Dell Dimension 4100 Manuals

• 4

  Safety Instructions
• 9

  Typographical Conventions
• 12

  Table of Contents

22

Chapter 1

• 22

  Introduction
• 22

  System Features
  • 24

    Supported Operating Systems
• 24

  Front Panel
• 25

  Connecting External Devices
• 25

  Preventing Unauthorized Access Inside the Computer
• 25

  Figure 1-1. Front Panel
• 25

  Figure 1-2. Keylock
• 26

  Physically Securing the Computer
• 26

  Getting Help

28

Chapter 2

• 28

  Using the Dell Server Assistant CD
• 28

  Booting the CD
• 28

  CD Main Menu
  • 29

    Choose Language
  • 29

    Configure the System
    • 29

      Run EISA Configuration Utility
    • 29

      Configure RAID Subsystem
  • 29

    Run System Utilities
    • 29

      Run System Diagnostics
    • 30

      Create Blank Formatted Diskette
    • 30

      Create Utility Diskettes
  • 30

    Create Operating System Support Diskettes
    • 30

      Create Windows NT Server 3.51 Diskettes
    • 30

      Create NetWare 4.X Diskettes
    • 31

      Create NetWare 3.12 Diskettes
• 31

  Video Drivers
  • 31

    Installing Video Drivers for Windows NT 3.51
• 32

  Asset Tag Utility
  • 32

    Using the Asset Tag Utility
    • 32

      Assigning and Deleting an Asset Tag Number
    • 32

      Table 2-1. Asset Tag Command-Line Options

34

Chapter 3

• 34

  Installing and Configuring SCSI Drivers
• 34

  The Readme.txt File
• 34

  The SCSISelect Utility
  • 34

    SCSISelect Default Settings
    • 35

      Table 3-1. Default SCSI Controller Settings
    • 36

      Basic Host Adapter Settings
  • 36

    Boot Device Settings
  • 36

    SCSI Device Settings
    • 37

      Advanced Host Adapter Settings
  • 38

    Starting the SCSISelect Utility
  • 38

    Using SCSISelect Menus
  • 38

    Using the SCSI Disk Utilities
  • 39

    Exiting SCSISelect
• 39

  Installation for Microsoft Windows NT
  • 39

    Installation Overview
  • 39

    Installing Windows NT 3.51 and the Driver
    • 39

      Performing a Windows NT 3.51 Installation
    • 40

      Performing a Windows NT 4.0 Installation
  • 40

    Using Windows NT to Install or Update the Driver
    • 40

      Installing or Updating the Driver With Windows NT 3.51
    • 41

      Removing a Host Adapter
    • 42

      Swapping a Host Adapter
    • 42

      Troubleshooting for Windows NT
• 43

  Installation for Novell NetWare
  • 43

    Installation Overview
  • 44

    Installing EZ-SCSI
  • 44

    Calculating the Slot Number
  • 45

    Installing NetWare and the Driver
    • 45

      Performing a NetWare 4.X Installation
    • 45

      Table 3-2. Expansion Slot Bus Numbers and Device Numbers
    • 46

      Performing a NetWare 3.12 Installation
  • 47

    Using NetWare to Install or Update the Driver
  • 47

    Using the Load Command Line Options
    • 47

      Table 3-3. Load Command Line Options
    • 49

      Bit Mask Options
    • 49

      Sample Load Command
  • 49

    Using Startup.ncf and Autoexec.ncf
  • 49

    Using SCSI Devices
    • 49

      Figure 3-1. Bit Position
    • 50

      Booting From a SCSI Device
    • 50

      Formatting Media
    • 50

      Table 3-4. Files Necessary to Set Up Booting From a SCSI Device
    • 50

      Using Removable Media
    • 51

      Table 3-5. Drive Status Items
    • 51

      Table 3-6. Read After Write Verify Options
    • 51

      Using NetWare-Tested and -Approved Drives
    • 52

      Setting Up a CD-ROM Drive With Net-Ware 3.12 or 4.X
    • 52

      Using the NetWare Tape Backup Utility
  • 52

    Optimizing Performance
  • 52

    Troubleshooting for NetWare
    • 53

      Non-Host-Adapter Specific
    • 53

      Host-Adapter Specific

54

Chapter 4

• 54

  Using the System Setup Program
• 54

  System Setup Screens
• 55

  Table 4-1. System Setup Keys
• 56

  Entering the System Setup Program
• 56

  Figure 4-1. Main Menu of the System Setup Program
• 57

  Main Menu Categories
  • 57

    Time
  • 57

    Date
  • 57

    Diskette Drive a and Diskette Drive B
  • 57

    Fast Video BIOS
  • 57

    Memory Cache
    • 58

      Boot Options Submenu Categories
    • 58

      Figure 4-2. Boot Options Submenu
  • 59

    Num Lock
  • 59

    Speaker
  • 59

    Processor 1
  • 59

    Processor 2
  • 59

    Base Memory
  • 59

    Extended Memory
  • 60

    Asset Tag
• 60

  Advanced Menu Categories
  • 60

    Figure 4-3. Advanced Menu of the System Setup Program
  • 61

    Diskette Controller
  • 61

    On-Board SCSI a
  • 61

    Parallel Mode
  • 61

    Parallel Port
  • 61

    Serial Port 1
  • 61

    Serial Port 2
  • 62

    PS/2 Mouse
• 62

  Security Menu Categories
  • 62

    Supervisor Password Is
  • 62

    User Password Is
  • 62

    Figure 4-4. Security Menu of the System Setup Program
  • 63

    Set Supervisor Password
  • 63

    Set User Password
  • 63

    Password On Boot
  • 63

    Diskette Access
  • 63

    System Backup Reminder
  • 63

    Virus Check Reminder
  • 64

    Save Changes & Exit
  • 64

    Exit Without Saving Changes
  • 64

    Get Default Values
  • 64

    Load Previous Values
  • 64

    Save Changes
  • 64

    Figure 4-5. Exit Menu of the System Setup Program
• 65

  Using the Password Features
  • 65

    Using the Supervisor Password Feature
  • 65

    Assigning a Supervisor Password
  • 65

    Using Your Supervisor Password to Secure Your System
  • 66

    Operating With a Supervisor Password Enabled
  • 66

    Deleting or Changing an Existing Supervisor Password
  • 66

    Using the User Password Feature
  • 67

    Assigning a User Password
  • 67

    Using Your User Password to Secure Your System
  • 67

    Deleting or Changing an Existing User Password
  • 68

    Disabling a Forgotten Password
  • 68

    Password Options
• 68

  Responding to Error Messages
• 68

  Table 4-2. Password Options

70

Chapter 5

• 70

  Using the EISA Configuration Utility
• 70

  Configuring EISA, ISA, and PCI Expansion Cards
• 70

  System Board Options
• 71

  How to Run the EISA Configuration Utility
• 71

  When to Run the EISA Configuration Utility
  • 72

    Making Selections in the EISA Configuration Utility
  • 72

    Using Online Instructions
• 72

  Starting the EISA Configuration Utility
• 73

  Main Menu
  • 73

    Learn about Configuring Your Computer
  • 73

    Configure Computer
    • 73

      Step 1: Important EISA Configuration Information
    • 74

      Step 2: Add or Remove Boards
    • 75

      Step 3: View or Edit Details
    • 78

      Figure 5-1. EISA System Board Options Screen (Example)
    • 79

      Step 4: Examine Switches or Print Report
    • 79

      Step 5: Save and Exit
  • 79

    Set Date and Set Time
  • 79

    Maintain System Configuration Diskette
  • 79

    Exit From This Utility
• 79

  Advanced Menu
  • 80

    View Additional System Information Menu
  • 80

    Set Verification Mode Menu
  • 80

    Maintain SCI Files Menu
• 80

  Resolving Resource Conflicts
  • 81

    Removing a Card That Conflicts With the Card You Just Installed
• 81

  System Board Options Screen
  • 81

    MP Table Processing
  • 81

    ISA Cycle Wait Control
  • 81

    Fail-Safe Timer NMI
  • 81

    Bus-Master Timeout NMI
• 82

  Using the Password Features
  • 82

    How Password Security Works
  • 83

    Assigning or Changing a Supervisor Password
  • 84

    Deleting an Existing Supervisor Password
  • 84

    Assigning or Changing a User Password
  • 85

    Deleting an Existing User Password
  • 85

    Disabling a Forgotten Password

• 3

  Table of Contents
• 9

  Safety and EMC Instructions: Portable Computers
  • 9

    Safety Instructions
  • 13

    EMC Instructions
  • 14

    When Using Your Computer
  • 15

    Ergonomic Computing Habits
  • 17

    When Removing or Replacing Parts
  • 17

    Protecting against Electrostatic Discharge

19

1 Setting Up

• 20

  Connecting a Printer
  • 20

    Parallel Printer
  • 21

    USB Printer
  • 22

    Installing the Printer Driver
• 23

  Transferring Information to a New Computer (Windows ® XP Only)
• 23

  Setting Up a Home and Office Network (Windows XP Only)
• 24

  Turning Off the Computer
  • 24

    Windows Me and Windows 2000
• 24

  About the Module Bay
  • 25

    Swapping Devices While the Computer Is Turned Off
  • 25

    Swapping Devices While Windows Is Running
• 26

  Enabling the Infrared Sensor
• 27

  Setting Up the Dolby Headphone
  • 28

    Setting Up the APR to Connect to a Network
  • 28

    Power Protection Devices
    • 28

      Surge Protectors
    • 29

      Line Conditioners
    • 29

      Uninterruptible Power Supply Devices

31

2 Solving Problems

• 32

  Finding Solutions
• 34

  Accessing Help
• 35

  Power Problems
• 36

  Error Messages
• 38

  Video and Display Problems
  • 38

    If the Display Is Blank
  • 39

    If the Display Is Difficult to Read
  • 40

    If Only Part of the Display Is Readable
  • 40

    Sound and Speaker Problems
    • 40

      If You Have a Problem With Integrated Speakers
    • 40

      If You Have a Problem With External Speakers
  • 41

    Printer Problems
    • 41

      If You Cannot Print to a Parallel Port Printer
    • 42

      If You Cannot Print to a USB Printer
  • 43

    Modem and Internet Connection Problems
  • 46

    Scanner Problems
  • 47

    Touch Pad or Mouse Problems
  • 48

    External Keyboard Problems
  • 49

    Unexpected Characters
• 49

  Drive Problems
  • 49

    If You Cannot Save a File to a Floppy Disk
  • 51

    If You Cannot Play a CD, CD-RW, or DVD
  • 52

    If You Cannot Play a DVD Movie
  • 52

    If You Cannot Eject the CD, CD-RW, or DVD Drive Tray
  • 52

    If You Hear an Unfamiliar Scraping or Grinding Sound
  • 52

    If the CD-RW Drive Stops Writing
  • 53

    If You Have Problems With a Hard Drive
• 53

  Network Problems
• 54

  General Program Problems
  • 54

    A Program Crashes
  • 54

    A Program Stops Responding
  • 55

    A Solid Blue Screen Appears
  • 55

    A Program Is Designed for an Earlier Version of the Windows Operating Systems
  • 55

    Error Messages Appear
• 56

  E-Mail Problems
• 56

  If Your Computer Gets Wet
• 57

  If You Drop or Damage Your Computer
• 58

  Resolving Other Technical Problems
• 58

  Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities
  • 59

    Reinstalling the Modem or Network Adapter Driver
  • 61

    Using the Windows XP Device Driver Rollback
• 62

  Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities
  • 62

    Windows XP
  • 63

    Windows Me
  • 64

    Windows 2000
• 65

  Using System Restore
  • 65

    Windows XP
  • 66

    Windows Me
  • 66

    Creating a Restore Point
    • 67

      Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State
    • 68

      Undoing the Last System Restore
  • 68

    Reinstalling Windows XP
  • 70

    Reinstalling Windows Me
  • 72

    Reinstalling Windows 2000
    • 73

      Enabling Hibernate Support