Dell 3000 manual Customizing System Features, System Utilities

Chapter 2

Customizing System Features

As your computing environment changes, you may want to customize the configuration of your computer. The system utilities and the Setup program let you con- trol various hardware and software features of your computer and allow you to monitor and reduce power consumption when your computer is running on battery power. This chapter explains how to access and use the system utilities and the Setup program.

System Utilities

If Dell installed your operating system, the system utili- ties are on the hard-disk drive that came with the computer.

Dell highly recommends that you use the Dell Program Diskette Maker in the Dell Accessories folder to back up the system utilities. If your hard-disk drive becomes cor- rupted, you can use the program diskettes to reinstall the utilities.

NOTE: The system utilities are available separately on diskettes for those who installed their own version of the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system. To order these diskettes from Dell, see Chapter 5, “Getting Help,” for the appropriate telephone number in your location.

Use system utilities to:

•Configure PC Cards

If you are using Windows 95, use the PC Card utility that comes with the operating system. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.

Double-click the PC Card (PCMCIA) icon.

For more information, see the topic titled “Configur- ing PC Cards” in the online System User’s Guide.

•Change video resolution

In Windows 95, click the Start button, point to Set- tings, and click Control Panel. Double-click the Display icon and click the Settings tab. To change other video settings, such as the refresh rate or exter- nal monitor settings, click the NeoMagic tab.

For more information, see the topic titled “Adjusting Video Resolution and Refresh Rate” in the online System User’s Guide .

•Adjust audio properties

In Windows 95, click the Start button, point to Set- tings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click the Multimedia icon. Alternatively, right-click the Audio icon in the taskbar.

•Customize touch pad and cursor features

In Windows 95, click the Start button, point to Set- tings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click the Mouse icon.

For more information, see the topic titled “Touch Pad” in the online System User’s Guide .

•Check battery status

In Windows 95, see the operating system documen- tation for instructions on using the battery status utility that comes with the operating system.

•Manage power consumption when using a battery

The Power menu in the Setup program lets you adjust the computer’s power management options to suit your working environment.

For more information about saving battery power, see the topic titled “Conserving Battery Power” in the online System User’s Guide .

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