Dell OptiPlex MTC2 User manual

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Dell™ Dimension™ 2400 Series
CD or DVD drive
activity light
CD or DVD
headphone
connector
CD or DVD eject button
floppy-drive
activity light*
floppy-drive eject button*
hard-drive activity light
power button
CD or DVD
volume
control dial
power light
USB 2.0 connectors (2) headphone connector
service tag
second bay for optional drive
*On computers with an optional floppy drive.
video connector
parallel connector
keyboard connector
USB 2.0 connectors (4)
microphone connector line-in connector
line-out connector
mouse connector
serial connector
PCI card slots (3)
voltage selection switch
power connector
network adapter
connector
diagnostic lights (4)
cover latch

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 Tell Me How help file. To access
help files, see page 32.
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.
© 2003 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Inspiron, Dell Precision, Dimension, OptiPlex, and Latitude are
trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel, Pentium, and Celeron are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; Microsoft and
Windows 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 MTC2
September 2003 P/N N2145 Rev. A00

Contents 3
Contents
CAUTION: Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
SAFETY: General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
SAFETY: When Using Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
SAFETY: Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge . . . . . . 12
SAFETY: Ergonomic Computing Habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
SAFETY: Battery Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Finding Information for Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Setting Up a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Printer Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Connecting a Parallel Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Connecting a USB Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Transferring Information to a New Computer . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Setting Up a Home and Office Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Connecting to a Network Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Network Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Setting Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Copying CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
How to Copy a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Using Blank CD-Rs and CD-RWs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Helpful Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Hyper-Threading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

4Contents
Booting to a USB Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Turning Off Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
2Solving Problems
Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Finding Help Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Battery Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Floppy drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
CD drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Problems writing to a CD-RW drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
DVD drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Hard drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
General Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
The computer stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
A program crashes repeatedly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
A program is designed for an earlier Windows
operating system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Other software problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Other technical problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
General hardware problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
IEEE 1394 Device Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Contents 5
Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
PC Card Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
No sound from speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
If the screen is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
If the screen is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
3Advanced Troubleshooting
Diagnostic Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Starting the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Identifying Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Reinstalling Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Using Microsoft®Windows®XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . 64
Creating a Restore Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State . . . . . . 65
Undoing the Last System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . 66

6Contents
Reinstalling Microsoft®Windows®XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Before You Reinstall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Reinstalling Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Reinstalling Drivers and Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
4Removing and Installing Parts
Front and Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Removing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Looking Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
System Board Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Adding Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Adding a Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Adding a Second CD or DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Adding Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Installing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Removing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Replacing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
5Appendix
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Standard Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Viewing Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
System Setup Program Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Boot Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Contents 7
Clearing Forgotten Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . 106
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . 107
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Regulatory Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Limited Warranties and Return Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Limited Warranty for Dell-Branded Hardware Products
(U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . 131
Limited Warranty Terms for Dell-Branded Hardware
Products (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
"Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . 134
Dell Software and Peripherals (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . 135
1-Year End-User Manufacturer Guarantee
(Latin America and the Caribbean Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Intel®Warranty Statement for Pentium®and
Celeron®Processors Only (U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . . . . 138
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

8Contents

CAUTION: Safety Instructions 9
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.
SAFETY: 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.
• 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.

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10 CAUTION: Safety Instructions
SAFETY: 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. Set the switch to the position that
most closely matches the voltage used in your location.
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.

CAUTION: Safety Instructions 11
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.
1 Perform an orderly computer shutdown using the operating system menu.
2 Turn off your computer and any devices connected to the computer.
3 Ground 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.
4 Disconnect 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.
SAFETY: When Using Your Computer

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12 CAUTION: Safety Instructions
• 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.
SAFETY: 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):
• Do not remove components from their antistatic packing material until you are ready to install the component in
your computer. Just before unwrapping the antistatic packaging, discharge static electricity from your body.
• When transporting an electrostatic sensitive component, first place it in an antistatic container or packaging.
• Handle all electrostatic sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible, use antistatic floor pads and
workbench pads.
SAFETY: 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 ergonomic guidelines in the Tell Me How help file when setting up and using your
computer. To access help files, see page 32.
SAFETY: Battery Disposal
Your computer uses a lithium coin-cell battery. The lithium coin-cell battery is a long-life battery, and it is very possible
that you will never need to replace it. However, should you need to replace it, see page 94.
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.
SAFETY: When Using Your Computer

Finding Information for Your Computer 13
Finding Information for Your Computer
What are you looking for? Find It Here
• 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 when shipped
from Dell. You can use the CD to reinstall
drivers (see page 63), run the Dell
Diagnostics (see page 59), 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 experienced
users or technicians.
• How to set up a printer
• How to troubleshoot and solve problems
• How to remove and install parts
• How to contact Dell
Owner’s Manual

14 Finding Information for Your Computer
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• How to set up my computer Setup Diagram
• Tips on using Windows
• How to clean my computer
• How to use my mouse and keyboard
Tell Me How Help File
1Click the Start button and click Help and Support.
2Click User and system guides and click User’s guides.
3Click Tell Me How.
• Express Service Code and Service Tag
•Microsoft
®Windows®License Label
Express Service Code and Product Key Label
These labels are located on your
computer.
• 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
The Dell Support website provides several online tools, including:
• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips, articles from technicians,
and online courses
• Community 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
What are you looking for? Find It Here

Finding Information for Your Computer 15
• How to use Windows XP
• Documentation for my computer
• Documentation for devices (such as a
modem)
Windows Help and Support Center
1Click the Start button and click Help and Support.
2Type a word or phrase that describes your problem and click the arrow
icon.
3Click the topic that describes your problem.
4Follow the instructions on the screen.
• How to reinstall my operating system Operating System CD
After you reinstall your operating system using the Operating System
Reinstallation CD, use the ResourceCD to reinstall drivers for the devices
that came with your computer.
The product key for your operating system is located on your computer.
What are you looking for? Find It Here

16 Finding Information for Your Computer
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1
SECTION 1
Setting Up and Using
Your Computer
Setting Up a Printer
Transferring Information to a New Computer
Setting Up a Home and Office Network
Connecting to the Internet
Copying CDs and DVDs
Hyper-Threading
Booting to a USB Device
Turning Off Your Computer

18 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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Setting Up a Printer
NOTICE: Complete the operating system setup before you connect a printer to the computer.
See the documentation that came with the printer for setup information, including how to:
• Obtain and install updated drivers.
• Connect the printer to the computer.
• Load paper and install the toner or ink cartridge.
• Contact the printer manufacturer for technical assistance.
Printer Cable
Your printer connects to your computer with either a USB cable or a parallel cable. Your
printer may not come with a printer cable, so if you purchase a cable separately, ensure that
it is compatible with your printer. If you purchased a printer cable at the same time you
purchased your computer, the cable may arrive in the computer box.
Connecting a Parallel Printer
1Complete the operating system setup, if you have not already done so.
2Shut down the computer through the Start menu (see page 28).
NOTICE: For best results, use a 3-m (10-ft) or shorter parallel cable.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 19
3Attach the parallel printer cable to the parallel connector on the computer and tighten
the two screws. Attach the cable to the connector on the printer and snap the two clips
into the two notches.
4Turn on the printer and then turn on the computer. If the Add New Hardware Wizard
window appears, click Cancel.
5Install the printer driver if necessary. See the documentation that came with your
printer.
Connecting a USB Printer
NOTE: You can connect USB devices while the computer is turned on.
1Complete the operating system setup if you have not already done so.
2Install the printer driver if necessary. See the documentation that came with your
printer.
parallel printer
cable
parallel connector on computer
connector on printer
screws (2) clips (2)
notches (2)

20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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3Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connectors on the computer and the printer.
The USB connectors fit only one way.
Transferring Information to a New Computer
The Microsoft® Windows®XP operating system provides a Files and Settings Transfer
wizard to move data from the source computer to the new computer. You can move data
such as:
•E-mails
• Toolbar settings
• Window sizes
• Internet bookmarks
You can transfer the data to the new computer over a network or serial connection, or you
can store it on a removable medium, such as a writable CD or floppy disk.
To prepare the new computer for the file transfer:
1Click the Start button, point to All Programs→Accessories→System Tools, and then
click Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.
USB printer
cable
USB connector on
computer
USB connector
on printer