Dell 9100 Bottom View

A Tour of Your Computer 29

Bottom View

MINI PCI CARD COVER —Covers the compartment that contains the Mini PCI card. For more

information, see page106.

SUBWOOFER —An optional component available with the 12-cell battery only. It produces a broader bass

output than is provided by the speakers. For more information, see page109.

BATTERY —When a battery is installed, you can use the computer without connecting the computer to

an electrical outlet. For more information, see page39.

BATTERY CHARGE GAUGE —Provides information on the battery charge. For more information, see

page41.

FAN —The computer uses fans to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from

overheating. For more information, see page111.

BATTERY-BAY LATCH RELEASE —Releases the battery from the battery bay. See "Removing a Battery" on

page42.

MEMORY MODULE COVER —Covers the compartment that contains the memory modules. For more

information, see page103.

HARD DRIVE —Stores software and data. For more information, see "Hard Drive" on page101 and "Hard

Drive Problems" on page78.

Mini PCI card cover

hard drive

fan 2

memory module cover

battery

fan 3

battery charge

gauge

battery-bay latch release

subwoofer (optional with

12-cell battery only)

G2806bk2.book Page 29 Tuesday, May 25, 2004 8:48 AM

Contents

Main Notes, Notices, and Cautions Abbreviations and Acronyms Contents 1 A Tour of Your Computer 2 Setting Up Your Computer 3 Optimizing Performance 4 Using a Battery 5 Using the Module Bay 6 Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad 7 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia 8 Setting Up a Home and Office Network 9 Solving Problems 10 Adding and Replacing Parts Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 CAUTION: Safety Instructions SAFETY: General 10 SAFETY: Power SAFETY: Battery Safety Instructions 11 SAFETY: Air Travel SAFETY: EMC Instructions When Using Your Computer NOTICE: When taking the computer from low-temperature conditions into a warmer environment or from 12 SAFETY: Ergonomic Computing Habits 5 4 3 2 SAFETY: Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge SAFETY: Battery Disposal Page Finding Information NOTE: 16 Page Page A Tour of Your Computer Front View 20 Solid green: The battery is charging. Flashing green: The battery is almost fully charged. Page Left Side View Press this to release the device latch. 24 Right Side View Back View Page Page Page Bottom View Page Setting Up Your Computer Connecting to the Internet Setting Up Your Internet Connection Transferring Information to a New Computer Setting Up a Printer Printer Cable Connecting a USB Printer Power Protection Devices Surge Protectors Line Conditioners Uninterruptible Power Supplies Turning Off Your Computer Page Optimizing Performance DDR Memory and Processor Front-Side Bus Hyper-Threading Page Using a Battery Battery Performance Checking the Battery Charge Dell QuickSet Battery Meter Microsoft Windows Power Meter Charge Gauge Low-Battery Warning Charging the Battery Removing a Battery Page Page Using the Module Bay About the Module Bay Removing and Installing Devices While the Computer Is Turn ed O ff Page Removing and Installing Devices While the Computer Is Running Page Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad Numeric Keypad Key Combinations System Functions Battery CD or DVD Tray Display Functions Speaker Functions Microsoft Windows Logo Key Functions Touch Pad Customizing the Touch Pad and Track Stick Changing the Track Stick Cap Page Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia Using CDs and DVDs Copying CDs and DVDs How to Copy a CD or DVD Using Blank CD-Rs and CD-RWs Helpful Tips Connecting Your Computer to a TV or Audio Device S-Video and Standard Audio S-Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio Page Composite Video and Standard Audio Composite Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio Page Enabling S/PDIF Digital Audio Setting Up the Dolby Headphone Enabling the Display Settings for a TV Page Setting Up a Home and Office Network Connecting to a Network Adapter Network Setup Wizard Connecting to a Wireless Local Area Network Determining Your Network Type Connecting to a Wireless Network in Microsoft Windows XP Page Configuring Security Settings (Optional) Page Page Page Solving Problems Error Messages Video and Display Problems If the display is blank If the display is difficult to read If only part of the display is readable Scanner Problems If you have problems with a hard drive Hard Drive Problems PC Card Problems External Keyboard Problems Power Problems Unexpected Characters Touch Pad or Mouse Problems Printer Problems Network Problems General Program Problems A program crashes 84 A program stops responding CD or DVD Problems If you cannot play a CD, CD-RW, or DVD If you cannot eject the CD, CD-RW, or DVD drive tray If you hear an unfamiliar scraping or grinding sound If the CD-RW drive stops writing Sound and Speaker Problems If you have a problem with integrated speakers If you have a problem with external speakers E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems Page Resolving Other Technical Problems Drivers What Is a Driver? Identifying Drivers Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities Page Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities Using Microsoft Windows XP System Restore Creating a Restore Point Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State Undoing the Last System Restore Using the Dell Diagnostics When to Use the Dell Diagnostics Page Reinstalling Microsoft Windows XP Before You Begin Reinstalling Windows XP Page Adding and Replacing Parts Before You Begin Recommended Tools Shutting Down Your Computer Page Hard Drive Returning a Hard Drive to Dell Memory Page Page Mini PCI Card Page Page Subwoofer Page Fans Page Hinge Covers Page Display Page Page Keyboard Page Reserve Battery Card with Bluetooth Wireless Technology Page Appendix Specifications 124 NOTE: Page Page Page 128 NOTICE: Using the System Setup Program Overview Viewing the System Setup Screens System Setup Screens Commonly Used Options Enabling the Infrared Sensor Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S.Only) Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals Contacting Dell Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Limited Warranties Limited Warranty for Dell-Branded Hardware Products (U.S. Only) How long does this limited warranty last? What do I do if I need warranty service? What will Dell do? NOTE: What if I purchased a service contract? How will you fix my product? May I transfer the limited warranty? Limited Warranty Terms for Dell-Branded Hardware Products (Canada Only) What is covered by this limited warranty? What is not covered by this limited warranty? How long does this limited warranty last? What do I do if I need warranty service? What will Dell do? 154 NOTE: What if I purchased a service contract? How will you fix my product? May I transfer the limited warranty? Dell Software and Peripherals (Canada Only) Third-Party Software and Peripherals Products Dell-Branded Peripheral Products Return Policy 1-Year End-User Manufacturer Guarantee (Latin America and the Caribbean Only) Making a Claim Limitation and Statutory Rights Intel Warranty Statement for Pentium and Celeron Processors Only (U.S. and Canada Only) G2806bk2.book Page 157 Tuesday, May 25, 2004 8:48 AM www.dell.com | support.dell.com G2806bk2.book Page 158 Tuesday, May 25, 2004 8:48 AM Index A B C D E F H I K N O P R S U V W