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Dell Inspiron 9100 Owner's Manual - Page 89

Resolving Other Technical Problems, Drivers, What Is a Driver? - troubleshooting

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Resolving Other Technical Problems G O T O T H E D E L L S U P P O R T W E B S I T E - Go to support.dell.com for help with general usage, installation, and troubleshooting questions. See "Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)" on page 132 for a description of the hardware and software support provided by Dell. E - M A I L D E L L - Go to support.dell.com and then click E-Mail Dell in the Communicate list. Send an e-mail message to Dell about your problem; you can expect to receive an e-mail message from Dell within hours. See "Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)" on page 132 for a description of the hardware and software support provided by Dell. C O N T A C T D E L L - If you cannot solve your problem using the Dell™ support website or e-mail service, call Dell for technical assistance (see page 132). See "Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)" on page 132 for a description of the hardware and software support provided by Dell. Drivers What Is a Driver? A driver is a program that controls a device such as a printer, mouse, or keyboard. All devices require a driver program. A driver acts like a translator between the device and any other programs that use the device. Each device has its own set of specialized commands that only its driver recognizes. Dell ships your computer to you with required drivers already installed-no further installation or configuration is needed. NOTICE: The Drivers and Utilities CD may contain drivers for operating systems that are not on your computer. Ensure that you are installing software appropriate for your operating system. Many drivers, such as the keyboard driver, come with your Microsoft® Windows® operating system. You may need to install drivers if you: • Upgrade your operating system. • Reinstall your operating system. • Connect or install a new device. Solving Problems 89

Section	Page
Owner’s Manual	1
Contents	3
CAUTION: Safety Instructions	9
SAFETY: General	9
SAFETY: Power	10
SAFETY: Battery	10
SAFETY: Air Travel	11
SAFETY: EMC Instructions	11
When Using Your Computer	11
SAFETY: Ergonomic Computing Habits	12
SAFETY: When Working Inside Your Computer	12
SAFETY: Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge	13
SAFETY: Battery Disposal	13
Finding Information	15
A Tour of Your Computer	19
Front View	19
Left Side View	23
Right Side View	25
Back View	25
Bottom View	29
Setting Up Your Computer	31
Connecting to the Internet	31
Setting Up Your Internet Connection	31
Transferring Information to a New Computer	32
Setting Up a Printer	33
Printer Cable	34
Connecting a USB Printer	34
Power Protection Devices	34
Surge Protectors	35
Line Conditioners	35
Uninterruptible Power Supplies	35
Turning Off Your Computer	35
Optimizing Performance	37
DDR Memory and Processor Front-Side Bus	37
Hyper-Threading	37
Using a Battery	39
Battery Performance	39
Checking the Battery Charge	40
Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter	40
Microsoft® Windows® Power Meter	40
Charge Gauge	41
Low-Battery Warning	41
Charging the Battery	41
Removing a Battery	42
Installing a Battery	43
Storing a Battery	43
Using the Module Bay	45
About the Module Bay	45
Removing and Installing Devices While the Computer Is Turned Off	45
Removing and Installing Devices While the Computer Is Running	47
Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad	49
Numeric Keypad	49
Key Combinations	49
System Functions	49
Battery	49
CD or DVD Tray	49
Display Functions	50
Radios (Including Wireless Networking and the Card With Bluetooth® Wireless Technology)	50
Power Management	50
Speaker Functions	50
Microsoft® Windows® Logo Key Functions	51
Touch Pad	51
Customizing the Touch Pad and Track Stick	52
Changing the Track Stick Cap	53
Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia	55
Using CDs and DVDs	55
Copying CDs and DVDs	55
How to Copy a CD or DVD	55
Using Blank CD-Rs and CD-RWs	56
Helpful Tips	56
Connecting Your Computer to a TV or Audio Device	57
S-Video and Standard Audio	58
S-Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio	59
Composite Video and Standard Audio	61
Composite Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio	62
Enabling S/PDIF Digital Audio	64
Setting Up the Dolby Headphone	65
Enabling the Display Settings for a TV	65
Setting Up a Home and Office Network	67
Connecting to a Network Adapter	67
Network Setup Wizard	67
Connecting to a Wireless Local Area Network	68
Determining Your Network Type	68
Connecting to a Wireless Network in Microsoft® Windows® XP	69
Configuring Security Settings (Optional)	71
Solving Problems	75
Error Messages	75
Video and Display Problems	76
If the display is blank	76
If the display is difficult to read	77
If only part of the display is readable	78
Scanner Problems	78
Hard Drive Problems	78
If you have problems with a hard drive	78
PC Card Problems	79
External Keyboard Problems	79
Power Problems	80
Unexpected Characters	81
Touch Pad or Mouse Problems	82
Printer Problems	82
Network Problems	83
General Program Problems	83
A program crashes	83
A program stops responding	84
A solid blue screen appears	84
Error messages appear	84
CD or DVD Problems	84
If you cannot play a CD, CD-RW, or DVD	84
If you cannot eject the CD, CD-RW, or DVD drive tray	85
If you hear an unfamiliar scraping or grinding sound	85
Sound and Speaker Problems	86
If you have a problem with integrated speakers	86
If you have a problem with external speakers	86
E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems	87
Resolving Other Technical Problems	89
Drivers	89
What Is a Driver?	89
Identifying Drivers	90
Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities	90
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities	92
Using Microsoft® Windows® XP System Restore	93
Creating a Restore Point	93
Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State	93
Undoing the Last System Restore	94
Using the Dell Diagnostics	94
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics	94
Reinstalling Microsoft® Windows® XP	96
Before You Begin	96
Reinstalling Windows XP	97
Adding and Replacing Parts	99
Before You Begin	99
Recommended Tools	99
Shutting Down Your Computer	99
Hard Drive	101
Returning a Hard Drive to Dell	102
Memory	103
Mini PCI Card	106
Subwoofer	109
Fans	111
Hinge Covers	113
Display	115
Keyboard	118
Reserve Battery	120
Card with Bluetooth® Wireless Technology	121
Appendix	123
Specifications	123
Using the System Setup Program	129
Overview	129
Viewing the System Setup Screens	129
System Setup Screens	130
Commonly Used Options	130
Enabling the Infrared Sensor	131
Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)	132
Definition of \	132
Definition of \	132
Contacting Dell	132
Limited Warranties	149
Limited Warranty for Dell-Branded Hardware Products (U.S. Only)	149
Limited Warranty Terms for Dell-Branded Hardware Products (Canada Only)	152
Dell Software and Peripherals (Canada Only)	155
1-Year End-User Manufacturer Guarantee (Latin America and the Caribbean Only)	155
Intel® Warranty Statement for Pentium® and Celeron® Processors Only (U.S. and Canada Only)	157