Dell Dimension U7021 User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ Dimension™ XPS
headphone
connector
microphone
connector
USB 2.0
connectors (2)
IEEE 1394
connector
PCI card (4), PCI Express
x1 card (1), PCI Express
x16 card (1) slots
serial port
parallel port
diagnostic lights
keyboard connector
USB 2.0
connectors (6)
VGA video connector
cover latch release
fans (2)
network adapter connector
security cable slot
fans (2)
sound card connectors
padlock ring
modem connector
power connector
DVI video connector
mouse connector
TV-OUT connector*
Model WHL
*Not present on all computers.

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
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.
© 2004–2005 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, 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 WHL
March 2005 P/N U7021 Rev. A01

Contents 3
Contents
Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Opening the Drive Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Changing the Front-Panel Light Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Connecting Two Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Connecting Two Monitors With VGA Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Connecting One Monitor With a VGA connector and
One Monitor With a DVI Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Connecting a TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Changing the Display Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
About Serial ATA Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
About Your RAID Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
RAID Level 0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
RAID Level 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Configuring Your Computer for RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Configuring for RAID Using the Intel(R) Option ROM Utility . . . . . . . . 20
Configuring for RAID Using the Intel(R) Application Accelerator . . . . . 21
Transferring Information to a New Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Playing CDs and Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Playing a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Adjusting the Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Adjusting the Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Copying CDs and DVDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
How to Copy a CD or DVD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Using Blank CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVD+Rs, and DVD+RWs . . . . . . . . . . 29
Helpful Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Network Setup Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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

Contents 5
Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
No sound from speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
If the screen is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
If the screen is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
4 Advanced Troubleshooting
Diagnostic Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
What Is a Driver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Identifying Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Reinstalling Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Using Microsoft®Windows®XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Creating a Restore Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Undoing the Last System Restore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Reinstalling Microsoft®Windows®XP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Reinstalling Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

6Contents
5 Removing and Installing Parts
Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Recommended Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Turning Off Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Before Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Front and Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Front View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Front View (Doors Open) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Back View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Opening the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Inside View of Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
System Board Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Installing Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Removing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
PCI Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
PCI Express Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
General Installation Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Connecting Drive Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Removing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Installing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Adding a Second Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Removing a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Installing a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
CD/DVD Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Removing a CD/DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Installing a CD/DVD Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Processor Airflow Shroud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Removing the Processor Airflow Shroud. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Installing the Processor Airflow Shroud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Contents 7
Processor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Removing the Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Installing the Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Removing the Front Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Replacing the Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Drive Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Removing the Drive Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Replacing the Drive Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Replacing the Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Closing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
6 Appendix
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Entering System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
System Setup Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Boot Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Clearing Forgotten Passwords. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Clearing CMOS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Cleaning Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Computer, Keyboard, and Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Mouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
CDs and DVDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . . . . 129
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals. . . . . . . . . . . 129

8Contents
FCC Notices (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Class A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Class B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
FCC Identification Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Contacting Dell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Finding Information 9
Finding Information
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
• How to access tutorials and other how to information
• How to get a copy of my invoice
• How to extend my warranty
• How to access Dell Support on my Microsoft
®
Windows
®
desktop (U.S. only)
• Additional documentation, tools, troubleshooting
information, and links to online support resources
Dell Solution Center
On your Windows desktop
• A diagnostic program for my computer
• Drivers for my computer
• My computer documentation
• My device documentation
ResourceCD
Documentation and drivers are already installed on your
computer. You can use the CD to reinstall drivers (see
page 60), run the Dell Diagnostics (see page 56), or
access your documentation.
Readme files may be
included on your CD to
provide last-minute
updates about technical
changes to your
computer or advanced
technical-reference
material for technicians
or experienced users.
• Additional information about setting up my computer
• How to troubleshoot and solve problems
• How to remove and install parts
• Technical specifications
• How to contact Dell
Dimension Owner’s Manual
NOTE: This document is available as a PDF at
support.dell.com.

10 Finding Information
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
• Warranty information
• 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 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
• 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.
• How to reinstall my operating system
Operating System CD
The operating system is already installed on your
computer. To reinstall your operating system, use the
Operating System CD. See "Reinstalling Microsoft®
Windows®XP" on page 64.
After you reinstall your
operating system, use the
ResourceCD to reinstall
drivers for the devices
that came with your
computer.
NOTE: The color of your
CD varies based on the
operating system you
ordered.
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here

12 Finding Information
www.dell.com | support.dell.com

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 13
Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Opening the Drive Door

14 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Changing the Front-Panel Light Color
You can use this exclusive Dell™ Dimension™ XPS feature either to change the color of the
front-panel light that illuminates the Dell name and displays around the badge on the front of your
computer, or to turn off the front-panel light entirely.
There are several color choices:
•Ruby
•Emerald
•Sapphire (default)
•Amber
•Amethyst
•Topaz
•Diamond
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions
located in the Product Information Guide.
NOTE: The front-panel light is not for diagnostic purposes.
1 Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 67.
2 Turn on (or restart) your computer.
3 Enter system setup (see page 120).
4 Scroll through the color options using the up- and down-arrow keys, select On Board Device ,
and then press <Enter>.
5 Click Front LED Color , and press <Enter>.
6 Press the left- and right- arrow keys to scroll through the color options. The front-panel light
color changes as you scroll through the options.
badge
front-panel
light

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 15
7 Select the color you want, and press <Enter>.
8 Press < Esc > , and press Save and Exit to save the new front-panel light color setting.
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.
NOTE: See the documentation that came with your TV to ensure that you properly configure and connect
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.
If you purchased a graphics card that has two DVI ports instead of a VGA port, use a DVI-to-VGA
adapter to use VGA.
Connecting Two Monitors With VGA Connectors
1 Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 67.
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.

16 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 67.
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 67.
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 as described above on page 16.
VGA (blue) connector
DVI (white) connector
optional DVI adapter
TV-OUT connector

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 17
Changing the Display Settings
1 After you connect the monitor(s) or TV, turn on the computer.
The Microsoft
®
Windows
®
desktop displays on the primary monitor.
2 Enable clone mode or extended desktop mode in the display settings.
• In clone mode, both monitors display the same image.
• In extended desktop mode, you can drag objects from one screen to the other, effectively
doubling the amount of viewable work space.
For information on changing the display settings for your graphics card, see the user’s guide in
the Help and Support Center (click the
Start button, click Help and Support , click User and
system guides
, click Device guides , and then click the guide for your graphics card).
About Serial ATA Drives
Your Dell™ Dimension™ XPS computer supports up to three serial ATA hard drives. Serial ATA
drives provide the following benefits by transferring data using serial technology and flexible cables
that are thinner and longer than IDE cables:
• Improved cable routing facilitates more efficient airflow inside the chassis.
• Compact cable connectors save space on the system board and on the hard drive. Combined
with the improved cable routing, this allows a more efficient utilization of space inside the
chassis.
See "Hard Drive" on page 90 for information on serial ATA drive connections.
About Your RAID Configuration
This section provides an overview of the RAID configuration that you might have selected when
you purchased your computer. Although several RAID configurations are available, Dell offers
either RAID level 0 or RAID level 1 for its Dimension computers. A RAID level 0 configuration is
recommended for high-performance gaming, and a RAID level 1 configuration is recommended for
the data integrity requirements of digital photography and audio.
The Intel RAID controller on your computer can only create a RAID volume using two physical
drives. If a third drive is present, then that drive cannot be made part of a RAID volume using the
Intel RAID configuration program, although it can be used as a spare drive in a RAID 1
configuration (see "Creating a Spare Hard Drive" on page 24). However, if four drives are present in
your computer, then each pair of drives can be made into RAID level 0 or RAID level 1 volumes.
The drives should be the same size in order to ensure that the larger drive does not contain
unallocated (and therefore unusable) space.
NOTE: RAID levels do not represent a hierarchy. A RAID level 1 configuration is not inherently better or
worse than a RAID level 0 configuration.

18 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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RAID Level 0
RAID level 0 uses a storage technique known as "data striping" to provide a high data access rate.
Data striping is a method of writing consecutive segments, or stripes, of data sequentially across
the physical drives to create a large virtual drive. Data striping allows one of the drives to read data
while the other drive is searching for and reading the next block.
Another advantage of a RAID level 0 configuration is that it utilizes the full capacities of the drives.
For example, if you have two 120-GB drives installed, you have 240 GB on which to store data.
NOTICE: Because RAID level 0 provides no data redundancy, if one drive fails, then the data on the other
drive is also inaccessible. Therefore, ensure that you perform regular backups when you use a RAID
level 0 configuration.
RAID Level 1
RAID level 1 uses a data-redundancy storage technique known as "mirroring." When data is written
to the primary drive, it is then duplicated, or mirrored, on the other drive. A RAID level 1
configuration sacrifices high data access rates for its data redundancy advantages.
hard drive 1
segment 1
segment 3
segment 5
hard drive 2
segment 2
segment 4
segment 6
serial ATA RAID
configured for
RAID level 0

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 19
If a drive failure occurs, subsequent read and write operations are directed to the surviving drive. A
replacement drive can then be rebuilt using the data from the surviving drive. Also, because data is
duplicated on both drives, two 120-GB RAID level 1 drives collectively have a maximum of 120-GB
on which to store data.
Configuring Your Computer for RAID
At some point you may want to configure your computer for RAID if you did not select a RAID
configuration when you purchased your computer. You must have at least two hard drives installed
in your computer to set up a RAID configuration. For instructions on how to install a hard drive,
see page 91.
You can use one of two methods to configure RAID hard drive volumes. One method uses the
Intel(R) Option ROM utility, and is performed
before you install the operating system onto the
hard drive. The second method uses the Intel Application Accelerator, or Intel Storage Utility, and
this method is performed
after you have installed the operating system and the Intel Storage
Utility. Both methods require that you set your computer to RAID-enabled mode before starting
any of the RAID configuration procedures in this document.
Setting Your Computer to RAID-Enabled Mode
1 Enter system setup (see page 120).
2 Use the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight Drives , and press <Enter>.
3 Use the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight Drive Controller , and press <Enter>.
4 Use the left- and right-arrow keys to highlight RAID On , press <Enter>, and then
press <Esc>.
hard drive 1
segment 1
segment 2
segment 3
hard drive 2
segment 4
segment 5
segment 6
segment 1 duplicated
segment 2 duplicated
segment 3 duplicated
segment 4 duplicated
segment 5 duplicated
segment 6 duplicated
serial ATA RAID
configured for
RAID level 1

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5 Use the left- and right-arrow keys to highlight Save/Exit , and press <Enter> to exit system
setup and resume the boot process.
Configuring for RAID Using the Intel(R) Option ROM Utility
NOTE: Although any size drives may be used to create a RAID configuration using the Intel Option ROM
utility, ideally the drives should be of equal size. In a RAID level 0 configuration, the size of the array will
be the size of the smallest disk multiplied by the number (two) of disks in the array. In a RAID level 1
configuration, the size of the array will be the smaller of the two disks used.
Creating a RAID Level 0 Configuration
NOTICE: You will lose any data on your hard drives when you create a RAID configuration using the
following procedure. Back up data you want to keep before continuing.
NOTE: The following procedure should only be used if you are reinstalling your operating system. The
following procedure should not be used to migrate an existing storage configuration to RAID 0.
1 Set your computer to RAID-enabled mode (see page 19).
2 Press <Ctrl><i> when you are prompted to enter the Intel(R) RAID Option ROM utility.
3 Use the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight Create RAID Volume , and press <Enter>.
4 Enter a RAID volume name or accept the default, and press <Enter>.
5 Use the up- and down-arrow keys to select RAID0(Stripe) , and press <Enter>.
6 If there are more than two hard disks available, use the up- and down-arrow keys and space bar
to select the two disks you want to use to make up your array, and then press <Enter>.
NOTE: Select the strip size closest to the size of the average file you want to store on the RAID volume. If
you do not know the average file size, choose 128 as your strip size.
7 Use the up- and down-arrow keys to change the strip size, and press <Enter>.
8 Select the desired capacity for the volume, and press <Enter>. The default value is the
maximum available size.
9 Press <Enter> to create the volume.
10 Press <y> to confirm that you want to create the RAID volume.
11 Confirm that the correct volume configuration is displayed on the main Intel Option ROM
screen.
12 Use the up- and down-arrow keys to select Exit , and press <Enter>.
13 Install the operating system (see "Reinstalling Microsoft
®
Windows
®
XP" on page 64).
Creating a RAID Level 1 Configuration
1 Set your computer to RAID-enabled mode (see page 19).
2 Press <Ctrl><i> when you are prompted to enter Intel RAID Option ROM.
3 Use the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight Create RAID Volume , and press <Enter>.