Dell OptiPlex R9730 User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX520
Quick Reference Guide
Models DCTR, DCNE, DCSM

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.
If you purchased a Dell™ n Series computer, any references in this document to Microsoft
®
Windows
®
operating systems are not applicable.
The
Quick Reference Guide , Drivers and Utilities CD, and operating system media are optional and may not ship
with all computers.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the Glossary in the User’s Guide .
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2005–2006 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, OptiPlex, and the DELL logo are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation; Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel 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.
Models DCTR, DCNE, DCSM
August 2006 P/N R9730 Rev. A02

Contents 3
Contents
Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
System Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Mini Tower Computer — Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Mini Tower Computer — Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Desktop Computer — Front View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Desktop Computer — Back View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Small Form Factor Computer — Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Small Form Factor Computer — Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Back-Panel Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Removing the Computer Cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Mini Tower Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Desktop Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Small Form Factor Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Mini Tower Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Desktop Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Small Form Factor Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Setting Up Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Solving Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Dell Diagnostics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
System Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Diagnostic Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Running the Dell™ IDE Hard Drive Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Using Microsoft®Windows®XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Reinstalling Microsoft®Windows®XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Using the Drivers and Utilities CD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

4Contents

Quick Reference Guide 5
Finding Information
NOTE: Some features may not be available for your computer or in certain countries.
NOTE: Additional information may ship with 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
• Desktop System Software (DSS)
Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as the ResourceCD)
NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD is optional and may not ship with your
computer.
Documentation and drivers are already installed
on your computer. You can use the CD to
reinstall drivers (see "Using the Drivers and
Utilities CD" on page 41), run the Dell
Diagnostics (see "Starting the Dell Diagnostics
From the Drivers and Utilities CD" on
page 29), 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 technicians or experienced users.
NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates can be found at support.dell.com.
• Operating system updates and patches Desktop System Software (DSS)
Located on the Drivers and Utilities CD and the Dell Support website at
support.dell.com.
• Warranty information
• Terms and Conditions (U.S only)
• Safety instructions
• Regulatory information
• Ergonomics information
• End User License Agreement
Dell™ Product Information Guide
• How to remove and replace parts
• Specifications
• How to configure system settings
• How to troubleshoot and solve problems
User’s Guide
Available in the Microsoft®Windows®XP Help and Support Center:
1 Click the Start button and click Help and Support.
2 Click User’s and system guides and click User’s guides .
The User’s Guide is also available on the optional Drivers and Utilities CD.

6Quick Reference Guide
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
• Service Tag and Express Service Code
• Microsoft Windows License Label
Service Tag and Microsoft Windows License
These labels are located on your computer.
• Use the Service Tag to identify your computer
when you use
support.dell.com or contact
technical support.
• Enter the Express Service Code to direct your call when contacting
technical support.
• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and
tips, articles from technicians, online
courses, frequently asked questions
• Community — 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,
service call and order status, warranty, and
repair information
• Service and support — Service call status
and support history, service contract,
online discussions with technical support
• Reference — Computer documentation,
details on computer configuration,
product specifications, and white papers
• Downloads — Certified drivers, patches,
and software updates
• Desktop System Software (DSS) — If you
reinstall the operating system for your
computer, you should also reinstall the
DSS utility. DSS provides critical updates
for your operating system and support for
Dell™ 3.5-inch USB floppy drives, Intel
®
Pentium
®
M processors, optical drives,
and USB devices. DSS is necessary for
correct operation of your Dell computer.
This software automatically detects your
computer and operating system and
installs the updates appropriate for your
configuration.
Dell Support Website — support.dell.com
NOTE: Select your region to view the appropriate support site.
The Dell Support website provides several online tools, including:
• Troubleshooting — Hints and tips, articles from technicians, and online
courses
• Upgrades — Upgrade information for components, such as memory, the
hard drive, and the operating system
• Services and Warranties — Contact information, order status, warranty,
and repair information
• Downloads — Drivers, patches, and software updates
• User guides — Computer documentation and product specifications
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

Quick Reference Guide 7
• Service call status and support history
• Top technical issues for my computer
• Frequently asked questions
• File downloads
• Details on my computer configuration
• Service contract for my computer
Dell Premier Support Website — premiersupport.dell.com
The Dell Premier Support website is customized for corporate, government,
and education customers. This website may not be available in certain
regions.
• How to use Windows XP
• Documentation for my computer
• Documentation for devices (such as a
modem)
Windows Help and Support Center
1 Click the Start button and click Help and Support .
2 Type a word or phrase that describes your problem and click the arrow icon.
3 Click the topic that describes your problem.
4 Follow the instructions on the screen.
• How to reinstall my operating system
Operating System CD
NOTE: The Operating System CD is optional and may not ship with your
computer.
The operating system is already installed on your computer. To reinstall
your operating system, use the Operating System CD. See your online User’s
Guide for instructions.
After you reinstall your operating system, use the
optional Drivers and Utilities CD to reinstall drivers
for the devices that came with your computer.
Your operating system product key label is located
on your computer.
NOTE: The color of your CD varies based on the
operating system you ordered.
• Regulatory model information and chassis
type
• DCTR — Mini tower chassis
• DCNE — Desktop chassis
• DCSM — Small form factor chassis
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

8Quick Reference Guide
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
System Views
Mini Tower Computer — Front View
3
10
9
6
7
2
1
8
5
4

Quick Reference Guide 9
1CD/DVD drive Insert a CD or DVD (if applicable) into this drive.
2floppy drive Insert a floppy disk into this drive.
3USB 2.0 connectors (2) Connect USB devices such as a mouse, keyboard, memory key, printer, joystick, and
computer speakers into either of the USB connectors.
It is recommended that you use the USB connectors on the back panel for devices that
typically remain connected, such as printers and keyboards.
4LAN indicator light
This light indicates that a LAN (network) connection is established.
5diagnostic lights Use these lights to help you troubleshoot a computer problem based on the diagnostic
code. For more information, see "Diagnostic Lights" on page 32.
6power button Press this button to turn on the computer.
NOTICE: To avoid losing data, do not turn off the computer by pressing the power
button for 6 seconds or longer. Instead, perform an operating system shutdown.
NOTICE: If your operating system has ACPI enabled, when you press the power
button the computer will perform an operating system shutdown.
7power light The power light illuminates and blinks or remains solid to indicate different operating
states:
• No light — The computer is turned off.
• Steady green — The computer is in a normal operating state.
• Blinking green — The computer is in a power-saving mode.
• Blinking or solid amber — See "Power Problems" in your online
User’s Guide.
To exit from a power-saving mode, press the power button or use the keyboard or the
mouse if it is configured as a wake device in the Windows Device Manager. For more
information about sleep modes and exiting from a power-saving mode, see "Power
Management"
in your online User’s Guide.
See "System Lights" on page 31 for a description of power light patterns that can help
you troubleshoot problems with your computer.
8hard-drive activity light
This light flickers when the hard drive is in use.
9headphone connector Use the headphone connector to attach headphones and most kinds of speakers.
10 microphone connector Use the microphone connector to attach a microphone.

10 Quick Reference Guide
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Mini Tower Computer — Back View
4
3
5
6
2
1