Dell Inspiron 8200 User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ Dimension™ 8200
Solutions Guide
9p915bk0.book Page 1 Thursday, April 4, 2002 9:26 AM

Hints, Notices, and Cautions
HINT: A HINT 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 completelist of abbreviations and acronyms, seethe Tell Me How help
file. To access help files, see page 24.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2002 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 logo, Dimension, Inspiron, Latitude, OptiPlex, Dell
Precision, DellPlus, and DellNet are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation; EMC is the
registered trademark of EMC Corporation; Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel
Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Othertrademarksandtradenamesmaybeusedinthisdocumenttorefertoeithertheentitiesclaiming
themarksandnamesortheirproducts.DellComputerCorporationdisclaimsanyproprietaryinterest
in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by method claims of
certain U.S. patents and other intellectual property rights owned by Macrovision Corporation and
other rights owners. Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision
Corporation, and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses only unless otherwise
authorized by Macrovision Corporation. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited.
April 2002 P/N 9P915 Rev. A00
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Contents 3
Contents
Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
When Using Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Ergonomic Computing Habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
When Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Battery Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1Setting Up
Connecting a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Parallel Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
USB Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Installing the Printer Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Transferring Information to a New Computer
(Windows XP Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Setting Up a Home and Office Network
(Windows XP Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Turning Off the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Windows Me and Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2Solving Problems
Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Accessing Help Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
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4Contents
Start-Up Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
If the screen is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
If the screen is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
If you cannot print to a parallel port printer . . . . . . . . . . 29
If you cannot print to a USB printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Modem Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
If you cannot save a file to a floppy disk . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
If you cannot play a music CD or install a program
from a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
If you cannot play a DVD movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
If the CD-RW drive stops writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
If you have a hard drive problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Microsoft®Windows®Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
General Program Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
A program crashes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
A program error causes the system to lock up . . . . . . . . . 41
A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
A program is designed for an earlier Windows
operating system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
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Contents 5
Internet Connection Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
If you have a problem with your Internet connection . . . . . . . 42
E-Mail Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Resolving Other Technical Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Reinstalling Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Using the Windows XP Device Driver Rollback . . . . . . . . . 46
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . 47
Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Windows Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Using System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Creating a Restore Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State . . . . . . 52
Undoing the Last System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Reinstalling Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Reinstalling Windows Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Reinstalling Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
3Adding Parts
Front and Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Reattaching the Front Door and Hinge Arms . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Reattaching the Front Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Reattaching the Hinge Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Opening the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Looking Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
System Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Adding Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
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6Contents
Removing Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Adding Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
RDRAM Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Replacing the AGP Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Adding a Second Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Adding Other Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
5.25-Inch Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
3.5-Inch Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Closing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
4Appendix
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Standard Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Viewing Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
System Setup Program Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Clearing Forgotten Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . 101
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . 102
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit . . . . . . . . . 117
Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
NOM Information (Mexico Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Limited Warranties and Return Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
One-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Two-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
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Contents 7
Three-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Four-Year Limited Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . 129
One-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 132
Two-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 134
Three-Year Limited Warranty (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . 137
"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . 141
One-Year End-User Manufacturer Guarantee
(Latin America and the Caribbean Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
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8Contents
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Safety Instructions 9
Safety Instructions
As you use your computer, observe the following safe-handling guidelines.
When Using Your Computer
CAUTION: Do not operate your computer with any cover(s)
(including the computer cover, filler brackets, front-panel inserts,
and so on) removed or opened.
• To help avoid damaging your computer, be sure that the voltage
selection switch is set to match the AC power available at your
location:
– 115 V/60 Hz in most of North and South America and some Far
Eastern countries such as South Korea and Taiwan
– 100 V/50 Hz in eastern Japan and 100 V/60 Hz in western Japan
NOTE: The voltage selection switch must be set to the 115V position
even though the AC supply in Japan is 100 V.
– 230 V/50 Hz in most of Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East
Also be sure that your monitor and attached devices are electrically
rated to operate with the AC power available in your location.
• To avoid shorting out your computer when disconnecting a network
cable, first unplug the cable from the network adapter on the back of
your computer, and then from the network jack. When reconnecting a
network cable to your computer, first plug the cable into the network
jack, and then into the network adapter.
• To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds
after turning off the computer before disconnecting or connecting a
non-USB device from the computer.
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10 Safety Instructions
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• To help prevent electric shock, plug the computer and device power
cables into properly grounded power sources. These cables are
equipped with 3-prong plugs to help ensure proper grounding. Do not
use adapter plugs or remove the grounding prong from a cable. If you
must use an extension cable, use a 3-wire cable with properly grounded
plugs.
• To help protect your computer from sudden, transient increases and
decreases in electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner,
or uninterruptible power supply.
• Be sure that nothing rests on your computer’s cables and that the
cables are not located where they can be stepped on or tripped over.
• Do not spill food or liquids on your computer. If the computer gets
wet, contact Dell (see page 102).
• Do not push any objects into the openings of yourcomputer. Doing so
can cause fire or electric shock by shorting out interior components.
• Keep yourcomputer awayfrom radiators andheatsources.Also, do not
block cooling vents. Avoid placing loose papers underneath your
computer; do not place your computer in a closed-in wall unit or on a
bed, sofa, or rug.
Ergonomic Computing Habits
CAUTION: Improper or prolonged keyboard use may result in
injury.
CAUTION: Viewing the monitor screen for extended periods of
time may result in eye strain.
For comfort and efficiency, observe the following ergonomic guidelines
when setting up and using your computer:
• Position your computer so that the monitor and keyboard are directly
in front of you as you work. Special shelves are available (from Dell and
other sources) to help you correctly position your keyboard.
• Set the monitor at a comfortable viewing distance (usually 510 to
610 millimeters [20 to 24 inches] from your eyes).
• Make sure the monitor screen is at eye level or slightly lower when you
are sitting in front of the monitor.
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Safety Instructions 11
• Adjust the tilt of the monitor, its contrast and brightness settings, and
the lighting around you (such as overhead lights, desk lamps, and the
curtains or blinds on nearby windows) to minimize reflections and
glare on the monitor screen.
• Use a chair that provides good lower back support.
• Keep your forearms horizontal with your wrists in a neutral,
comfortable position while using the keyboard or mouse.
• Always leave space to rest your hands while using the keyboard or
mouse.
• Let your upper arms hang naturally at your sides.
• Sit erect with your feet resting on the floor and your thighs level.
• When sitting, make sure the weight of your legs is on your feet and not
on the front of your chair seat. Adjust your chair’s height or use a
footrest, if necessary, to maintain proper posture.
• Vary your work activities. Try to organize your work so that you do not
have to type for extended periods of time. When you stop typing, try
to do things that use both hands.
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12 Safety Instructions
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When Working Inside Your Computer
Before you open the computer cover, perform the following steps in the
sequence indicated.
CAUTION: Do not attempt to service the computer yourself,
except as explained in this guide and elsewhere in Dell
documentation. Always follow installation and service
instructions closely.
1Turn off the computer (see page 20).
2Turn off all devices.
monitor screen at or
below eye level
wrists relaxed
and flat
computer positioned
directly in front of user
arms at desk level
feet flat on the floor
monitor stand
(optional)
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Safety Instructions 13
3Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface at theback of
the computer before touching anything inside your computer.
While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the
computer to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal
components.
4Disconnect any devices connected to the computer, including the
monitor, from their electrical outlets to reduce the potential for
personal injury or shock. Also, disconnect any telephone or
telecommunication lines from the computer.
5Disconnect the power cable to your computer, and then press the
power button to ground the system board.
In addition, take note of these safety guidelines when appropriate:
• When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector, not on the cable
itself. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid
bending any pins. Also, before you connect a cable, make sure that
both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.
• Handle components and cardswith care. Don’t touch the components
on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal bracket.
CAUTION: There is a danger of a new battery exploding if it is
incorrectly installed. Replace the battery only with the same or
equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Discard used
batteries according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge
To prevent static damage, discharge static electricity from your body before
you touch anything inside your computer and periodically while you work
inside the computer. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface
on the back of the computer.
You can also take the following steps to prevent static damage:
• Do not remove items from their antistatic packing material until you
are ready to install them in your computer. Just before unwrapping the
antistatic packaging, be sure to discharge static electricity from your
body.
• When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an antistatic
container or packaging.
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14 Safety Instructions
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Battery Disposal
Your computer uses a lithium-ion battery. For instructions about replacing
the lithium-ion battery in your computer, refer to the section about
replacing the battery in your Dell computer documentation.
Do not dispose of the battery along with household waste. Contact your
local waste disposal agency for the address of the nearest battery deposit
site.
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SECTION 1
Setting Up
Connecting a Printer
Transferring Information to a New Computer
(Windows XP Only)
Setting Up a Home and Office Network
(Windows XP Only)
Turning Off the Computer
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16 Setting Up
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Connecting a Printer
See the documentation that came with the printer for any recommended
preparation procedures, such as:
• Removing the packaging
• Installing the toner or ink cartridge
•Loadingpaper
Then follow the instructions that came with the printer to connect it to the
computer. If no information is provided, see the following sections.
Parallel Printer
Follow the instructions that came with the parallel printer to connect it to
the computer. If no information is provided, then follow the instructions in
this section.
1Turn off the computer (see page 20).
NOTICE: Use only a standard IEEE parallel cable measuring 3 m (10 ft) or
less to connect the printer to the computer. Use of a nonstandard cable may
prevent the printer from working.
2Attach the parallel printer cable to the parallel connector on the
computer and tighten the two screws. Attach the cable to the parallel
connector on the printer and snap the two clips into the two notches.
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Setting Up 17
3Turn on the printer and then turn on the computer. If the Add New
Hardware Wizard window appears, click Cancel.
4Install the printer driver if necessary (see "Installingthe Printer Driver"
on this page).
USB Printer
Follow the instructions that came with the USB printer to connect it to the
computer. If no information is provided, then follow the instructions in this
section.
HINT: You can connect
USB devices while the
computer is turned on.
1Install the printer driver if necessary (see the following section).
2Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connector on the computer
and the printer. The USB connectors only fit one way.
notches (2)
parallel printer
cable
screws (2)
parallelconnector
on printer
clips (2)
parallel connector
on computer
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18 Setting Up
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HINT: Your computerhas
two USB connectors on
the back panel and two
USB connectors inside the
door on the front panel
(see page 63).
Installing the Printer Driver
Follow the instructions that came with the printer to install printer drivers.
If no was information was provided with the printer, then refer to the
following instructions.
If you need to install a printer driver, insert the printer installation CD into
the CD or DVD drive. Then follow the prompts on the screen using the
instructions that came with the printer.
If your printer installation CD does not automatically run, click the Start
button on the Microsoft®Windows®desktop, click Run, and type
x:\setup.exe (where xis the letter of your CD or DVD drive [usually
drive D]). Then click OK and follow the prompts on your screen. If your
printer installation CD still does not run, check the documentation that
came with your printer for instructions on how to start the printer
installation CD.
If you connect an older printer and it doesn’t work after you install the
driver, access the system setup program (see page 96) and ensure that the
parallel port is set to operate in bidirectional mode.
USB printer
cable
USB 1.1 connector
on computer
USB connector
on printer
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Setting Up 19
To check if your printer driver is installed on a computer running the
Windows XP operating system, click the Start button, click Control Panel,
click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click View installed printers
or fax printers. If your computer runs either Windows 2000 or Windows
Millennium Edition (Me), 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.
Transferring Information to a New
Computer (Windows XP Only)
Windows XP provides a Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to move data,
such as e-mails, window sizes, toolbar settings, and Internet bookmarks,
from one computer to another. First you collect the data from the source
computer, and then you import the data to the new computer.
If the source computer uses another Windows operating system, the wizard
can be launched from the Windows XP operating system CD or from a
floppy disk created on the Windows XP computer. You may transfer the
data to the new computer over a network or serial connection, or you may
store it on a removable medium, such as a floppy disk, a Zip disk, or a
writable CD.
HINT: The CD that you
need to place in your CD
or DVD drive is titled
Operating System .
1On the computer running Windows XP, click the Start button, point
to All Programs—> Accessories—> System Tools, and then click
Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.
2On the welcome screen, click Next.
3On the Which computer is this? screen, select New Computer, and
then click Next.
4Follow the instructions on the screen.
Setting Up a Home and Office Network
(Windows XP Only)
Windows XP provides a Network Setup Wizard to guide you through the
process of sharing files, printers, or an Internet connection between
computers in a home or small office.
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20 Setting Up
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1Click the Start button, point to All Programs—> Accessories—>
Communications, and then click Network Setup Wizard.
2On the welcome screen, click Next.
3Click checklist for creating a network.
HINT: Selecting the
connection method This
computer connects
directly to the Internet
enables the integrated
firewall provided with
Windows XP.
4Complete the checklist and required preparations, and then return to
the Network Setup Wizard.
5Follow the instructions on the screen.
Turning Off the Computer
NOTICE: To prevent data loss, you must turn off your computer through the
Start menu rather than by pressing the power button.
HINT: If you are having
difficulty turning off your
computer, see "General
Program Problems” on
page 41.
Windows XP
1Save and close any open files and exit any open programs.
2Click the Start button and then click Turn off Computer.
3Click Turn off.
The computer automatically turns off after the shutdown process
finishes.
4Turn off your monitor and any other devices connected to power.
Windows Me and Windows 2000
1Save and exit any programs and files you have open.
2Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down.
3Click the pull-down menu under What do you want the computer to
do?.
4Click Shut down and then click OK.
The computer automatically turns off after the shutdown process
finishes.
5Turn off your monitor and any other devices connected to power.
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