Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
1. GETTING TO KNOW THE BASICS
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
2. BIOS SETUP AND SECURITY
3. BATTERY POWER & POWER MANAGEMENT
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
5. TROUBLESHOOTING
APPENDIX A Product Specification APPENDIX B Agency Regulatory Notices
4. UPGRADING YOUR COMPUTER
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Using This Manual
Symbols and Conventions
Preface
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Your computer will serve you well if you take good care of it
Here are some ways of taking care of your AC adapter
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
When cleaning the computer, observe these steps
Cleaning the Ventilation Grills
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Chapter 2 BIOS Setup / Security
Chapter 3 Battery Power & Power Management
Chapter 5 Trouble-Shooting
Appendix A Product Specification
CHAPTER ONE GETTING TO KNOW THE BASICS
This chapter introduces the features and components of the computer
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Performance Features
High Performance Processor with Calistoga Chipset
Advanced Graphic Engine
LCD Display
Firewire IEEE1394 / 1394a and USB2.0 Ports
Wireless LAN
Ethernet Port
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
System At A Glance
Top View 1. LCD Latch
2. LCD Display
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
6. Touch Pad Disable / Enable Button
8. LED Status Indicator
9. Power / Suspend Button
3. Keyboard
10. Silent Mode Button
11. Outlook Express Quick Key
12. Internet Explorer Quick Key
13. Windows Media Player Quick Key
1. Wireless On/Off Switch
2. Power Jack DC-in
4. Battery Pack
Front and Rear View
5. Ventilation Grill
6. Kensington Lock Key Hole
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
1. Audio Volume Dial
Side Views
2. Stereo Headphone / SPDIF-out Jack
3. Microphone Jack
10. Firewire / IEEE1394 / 1394a Port
5. USB2.0 Port
6. DVI-I Port
7. TV S-Video Port
12. ExpressCard Slot
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1. Battery Pack and Battery Latch
Bottom View
2. Hard Disk Drive Cover
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3. System Device Cover
4. Ventilation Grill
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1. DC-out Connector
AC Adapter
2. Adapter
3. AC Plug
LED Status Indicator
System & Power Status Indicators
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Keyboard Features
Function Keys Quick Keys
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Windows Keys
1. Start Key
2. Application Menu Key
Embedded Numeric Keypad
Tips on Using the Touch Pad
Touch Pad
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Adjusting the Display Brightness
Graphics Subsystem
Extending the Life of the TFT Display Device
Opening and Closing the Display Panel
Adjusting the Volume Manually
Adjusting the Audio Volume in Windows
Connecting the Modem
Audio Subsystem
To change the modem setting, do the following
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
CHAPTER TWO BIOS SETUP AND SECURITY FEATURE
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The Setup Utility is a hardware configuration program built into your computer’s BIOS Basic Input/Output System. It runs and maintains a variety of hardware functions. It is a menu-driven software, which allows you to easily configure and change the settings
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Entering the BIOS Setup Screen
Leaving the BIOS Setup Screen
BIOS Action Keys
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Modifying the BIOS Settings
Boot Setup
Main Setup
Boot Settings Configuration
the 1st drive BIOS attempts
Boot Agent is selected, the
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Security Setup
Using Password Protection
Boot Settings Configuration
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Power Setup
Exit Setup
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
CHAPTER THREE BATTERY POWER & POWER MANAGEMENT
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The Battery Pack
Lithium-Ion Battery
Battery Low-Power Warning 1. Low Battery Warning
2. Very Low Battery Warning
Note Press Fn+F3 to turn off the battery warning beep
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Installing and Removing the Battery Pack
To Remove the Battery Pack
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To Install the Battery Pack
Charging the Battery and Charging Time
Checking the Battery Level
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Prolonging the Battery’s Life and Usage Cycles
There are things you can do to prolong the use of the battery
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Using Windows Power Options
Windows’ Power Schemes
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
In this dialog box, you can manually set the LCD and hard drive’s time-out values in the Plugged In column and in the Running On Batteries column. Lower time-out values will save more battery power
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Suspend Mode
Standby Suspend
Hibernate Suspend
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Power Button Action
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Low Battery Warning
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Power Menu Quick Access
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Windows’ Power Plans
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Suspend Mode
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Standby Suspend
Hibernate Suspend
Power Button Action
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Low Battery Warning
Click the “Change plan settings” underneath the currently active Power Plan in the Power Options Properties box. Next, click on “Change advance power settings” and go the the battery section and expand it to change the battery notifications and alarms
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Power Menu Quick Access
Instead of making specific selections in the Power Options Properties box, you can quickly and easily specify which pre-set power saving function you desire by clicking on the Battery icon at the lower right-hand corner of the task bar. If you do not see a battery or AC-in icon, go to Power Options Properties box and click on the Advanced tab. Check off ``Always show icon on the task bar``. Select “Power Saver” if you want the system to enter Suspend Mode more often. Or, select “High Performance” if your notebook PC is plugged into an AC power source
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
CHAPTER FOUR UPGRADING YOUR COMPUTER
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Upgrading the Hard Disk Drive
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
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Upgrading the Hard Disk Drive
To replace the hard disk drive, do the following
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
10. Put the HDD cover back and re-attach 2 Screw A’s
Upgrading the System Memory
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Installing a memory module DIMM into the system
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
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the contact edge is driven into the receiving socket
Adding a Mini-PCI Type Wireless LAN Card Optional Device
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Installing a Mini PCI Card into the System
To install a new Mini PCI card, do the following
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
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4. Replace the System Device Cover and 9 Screw D’s
CHAPTER FIVE TROUBLESHOOTING
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Before taking further actions, consider the following suggestions
Audio Problems
No speaker output
Sound cannot be recorded
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Hard Disk Problems
The hard disk drive does not work or is not recognizable
The hard drive is making abnormal whining noises
The hard disk drive has reached its capacity
The hard disk takes longer to read a file
The files are corrupted
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Optical Drive Problems
The optical drive does not work
The drive does not read any disks
The disk cannot be ejected
Display Problems
The display panel is blank when the system is turned on
The screen is difficult to read
The screen flickers
Keyboard and Mouse Problems
The characters on the screen repeat when I type
The built-in touch pad performs erratically
The built-in keyboard accepts no input
CMOS Battery Problem
Memory Problems
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Modem Problems The built-in modem does not respond
Connection difficulties
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Network Adapter / Ethernet Problems
The Ethernet adapter does not work
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
PC Card / PCMCIA Problems
Windows crashes or freezes when you remove the PC card
PC Cards do not function
The PC card cannot be recognized
Performance Problems
The computer becomes hot
The program appears to have stopped or runs very slowly
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Firewire IEEE1394 and USB2.0 Problems
The USB device does not work
The IEEE1394 port does not work
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
APPENDIX A PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
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Processor and Core Logic
System Memory
Display
Audio
Firewire IEEE1394a
Modem
LAN / Ethernet
Storage
Ports and Connectors
Battery Pack / AC Adapter
Keyboard & Touch pad
Express Card New Card & Multiple Card Reader
BIOS
Physical Specification
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
APPENDIX B AGENCY REGULATORY NOTICES
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Federal Communications Commission Notice
Modifications
Connections to Peripheral Devices
Declaration of Conformity
European Notice
Canadian Notice
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Power Cord Requirement
U.S. and Canada
Japan
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Other Countries
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Battery Pack Safety
Telephone Lines Requirement
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Laser Safety
Lithium Battery Warning / Bridge Battery Warning
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Connecting to the Network
Ethernet
Cabling Restriction for Networks
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference