Dell Precision T7400 DCDO User manual

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Dell Precision™ T7400
Quick Reference Guide
Model DCDO

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 DellInc.is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, and Dell Precision are trademarks of Dell Inc.;
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 DCDO
September 2007 P/N GX691 Rev. A00

Contents 3
Contents
Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Setting Up Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Changing Between Tower and
Desktop Orientations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Installing Your Computer in an Enclosure . . . . . 10
Transferring Information to a New Computer . . . . 13
Power Protection Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
About Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Front View (Tower Orientation) . . . . . . . . . . 18
Back View (Tower Orientation) . . . . . . . . . . 20
Back Panel Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Cleaning Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Computer, Keyboard, and Monitor . . . . . . . . . 23
Mouse (Non-Optical) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Troubleshooting Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Power Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Diagnostic Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Hardware Troubleshooter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

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
• Desktop System Software (DSS)
Drivers and Utilities Disc
NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities disc 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 disc to reinstall
drivers (see "Reinstalling Drivers and
Utilities" in your User’s Guide) and to run
the Dell™ Diagnostics (see "Dell
Diagnostics" on page 33).
NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates
can be found at support.dell.com.
• 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 Microsoft
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.

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 Dell support.
• Enter the Express Service Code to direct
your call when contacting Dell 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
• 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.
• Desktop System Software (DSS) — If you
reinstall the operating system for your
computer, you should also reinstall the
DSS utility. DSS 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, for
example. DSS is necessary for correct
operation of your Dell computer.
To download Desktop System Software:
1 Go to support.dell.com , select your
country/region, and then click
Drivers
& Downloads
.
2 Click Select 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
→ Desktop System Software ,
and then click
Download Now.
NOTE: The support.dell.com user interface
may vary depending on your selections.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

8Quick Reference Guide
• How to use Windows XP
• How to use 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.
• How to reinstall my operating system
Operating System Disc
The operating system is already installed
on your computer. To reinstall your
operating system, use the Operating System
disc that came with your computer (see
"Restoring Your Operating System" in your
User’s Guide).
After you reinstall your operating system,
use the optional Drivers and Utilities disc
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 disc varies according to the
operating system you ordered.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

Quick Reference Guide 9
Setting Up Your Computer
Changing Between Tower and Desktop Orientations
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the
safety instructions in the
Product Information Guide .
NOTE: To change your computer to either the tower or the desktop orientation, you
must use an optional kit available from Dell. See "Product Information" in your
User’s Guide for more details on ordering from Dell.
NOTE: The tower computer supports one more 3.5-inch drive in the front than does
the desktop computer.
1 Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" in your User’s Guide .
2 Remove the computer cover (see "Removing the Computer Cover" in your
User’s Guide ).
3 Remove the front panel (see "Removing the Front Panel" in your User’s Guide ).
4 Remove the drive panel and prepare the drive panel by adding or removing
inserts, as needed (see "Drive Panels" in your
User’s Guide ).
Switching From Tower to Desktop Orientation
1 Remove all installed floppy drives or media card readers by following the steps
in "Removing a Floppy Drive or Media Card Reader (Tower Computer)" in
your
User’s Guide , and then reinstall a single floppy drive or media card reader
by following the steps in "Installing a Floppy Drive or Media Card Reader
(Desktop Computer)" in your
User’s Guide .
2 Remove all installed optical drives by following the steps in "Removing an
Optical Drive (Tower Computer)" in your
User’s Guide , and then reinstall
the drives by following the steps in "Installing an Optical Drive (Desktop
Computer)" in your
User’s Guide .
• How to use Linux
• E-mail discussions with users of Dell
Precision products and the Linux
operating system
• Additional information regarding Linux
and my Dell Precision computer
Dell Supported Linux Sites
• linux.dell.com
• lists.us.dell.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-
precision
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

10 Quick Reference Guide
Switching From Desktop to Tower Orientation
1 Remove the floppy drive or media card reader (if installed) by following
the steps in "Removing a Floppy Drive or a Media Card Reader (Desktop
Computer)" in your
User’s Guide , and then reinstall the floppy drive or
media card reader by following the steps in "Installing a Floppy Drive or
Media Card Reader (Tower Computer)" in your
User’s Guide .
2 Remove all installed optical drives by following the steps in "Removing an
Optical Drive (Desktop Computer)" in your
User’s Guide , and reinstall the
drives by following the steps in "Installing an Optical Drive (Tower Computer)"
in your
User’s Guide .
Installing Your Computer in an Enclosure
Installing your computer in an enclosure can restrict airflow, can cause your
computer to overheat, and may impact your computer’s performance. Follow
the guidelines below when installing your computer in an enclosure.
NOTICE: The operating temperature specified in this manual reflects the maximum
ambient operating temperature. The ambient room temperature must be
a consideration when installing your computer in an enclosure. For details about
your computer’s specifications, see "Specifications" in your User’s Guide.