Dell OptiPlex GX270 User manual

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Dell™ OptiPlex™ Systems
Setup and Quick
Reference Guide
Models DHS, DHP, and DHM
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681VHfc7.fm Page 2 Friday, November 15, 2002 2:49 PM

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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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