyper-Threading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2 Solving Problems
Troubleshooting Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Battery Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

4Contents
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
CD and DVD drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Hard drive problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
IEEE 1394 Device Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Lockups and Software Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The computer does not start up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The computer stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
A program crashes repeatedly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
A program is designed for an earlier Windows operating system. . . . . 27
A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Other software problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Mouse Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Network Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Printer Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
No sound from speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
If the screen is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
If the screen is difficult to read. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
3 Advanced Troubleshooting
Diagnostic Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Dell Diagnostics Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Contents 5
Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
What Is a Driver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Identifying Drivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Reinstalling Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Restoring Your Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Using Microsoft Windows XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
4 Removing and Installing Parts
Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Recommended Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Turning Off Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Before Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Front and Back View of the Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Removing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Inside View of Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
System Board Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
DDR Memory Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Addressing Memory With 4-GB Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Installing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Removing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
PCI Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
PCI Express Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Removing the Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Removing the Front-Panel Insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Reattaching the Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

6Contents
Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
General Installation Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Connecting Drive Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Hard Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Removing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Installing a Hard Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Adding a Second Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Removing a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Installing a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
CD/DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Removing a CD/DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Installing a CD/DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Adding a Second CD or DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Replacing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
A Appendix
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Entering System Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
System Setup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Boot Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Clearing Forgotten Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Clearing CMOS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . . . 103
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . . . . 103

Contents 7
FCC Notices (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Class A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Class B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
FCC Identification Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

8Contents

Finding Information 9
Finding Information
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
• How to access tutorials and other how to information
• How to get a copy of my invoice
• How to extend my warranty
• How to access Dell Support on my Microsoft
®
Windows
®
desktop (U.S. only)
• Additional documentation, tools, troubleshooting
information, and links to online support resources
Dell Solution Center
On your Windows desktop
• Warranty information
• Safety instructions
• Regulatory information
• Ergonomics information
• End User License Agreement
Dell™ Product Information Guide
• How to set up my computer Setup Diagram
• Tips on using Microsoft
®
Windows
®
• How to play CDs and DVDs
• How to use standby mode and hibernate mode
• How to change my display resolution
• How to clean my computer
The Dell Dimension Help file
1 Click the Start button and click Help and Support .
2 Click User and system guides and click User’s guides .
3 Click Dell Dimension Help .

10 Finding Information
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
• Service Tag and Express Service Code
• Microsoft Windows License Label
Service Tag and Microsoft Windows License
These labels are located on your computer.
• Use the Service Tag to
identify your computer
when you use
support.dell.com or
contact technical
support.
• Enter the Express Service Code to direct your call when
contacting technical support. The Express Service Code
is not available in all countries.
• 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 — support.dell.com
NOTE: Select your region to view the appropriate support
site.
The Dell Support website provides several online tools,
including:
• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips, articles
from technicians, and online courses
• Community — 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
• How to use Windows XP
• Documentation for my computer
• Documentation for devices (such as a modem)
Windows Help and Support Center
1 Click the Start button and click Help and Support .
2 Type a word or phrase that describes your problem and
click the arrow icon.
3 Click the topic that describes your problem.
4 Follow the instructions on the screen.
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 11
Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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 USB Printer
NOTE: You can connect USB devices while the computer is turned on.
1
Complete the operating system setup if you have not already done so.
2 Install the printer driver if necessary. See the documentation that came with your printer.
3 Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connectors on the computer and the printer. The
USB connectors fit only one way.

12 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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Connecting a Parallel Printer
1 Complete the operating system setup, if you have not already done so.
2 Turn off the computer (see page 47).
NOTICE: For best results, use a 3-m (10-ft) or shorter parallel cable.
3
Attach 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.
USB printer
cable
USB connector on computer
USBconnector
on printer

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 13
4 Turn on the printer and then turn on the computer. If the Add New Hardware Wizard
window appears, click
Cancel .
5 Install the printer driver if necessary. See the documentation that came with your printer.
Connecting Two Monitors
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions
located in the Product Information Guide.
NOTE: If you are connecting two monitors that have VGA connectors, you must have the optional DVI
adapter. If you are connecting two flat-panel monitors, at least one of them must have a VGA connector.
If you are connecting a television, you may connect only one monitor (VGA or DVI) in addition to the
television.
If you purchased a graphics card that supports dual monitors, follow these instructions to connect
and enable your monitors. The instructions tell you how to connect either two monitors (each with
a VGA connector), one monitor with a VGA connector and one monitor with a DVI connector, or a
television.
Connecting Two Monitors With VGA Connectors
1 Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 47.
NOTE: If your computer has integrated video, do not connect either monitor to the integrated video
connector. If the integrated video connector is covered by a cap, do not remove the cap to connect the
monitor. The monitor will not function.
parallel printer cable
parallel connector on computer
connector on printer
screws (2)
clips (2)
notches (2)

14 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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2 Connect one of the monitors to the VGA (blue) connector on the back of the computer.
3 Connect the other monitor to the optional DVI adapter and connect the DVI adapter to the
DVI (white) connector on the back of the computer.
Connecting One Monitor With a VGA connector and One Monitor With a DVI Connector:
1 Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 47.
2 Connect the VGA connector on the monitor to the VGA (blue) connector on the back of the
computer.
3 Connect the DVI connector on the other monitor to the DVI (white) connector on the back
of the computer.
Connecting a Television
NOTE: To connect a television to your computer, you must purchase an S-video cable, which is available
at most consumer electronics stores. An S-video cable is not included with your computer.
1
Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 47.
2 Connect one end of the S-video cable to the TV-OUT connector on the back of the computer.
3 Connect the other end of the S-video cable to the S-video input connector on your television.
4 Connect the VGA or DVI monitor as described on page 14.
VGA (blue) connector
DVI (white) connector
optional DVI adapter
TV-OUT connector

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 15
Changing the Display Settings
1 After you connect the monitor(s) or television, turn on the computer.
The Microsoft
®
Windows
®
desktop displays on the primary monitor.
2 Enable clone mode or extended desktop mode in the display settings.
• In clone mode, both monitors display the same image.
• In extended desktop mode, you can drag objects from one screen to the other, effectively
doubling the amount of viewable work space.
For information on changing the display settings for your graphics card, see the user’s guide in
the Help and Support Center (click the
Start button, click Help and Support , click User and
system guides
, click Device guides , and then click the guide for your graphics card).
Setting Up a Home and Office Network
Connecting to a Network Adapter
NOTE: Plug the network cable into the network adapter connector on the computer. Do not plug the
network cable into the modem connector on the computer. Do not plug a network cable into a telephone
wall jack.
1
Connect the network cable to the network adapter connector on the back of your computer.
Insert the cable until it clicks into place, and then gently pull it to ensure that it is secure.
2 Connect the other end of the network cable to a network device.
network device
network adapter connector on computer
network cable
network adapter connector

16 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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Network Setup Wizard
The Microsoft
®
Windows
®
XP operating system 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.
1 Click the Start button, point to All Programs → Accessories → Communications , and then
click
Network Setup Wizard .
2 On the welcome screen, click Next .
3 Click Checklist for creating a network .
NOTE: Selecting the connection method This computer connects directly to the Internet enables the
integrated firewall provided with Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1).
4
Complete the checklist and required preparations.
5 Return to the Network Setup Wizard and follow the instructions on the screen.
Connecting to the Internet
NOTE: ISPs and ISP offerings vary by country.
To connect to the Internet, you need a modem or network connection and an Internet service
provider (ISP), such as AOL or MSN. Your ISP will offer one or more of the following Internet
connection options:
• Dial-up connections that provide Internet access through a telephone line. Dial-up
connections are considerably slower than DSL and cable modem connections.
• DSL connections that provide high-speed Internet access through your existing telephone
line. With a DSL connection, you can access the Internet and use your telephone on the same
line simultaneously.
• Cable modem connections that provide high-speed Internet access through your local cable
TV line.
If you are using a dial-up connection, connect a telephone line to the modem connector on your
computer and to the telephone wall jack before you set up your Internet connection. If you are
using a DSL or cable modem connection, contact your ISP for setup instructions.
Setting Up Your Internet Connection
To set up an AOL or MSN connection:
1 Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs.
2 Double-click the MSN Explorer or AOL icon on the Microsoft
®
Windows
®
desktop.
3 Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the setup.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 17
If you do not have an MSN Explorer or AOL icon on your desktop or if you want to set up an
Internet connection with a different ISP:
1 Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs.
2 Click the Start button and click Internet Explorer .
The
New Connection Wizard appears.
3 Click Connect to the Internet .
4 In the next window, click the appropriate option:
• If you do not have an ISP and want to select one, click
Choose from a list of Internet
service providers (ISPs)
.
• If you have already obtained setup information from your ISP but you did not receive a
setup CD, click
Set up my connection manually .
• If you have a CD, click
Use the CD I got from an ISP .
5 Click Next .
If you selected
Set up my connection manually , continue to step 6. Otherwise, follow the
instructions on the screen to complete the setup.
NOTE: If you do not know which type of connection to select, contact your ISP.
6
Click the appropriate option under How do you want to connect to the Internet? , and then
click
Next .
7 Use the setup information provided by your ISP to complete the setup.
If you are having problems connecting to the Internet, see "E-Mail, Modem, and Internet
Problems" on page 23. If you cannot connect to the Internet but have successfully connected in the
past, the ISP might have a service outage. Contact your ISP to check the service status, or try
connecting again later.
Copying CDs and DVDs
NOTE: Ensure that you follow all copyright laws when you create CDs or DVDs.
This section applies only to computers that have a CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R, or
DVD/CD-RW combo drive.
NOTE: The types of CD or DVD drives offered by Dell may vary by country.
The following instructions show how to make an exact copy of a CD or DVD. You can also use
Sonic RecordNow for other purposes, including creating CDs from audio files on your computer
and creating MP3 CDs. For instructions, see the Sonic RecordNow documentation that came with
your computer. Open Sonic RecordNow, click the question mark icon in the upper-right corner of
the window, and then click
RecordNow Help or RecordNow Tutorial .

18 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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How to Copy a CD or DVD
NOTE: If you have a DVD/CD-RW combo drive and you experience recording problems, check for
available software patches at the Sonic support website at support.sonic.com.
Currently, five DVD-writable disc formats are available: DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW,
and DVD-RAM. The DVD-writable drives installed in Dell™ computers can write to DVD+R and
DVD+RW media, and can read DVD-R and DVD-RW media. However, DVD-writable drives do
not write to and might not read DVD-RAM media. In addition, commercially available DVD
players for home theater systems might not read all five formats.
NOTE: Most commercial DVDs have copyright protection and cannot be copied using Sonic
RecordNow.
1
Click the Start button, point to All Programs → Sonic → RecordNow! , and then click
RecordNow!
2 Click either the audio tab or the data tab, depending on the kind of CD or DVD you want to
copy.
3 Click Exact Copy .
4 To copy the CD or DVD:
•
If you have one CD or DVD drive , ensure that the settings are correct and click Copy . The
computer reads your source CD or DVD and copies it to a temporary folder on your
computer hard drive.
When prompted, insert a blank CD or DVD into the CD or DVD drive and click
OK .
•
If you have two CD or DVD drives , select the drive into which you have inserted your
source CD or DVD and click
Copy . The computer copies the data on the CD or DVD to
the blank CD or DVD.
Once you have finished copying the source CD or DVD, the CD or DVD that you have
created automatically ejects.
Using Blank CD-Rs and CD-RWs
Your CD-RW drive can write to two different types of recording media—CD-Rs and CD-RWs
(including high-speed CD-RWs). Use blank CD-Rs to record music or permanently store data files.
After creating a CD-R, you cannot write to that CD-R again (see the Sonic documentation for
more information). Use blank CD-RWs to write to CDs or to erase, rewrite, or update data
on CDs.
Your DVD-writable drive can write to four different types of recording media—CD-Rs, CD-RWs
(including high-speed CD-RWs), DVD+Rs, and DVD+RWs. Blank DVD+Rs can be used to
permanently store large amounts of information. After you create a DVD+R disc, you may not be
able to write to that disc again if the disc is "finalized" or "closed" during the final stage of the disc
creation process. Use blank DVD+RWs if you plan to erase, rewrite, or update information on that
disc later.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 19
Helpful Tips
• Use Microsoft
®
Windows
®
Explorer to drag and drop files to a CD-R or CD-RW only after
you start Sonic RecordNow and open a RecordNow project.
• You must use CD-Rs to burn music CDs that you want to play in regular stereos. CD-RWs do
not play in most home or car stereos.
• You cannot create audio DVDs with Sonic RecordNow.
• Music MP3 files can be played only on MP3 players or on computers that have MP3 software
installed.
• Do not burn a blank CD-R or CD-RW to its maximum capacity; for example, do not copy a
650-MB file to a 650-MB blank CD. The CD-RW drive needs 1 or 2 MB of the blank CD to
finalize the recording.
• Use a blank CD-RW to practice CD recording until you are familiar with CD recording
techniques. If you make a mistake, you can erase the data on the CD-RW and try again. You
can also use blank CD-RWs to test music file projects before you record the project
permanently to a blank CD-R.
• See the Sonic support website at
support.sonic.com for additional information.
Hyper-Threading
Hyper-Threading is an Intel
®
technology that can enhance overall computer performance by
allowing one physical processor to function as two logical processors, capable of performing certain
tasks simultaneously. It is recommended that you use the Microsoft
®
Windows
®
XP Service Pack 1
(SP1) or later operating system because Windows XP is optimized to take advantage of
Hyper-Threading technology. While many programs can benefit from Hyper-Threading, some
programs have not been optimized for Hyper-Threading and may require an update from the
software manufacturer. Contact the software manufacturer for updates and information about
using Hyper-Threading with your software.
To determine if your computer is using Hyper-Threading technology:
1 Click the Start button, right-click My Computer , and then click Properties .
2 Click Hardware and click Device Manager .
3 In the Device Manager window, click the plus (+) sign next to Processors . If Hyper-Threading
is enabled, the processor is listed twice.
You can enable or disable Hyper-Threading through system setup. For more information on
accessing system setup, see page 96. For more information on Hyper-Threading, search the
Knowledge Base on the Dell Support website at
support.dell.com .

20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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