Dell Dimension 9558P User manual

www.dell.com
support.dell.com
Dell™ Dimension™ Systems
SETUP GUIDE

____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 1999–2000 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 E COM logo, DellNet, and Dimension are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation;
Microsoft, Windows, and WindowsNT 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 Computer Corporation disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
August 2000 P/N 9558P Rev. A06
Notes, Notices, and Cautions
Throughout this guide, blocks of text may be accompanied by an icon and printed in bold
type or in italic type. These blocks are notes, notices, and cautions, and they are used as
follows:
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your com-
puter system.
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 potentially hazardous situation which, if not
avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury.

support.dell.com Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide 1
Dell™ Dimension™Systems
Setup Guide
Before using this guide, connect your computer according to the steps on the Getting
Started sheet. Failure to properly connect your computer may result in computer mal-
functions or damage.
Operating System Setup
Your Dell computer has been shipped with one of the following operating systems
already installed:
•Microsoft®Windows®Millennium Edition (Me)
•MicrosoftWindows 2000 Professional
•Microsoft Windows NT®
•MicrosoftWindows 98 Second Edition
Perform the steps in one of the following sections that correspond to your operating
system so that the software functions properly on your Dell computer.
NOTICE: To prevent possible conflicts with Windows Me, Windows 2000
Professional, or Windows 98 Second Edition, do not connect devices such as
printers or install items such as expansion cards before you complete the
operating system setup.
NOTICE: If you experience problems and the computer stops responding,
do not use <Ctrl><Alt><Del> to reboot your computer. Instead, press and
hold the power button for approximately 4 seconds to shut down the com-
puter. Then press the power button again to turn on the computer. When
prompted, select Safe Recovery Mode to continue the setup.
Microsoft Windows Me
Initial setup of the Windows Me operating system takes approximately 5 minutes to
complete. Additional setup time may be required, depending on your system’s inter-
nal and external devices.

2Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide
To complete the initial setup of Windows Me, perform the following steps:
1.Turn on your computer.
The Welcome to Microsoft Windows screen appears.
2. Click Next.
The Select Your System Settings window appears. Click your region, preferred
language, and keyboard.
3. Click Next.
The Select Your Time Zone window appears.
4. Click your time zone and click Next.
The End User License Agreement window appears. It is important that you read
and understand both license agreements. You must accept the agreements to
proceed with the setup of your system.
5. Click Yes. I accept this agreement both places it appears in the window and
click Next. If your computer has an internal modem, go to step 6. Otherwise, go
to step 7.
6. When the Register with Microsoft window appears, if you want to register
online, click Yes, I want to register online,click Next, follow the screen
prompts, and fill in the appropriate information. If you do not want to register
online, click No, I do not want to register at this time, click Next, and go to
step 6.
7.When the Thank You! window appears, click Finish to begin working with
Windows Me.
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
The initial setup of the Windows 2000 Professional operating system may take
approximately 7 minutes. Additional setup time may be required, depending on your
system’s internal and external devices.
To set up Windows 2000 Professional for your system, perform the following steps:
1.Turn on your computer.
The Software Licenses screen appears.
2. Read the license agreements and press any key if you accept the agreements.
You must accept the agreements to proceed with the setup.
3. At the Important Technical Support Information screen, press any key to
continue.
Your system restarts and the Windows 2000 Professional Setup License
Agreement window appears.

support.dell.com Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide 3
4. Click I accept this agreement. Click Next.
5. In the Personalize Your Software window, type your name and the name of
your organization. Then click Next.
You must type in a name, but the organization field is optional.
6. In the Computer Name and Administrator Password window, a suggested
name for your computer appears in the name box that you can change or accept.
You can leave the password field empty or add a password of up to 14 characters.
Leaving the password field empty is acceptable if you prefer not to use a pass-
word. Although the administrator password is optional, it is useful for protecting
against unauthorized access to operating system settings. You may add or
change a password later. More information on administrator and user logins is
available from the Windows 2000 Help feature.
NOTE: Type the password carefully. It is case-sensitive, and if you lose or forget
it, you must reinstall the operating system.
7.Click Next.
8. In the Date and Time Settings window, verify that the settings are correct for
your time and time zone and click Next.
The Networking Settings window appears. You may choose whether to use typ-
ical or custom settings. See your network administrator if you need to add
custom settings at this point.
9. Click Next to accept the default typical settings.
The Workgroup or Computer Domain window appears. You may add a work-
group name, but it is not required. Check with your network administrator if you
need to add a computer domain.
10. Click Next to continue.
The Performing Final Tasks window appears. Then the following message
appears:
You have successfully completed Windows 2000 Setup. If there
is a CD in your drive, remove it. Then, to restart your com-
puter, click Finish.
11.Click Finish to restart your computer.
12. When the Welcome to the Network Identification Wizard window appears,
click Next.
The Users of This Computer window appears.
You can change settings as indicated on the screen or enter a user password for
the name entered earlier in the setup. If you prefer to configure users later, you
can accept the defaults on the screen and proceed.

4Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide
13. Click Next.
More information on the Network Identification Wizard and administrator and
user logins is available from the Windows 2000 Help feature.
14. When the Completing the Network Identification Wizard window appears,
click Finish.
The Getting Started with Windows 2000 window appears. You can exit from
this windows and begin working on the desktop, or you can click any of the items
in the window.
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
Initial setup of Windows 98 Second Edition takes about 15 minutes. The setup
process is customized according to which computer components you have. To
complete setup, perform the following steps:
1.If you have a modem installed in your computer, connect a telephone line to it as
shown on the Getting Started sheet that accompanied your computer.
2. Turn on your computer as shown on the Getting Started sheet.
The Dell Software License window appears.
3. Read the software license agreement that came with your computer,and then
press any key to continue.
The Important Technical Support Information window appears and displays
your Express Service Code.
NOTE: Dell’s Express Service Code may not be available in all countries.
4. Press any key to continue.
The computer restarts automatically, and the Windows 98 screen is displayed for
about 1 or 2 minutes. Although it may appear as if no activity is occurring, the
operating system is actually loading program files.
5. When the Getting Started window appears, verify that the regional and
keyboard setup and layout settings are correct for your location; then click Next.
Otherwise, click the appropriate settings and then click Next.
NOTE: If Canadian Standard keyboard type is selected, some keys on a
standard English keyboard display characters on the screen that are different
from the characters that are printed on the keys. For example, pressing the
backslash (\) key displays the character à.
6. When prompted, enter your name and click Next.
If your computer includes a modem, proceed to the next step. Otherwise, pro-
ceed to step 9.

support.dell.com Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide 5
7.A modem preparation window appears that allows you to connect to Microsoft
and register your operating system. Click Skip and then click Yes and proceed to
step 9, or enter the requested information and click Next.
A registration progress window appears while your modem connects to
Microsoft.
8. To send the registration information to Microsoft, enter the requested
information in the Registration Confirmation window and click Next. If you do
not want the information sent, uncheck the Please, send the information on
this screen to Microsoft box and click Next.
9. Read the license agreement, click I accept the Agreement, and then click Next.
You must accept the agreement to be able to access Windows 98 Second
Edition.
10. If you ordered DellNet™ Internet service, click Next and proceed to the next
step.
If a screen appears that prompts you to set up your Internet access or provides
information about how to connect to the Internet, follow the instructions that
appear on the screen or click Skip to bypass Internet setup and information.
If no prompt appears, proceed to the next step.
11.If an animated tutorial starts and introduces you to your computer and the
Microsoft products installed on it, watch the tutorial and then click Next.
12. Click Finish.
13. If the Date/Time Properties window shows the correct time and date for your
area, click Close. Otherwise, enter the correct time and date, click Apply, and
then click OK.
Windows 98 Second Edition is now set up and the Windows desktop appears on
the screen.
14. If the IntelliMouse Productivity Tips window is open on the Windows desktop,
read the window’s contents. Click the Show Tips at Windows Startup box to
uncheck it, and then close the window by clicking the Xin the upper-right corner.
Depending on the options that you purchased with your computer, you may have a
Complete Dell Setup icon on the Windows desktop (see Figure 1).

6Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide
Figure 1. Complete Dell Setup Icon (Not Present on Some Computers)
If you do not see the Complete Dell Setup icon on the desktop, no action is required.
If you do see the Complete Dell Setup icon on the desktop, double-click the icon.
When the computer completes the setup, a dialog box instructs you to restart the
computer. After you restart the computer, the Complete Dell Setup icon no longer
appears.
Proceed to “Adding a Printer” for instructions on how to connect a printer and to
“Finding Information”for descriptions of help and reference tools that are included
with your Dell computer.
Microsoft Windows NT
If you are on a local area network (LAN), check with your network administrator before
setting up Windows NT for information relevant to the setup process, such as the
computer name, the administrator password, and required network protocols. Also
attach the network cable (if applicable) and connect any devices you want to use with
your computer as shown on the Getting Started sheet that accompanied your computer.
NOTICE: Do not interrupt the operating system’s setup process. Doing so
may render your computer unusable.
Initial setup of Windows NT takes about 15 minutes. The setup process is customized
according to which computer components you have. To configure Windows NT for
your computer,perform the following steps:
1.Turn on your computer as shown on the Getting Started sheet that accompanied
your computer.
The Dell Software License Agreement screen appears.
2. Read the license agreement and type yif you accept the agreement.
You must accept the agreement to proceed with the setup.
3. In the Technical Support Information window, type xto continue.
The computer restarts,and Windows NT prepares your computer for setup.
The computer restarts again,and the Select Operating System window
appears. No action is required at this screen.

support.dell.com Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide 7
4. Click I Agree to accept the Microsoft software license agreement.
You must accept the Microsoft software license agreement to proceed with the
Windows NT operating system setup.
5. At the Windows NT Workstation Setup screen, type your name (required) and
organization (optional) and click Next.
6. In the Registration window, type the Product Key (use the <Tab> key to change
fields), and then click Next.
The Product Key is the bar code number found on the Microsoft sticker, which is
located either on the front cover of the Getting Started/Microsoft Windows NT
document or on your computer.
7.In the Password window, type your chosen password in the Password field and
again in the Confirm Password field, and then click Next twice.
The password can be up to 14 characters in length. You do not have to enter a
password if you do not want to use one.
NOTES: The password controls access to your computer. If you have trouble
remembering it, you should write the password down and store it in a safe place.
Type the password carefully. It is case-sensitive, and if you lose or forget it, you
must reinstall the operating system.
8. If you do not have a network interface controller (NIC) installed in your computer,
proceed to step 9.
If you do have a NIC installed, the Windows NT Workstation Setup window
appears. Dell recommends that you click Do not connect this computer to a
network at this time, and then click Next and finish the Windows NT setup pro-
cedure. After Windows NT setup is complete, use the Network icon in the
Control Panel to configure the network.
9. Click Restart Computer in the Windows NT Setup Complete window to reboot
the computer.
When the computer restarts, you are prompted to select an operating system.
10. Select Windows NT WorkStation Version 4.00 and press <Enter>.
If Windows NT WorkStation Version 4.00 is not already selected, use the up-
or down-arrow key to highlight it.
11.Press <Ctl><Alt><Del> simultaneously at the Begin Logon window.
12. Type your password and click OK.
The Welcome to Windows NT window appears. You can exit from this window
and begin working on the desktop, or you can click either of the following items
for additional information:
•What’s New — Learn about new features of Windows NT 4.0.

8Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide
•Help —Use the search facility to find information on a particular subject,
title, word, or phrase.
Depending on the options that you purchased with your computer, you may have a
Complete Dell Setup icon on the Windows desktop (see Figure 1).
If you do not see the Complete Dell Setup icon on the desktop, no action is required.
If you do see the Complete Dell Setup icon on the desktop, double-click the icon.
When the computer completes the setup, a dialog box instructs you to restart the
computer. After you restart the computer, the Complete Dell Setup icon no longer
appears.
Creating a Windows NT Emergency Repair Diskette
The emergency repair diskette saves your original configuration and can be used to
restore your computer to its initial setup state if files become corrupted. It should not
be used as a backup tool.
To create the emergency repair diskette, perform the following steps:
1.Click the Start button, point to Programs, and click the Dell Accessories folder.
2. Click the Create Repair Disk icon.
3. In the Repair Disk Utility window, click Create Repair Disk.
4. Label a diskette “Emergency Repair Disk,” insert it into the diskette drive, and
click OK.
The diskette is formatted and the configuration files are copied to it.
5. When the Repair Disk Utility window reappears, click Exit.
6. Remove the diskette from your diskette drive, and store it in a safe place.
Adding a Printer
This section provides instructions on how to prepare and add a parallel printer or a
Universal Serial Bus (USB) printer to the computer.
Preparing a Printer
See the documentation that came with the printer for any recommended preparation
procedures. You may be instructed to perform the following tasks:
•Remove the manufacturer’s shipping packaging
•Install the toner cartridge
•Align the toner cartridge
•Load printer paper

support.dell.com Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide 9
Connecting a Parallel Printer
NOTICE: Use only a standard IEEE parallel cable measuring 3 meters
(10 feet) or less to connect the printer to the computer. Use of a non-
standard cable may prevent the printer from operating properly.
To connect the printer to the computer, perform the following steps:
1.Turn off the computer and make sure that the printer is also turned off.
2. Attach the printer cable to the parallel connector on the computer and the printer.
Secure the printer cable connector to the computer connector by tightening the
two screws (see Figure 2). Secure the printer cable connector to the printer con-
nector by snapping the two clips into the two notches.
Figure 2. Parallel Printer Connections
3. Turn on the printer and then turn on the computer.
NOTE: If the Add New Hardware Wizard screen appears, click Cancel.
4. Proceed to “Installing Software for a Printer.”
Connecting a USB Printer
NOTE: USB devices can be connected to the computer while it is on.
To connect the printer to the computer, perform the following steps.
NOTICE: Do not plug a USB printer into the port on the USB keyboard. The
USB keyboard does not supply power to the USB port.
parallel printer
cable
parallel connector
on computer
parallel connector
on printer
screw (2)
clip (2)
notch (2)

10 Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide
1.Attach the printer cable to the USB connector on the computer and the printer.
The USB connectors are keyed to fit only one way.
An example of a typical USB printer setup is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. USB Printer Connections
NOTE: If the Add New Hardware Wizard screen appears, click Cancel.
2. Proceed to “Installing Software for a Printer.”
Installing Software for a Printer
NOTE: Dell installs the software for some new printers. To determine if your printer’s
software is already installed, click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click
Printers. If your printer is listed in the Printers window, the printer is ready to use; no
software installation is required.
Most new printers provide installation CDs that run automatically when inserted in the
CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. Install the software for these printers by inserting the
CD and following the prompts on your screen using the instructions that came with
the printer.It is not necessary to use the Printer Wizard to install these types of
printers.
If your printer’s installation CD does not automatically run, click the Start button, click
Run, and type x:\setup.exe, where xis the letter of your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
drive (typically drive D). Then click OK and follow the prompts on your screen.
NOTE: If you are adding an older printer and the printer does not respond after you
install the software, make sure that the computer’s parallel port is set to operate in
USB printer
cable
USB connector on
computer
USB connector on
printer

support.dell.com Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide 11
bidirectional mode in the system setup program. Refer to Appendix B, “System Setup
Program,” in your computer’s Reference and Troubleshooting Guide for instructions.
Finding Information
Dell provides a number of handy help and reference tools to help you make the most
of your computing experience.
Tutorials (U.S. Only)
Easy-to-use, animated tutorials introduce you to your computer and the Microsoft
products installed on it. For more information about these tutorials, double-click the
i-Learn My Dell PC icon on your desktop.
Online Help
The online system Help allows you to search for information in multiple ways. You can
quickly link to information on the following topics:
•Hardware and software features of your computer
•Options and upgrades
•The Windows desktop, where you can change your wallpaper and screen saver,
create shortcuts, and position icons
•Software access,installation, and removal
•Basic file management, such as finding, copying, deleting, and renaming files
•Tips on using your computer hardware
•Answers to commonly asked questions about your computer
•Phone numbers for contacting Dell for help
To open the Help, click the Start button, point to Programs—> Dell Documents, and
click Dell Dimension Help.
You may also double-click the Dell Documents icon on the Windows desktop, click
System Information, click System Documentation, and then click Dell Dimension
Help.
Reference and Troubleshooting Guide
Your Reference and Troubleshooting Guide provides information on adding upgrades
such as memory, performing basic troubleshooting procedures, and reinstalling
drivers. It also covers technical specifications, the system setup program, and com-
puter codes and messages.

12 Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide
Other Documentation
Online documentation is included for your computer devices (such as a video or
modem card) and for any Dell options you purchase separately from your computer.
To access this supplemental documentation, double-click the Dell Documents icon
on the Windows desktop, click System Information, and then click System
Documentation.
If you have a modem and Internet service, other helpful information is available at
http://support.dell.com/ or by double-clicking the Internet Explorer icon on the
desktop, clicking Favorites, and then clicking Dell Computer Corporation
Recommended Sites.
Turning Off the Computer
NOTICE: To prevent data loss, it is important that you perform a shutdown
procedure before you turn off your computer.
Perform the steps in one of the following sections that correspond to your operating
system so that the computer turns off properly.
Shutting Down the Computer in Windows 98 and
Windows NT
1.Save and exit any application programs and files you have open.
2. Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down.
3. In the Shut Down Windows window, click Shut down and then click OK.
The computer automatically turns off after the shutdown process finishes.
4. Turn off your monitor and any other devices connected to power.
Shutting Down the Computer in Windows 2000 and
Windows Me
1.Save and exit any application programs and files you have open.
2. Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down.
3. Click the pull-down menu under What do you want the computer to do?.
4. Click Shut down and then click OK.
The computer automatically turns off after the shutdown process finishes.
5. Turn off your monitor and any other devices connected to power.