Dell Inspiron 1150 User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ Inspiron™ 1150
Owner’s Manual
Model PP08L

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 Dell Inspiron Help file. To access the help file,
see page 9.
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.
© 2004 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, AccessDirect, Inspiron, Dell Precision, Dimension, OptiPlex, Latitude, PowerApp,
PowerEdge, PowerConnect, PowerVault, and DellNet are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel, Pentium,and Celeron are registered trademarks of Intel
Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation;
Bluetooth is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell Inc. under license.
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 PP08L
November 2004 P/N F7573 Rev. A01

Contents 3
Contents
Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1 A Tour of Your Computer
Front View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Left Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Right Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Bottom View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2 Setting Up Your Computer
Connecting to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Setting Up Your Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Modem and Internet Connection Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
E-Mail Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Setting Up a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Printer Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Connecting a USB Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Printer Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Power Protection Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Surge Protectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Line Conditioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Uninterruptible Power Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Turning Off Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

4Contents
3 Using a Battery
Battery Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Checking the Battery Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Power Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Low-Battery Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Charging the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Removing a Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Installing a Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Storing a Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Battery and Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
If the battery is not charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
If battery life is short . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
4 Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad
Dell™ AccessDirect™ Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Reprogramming the Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Numeric Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
System Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
CD or DVD Tray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Display Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Power Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Speaker Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Microsoft®Windows®Logo Key Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Touch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Customizing the Touch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Touch Pad or Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
External Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Unexpected Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Contents 5
5 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia
Using CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
CD or DVD Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
If you cannot play a CD, CD-RW, or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
If you cannot eject the CD, CD-RW, or DVD drive tray . . . . . . . . . . 39
If you hear an unfamiliar scraping or grinding sound . . . . . . . . . . 39
If the CD-RW drive stops writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
If you have a problem with integrated speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
If you have a problem with external speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Copying CDs and DVDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
How to Copy a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Using Blank CD-Rs and CD-RWs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Helpful Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
6 Setting Up a Home and Office Network
Connecting to a Network Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Network Setup Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Network Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Connecting to a Wireless Local Area Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Determining Your Network Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Connecting to a Wireless Network in Microsoft®Windows®XP. . . . . 45
7 Solving Problems
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Video and Display Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
If the display is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
If the display is difficult to read. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
If only part of the display is readable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

6Contents
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
If you cannot save a file to a floppy drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
If you have problems with a hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
PC Card Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
General Program Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
A program crashes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
A program stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Error messages appear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Resolving Other Technical Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
If Your Computer Gets Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
If You Drop or Damage Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
What Is a Driver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Identifying Drivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Reinstalling Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Manually Reinstalling Drivers for Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Restoring Your Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Using Microsoft Windows XP System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
8 Adding and Replacing Parts
Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Recommended Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Shutting Down Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Hard Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Returning a Hard Drive to Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Modem and Mini PCI Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Replacing the Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Adding a Mini PCI Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
CD or DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Contents 7
9 Appendix
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Using the System Setup Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Viewing the System Setup Screens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
System Setup Screens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Commonly Used Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
System and Battery Performance Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
System Performance Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Optimizing Power Consumption and Battery Charge Time . . . . . . . . 89
Variable Speed Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . . . . 90
Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . . . . . 90
FCC Notices (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

8Contents

Finding Information 9
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
• 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

10 Finding Information
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
• Tips on using Microsoft
®
Windows
®
• How to play CDs and DVDs
• How to use standby mode and hibernate mode
• How to change my display resolution
• How to clean my computer
Help File
1 Click the Start button and click Help and Support .
2 Click User and system guides and click User’s guides .
3 Click Dell Inspiron Help .
• Service Tag and Express Service Code
• Microsoft Windows License Label
Service Tag and Microsoft Windows License
These labels are located on
the bottom of 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.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

Finding Information 11
• 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 my
computer configuration, product specifications, and
white papers
• Downloads — Certified drivers, patches, and
software updates
• — If you reinstall the operating system for your
computer, you should also reinstall the NSS utility.
NSS 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. NSS 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.
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.The website may not be
available in all 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.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

12 Finding Information
www.dell.com | support.dell.com

A Tour of Your Computer 13
A Tour of Your Computer
Front View
DISPLAY LATCH —Keeps the display closed.
DISPLAY —For more information about your display, see "Using the Display" in the Dell Inspiron Help
file. To access the help file, see page 9.
display latch
display
speakers (2)
keyboard status
lights
keyboard
device status
lights
touch pad
touch pad buttons
power button
Dell AccessDirect
button

14 A Tour of Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
KEYBOARD STATUS LIGHTS
The green lights located above the keyboard indicate the following:
KEYBOARD —
The keyboard includes a numeric keypad as well as the Microsoft
®
Windows
®
logo key. For
information on supported keyboard shortcuts, see page 34.
SPEAKERS —To adjust the volume of the integrated speakers, press the volume-control keyboard
shortcuts. For more information, see page 35.
Turns on when the numeric keypad is enabled.
Turns on when Caps Lock is enabled.
Turns on when the scroll lock function is enabled.
9
A

A Tour of Your Computer 15
DEVICE STATUS LIGHTS
If the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, the light operates as follows:
– Solid green: The battery is charging.
If the computer is running on a battery, the light operates as follows:
– Off: The battery is adequately charged (or the computer is turned off).
– Flashing orange: The battery charge is low.
– Solid orange: The battery charge is critically low.
TOUCH PAD BUTTONS —Touch pad buttons provide the functionality of a mouse. See page 36 for
more information.
TOUCH PAD —The touch pad and touch pad buttons provide the functionality of a mouse. See page 36
for more information.
Turns on when you turn on the computer. Blinks or turns off in power
management mode.
Turns on when the computer reads or writes data.
NOTICE: To avoid loss of data, never turn off the computer while
the light is flashing.
Blinks to indicate battery charge status.

16 A Tour of Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
POWER BUTTON —Press the power button to turn on the computer or to enter or exit a power
management mode. For more information, see "Power Management" in the Dell Inspiron Help file. To
access the help file, see page 9.
NOTICE: To avoid losing data, save and close any open files and exit any open programs before you shut
down the computer (see page 28).
If the computer stops responding, press and hold the power button until the computer turns off completely
(which may take several seconds).
DELL™ ACCESSDIRECT™ BUTTON —Press this button to launch a frequently used program, such as
support and educational tools. You can reprogram the button to launch a program of your choice. For more
information, see page 33.
Left Side View
PC CARD SLOT —Supports one PC Card, such as a modem or network adapter. For more information,
see "Using PC Cards" in the Dell Inspiron Help file. To access the help file, see page 9.
PC Card slot
audio connectors (2)
CD or DVD drive

A Tour of Your Computer 17
AUDIO CONNECTORS
CD OR DVD DRIVE —Accommodates a CD drive, DVD drive, CD-RW drive, or CD-RW/DVD
combo drive.
Right Side View
BATTERY/BATTERY BAY —When a battery is installed, you can use the computer without connecting
the computer to an electrical outlet. See page 29.
Attach headphones or speakers to the connector.
Attach a microphone to the connector.
battery/battery bay
modem connector air vents
security cable slot

18 A Tour of Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
MODEM CONNECTOR
AIR VENTS —The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the
vents, which prevents the computer from overheating.
NOTE: The fan may run constantly, and fan speed may vary depending on usage.
Fan noise is normal and does not indicate a problem with the fan or the computer.
CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the
air vents. Do not store your computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a
closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the
computer or cause a fire.
SECURITY CABLE SLOT —Lets you attach a commercially available antitheft
device to the computer. For more information, see the instructions included with
the device.
NOTICE: Before you buy an antitheft device, ensure that it will work with the
security cable slot.
Connect the telephone line to the modem connector.
For information on using the modem, see the online
modem documentation supplied with your computer.

A Tour of Your Computer 19
Back View
AIR VENTS —The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the
computer from overheating.
NOTE: The fan may run constantly, and fan speed may vary depending on usage. Fan noise is normal and
does not indicate a problem with the fan or the computer.
CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store
your computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting
the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.
AC ADAPTER CONNECTOR —Attach an AC adapter to the computer.
NOTE: Use only the AC adapter that came with your computer.
USB connectors (2) network connector
video connector
AC adapter connector
air vents
AC adapter connector
AC adapter

20 A Tour of Your Computer
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
The AC adapter converts AC power to the DC power required by the computer. You can connect the
AC adapter with your computer turned either on or off.
CAUTION: The AC adapter works with electrical outlets worldwide. However, power connectors and
power strips vary among countries. Using an incompatible cable or improperly connecting the cable to
the power strip or electrical outlet may cause fire or equipment damage.
CAUTION: Place the AC adapter in a ventilated area, such as a desk top or on the floor, when you use
it to run the computer or to charge the battery. Do not cover the AC adapter with papers or other items
that will reduce cooling; also, do not use the AC adapter inside a carrying case.
NOTICE: When you disconnect the AC adapter cable from the computer, grasp the connector, not the
cable itself, and pull firmly but gently to avoid damaging the cable.
USB CONNECTORS
VIDEO CONNECTOR
NETWORK CONNECTOR
NOTICE: The network connector is slightly larger than the modem connector. To avoid damaging the
computer, do not plug a telephone line into the network connector.
Connects USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard,
or printer.
Connects an external monitor. For more information, see
"Using the Display" in the Dell Inspiron Help file. To access
the help file, see page 9.
Connects the computer to a network. The lights next to the
connector indicate activity for both wired and wireless
network communications.
For information on using the network adapter, see the
online network-adapter documentation supplied with your
computer.