Dell Dimension 9100 User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ Dimension™ 9100
FlexBays (2) for optional
floppy drive or optional
Media Card Reader
hard-drive activity light
power button
microphone connector
headphone connector
CD or DVD activity light
CD or DVD eject button
diagnostic lights
USB 2.0 connectors (2)
cover latch release
Service Tag
power connector
USB 2.0 connectors (5)
network adapter
sound-card connectors (5)
card slots for
PCI Express x1 (1), PCI Express x16 (1),
PCI Express x4 (1), PCI (3)
Model DCTA

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.
© 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Trademarksusedinthistext:Dell,theDELLlogo,Inspiron,DellPrecision,Dimension,OptiPlex,Latitude,PowerEdge,PowerVault,PowerApp,
DellNet, and PowerConnect are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel and Pentium, and Intel SpeedStep 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 DCTA
March 2005 P/N D8663 Rev. A00

Contents 3
Contents
Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Setting Up a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Printer Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Connecting a USB Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Setting Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Playing CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Adjusting the Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Adjusting the Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Copying CDs and DVDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
How to Copy a CD or DVD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Using Blank CD-Rs and CD-RWs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Helpful Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Using a Media Card Reader (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Connecting Two Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Connecting Two Monitors With VGA Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Connecting One Monitor With a VGA Connector and One Monitor
With a DVI Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Connecting a TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Changing the Display Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Setting Up a Home and Office Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Connecting to a Network Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Network Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Standby Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Hibernate Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Power Options Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

4Contents
IEEE 1394 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Hyper-Threading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
2 Solving Problems
Troubleshooting Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Battery Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
CD and DVD drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Hard drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Media Card Reader Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Lockups and Software Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
The computer does not start up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
The computer stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
A program crashes repeatedly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
A program is designed for an earlier Windows operating system . . . . . 36
A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Other software problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
No sound from speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Contents 5
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
If the screen is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
If the screen is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
3 Troubleshooting Tools
Diagnostic Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Dell Diagnostics Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
What Is a Driver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Identifying Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Reinstalling Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Restoring Your Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Using Microsoft Windows XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
4 Removing and Installing Parts
Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Recommended Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Turn Off Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Before Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Front View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Removing the Computer Cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Inside View of Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
System Board Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Memory Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Installing Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Removing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

6Contents
Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
PCI Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
PCI Express Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Drive Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Removing the Drive Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Removing the Drive-Panel Insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Replacing the Drive-Panel Insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Replacing the Drive Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
General Installation Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Removing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Installing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Adding a Second Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Removing a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Installing a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Media Card Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Removing a Media Card Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Installing a Media Card Reader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
CD/DVD Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Removing a CD/DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Installing a CD/DVD Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Replacing the Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Replacing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
5 Appendix
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Entering System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
System Setup Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Boot Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Contents 7
Clearing Forgotten Passwords. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Clearing CMOS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Cleaning Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Computer, Keyboard, and Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Mouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
CDs and DVDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . . . . 117
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals. . . . . . . . . . . 118
FCC Notices (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Class A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Class B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
FCC Identification Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Contacting Dell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

8Contents

Finding Information 9
Finding Information
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here
• Warranty information
• Terms and conditions (U.S. only)
• Safety instructions
• Regulatory information
• Ergonomics information
• End User License Agreement
Dell™ Product Information Guide
NOTE: This document is available as a PDF at
support.dell.com.
• 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.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

Finding Information 11
• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips, articles
from technicians, online courses, frequently asked
questions
• 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, service call and
order status, warranty, and repair information
• Service and support — Service call status and support
history, service contract, online discussions with
technical support
• Reference — Computer documentation, details on my
computer configuration, product specifications, and
white papers
• Downloads — Certified drivers, patches, and software
updates
• Desktop System Software (DSS)— If you reinstall the
operating system for your computer, you should also
reinstall the DSS utility. DSS provides critical updates
for your operating system and support for Dell™
3.5-inch USB floppy drives, Intel
®
Pentium
®
M
processors, optical drives, and USB devices. DSS is
necessary for correct operation of your Dell computer.
The software automatically detects your computer and
operating system and installs the updates appropriate
for your configuration.
To download Desktop System Software:
1 Go to support.dell.com and click Downloads .
2 Enter your Service Tag or product model.
3 In the Download Category drop-down menu, click All .
4 Select the operating system and operating system
language for your computer, and click
Submit.
5 Under Select a Device , scroll to System and
Configuration Utilities
, and click Dell Desktop System
Software
.
Dell Support Website — support.dell.com
NOTE: Select your region to view the appropriate support
site.
NOTE: Corporate, government, and education customers
can also use the customized Dell Premier Support website
at premier.support.dell.com.The website may not be
available in all regions.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

12 Finding Information
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
• 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 13
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 a USB 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.

14 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
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.
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.
USB printer cable
USB connector on computer
USB connector
on printer

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 15
NOTE: If you use a dial-up connection, you need an add-in PCI modem expansion card.
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.
If you are having problems connecting to the Internet, see "E-Mail, Modem, and Internet
Problems" on page 31. 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.

16 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Playing CDs and 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.
A CD player includes the following basic buttons:
Play
Move backward within the current track
Pause
Move forward within the current track
Stop
Go to the previous track

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 17
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).
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.
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

18 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
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.
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.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 19
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.
• 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.

20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
• 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.
Using a Media Card Reader (Optional)
Use the Media Card Reader to transfer data directly to your computer.
The Media Card Reader supports the following memory types:
•xD-PictureCard
• SmartMedia (SMC)
• CompactFlash Type I and II (CF I/II)
• MicroDrive Card
• SecureDigital Card (SD)
• MultiMediaCard (MMC)
• Memory Stick (MS/MS Pro)