Dell Inspiron 1440 User manual

SETUP GUIDE
INSPIRON™

Model PP42L
INSPIRON™
SETUP GUIDE

Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells
you how to avoid the problem.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
__________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2009 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text:
Dell , the DELL logo, Inspiron , YOURS IS HERE , and DellConnect are trademarks of Dell Inc.;
Intel , Celeron , and Pentium are registered trademarks and Core is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other
countries;
Microsoft , Windows , Windows Vista , and Windows Vista start button logo are either trademarks or registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries;
Blu-ray Disc is a registered trademark of
the Blu-ray Disc Association;
Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell 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.
March 2009 P/N M792N Rev. A00

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INSPIRON
Setting Up Your Inspiron™Laptop. . . . . . . . .5
Before Setting Up Your Computer . . . . . . . . . 5
Connect the AC Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Connect the Network Cable (Optional) . . . . . 7
Press the Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Windows Vista®Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Enable or Disable Wireless. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Connect to the Internet (Optional) . . . . . . . . 10
Using Your Inspiron™Laptop. . . . . . . . . . . .12
Right Side Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Left Side Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Front Side Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Computer Base and Keyboard Features . . . 18
Touch Pad Gestures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Media Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Display Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Removing and Replacing the Battery . . . . . 26
Software Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Solving Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Lockups and Software Problems . . . . . . . . . 34
Using Support Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Dell Support Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Hardware Troubleshooter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Contents

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Contents
Restoring Your Operating System . . . . . . .42
System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Dell Factory Image Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Operating System Reinstallation . . . . . . . . . 46
Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Technical Support and Customer
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Online Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Automated Order-Status Service . . . . . . . . . 51
Product Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Before You Call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Contacting Dell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Finding More Information and
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

5
INSPIRON
Setting Up Your Inspiron™Laptop
This section provides information about setting
up your Inspiron 1440 laptop and connecting
peripherals.
Before Setting Up Your
Computer
When positioning your computer, ensure that
you allow easy access to a power source,
adequate ventilation, and a level surface to
place your computer.
Restricting airflow around your Inspiron
laptop may cause it to overheat. To prevent
overheating ensure that you leave at least
10.2 cm (4 inches) at the back of the computer
and a minimum of 5.1 cm (2 inches) on all other
sides. You should never place your computer in
an enclosed space, such as a cabinet or drawer
when it is powered on.
WARNING: Do not block, push objects
into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air
vents. Do not place your Dell™ computer
in a low-airflow environment, such as a
closed briefcase, while it is powered on.
Restricting the airflow can damage the
computer or cause a fire. The computer
turns on the fan when the computer gets
hot. Fan noise is normal and does not
indicate a problem with the fan or the
computer.
CAUTION: Placing or stacking heavy or
sharp objects on the computer may result
in permanent damage to the computer.

6
Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop
Connect the AC Adapter
Connect the AC adapter to the computer and then plug it into a wall outlet or surge protector.
WARNING: 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 a power strip or electrical outlet may cause fire or permanent damage
to your computer.
NOTE: Charge the computer battery for at least 12 hours before using your computer on
battery power.

7
Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop
Connect the Network Cable (Optional)
To use a wired network connection, connect the network cable.

8
Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop
Press the Power Button

9
Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop
Windows Vista®Setup
If you selected Windows Vista operating
system while ordering, your Dell computer is
preconfigured with Windows Vista. To set up
Windows Vista for the first time, follow the
instructions on the screen. These steps are
mandatory and may take up to 15 minutes to
complete. The screens will take you through
several procedures including accepting license
agreements, setting preferences, and setting up
an Internet connection.
CAUTION: Do not interrupt the operating
system’s setup process. Doing so may
render your computer unusable.
NOTE: It is recommended that you
download and install the latest BIOS and
drivers for your computer available on the
Dell Support website at support.dell.com.
Enable or Disable Wireless
To turn on wireless, with the computer
turned on:
Press <Fn><F2> or press the1. key on the
keyboard.
The Wireless Enable/Disable dialog box
appears.
Select one of the following:2.
Enable Bluetooth–
Enable Wireless LAN–
Click3. OK.
To turn off wireless, press <Fn><F2> again to
turn off all radios.

10
Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop
Connect to the Internet
(Optional)
NOTE: Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and
ISP offerings vary by country.
To connect to the Internet, you need an external
modem or network connection and an ISP.
If WLAN adapter is not a part of your original
order, you can purchase one from the Dell
website at www.dell.com.
NOTE: If you cannot connect to the Internet
but have successfully connected in the
past, the ISP might have a service outage.
Contact your ISP to check the service
status, or try connecting again later.
Have your ISP information ready. If you do not
have an ISP, then Connect to the Internet wizard
can help you get one.
Setting Up a Wired Connection
If you are using a dial-up connection,•
connect the telephone line to the external
USB modem (optional) and to the telephone
wall jack before you set up your Internet
connection.
If you are using a DSL or cable/satellite•
modem connection, contact your ISP
or cellular telephone service for setup
instructions.
To complete setting up your wired internet
connection, follow the instructions in “Setting
Up Your Internet Connection” on page 11.

11
Setting Up Your Inspiron™ Laptop
Setting Up a Wireless Connection
NOTE: To set up your wireless router,
see the documentation that shipped with
your router.
Before you can use your wireless Internet
connection, you need to connect to your
wireless router. To set up your connection to
a wireless router:
Save and close any open files, and exit any1.
open programs.
Click2. Start →Connect To.
Follow the instructions on the screen to3.
complete the setup.
Setting Up Your Internet Connection
Save and close any open files, and exit any1.
open programs.
Click2. Start →Control Panel.
Under3. Network and Internet, click Connect
to the Internet.
The Connect to the Internet window appears.
Click either4. Broadband (PPPoE) or Dial-up,
depending on how you want to connect:
Choose– Broadband if you use a DSL,
satellite modem, cable TV modem,
or Bluetooth®wireless technology
connection.
Chose– Dial-up if you use an optional USB
dial-up modem or ISDN.
NOTE: If you do not know which type of
connection to select, click Help me choose
or contact your ISP.
Follow the instructions on the screen and5.
use the setup information provided by your
ISP to complete the setup.

INSPIRON
12
Your Inspiron 1440 laptop has indicators and buttons that provide information and enable you
to perform common tasks. The connectors on your computer provide the option of attaching
additional devices.
Right Side Features
2 31 4 5 6 7
Using Your Inspiron™Laptop

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Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop
1ExpressCard slot – Provides support for additional memory, wired and wireless
communications, multimedia, and security features. Supports 34 mm ExpressCards.
NOTE: Your computer ships with a plastic
blank installed in the ExpressCard slot.
Blanks protect unused slots from dust and other particles. Save the blank for use when
no ExpressCard is installed in the slot; blanks from other computers may not fit your
computer.
2Audio out/Headphone connector – Connects to a pair of headphones, or sends audio to a
powered speaker or sound system.
3Audio in/Microphone connector – Connects to a microphone or input signal for use with
audio programs.
4Optical drive –Plays or burns CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray disc (optional). Ensure that the side with
print or writing is facing upward when inserting discs.
5Optical drive light –Blinks when you press the optical drive eject button or when you insert a
disc and it is being read.
6Optical drive eject button –Opens the optical drive.
7USB 2.0 connector – Connects to USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, printer,
external drive, or MP3 player.

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Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop
Left Side Features
2 31 4 5

15
Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop
1Security cable slot – Attaches a commercially available antitheft device to the computer.
NOTE: Before you buy an antitheft device, ensure that it works with the security cable slot
on your computer.
2AC adapter connector – Connects to the AC adapter to power the computer and charge
the battery.
3VGA connector – Connects to a monitor or projector.
4Network connector – Connects your computer to a network or a broadband device if you
are using a wired network.
5USB 2.0 connectors (2) – Connects to USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, printer,
external drive, or MP3 player.

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Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop
Front Side Features
1 2 3

17
Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop
1Integrated single analog microphone – Provides quality sound for video chatting and voice
recording.
27-in-1 Media Card Reader – Provides a fast and convenient way to view and
share digital photos, music, videos, and documents stored on these digital memory cards:
Secure digital (SD) memory card•
Secure Digital Input Output (SDIO) card•
Multi Media Card (MMC)•
Memory Stick•
Memory Stick PRO•
Hi Speed-SD•
Hi Density-SD•
3Power/Battery indicator light –Turns on steadily or blinks to indicate
power/battery charge status. The light indicates the following states while charging or using
the computer with:
an AC adapter
Solid white• –The computer is on/off and the battery is charging.
Blinking white• –The computer is in standby mode.
Off• –The computer is off or in hibernate mode.
a battery
Solid white• –The computer is on.
Blinking white• –The computer is in standby mode.
Solid amber• –The battery charge is low. Connect the AC adapter to charge the battery.
Off• –The computer is off or in hibernate mode

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Using Your Inspiron™ Laptop
Computer Base and Keyboard Features
1 2 3