Dell™ Vostro™ 1500 Owner's Manual
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Dell™ Vostro™ 1500 Owner’s Manual Model PP22L www.dell.com | support.dell.com Notes, Notices, and Cautions NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer. NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem. CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death. ____________________ Information in this document is subject to change without notice. © 2007 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Vostro, Wi-Fi Catcher, and Dell MediaDirect are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel is a registered trademark and Core is a trademark of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, Windows, Outlook, Windows XP and Windows Vista are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license; ENERGY STAR is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As an ENERGY STAR partner, Dell Inc. has determined that this product meets the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficiency. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own. Model PP22L November 2007 P/N TT979 Rev. A02 Contents 1 Finding Information . 15 2 About Your Computer . 21 Determining Your Computer’s Configuration . 21 Front View . 22 Left Side View . 27 Right Side View . 30 Back View . 31 Bottom View . 34 3 Setting Up Your Computer . 37 Connecting to the Internet . 37 Setting Up Your Internet Connection . 38 Transferring Information to a New Computer . 39 Microsoft Windows XP . 39 Microsoft Windows Vista™ . 43 Setting Up a Printer . 43 Printer Cable . 43 Connecting a USB Printer . 44 Power Protection Devices . 45 Contents 3 Surge Protectors . 45 Line Conditioners . 46 Uninterruptible Power Supplies . 46 4 Using the Display . 47 Adjusting Brightness . 47 Using a Projector . 47 Making Images and Text Look Bigger or Sharper . 47 ® ® Microsoft Windows XP . 48 Windows Vista™ . 48 Using Both a Monitor and Your Computer Display . 49 Microsoft Windows XP . 49 Windows Vista . 50 Setting Display Resolution and Refresh Rate . 50 Microsoft Windows XP . 51 Windows Vista . 51 5 Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad . 53 Numeric Keypad . 53 Key Combinations . 54 System Functions . 54 Display Functions . 54 Battery . 54 Power Management . 54 ® ® Microsoft Windows Logo Key Functions . 55 Dell™ QuickSet Key Combinations . 55 Adjusting Keyboard Settings . 55 4 Contents Touch Pad . 55 Customizing the Touch Pad . 56 6 Using a Battery . 59 Battery Performance . 59 Checking the Battery Charge . 60 Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter . 60 ® ® Microsoft Windows Battery Meter . 61 Charge Gauge . 61 Low-Battery Warning . 62 Conserving Battery Power . 62 Power Management Modes . 63 Standby and Sleep Mode . 63 Hibernate Mode . 63 Configuring Power Management Settings . 64 Accessing Power Options Properties . 64 Charging the Battery . 65 Replacing the Battery . 65 Storing a Battery . 66 7 Using Multimedia . 67 Playing Media . 67 Playing Media Using Dell Travel Remote . 69 Contents 5 Copying CD, DVD, and Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) Media . 70 How to Copy a CD, DVD, or BD . 70 Using Blank CD, DVD, and BD Media . 71 Helpful Tips . 72 Adjusting the Volume . 73 Adjusting the Picture . 74 Using Dell MediaDirect™ . 74 Connecting Your Computer to a TV or Audio Device . 75 S-Video and Standard Audio . 77 S-Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio . 78 Composite Video and Standard Audio . 80 Composite Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio . 82 Component Video and Standard Audio . 84 Component Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio . 87 Enabling the Display Settings for a TV . 90 8 Using ExpressCards . 91 ExpressCard Blanks . 91 Installing an ExpressCard . 92 Removing an ExpressCard or Blank . 93 9 Using the Memory Card Reader . 95 Memory Card Blanks . 95 Installing a Memory Card . 95 Removing a Memory Card or Blank . 96 6 Contents 10 Setting Up and Using Networks . 97 Connecting a Network or Broadband Modem Cable . 97 Setting Up a Network . 98 Windows XP . 98 Windows Vista . 98 Wireless Local Area Network . 99 What You Need to Establish a WLAN Connection . 99 Checking Your Wireless Network Card . 99 Setting Up a New WLAN Using a Wireless Router and a Broadband Modem . 100 Connecting to a WLAN . 101 Mobile Broadband (or Wireless Wide Area Network) . 104 What You Need to Establish a Mobile Broadband Network Connection . 104 Checking Your Dell Mobile Broadband Card . 105 Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network . 105 Enabling/Disabling the Dell Mobile Broadband Card . 106 Dell Wi-Fi Catcher™ Network Locator . 107 11 Securing Your Computer . 109 Security Cable Lock . 109 Passwords . 109 If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen . 110 Contents 7 12 Troubleshooting . 113 Dell Technical Update Service . 113 Dell Diagnostics . 113 Dell Support Center . 118 Dell Support . 118 Dell PC TuneUp . 119 Dell PC Checkup . 120 Dell Network Assistant . 120 DellConnect . 120 Drive Problems . 121 Optical drive problems . 121 Hard drive problems . 122 E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . 123 Error Messages . 125 ExpressCard Problems . 130 IEEE 1394 Device Problems . 131 Keyboard Problems . 131 External Keyboard problems . 131 Unexpected characters . 132 Lockups and Software Problems . 133 The computer does not start . 133 The computer stops responding . 133 A program stops responding or crashes repeatedly . 133 A program is designed for an earlier ® ® Microsoft Windows operating system . 134 A solid blue screen appears . 134 8 Contents Dell MediaDirect problems . 134 Other software problems . 135 Memory Problems . 136 Network Problems . 136 Mobile Broadband (Wireless Wide Area Network [WWAN]) . 137 Power Problems . 137 Printer Problems . 139 Scanner Problems . 140 Sound and Speaker Problems . 141 No sound from integrated speakers . 141 No sound from external speakers . 141 No sound from headphones . 142 Remote Control Problems . 142 Touch Pad or Mouse Problems . 142 Video and Display Problems . 143 If the display is blank . 143 If the display is difficult to read . 144 If only part of the display is readable . 145 Drivers . 145 What Is a Driver? . 145 Identifying Drivers . 145 Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities . 146 Troubleshooting Software and Hardware Problems . 149 Contents 9 Restoring your Microsoft Windows Operating System . 150 ® Restoring Windows Vista . 150 Restoring Windows XP . 155 13 Adding and Replacing Parts . 161 Before You Begin . 161 Recommended Tools . 161 Turning Off Your Computer . 161 Before Working Inside Your Computer . 162 Hard Drive . 164 Removing the Hard Drive . 164 Replacing the Hard Drive . 166 Returning a Hard Drive to Dell . 167 Optical Drive . 167 Removing the Optical Drive . 167 Hinge Cover . ..