Dell Dimension 8400 Series User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ Dimension™ 8400
floppy drive light*
hard drive light
power button
Service Tag
headphone connector
USB 2.0
connectors (2)
CD or DVD drive eject button
floppy drive eject button*
*On computers with a
floppy drive.
voltage selection switch
power connector parallel connector
keyboard connector
USB 2.0 connectors (6)
line-out connector
microphone connector
line-in connector
mouse connector
VGA video connector
serial connector
network adapter
optional sound-card connectors**
diagnostic lights
surround connector
center/LFE connector
TV-OUT connector**
DVI connector
PCI card (3), PCI
Express x1 card (1),
PCI Express x16
card (1) slots
**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.
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 DHM
October 2004 P/N U7035 Rev. A01

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Connecting a Parallel Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Setting Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Playing CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Adjusting the Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Adjusting the Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Copying CDs and DVDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
How to Copy a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Using Blank CD-Rs and CD-RWs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Helpful Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Connecting Two Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Connecting Two Monitors With VGA Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Connecting One Monitor With a VGA connector
and One Monitor With a DVI Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Connecting a TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Changing the Display Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
About Your RAID Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
RAID Level 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
RAID Level 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Configuring Your Computer for RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Configuring for RAID Using the Intel(R) Option ROM Utility. . . . . . . . 24
Configuring for RAID Using the Intel(R) Application Accelerator . . . . . 26
Setting Up a Home and Office Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Connecting to a Network Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Network Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

4Contents
Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Standby Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Hibernate Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Power Options Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Hyper-Threading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2 Solving Problems
Troubleshooting Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Battery Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Card Fan Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
CD and DVD drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Hard drive problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
IEEE 1394 Device Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Lockups and Software Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
The computer does not start up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
The computer stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
A program crashes repeatedly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
A program is designed for an earlier Windows operating system. . . . . 41
A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Other software problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Mouse Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Network Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Printer Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Contents 5
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
No sound from speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
If the screen is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
If the screen is difficult to read. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
3 Advanced Troubleshooting
Diagnostic Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Dell Diagnostics Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
What Is a Driver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Identifying Drivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Reinstalling Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Restoring Your Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Using Microsoft Windows XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
4 Removing and Installing Parts
Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Recommended Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Turning Off Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Before Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Front View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Front-Panel Door and Hinge Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Reattaching the Hinge Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Reattaching the Front Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Opening the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

6Contents
Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
System Board Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
DDR2 Memory Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Addressing Memory With 4-GB Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Installing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Removing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
PCI Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
PCI Express Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Card Fan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
General Installation Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Connecting Drive Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Hard Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Removing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Installing a Hard Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Adding a Second Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Front-Panel Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Removing a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Installing a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
CD/DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Removing a CD/DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Installing a CD/DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Closing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Contents 7
5 Appendix
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Entering System Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
System Setup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Boot Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Clearing Forgotten Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Clearing CMOS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Cleaning Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Computer, Keyboard, and Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . . . 123
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . . . . 123
FCC Notices (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Class A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Class B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
FCC Identification Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

8Contents

Finding Information 9
Finding Information
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
• Warranty information
• Safety instructions
• Regulatory information
• Ergonomics information
• End User License Agreement
Dell™ Product Information Guide
• How to set up my computer Setup Diagram

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.

12 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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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.
USB printer cable
USB connector on computer
USB connector
on printer

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 13
Connecting a Parallel Printer
1 Complete the operating system setup, if you have not already done so.
2 Turn off the computer (see page 63).
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.
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 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.
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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• 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.
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.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 15
If you are having problems connecting to the Internet, see "E-Mail, Modem, and Internet
Problems" on page 37. 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.
Playing CDs or DVDs
NOTICE: Do not press down on the CD or DVD tray when you open or close it. Keep the tray closed when
you are not using the drive.
NOTICE: Do not move the computer when you are playing CDs or DVDs.
1
Press the eject button on the front of the drive.
2 Place the disc, label side up, in the center of the tray.
3 Press the eject button or gently push in the tray.
To format CDs for storing data, to create music CDs, or to copy CDs, see the CD software that
came with your computer.
NOTE: Ensure that you follow all copyright laws when you create CDs.

16 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
A CD player includes the following basic buttons:
A DVD player includes the following basic buttons:
For more information on playing CDs or DVDs, click
Help on the CD or DVD player (if available).
Play.
Move backward within the current track.
Pause.
Move forward within the current track.
Stop.
Go to the previous track.
Eject.
Go to the next track.
Stop.
Restart the current chapter.
Play.
Fast forward.
Pause.
Fast reverse.
Advance a single frame while in pause mode.
Go to the next title or chapter.
Continuously play the current title or chapter.
Go to the previous title or chapter.
Eject.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 17
Adjusting the Volume
NOTE: When the speakers are muted, you do not hear the CD or DVD playing.
1
Click the Start button, point to All Programs → Accessories → Entertainment , and then click
Volume Control .
2 In the Volume Control window, click and drag the bar in the Volume Control column and
slide it up or down to increase or decrease the volume.
For more information on volume control options, click
Help in the Volume Control window.
Adjusting the Picture
If an error message notifies you that the current resolution and color depth are using too much
memory and preventing DVD playback, adjust the display properties.
1 Click the Start button and click Control Panel .
2 Under Pick a category , click Appearance and Themes .
3 Under Pick a task... , click Change the screen resolution .
4 In the Display Properties window, click and drag the bar in Screen resolution to change the
setting to
800 by 600 pixels .
5 Click the drop-down menu under Color quality , and then click Medium (16 bit) .
6 Click OK .
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 .
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.

18 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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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.
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.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 19
• 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.
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 TV, you may connect only one monitor (VGA or DVI) in addition to the TV.
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
aTV.
Connecting Two Monitors With VGA Connectors
1 Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 63.
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 or the monitor will not function.
2
Connect one of the monitors to the VGA (blue) connector on the back of the computer.

20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
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 63.
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 TV
NOTE: To connect a TV 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 63.
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 TV.
4 Connect the VGA or DVI monitor.
VGA (blue) connector
DVI (white) connector
optional DVI adapter
TV-OUT connector