Dell OptiPlex GX50 User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX50 Systems
User’s Guide

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.”
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2001 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, Inspiron , Dimension , Latitude , Dell Precision ,
DellNet , and OptiPlex are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation; Intel is a registered
trademark and
Celeron is a trademark of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, Windows NT, MS-DOS,
and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; 3Com is a registered
trademark of 3Com Corporation;
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business
Machines Corporation;
NetWare and Novell are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. As an
ENERGY STAR partner, Dell Computer Corporation has determined that this product meets the
ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficiency.
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 Computer Corporation disclaims any
proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
Models: DHS, DHP, and DHM
January 2002
January 2002January 2002
January 2002 P/N 005VJ
P/N 005VJP/N 005VJ
P/N 005VJ Rev. A03
Rev. A03Rev. A03
Rev. A03

Contents iii
Contents
Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
When Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Ergonomic Computing Habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1About Your Computer
Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Front Panel Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Speaker/Headphone Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Power Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Floppy Drive Access Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Hard Drive Access Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Connecting Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Parallel Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Mouse Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
USB Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Integrated Network Adapter Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Network Cable Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Line-In Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Line-Out Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Microphone Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Serial Port Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Keyboard Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Video Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Inside Your Computer
Inside Your ComputerInside Your Computer
Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

iv Contents
System Board Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Removing and Attaching the Computer Stand . . . . . . . . . . 35
2Advanced Features
LegacySelect Technology Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Manageability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Dell OpenManage IT Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation. . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Chassis Intrusion Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Security Cable Slot and Padlock Ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Password Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
System Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Setup Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Disabling a Forgotten Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Computer Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Entering System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
System Setup Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Changing the Boot Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Additional System Setup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
If You Have a Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Jumper Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Software Installation and Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
3Installing Upgrades
Opening the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Closing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Expansion Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Installing an Expansion Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Contents v
Removing an Expansion Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Expansion Card Cage (Small Desktop Computer Only) . . . . . . 74
Removing the Expansion-Card Cage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Replacing the Expansion-Card Cage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Installing DIMMs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Removing DIMMs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Microprocessor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Front Panel Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Removing FrontPanel Inserts—Small Form-Factor and SmallDesktop
Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Removing Front Panel Inserts—Small Mini-Tower Computer . . 88
Replacing Front Panel Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Internal Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
IDE Drive Addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Connecting Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Hard Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Detaching Hard Drive Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Removing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Installing a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Reattaching Hard Drive Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Adding a Second Hard Drive — Small Mini-Tower Computer . 107
Floppy Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Detaching Floppy Drive Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Removing a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Installing a Floppy Drive and Reattaching Cables . . . . . . . 116
CD Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Detaching CD Drive Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Removing a CD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Installing a CD Drive and Reattaching Cables . . . . . . . . . 127

vi Contents
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
4Microsoft® Windows® XP Features
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Help and Support Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
New User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Switching to Classic View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Clean Desktop Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Taskbar Grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Notification Area Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Files and Settings Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Application and Device Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Program Compatibility Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Using System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Restore Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Driver Rollback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
User Accounts and Fast User Switching . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
How to Use Fast User Switching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
What Happens When a Fast User Switch Occurs? . . . . . . . 147
Special Considerations With Fast User Switching . . . . . . . 147
How to Turn Off Fast User Switching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
How to Add Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Home and Small Office Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Network Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Internet Connection Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Contents vii
5Technical Specifications
6Solving Problems
Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Serial or Parallel Device Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Floppy Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Hard Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Battery Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Expansion Card Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Recover From a Program That Is Not Responding . . . . . . . 178
Restart a Computer That Is Not Responding . . . . . . . . . . 179
Repairing a Wet Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Repairing a Dropped or Damaged Computer . . . . . . . . . . 180
Hardware Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Computer Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
System Board Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Resetting a Damaged System Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Before You Start Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Running the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Advanced Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Advanced Testing Help Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Messages and Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Computer Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Computer Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

viii Contents
Warning Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Diagnostics Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Diagnostic Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Front Panel Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Back Panel Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Software Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Operating System Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Input Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Device Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Memory-Resident Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Program Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Memory Address Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Interrupt Assignment Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
BIOS Recovery Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
7Getting Help
Help Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Technical Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Help Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Problems With Your Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Product Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit . . . . . . . . . 213
Before You Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Dell Contact Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
8Additional Information
Regulatory Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
FCC Notices (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
IC Notice (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
CE Notice (European Union) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Contents ix
Battery Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
CCIB Notice (China Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
EN 55022 Compliance (Czech Republic Only) . . . . . . . . . 237
VCCI Notice (Japan Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
MIC Notice (Republic of Korea Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Polish Center for Testing and Certification Notice . . . . . . . 241
Wymagania Polskiego Centrum BadaÒ i Certyfikacji . . . . . 241
PozostaŠe instrukcje bezpieczeÒstwa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
BSMI Notice (Taiwan Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
NOM Information (Mexico Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Información para NOM (únicamente para México) . . . . . . 246
ENERGY STAR®Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Limited Warranty and Return Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

xContents

9
Safety Instructions
When Working Inside Your Computer
Before you open the computer cover, perform the following steps in the
sequence indicated.
NOTICE: Do not attempt to service the computer yourself, except as
explained in your online Dell documentation or otherwise provided to you.
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.
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 from their power sources. 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, make sure both connectors are
correctly oriented and aligned.

10
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
•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. Discard used
batteries according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge
Static electricity can harm delicate components inside your computer. To
prevent static damage, discharge static electricity from your body before you
touch any of your computer’s electronic components, such as the
microprocessor. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on
the computer chassis.
As you continue to work inside the computer, periodically touch an
unpainted metal surface to remove any static charge your body may have
accumulated.
You can also take the following steps to prevent damage from electrostatic
discharge (ESD):
•When unpacking a static-sensitive component from its shipping
carton, do not remove the component from the antistatic packing
material until you are ready to install the component 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.
•Handle all sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible, use
antistatic floor pads and workbench pads.
The following notice may appear throughout this document to remind you
of these precautions:
NOTICE: See "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge" in the safety
instructions at the front of this guide.

11
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.
•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.

12
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
1Monitor screen at or below eye level 4Arms at desk level
2Monitor and keyboard positioned directly in
front of the user 5Wrists relaxed and flat
3Feet flat on the floor
2
1
3
4
5

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
SECTION 1
About Your Computer
Finding Information and Assistance
Front View
Back View
Inside Your Computer
Removing and Attaching the Computer Stand

14 About Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Finding Information and Assistance
The following table lists the resources that Dell provides as support tools.
Additional resources may be shipped with your computer system.
Resources Contents Using the Resource
Dell OptiPlex ResourceCD
•DellDiagnostics
•Drivers
• Utilities
•Computeranddevice
documentation
From the main menu on the ResourceCD that was
shipped with your computer, use the pull-down menu to
make selections appropriate for your computer. You can
perform the following tasks:
• Diagnose a problem
• Install or reinstall drivers
• Obtain information on your computer and devices
NOTE: User documentation and drivers are already
installed on your computer when shipped from Dell. You
can use thisCD toaccess documentation, reinstall drivers,
or run diagnostics tools. You must boot your computer
from this CD to run the diagnostics, which may require
changing your computer’s boot sequence (see Changing
the Boot Sequence).
Setup and Quick Reference
Guide
• Getting started/setup
• Support tools
• Solving Problems
• Warranty information
Read the Setup and Quick Reference Guide for
information on the following:
• Setting up your computer
• Finding and using support resources
• Diagnosing a problem
• Using tools and utilities
Service and Registration
Labels—located on the front
or side of your Dell™
computer.
• Express Service Code and
Service Tag Number
•ProductKey(alsocalledthe
Product IDor Certificateof
Authenticity [COA])
The Express Service Code and Service Tag Number are
unique identifiers for your Dell computer.
You may need the Product Key (or Product ID) number to
complete the operating system setup.

About Your Computer 15
Operating system CD Use the operating system CD, which was shipped with
your computer, to reinstall your operating system.
NOTE: The operating system CD may not include all the
latest drivers for your computer. If you reinstall your
operating system, use the ResourceCD to reinstall drivers
for the devices shipped with your computer.
For more information about reinstalling your operating
system, see the operating system installation guide that
was shipped with your computer.
Operating system installation
guide Read the operating system installation guide for information on reinstalling and configuring your
operating system.
Click the Start button and select Help or Help and
Support, depending on your operating system, to obtain
more information on your operating system.
User’s guides for your
computer and devices 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.
Obtain information on the following:
• Using your computer
• Configuring system settings
• Removing and installing parts
• Installing and configuring software
• Diagnosing a problem
• Obtaining technical specifications
• Acquiring device documentation (on selected
operating systems)
• Getting technical assistance
Resources Contents Using the Resource
User’s Guides

16 About Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Front View
The following figures show the controls, lights, and features located on the
front panel of the small form-factor, small desktop, and small mini-tower
computers.
Small Form-Factor Computer
Dell support website
• Technical support and
information
• Downloads for your
computer
•Orderordeliverystatus
• Hints and tips, technology
papers, service information
Go to support.dell.com.
• Get help with general usage, installation, and
troubleshooting questions
• Obtain answers to technical service and support
questions
• Get the latest versions of the drivers for your computer
• Access documentation about your computer and
devices
• Join online discussions with other Dell customers and
Dell technical professionals
• Explore a list of online links to Dell's primary vendors
Dell Premier Support website
•Servicecallstatus
•Toptechnicalissuesby
product
• Frequently asked questions
by product number
• Customized service tags
• System configuration detail
Go to premiersupport.dell.com:
The Dell Premier Support website is customized for
corporate, government, education, and healthcare
customers.
This site may not be available in all regions.
Resources Contents Using the Resource
12 345

About Your Computer 17
Small Desktop Computer
1USBconnectors(2)
2 Headphone connector
3 Hard drive access lights
4 Power button
5Powerlight
1 Front panel door
2 Power button
3Powerlight
4 Hard drive access light
5 Floppy drive access light
1
23
45

18 About Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Small Mini-Tower Computer
1RemovableCDdrivepanel
2 Floppy drive access light
3 Removable floppy drive panel
4 Hard drive access light
5 Power button
6Powerlight
7 Front panel door
2
1
3
4
5
6
7