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Using the Software Support Utilities, Software Support Utilities on Diskette

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Chapter 2 Using the Software Support Utilities Your Dell system comes with software support utilities on diskette or on your computer's hard-disk drive. These software support utilities include system utilities, system services, and bus-mastering enhanced integrated drive electronics (EIDE) drivers, all of which are documented in this chapter. For information on the additional software support utilities you received with your system, refer to the following: • Video drivers - See the documentation from the video card manufacturer. (Video drivers support the video graphics requirements of a variety of monitors and application programs running under the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 or Microsoft Windows 95 operating system.) NOTE: Some video cards provide video drivers only for the Windows NT operating system. • Audio drivers - See Chapter 6, "Using the Inte- grated Audio Controller," of this guide. • Network interface drivers - See Chapter 5, "Using the Network Interface Controller," of this guide. System utilities and services can be used to safeguard your system and to explicitly control certain hardware features. Refer to "System Utilities and Services" found later in this chapter for information about these utilities. Bus-mastering EIDE drivers are provided for the Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 operating systems. These drivers can off-load certain functions from the system microprocessor, providing a performance improvement during multithreaded operations (instances where several application programs are running simultaneously). Refer to "Bus-Mastering EIDE Drivers" found later in this chapter for information about these utilities. Dell-Installed Software Support Utilities If no software support diskettes were shipped to you, the system utilities, services, and bus-mastering EIDE drivers are already installed on your hard-disk drive in two different forms: as working utilities, operative immediately, and as diskette images. In case you later need to reinstall the files for any reason, you need to copy the diskette images to a backup diskette (see the next section, "Backing Up the Software Support Utilities"). From the backup diskette, you can install the desired file(s) to a directory on your hard-disk drive. Further instructions for installing the utilities, services, and drivers are provided later in this chapter. Backing Up the Software Support Utilities Dell recommends that you create original diskette copies, or program diskette sets, of your Dell-installed software. You will need these diskettes if you ever want to reconfigure or reinstall your Dell-installed software. To create program diskettes, use the Dell DiskMaker program to create program diskette sets (available through the Dell Accessories program folder). Software Support Utilities on Diskette If you received Dell software support diskettes, the Dell system utilities, services, and bus-mastering EIDE drivers are provided on these diskettes. To use a utility, Using the Software Support Utilities 2-1

Section	Page
Title Page	3
Safety Instructions	5
When Using Your Computer System	5
Ergonomic Computing Habits	5
When Working Inside Your Computer	7
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge	7
Preface	9
About This Guide	9
Warranty and Return Policy Information	10
Other Documents You May Need	10
Notational Conventions	10
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes	10
Typographical Conventions	10
Contents	13
Introduction	23
System Features	23
Important Note to Windows 95 Users	25
Using the Optional Floor Stand	26
Front Panel	27
Back Panel	27
Connecting External Devices	27
Security Cable Slot and Padlock Ring	28
Getting Help	28
Using the Software Support Utilities	29
Dell-Installed Software Support Utilities	29
Backing Up the Software Support Utilities	29
Software Support Utilities on Diskette	29
System Utilities and Services	30
Installing the Dell System Utilities and Services ...	30
Installing the Dell System Utilities and Services ...	30
Removing a Service	31
Asset Tag Utility	31
Assigning and Deleting an Asset Tag Number	31
Dell AutoShutdown Service	31
How AutoShutdown Works	31
If Your Operating System Locks Up	31
Dell ThermalShutdown Service	32
Bus-Mastering EIDE Drivers	32
Windows NT 4.0	32
Removing the Windows NT 4.0 Bus- Mastering EIDE Dr...	33
Enabling the Windows 95 Bus- Mastering EIDE Driver...	34
Using the System Setup Program	35
Entering the System Setup Program	35
System Setup Screens	36
Using the System Setup Program	36
System Setup Categories	38
Time	38
Date	38
Diskette Drive A and Diskette Drive B	38
Drives: Primary and Secondary	38
EIDE Devices Other Than Hard-Disk Drives	39
EIDE Hard-Disk Drives	39
If You Have a Problem	39
Reserved Memory	40
CPU Speed	40
Num Lock	40
Keyboard Errors	40
System Password	40
Password Status	40
Boot Sequence	41
Setup Password	41
Auto Power On	41
Power Management	41
Saving Monitor Power	41
Saving EIDE Hard-Disk Drive Power	42
Sound	42
NIC	42
Mouse	42
Serial Port 1 and Serial Port 2	42
Parallel Port	43
Parallel Mode	43
IDE Hard Disk	43
Diskette	43
USB	43
Speaker	43
System Data Categories	44
Using the System Password Feature	44
Assigning a System Password	44
Using Your System Password to Secure Your System	45
Deleting or Changing an Existing System Password	46
Using the Setup Password Feature	46
Assigning a Setup Password	46
Operating With a Setup Password Enabled	47
Deleting or Changing an Existing Setup Password	47
Disabling a Forgotten Password	47
Responding to Error Messages	48
Using the ISA Configuration Utility	49
Quick Start	49
About the ICU	50
ICU Database	50
When to Run the ICU	50
Preparing to Use the ICU	51
Backing Up the ICU Diskette	51
Starting the ICU	51
Accessing Help	51
Making Selections in the ICU	51
Adding a Listed Card	52
Adding an Unlisted Card	54
Modifying a Card	55
Removing a Card	56
Viewing Resources	57
Saving the System Configuration	57
Exiting From the ICU	57
Locking and Unlocking Cards	57
Locking and Unlocking All Resources	58
Locking and Unlocking Configuration Resources	58
Using the Network Interface Controller	59
Connecting to a Network	60
Network Cable Requirements	60
Configuring the NIC	60
Windows NT 4.0 NIC Driver	60
Windows 95 NIC Driver	61
Dell-Installed Windows 95 Service Release 2	61
Windows 95 Operating Systems Not Installed by Dell...	62
Using the NDIS 2.01 Driver With Windows 95	63
Using the Integrated Audio Controller	65
Connecting Audio Devices	65
Speakers	65
Microphones	65
Record/Playback Devices	65
CD-ROM Drives	66
Adjusting Volume	66
Adjusting Volume in Windows 95	66
Adjusting Volume in Windows NT 4.0	66
Using Audio Utilities	66
Installing Audio Drivers	67
Audio Drivers for Windows 95	67
Audio Drivers for Windows NT 4.0	67
Working Inside Your Computer	69
Before You Begin	69
Safety First—For You and Your Computer	69
Removing the Computer Cover	70
Replacing the Computer Cover	70
Unpacking Your Hardware Option	71
Inside Your Computer	71
Removing and Replacing the Expansion-Card Cage	72
Removing the Expansion-Card Cage	72
Replacing the Expansion-Card Cage	73
Rotating the Power Supply Away From the System Boa...	73
Installing System Board Options	75
Expansion Cards	76
Expansion Slots	76
Installing an Expansion Card	77
Removing an Expansion Card	78
Adding Memory	78
DIMM Installation Guidelines	78
Performing a Memory Upgrade	79
Installing a DIMM	79
Removing a DIMM	80
Microprocessor Upgrades	80
Adding or Replacing a Microprocessor	80
Replacing the System Battery	82
Installing Drives	85
Configuring Your Drive	85
Removing and Replacing Front-Panel Inserts	86
Connecting Drives	86
EIDE Drive Addressing	87
Installing Drives in the Drive Cage	87
Installing a Drive That Uses a Built-In Drive Inte...	87
Installing a Diskette Drive on the 3.5-Inch Bracke...	90
Installing an Internal Tape Drive or CD-ROM Drive ...	91
Installing an External Tape Drive	92
Installing an EIDE Hard-Disk Drive	93
Installing an EIDE Hard-Disk Drive in the Hard-Dis...	93
Partitioning and Logically Formatting Your EIDE Ha...	95
Installing SCSI Devices	95
SCSI Configuration Guidelines	95
SCSI ID Numbers	95
SCSI Cable and SCSI Termination	96
General Procedure for Installing SCSI Devices	96
Partitioning and Formatting SCSI Hard-Disk Drives	98
Technical Specifications	99
Hardware Configuration Features	105
Jumpers and Switches— A General Explanation	105
Jumpers	105
Switches	105
System Board Labels	107
I/O Ports and Connectors	109
Serial and Parallel Ports	109
Adding an Expansion Card Containing Serial or Para...	109
Serial Port Connectors	110
Parallel Port Connector	110
Keyboard and Mouse Connectors	111
Keyboard Connector	111
Mouse Connector	112
Video Connector	112
NIC Connector	112
USB Connectors	112
Microphone Jack	113
Line-Out Jack	113
Line-In Jack	113
Interrupt Assignments	114
Memory Allocations	114
ISA Configuration Utility Messages	117
ICU Error Messages	117
Configuration Manager Messages	122
Maintaining the System	127
Data Preservation	127
Scheduling Backups	127
Backup Devices	127
Recovering Data	127
Cleaning System Components	128
Recommended Tools and Accessories	128
Cleaning the Computer, Monitor, and Keyboard Exter...	128
Cleaning Drives	129
Environmental Factors	129
Temperature	129
Humidity	129
Altitude	130
Dust and Particles	130
Corrosion	130
ESD	130
Electromagnetic and Radio Frequency Interference	130
Magnetism	131
Shock and Vibration	131
Power Source Interruptions	131
Power Protection Devices	132
Surge Protectors	132
Line Conditioners	132
Uninterruptible Power Supply	132
Regulatory Notices	133
FCC Notices (U.S. Only)	133
Class A	133
Class B	134
IC Notice (Canada Only)	134
EN 55022 Compliance (Czech Republic Only)	135
CE Notice	135
VCCI Notices (Japan Only)	135
Class A ITE	136
Class B ITE	136
Korean Regulatory Notice	136
Class A Device	136
Class B Device	136
Polish Center for Testing and Certification Notice...	136
Wymagania Polskiego Centrum BadaÒ i Certyfikacji	136
Pozosta³e instrukcje bezpieczeÒstwa	137
NOM 024 Information (Mexico Only)	137
Información para NOM 024 (únicamente para México)...	138
Warranties and Return Policy	139
Limited Three-Year Warranty (U.S. and Canada Only)...	139
Coverage During Year One	139
Coverage During Years Two and Three	140
General	140
“Total Satisfaction” Return Policy (U.S. and Canad...	140
Glossary	143

Match case Limit results 1 per page

Using the Software Support Utilities

2-1

Chapter 2

Using the Software Support Utilities

our Dell system comes with software support utilities

on diskette or on your computer’s hard-disk drive. These

software support utilities include system utilities, system

services, and bus-mastering enhanced integrated drive

electronics (EIDE) drivers, all of which are documented

in this chapter.

For information on the additional software support

utilities you received with your system, refer to the

following:

•

Video drivers — See the documentation from the

video card manufacturer. (Video drivers support the

video graphics requirements of a variety of monitors

and application programs running under the

Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 or Microsoft Win-

dows 95 operating system.)

NOTE: Some video cards provide video drivers only

for the Windows NT operating system.

•

Audio drivers — See Chapter 6, “Using the Inte-

grated Audio Controller,” of this guide.

•

Network interface drivers — See Chapter 5, “Using

the Network Interface Controller,” of this guide.

System utilities and services

can be used to safeguard

your system and to explicitly control certain hardware

features. Refer to “System Utilities and Services” found

later in this chapter for information about these utilities.

Bus-mastering EIDE drivers

are provided for the Win-

dows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 operating systems. These

drivers can off-load certain functions from the system

microprocessor, providing a performance improvement

during

multithreaded operations

(instances where several

application programs are running simultaneously). Refer

to “Bus-Mastering EIDE Drivers” found later in this

chapter for information about these utilities.

ell-Installed Software Support

Utilities

If no software support diskettes were shipped to you, the

system utilities, services, and bus-mastering EIDE driv-

ers are already installed on your hard-disk drive in two

different forms: as working utilities, operative immedi-

ately, and as diskette images.

In case you later need to reinstall the files for any reason,

you need to copy the diskette images to a backup diskette

(see the next section, “Backing Up the Software Support

Utilities”). From the backup diskette, you can install the

desired file(s) to a directory on your hard-disk drive. Fur-

ther instructions for installing the utilities, services, and

drivers are provided later in this chapter.

acking Up the Software Support

Utilities

Dell recommends that you create original diskette copies,

program diskette sets

, of your Dell-installed software.

You will need these diskettes if you ever want to recon-

figure or reinstall your Dell-installed software. To create

program diskettes, use the Dell DiskMaker program to

create program diskette sets (available through the Dell

Accessories program folder).

oftware Support Utilities on

Diskette

If you received Dell software support diskettes, the Dell

system utilities, services, and bus-mastering EIDE driv-

ers are provided on these diskettes. To use a utility,