Dell Precision M6300 User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell Precision™
Mobile Workstation M6300
Quick Reference Guide
Model PP05XA

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.
© 2007 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, Dell Precision,and Express Charge are trademarks
of Dell Inc.; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell
under license; Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are either trademarks or registered trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
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 PP05XA
July 2007 P/N RP926 Rev. A00

Contents 3
Contents
Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Setting Up Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
About Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Left Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Right Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Bottom View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Using a Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Battery Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Checking the Battery Charge . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Conserving Battery Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Charging the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Removing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Storing a Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Lockups and Software Problems . . . . . . . . . 21
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

4Contents

Quick Reference Guide 5
Finding Information
NOTE: Some features or media may be optional and may not ship with your
computer. Some features or media may not be available 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 device documentation
• Notebook System Software (NSS)
Drivers and Utilities Media
NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities media may
be optional and may not ship with your
computer.
Documentation and drivers are already
installed on your computer. You can use
the Drivers and Utilities media to reinstall
drivers (see "Reinstalling Drivers and
Utilities" in your User’s Guide) and to run
the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell
Diagnostics" on page 23).
Readme files may be included on your
media 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.

6Quick Reference Guide
• Warranty information
• Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)
• Safety instructions
• Regulatory information
• Ergonomics information
• End User License Agreement
Dell™ Product Information Guide
• Service Tag and Express Service Code
• Microsoft
®
Windows
®
Product Key
Service Tag and Microsoft Windows
Product Key
These labels are located on your
computer.
• Use the Service Tag to identify your
computer when you use
support.dell.com or contact support.
• Enter the Express Service Code to direct
your call when contacting support.
NOTE: As an increased security measure,
the newly designed Microsoft Windows
license label incorporates a missing portion
or hole to discourage removal of the label.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

Quick Reference Guide 7
• How to remove and replace parts
• Specifications
• How to configure system settings
• How to troubleshoot and solve problems
Dell Precision™ User’s Guide
Microsoft Windows XP and Windows
Vista™ Help and Support Center
1 Click Start → Help and Support → Dell
User and System Guides
→ System
Guides
.
2 Click the User’s Guide for your
computer.
• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and
tips, articles from technicians, online
courses, and frequently asked questions
• Community — Online discussion with
other Dell customers
• Upgrades — Upgrade information for
components, such as the memory, hard
drive, and operating system
• Customer Care — Contact information,
service call and order status, and
warranty and repair information
• Service and support — Service call
status, support history, service contract,
and online discussions with support
• Dell Technical Update Service —
Proactive e-mail notification of software
and hardware updates for your computer
• Reference — Computer documentation,
details on my computer configuration,
product specifications, and white papers
• Downloads — Certified drivers, patches,
and software updates
Dell Support Website — support.dell.com
NOTE: Select your region or business
segment to view the appropriate support
site.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

8Quick Reference Guide
• Notebook System Software (NSS) — If
you reinstall the operating system for
your computer, you should also reinstall
the NSS utility. NSS automatically
detects your computer and operating
system and installs the updates
appropriate for your configuration,
providing critical updates for your
operating system and support for
processors, optical drives, USB devices,
etc. NSS is necessary for correct
operation of your Dell computer.
To download Notebook System Software:
1 Go to support.dell.com , select your
country/region, and then click
Drivers &
Downloads
.
2 Click Select a Model or Enter a Tag ,
make the appropriate selections or enter
the appropriate information for your
computer, and then click
Confirm .
3 Scroll down to System and
Configuration Utilities
→ Dell
Notebook System Software
, and then
click
Download Now .
NOTE: The support.dell.com user interface
may vary depending on your selections.
• Software upgrades and troubleshooting
hints — Frequently asked questions, hot
topics, and general health of your
computing environment
Dell Support Utility
The Dell Support Utility is an automated
upgrade and notification system installed
on your computer. This support provides
real-time health scans of your computing
environment, software updates, and
relevant self-support information. Access
the Dell Support Utility from the
icon in the taskbar.
• How to use
Microsoft Windows XP and
Microsoft Windows Vista
• How to work with programs and files
• How to personalize my desktop
Windows Help and Support Center
1 Click Start → 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.
• Information on network activity, the
Power Management Wizard, hotkeys,
and other items controlled by
Dell QuickSet.
Dell QuickSet Help
To view Dell QuickSet Help , right-click the
QuickSet icon in the Microsoft Windows
taskbar.
For more information on Dell QuickSet,
see "Dell™ QuickSet" in the User’s Guide.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

Quick Reference Guide 9
• How to reinstall my operating system Operating System Media
NOTE: The Operating System media may be
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 media (see "Restoring Your
Operating System" in your User’s Guide).
After you reinstall your operating system,
use the Drivers and Utilities media 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 operating system
installation media varies according to the
operating system you ordered.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

10 Quick Reference Guide
Setting Up Your Computer
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the
safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.
1 Unpack the accessories box.
2 Set aside the contents of the accessories box, which you will need to
complete the setup of your computer.
The accessories box also contains user documentation and any software or
additional hardware (such as PC Cards, drives, or batteries) that you have
ordered.
3 Connect the AC adapter to the AC adapter connector on the computer
and to the electrical outlet.
4 Open the computer display and press the power button to turn on the
computer (see "Front View" on page 11).
NOTE: It is recommended that you turn on and shut down your computer at least
once before you install any cards or connect the computer to a docking device or
other external device, such as a printer.