Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
1. GETTING TO KNOW THE BASICS
2. BIOS SETUP AND SECURITY
3. BATTERY POWER & POWER MANAGEMENT
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
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
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
Appendix A Product Specification
Chapter 2 BIOS Setup / Security
Chapter 3 Battery Power & Power Management
Chapter 5 Trouble-Shooting
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CHAPTER ONE GETTING TO KNOW THE BASICS
This chapter introduces the features and components of the computer
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
LCD Display
Performance Features
High Performance Processor with Calistoga Chipset
Advanced Graphic Engine
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
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
3. Keyboard
6. Touch Pad Disable / Enable Button
8. LED Status Indicator
9. Power / Suspend Button
13. Windows Media Player Quick Key
10. Silent Mode Button
11. Outlook Express Quick Key
12. Internet Explorer Quick Key
Front and Rear View
1. Wireless On/Off Switch
2. Power Jack DC-in
4. Battery Pack
5. Ventilation Grill
6. Kensington Lock Key Hole
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
3. Microphone Jack
1. Audio Volume Dial
Side Views
2. Stereo Headphone / SPDIF-out Jack
7. TV S-Video Port
10. Firewire / IEEE1394 / 1394a Port
5. USB2.0 Port
6. DVI-I Port
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12. ExpressCard Slot
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Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
1. Battery Pack and Battery Latch
Bottom View
2. Hard Disk Drive Cover
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3. System Device Cover
4. Ventilation Grill
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
3. AC Plug
1. DC-out Connector
AC Adapter
2. Adapter
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
Embedded Numeric Keypad
Windows Keys
1. Start Key
2. Application Menu Key
Tips on Using the Touch Pad
Touch Pad
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Opening and Closing the Display Panel
Adjusting the Display Brightness
Graphics Subsystem
Extending the Life of the TFT Display Device
Audio Subsystem
Adjusting the Volume Manually
Adjusting the Audio Volume in Windows
Connecting the Modem
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
To change the modem setting, do the following
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CHAPTER TWO BIOS SETUP AND SECURITY FEATURE
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Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
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
Boot Settings Configuration
Modifying the BIOS Settings
Boot Setup
Main Setup
the 1st drive BIOS attempts
Boot Agent is selected, the
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Security Setup
Using Password Protection
Boot Settings Configuration
Power Setup
Exit Setup
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
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CHAPTER THREE BATTERY POWER & POWER MANAGEMENT
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2. Very Low Battery Warning
The Battery Pack
Lithium-Ion Battery
Battery Low-Power Warning 1. Low Battery Warning
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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
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
To Install the Battery Pack
Charging the Battery and Charging Time
Checking the Battery Level
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
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
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Windows’ Power Plans
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Hibernate Suspend
Suspend Mode
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Standby Suspend
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Power Button Action
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
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CHAPTER FOUR UPGRADING YOUR COMPUTER
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Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Upgrading the Hard Disk Drive
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Upgrading the Hard Disk Drive
To replace the hard disk drive, do the following
10. Put the HDD cover back and re-attach 2 Screw A’s
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Upgrading the System Memory
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Installing a memory module DIMM into the system
the contact edge is driven into the receiving socket
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Adding a Mini-PCI Type Wireless LAN Card Optional Device
Installing a Mini PCI Card into the System
To install a new Mini PCI card, do the following
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
4. Replace the System Device Cover and 9 Screw D’s
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CHAPTER FIVE TROUBLESHOOTING
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Before taking further actions, consider the following suggestions
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Audio Problems
No speaker output
Sound cannot be recorded
The hard disk drive has reached its capacity
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 takes longer to read a file
The files are corrupted
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
The disk cannot be ejected
Optical Drive Problems
The optical drive does not work
The drive does not read any disks
The screen flickers
Display Problems
The display panel is blank when the system is turned on
The screen is difficult to read
The built-in keyboard accepts no input
Keyboard and Mouse Problems
The characters on the screen repeat when I type
The built-in touch pad performs erratically
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
The PC card cannot be recognized
PC Card / PCMCIA Problems
Windows crashes or freezes when you remove the PC card
PC Cards do not function
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
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
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APPENDIX A PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
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Audio
Processor and Core Logic
System Memory
Display
Storage
Firewire IEEE1394a
Modem
LAN / Ethernet
Express Card New Card & Multiple Card Reader
Ports and Connectors
Battery Pack / AC Adapter
Keyboard & Touch pad
BIOS
Physical Specification
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APPENDIX B AGENCY REGULATORY NOTICES
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Declaration of Conformity
Federal Communications Commission Notice
Modifications
Connections to Peripheral Devices
European Notice
Canadian Notice
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Power Cord Requirement
U.S. and Canada
Japan
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Other Countries
Battery Pack Safety
Telephone Lines Requirement
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Laser Safety
Lithium Battery Warning / Bridge Battery Warning
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference
Connecting to the Network
Ethernet
Cabling Restriction for Networks