Dell Latitude D430 User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell™ Latitude™ D430
User’s Guide

For information on other documentation included with your computer, see "Finding Information" on page 9.
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 "Glossary" on page 163.
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.
© 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, Dimension, Optiplex, Dell Precision, Latitude, Inspiron, PowerApp, PowerEdge,
PowerConnect, PowerVault, XPS, Wi-Fi Catcher, ExpressCharge, and Undock & Go are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Core is a trademark and Intel
is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, Outlook, Windows, Vista, TravelLite, and Touch Strip are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license; EMC is a registered
trademark of EMC Corporation; ENERGY STAR is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As an ENERGY
STAR partner, Dell Inc. has determined that this product meets the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficiency.
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 PP09S
July 2007 P/N XK022 Rev. A01

Contents 1
Contents
1 Finding Information
2 About Your Computer
Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Left Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Right Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Bottom View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3 Transferring Information to a New Computer
Microsoft®Windows®XP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Microsoft Windows Vista™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4 Using a Battery
Battery Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Checking the Battery Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Microsoft®Windows®Power Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Charge Gauge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Low-Battery Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Conserving Battery Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Power Management Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Standby and Sleep Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Hibernate Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Configuring Power Management Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Accessing Power Options Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

2Contents
Charging the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Storing a Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
5 Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad
Numeric Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Key Combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
System Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Optical Drive Tray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Display Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Speaker Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Microsoft® Windows® Logo Key Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Touch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Fingerprint Reader (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Customizing the Touch Pad and Track Stick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Changing the Track Stick Cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6 Using the Display
Adjusting Brightness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Switching the Video Image From Your Computer Display to a Projector. . . . 39
Making Images and Text Look Bigger or Sharper on the Screen: Setting
Display Resolution and Refresh Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Microsoft®Windows®XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Microsoft Windows Vista™. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Using an External Monitor Simultaneously as an Extension of Your Computer
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Microsoft®Windows®XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Microsoft Windows Vista™. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Using an External Monitor as Your Primary Display: Swapping Primary and
Secondary Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Microsoft®Windows®XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Contents 3
Microsoft Windows Vista™. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
7 Setting Up and Using Networks
Connecting a Network or Broadband Modem Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Setting Up a Network in the Microsoft® Windows® XP Operating
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Setting Up a Network in the Microsoft Windows Vista™ Operating
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Wireless Local Area Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
What You Need to Establish a WLAN Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Checking Your Wireless Network Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Setting Up a New WLAN Using a Wireless Router and a Broadband
Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Connecting to a WLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Mobile Broadband (or Wireless Wide Area Network) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
What You Need to Establish a Mobile Broadband Network
Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Checking Your Dell Mobile Broadband Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Managing Your Network Settings Through the Dell QuickSet Location
Profiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Dell Wi-Fi Catcher™ Network Locator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Microsoft®Windows®Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
8UsingCards
Card Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Card Blanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
PC Card Blanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Extended PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Installing a PC Card or an ExpressCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Removing a PC Card or Blank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Installing or Removing a Secure Digital (SD) Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

4Contents
Extended Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
9 Securing Your Computer
Security Cable Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Smart Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
About Smart Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Installing a Smart Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Using a Primary (or System) Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Using an Administrator Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Using a Hard Drive Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Enabling the TPM Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Security Management Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Using the Security Management Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Computer Tracking Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
10 Cleaning Your Computer
Computer, Keyboard, and Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Touch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Optical Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
11 Troubleshooting
Dell Technical Update Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Starting the Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the Drivers and Utilities media . . . . 70
Dell Diagnostics Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Contents 5
Dell Support Utility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Accessing the Dell Support Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Clicking the Dell Support Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Double-Clicking the Dell Support Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Optical drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Hard drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
IEEE 1394 Device Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
External Keyboard problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Unexpected characters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Lockups and Software Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
The computer does not start up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
The computer stops responding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
A program stops responding or crashes repeatedly . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
A program is designed for an earlier Microsoft® Windows®
operating system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
A solid blue screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Other software problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Memory Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
PC Card or ExpressCard Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Power Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Ensuring Sufficient Power for Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Docking Power Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Scanner Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
No sound from integrated speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
No sound from external speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

6Contents
Touch Pad or Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Video and Display Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
If the display is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
If the display is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
If only part of the display is readable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
12 System Setup Program
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Viewing the System Setup Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
System Setup Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Commonly Used Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Changing the Boot Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Changing COM Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
13 Reinstalling Software
Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
What Is a Driver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Identifying Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Troubleshooting Software and Hardware Problems in the Microsoft®
Windows®XP and Microsoft Windows Vista™ Operating Systems . . . . . . 96
Restoring Your Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Using Microsoft® Windows® System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Using the Operating System CD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
14 Adding and Replacing Parts
Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Recommended Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Turning Off Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Before Working Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Removing the Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Contents 7
Replacing the Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Hinge Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Mini-Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Mobile Broadband (WWAN) Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Internal Card With Bluetooth®Wireless Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Coin-Cell Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
15 Dell™ QuickSet
16 Traveling With Your Computer
Identifying Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Packing the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Travel Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Traveling by Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
17 Getting Help
Obtaining Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Technical Support and Customer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
DellConnect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Online Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
AutoTech Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Automated Order-Status Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Problems With Your Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Product Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Before You Call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

8Contents
Contacting Dell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
18 Specifications
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
FCC Notice (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
FCC Class B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Macrovision Product Notice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Finding Information 9
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
• 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 media to reinstall drivers (see
Drivers and Utilities media) or to run the Dell Diagnostics
(see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 69).
Readme files may be
included on your media to
provide up-to-the-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.

10 Finding Information
• How to set up my computer
• Basic troubleshooting information
• How to run the Dell Diagnostics
• How to remove and install parts
Quick Reference Guide
NOTE: This document may be optional and may not ship with
your computer.
NOTE: This document is available as a PDF at
support.dell.com.
• 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 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.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

Finding Information 11
• 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 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 support
• Reference — Computer documentation, details on my
computer configuration, product specifications, and
white papers
• Downloads — Certified drivers, patches, and software
updates
• Notebook System Software (NSS) — 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
®
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 or business segment to view the
appropriate support site.
To download Notebook System Software:
1 Go to support.dell.com , select your region or business
segment, and enter your Service Tag.
2 Select Drivers & Downloads and click Go .
3 Click your operating system and search for the keyword
Notebook System Software .
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. For more information, see "Dell Support
Utility" on page 72.
• How to use Windows XP
• 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.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

12 Finding Information
• 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.
• How to reinstall my operating system Operating System media
NOTE: The Operating System CD 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 Drivers and Utilities media.
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 (see
"Service Tag and
Microsoft®Windows®License" on page 10).
NOTE: The color of your media varies based on the operating
system you ordered.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

About Your Computer 13
About Your Computer
Front View
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14 About Your Computer
DISPLAY LATCH —Keeps the display closed.
DISPLAY —For more information about your display, see "Using the Display" on page 39.
DEVICE STATUS LIGHTS
If the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, the light operates as follows:
• Solid green: The battery is charging.
• Flashing green: The battery is almost fully charged.
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 —Provides the functionality of a mouse. See "Touch Pad" on page 35 for more information.
1display latch 2display 3device status lights
4touch pad 5touch pad buttons 6track stick buttons
7track stick 8keyboard 9speakers
10 keyboard and network status
lights
11 ambient light sensor
Turns on when you turn on the computer and blinks when the computer is
in Standby 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.
Turns on steadily or blinks to indicate battery charge status.

About Your Computer 15
TOUCH PAD BUTTONS —Provide the functionality of a mouse. See "Touch Pad" on page 35 for more information.
TRACK STICK BUTTONS —Provide the functionality of a mouse. See "Touch Pad" on page 35 for more information.
TRACK STICK —Provide the functionality of a mouse. See "Touch Pad" on page 35 for more information.
KEYBOARD —The keyboard includes a numeric keypad as well as the Windows logo key. For information on
supported keyboard shortcuts, see "Key Combinations" on page 33.
SPEAKERS —To adjust the volume of the integrated speakers, press the volume-control keyboard shortcuts. For
more information, see "Key Combinations" on page 33.
KEYBOARD AND NETWORK STATUS LIGHTS
The green lights located above the keyboard indicate the following:
Turns on when the uppercase letter function is enabled.
Turns on when wireless devices are enabled.
Turns on when the numeric keypad is enabled.
Turns on when the scroll lock function is enabled.
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16 About Your Computer
NOTICE: To avoid losing data, turn off your computer by performing a Microsoft® Windows® operating system
shutdown rather than by pressing the power button.
If the computer stops responding, press and hold the power button until the computer turns off completely (which
may take several seconds).
AMBIENT LIGHT SENSOR —Detects available environmental light and automatically increases or decreases the
display backlighting to compensate for low-light and high-light environments. Press the <Fn> and left-arrow key to
enable or disable the sensor.
Left Side View
NOTE: The computer turns on the fan when the computer gets hot. Fan noise is normal and does not indicate a
problem with the fans or the computer.
SECURITY CABLE SLOT —Lets you attach a commercially available antitheft device to the computer. For more
information, see "Security Cable Lock" on page 59.
MICROPHONE CONNECTOR —Lets you connect a microphone to the connector.
HEADPHONE CONNECTOR —Lets you connect headphones or speakers to the connector.
Turns on when Bluetooth® wireless technology is
enabled. To enable or disable Bluetooth wireless
technology or other wireless devices, turn the wireless
switch on or off.
NOTE: Bluetooth wireless technology is an optional
feature on your computer, so the icon turns on only if
Bluetooth wireless technology is installed on your
computer.
For more information, see the documentation that came
with your Bluetooth wireless technology.
1security cable slot 2microphone connector 3headphone connector
4PC Card slot 5Smart Card slot 6Secure Digital memory card
slot
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About Your Computer 17
PC CARD SLOT —Supports one PC Card, such as a modem or network adapter, or a 34-mm ExpressCard in an
adapter. The computer ships with a plastic blank installed in the slot. For more information, see "Installing a PC
Card or an ExpressCard" on page 54.
SMART CARD SLOT —Supports one smart card.
SECURE DIGITAL MEMORY CARD SLOT —The Secure Digital memory card slot supports one Secure Digital
memory card. Use Secure Digital memory cards to save or back up data.
Right Side View
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.
AIR VENTS —The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer
from overheating.
CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your Dell
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.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.
WIRELESS SWITCH —When enabled through Dell QuickSet, this switch can scan for a wireless LAN (WLAN) in
your vicinity. You can also use it to rapidly turn off or on any wireless devices such as WLAN cards and internal cards
with Bluetooth wireless technology (see "Dell Wi-Fi Catcher™ Network Locator" on page 51).
POWER BUTTON —Press the power button to turn on the computer or exit a power management mode "Power
Management Modes" on page 29.
NOTICE: To avoid losing data, turn off your computer by performing a Microsoft® Windows® operating system
shutdown rather than by pressing the power button.
If the computer stops responding, press and hold the power button until the computer turns off completely (which
may take several seconds).
1air vents 2wireless switch 3power button
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18 About Your Computer
Back View
NETWORK CONNECTOR (RJ-45)
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.
1network connector (RJ-45) 2modem connector (RJ-11) 3USB connectors
4video connector 5powered USB connector 6IEEE 1394 Connector
7AC adapter connector
Connects the computer to a network. The two lights next to
the connector indicate the status of both the connection
and the transfer of information for wired network
communications.
For information on using the network adapter, see the device
user’s guide supplied with your computer. See "Finding
Information" on page 9.
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