Video And Monitor Problems; Sound And Speaker Problems - Dell Dimension 4200 Manual

Video and Monitor Problems

If the screen is blank
HINT: See the documentation that came with your monitor for fault indications and troubleshooting procedures specific to your monitor.
Check the video cable connection—
video cable is connected as shown on the Start Here sheet for your computer.
Press the monitor power button—
Check the power light— When the power light is lit or blinking, the monitor has power. If the power light is blinking, press a key on the
keyboard or move the mouse.
Test the electrical outlet— Ensure that the electrical outlet is working by testing it with another device, such as a lamp.
Swap the computer and monitor power cables—
Test the video extension cable (if used)—
defective.
Test the monitor— If another monitor is available, connect it to the computer.
Check the back panel lights— If all four lights below the serial connector are not green, contact Dell for technical assistance. See
"Contacting Dell" in the Dell Solutions Guide for contact information.
Check the Power Properties— See the Tell Me How help file or search for the keyword standby in Windows Help.
If the screen is difficult to read
Adjust the contrast and brightness—
brightness.
Move the subwoofer away from the monitor—
(60 cm) away from the monitor.
Move the monitor away from external power sources—
screen image to appear "shaky." Turn off nearby devices to check for interference.
Rotate the monitor to face a different direction—
Degauss (demagnetize) the monitor—
Run the monitor self-test— See the documentation that came with your monitor.
Restore the recommended settings—
Check for additional adjustments—
may require.
Adjust the Windows display settings—
then click the Settings tab. Try different settings for Colors and Screen area.
Check for interrupt request conflicts—

Sound and Speaker Problems

HINT: The volume control in some MP3 players overrides the Windows volume setting. If you have been listening to MP3 songs, make sure that you did
not turn the player volume down or off.
Ensure that the subwoofer and the speakers are turned on—
Adjust the speaker controls— Adjust the volume, bass, or treble controls to eliminate distortion.
Verify the speaker cable connections—
the setup diagram supplied with the speakers.
Be sure that headphones are not connected to the front-panel headphone jack—
headphones are connected to the computer's front-panel headphone jack.
Adjust the Windows volume control—
is turned up and that the sound is not muted.
Move the subwoofer away from the monitor—
cm) away from the monitor.
Test the speakers— If you are using Windows 2000, plug the speaker audio cable into the headphone jack of the CD or DVD drive. Ensure
that the headphone volume control is turned up. Play a music CD.
Run the speaker diagnostics— Some speaker systems have self-contained diagnostics. See the speaker documentation for diagnostics
instructions.
Eliminate possible interference—
Test the electrical outlet— Ensure that the electrical outlet is working by testing it with another device, such as a lamp.
Reinstall the Sound (audio) driver—
Check for interrupt request conflicts—
Check for bent pins (most video cable connectors have missing pins, but not bent pins). Ensure that the
Be sure that you firmly pressed the monitor power button.
Swap the computer and monitor power cables to determine if the power cable is defective.
If you are using a video extension cable and removing the cable solves the problem, the cable is
See the documentation that came with your monitor for instructions on adjusting the contrast and
If your speaker system includes a subwoofer, ensure that the subwoofer is at least 2 ft
Fans, fluorescent lights, halogen lamps, and other electrical devices can cause the
Eliminate sunlight glare, which can cause poor picture quality.
See the documentation that came with your monitor.
Restore the original resolution and refresh rate settings. See the Tell Me How help file for instructions.
See the documentation that came with your monitor for any additional adjustments that your monitor
Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel. Double-click the Display icon and
See "Resolving Software and Hardware
See the setup diagram supplied with the speakers.
Ensure that the speakers are connected as shown on the Start Here sheet for your computer and
Double-click the yellow speaker icon in the lower-right corner of your screen. Be sure that the volume
If your speaker system includes a subwoofer, ensure that the subwoofer is at least 2 ft (60
Turn off nearby fans, fluorescent lights, or halogen lamps to check for interference.
See "Reinstalling Drivers."
See "Resolving Software and Hardware
Incompatibilities."
Sound from the speakers is automatically disabled when
Incompatibilities."