
8CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP 
Product Documentation and Media
e documentation that ships with your Alienware® laptop is designed to provide 
answers to many of the questions that may arise as you explore your new laptop’s 
capabilities. You may see the documentation for technical information or general 
use as needed to answer questions in the future, or aid you in nding answers and 
solutions. e media included with your laptop is referenced in some  sections of 
the documentation and may be needed to complete certain tasks. As always, our 
technical support sta is available to assist you. 
Placing Your Laptop
WARNING: Do not place the laptop near or over a radiator or heating vent. 
If your laptop  is placed  in a  cabinet, ensure  that adequate  ventilation 
is provided. Do  not place the  laptop in a  humid location  or in any  area 
where the laptop may be exposed to rain or water. Be careful not to spill 
liquid of any kind on or into the laptop.
When placing your laptop, ensure that: 
It is placed on a surface that is both level and stable. • 
e power and other cable connectors are not jammed between the laptop • 
and a wall – or any other object.
Nothing obstructs airow in front of, behind, or below the laptop.• 
e laptop has enough room so that optical drives and other external • 
storage drives can be easily accessed. 
Before Setting Up Your Laptop Congratulations on the purchase of your Alienware® M15x!
Read all safety and setup instructions before  connecting your new laptop. Begin 
by carefully opening the box and removing all components  that were shipped to 
you. Before setting  up your  laptop or  components, be  sure to  inspect all  items 
for any  physical damage  that  may have  occurred during  shipment.  Be sure  to 
report any damaged items to customer service immediately upon receiving your 
shipment. You must report shipping damage  within the rst 5 days  of receiving 
the shipment or your damage report will not be honored.
Before setting up  your laptop or components,  see the included  invoice to verify 
that all items ordered are present. Report any  missing components to customer 
service within 5 days of receiving the shipment. Anything reported missing after 
the rst 5  days of  receiving a shipment  will not  be honored.  Some of the  most 
common items to check for include:
Laptop and AC adapter with power cable• 
Microsoft CD-key located at the bottom of the laptop• 
Monitor with power cable and video cable (if ordered)• 
Keyboard (if ordered)• 
Mouse (if ordered)• 
Multimedia speakers and sub-woofer (if ordered)• 
Joystick controllers (if ordered)• 
You  may  also  need  a  small  athead  and/or  a  Phillips  head  screwdriver  for 
connecting peripheral cables to the laptop.