Dell Dimension PY349 User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ Dimension™ E521
Owner’s Manual
Model DCSM
FlexBay for optional
floppy drive or Media
Card Reader
hard-drive activity light
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 button/
power activity light
book.book Page 1 Monday, July 23, 2007 3:47 PM

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 "Glossary" on page 145.
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.
© 2006–2007 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, Dell TravelLite, Strike Zone, and PowerConnect are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth
SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license; Microsoft, Windows, and Outlook are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. ENERGY STAR is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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 DCSM
July 2007 P/N PY349 Rev. A03
book.book Page 2 Monday, July 23, 2007 3:47 PM

Contents 3
Contents
Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1 Setting Up and Using Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Front View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Back Panel Connectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Setting Up a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Printer Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Connecting a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Setting Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Playing CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Adjusting the Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Adjusting the Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Copying CDs and DVDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
How to Copy a CD or DVD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Using Blank CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Helpful Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Using a Media Card Reader (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Connecting Two Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Connecting Two Monitors With VGA Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Connecting One Monitor With a VGA Connector and
One Monitor With a DVI Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Connecting a TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Changing the Display Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Setting Up a Home and Office Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Connecting to a Network Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Network Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
book.book Page 3 Monday, July 23, 2007 3:47 PM

4Contents
Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Standby Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Hibernate Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Power Options Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Enabling Cool ’n’ Quiet™ Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
About RAID Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
RAID Level 1 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Configuring Your Hard Drives for RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Using the Nvidia MediaShield ROM Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Using Nvidia MediaShield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2 Solving Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Troubleshooting Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Battery Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
CD and DVD drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Hard drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Lockups and Software Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
The computer does not start up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
The computer stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
A program crashes repeatedly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
A program is designed for an earlier
Microsoft®Windows®operating system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Other software problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Media Card Reader Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
book.book Page 4 Monday, July 23, 2007 3:47 PM

Contents 5
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
No sound from speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
If the screen is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
If the screen is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3 Troubleshooting Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Diagnostic Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Dell Diagnostics Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
What Is a Driver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Identifying Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Reinstalling Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Restoring Your Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Using Microsoft Windows XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Using Dell PC Restore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Using the Operating System CD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4 Removing and Installing Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Recommended Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Turning Off Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Before Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Removing the Computer Cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Inside View of Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
System Board Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
book.book Page 5 Monday, July 23, 2007 3:47 PM

6Contents
Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Memory Installation Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Addressing Memory With 4-GB Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Installing Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Removing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
PCI Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
PCI Express Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Drive Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Removing the Drive Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Removing the Drive-Panel Insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Replacing the Drive-Panel Insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Replacing the Drive Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Recommended Drive Cable Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Connecting Drive Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Drive Interface Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Connecting and Disconnecting Drive Cables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Hard Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Removing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Installing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Adding a Second Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Removing a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Installing a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Media Card Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Removing a Media Card Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Installing a Media Card Reader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
CD/DVD Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Removing a CD/DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Installing a CD/DVD Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Replacing the Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Replacing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
book.book Page 6 Monday, July 23, 2007 3:47 PM

Contents 7
A Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Entering System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
System Setup Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Boot Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Clearing Forgotten Passwords. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Clearing CMOS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Cleaning Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Computer, Keyboard, and Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Mouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
CDs and DVDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . . . . 121
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals. . . . . . . . . . . 121
FCC Notice (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
FCC Class B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Contacting Dell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
book.book Page 7 Monday, July 23, 2007 3:47 PM

8Contents
book.book Page 8 Monday, July 23, 2007 3:47 PM

Finding Information 9
Finding Information
NOTE: Some features or media may be optional and may not ship with your computer. Some features or media
may not be available in certain countries.
NOTE: Additional information may ship with your computer.
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
• How to set up my computer Setup Diagram
• 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 support.
•Enter the Express
Service Code to direct
your call when
contacting support.
book.book Page 9 Monday, July 23, 2007 3:47 PM

10 Finding Information
• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips, articles
from technicians, and 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
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.
• 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, 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
.
• How to use Windows XP
• How to work with programs and files
• How to personalize my desktop
Windows Help and Support Center
1 Click Start → 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
book.book Page 10 Monday, July 23, 2007 3:47 PM