Dell Vostro 200 User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ Vostro™ 200
Owner’s Manual – Slim Tower
Model DCSLF

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.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the "Glossary" on
page 185.
____________________
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, Vostro, TravelLite, and Strike Zone are trademarks
of Dell Inc.; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell
under license; Microsoft, Windows, Outlook, and Windows Vista are either trademarks or registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Intel, Pentium, and
Celeron are registered trademarks, SpeedStep and Core are 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.
Model DCSLF
July 2007 P/N PK009 Rev. A01

Contents 3
Contents
1 Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2 Setting Up and Using Your Computer . . . 15
Front View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Back View of the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Back Panel Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Installing Your Computer in an Enclosure . . . . . . . 20
Setting Up a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Printer Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Connecting a USB Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Playing CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Adjusting the Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Adjusting the Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Copying CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Using a Media Card Reader (Optional) . . . . . . . . . 30
Connecting Two Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Connecting Two Monitors With VGA
Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Connecting One Monitor With a VGA Connector
and One Monitor With a DVI Connector . . . . . . 32
Connecting a TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Changing the Display Settings . . . . . . . . . . . 33

4Contents
Power Management Options in Windows XP . . . . . 33
Standby Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Hibernate Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Power Options Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Power Management Options in Windows Vista . . . . 36
Standby Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Hibernate Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Power Plan Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Enabling SpeedStep™ Technology . . . . . . . . . . . 40
About RAID Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
RAID Level 1 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Configuring Your Hard Drives for RAID . . . . . . . 41
Configuring for RAID Using the Intel®Option
ROM Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Configuring for RAID Using the Intel®Matrix
Storage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Transferring Information to a New Computer . . . . . . 47
Setting Up a Home and Office Network . . . . . . . . . 51
Connecting to a Network Adapter . . . . . . . . . 51
Network Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Setting Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . 54
3 Solving Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Troubleshooting Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Battery Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Contents 5
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Optical drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Hard drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . . . . 60
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Lockups and Software Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
The computer does not start up . . . . . . . . . . 65
The computer stops responding . . . . . . . . . . 65
A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
A program crashes repeatedly . . . . . . . . . . 65
A program is designed for an earlier Microsoft®
Windows®operating system . . . . . . . . . . . 66
A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Other software problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Media Card Reader Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
No sound from speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

6Contents
Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
If the screen is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
If the screen is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . 78
4 Troubleshooting Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Power Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . 84
Starting the Dell Diagnostics From Your
Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the Drivers
and Utilities Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Dell Diagnostics Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
What Is a Driver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Identifying Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities . . . . . . . . . . 88
Restoring Your Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Using Microsoft Windows System Restore . . . . 92
Using Dell PC Restore and Dell Factory
Image Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Using the Operating System Media . . . . . . . . 96
Troubleshooting Software and Hardware
Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Contents 7
5 Removing and Installing Parts . . . . . . . . 99
Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Recommended Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Turning Off Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Before Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . 100
Removing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Removing the Support Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Inside View of Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
System Board Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Power Supply DC Connector Pin Assignments . . . . . 107
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Memory Installation Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . 111
Installing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Removing Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
PCI and PCI Express Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Removing the Bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Replacing the Bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Recommended Drive Cable Connections . . . . . 124
Connecting Drive Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Drive Interface Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Connecting and Disconnecting Drive Cables . . . 126
Hard Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

8Contents
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Media Card Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Optical Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Replacing the Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
I/O Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Removing the I/O Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Installing the I/O Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Processor Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Removing the Processor Fan/Heat Sink
Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Installing the Processor Fan/Heat Sink
Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Removing the Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Installing the Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Chassis Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Removing the Chassis Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Replacing the Chassis Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
System Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Removing the System Board . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Installing the System Board . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Replacing the Support Bracket . . . . . . . . . . 161
Replacing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Contents 9
6 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Entering System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
System Setup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Boot Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Clearing Forgotten Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Clearing CMOS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Flashing the BIOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Cleaning Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Computer, Keyboard, and Monitor . . . . . . . . . 179
Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . 180
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and
Peripherals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and
Peripherals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
FCC Notice (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
FCC Class B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

10 Contents
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Finding Information 11
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
• Warranty information
• Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)
• Safety instructions
• Regulatory information
• Ergonomics information
• End User License Agreement
Dell™ Product Information Guide
• How to set up my computer Setup Diagram
See the setup diagram that came with
your system.

12 Finding Information
• 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 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

Finding Information 13
• Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and
tips, articles from technicians, and
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 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 to view the
appropriate support site.
NOTE: Corporate, government, and
education customers can also use the
customized Dell Premier Support website
at premier.support.dell.com.
• 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, optical drives, and USB devices.
DSS is necessary for correct operation of
your Dell computer. The software
automatically detects your computer
and operating system and installs the
updates appropriate for your
configuration.
To download Desktop System Software:
1 Go to support.dell.com and click
Downloads .
2 Enter your Service Tag or product
model.
3 In the Download Category drop-down
menu, click
All .
4 Select the operating system and
operating system language for your
computer, and click
Submit.
5 Under Select a Device , scroll to System
and Configuration Utilities
, and click
Dell Desktop System Software .
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here

14 Finding Information
• How to use Windows Vista™
• How to work with programs and files
• How to personalize my desktop
Windows Help and Support Center
1 To access Windows Help and Support:
• In Windows XP, click
Start and click
Help and Support
.
• In Windows Vista™, click the
Windows Vista Start button
and
click
Help and Support .
2 Type a word or phrase that describes
your problem, and then click the arrow
icon.
3 Click the topic that describes your
problem.
4 Follow the instructions on the screen.
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 15
Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Front View of the Computer
1
2
6
8
10
4
9
11
3
5
7

16 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
1location of Service Tag Use the Service Tag to identify your computer
when you access the Dell Support website or call
technical support.
2eject button for optical
drive
Press here to open or close the optical drive.
3FlexBay open/close Press here to open or close the floppy/media card
reader panel
4optical drive Can contain an optional optical drive.
5FlexBay drive Can contain an optional floppy drive or optional
Media Card Reader. For information on using the
Media Card Reader, see "Media Card Reader" on
page 136.
6power button Press the power button to turn on the computer.
NOTICE: To avoid losing data, do not use the
power button to turn off the computer. Instead,
perform an operating system shutdown.
7power light The light in the center of this button indicates
power state.
8USB 2.0 connectors (2) Use the front USB connectors for devices that you
connect occasionally, such as joysticks or cameras,
or for bootable USB devices (see "System Setup
Options" on page 172 for more information on
booting to a USB device).
It is recommended that you use the back USB
connectors for devices that typically remain
connected, such as printers and keyboards.
9microphone connector Use the microphone connector to attach a personal
computer microphone for voice or musical input
into a sound or telephony program.
On computers with a sound card, the microphone
connector is on the card.
10 headphone connector Use the headphone connector to attach
headphones and most kinds of speakers.
11 drive activity light The drive activity light is on when the computer
reads data from or writes data to the hard drive.
The light might also be on when a device such as a
CD player is operating.

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 17
Back View of the Computer
1back panel connectors Plug USB, audio, and other devices into the
appropriate connector. See "Back Panel Connectors"
on page 18 for more information.
2card slots Access connectors for any installed PCI and PCI
Express cards.
3power supply LED Indicates power availability for power supply.
2
3
5
4
1

18 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Back Panel Connectors
4power connector Insert the power cable.
5padlock rings Padlock rings are for attaching a commercially
available theft-deterrent device. The padlock rings
allows you to secure the computer cover to the chassis
with a padlock to prevent unauthorized access to the
inside of the computer. To use the padlock rings,
insert a commercially available padlock through the
rings, and then lock the padlock.
1network activity
light
Flashes a yellow light when the computer is transmitting or
receiving network data. A high volume of network traffic
may make this light appear to be in a steady "on" state.
12
8
7
34
5
6
10
11 9

Setting Up and Using Your Computer 19
2network adapter
connector
To attach your computer to a network or broadband device,
connect one end of a network cable to either a network port
or your network or broadband device. Connect the other
end of the network cable to the network adapter connector
on the back panel of your computer. A click indicates that
the network cable has been securely attached.
NOTE: Do not plug a telephone cable into the network
connector.
On computers with a network connector card, use the
connector on the card.
It is recommended that you use Category 5 wiring and
connectors for your network. If you must use Category 3
wiring, force the network speed to 10 Mbps to ensure
reliable operation.
3link integrity light
• Green — A good connection exists between a
10/100-Mbps network and the computer.
• Off — The computer is not detecting a physical
connection to the network.
4center/subwoofer
connector
Use the orange connector to attach a speaker to a Low
Frequency Effects (LFE) audio channel. LFE audio
channel is found in digital surround sound audio schemes
that carries only low frequency information of 80 Hz and
below. The LFE channel drives a subwoofer to provide
extremely low bass extension. Systems not using
subwoofers can shunt the LFE information to the main
speakers in the surround sound set-up.
5line-in connector Use the blue line-in connector to attach a record/playback
device such as a cassette player, CD player, or VCR.
On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the
card.
6front L/R line-out
connector
Use the green line-out connector (available on computers
with integrated sound) to attach headphones and most
speakers with integrated amplifiers.
On computers with a sound card, use the connector on the
card.

20 Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Installing Your Computer in an Enclosure
Installing your computer in an enclosure can restrict the airflow and impact
your computer’s performance, possibly causing it to overheat. Follow the
guidelines below when installing your computer in an enclosure:
NOTICE: The operating temperature specifications in your Owner’s Manual reflect
the maximum ambient operating temperature. The room ambient temperature
needs to be a consideration when installing your computer in an enclosure. For
example, if the ambient room temperature is at 25° C (77° F), depending on your
computer’s specifications, you only have 5° to 10° C (9° to 18° F) temperature margin
before you reach your computer’s maximum operating temperature. For details
about your computer’s specifications, see "Specifications" on page 165.
• Leave a 10.2 cm (4 in) minimum clearance on all vented sides of the
computer to permit the airflow required for proper ventilation.
• If your enclosure has doors, the doors need to be of a type that allows at
least 30% airflow through the enclosure (front and back).
7microphone
connector
Use the pink connector to attach a personal computer
microphone for voice or musical input into a sound or
telephony program.
On computers with a sound card, the microphone
connector is on the card.
8side L/R surround
connector
Use the gray connector to provide enhanced surround
audio for computers with 7.1 speakers.
On computers with a sound card, the microphone
connector is on the card.
9rear L/R surround
connector
Use the black surround connector to attach multichannel-
capable speakers.
10 USB 2.0
connectors (4)
Use the back USB connectors for devices that typically
remain connected, such as printers and keyboards.
It is recommended that you use the front USB connectors
for devices that you connect occasionally, such as joysticks
or cameras.
11 VGA video
connector
Connect the monitor’s VGA cable to the VGA connector
on the computer.
On computers with a video card, use the connector on the
card.