Dell OptiPlex GX270 User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ OptiPlex™ Systems
Setup and Quick
Reference Guide
Models DHS, DHP, and DHM
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www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ OptiPlex™ Systems
Setup and Quick
Reference Guide
681VHe.book Page 1 Friday, November 15, 2002 1:01 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.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2000–2002 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, OptiPlex, and the DELL logo are trademarks of Dell Computer
Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Othertrademarksandtradenamesmaybeusedinthisdocumenttorefertoeithertheentitiesclaiming
themarksandnamesortheirproducts.DellComputerCorporationdisclaimsanyproprietaryinterest
in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
November 2002 P/N 681VH Rev. A07
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Contents 3
Contents
About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Finding Information for Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
CAUTION: Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
When Using Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
When Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Getting Started/Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Solving Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Using the Drivers and Utilities CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Starting the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Running the Dell IDE Hard Drive Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
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4Contents
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Setup and Quick Reference Guide 5
About This Guide
This document contains getting started/setup, solving problems, and safety
and regulatory information about your Dell™ OptiPlex™ computer.
To obtain the latest versions of the documents on your hard drive, see the
Dell support website at support.dell.com.
Regulatory model numbers appear throughout this document; their chassis
type equivalents are shown below:
Finding Information for Your Computer
Regulatory Model Numbers and Chassis Types
DHS = small desktop (SD) chassis
DHP = small form-factor (SF) chassis
DHM = small mini-tower (SMT) chassis
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
• A diagnostic program for my computer
• Drivers for my computer
• My computer documentation
• My device documentation
Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as the
ResourceCD)
You can use this CD to access documentation, reinstall drivers, or run
diagnostics tools.
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6Setup and Quick Reference Guide
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• Express Service Code and Service Tag
Number
• Microsoft®Windows®License Label
(Product Key)
Express Service Code and Product Key
Located on your computer.
• How to reinstall my operating system Operating System CD and Installation Guide
If you reinstall your operating system, use the Drivers and Utilities
CD to reinstall drivers for the devices that came with your computer.
• How to remove and replace parts
• Technical specifications
• How to configure system settings
• How to troubleshoot and solve problems
User’s Guide icon
Depending on your operating system, double-click the User’s Guides
icon on your desktop or click the Start button and then click Help
and Support to access the electronic documentation stored on your
hard drive.
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
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Setup and Quick Reference Guide 7
• 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
The Dell Support website provides several online tools, including:
• Knowledge Base — hints, tips, and online courses
• Customer Forum — 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
• Service call status
• Top technical issues for my computer
• Frequently asked questions
• File downloads
• Details on my computer’s configuration
• Service contract for my computer
Dell Premier Support website
The Dell Premier Support website is customized for corporate,
government, and education customers. This site may not be available
in all regions.
• How to use Windows XP
• Documentation for my computer and
devices
Windows XP Help and Support Center
1Click the Start button, and then click Help and Support.
2Type a word or phrase that describes your problem, and then click
the arrow icon.
3Click the topic that describes your problem.
4Follow the instructions shown on the screen.
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
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8Setup and Quick Reference Guide
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CAUTION: Safety Instructions
Use the following safety guidelines to help ensure your own personal safety and to help protect
your computer and working environment from potential damage.
General
• Do not attempt to service the computer yourself unless you are a trained service
technician. Always follow installation instructions closely.
• To help prevent electric shock, plug the computer and device power cables into properly
grounded electrical outlets. 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 avoid the potential hazard of electric shock, do not use your computer during an
electrical storm.
• To help avoid the potential hazard of electric shock, do not connect or disconnect any
cables or perform maintenance or reconfiguration of this product during an electrical
storm.
• If your computer includes a modem, the cable used with the modem should be
manufactured with a minimum wire size of 26 American wire gauge (AWG) and an FCC-
compliant RJ-11 modular plug.
• Before you clean your computer, disconnect the computer from the electrical outlet.
Clean your computer with a soft cloth dampened with water. Do not use liquid or aerosol
cleaners, which may contain flammable substances.
• To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds after turning off the
computer before disconnecting a device from the computer.
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Setup and Quick Reference Guide 9
• 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 protect your computer from sudden, transient increases and decreases in
electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner, or uninterruptible power supply
(UPS).
• Ensure 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 push any objects into the openings of your computer. Doing so can cause fire or
electric shock by shorting out interior components.
• Keep your computer away from radiators and heat sources. 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.
• Do not spill food or liquids on your computer. If the computer gets wet, consult your
User’s Guide.
CAUTION: Safety Instructions (continued)
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10 Setup and Quick Reference Guide
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When Using Your Computer
As you use your computer, observe the following safe-handling guidelines.
CAUTION: Do not operate your computer with any cover(s) (including computer
covers, bezels, filler brackets, front-panel inserts, and so on) removed.
• Your computer is equipped with one of the following:
– A fixed-voltage power supply — Computers with a fixed-voltage power supply do not
have a voltage selection switch on the back panel and operate at only one voltage (see
the regulatory label on the outside of the computer for its operating voltage).
– An auto-sensing voltage circuit — Computers with an auto-sensing voltage circuit do
not have a voltage selection switch on the back panel and automatically detect the
correct operating voltage.
– A manual voltage selection switch — Computers with a voltage selection switch on
the back panel must be manually set to operate at the correct operating voltage.
NOTICE: To help avoid damaging a computer with a manual voltage selection switch, set the
switch for the voltage that most closely matches the AC power available in your location. For Japan,
the voltage selection switch must be set to the 115-V position even though the AC power available in
Japan is 100 V. Also, ensure that your monitor and attached devices are electrically rated to
operate with the AC power available in your location.
• Before working inside the computer, unplug the computer to help prevent electric shock
or system board damage. Certain system board components continue to receive power
any time the computer is connected to AC power.
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Setup and Quick Reference Guide 11
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
your online Dell documentation or in instructions otherwise provided to you by Dell.
Always follow installation and service instructions closely.
NOTICE: To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds after turning off the
computer before removing a component from the system board or disconnecting a device from the
computer.
1Perform an orderly computer shutdown using the operating system menu.
2Turn off your computer and any devices connected to the computer.
3Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface on the chassis, such as the metal
around the card-slot openings at the back of the computer, before touching anything
inside your computer.
While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis
to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components.
4Disconnect your computer and devices, including the monitor, from their electrical
outlets. Also, disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
Doing so reduces the potential for personal injury or shock.
In addition, take note of these safety guidelines when appropriate:
• When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief loop, not on the
cable itself. Some cables have a connector with locking tabs; if you are disconnecting this
type of cable, press in on the locking tabs before disconnecting the cable. As you pull
connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. Also,
before you connect a cable, ensure that both connectors are correctly oriented and
aligned.
• Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on a
card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting bracket. Hold a component such
as a microprocessor chip by its edges, not by its pins.
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. 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.
When Using Your Computer (continued)
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12 Setup and Quick Reference Guide
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Getting Started/Setup
NOTE: Connect only one
keyboard and one mouse.
Use the following steps to connect external devices to your computer via the
input/output (I/O) panel. The back of your Dell system, including the I/O
panel, may look different from the examples shown here.
NOTE: If you have a
Universal Serial Bus
(USB)-compliant mouse
or keyboard, use the USB
connectors on the back of
your system.
1
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Setup and Quick Reference Guide 13
NOTE: If your system
has two video connectors,
the integrated video
connector is disabled and
has a protective cap on it.
Use the expansion card
connector, as shown in the
illustrations on the right
in step 2.
2System with
one video connector
System with
two video connectors
video connector on expansion card
System with
one video connector
System with
two video connectors
video connector on expansion card
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14 Setup and Quick Reference Guide
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NOTE: If your system
has two audio connectors,
use the one on the
expansion card, as shown
in the illustrations on the
right in step 3.
NOTE: Auto-select power
supplies do not require a
voltage selection switch.
Your computer may not
have this switch.
3
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For more information, see "When Using Your Computer" on page 10.
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Setup and Quick Reference Guide 15
CAUTION: To help prevent electric shock, use only the power
cable provided and ensure that it is plugged into a properly
grounded power source.
NOTE: Some monitors
have the video connector
underneath the back of
the screen. See the
documentation that came
with your monitor for its
connector locations.
5
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16 Setup and Quick Reference Guide
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Read the software license agreement and follow the operating system setup
instructions on the screen.
Congratulations! You have completed your system setup.
Depending on your operating system, double-click the User’s Guides icon
on your desktop ( ), or click the Start button and then select Help
and Support to access the electronic documentation stored on your hard
drive.
Solving Problems
Dell provides a number of tools to help you if your system does not perform
as expected. For the latest troubleshooting information available for your
system, see the Dell Support website at support.dell.com. You can also find
descriptions of Dell troubleshooting tools in the section titled "Getting
Help" in your online User’s Guide.
If computer problems occur that require help from Dell, write a detailed
description of the error, beep codes, or diagnostics light patterns; record
your Express Service Code and Service Tag Number below; and then
contact Dell from the same location as your computer.
6Turn on the computer and monitor.
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Setup and Quick Reference Guide 17
See "Finding Information for Your Computer" on page 5 for an example of
the express service code and service tag numbers.
Express Service Code:___________________________
Service Tag Number:___________________________
Your computer includes the following tools that can help you solve a
problem:
Using the Drivers and Utilities CD
To use the Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as the ResourceCD) while
you are running the Windows operating system:
NOTE: To access device
drivers and user
documentation, you must
use the Drivers and
Utilities CD while you are
running Windows.
1Turn on the computer and allow it to boot to the Windows desktop.
2Insert the Drivers and Utilities CD into the CD drive.
If you are using the Drivers and Utilities CD for the first time on this
computer, the ResourceCD Installation window opens to inform you
that the Drivers and Utilities CD is about to begin installation.
3Click OK to continue.
To complete the installation, respond to the prompts offered by the
installation program.
4Click Next at the Welcome Dell System Owner screen.
5Select the appropriate System Model, Operating System, Device
Ty p e ,and Topic.
DELL DIAGNOSTICS —The Dell Diagnostics tests various components in
your computer and helps to identify the cause of computer problems. For more
information, see "Starting the Dell Diagnostics" on page 18.
THE FOLLOWING FEATURES CAN INDICATE APOSSIBLE FAILURE AND
HELP YOU TROUBLESHOOT ACOMPUTER PROBLEM. SEE YOUR User’s
Guide FOR MORE INFORMATION —
SYSTEM LIGHTS —Located on the front of the computer
DIAGNOSTIC LIGHTS —Located on the back of the computer
SYSTEM MESSAGES —Appear on your monitor screen
BEEP CODES —A series of audible beeps emitted by your computer
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18 Setup and Quick Reference Guide
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Drivers for Your Computer
To display a list of device drivers for your computer:
1Click My Drivers in the Topic pull-down menu.
The Drivers and Utilities CD scans your computer’s hardware and
operating system, and then a list of device drivers for your system
configuration is displayed on the screen.
2Click the appropriate driver and follow the instructions to download
the driver to your computer.
To view all available drivers for your computer, click Drivers from the Topic
pull-down menu.
Dell Diagnostics
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics
If you experience a problem with your computer, perform the checks in
"Solving Problems" in the User’s Guide and run the Dell Diagnostics before
you contact Dell for technical assistance. Running the Dell Diagnostics may
help you resolve the problem without contacting Dell. If you do contact
Dell, the test results can provide important information for Dell's service
and support personnel.
NOTICE: If your hard drive fails, run the Dell IDE Hard Drive Diagnostics
(see "Running the Dell IDE Hard Drive Diagnostics" on page 20).
Starting the Dell Diagnostics
Enter system setup as explained in the User’s Guide, review your computer’s
configuration information, and ensure that the device you want to test
displays in system setup and is active.
Start the Dell Diagnostics from either your hard drive or from the Drivers
and Utilities CD (also known as the ResourceCD).
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