Dell 1501 owner manual Drivers, If only part of the display is readable, What Is a Driver?

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If only part of the display is readable

C O N N E C T A N E X T E R N A L M O N I T O R —

1Shut down your computer and connect an external monitor to the computer.

2Turn on the computer and the monitor, and adjust the monitor brightness and contrast controls.

If the external monitor works, the computer display or video controller may be defective. Contact Dell. See "Contacting Dell" on page 109.

Drivers

What Is a Driver?

A driver is a program that controls a device such as a printer, mouse, or keyboard. All devices require a driver program.

A driver acts like a translator between the device and any other programs that use the device. Each device has its own set of specialized commands that only its driver recognizes.

Dell ships your computer to you with required drivers already installed—no further installation or configuration is needed.

NOTICE: The Drivers and Utilities CD may contain drivers for operating systems that are not on your computer. Ensure that you are installing software appropriate for your operating system.

Many drivers, such as the keyboard driver, come with your Microsoft® Windows® operating system. You may need to install drivers if you:

•Upgrade your operating system.

•Reinstall your operating system.

•Connect or install a new device.

Identifying Drivers

If you experience a problem with any device, identify whether the driver is the source of your problem and, if necessary, update the driver.

1Click the Start button and click Control Panel.

2Under Pick a Category, click Performance and Maintenance.

3Click System.

4In the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab.

5Click Device Manager.

6Scroll down the list to see if any device has an exclamation point (a yellow circle with a [!]) on the device icon.

If an exclamation point is next to the device name, you may need to reinstall the driver or install a new driver. See "Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities" on page 80.

Solving Problems

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Contents W . d e l l . c o m s u p p o r t . d e l l . c o m Dell InspironAbbreviations and Acronyms Contents Microsoft Windows Logo Key Functions Configuring Power Management SettingsWhat You Need to Establish a Wlan Connection If you hear an unfamiliar scraping or grinding sound Ensuring Sufficient Power for Your ComputerProgram stops responding or crashes repeatedly If only part of the display is readable Using Microsoft Windows XP System RestoreResolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities 108 103104 107Glossary Index Contents Finding Information Warranty informationSupport.dell.com Setup Diagram Follow the instructions on the screen Click the topic that describes your problemWhat Are You Looking For? Find It Here Click the arrow iconFrequently asked questions Microsoft Windows System Restore MicrosoftService call status and support history Top technical issues for my computerAbout Your Computer Determining Your Computer’s ConfigurationAbout Your Computer Front View V I C E S T a T U S L I G H T S About Your Computer Y B O a R D a N D W I R E L E S S S T a T U S L I G H T S Left Side View Right Side View Back View Connects an external VGA-compatible monitor Bottom View Setting Up Your Computer Setting Up Your ComputerConnecting to the Internet Setting Up Your Internet ConnectionTransferring Information to a New Computer Click Finish and restart the new computer Click Finished and restart the new computer Connecting a USB Printer Setting Up a PrinterPrinter Cable Surge Protectors Power Protection DevicesLine Conditioners Uninterruptible Power SuppliesSetting Up Your Computer Setting Display Resolution Using the DisplayAdjusting Brightness Switching the Video ImageUsing the Display Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad Using the Keyboard and Touch PadNumeric Keypad Key Combinations Opens the Search Results-Computer dialog box Adjusting Keyboard SettingsSpeaker Functions Microsoft Windows Logo Key FunctionsCustomizing the Touch Pad Touch PadBattery Performance Using a BatteryUsing a Battery Check the Battery Health Checking the Battery ChargeMicrosoft Windows Power Meter Check the Battery ChargeStandby Mode Conserving Battery PowerLow-Battery Warning Power Management ModesHibernate Mode Configuring Power Management SettingsReplacing the Battery Charging the BatteryStoring a Battery Using Multimedia Using MultimediaPlaying a CD or DVD Adjusting the Picture Adjusting the VolumeCopying CDs and DVDs Using Blank CDs and DVDs How to Copy a CD or DVDMedia Type Read Write Rewritable Helpful TipsExpressCards Using CardsInstalling an ExpressCard Using CardsRemoving an ExpressCard or Blank Media Memory Cards Installing a Media Memory CardRemoving a Media Memory Card Physically Connecting to a Network or Broadband Modem Setting Up a NetworkSetting Up a Network What You Need to Establish a Wlan Connection Network Setup WizardWireless Local Area Network Wlan Checking Your Wireless Network CardSetting Up a New Wlan Determining the Wireless Network Device Manager Connecting to a Wireless Local Area NetworkCompleting the Connection to the Wlan Enabling/Disabling the Wireless Network CardSetting Up a Network Securing Your Computer PasswordsSecuring Your Computer Security Cable LockIf Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen Computer Tracking SoftwareStarting the Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive Solving ProblemsDell Diagnostics When to Use the Dell DiagnosticsOption Function Tab Function CD and DVD drive problems Drive ProblemsProblems writing to a CD/DVD-RW drive Hard drive problems Mail, Modem, and Internet ProblemsIf you hear an unfamiliar scraping or grinding sound Error Messages Characters in filenames Solving Problems Solving Problems Manufacturer ExpressCard ProblemsKeyboard Problems Windows taskbar. Ensure that the card is listedUnexpected characters External Keyboard problemsProgram stops responding or crashes repeatedly Lockups and Software ProblemsComputer does not start up Computer stops respondingOther software problems Memory ProblemsPower Problems Network ProblemsCommunication exists. Replace the network cable Ensuring Sufficient Power for Your Computer Printer ProblemsNo sound from external speakers Scanner ProblemsSound and Speaker Problems No sound from integrated speakersNo sound from headphones Touch Pad or Mouse ProblemsPicture quality Video and Display ProblemsIf the display is blank If the display is difficult to readIdentifying Drivers What Is a Driver?Drivers If only part of the display is readableUsing Windows XP Device Driver Rollback Reinstalling Drivers and UtilitiesUsing the Drivers and Utilities CD Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities Restoring Your Operating System Using Microsoft Windows XP System RestoreSolving Problems Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec Before You Begin Using the Operating System CDDell Operating System CD Dell Drivers and Utilities CD Reinstalling Windows XP Recommended Tools Adding and Replacing PartsAdding and Replacing Parts Before You BeginBefore Working Inside Your Computer Battery-bay latch release Hard Drive Optical DriveTo replace the hard drive in the hard drive bay Returning a Hard Drive to Dell MemorySecuring clips Memory module Per connector Replace the memory module cover Modem Adding and Replacing Parts Hinge Cover Keyboard Wireless Mini-Card Mini-Card Antenna cables Antenna cable connectors 101 Install the replacement Mini-CardAdding and Replacing Parts 103 Coin-Cell BatteryDisplay 105 Lift the display up and away from the computer106 107 Traveling With Your ComputerIdentifying Your Computer Packing the ComputerTraveling by Air Travel Tips109 Contacting DellContacting Dell 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 Called from within Singapore or Malaysia only 124Website support.ap.dell.com 125 126 127 128 Printers, and Projectors for Relationship129 130 131 SpecificationsMemory Ports and Connectors132 In-1 Media Memory Card ReaderAudio 133Communications VideoDisplay 134Touch Pad Battery135 KeyboardAC Adapter 136Physical 137Environmental 138 139 Using the System Setup ProgramEntering System Setup AppendixCommonly Used Options Changing the Boot Sequence140 141 Performing a One-Time BootFloppy Drive Cleaning Your ComputerComputer, Keyboard, and Display Touch Pad143 Definition of Dell-Installed Software and PeripheralsDell Technical Support Policy U.S. Only CDs and DVDs144 FCC Notice U.S. OnlyDefinition of Third-Party Software and Peripherals FCC Class BPP23LA 145146 147 GlossaryGlossary 148 Device driver See driver 149Docking device See APR 150 151 152 NIC See network adapter 153154 System tray See notification area 155156 Video resolution See resolution157 158 159 IndexIndex 160 See also hard drive See also optical drive161 162 Problems programs and Windows163 164

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