Dell PRECISION PP18L User manual

www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Dell Precision™ M2300
Quick Reference Guide
Model PP18L

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.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2007 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, ExpressCharge, the DELL logo and Dell Precision are trademarks
of Dell Inc.; Core, Active Management Technology, Centrino, and Intel are registered trademarks of
Intel Corporation; Microsoft,Outlook,Windows,Windows Vista are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries; Bluetooth is a
registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license; TouchStrip is
a trademark of UPEK, Inc.; 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 PP18L
September 2007 P/N GY733 Rev. A00

Contents 3
Contents
Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Setting Up Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
About Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Left Side View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Right Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Bottom View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Using a Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Battery Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Checking the Battery Charge. . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Charging the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Removing the Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Storing a Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Lockups and Software Problems. . . . . . . . . . 19
Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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
• 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
"Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities" in your
User’s Manual) or to run the Dell
Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on
page 21).
Readme files may be included on your
media to provide last-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.

6Quick Reference Guide
• How to set up my computer
• Basic troubleshooting information
• How to run the Dell™ Diagnostics
• How to open my computer
In this document
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

Quick Reference Guide 7
• 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
• 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
• 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 processors, optical drives,
USB devices, and so on. 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 keywords
Notebook System
Software
.
NOTE: The support.dell.com user interface
may vary depending on your selections.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

8Quick Reference Guide
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
For more information on Dell QuickSet,
see "Dell QuickSet" In your User’s Guide.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

Quick Reference Guide 9
• How to reinstall my operating system Operating System Media
NOTE: The Operating System media 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 "Reinstalling Windows"
in your User’s Guide).
After you reinstall your operating system,
use the optional 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.
NOTE: The color of your media varies
based on the operating system you ordered.
What Are You Looking For? Find It Here

10 Quick Reference Guide
Setting Up Your Computer
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the
safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.
1 Unpack the accessories box.
2 Set aside the contents of the accessories box, which you will need to
complete the setup of your computer.
The accessories box also contains user documentation and any software or
additional hardware (such as PC Cards, drives, or batteries) that you have
ordered.
3 Connect the AC adapter to the AC adapter connector on the computer
and to the electrical outlet.
4 Open the computer display and press the power button to turn on the
computer (see "Front View" on page 11).
NOTE: It is recommended that you turn on and shut down your computer at least
once before you install any cards or connect the computer to a docking device or
other external device, such as a printer.