28 Solving Problems
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Other technical problemsGeneral hardware problems

If your computer exhibits one or more of the following symptoms, a device conflict may exist:

• Your computer locks up, particularly while using a specific device.

• A recently added device does not work.

• A sound card emits noise or demonstrates other problems.

BACK UP YOUR FILES IMMEDIATELY — If your computer has a CD-RW drive or a zip drive installed, see
the drive’s documentation for instructions.
ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE NOT MADE AN ERROR WHILE ENTERING DATA — See the program documentation to
ensure that the values or characters you are entering are valid.
CHECK FOR VIRUSES — Use a virus-scanning program to check the hard drive, floppy disks, or CDs.
RESTART THE COMPUTER — Save and close any open files, exit any open programs, and then shut down
your computer through the Start menu instead of by pressing the power button. Otherwise, you
may lose data.
CHECK FOR COMPATIBILITY —
• Ensure that the program is compatible with the operating system installed on your computer and
that your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements needed to run the software. See
the software documentation for information.
• If necessary, uninstall and then reinstall the program.
ENSURE THAT YOU PROPERLY INSTALLED AND CONFIGURED THE PROGRAM — See the software documentation
for information. If necessary, uninstall and then reinstall the program.
GO TO THE DELL SUPPORT WEBSITE — Go to support.dell.com for help with general usage, installation,
and troubleshooting questions.The support website offers several different tools to help you, such
as Dell Forum—a chat room where you can communicate with other Dell customers about their
computers and gain access to technical support through e-mail. See "Dell Technical Support Policy
(U.S. Only)" on page88 for a description of the hardware and software support provided by Dell.
CALL DELL — If you cannot solve your problem using the Dell Support website or e-mail service, call
Dell for technical assistance (see page90). See "Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)" on
page88 for a description of the hardware and software support provided by Dell.