Dell 9100 If the display is difficult to read

Solving Problems 77

If the display is difficult to read

CONNECT THE COMPUTER DIRECTLY TO AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET —Bypass

power protection devices, power strips, and the extension cable to verify that the

computer turns on.

ADJUST THE POWER PROPERTIES —Search for the keyword standby in

Windows Help and Support Center. To access the Help and Support Center,

seepage 17.

SWITCH THE VIDEO IMAGE —If your computer is attached to an external

monitor, press <Fn><F8> to switch the video image to the display.

ADJUST THE BRIGHTNESS —See the Dell Inspiron Help file for instructions on

adjusting the brightness. To access the help file, see page16.

MOVE YOUR EXTERNAL SUBWOOFER AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER OR

MONITOR —If your external speaker system includes a subwoofer, ensure

thatthe subwoofer is at least 60 cm (2 ft) away from the computer or

externalmonitor.

ELIMINATE POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE —Turn off nearby fans, fluorescent

lights, halogen lamps, or other appliances.

ROTATE THE COMPUTER TO FACE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION —Eliminate

sunlight glare, which can cause poor picture quality.

ADJUST THE WINDOWS DISPLAY SETTINGS

1Click the Start button and then click Control Panel.

2Click Appearance and Themes.

3Click the area you want to change or click the Display icon.

4Try different settings for Color quality and Screen resolution.

SEE "ERROR MESSAGES"—If an error message appears, see "Error Messages"

on page75.

G2806bk2.book Page 77 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