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Dell 900 Personal Computer User Manual

1. Table B 10 System Security Screen Menu Options Option Function Supervisor Sets changes or cancels a supervisor password Password User Password Sets changes or cancels a user password Floppy Drive Provides security for the diskette drive Selections are Normal default Write Protect All Sectors and Write Protect Boot Sector Hard Disk Drive Provides security for the hard disk drive Selections are Normal default Write Protect All Sectors and Write Protect Boot Sector NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms B 14 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide Advanced Options Screen Advanced Options e Memory Cache Options e PnP PCI Options Figure B 10 Advanced Options Screen Menu Table B 11 Advanced Options Screen Menu Options Option Function Memory Cache Displays the Memory Cache Options screen See Options Memory Cache Options Submenu found later in this appendix PnP PCI Options Displays the PnP PCI Options screen See PnP PCI Options Submenu found later in this appendix NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms support dell com System Setup Program B 15 Memory Cache Options Submenu Memory Cache Options Level 1 Cache Enabled Level 2 Cache Enabled Memory at 15MB 16MB Reserved for System CPU Frequency Multiplier 3K Figure B 11 Memory Cache O
2. No boot device available Example Type md c programs and press lt Enter gt e Variables are placeholders for which you substitute a value They are presented in italics Example DIMM_x where x represents the DIMM socket designation Xi xii Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Contents Introduction s aasawa waw a4 a nureen aasia Fed Hardware Features 5 Soke BANANA NG AKA GRAD LA Ah hahaa hhaha 1 1 Software Features 2 a BANG hae Gh iets PEE Bates A bot ee we Rane 1 2 Available Upgrades 2 1 3 Padlock RITO AA 1 3 Installing Upgrades on the System Board 2 1 Safety First For You and Your Computer 0000000 02 eee eee 2 1 Installation Guidelines 0 2 0 0 000 000 eee 2 2 Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover a anana 2 2 Inside Your Computer eee 2 4 Systemi BOA 22k bits whew ALALA KILLA ut ee hk aep koa Waa 2 6 JUMpers 2x3 uriner poru Bo Gee Lanu dio BEL tenes En BA BEAR 2 8 Password JUMPE a nadama aaa baa a haan pated a bake ad 2 8 Processor Mode Jumper 00000 cee eee eee ee 2 9 NVRAM Jumper 00 0 000 cc eee 2 9 Boot Block Select Jumper 000 c cee eee 2 10 Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket 00000005 2 10 PCI Expansion Card Upgrades 000000 e eee 2 12 Installing Expansion Cards 0 00 0000000 cece eee 2 13 Removing Expansion Cards 0 eee 2 16 Adding Memo keso maa aaa KK KN covey PRO dag
3. 10 11 12 13 14 15 Move the password jumper JP6 to the bypass setting described in Password Jumper in Chapter 2 Replace all expansions cards and the riser board bracket Replace the computer cover Attach the computer to the electrical outlet and turn it on Enter the system setup program and assign a new supervisor or user password in the System Security menu see Figure B 9 Exit and save the system setup program settings After the system boots turn it off and unplug it from the electrical outlet Remove the computer cover the riser board bracket and all expansions cards Move the password jumper JP6 to the enabled setting described in Password Jumper in Chapter 2 Replace all expansion cards the riser board bracket and the computer cover Attach the computer to the electrical outlet and turn it on Clearing NVRAM To clear NVRAM for all devices perform the following steps 1 2 Turn off the computer and unplug it from the electrical outlet Remove the computer cover according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover found in Chapter 2 Remove the riser board bracket according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket found in Chapter 2 Remove all expansion cards according to the instructions in Removing Expan sion Cards found in Chapter 2 Move the NVRAM jumper JPX2 to the clear set
4. 25 26 Click Finish Windows Setup installs necessary files and then restarts the system Select Boot From Hard Drive and then press lt Enter gt In the User Information window type your name and if applicable company name and then click Next The Name field must be completed the Company Name field is optional The License Agreement window appears Click accept the Agreement and then click Next Type the Windows product key in the fields provided and then click Next The product key is the bar code number found on the Microsoft Windows label which is located on the side of your system Click Finish Windows Setup installs additional files and then restarts the system Select Boot From Hard Drive and then press lt Enter gt Windows Setup installs additional files and then restarts the system Select Boot From Hard Drive and then press lt Enter gt Enter a password in the Enter Network Password window if desired and then click Next Remove the Dell Product Recovery CD from the CD ROM or DVD ROM drive Enter the system setup program as directed by a Dell technical support representative In the system setup program Boot menu change the boot sequence so that the diskette drive boots first as directed by a Dell technical support representative Then exit the system setup program Reinstalling Windows 2000 1 2 3 Insert the operating system CD into the CD ROM or DVD ROM drive Shut down th
5. For Windows 2000 perform the following steps 1 Double click the My Computer icon located on the Windows desktop 2 Click File and then click Properties 3 Click the Tools tab 4 Under Error checking click Check Now 5 Under Check disk options click Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors 6 Click Start Run the appropriate tests in the IDE Devices device group as described in Run ning the Dell Diagnostics found later in this chapter Check the settings for the Disk Drives option of the system setup program as described in Appendix B System Setup Program Running the Dell Diagnostics Whenever a major component or device in your computer system does not function properly run the Dell Diagnostics provided on the Dell Dimension ResourceCD to check your computer s hardware If you find a problem you cannot solve by yourself Basic Troubleshooting 3 9 the diagnostic tests can provide you with important information you will need when talking to Dell s service and support personnel NOTICE Use the Dell Diagnostics to test only your Dell computer system Using this program with other computers may cause incorrect computer responses or result in error messages The Dell Diagnostics provides a series of menus and options from which you choose particular test groups or subtests You can also control the sequence in which the tests are run The diagnostic test groups or subtests also have these helpful
6. Jumper Settings Description Enables processor normal mode default Change this setting only if instructed to by Dell Technical Support O O Enables processor safe mode NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms NVRAM Jumper Figure 2 4 shows the location of the nonvolatile random access memory NVRAM jumper JPX2 in your computer Table 2 4 describes the settings and functions of the NVRAM jumper settings Table 2 4 NVRAM Jumper Settings Jumper Settings Description Retains current NVRAM settings default Change this setting 00 only if instructed to by Dell Technical Support Loje Clears NVRAM NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms support dell com Installing Upgrades on the System Board 2 9 Boot Block Select Jumper Figure 2 4 shows the location of the boot block select jumper JP7 in your computer Table 2 5 describes the settings and functions of the boot block select jumper Table 2 5 Boot Block Jumper Settings Jumper Settings Description Normal boot setting default Change this setting only if 50 instructed to by Dell Technical Support Boot from top block setting NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket Certain system board upgrades require that you remove and replace the riser board bracket To
7. Boot Options Date and Time System Security Advanced Options Load Default Settings Abort Settings Change Figure B 1 Main Screen Menu Table B 2 Main Screen Menu Options Option Function System Displays the System Information screen See System Information Information Screen found later in this appendix Product Displays the Product Information screen See Product Information Information Screen found later in this appendix Disk Drives Displays the Disk Drives screen See Disk Drives Screen found later in this appendix Onboard Displays the Onboard Peripherals screen See Peripherals Onboard Peripherals Screen found later in this appendix Boot Options Displays the Boot Options screen See Boot Options Screen found later in this appendix Date and Time Displays the Date and Time screen See Date and Times Screen found later in this appendix System Security Displays the System Security screen See System Security Screen found later in this appendix Advanced Options Displays the Advanced Options screen See Advanced Options Screen found later in this appendix Load Default Settings Resets the system setup program to its default settings Abort Settings Change Cancels all changes to the system setup settings NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms B 4 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and
8. Make sure the monitor screen is at eye level or slightly lower when you are sitting in front of the monitor Adjust the tilt of the monitor its contrast and brightness settings and the lighting around you such as overhead lights desk lamps and the curtains or blinds on nearby windows to minimize reflections and glare on the monitor screen Use a chair that provides good lower back support Keep your forearms horizontal with your wrists in a neutral comfortable position while using the keyboard or mouse Always leave space to rest your hands while using the keyboard or mouse Let your upper arms hang naturally at your sides Sit erect with your feet resting on the floor and your thighs level e When sitting make sure the weight of your legs is on your feet and not on the front of your chair seat Adjust your chair s height or use a footrest if necessary to maintain proper posture e Vary your work activities Try to organize your work so that you do not have to type for extended periods of time When you stop typing try to do things that use both hands monitor screen at or below eye level wrists relaxed and flat monitor and keyboard positioned directly in front of user arms at desk level feet flat on the floor When Working Inside Your Computer Before you remove the computer cover perform the following steps in the sequence indicated NOTICE Do not attempt to service the computer system yourself
9. POST Beep Codes Beep Code Possible Cause Corrective Action 2 1 1 The Update BIOS with Enter the system setup Boot Block option is set to program set the Update BIOS Enabled in the system with Boot Block option to setup program Disabled and then restart the system See Appendix B Sys tem Setup Program 2 2 SDRAM DIMMs are not Install 100 MHz SDRAM DIMMs installed or EDO DIMMs from Dell See Adding Memory are installed in Chapter 2 2 2 1 1 1 Incompatible 100 MHz Replace with 100 MHz SDRAM SDRAM DIMM is installed DIMM from Dell See Adding Memory in Chapter 2 2 2 2 1 EDO DIMM is installed with Replace EDO DIMM with an SDRAM DIMM 100 MHz SDRAM DIMMs from Dell See Adding Memory in Chapter 2 NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms Beep Codes and System Messages C 1 Table C 1 POST Beep Codes continued Beep Code Possible Cause Corrective Action 2 2 2 1 1 66 MHz SDRAM DIMM is Replace with 100 MHz SDRAM installed DIMMs from Dell See Adding Memory in Chapter 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 Registered DIMM is Replace with 100 MHz SDRAM installed DIMM from Dell See Adding Memory in Chapter 2 NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms System Messages The first column in Table C 2 lists system messages that may appear on the screen during the start up routine or during normal system operation T
10. SAME RHROPFOCERHSOEF KABABA gt CE LUCY BOS LC FSU This is a Class B product based on the standard of the Voluntary Control Council for Interference VCCI for information technology equipment If this equipment is used near a radio or television receiver in a domestic environment it may cause radio inter ference Install and use the equipment according to the instruction manual Figure D 2 VCCI Class B ITE Regulatory Mark Battery Disposal Your computer system uses a lithium ion battery The lithium ion is a long life battery and it is very possible that you will never need to replace it However should you need to replace it see Replacing the System Battery in Chapter 2 for instructions Do not dispose of the battery along with household waste Contact your local waste disposal agency for the address of the nearest battery deposit site Regulatory Notices D 3 D 4 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com Index A Advanced Options screen system setup program B 15 assistance technical 6 1 telephone numbers 6 6 warranty repair or credit 6 4 audio driver 4 3 battery location 2 6 replacing 2 19 beep codes C 1 Boot Options screen system setup program B 11 Boot block jumper settings 2 10 c cache memory A 1 calling Dell 6 6 cautions x chassis See computer chip set update utility driver 4 3 clearing NVRAM B 19 computer
11. except as explained in this guide and elsewhere in Dell documentation Always follow installation and service instructions closely 1 Turn off your computer and all devices 2 Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface at the back of the com puter before touching anything inside your computer While you work periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the computer to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components vii viii 3 Disconnect any devices connected to the computer including the monitor from their electrical outlets to reduce the potential for personal injury or shock Also disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer 4 Disconnect the power cable to your computer and then press the power button to ground the system board In addition take note of these safety guidelines when appropriate e When you disconnect a cable pull on its connector or on its strain relief loop not on the cable itself Some cables have a connector with locking tabs if you are dis connecting this type of cable press in on the locking tabs before disconnecting the cable As you pull connectors apart keep them evenly aligned to avoid bend ing any connector pins Also before you connect a cable make sure both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned e Handle components and cards with care Don t touch the components or con tacts on a card Hold a card by its edges
12. list C 2 ESD viii expansion cards about 2 12 connectors 2 12 installing 2 13 removing 2 16 troubleshooting 5 1 F filler brackets 2 14 2 16 fixing problems 3 1 6 1 G getting help 6 1 grounding procedure 2 1 H hard disk drives EIDE support on system board 1 2 troubleshooting 3 9 hardware options See upgrade options help tools 6 2 I IDE support 1 2 installing expansion cards 2 13 memory 2 17 support dell com integrated drive electronics See IDE interface cables about 2 4 Internet help tools 6 2 J jumpers about 2 8 boot block jumper settings 2 10 NVRAM jumper settings 2 9 password jumper settings 2 8 processor mode jumper settings 2 9 system board locations 2 6 K keys and key combinations Dell Diagnostics 3 13 system setup program B 2 M Main screen system setup program B 4 memory See DIMMs Memory Cache Options submenu system setup program B 16 messages C 2 microprocessor type supported 1 1 A 1 modem troubleshooting 3 6 5 3 monitor troubleshooting 3 4 N nonvolatile random access memory See NVRAM notational conventions x Notes x Notices x NVRAM clearing B 19 NVRAM jumper settings 2 9 O Onboard Peripherals screen system setup program B 9 operating systems supported 1 2 optical drives troubleshooting 3 8 P padlock ring 1 3 password jumper settings 2 8 passwords disabling B 18 PC
13. technical specifications A 1 connections troubleshooting 3 2 connectors audio cable 2 6 DC main power input 2 6 DIMM socket 2 6 diskette drive interface 2 6 hard disk drive activity indicator 2 6 headphone 2 6 keyboard 2 6 line out 2 6 list of 2 7 microphone 2 6 microprocessor 2 6 mouse 2 6 parallel port 2 6 power button 2 6 power button indicator 2 6 primary IDE interface 2 6 processor fan 2 6 riser board 2 6 secondary IDE interface 2 6 serial port 2 6 USB 2 6 video 2 6 cover removing and replacing 2 2 Index 1 2 D Date and Time screen system setup program B 13 DC power cables 2 4 Dell Diagnostics 3 9 Dell Dimension ResourceCD 3 9 4 2 diagnosing problems 3 1 6 1 Diagnostics Checklist 6 5 diagnostics See Dell Diagnostics DIMMs capacities supported 1 1 installing 2 17 performance 2 17 removing 2 18 reseating 5 5 Disk Drives screen system setup program B 7 diskette drives troubleshooting 3 8 drivers audio 4 3 chip set update utility 4 3 installed on your system 4 3 other 4 3 reinstalling 4 2 reinstalling from Dell Dimension ResourceCD 4 3 security 4 3 Video 4 3 drives bays A 3 cables 2 4 troubleshooting 3 8 types supported 1 2 dual in line memory modules See DIMMs Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide E electrostatic discharge See ESD error messages invalid configuration information B 1
14. 2 0000005 2 11 Figure 2 6 PCI Expansion Card aanas anana naana aeaaea 2 12 Figure 2 7 Riser Board PCI Expansion Card Connectors 2 12 Figure 2 8 Removing the Filler Bracket Cap 0 00 2 14 Figure 2 9 Removing the Filler Bracket 00 0 0 00020 2 14 Figure 2 10 Installing an Expansion Card 0 0 0 cece eee eee 2 15 Figure 2 11 Installing a DIMM 000 000 020s 2 17 Figure 2 12 Removing a DIMM 0 00000 e eee eee 2 18 Figure 2 13 Drive Shelf o iets cad oo ace peek ieyt cae down BELAT Gad 2 20 Figure 2 14 System Battery and Battery Socket 0005 2 21 Figure 3 1 Diagnostics Menu eee eee 3 12 Figure 3 2 Dell Diagnostics Main Screen n n anaana aaan 3 13 Figure 5 1 Expansion Card Installation 0 0 0 0 00 5 2 Figure 5 2 Incorrect Expansion Card Installations 00 5 2 Figure 6 1 Diagnostics Checklist 2 0 00 0 0 eee 6 5 Figure B 1 Main Screen Menu 0 2 eee eee B 4 Figure B 2 System Information Screen Menu 20 0000 eee eee B 5 Figure B 3 Product Information Screen Menu araa B 6 Figure B 4 Disk Drives Screen Meru 00 000 ce eee B 7 Figure B 5 IDE Primary Channel Master Submenu 00 B 8 Figure B 6 Onboard Peripherals Screen Menu 2 000000 B 9 Figure B 7 Boot Options Screen Menu 0 000000 cee eee B 11 Fig
15. B 10 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide Boot Options Screen Boot Options Boot Sequence ist 2nd 3rd Floppy Disk A gt Hard Disk C gt IDE CD ROM gt Primary Display Adapter Auto Fast Boot Auto Silent Boot Enabled Num Lock After Boot Disabled Memory Test Disabled Configuration Table Enabled Update BIOS with Boot Block Disabled Figure B 7 Boot Options Screen Menu Table B 8 Boot Options Screen Menu Options Option Function Boot Sequence Determines the sequence of the first second and third boot devices The selections are Floppy Disk A Hard Disk C and IDE CD ROM NOTE If a NIC card is installed it appears as a fourth boot device Primary Display Adapter Configures the primary display device Select Auto default to have the computer first check for a video PCI expansion card and if one is found initialize it as the primary display device Select Onboard to initialize the integrated video con troller as the primary display device regardless of the presence of a video card Fast Boot Configures POST speed Select Auto default to bypass some test procedures during POST Select Disabled to allow full POST test procedures Silent Boot Configures the Dell logo screen at boot Selections are Enabled default and Disabled NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms support dell com Sys
16. Filler Bracket Cap 6 Unscrew and remove the metal filler bracket that covers the card slot opening for the expansion slot you intend to use see Figure 2 9 filler bracket Figure 2 9 Removing the Filler Bracket 2 14 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com NOTICE Use one hand to support the riser board while installing an expansion card into an expansion card connector Otherwise damage to the riser board connector or system board may occur 7 Insert the expansion card firmly into the expansion card connector A cutout in the card edge connector aligns with a crossbar in the expansion card connector Gently rock the card into the connector until it is fully seated see Figure 2 10 card edge connector cutout card edge connector expansion card connector expansion card riser board dl 6 PS X K a f N I i card mounting bracket screw Figure 2 10 Installing an Expansion Card 8 When the card is firmly seated in the connector secure the card mounting bracket see Figure 2 10 with the screw you removed in step 6 Make sure that the front of the card edge connector is completely seated in the expansion card connector The bottom of the card mounting bracket must be inside the card slot opening and the top of the bracket must be flush against the bracket mount with the notch aligned with the screw hole in the bracket mount Expansion Cards in Chapter 5 prov
17. Troubleshooting Guide support dell com System Information Screen Setup Utility System Information Processor Processor Speed Level 1 Cache Level 2 Cache Floppy Drive A Floppy Drive B IDE Primary Channel Master IDE Primary Channel Slave IDE Secondary Channel Master IDE Secondary Channel Slave Total Memory ist Bank 2nd Bank Serial Port Parallel Port PS 2 Mouse Celeron 400 Mhz 32 KB Enabled 128 KB Enabled 1 44 MB 3 5 inch None Hard Disk 4310 M B None IDE CD ROM None 127 MB None SDRAM 128 MB 3F8h IRQ 4 378h IRQ 7 Tnstalled Figure B 2 System Information Screen Menu Table B 3 System Information Screen Menu Options Function Displays a compilation of the present settings of the basic system configuration NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms System Setup Program B 5 Product Information Screen Setup Utility Product Information Product Name model number Service Tag nnnn Asset Tag nnnn Main Board ID nnnn Main Board S N nnnn System BIOS Version nnnn SMBIOS Version nnnn BIOS Release Data month day year Figure B 3 Product Information Screen Menu Table B 4 Product Information Screen Menu Options Option Function None Displays system product version numbers and identification codes NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms B 6 Dell Dimension 900 S
18. controller may be faulty Check the keyboard connections or change the keyboard Run the Keyboard tests as described in Running the Dell Diagnostics in Chapter 3 NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms Beep Codes and System Messages C 3 Table C 2 System Messages continued Message Possible Cause Corrective Action Memory Error at MMMM SSSS One or more DIMMs may be faulty or improp See System Memory and Reseating DIMMs in OOOOh erly seated Chapter 5 R xxxxh W xxxxh VRAM An NVRAM checksum Run the System Board Devices checksum error has occurred tests as described in Running Error the Dell Diagnostics in Chapter 3 See Clearing NVRAM in Appendix B On Board Onboard serial or paral See Resolving Software and Serial Port 1 Conflict s On Board Parallel Port Conflict s lel port address conflicts with an expansion card serial or parallel port Hardware Incompatibilities in Chapter 4 On Board MR es Conflict s An onboard device has an IRQ DMA or I O address conflict See Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities in Chapter 4 PCI Device Error An expansion card may be faulty or improperly installed Turn off the computer and discon nect your system and devices from their electrical outlets Remove both of the cards See Expansion Cards in Cha
19. front panel miniature jacks for microphone and headphones and one back panel miniature line out jack for speakers bka bbl 40 pin connector on PCI bus sage ees 50 pin slimline connector on PCI bus die Bad 26 pin slimline connector PONG nied 2 pin connector Video Graphics architecture Graphics accelerator Display cache Graphics memory ngaba Intel Dynamic Video Memory DVM technology pataas dak Intel Direct AGP 2D and 3D graphics accelerator RONA 4 MB 133 MHz SDRAM MON Dynamically assigned from system memory NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms System Specifications A 3 Table A 1 Technical Specifications continued Video continued Video resolutions 800 x 600 pixels 75 Hz refresh rate with 16 7 million colors 1024 x 786 pixels 75 Hz refresh rate with 64 000 colors 1280 x 1024 pixels 75 Hz refresh rate with 256 colors 1600 x 1200 pixels 75 Hz refresh rate with 256 colors Controls and Indicators Power control push button Power indicators green on system board green on front panel Hard disk drive access indicator green DC power supply Wattage a 100 W Heat dissipation 808 BTU nominal Voltage switch selectable on back panel a 100 V at 50 to 60 Hz for Japanese systems
20. haere aa Gea dees aug ah RA ec ener B 7 IDE Primary Channel Master Submenu 2 222000055 B 8 Onboard Peripherals Screen 0 ene B 9 Boot Options Screen kaaa ddan kan de bh Me aea B 11 Date and Time Screen i e ccc been KG he Fede KAG NGANGA eda bas B 13 System SeCUNTY SCPE6N da aba kaaa i aa atta alten ab Lana dace B 14 Advanced Options Screen 0 eee B 15 Memory Cache Options Submenu HA B 16 PnP PCI Options Submenu 2 eee B 17 Disabling a Forgotten Password 0 0 cc cee eee B 18 Glearing INVRAM a te AA pieu GN ade arena tae ah as APANG Gas B 19 XV Appendix C Appendix D Index Figures xvi Beep Codes and System Messages C 1 POST Beep Codes aner tiki a Pi edie aap a NA hea Maa do td C 1 System Messages aa AA Poh ead HUL KARD LA LAG C 2 Regulatory Notices D 1 VCCI Notice Japan Only 2 2 20 00000 eee D 2 Glass AA Raa ara D 2 Glass B ITE uri ee Sale KA KG GES dda Rae edd ND Pde SAS Rede kuda D 3 Battery Disposal 22406124 has nA TA BILAL A Chee e LAP ELP D 3 Figure 1 1 Padlock Ring 0 0 0000 c cee eee 1 4 Figure 2 1 Removing the Computer Cover n aanas saaara eeraa 2 3 Figure 2 2 Removing the Bezel 0 0 0000 eee 2 4 Figure 2 3 Inside the Computer 0000 eee 2 5 Figure 2 4 System Board Features eee 2 6 Figure 2 5 Removing the Riser Board Bracket
21. hc Kuan tacts Pact Alec hbk Aa Ea ace hae eons Mk oe ad 5 1 Modems go does atina bated awh bed ed Pee dw Kab haaha ha 5 3 NGA GC O AA 5 4 System Memory 0c eee ee 5 5 Reseating DIMMS kuma ase Bank aan a Mana KAGAT eat ka ANAL ANG 5 5 If Your Computer Gets Wet 0 0 0 0 ene eens 5 6 If Your Computer Is Damaged eee 5 7 Getting Help upan ak4 HG KARGA KAPAGKA OU Technical Assistance se sasan oiee a ie e i eee 6 1 Help Tools 202105 402529 ade hie a Gea LAKI aa a eae Eaa 6 2 World Wide Web 2 anc Banaba KABA NA NN KA BG thou whl ae ann 6 2 Automated Order Status System eee 6 3 Technical Support Service 000 eee 6 3 Problems With Your Order 2 6 3 Product Information ccc cee 6 3 Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit 0 0 eee eee 6 4 Before You Gall maa ma ca na Dba Kabila Pe Cae de Gaede edb ed ode ee maa nG 6 4 Dell ComtactiNUMb6rs 1 haaa cade NOD w nadie KAG i E Habaan ent ke 6 6 System Specifications A 1 System Setup Program Bul Entering the System Setup Program 000 e eects B 1 Using the System Setup Program n anaa saana aaaea a B 1 System Setup Screens and Options 0 0 0 ce eee B 3 MAIN SCIESIW sororia iea ad A dain donates Ae andes oad aia E anna de B 4 System Information Screen 2 eee eee B 5 Product Information Screen 0000000 e eee B 6 Disk Drives S reem seia gaie dorian
22. instructions on obtaining technical assistance If Your Computer Is Damaged If your computer is dropped or damaged check it to make sure it still functions properly If a device attached to the computer is dropped or damaged contact the manufacturer for technical assistance To troubleshoot a damaged computer perform the following steps 1 Remove the computer cover as described in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover in Chapter 2 Check the connections in the computer Check all power and interface cable connections for the drives Make sure all cables are securely and properly connected to the system board Verify that all expansion cards are firmly seated as shown in Figure 5 1 and that all components are properly seated in their connectors and sockets Replace the computer cover and reconnect the system to an electrical outlet Checking Inside Your Computer 5 7 5 8 Insert the Dell Dimension ResourceCD into the optical drive NOTES For systems running Windows 98 or Windows Me also insert the Microsoft Windows 98 Boot Disk or Microsoft Windows Me Boot Disk into the diskette drive For systems running Windows NT also insert the Hard Drive Diagnostics and Utilities diskette included with your computer system or any MS DOS bootable diskette into the diskette drive Turn on the computer system If the system does not start see Chapter 6 Getting Help for instructions on obtaining technical assistan
23. it from moving as you perform this process 2 Slip one finger into the oval opening on top of the riser board bracket see Figure 2 5 Then position the riser board bracket on top of the diskette drive so that the riserboard securing tabs fit over both sides of the riser board and its diskette drive slots align with the diskette drive tabs see Figure 2 5 f CAUTION When handling the riser board bracket always hold it by plac JAN ing a finger through the oval opening in the bracket see Figure 2 5 Do not grasp the bracket by its edges which may be sharp 3 Gently push the riser board bracket toward the front of the computer until its three back tabs fit into the three slots on the back of the chassis 4 Replace the riserboard screw see Figure 2 5 5 Replace the computer cover according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover found earlier in this chapter support dell com Installing Upgrades on the System Board 2 11 PCI Expansion Card Upgrades NOTE This computer does not support older expansion card technologies such as Industry Standard Architecture ISA cards The riser board accommodates up to two one third length 32 bit Peripheral Compo nent Interconnect PCI expansion cards PCI expansion card connector 1 PCI1 is reserved for use with Dimension 900 system specific expansion cards available only from Dell see Available Upgrades in Chapter 1 PCI expansion card connector 2
24. monitor return the monitor to its manufacturer s recommended settings see the monitor documentation Turn off the computer system and examine the video interface cable connector for bent pushed in broken or missing pins Check the documentation that came with your monitor for additional information NOTE Some missing pins may be normal for your monitor check the documen tation that came with the monitor Remove any video extension cables reseat the monitor s video interface cable connector and securely tighten the captive screws Then reboot the computer system Perform the monitor self test as described in the documentation that came with the monitor If another monitor or computer is available try swapping monitors between systems Move the computer and the monitor to another room If you completed the basic monitor checks and suspect a problem with the video per form the following checks support dell com Click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel Double click the Display icon and click the Settings tab Try different settings for Colors and Screen area Windows 98 Windows Me and Windows 2000 or Desktop Area Windows NT Basic Troubleshooting 3 5 Change the display type to standard video graphics array VGA as follows 1 Restart the system 2 For Windows 98 Windows Me and Windows 2000 press lt F8 gt when you see the Starting Windows message and then select Safe M
25. names of all the components or devices you know are part of your computer system For example you will not see a mouse listed although you know one is attached to your computer If you select the Pointing Devices device group Mouse is listed under Devices for Highlighted Group Similarly you can test your printer connection through the Paral lel Ports device group Using the Dell Diagnostics The online Help in the Dell Diagnostics provides instructions on how to use the pro gram and explains each menu item test group subtest and test and error result To enter the Help menu perform the following steps 1 Highlight Select Devices to Test in the DIAGNOSTICS MENU 2 Press lt Enter gt 3 Press lt h gt The Help menu options are Menu Keys Device Group Device Test and Versions The online Help also provides detailed descriptions of the devices that you are testing The Help options are explained in the following subsections Menu Menu describes the main menu screen area the device groups and the different diagnostic menus and commands and provides instructions on how to use them Basic Troubleshooting 3 13 Keys Keys explains the functions of all the keystrokes that can be used in the Dell Diagnostics Device Group Device Group describes the test group that is presently highlighted in the Device Groups list on the main menu screen It also provides reasoning for using some tests Device Device is the educ
26. or an Intel Socket 370 Celeron processor that runs at an external speed of 66 MHz LT cached hd ba edn teeter de edit sm 32 KB 16 KB data cache 16 KB instruction cache L2 CACHE aaa kanaa kabi h aaa 128 KB SDRAM Math coprocessor internal to processor System Information System chip set Intel 810e chip set Data bus width 64 bits Address bus width 32 bits DMA channels anaana eight Interruptlevels 15 Display cache n anana a 4 MB System BIOS chip Y2K DMI 2 0s and system management 2 3 compliant BIOS in 4 Mb flash Expansion Bus BUS Deia ka dedicates lon Kaha PCI version 2 2 BUS SPGCG js Kada naaa nA KAG eae 33 MHz PCl to PCl bridging supported NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms System Specifications A 1 Table A 1 Technical Specifications continued Expansion Bus continued Expansion card connectors supports two one third length PCI expansion cards Expansion card connector size 120 pins ACPI specification 1 0a Expansion card connector data width maximum anaa anaana aaa 32 bits System Clock System clock nananana aaa 66 or 100 MHz matches external bus speed Memory Architecture n anaa a non ECC SDRAM 168 pin modules DIMM socke
27. problems with your computer system Using the Power Management Features in Windows 98 Windows Me and Windows 2000 For Windows 98 the power management features of your Dell system can be set through the Power Management Properties window For Windows 2000 and Win dows Me the power management features can be set through the Power Options Properties window If you press lt Del gt when the computer restarts your computer s power management features can be set through the system setup program To set the power management features in Windows 98 perform the following steps 1 Click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel 2 Double click the Power Management icon 3 Set the power management features in the Power Management Properties window To set the power management features in Windows 2000 and Windows Me perform the following steps 1 Click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel 2 Double click the Power Options icon 3 Set the power management features in the Power Options Properties window Software Solutions 4 1 The Power Schemes tab allows you to select the power scheme Always On Home Office Desktop or Portable Laptop and power mode settings for your com puter For Windows 2000 and Windows Me the following options are available for each power scheme setting e Turn off monitor Turns off the monitor so that the system uses less power You can press any key to tur
28. program restart the computer and press lt Del gt when the blue Dell logo screen appears Verify that the amount displayed for Total Memory on the System Information screen is correct If the memory total is incorrect turn off the computer and remove computer cover riserboard bracket and expansion cards Then reseat the DIMMs in their sockets and repeat step 7 NOTE The system memory value reported by the operating system is 1 or 2 MB less Z than the memory installed because that memory is reserved for video functions For example if the computer has 64 MB of system memory the operating system may report 62 or 63 MB Removing a DIMM 1 Remove the computer cover according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover found earlier in this chapter 2 Remove the riserboard bracket according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the RiserBoard Bracket found earlier in this chapter 3 Remove the expansion cards according to the instructions in Removing Expan sion Cards found earlier in this chapter 4 Press outward on the plastic securing clips at each end of the DIMM socket until the DIMM disengages from the socket see Figure 2 12 securing clips 2 ir Figure 2 12 Removing a DIMM 5 Replace the expansion cards riser board bracket and the computer cover and reconnect your computer and devices to their electrical outlets and turn them on 6 To enter the system setup
29. program restart the computer system and press lt Del gt when the blue Dell logo screen appears Verify that the amount displayed for Total Memory on the System Information screen is correct 2 18 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide than the memory installed because that memory is reserved for video functions For example if the computer has 64 MB of system memory the operating system may report 62 or 63 MB AL NOTE The system memory value reported by the operating system is 1 or 2 MB less Replacing the System Battery A 3 0 V CR2032 coin cell battery mounted in a system board socket see Figure 2 4 maintains system configuration date and time information The battery can last sev eral years NOTE Leave your power strip turned on when the computer is turned off to extend battery life If the battery expires the computer loses the system configuration information when ever it is disconnected from its electrical outlet If you have to repeatedly reset this information after turning on the computer replace the battery To replace the system battery with another CR2032 coin cell battery perform the fol lowing steps f CAUTION There is a danger of a new battery exploding if it is incorrectly 1 installed Replace the battery only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer s instructions 1 Make a copy of the screens in
30. restart the computer system Verify the modem configuration as follows a Click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel b In the Control Panel double click Modems for Windows 98 Windows Me and Windows NT or double click Phone and Modem Options for Windows 2000 c If there are multiple entries for the same modem remove those entries and restart the computer If there are modems listed that are not part of the system configuration remove them from the list If you are using Windows NT verify the modem properties and then proceed to step 3 d Click the Diagnostics tab e Highlight the COM port that the modem is using f Click More Info to verify that the system can communicate with the modem If the modem reports information to the system the modem is operating properly Remove the computer cover as described in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover in Chapter 2 Remove the riser board bracket as described in Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket in Chapter 2 Remove and reinstall the modem fully seating the card in its connector see Figure 5 1 Replace the riser board bracket Checking Inside Your Computer 5 3 7 Replace the computer cover connect all external cables and turn on the system Enter the system setup program as described in Appendix B System Setup Pro gram and verify that the Serial Port 1 is set to Enabled telephone company to check fo
31. technical assistance Turn off the system and disconnect it from the electrical outlet Remove the computer cover 5 6 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Remove the riser board bracket Reinstall all the expansion cards you removed in step 5 replace the riser board bracket and replace the computer cover See Installing Expansion Cards in Chapter 2 for instructions Insert the Dell Dimension ResourceCD into the optical drive NOTES For systems running Windows 98 or Windows Me also insert the Microsoft Windows 98 Boot Disk or Microsoft Windows Me Boot Disk into the diskette drive For systems running Windows NT also insert the Hard Drive Diagnostics and Utilities diskette included with your computer system or any MS DOS bootable diskette into the diskette drive Turn on the computer system If the system does not start see Chapter 6 Getting Help for instructions on obtaining technical assistance When the boot screen appears select Start Computer with CD ROM Support At the a prompt type x where x is the drive letter for the optical drive which is displayed on the line above the a prompt Press lt Enter gt Type diags32 and press lt Enter gt The DIAGNOSTICS MENU appears Type q to quickly test your computer system If the tests do not complete successfully see Chapter 6 Getting Help for
32. the box For the telephone number to call refer to Dell Contact Numbers found later in this chapter 2 Include a copy of the invoice and a letter describing the reason for the return 3 Include a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist indicating the tests you have run and any error messages reported by the Dell Diagnostics 4 Include any accessories that belong with the item s being returned power cables software diskettes guides and so on if the return is for credit 5 Pack the equipment to be returned in the original or equivalent packing materials You are responsible for paying shipping expenses You are also responsible for insuring any product returned and you assume the risk of loss during shipment to Dell Computer Corporation Collect on delivery C O D packages are not accepted Returns that are missing any of the preceding requirements will be refused at our receiving dock and returned to you Before You Call Remember to fill out the Diagnostics Checklist Figure 6 1 If possible turn on your system before you call Dell for technical assistance and call from a telephone at or near the computer You may be asked to type some commands at the keyboard relay detailed information during operations or try other troubleshooting steps possible only at the computer system itself Make sure the system documentation is available j CAUTION If you need to remove the computer covers be sure to first dis VA con
33. the keyboard purple and mouse green interface cable connectors in the proper connectors on the back of the computer 4 Reseat any devices attached to the serial port parallel port and Universal Serial Bus USB port connectors Each of the serial parallel and USB interface cable connectors must be firmly attached to an appropriate connector on the back of the computer as well as to the interface connector on the device The captive screws on the serial and parallel interface cable connectors must be secure enough to ensure a firm connection 3 2 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide 5 Reseat the video interface cable connectors blue in the video connector on the back of the computer and in the connector on the back of the monitor AL NOTE On some monitors the video interface cable is permanently attached 6 Turn on the computer the monitor and all attached devices Power If you are experiencing problems with power to your computer perform the following tasks e Check the computer s and monitor s power indicators When lit or flashing the power indicator verifies that the power supply is operating Whenever the power is on the fan on the power supply should also spin e Plug a device such as a lamp that you know works into the electrical outlet to make sure the power source is OK e Plug the computer directly into that working electrical outlet bypassing any power protection devices pow
34. the system setup program You will need a written or printed copy of the system configuration information to restore the correct settings later See Appendix B System Setup Program for instructions 2 Remove the computer cover according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover found earlier in this chapter 3 Remove the riser board bracket according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket found earlier in this chapter 4 Remove the front bezel by slightly lifting the three bezel tabs see Figure 2 13 and gently pulling the bezel away from the front panel 5 Remove the drive shelf screws and lift the drive shelf approximately one half inch The drive shelf is attached to the chassis with two screws one to the right of the optical drive and one to the left of the diskette drive as you face the front of the computer see Figure 2 13 support dell com Installing Upgrades on the System Board 2 19 screws 2 drive shelf bezel tabs 3 Figure 2 13 Drive Shelf NOTICE If you pry out the battery with a blunt object insert the object between the battery and the socket Otherwise you may damage the sys tem board by prying off the socket or by breaking circuit traces on the system board 6 Locate the battery on the system board see Figure 2 4 and pry it out of its socket with your fingers or with a blunt nonconductive object such as a plasti
35. to view the IRO assignments To check for an IRQ line in the Microsoft Windows NT operating system start the Windows NT Diagnostics in the Administrative Tools Common folder and view the Resources tab NOTE If an IRO supported by your card is not available try reassigning resources used by other devices or disabling unused devices Installing Expansion Cards 1 Prepare the expansion card for installation as instructed in the documentation that came with the expansion card Check the documentation to make sure the card is configured to work with other devices already installed in your computer Remove the computer cover according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover found earlier in this chapter Remove the riser board bracket according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket found earlier in this chapter Choose an expansion card connector for the card NOTE The PCI1 connector see Figure 2 7 is reserved for use with Dimension 900 system specific expansion cards available only from Dell see Available Upgrades in Chapter 1 The PC 2 connector is available for use with any one third length commercial PCI card Installing Upgrades on the System Board 2 13 5 Remove the screw that secures the filler bracket cap to the back panel of the computer see Figure 2 8 and remove the filler bracket cap filler bracket cap Figure 2 8 Removing the
36. 90 to 135 V at 60 Hz 180 to 265 V at 50 Hz Backup battery 005 3 V CR2032 coin cell Physical Height naaa wale eee eee Wawang Ka 78 cm 3 0 inches AWITIN mk ot dec PEN eee LAN KAG ak eee 31 0 cm 12 2 inches DEpii tatanu e edn Hebel 29 5 cm 11 6 inches MVC IOI ARA AA 6 6 kg 14 5 Ib NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms A 4 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com Table A 1 Technical Specifications continued Environmental Temperature Operating Storage Relative humidity Operating Storage Maximum vibration Operating SOMOS cock aesaat Maximum shock Operating Storage Altitude Operating Storage PATAS ied 10 to 35 C 50 to 95 F oe eee 40 to 65 C 40 to 149 F bowed Bubs 20 to 80 noncondensing ee re 5 to 95 noncondensing PIN eee ee eee 0 25 G at 3 to 200 Hz at 1 2 octave min gdh danh saaan 0 5 G at 3 to 200 Hz at 1 2 octave min fx ote GA bottom half sine pulse with a change in velocity of 50 8 cm sec 20 inches sec ee NG 27 G faired square wave with a velocity change of 508 cm sec 200 inches sec aise ngs Bee 15 2 to 3048 m 50 to 10 000 ft na urban ilan 15 2 to 10 668 m 50 to 35 000 ft At 35 C 95 F the maximum operati
37. Communication Services PCS These licensed services along with unintentional radiators such as digital devices including computer systems contribute to the electromagnetic environment Electromagnetic Compatibility EMC is the ability of items of electronic equipment to function properly together in the electronic environment While this computer system has been designed and determined to be compliant with regulatory agency limits for EMI there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause interference with radio communications services which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures e Reorient the receiving antenna e Relocate the computer with respect to the receiver e Move the computer away from the receiver e Plug the computer into a different outlet so that the computer and the receiver are on different branch circuits If necessary consult a Technical Support representative of Dell Computer Corporation or an experienced radio television technician for additional suggestions You may find the FCC Interference Handbook 1986 to be helpful It is available from the U S Gov ernment Printing Office Washington DC 20402 Stock No 004 000 00450 7 or on the World Wide Web at http www fcc gov Bureaus Compliance WWW tvibook html Dell computer systems are designe
38. Dell Dimension 900 System REFERENCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE www dell com DOLL Information in this document is subject to change without notice 1999 2001 Dell Computer Corporation All rights reserved Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Computer Corporation is strictly forbidden Trademarks used in this text Dell the DELL logo Dell Precision DellWare Inspiron Latitude OptiPlex and Dimension are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation Inte and Pentium are registered trademarks and Celeron and MMX are trademarks of Intel Corporation MS DOS Microsoft Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation 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 Computer Corporation disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own March 2001 P N 4870V Rev A05 Safety Instructions Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer system from poten tial damage and to ensure your own personal safety NOTICE Your computer is designed to work only while upright in the stand shipped with it Do not attempt to place the computer flat on a desktop and do not set heavy objects such as a monitor on top of the computer When Using Your Computer System As you use your computer system observe the following safe
39. Fold cables and unused connectors out of the way so that they do not catch on the computer cover or interfere with airflow inside the computer 2 Check to see that no tools or extra parts including screws are left inside the computer 3 Remove the front bezel by slightly lifting the three bezel tabs see Figure 2 2 and gently pulling the bezel away from the front panel support dell com Installing Upgrades on the System Board 2 3 front panel tabs 3 Figure 2 2 Removing the Bezel Place the cover on the computer and slide it toward the front of the computer Replace the screws that you removed when you removed the computer cover Oy Ol BB If you are using a padlock to secure your system reinstall the padlock 7 Replace the bezel 8 Place the computer in its stand CAUTION Your system is designed to work only in a vertical orientation JA using the stand shipped with the computer Do not attempt to operate the system lying flat on a desktop and do not set heavy objects such as a monitor on top of the computer Inside Your Computer Figure 2 3 shows the computer with its cover removed as an aid in locating internal features and components When you look inside your computer note the DC power cables coming from the power supply These cables supply power to the system board and to internal drives The flat ribbon cables are the interface cables for internal drives An interface cable con nects a drive to an inte
40. I expansion cards installing 2 13 removing 2 16 Peripheral Component Interconnect See PCI expansion cards PnP PCI Options submenu system setup program B 17 POST beep codes C 1 power sources troubleshooting 3 2 Index 3 power supply cables See DC power cables power on self test See POST problems diagnosing 3 1 6 1 help tools 6 1 with your order 6 3 Processor mode jumper settings 2 9 product information 6 3 Product Information screen system setup program B 6 R ResourceCD 4 2 returns 6 4 riser board bracket removing and replacing 2 10 S safety instructions for preventing ESD viii general v 2 1 health considerations vi security driver 4 3 service 6 1 software drivers 4 2 for configuring system B 1 included with system 1 2 software features 1 2 speakers troubleshooting 3 6 specifications A 1 stand removing and replacing 2 2 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support technical 6 1 system See computer system board about 2 4 features 1 2 system configuration information See system setup program System Information screen system setup program B 5 system memory See DIMMs system messages C 2 System Security screen system setup program B 14 system setup program about B 1 Advanced Options screen B 15 Boot Options screen B 11 configuration options B 3 copying or printing information B 1 D
41. III processor with Streaming SIMD Extensions or a Celeron processor with MMX technology The System Information screen in the system setup program lists the speed of your system s processor For information on accessing this application program see Appendix B System Setup Program Minimum memory configuration of 64 megabytes MB synchronous dynamic random access memory SDRAM You can increase memory up to 512 MB by installing 32 64 128 or 256 MB SDRAM dual in line memory modules DIMMs in the two DIMM sockets on the system board NOTE The system memory value reported by the operating system is 1 or 2 MB less than the memory installed because that memory is reserved for video func tions For example if the computer has 64 MB of system memory the operating system may report 62 or 63 MB Introduction 1 1 The system board includes the following integrated features e Integrated Intel 810e video controller with Dynamic Video Memory and 4 MB of SDRAM for display cache Supports two one third length 32 bit PCI expansion cards for connecting PCI devices to the PCI bus NOTE PCI expansion card connector PCI1 see Figure 2 7 is reserved for use AL with Dimension 900 system specific expansion cards available only from Dell see Available Upgrades found later in this chapter PCI expansion card con nector PC12 is available for use with any one thira length commercial PCI card e Self Monitoring and Analysis
42. M Turn off the computer and discon Allocation fails to allocate for an nect your system and devices Fail expansion card from their electrical outlets Remove both of the cards See Expansion Cards in Chapter 5 Reconnect the system and devices and reboot the computer If the message persists the expansion card may be malfunc tioning If the message does not appear turn off the system and reinsert the other card IDE Drive n The IDE drive may be Run the IDE Devices tests as Error faulty type mismatched described in Running the Dell or not properly installed Diagnostics in Chapter 3 IDE Drive n Auto Detec tion Failed I O Parity The I O address is not Run the System Board Devices Error correct tests as described in Running the Dell Diagnostics in Chapter 3 Insert The diskette in drive Aor Either replace the diskette with system your hard disk drive does one that has a bootable operating diskette and press lt Enter gt key to reboot not have a bootable operating system installed on it system or remove the diskette from drive A and restart the computer IRQ Setting Error An IRO conflict has occurred See Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities in Chapter 4 Keyboard Error or Keyboard Not Connected Keyboard Interface Error Keyboard Locked A cable or connector may be loose or the key board or keyboard mouse
43. Mode 0 Mode 1 Mode 2 Mode 3 or Mode 4 Set to Auto to optimize the hard disk drive timing DMA Transfer Mode Sets the DMA transfer mode to Auto default Multiword 0 Multiword 1 Multiword 2 Ultra Mode 0 Ultra Mode 1 Ultra Mode 2 Ultra Mode 3 Ultra Mode 4 or Disabled NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms B 8 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide Onboard Peripherals Screen Onboard Peripherals Serial Port Base Address IRQ Parallel Port Base Address IRQ Operation Mode ECP DMA Mode Floppy Disk Controller IDE Controller PS 2 Mouse Controller USB Host Controller USB Legacy Mode Enabled 3F8h 4 Enabled 378h 7 EPP Enabled Both Enabled Enabled Disabled Figure B 6 Onboard Peripherals Screen Menu Table B 7 Onboard Peripherals Screen Menu Options Option Function Serial Port Base Address IRO Configures the serial port Set this option to Enabled default or Disabled If set to Enabled you can set the fol lowing additional options Available base O addresses are 3F8h default 3E8h 2F8h and 2E8h Available interrupts are 4 default and 3 Parallel Port Base Address Configures the parallel port Set this option to Enabled default or Disabled Depending on the port setting you can set the following additional options If port is set to Enabled available base I O addres
44. PCI2 is available for use with any one third length commercial PCI card Figure 2 6 shows a typical one third length PCI expansion card Figure 2 7 shows the two PCI expansion card connectors on the riser board PCI expansion card Figure 2 6 PCI Expansion Card PCI2 connector PCI1 connector Figure 2 7 Riser Board PCI Expansion Card Connectors Make sure that you have a slot available for the type of card you are installing Also check the Windows 98 Windows Me or Windows 2000 Device Manager or Windows NT Diagnostics for an available interrupt request IRQ line that is sup ported by the card 2 12 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide X support dell com To check for an IRQ line in the Microsoft Windows 98 or Windows Me operating sys tem perform the following steps 1 2 3 4 Click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel Double click the System icon Click the Device Manager tab Double click the Computer icon to open the Computer Properties window and view the View Resources tab To check for an IRQ line in the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system perform the following steps 1 2 Ox o 5 o ick the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel ouble click the System icon ick Device Manager C D Click the Hardware tab C C ick View and then click Resources by connection Double click Interrupt request IRQ
45. Reporting Technology II SMART Il support which warns you at system start up if your hard disk drive has become unreliable Hard disk drives shipped with these systems are SMART II compliant e Two integrated drive electronics IDE interfaces on the PCI bus that support Advanced Technology Attachment ATA 33 66 Ultra direct memory access DMA hard disk drives and optical drives such as CD ROM drives NOTE Inconsistencies in the manufacturing of CD ROM media may cause some higher speed CD ROM drives to vibrate more than others Such vibration and associated noise does not indicate a defect in the drive or the CD e Full compliance with PCI specification 2 2 e Full compliance with Advanced Configuration and Power Interface ACPI specifi cation 1 0A e For systems running the Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition Windows Millennium Edition Me or Windows 2000 operating system the two high performance Universal Serial Bus USB ports provide a single connection point for multiple USB compliant devices You can connect and disconnect these devices while the system is running For your convenience a USB port connector is located on the front side of the computer and another USB port connector is located on the back side NOTE If you attach a USB device that was not included in your original system configuration you may need to install a specific driver for that device to obtain its full functionality Contact the USB device ma
46. Screen Menu Qptions anaana B 7 IDE Primary Channel Master Submenu Options B 8 Onboard Peripherals Screen Menu Options B 9 Boot Options Screen Menu Options 0 005 B 11 Date and Time Screen Menu Options B 13 System Security Screen Menu Options 205 B 14 Advanced Options Screen Menu Options B 15 Memory Cache Options Submenu Options B 16 PnP PCI Options Screen Submenu Options B 17 POST Beep COMES na kaa ma needed panne wan dame GATA tee was C 1 System Messages 0 22 000s C 2 xvii xviii support dell com CHAPTER 1 Introduction Dell Dimension 900 computer systems are high speed personal computers that include an Intel Socket 370 Pentium III microprocessor with Streaming Single Instruction Multiple Data SIMD Extensions or a Celeron processor with MMX technology These systems incorporate a high performance Peripheral Component Interconnect PCI design allowing a wide range of initial configurations and upgrade possibilities This chapter provides information about the following topics e Major hardware and software features of your computer e Available upgrades for your computer e Theft deterrent features to protect your computer Hardware Features Your Dell computer offers the following hardware features e An Intel Socket 370 Pentium
47. Settings screen and then click Next Windows 2000 now begins to install its components and configure the computer When the Completing the Windows 2000 Setup Wizard screen appears remove the CD from the drive and then click Finish The computer automatically restarts 4 10 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com CHAPTER 5 Checking Inside Your Computer This chapter describes troubleshooting procedures for expansion cards and system memory Some procedures require you to access the inside of the computer and remove and reinstall components Procedures are also included for checking a wet or damaged computer CAUTION Before completing any of the procedures in this chapter be sure to follow the procedures in Safety First For You and Your Computer in Chapter 2 Expansion Cards If an error message indicates an expansion card problem or if an expansion card seems to perform incorrectly or not at all the problem could be a faulty connection a conflict with software or other hardware or a faulty expansion card If software prob lems and conflicts have been eliminated perform the following general steps to troubleshoot expansion cards 1 Remove the computer cover as described in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover in Chapter 2 2 Remove the riser board bracket as described in Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket in Chapter 2 3 Remove all of the i
48. The bottom of each screen displays help information for the option with a cur rently highlighted field if the system setup program is not in full screen mode e Pressing lt Alt gt lt h gt displays the Key Help Guide which lists keys and their func tions for the currently displayed screen The Main screen provides access to the following screens e System Information screen Displays a compilation of the present settings of the basic system configuration e Product Information screen Displays system product version numbers and identification codes e Disk Drives screen Provides settings for the system drives e Onboard Peripherals screen Provides settings for the integrated system board ports and controllers e Boot Options screen Provides information about which device boots the sys tem and options for boot type e Date and Time screen Provides selections for setting the system date and time e System Security screen Provides selections for setting the system s security level e Advanced Options Provides a menu for setting the system s cache and Peripheral Component Interface PCI device options and Plug and Play operation The Main screen also allows you to load the system setup program s default settings and to cancel all changes to the settings support dell com System Setup Program B 3 Main Screen Setup Utility System Information Product Information Disk Drives Onboard Peripherals
49. al line out cable connector connector PH1 CN4 microphone audio signal cable connector CN5 connector CN13 headphone processor connector CN5 mode jumper JPX1 USB port connector CN5 riser board connector SL 1 front audio USB board interface connector CN12 boot block BITE select jumper JP7 diskette drive interface connector CN16 password NVRAM jumper JPX2 jumper JP6 jumper not used battery socket BT1 Figure 2 4 System Board Features 2 6 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com Table 2 1 System Board Connectors and Sockets Connector or Socket Description BT1 Battery socket CN1 Keyboard and mouse connectors CN2 DC main power input connector CN3 Parallel port connector sometimes referred to as LPT1 video connector and serial port connector CN4 Front audio USB board audio signal cable connector CN5 USB port connector headphone connector and microphone connector CN6 USB port connector CN7 Secondary IDE interface connector for optical drive CN8 Primary IDE interface connector CN12 Front audio USB board interface connector CN13 Audio signal cable connector CN16 Diskette drive interface connector DIMMn DIMM socket ENT Processor fan connector JP1 Power button connector JP2 Power button indicator connector JP3 Hard disk drive activity indicator connector JP6 Password Jumper JP7 Boot block select jumper JPX1 Proces
50. are removing the card permanently install a metal filler bracket over the empty card slot opening in the bracket mount maintain Federal Communications Commission FCC certification of the system A NOTE Installing filler brackets over empty card slot openings is necessary to The brackets also keep dust and dirt out of your computer 8 Replace the filler bracket cap and screw that you removed in step 4 9 Replace the riser board bracket according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket found earlier in this chapter 10 Replace the computer cover and reconnect your computer and devices to their electrical outlets and turn them on Adding Memory You can increase memory to a maximum of 512 megabytes MB by installing combinations of 3 3 volt V 32 64 128 and 256 MB dual in line memory modules DIMMs in the two DIMM sockets on the system board This system supports only non error checking and correction non ECC 100 megahertz MHz DIMMs Purchas ing memory upgrades from Dell Spare Parts ensures system compatibility these upgrades are also covered under your system warranty 2 16 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com NOTE Your computer is designed for peak performance with specific DIMMs that are validated through rigorous testing The system may not recognize other synchronous dynamic random access memory SDRAM DIMMs and may fail power on s
51. ate and Time screen B 13 Disk Drives screen B 7 entering B 1 error messages B 1 help information B 3 IDE Primary Channel Master submenu B 8 key functions B 1 Main screen B 4 Memory Cache Options submenu B 16 Onboard Peripherals screen B 9 PnP PCI Options submenu B 17 Product Information screen B 6 system configuration information B 1 System Information screen B 5 System Security screen B 14 using B 1 T technical assistance obtaining 6 1 warranty repair or credit 6 4 technical specifications A 1 troubleshooting about 1 3 basic problems 3 2 beep codes C 1 checking connections 3 2 Diagnostics Checklist 6 5 drives 3 8 environmental factors 3 4 error messages C 2 expansion cards 5 1 hard disk drives 3 9 Internet tools 6 2 modem 3 6 5 3 monitor 3 4 optical drives 3 8 power 3 3 speakers 3 6 start up routine 3 3 system memory 5 5 where to start 3 1 typographical conventions xi U upgrade options available 1 3 expansion cards 2 13 memory 2 16 unpacking 2 2 support dell com V video controller 1 2 video driver 4 3 virus scanning programs temporarily disabling 4 4 W warranty information ix warranty repair or credit 6 4 Windows power management features 4 1 Windows 2000 reinstalling 4 9 reso ving software and hardware incompatibilities 4 5 Windows 98 reinstalling 4 6 reso ving software and hardware incompatibil
52. ational section of the online Help It describes the function and pur pose of the highlighted device in the Device Groups area For example the following information appears when you select Device for Diskette in the Device Groups list Diskette drive A The diskette disk drive device reads and writes data to and from diskettes Diskettes are flexible recording media sometimes contained in hard shells Diskette recording capacities are small and access times are slow relative to hard disk drives but they provide a convenient means of storing and transferring data Test Test provides a thorough explanation of the subtest highlighted for a selected device group For example the following description is provided for the Diskette Drive Seek Test Diskette drive A Diskette Drive Seek Test This test verifies the drive s ability to position its read write heads The test operates in two passes first seeking from the beginning to ending cylinders inclusively and second seeking alternately from the beginning to ending cylinders with convergence towards the middle Versions Versions lists the version numbers of the subtests that are used by the Dell Diagnostics 3 14 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com CHAPTER 4 Software Solutions This chapter describes software features and procedures such as power manage ment features and reinstalling drivers that can often solve
53. ble the system correctly Also note the extra connectors available for upgrades Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover To remove the computer cover perform the following steps 1 Observe the Caution for Your Personal Safety and Protection of Your Equip ment found earlier in this chapter Also observe the safety instructions at the front of this guide NOTICE To avoid inadvertently damaging the system board be sure that you disconnect the computer s power cable from the electrical outlet and from the back of the chassis before removing the computer cover The sys tem board continues to receive a small amount of power when the system is turned off and attached to an electrical outlet the system board power indicator see Figure 2 4 is on when power is detected 2 Lift the computer out of its stand 3 Place the computer in a horizontal position see Figure 2 1 4 If you have installed a padlock through the padlock ring on the back panel remove the padlock 5 Remove the three screws that secure the cover to the back panel see Figure 2 1 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide screws 3 Figure 2 1 Removing the Computer Cover 6 Slide the cover toward the back of the computer about one half inch 7 Lift off the cover To replace the computer cover perform the following steps 1 Check all cable connections especially those that might have come loose during your work
54. c screwdriver NOTICE Inserting the battery upside down will damage the system board circuitry 7 Insert the battery into the socket with the side labeled facing up see Figure 2 14 2 20 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide battery battery socket BT1 4 Figure 2 14 System Battery and Battery Socket 8 Lower the drive shelf and replace the two screws that you removed in step 5 9 Replace the bezel riser board bracket and computer cover and reconnect your computer and devices to their electrical outlets 10 Restart the system press lt Del gt when the blue Dell logo screen appears to enter the system setup program and restore the correct settings For instructions see Appendix B System Setup Program support dell com Installing Upgrades on the System Board 2 21 2 22 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com CHAPTER 3 Basic Troubleshooting This chapter guides you through some initial checks and procedures that can solve basic computer problems It can also direct you to the appropriate chapter in this guide for detailed troubleshooting information and procedures to solve more complex problems You should complete the checks in this chapter before calling Dell for tech nical assistance even if these checks do not provide an immediate solution they can help support technicians diagnose and fix the problem NOTE If your comput
55. cations is supplemental reference material e Appendix B System Setup Program describes the system setup program used for checking and changing system configuration data e Appendix C Beep Codes and System Messages documents status and error messages generated during system start up Included are possible causes and corrective actions e Appendix D Regulatory Notices provides regulatory information on the system Warranty and Return Policy Information Dell Computer Corporation Dell manufactures its hardware products from parts and components that are new or equivalent to new in accordance with industry standard practices Other Documents You May Need NOTE Information updates are sometimes included with your system to describe changes to your system or software Always read these updates before consulting any other documentation because the updates often contain the latest information Besides this Reference and Troubleshooting Guide the following documentation is included with your system e The Getting Started sheet provides step by step instructions for setting up your computer system e The Dell Dimension Systems Setup Guide describes how to properly set up your operating system and connect a printer The Dell Dimension 900 System Help describes the features and operation of your computer It includes tips on using your computer hardware and answers to commonly asked questions To open t
56. ce When the boot screen appears select Start Computer with CD ROM Support At the a prompt type x where x is the drive letter for the optical drive which is displayed on the line above the a prompt Press lt Enter gt Type diags32 and press lt Enter gt The DIAGNOSTICS MENU appears Type q to quickly test your computer system If the tests do not complete successfully see Chapter 6 Getting Help for instructions on obtaining technical assistance Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide CHAPTER 6 Getting Help This chapter describes the tools Dell provides to help you when you have a problem with your computer It also tells you when and how to call Dell for technical or cus tomer assistance Technical Assistance If you need assistance with a technical problem perform the following steps 1 Complete the basic troubleshooting checks described in Checking the Basics in Chapter 3 2 Run the Dell Diagnostics as described in Running the Dell Diagnostics in Chapter 3 3 Make a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist found later in this chapter and fill it out 4 Use Dell s extensive suite of online support services available at Dell s World Wide Web support site http support dell com for help with installation and troubleshooting procedures For more information refer to World Wide Web found later in this chapter 5 Ifthe preceding steps have not resolve
57. d tested and classified for their intended electro magnetic environment These electromagnetic environment classifications generally refer to the following harmonized definitions e Class A is typically for business or industrial environments e Class B is typically for residential environments Regulatory Notices D 1 Information Technology Equipment ITE including peripherals expansion cards print ers input output I O devices monitors and so on that are integrated into or connected to the system should match the electromagnetic environment classifica tion of the computer system A Notice About Shielded Signal Cables Use only shielded cables for con necting peripherals to any Dell device to reduce the possibility of interference with radio communications services Using shielded cables ensures that you maintain the appropriate EMC classification for the intended environment For parallel printers a cable is available from Dell Computer Corporation If you prefer you can order a cable from Dell Com puter Corporation on the World Wide Web at http www dell com products dellware index htm Most Dell computer systems are classified for Class B environments To determine the electromagnetic classification for your system or device refer to the following sections specific for each regulatory agency Each section provides country specific EMC EMI or product safety information VCCI Notice Japan Only Most Dell computer s
58. d Inspiron whe Ri neue Pv ae ha NG PERG FPG ed KLANG Beas Da 81 44 520 1435 Technical Support Dell Precision OptiPlex and Latitude kain ge ase tn pes BA aca gan Map UA aaa anes ange RE a toll free 0120 1984 33 Technical Support Outside of Japan Dell Precision OptiPlex and Latitude AA cay hese Surtees te 81 44 556 3894 Customer Care accada daa e ie a O E T ES 556 4240 24 Hour Automated Order Status Service DAA kaaa i oia o 556 3801 Home and Small Business Group Sales DAA mikara ian paini 556 3344 Individual User OFA o deh Be ni kpg 556 1760 Preferred Accounts Division Sales over 400 employees 0000 OAA aae e ad paa 556 3433 Large Corporate Accounts Sales over 3500 employees nnana anaana aa OJA AN nai has 556 3430 Business Sales Division up to 400 employees 044 556 1465 Government Education and Medical Sales DAA eis aa kad dat atis 556 3345 Dell Global Japan a NAA a mada Beast Na 556 3469 Faxbox Service 2 eee eee 044 eee 556 3490 Switchboard a ceas a ee AEE 044 eee 556 4300 Web site http support jp dell com 6 6 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com APPENDIX A System Specifications Table A 1 Technical Specifications Microprocessor Microprocessor type Intel Socket 370 Pentium Ill processor that runs at an external speed of 100 MHz
59. d the problem and you need to talk to a Dell technician call Dell s technical support service The system information label provides your system s five character service tag sequence The label is located on the upperleft corner of the computer For instructions on using the technical support service refer to Technical Support Service and Before You Call found later in this chapter support dell com Getting Help 6 1 Help Tools Dell provides a number of tools to assist you These tools are described in the follow ing sections NOTE Some of the following tools are not always available in all locations Please call your local Dell representative for information on availability World Wide Web The Internet is your most powerful tool for obtaining information about your computer and other Dell products From Dell s World Wide Web home page http www dell com you can access product information order status and technical support From Dell s technical support page http support dell com click one of the following Support Your Dell Enter your service tag and then click Submit The service tag sequence is listed on the system information label See the System Help for the loca tion of the system information label From this page you can access a number of tools and information such as system documentation drivers and basic input output BIOS updates and self diagnostic tools for resolving many computer
60. d to interrupt 03 05 09 10 or 11 PCI Slot 2 If PCI IRQ Setting is set to Manual the expansion card in PCI slot 2 can be manually assigned to interrupt 03 05 09 10 or 11 PCI IRQ Sharing Allows different PCI devices to use the same interrupt assignment The selections are Yes default and No VGA Palette Snoop Deactivates the palette snoop function for PCI VGA devices if set to Disabled default Set to Enable to activate the function NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms support dell com System Setup Program B 17 Table B 13 PnP PCI Options Screen Submenu Options continued Option Function Graphics Aperture Size Sets the graphics aperture size to 4 8 16 32 64 128 or 256 MB Plug and Play OS Set to Yes default to allow the operating system to handle all Plug and Play operation Set to No to allow the BIOS to handle the Plug and Play operation Reset Resource Assignments Set to No default to retain ESCD data Set to Yes to clear ESCD data Restore On AC Power Loss Determines the system mode of operation after an AC power failure The selections are Power On default Stays Off and Last State Remote Wake Up Set to Enabled default to activate remote Wakeup On LAN mode Set to Disabled to deactivate it RTC Alarm Resume Day Resume Time Determines the time and date for the RTC alarm function to resume The sel
61. diagnostics repeat steps 1 through 3 to reset the first bootable device to its original option usually Floppy Disk A For a quick check of your system select Quickly Test All Devices This option runs only the subtests that do not require user interaction and that do not take a long time to run Dell recommends that you choose this option first to increase the odds of tracing the source of the problem quickly For a thorough check of your system select Fully Test All Devices To check a particular area of your system select Select Devices to Test To select an option from this menu highlight the option and press lt Enter gt or press the key that corresponds to the highlighted letter in the option you choose support dell com Basic Troubleshooting 3 11 Dell Computer Corporation Diagnostics Version X XX DIAGNOSTICS MENU ee Fully Test All Devices Quickly Test All Devices Select Devices to Test Exit to MS DOS Figure 3 1 Diagnostics Menu Dell Diagnostics Main Screen When you select Select Devices to Test from the DIAGNOSTICS MENU the main screen of the diagnostics appears see Figure 3 2 The main screen lists the diagnos tic test device groups lists the devices of the selected device group and allows you to select options from a menu From this screen you can enter two other types of screens Information on the main screen of the diagnostics is presented in the following areas Two lines at
62. e system complete the load operation Then shut down the system and try again See Appendix B System Setup Program for more information 3 10 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide 3 Change the first bootable device to IDE CD ROM in the Boot Options screen Write down the first bootable device option that you are changing usually Floppy Disk A so you can change the setting back after you run the diagnostics See Appendix B System Setup Program for more information 4 Insert the Dell Dimension ResourceCD into the optical drive 5 Press lt Esc gt to exit and save the system setup program settings 6 When the boot menu appears on the screen select the 1 Start computer with CD ROM support option and press lt Enter gt 7 Verify that the prompt drive letter is the optical drive letter in which you placed the Dell Dimension ResourceCD usually d If not type the optical drive letter followed by a colon lt gt and press lt Enter gt NOTE Press lt Shift gt and lt gt to type the colon lt gt character on the Japanese L keyboard 8 Type dimcdiag and press lt Enter gt The DIAGNOSTICS MENU appears see Figure 3 1 The menu allows you to run all or specific diagnostic tests or to exit to the MS DOS prompt NOTE Before you read the rest of this section you may want to start the Dell Diagnostics so that you can see it on the screen of your monitor 9 After running the
63. e computer Start the computer Press any key when the Press any key to boot from CD message appears on the screen When the Windows 2000 Setup screen appears ensure that the To setup Win2000 now press ENTER option is highlighted Then press lt Enter gt Software Solutions 4 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Read the information in the License Agreement screen and then press lt F8 gt to continue When the Windows 2000 Professional Setup screen appears use the arrow keys to select the Windows 2000 partition option that you want To continue press the key specified in the partition option that you chose When the Windows 2000 Professional Setup screen reappears use the arrow keys to select the type of filing system that you want Windows 2000 to use and then press lt Enter gt Press lt Enter gt again to restart your computer Click Next when the Welcome to the Windows 2000 Setup Wizard screen appears When the Regional Settings screen appears select the settings for your locale and then click Next Enter your name and organization in the Personalize Your Software screen and then click Next When prompted enter the Windows product key which is printed on the Microsoft label on your computer Then click Next When the Computer Name and Administrator Password screen appears enter a name for your computer and a password if desired Then click Next Enter the date and time in the Date and Time
64. e only Using a nonanalog line such as a digital or private branch exchange PBX line will damage the modem NOTE If your modem can dial and connect to one Internet service provider ISP or to a fax machine your modem is functioning properly For assistance contact the ISP to which you cannot connect 3 6 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com If you are experiencing problems with a modem perform the following checks If you have any other telephone devices plugged into this line such as answering machines dedicated fax machines surge protectors or line splitters then bypass them and plug the modem cable directly into the telephone connector on the wall Disconnect the cable from the modem and plug it directly into a telephone Listen for a dial tone Check that the modem cable is connected to the line jack the jack with a connectorshaped icon on the modem Reseat the cable connections Plug a telephone cable into the telephone jack the jack with a telephone icon on the modem and listen for a dial tone Try a different cable if you are using a cable that is 10 feet or more in length try a shorter one Low connection speeds can be caused by line noise If you have persistent prob lems contact your telephone company to check for data noise and imbalanced lines See Modem in Chapter 5 for further troubleshooting information Network Cards In general network malf
65. e system s audio controller to produce sound e Other Drivers Control devices such as modem cards or network interface controller NIC cards that may installed on your system For instructions on how to reinstall these drivers see the device s documentation by double clicking the Dell Documents icon on the Windows desktop clicking System Information and then clicking System Documentation NOTES If a driver does not appear under a selected operating system on the Dell Dimension ResourceCD then the driver is not required by that operating system If you reinstall Windows 98 you must reinstall the Intel Chip Set Update Utility before you reinstall any other drivers Using the Dell Dimension ResourceCD to Reinstall Drivers NOTICE The Dell Dimension ResourceCD contains drivers for devices that might not be installed in your computer Do not install device drivers unless you first identify the specific driver intended for the hardware installed in your computer see Your System s Drivers found earlier in this chapter Installing incorrect drivers might make your computer inoperable 1 Start the computer s operating system 2 If you have not initially installed the Dell Dimension ResourceCD application pro gram proceed to the next step If you have previously installed the application program proceed to step 6 3 Insert the Dell Dimension ResourceCD into the optical drive The ResourceCD Installation application p
66. ections are Time Date Time Date and Disabled default If set to Time Date or Time Date you can set the following additional options Sets the day for the RTC alarm function to resume The selections are 1 default through 31 Sets the hour minute second for the RTC alarm function to resume The selections are 00 default to 59 for each field NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms Disabling a Forgotten Password If you forget your user or supervisor password you will be unable to operate your sys tem or change settings in the system setup program respectively until you disable the existing password s Disabling the password s involves removing the computer cover and changing a jumper setting twice on the system board Z NOTE You disable both supervisor and user passwords at the same time To disable a forgotten password perform the following steps 1 Turn off the computer and unplug it from the electrical outlet 2 Remove the computer cover according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover found in Chapter 2 3 Remove the riserboard bracket according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket found in Chapter 2 4 Remove all expansion cards according to the instructions in Removing Expan sion Cards found in Chapter 2 B 18 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com
67. elf test POST Installing a DIMM 1 Remove the computer cover according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover found earlier in this chapter 2 Remove the riser board bracket according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket found earlier in this chapter 3 Remove the expansion cards according to the instructions in Removing Expan sion Cards found earlier in this chapter 4 Press outward on the plastic securing clips at each end of the DIMM socket to release the clips as shown in step 1 of Figure 2 11 securing clips 2 cutouts 2 Figure 2 11 Installing a DIMM 5 Orient the DIMM so that the cutouts on its edge connector align with the cross bars in the central groove of the socket NOTICE Do not press near the middle of the DIMM Doing so could break the module 6 Insert the DIMM straight down into the socket making sure that it fits into the vertical guides at each end of the socket Press firmly at each end until the DIMM snaps into place see step 2 of Figure 2 11 If you inserted the DIMM correctly the securing clips snap into the cutouts at each end of the DIMM see step 3 of Figure 2 11 Installing Upgrades on the System Board 2 17 7 Replace the expansion cards riser board bracket and the computer cover and reconnect your computer and devices to their electrical outlets and turn them on 8 To enter the system setup
68. en PK io ee chews cee ee 2 16 Installing a DIMM amak nadia sadya maA a eh haaha d nhan hangan kio 2 17 RemovingaDIMM 0 000000 eee ee 2 18 Replacing the System Battery soaa codici nadia kadaa ene 2 19 xiii Chapter 3 Chapter 4 XIV Basic Troubleshooting 3 1 Backing Up Data FIlES tintis Dagok PA NAGA Ha Aw baw Abaca PARA BLA 3 1 Installing Additional Hardware and Software 0 3 1 Delar Supporti Hala Hala NG bh KAYA AREA LANA DAG BIGAA ANA 3 2 Checking the Basics sises sismi rdis ode Sodan PEAR eae dye ee Peek ees 3 2 External Connections erer aco MG rrako NA MGA BAWANG LAG eee A La 3 2 OWE EY tataa AA ah he an An dala a E Na Aa Maan na a 3 3 Start Up Routine 000 eee 3 3 Environmental FaGtOTS 04 vc mY ANG NG wha de Siena whieh Ree vas Re 3 4 MONO 23 daka BANAT ata he Sta aw Bat ta hte ere he ee NG NG 3 4 SPEIK TS nek Shee eid de Na eM ane in andl NG Ma pain aap Kanan dean 3 6 Modem se seue temui ecg ae eves KKK ANN doses Ee wee LAAN UN sees 3 6 NGtWOrk CardS aa beds aad bar be he dd eons pao k ed as 3 7 Diskette DIVES gcc Sie Dia ka ad bid ba bbe Dan NG ONG ws Sco ee 3 8 Optical Drives mireta i haa os cane eld inde inden ha a 3 8 Hard Disk DrIVES 2122222422054 KG REG pe BLING See Eee ee Coda dene sees 3 9 Running the Dell Diagnostics ieska aatia net ea a a aaae i a ia a a ara a a a a a 3 9 Starting the Dell Diagnostics 0 0 000000 eee 3 10 Dell Diag
69. er is wet or damaged see If Your Computer Gets Wet or If Your Computer Is Damaged in Chapter 5 Backing Up Data Files You can lose data when a system failure occurs If your system is behaving erratically back up your data files immediately You do not need to back up Dell installed driver files for Dell installed devices The driver files are preserved on the Dell Dimension ResourceCD NOTE In case of warranty replacement of your hard disk drive you will receive a blank formatted drive from Dell You must reinstall application programs and restore data files Installing Additional Hardware and Software If the problem you are experiencing began after you made a change to your computer such as installing new hardware or software undo the change if possible If the problem is resolved check any documentation that came with the hardware or software you attempted to install or that describes the change you made In particular read any text files such as readme txt included with the software package or hard ware product such files contain information updating or supplementing the documentation for the software or hardware Typically readme files provide installa tion information describe new product enhancements or corrections that have not yet been documented and list known problems Basic Troubleshooting 3 1 If you were trying to install new hardware double check configuration settings and available system res
70. er strips and extension cables to verify that the system turns on e Turn off the computer and any attached devices and disconnect them from their electrical outlets Disconnect any devices attached to the computer except for the mouse and the monitor Reseat the power cable at the back of the computer then reconnect the computer and monitor to an electrical outlet making sure that all connections fit tightly together Turn on the computer system If the computer boots starts turn it off again and reconnect devices one at a time turning on the system each time to see if the problem returns e Turn off the system and swap the monitor and computer power cables Start Up Routine NOTE Most of the checks in Table 3 1 require observation of computer functions and indications some of which can occur simultaneously You may need to restart the computer several times to complete all these checks Table 3 1 Start Up Routine Indications Indication Action You hear a series of beeps See Table C 1 A message is displayed on the monitor See Table C 2 support dell com Basic Troubleshooting 3 3 Environmental Factors A number of external factors including temperature extremes and humidity magnetic influences sources of electromagnetic interference EMI and poor input power or signal quality can interfere with the performance of your computer and attached devices Monitors are especially susceptible to these environme
71. ety of expansion cards to increase system functionality e Fax modem card 2 10 100 megabit per second Mbps network card You can expand your system s memory up to 512 MB by installing additional 168 pin 100 megahertz MHz non error checking and correction non ECC SDRAM DIMMs in the DIMM sockets on the system board Purchasing memory upgrades from Dell Spare Parts ensures system compatibility these upgrades are also covered under your system warranty See Adding Memory in Chapter 2 before purchasing a mem ory upgrade To order any of these upgrades call Dell Padlock Ring On the back of the computer is a padlock ring see Figure 1 1 for attaching commer cially available theft deterrent devices support dell com Introduction 1 3 padlock ring Figure 1 1 Padlock Ring The padlock ring allows you to secure the computer cover to the chassis with a pad lock to prevent unauthorized access to the inside of the computer To use the padlock ring insert a commercially available padlock through the ring and then lock the padlock 1 4 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com CHAPTER 2 Installing Upgrades on the System Board This chapter describes how to install expansion cards and system memory It also tells you how to remove and replace the computer cover and familiarizes you with internal components Safety First For You and Your Computer Working inside your co
72. features e Options that let you run tests individually or collectively e An option that allows you to choose the number of times a test group or subtest is repeated e The ability to display or print out test results or to save them in a file e Options to temporarily suspend testing if an error is detected or to terminate testing when an adjustable error limit is reached e A Devices menu category that briefly describes each test and its parameters e A Config menu category that describes the configuration of the devices in the selected device group e Status messages that inform you whether test groups or subtests were com pleted successfully e Error messages that appear if any problems are detected As long as the microprocessor and the input and output components of your com puter system the monitor keyboard optical drive and diskette drive are working you can use the Dell Diagnostics If you are experienced with computers and know what component s you need to test simply select the appropriate diagnostic test group s or subtest s If you are unsure about how to begin diagnosing a problem read the rest of this section Starting the Dell Diagnostics To start the diagnostics perform the following steps 1 Turn on or restart your system 2 Enter the system setup program by pressing lt Del gt when the blue Dell logo appears If you wait too long and the operating system begins to load into memory et th
73. he Help click the Start button point to Programs gt Dell Documents and then click Dell Dimension Help You may also double click the Dell Documents icon on the Windows desktop click Sys tem Information click System Documentation and then click Dell Dimension Help e Online documentation is included for your computer devices such as a video or modem card and for any options you purchase separately from your computer To access this supplemental documentation double click the Dell Documents icon on the Windows desktop click System Information and then click System Documentation e Operating system documentation e Technical information files sometimes called readme files may be installed on your hard disk drive to provide last minute updates about technical changes to your system or reference material intended for experienced users Notational Conventions The following subsections describe notational conventions used in this document Notes Notices and Cautions Throughout this guide blocks of text may be accompanied by an icon and printed in bold type or in italic type These blocks are notes notices and cautions and they are used as follows NOTE A NOTE indicates important information that helos you make better use of your computer system 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 potentially ha
74. he second column in the table lists possible causes of the messages and the third column either provides a corrective action or refers you to a source for resolving the problem Table C 2 System Messages Message Possible Cause Corrective Action CMOS Battery Bad The system board battery may be faulty Replace the system battery See Replacing the System Battery in Chapter 2 CMOS A CMOS checksum error Run the System Board Devices Checksum has occurred tests as described in Running Error the Dell Diagnostics in Chapter 3 CPU Clock The processorclock Check the processorclock jumper ismatch jumper may be set settings See Jumpers in incorrectly Chapter 2 Diskette The diskette drive may Run the Diskette tests as Drive x Error be faulty type mis described in Running the Dell matched or not properly Diagnostics in Chapter 3 Diskette installed Drive Controller Error Equipment The hardware configura Check the system setup program Configura tion does not match the settings See Appendix B Sys tion Error system setup program tem Setup Program configuration data NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms C 2 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com Table C 2 System Messages continued Message Possible Cause Corrective Action Expansion ROM The I O expansion RO
75. ides more information on correctly seating an expansion card 9 Replace the fillerbracket cap and screw that you removed in step 5 10 Connect any cables required for the card as described in the documentation that came with the card Installing Upgrades on the System Board 2 15 11 Replace the riserboard bracket according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the RiserBoard Bracket found earlier in this chapter 12 Replace the computer cover 13 See the documentation that came with the expansion card for information on installing any required drivers for your operating system Removing Expansion Cards 1 Remove the computer cover according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover found earlier in this chapter 2 Remove the riserboard bracket according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the RiserBoard Bracket found earlier in this chapter 3 If necessary disconnect any cables connected to the card 4 Remove the screw that secures the filler bracket cap to the back panel of the computer see Figure 2 8 and remove the filler bracket cap 5 Remove the screw from the card mounting bracket NOTICE Use one hand to support the riser board while removing an expansion card from an expansion card connector Otherwise damage to the riser board connector or system board may occur 6 Grasp the card by its top corners and ease it out of its connector 7 If you
76. interface if there is one The format of this submenu is the same as the one described in IDE Primary Channel Master Submenu found later in this appendix NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms support dell com System Setup Program B 7 IDE Primary Channel Master Submenu Device Detection Mode Device Type Cylinder Head Sector Size E Primary Channel Master Auto Hard Disk 14848 9 63 4310 MB Hard Disk 32 Bit Access Enabled Advanced PIO Mode Auto DMA Transfer Mode Auto Figure B 5 IDE Primary Channel Master Submenu Table B 6 IDE Primary Channel Master Submenu Options Option Function Device Detection Mode Specifies the mode of device detection on the channel Selections are Auto default User and None Device Type Displays the device type as Hard Disk CD ROM DVD ROM or None Cylinder If you set Device Detection Mode to User you can enter the number of cylinders from 0 to 16383 Head If you set Device Detection Mode to User you can enter the number of heads from 0 to 16 Sector If you set Device Detection Mode to User you can enter the number of sectors from 0 to 63 Size Displays the size of the drive Hard Disk 32 Bit Access Set to Enabled default to enhance the hard disk drive access rate performance Otherwise set to Disabled Advanced PIO Mode Sets the PIO mode to Auto default
77. ities 4 4 Windows Me reinstalling 4 8 reso Windows NT ving software and hardware incompatibilities 4 4 solving software and hardware 6 incompatibilities 4 World Wide Web help tools 6 2 Index 5 6 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide
78. mputer is safe f you observe the following precautions CAUTION FOR YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY AND PROTECTION OF YOUR EQUIPMENT Before working on your computer perform the following steps 1 Turn off your computer and all devices 2 Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface at the back of the computer before touching anything inside your computer While you work periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the computer to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components 3 Disconnect any devices connected to the computer including the monitor from their electrical outlets to reduce the potential for personal injury or shock Also disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer 4 Disconnect the power cable to your computer and then press the power button to ground the system board In addition Dell recommends that you review the safety instructions at the front of this guide Installing Upgrades on the System Board 2 1 22 Installation Guidelines Keep a static sensitive component in its antistatic packing material until you are ready to install the component in the computer Just before unwrapping the antistatic pack aging discharge static electricity from your body Make sure you have adequate lighting and a clean work space If you temporarily dis connect cables or remove expansion cards note the position of the connectors and slots so that you can reassem
79. n on the monitor The Windows desktop is restored exactly as it appeared before the monitor was turned off e Turn off hard disk Turns off the hard disk drive so that the system uses less power You can press any key to turn on the hard disk drive The Windows desk top is restored exactly as it appeared before the hard disk drive was turned off System standby Turns off the monitor stops the hard disk drive and turns off other internal devices so that the computer uses less power When the system resumes from standby mode the Windows desktop is restored exactly as it appeared prior to entering standby mode NOTE The system may take several seconds to resume operation from the power scheme settings The Advanced tab allows you to display the Power Management icon on the Windows 98 taskbar and the Power Options icon on the Windows 2000 and Win dows Me taskbar You may also select the option to have a password prompt appear when the system resumes from standby mode For Windows 2000 and Windows Me you may set the system to power off or to enter standby mode when you press the power button For Windows 2000 and Windows Me the following additional tabs are included in the Power Options Properties window e The Hibernate tab allows you to enable hibernate mode support and displays available disk space for hibernation The UPS tab displays the status of the uninterruptible power supply UPS if installed Reinstalling Dri
80. nd password in the appropriate fields and then click OK 17 If you created a Windows user name and password type your password and click OK NOTICE Make sure that you reinstall the Intel Chip Set Update Utility driver before you reinstall any other drivers 18 Reinstall the appropriate drivers 19 Reenable your virus protection software 20 Enter the system setup program as directed by a Dell technical support representative 21 In the system setup program Boot menu change the boot sequence so that the diskette drive boots first as directed by a Dell technical support representative Then exit the system setup program Software Solutions 4 7 Reinstalling Windows Me NOTICE The operating system CD provides options for reinstalling your Windows Me operating system The options can potentially overwrite files installed by Dell and possibly affect programs installed on your hard drive Therefore Dell does not recommend that you reinstall your operating sys tem unless instructed to do so by a Dell technical support representative NOTICE To prevent conflicts with Windows Me you must disable any virus protection software installed on your system before you reinstall Windows Me 1 10 11 12 13 14 Turn on the computer and enter the system setup program as directed by a Dell technical support representative In the system setup program Boot menu change the boot sequence so that the CD ROM or DVD ROM dri
81. nd you of these precautions NOTICE See Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge in the safety instructions at the front of this guide Preface About This Guide This guide is intended for anyone who uses a Dell Dimension 900 system It can be used by both first time and experienced computer users who want to learn about the features and operation of the systems or who want to upgrade their computers The chapters and appendixes are summarized as follows e Chapter 1 Introduction provides an overview of the system features and infor mation on preventive maintenance to protect the computer e Chapter 2 Installing Upgrades on the System Board provides information on performing various upgrades such as installing additional memory The chapter includes a basic orientation to internal features of the computer e Chapter 3 Basic Troubleshooting contains checklists to use before calling Dell for technical assistance e Chapter 4 Software Solutions has information on reinstalling software e Chapter 5 Checking Inside Your Computer presents troubleshooting proce dures for system components such as expansion cards memory and drives e Chapter 6 Getting Help provides information on obtaining technical assis tance Users who have been unable to resolve problems using the troubleshooting information provided in this guide can refer to this chapter e Appendix A System Specifi
82. ndix B System Setup Program and verify 1st Bank 2nd Bank and Total Memory on the System Information screen If the problem still exists and you have a single DIMM repeat steps 1 through 5 installing the DIMM in a different socket If you have more than one DIMM try installing one at a time If the problem persists see Chapter 6 Getting Help for instructions on obtain ing technical assistance If Your Computer Gets Wet Liquids from spills splashes and excessive humidity can damage your computer If an external device such as a printer gets wet contact the manufacturer of that device for instructions If your computer gets wet perform the following steps 1 2 3 Immediately unplug the computer from the electrical outlet Remove the computer cover as described in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover in Chapter 2 Let the computer dry for at least 24 hours NOTICE Make sure that the computer is thoroughly dry before proceeding 4 Remove the riserboard bracket as described in Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket in Chapter 2 Remove all expansion cards installed in the computer see Removing Expansion Cards in Chapter 2 and replace the riser board bracket Replace the computer cover reconnect the system to an electrical outlet and turn on the computer system If the system does not have power see Chapter 6 Getting Help for instruc tions on obtaining
83. nect the computer system s power and modem cables from all electrical outlets 6 4 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide Diagnostics Checklist Name Date Address Phone number Service tag bar code on the back of the computer Return Material Authorization Number if provided by Dell support technician Operating system and version Peripherals Expansion cards Are you connected to a network yes LI no Network version and network card Programs and versions Refer to your operating system documentation to determine the contents of the system s start up files If the computer is connected to a printer print each file Otherwise record the contents of each file before calling Dell Error message beep code or diagnostic code Description of problem and troubleshooting procedures you performed Figure 6 1 Diagnostics Checklist support dell com Getting Hep 6 5 Dell Contact Numbers Table 6 1 provides area codes and telephone numbers for each department or service available in Japan Table 6 1 Dell Contact Numbers Area Local Number or Country City cones Name or Service Code Toll Free Num Japan Technical Support Server a PAP Nance toll free 0120 1984 35 Technical Support Dimension and Inspiron maabala akan E E aha lia A graben eae aman ed toll free 0120 1982 26 Technical Support Outside of Japan Dimension an
84. ng altitude is 914 m 3000 ft NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms System Specifications A 5 A 6 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com APPENDIX B System Setup Program This appendix describes the system setup program which you can use to configure your computer as well as enable and disable your computer s password features Each time you turn on or restart your computer the system compares the installed hardware to the hardware listed in the configuration information stored in nonvolatile random access memory NVRAM on the system board If the computer detects a discrepancy between the two it generates error messages that identify the incorrect configuration settings The computer then prompts you to enter the system setup program to correct the setting You can use the system setup program as follows e To change the system configuration information after you add change or remove any hardware in your system e To set or change userselectable options for example the user password Dell recommends that you print the system setup program screens by pressing lt Print Screen gt or write down the information for future reference Entering the System Setup Program Enter the system setup program as follows 1 Turn on or restart your system 2 When the blue Dell logo appears press lt Del gt If you wait too long and the operating sy
85. ng program See the online documentation provided with your virus scanning software for instructions Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities For a device to operate properly both the device and its software must be compatible with the operating system Windows 98 and Windows Me Windows 98 and Windows Me interrupt request IRQ conflicts occur if a device either is not detected during the Windows 98 or Windows Me Plug and Play setup or is detected but incorrectly configured To check for conflicts perform the following steps 1 Click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel 2 Inthe Control Panel double click the System icon 4 4 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com 3 Click the Device Manager tab 4 In the Device Manager list check for conflicts with other devices Conflicts are indicated by a yellow exclamation point beside the conflicting device or a red X if the device has been disabled 5 Double click the malfunctioning device type in the Device Manager list 6 Double click the icon for the specific device in the expanded list The Properties window appears If there is an IRQ conflict the Device status area in the Properties window reports what expansion cards or devices are sharing the device s IRQ 7 Resolve the IRQ conflicts You can also use the Windows 98 Hardware Conflict Troubleshooter To use the troubleshooter click the S
86. nostics Main Screen n nauau 00 0c eee 3 12 Using the Dell Diagnostics nanana 3 13 MGA icns Pehe Lacie a Rode oh oda eee dS ads ane tel gh Belshe bas 3 13 KEYS nakang neste nancies oh aia adie erases tutte E padin a laf 3 14 Device Gro Pee sies bruske sama eee 3 14 DEVICE nain adea Wd don Kahan E gy KUNG GN Ka Na ALA E As 3 14 TEST 2aama Ka hl bea ee che tie goa BA dad aad Kama beeen Pama RAHE Kag 3 14 VETS Sa adaa Brad haaa td kakanan ne dba ee koa ead 3 14 Software Solutions oo o o oo 4l Using the Power Management Features in Windows 98 Windows Me and Windows 2000 Lia nadan makan kaan Nikka Pho bleed ued iar a S add 4 1 Reinstalling Drivers ise te ereda whew AKA mah la gies E annie hemos eee 4 2 Your System s Drivers eee 4 3 Using the Dell Dimension ResourceCD to Reinstall Drivers 4 3 Temporarily Disabling the Virus Scanning Program saasaa naaa Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities Windows 98 and Windows Me 000000 00sec reece 4 4 Windows 2000 tii taani aia ri A eh dh en ea bal hee E 4 5 Windows Naa puma ba cig estes page PRG EET EE ead USLA RNE KAWAL 4 6 Reinstalling Windows 98 2 2 4 6 Reinstalling Windows Me 0 2222 ete eee 4 8 Reinstalling Windows 2000 0 22 eee 4 9 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Appendix A Appendix B Checking Inside Your Computer 5 1 ExpanslomiGards tani
87. ntal factors The following items can adversely affect the performance of a computer system e Inadequate ventilation from operating the computer in a confined space such as a desk enclosure e Direct sunlight causing the computer to overheat e Line noise or power drops and surges from electrical outlets due to poor wiring e Line noises or surges through telephone lines e High voltage electrical appliances on the same circuit or operating in close prox imity to the computer e Speakers especially the subwoofer or telephone too close to the monitor gener ating magnetic fields that distort the display image e Fluorescent lights or halogen lamps causing display flickering or distortion e Electrical extension cords and keyboard and mouse extension cables e Too many devices on a power strip or multiple power strips from one electrical outlet e Electrical conduits in an adjoining wall or elevators on the other side of the wall e Large metal beams inside the wall behind the system e Dust accumulation near the fan or power supply If removing potential sources of problems does not help try moving the computer and the monitor Monitor This section lists some basic checks you can do for most monitors Check the documentation that came with the monitor for fault indications and troubleshooting procedures specific to your monitor If you purchased the monitor from Dell you can also find troubleshooting information on Dell s World Wide Web
88. nternal and external cables attached to the expansion cards 4 Remove the expansion cards as described in Removing Expansion Cards in Chapter 2 Then reinstall the expansion cards fully seating the cards in their connectors Figure 5 1 illustrates a correctly seated expansion card and Figure 5 2 illustrates incorrect expansion card installations 5 Reconnect the cable connectors to the appropriate connectors on the expansion cards 6 Replace the riserboard bracket 7 Replace the computer cover connect all external cables and turn on the system Checking Inside Your Computer 5 1 fully seated TES not fully seated Figure 5 1 Expansion Card Installation front edge not seated bracket caught in slot Figure 5 2 Incorrect Expansion Card Installations 5 2 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com The following subsections provide troubleshooting procedures for some specific types of expansion cards Modem In general modem malfunctions may be caused by any of the following problems Incorrectly seated modem in the Peripheral Component Interconnect PCI slot Interrupt request IRQ conflicts Incorrect drivers installed Incorrect software configuration To troubleshoot a modem card perform the following steps 1 Check for modem IRO conflicts See Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities in Chapter 4 Resolve any modem IRO conflicts and
89. nufacturer for more information e One serial port and one bidirectional parallel port for connecting external devices e A Personal System 2 PS 2 style keyboard port and a PS 2 compatible mouse port Software Features The following software is included with your Dell computer system e The Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition Windows 2000 or Windows Me Windows NT 4 0 operating system is installed on your hard disk drive For more information see your operating system documentation 1 2 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide e Virus scanning software e Video drivers designed to support the integrated Intel Direct accelerated graphics port AGP Graphics Accelerator see Video Drivers in Chapter 4 for more infor mation Before changing the resolution check the monitor documentation to determine the supported resolutions and refresh rates e Dell Diagnostics for evaluating the computer s components and devices see Running the Dell Diagnostics in Chapter 3 e The system setup program for viewing and changing system configuration infor mation see Appendix B System Setup Program Available Upgrades The upgrades Dell offers undergo rigorous testing to ensure proper operation with your computer You should review PCI Expansion Card Upgrades in Chapter 2 to be sure you have the necessary slots or resources available before purchasing such an upgrade Dell offers a vari
90. ode from the boot manager screen For Windows NT select Windows NT Workstation 4 0 VGA Mode from the boot manager screen Reinstall the video drivers see Video Drivers in Chapter 4 Speakers Perform the following checks for speaker problems Ensure that the speakers are properly connected as shown on the Getting Started sheet or as described in the documentation that came with the speakers Reseat all speaker connections and make sure they are inserted fully Verify that the audio jacks are not bent or broken Verify that the speakers and or subwoofer are turned on and are connected to a known good power source Turn up the volume knob on the speakers If the audio is distorted make sure that the volume is not turned to its maximum setting Adjust the treble and or bass if the sound is distorted Turn up the volume by clicking the yellow speaker icon in the Windows taskbar and adjusting the volume setting Turn off the monitor and such devices as fans fluorescent lights or halogen lamps to check for interference from those devices Plug the speakers into the headphone jack of the optical drive make sure the headphone volume control is turned up and play a music CD Check for conflicts as described in Resolving Software and Hardware Incompat ibilities in Chapter 4 Then reinstall the audio drivers as described in Reinstalling Drivers in Chapter 4 Modem NOTICE Connect the modem to an analog lin
91. on their track record more than 90 per cent of all problems and questions are taken care of in just one toll free call usually in less than 10 minutes When you call our experts can refer to records kept on your Dell system to better understand your particular question Our technical support staff use computerbased diagnostics to provide fast accurate answers to questions To contact Dell s technical support service first refer to the section titled Before You Call and then call the number listed in Dell Contact Numbers found later in this chapter Problems With Your Order If you have a problem with your order such as missing parts wrong parts or incor rect billing contact Dell for customer assistance Have your invoice or packing slip handy when you call For the Customer Care telephone number to call refer to Dell Contact Numbers found later in this chapter Product Information If you need information about additional products available from Dell or if you would like to place an order visit Dell s World Wide Web site at http www dell com For the telephone number to call to speak to a sales specialist refer to Dell Contact Numbers found later in this chapter Getting Hep 6 3 Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit Prepare all items being returned whether for repair or credit as follows 1 Call Dell to obtain an authorization number and write it clearly and prominently on the outside of
92. or by its metal mounting bracket CAUTION There is a danger of a new battery exploding if it is incorrectly installed Replace the battery only with the same or equivalent type recom mended by the manufacturer Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer s instructions Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge Static electricity can harm delicate components inside your computer To prevent static damage discharge static electricity from your body before you touch any of your computer s electronic components such as the microprocessor You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis As you continue to work inside the computer periodically touch an unpainted metal surface to remove any static charge your body may have accumulated You can also take the following steps to prevent damage from electrostatic discharge ESD e When unpacking a static sensitive component from its shipping carton do not remove the component from the antistatic packing material until you are ready to install the component in your computer Just before unwrapping the antistatic packaging be sure to discharge static electricity from your body e When transporting a sensitive component first place it in an antistatic container or packaging e Handle all sensitive components in a static safe area If possible use antistatic floor pads and workbench pads The following notice may appear throughout this document to remi
93. ould be noted that not all media can be read by all drives A NOTE Inconsistencies in the recording of CD ROM media may cause some higher 3 8 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com Double click the My Computer icon and check to see if the drive is recognized by the system Most of the common boot sector viruses cause the optical drive to disappear Use virus scanning software to check for and remove any viruses If Dell installed Windows 98 or Windows Me on your system you should already have virus scanning software Clean the disc with a soft lint free cloth and isopropyl alcohol Try another optical media title Enter the system setup program as described in Appendix B System Setup Program and verify that Device Detection Mode is set to Auto for the appro priate integrated drive electronics IDE drive option Run the appropriate tests in the IDE Devices device group as described in Run ning the Dell Diagnostics found later in this chapter Hard Disk Drives If you have hard disk drive problems perform the following checks For Windows 98 and Windows Me run the SeanDisk utility by clicking the Start button pointing to Programs gt Accessories gt System Tools and clicking ScanDisk For Windows NT run the error checking utility by opening the property sheet of the affected volume s and clicking Check Now in the Error checking section of the Tools tab
94. ources see Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibili ties in Chapter 4 Also make sure you changed the appropriate settings in the system setup program for the system s new hardware configuration see Appendix B System Setup Program If you need additional technical assistance on the installation of hardware or software contact the product manufacturer or the company from whom you purchased the product DellWare Support DellWare products are supported by the item s manufacturer To receive product sup port information call 1 800 753 7201 Checking the Basics Use the following sections to perform an initial check of your computer system or to isolate a problem External Connections Improperly set switches and controls loose cables and improperly connected cables are the most likely sources of problems for your computer system A quick check of all the switches controls and cable connections can easily solve these problems Usually reseating disconnecting and then reconnecting the cables corrects these problems NOTE See the System Features section of the Dell Dimension 900 System Help for the location of your computer s external connectors and controls To check computer connections perform the following steps 1 Turn off the computer the monitor and all attached devices 2 Reseat all power cables connected to the computer the monitor and devices and to electrical outlets 3 Reseat
95. ppendix B 7 Check the network hardware connections by performing the following steps a Check the network card connector for physical damage b Ensure that the cable is inserted properly c Replace the patch cable or network cable from the wall jack to the computer d If replacing the patch cable or network cable does not solve the problem try moving the computer to known good location on the network e If you still cannot connect to the network ensure that the right drivers are being used If the network card is still not detected see Chapter 6 Getting Help for informa tion on obtaining technical assistance If the network card is detected repeat step 1 Diskette Drives If you have diskette drive problems perform the following checks e Make sure the diskette is not write protected if you are trying to copy data to it e Trya different diskette in the drive If the new diskette works the original one may be defective e Check the settings on the Disk Drives option of the system setup program as described in Appendix B System Setup Program e Run the Diskette device group as described in Running the Dell Diagnostics found later in this chapter Optical Drives If you have problems with an optical drive such as a CD ROM drive perform the following checks speed CD ROM drives to vibrate more than others Such vibration and associated noise do not indicate a defect in the drive or the CD It sh
96. pter 5 Reconnect the computer and devices and start the computer If the message reappears the expansion card may be malfunc tioning If the message does not appear turn off the computer and reinsert the other card Pointing Device Error Pointing Device Interface Error Pointing Device IRQ Conflict A cable or connector may be loose or the mouse or keyboard mouse controller may be faulty The IRQ setting of an expansion card or system board controller may be conflicting with onboard mouse controller Check the keyboard connections or change the keyboard Run the Mouse tests as described in Running the Dell Diagnostics in Chapter 3 See Resolving Software and Hardware Incom patibilities in Chapter 4 Resolve any mouse IRO conflicts and restart the computer NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com Table C 2 System Messages continued Message Possible Cause Corrective Action Press lt Del gt key to enter SETUP or F1 key to Continue A system configuration error is detected or the hardware configuration does not match the system setup program configuration data Check the system setup program settings See Appendix B Sys tem Setup Program Press lt Del gt to turn off MI or any key to reboot Anon maskable interrup
97. ptions Submenu Table B 12 Memory Cache Options Submenu Options Option Function Level 1 Cache Sets Level 1 cache to Enabled default or Disabled Level 2 Cache Sets Level 2 cache to Enabled default or Disabled Memory at 15MB Reserves system memory at 15 MB to 16 MB for use by 16MB Reserved System default or Add on Card for CPU Frequency Sets the CPU frequency multiplier at 3X default 3 5X 4X Multiplier 4 5X 5X 5 5X 6X 6 5X 7X 7 5X or 8X NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms B 16 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide PnP PCI Options Submenu PnP PCI Options PCI IRQ Setting Auto INTA INTB INTC INTD PCI Slot 1 09 11 10 PCI Slot 2 ay 34 10 09 PCI IRQ Sharing Yes VGA Palette Snoop Disabled Graphics Aperature Size 64 MB Plug and Play OS Yes Reset Resource Assignments No Restore On AC Power Loss Power On Remote Wake Up Enabled RTC Alarm Disabled Resume Day Resume Time malas aa Figure B 12 PnP PCI Options Submenu Table B 13 PnP PCI Options Screen Submenu Options Option Function PCI IRO Setting Allows the PCI IRQ settings to be assigned automatically if set to Auto default or manually if set to Manual If set to Manual you can set the following additional options PCI Slot 1 If PCI IRQ Setting is set to Manual the expansion card in PCI slot 1 can be manually assigne
98. r data noise and imbalanced lines or your Internet ser A NOTE If you have persistent problems with low connection speeds contact your vice provider ISP for information about their service Network Cards In general network malfunctions may be caused by the following problems Wrong or incorrectly installed network interface controller NIC drivers IRQ conflicts Damaged RJ45 connector or patch cable Bad hub port connection Incorrectly installed or malfunctioning network card NOTE If you can connect to the network but are having problems accessing network resources contact your network administrator To troubleshoot a network card perform the following steps 1 Run the diagnostics for your network card as described in the documentation that came with the card If the network card is not detected go to step 2 If the network card does not pass all the tests see Chapter 6 Getting Help for instructions on obtaining technical assistance Remove the computer cover as described in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover in Chapter 2 Remove the riser board bracket as described in Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket in Chapter 2 Remove all expansion cards installed in the computer see Removing Expansion Cards in Chapter 2 except the network card to prevent an incorrectly configured card from causing an interrupt or input output I O port resource conflict Replace the riser boa
99. rd bracket Replace the computer cover connect all external cables and turn on the system Clear nonvolatile random access memory NVRAM as described in Clearing NVRAM in Appendix B If the network hardware is functional check the network connections as follows a Check the network card connector for physical damage b Ensure that the cable is inserted properly 5 4 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com c Replace the patch cable or network cable from the wall jack to the computer d If replacing the patch cable or network cable does not solve the problem try moving the computer to a known good location on the network e If you still cannot connect to the network ensure that the right drivers are being used If the network card is still not detected see Chapter 6 Getting Help for infor mation on obtaining technical assistance If the network card is detected repeat step 1 System Memory If a random access memory RAM error message appears troubleshoot the memory by performing the following steps 1 2 3 Turn on the computer and monitor If you hear a beep code see Appendix C Beep Codes and System Messages If you received an error message after making changes in the system setup pro gram restore the original values and restart the system Enter the system setup program as described in Appendix B System Setup Program and verify 1s
100. related issues by following interactive flowcharts Online Knowledge Center This tool searches the Dell Knowledge Base and Dell Support for answers and related topics Dell can be accessed electronically using the following addresses e World Wide Web http www dell com ap for Asian Pacific countries only http www dell com http www euro dell com for Europe only e Anonymous file transfer protocol FTP ftp dell com Log inas user anonymous and use your e mail address as your password e Electronic Support Service apsupport dell com for Asian Pacific countries only support us dell com support euro dell com for Europe only 6 2 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com e Electronic Quote Service apmarketing dell com for Asian Pacific countries only sales dell com e Electronic Information Service info dell com Automated Order Status System You can call this automated service to check on the status of any Dell products that you have ordered A recording prompts you for the information needed to locate and report on your order For the telephone number to call refer to Dell Contact Num bers found later in this chapter Technical Support Service Dell s industry leading hardware technical support service is available 24 hours a day seven days a week to answer your questions about Dell hardware Our technical support staff pride themselves
101. remove the riserboard bracket perform the following steps CAUTION Before you remove the computer cover see Safety First For AN You and Your Computer found earlier in this chapter 1 Remove the computer cover according to the instructions in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover found earlier in this chapter 2 Remove the riserboard screw see Figure 2 5 3 Hold the back of the diskette drive with one hand to prevent it from moving as you perform step 4 4 Slip one finger into the oval opening on top of the riserboard bracket see Figure 2 5 Then slightly lift the back end of the riser board bracket and gently pull the riser board bracket toward the back of the computer until its front tab is free from the front chassis slot and its two side diskette drive slots are clear of the diskette drive tabs CAUTION When handling the riser board bracket always hold it by plac A ing a finger through the oval opening in the bracket see Figure 2 5 Do not grasp the bracket by its edges which may be sharp 2 10 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide diskette drive slots and tabs 2 front tab riser board Fa bracket diskette drive P riser board securing tabs 5 screw back tabs 3 oval opening Figure 2 5 Removing the Riser Board Bracket To replace the riser board bracket perform the following steps 1 Hold the back of the diskette drive with one hand to prevent
102. rface connector on the system board The system board the large printed circuit board secured to the left side of the chassis holds the computer s control circuitry and other electronic components Some hardware options are installed directly onto the system board 2 4 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com diskette drive optical drive Ae system board riser board bracket expansion card slots line out ii Aa es connector power supply USB connector voltage select switch video connector AC power receptacle parallel port connector serial port connector mouse connector keyboard connector Figure 2 3 Inside the Computer Installing Upgrades on the System Board 2 5 System Board Figure 2 4 shows the system board connectors and sockets and Table 2 1 describes their functions microprocessor DIMM sockets DIMMn system board power socket U9 indicator LED 1 DC main power input connector CN2 processor fan connector FN1 keyboard lower and mouse upper connectors CN1 bo parallel port video and serial port connectors CN3 power button connector JP1 power button indicator connector JP2 hard disk drive activity indicator connector JP3 secondary IDE interface USB port connector CN7 connector CN6 primary IDE interface connector CN8 front audio USB board audio sign
103. rly grounded plugs To help protect your computer system from sudden transient increases and decreases in electrical power use a surge suppressor line conditioner or uninterruptible power supply UPS Be sure nothing rests on your computer system s cables and that the cables are not located where they can be stepped on or tripped over Do not spill food or liquids on your computer If the computer gets wet refer to If Your Computer Gets Wet in Chapter 5 Do not push any objects into the openings of your computer Doing so can cause fire or electric shock by shorting out interior components Keep your computer away from radiators and heat sources Also do not block cooling vents Avoid placing loose papers underneath your computer do not place your computer in a closed in wall unit or on a bed sofa or rug Ergonomic Computing Habits CAUTION Improper or prolonged keyboard use may result in injury CAUTION Viewing the monitor screen for extended periods of time may result in eye strain For comfort and efficiency observe the following ergonomic guidelines when setting up and using your computer system Position your system so that the monitor and keyboard are directly in front of you as you work Special shelves are available from Dell and other sources to help you correctly position your keyboard Set the monitor at a comfortable viewing distance usually 510 to 610 millimeters mm 20 to 24 inches from your eyes
104. rogram automatically starts 4 Follow the instructions on your screen 5 When the InstallShield Wizard Complete window appears remove the Dell Dimension ResourceCD from the optical drive and then click Finish to restart the computer 6 After the operating system starts insert the Dell Dimension ResourceCD into the optical drive The Welcome Dell System Owner screen appears Software Solutions 4 3 7 Click Next 8 Change the language in the Language list located in the upperright corner of the window if needed 9 Select the model of your computer in the System Model list 10 Select your computer s operating system in the Operating System list 11 Select the type of device in the Device Type list 12 Select Drivers in the Topic list 13 Click the name of the driver that you want to reinstall See Your System s Drivers found earlier in this chapter for a list of drivers that you can reinstall on your computer 14 Follow the instructions on the screen Temporarily Disabling the Virus Scanning Program Before you install commercially available software temporarily disable any virus scanning program running on your computer For instructions on temporarily disabling virus protection see the online documentation provided with your virus scanning software NOTICE When virus scanning software is disabled viruses are not detected on your system After you install the software reenable the virus scanni
105. ses are 378h default and 278h NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms support dell com System Setup Program B 9 Table B 7 Onboard Peripherals Screen Menu Options continued Option Function IRO Operation Mode ECP DMA Channel If port is set to Enabled available interrupts are 7 default and 5 Sets parallel port to EPP default ECP Standard or Bi Directional mode of operation NOTE See the device manufacturer s documentation for information on which mode to use before changing this setting If operation mode is set to ECP sets the DMA channel to 1 default or 3 Floppy Disk Controller Determines if the diskette drive controller is Enabled default or Disabled PS 2 Mouse Controller Determines if the mouse controller is Enabled default or Disabled IDE Controller Determines the IDE controller mode Selections are Both default Primary or Disabled USB Host Controller USB Legacy Mode Determines if the USB host controller is Enabled default or Disabled If set to Enabled you can set the following addi tional option Set to Disabled default if legacy USB support is not desired Enabled allows support for legacy USB devices NOTE USB Legacy Mode automatically sets to Disabled if a PS 2 keyboard is detected by the system during POST NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms
106. site http support dell com If you have no picture try the following checks e Make sure the computer is turned on e Make sure the monitor s power button is completely depressed e If the monitor s power indicator is lit adjust contrast and brightness to their max imum settings e Verify the electrical outlet by plugging in an appliance that you know works 3 4 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide If you have not already done so plug the monitor directly into an electrical outlet bypassing any power protection devices power strips and extension cables to verify that the monitor turns on If the power indicator is not lit check for a bad power cable by turning off the sys tem and swapping the monitor and computer power cables Perform the monitor self test as described in the documentation that came with the monitor If the picture quality is poor perform these checks Rotate the monitor to face a different direction If the picture changes see Environmental Factors found earlier in this chapter Monitors are particularly susceptible to EMI which causes colors to fade and blend If the orientation of the computer affects the display geometry check the docu mentation that came with the monitor for information on adjustments Degauss demagnetize the monitor as described in the documentation that came with the monitor If you changed the resolution or refresh rate settings of the
107. sor mode jumper JPX2 NVRAM jumper LED1 System board power indicator PH1 Line out connector SL1 Riserboard connector U9 Microprocessor socket NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms Installing Upgrades on the System Board 2 7 Jumpers Jumpers are small blocks on the system board with two or more pins emerging from them Plastic plugs containing a wire fit down over the pins creating a circuit To change a jumper setting pull the plug off its pin s and carefully fit it down onto the pin s indicated NOTICE Make sure your system is turned off and unplugged from the elec trical outlet before you change a jumper setting Otherwise damage to your system or unpredictable results may occur Password Jumper Figure 2 4 shows the location of the password jumper JP6 in your computer Table 2 2 describes the settings and functions of the password jumper Table 2 2 Password Jumper Settings Jumper Settings Description Enables system password features default Bypasses system password features NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms 2 8 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide Processor Mode Jumper Figure 2 4 shows the location of the processor mode jumper JPX1 in your computer Table 2 3 describes the settings and functions of the processor mode jumper settings Table 2 3 Processor Mode Jumper Settings
108. stem begins to load into memory let the system complete the load operation Then shut down the system and try again You can also enter the system setup program by responding to certain error messages Using the System Setup Program Table B 1 lists the keys you use to view or change information on the system setup screens and to exit the program System Setup Program B 1 Table B 1 System Setup Navigation Keys Keys Action Moves the highlight bar up or down to select an item B Q B Selects the submenu for the current option Returns to Enter selected screen from the Key Help Guide Switches to full screen mode n Returns to the parent menu from the Main screen prompts you to exit with or without saving changes Moves the cursor to the previous or next menu option Page Page Moves the screen page up and down Down o 3 L Moves the cursor to the beginning of the page Moves the cursor to the end of the page O 5 Displays the Key Help Guide Alt B B 2 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide System Setup Screens and Options The system setup screens are organized as follows e The left side of each screen lists options that define the installed hardware in your system e The right side of each screen displays options that contain settings or values that you can change Values that are grayed out contain status information reported by the system e
109. t NMI has occurred Press carat to reject the NMI error or press any other key to restart the system RAM Parity Error One or more DIMMs may be faulty or improp erly seated See System Memory and Reseating DIMMs in Chapter 5 Real Time Clock Error A real time clock error has occurred Run the System Board Devices tests as described in Running the Dell Diagnostics in Chapter 3 System Management Memory Bad System management memory may be faulty See System Memory in Chapter 5 System Resource Conflict Some system resources conflict with the resources required by a PCI device See Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities in Chapter 4 NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms Beep Codes and System Messages C 5 C 6 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com APPENDIX D Regulatory Notices Electromagnetic Interference EMI is any signal or emission radiated in free space or conducted along power or signal leads that endangers the functioning of a radio navi gation or other safety service or seriously degrades obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a licensed radio communications service Radio communications services include but are not limited to AM FM commercial broadcast television cellular ser vices radar airtraffic control pager and Personal
110. t Bank 2nd Bank and Total Memory on the System Information screen If the memory amount displayed in megabytes MB does not match the com puter s configuration reseat the dual in line memory modules DIMMs as described in the next subsection NOTE The system memory value reported by the operating system is 1 or 2 MB less than the memory installed because that memory is reserved for video functions For example if the computer has 64 MB of system memory the operating system may report 62 or 63 MB Reseating DIMMs 1 Remove the computer cover as described in Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover in Chapter 2 Remove the riser board bracket as described in Removing and Replacing the RiserBoard Bracket in Chapter 2 Remove the expansion cards as described in Removing Expansion Cards in Chapter 2 Remove the DIMMs as described in Removing a DIMM in Chapter 2 Checking Inside Your Computer 5 5 10 Check the DIMMs and DIMM sockets for broken tabs and damaged connectors If a module is damaged replace it If a DIMM socket is damaged see Chapter 6 Getting Help for instructions on obtaining technical assistance Reinstall the DIMMs as described in Installing a DIMM in Chapter 2 Replace the expansion cards and the riser board bracket Replace the computer cover reconnect the system to an electrical outlet and turn on the system Enter the system setup program as described in Appe
111. tart button and click Help Double click Troubleshooting on the Contents tab and then double click If you have a hardware conflict In Windows Me double click Troubleshooting in the What would you like help with list click Hardware amp system device problems click Hardware memory amp oth ers and then click Hardware Troubleshooter Windows 2000 To check for conflicts on a computer running Windows 2000 perform the following steps 1 Click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel 2 Inthe Control Panel double click the System icon Click the Hardware tab Click Device Manager Click View and then click Resources by connection Or OT ew Double click Interrupt request IRQ to view the IRO assignments Conflicts are indicated by a yellow exclamation point beside the conflicting device or a red X if the device has been disabled 7 Double click the malfunctioning device type in the Device Manager list 8 Double click the icon for the specific device in the expanded list The Properties window appears If there is an IRQ conflict the Device status area in the Properties window reports what expansion cards or devices are sharing the device s IRQ 9 Resolve the IRQ conflicts Software Solutions 4 5 You can also use the Windows 2000 Hardware Conflict Troubleshooter To use the troubleshooter click the Start button and click Help Double click Troubleshooting and Maintenance on the Con
112. tem Setup Program B 11 Table B 8 Boot Options Screen Menu Options continued Option Function Num Lock After Determines whether the keyboard s Num Lock mode remains Boot on after the system boots The selections are Disabled default and Enabled Memory Test Configures memory testing during boot If Fast Boot is Disabled boot memory testing can be Disabled default or Enabled Configuration Displays the system configuration table at boot Set to Table Enabled default or Disabled Update BIOS with NOTICE Do not change this option from Disabled Boot Block default If the option is set to Enabled you cannot restart your computer without technical assistance NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms B 12 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide Date and Time Screen Date and Time day month date year hr min sec Figure B 8 Date and Time Screen Menu Table B 9 Date and Time Screen Menu Options Option Function Date Resets the date on the computer s internal calendar Time Resets the time on the computer s internal clock NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms support dell com System Setup Program B 13 System Security Screen Figure B 9 Setup Security Supervisor Password User Password Disk Drive Control Floppy Drive Normal Hard Disk Drive Normal System Security Screen Menu
113. tents tab and then double click If you have a hard ware conflict Windows NT To check for conflicts on a computer running Windows NT perform the following steps 1 Open the Event Viewer in the Administrative Tools Common folder and check for any relevant event log messages 2 Start the Windows NT Diagnostics from the Administrative Tools Common folder and check current resource assignments on the Resources tab 3 Then click the Services tab and view the state of Services and Devices Reinstalling Windows 98 NOTICE The operating system CD provides options for reinstalling your Windows 98 Second Edition operating system The options can potentially overwrite files installed by Dell and possibly affect programs installed on your hard disk drive Therefore Dell does not recommend that you rein stall your operating system unless instructed to do so by a Dell technical support representative NOTICE To prevent conflicts with Windows 98 you must disable any virus protection software installed on your system before you reinstall Windows 98 1 Turn on the computer and enter the system setup program as directed by a Dell technical support representative 2 Inthe system setup program Boot menu change the boot sequence so that the CD ROM or DVD ROM drive boots first as directed by a Dell technical support representative Then place the operating system CD in the CD ROM or DVD ROM drive and close the drive tray 3 Exit
114. the system setup program The system restarts At the Welcome window click OK Double click Refresh Windows OS OD O BP Click OK 7 Click OK again 4 6 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com 8 Remove the operating system CD from the CD ROM or DVD ROM drive and click OK to restart your system The Getting ready to run Windows for the first time screen appears 9 If the mouse tutorial starts press lt Esc gt to exit and then press y 10 Click the regional setting closest to where you live and click Next 11 Click your keyboard layout and click Next 12 In the User Information window type your name and if applicable company name and then click Next The Name field must be completed the Company Name field is optional The License Agreement window appears 13 Click accept the Agreement and then click Next 14 Type the Windows product key in the fields provided and then click Next The product key is the bar code number found on the Microsoft Windows label which is located on the side of your system 15 In the Date Time Properties window adjust the date and time properties click Apply and then click OK Windows 98 updates the system settings and restarts your system 16 When the Start Wizard appears click Finish The Enter Windows Password window appears To continue without creating a Windows user name and password click OK Otherwise type your user name a
115. the top of the screen identify the version number of the Dell Diagnostics On the left side of the screen the Device Groups area lists the diagnostic test groups in the order they will run if you select All from the Run Tests menu Press the up or down arrow key to highlight a device group On the right side of the screen the Devices for Highlighted Group area lists the devices to be tested for the selected device group Two lines at the bottom of the screen are the menu area The first line lists the menu options you can select press the left or right arrow key to highlight a menu option The second line gives information about the option currently highlighted 3 12 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com Dell Computer Corporation Diagnostics Version X XX Device Groups Devices for Highlighted Group System Board Devices DMA Controller Processor Cache Realtime Clock System Memory System Timer System Management BIOS Interrupt Controller VESA VGA Interface System Speaker Universal Serial Bus Interface Floating Point Unit PC AT Compatible Keyboards Pointing Devices Serial Ports Parallel Ports Network Interfaces Diskette IDE Devices Misc PCI Devices Device Groups Run tests Devices Select Config Help Display the Run Tests Menu Press ESC for Previous Menu Figure 3 2 Dell Diagnostics Main Screen Do not be concerned if the Device Groups area does not list the
116. ting described in NVRAM Jumper in Chapter 2 Replace all expansion cards the riserboard bracket and the computer cover Attach the computer to the electrical outlet and turn it on After the system boots turn it off and unplug it from the electrical outlet Remove the computer cover the riser board bracket and all expansion cards System Setup Program B 19 10 Move the NVRAM jumper JPX2 to the retain setting described in NVRAM Jumper in Chapter 2 11 Replace all expansions cards the riser board bracket and the computer cover 12 Attach the computer to the electrical outlet and turn it on B 20 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com APPENDIX C Beep Codes and System Messages Your application programs the operating system and the computer itself can provide you with error and status information in the form of beep codes that sound through the computer s speaker or messages that appear on the monitor screen This appen dix documents the beep codes and system messages generated by the system basic input output system BIOS For other messages see the documentation for your application program or operating system POST Beep Codes If the monitor cannot display errors or problems during power on self test POST the computer may emit a series of beeps or beep code that identifies the problem The beep codes are listed and explained in Table C 1 Table C 1
117. ts 00000005 two gold contacts DIMM capacities n a aaa aaan 32 64 128 and 256 MB Minimum RAM 0000005 64 MB Maximum RAM 0 2 512 MB Frequency 100 MHz Clock cycle i p aaa Dana oa ma Pea oes 10 ns supports 4 clocks only CAS latency aaa three SPD TEVISION e cra asiwi hana dae gan 1 2 Buffering cece eee unbuffered Voltage xa reana weed eee ds os 3 3V Data bus width 000 64 bits BIOS address 0 0 saa eae F0000h NOTE The Glossary in the system Help defines abbreviations and acronyms A 2 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com Table A 1 Technical Specifications continued Drives Externally accessible Internally accessible BOO one 3 5 inch bay for a slim height 3 5 inch diskette drive one 5 25 inch bay for a slim height optical drive PAENG one bay for 1 inch high IDE hard disk drive Ports and Connectors Externally accessible Serial DTE Parallel ua a a pada e biaa Internally accessible Primary IDE channel Secondary IDE channel Diskette drive TEPEE 9 pin connector 16550 compatible haa Soh 25 pin connector bidirectional alee a 15 pin connector ee 6 hole mini DIN connector hee eee 6 hole mini DIN connector dished one USB compliant connector on the front panel one on the back panel i Boks two
118. ty guidelines CAUTION Do not operate your computer system with any cover s includ AN ing computer covers bezels filler brackets front panel inserts and so on removed e To help avoid damaging your computer be sure the voltage selection switch on the power supply is set to match the AC power available at your location 100 volts V 50 hertz Hz in eastern Japan and 100 V 60 Hz in western Japan 115 V 60 Hz in most of North and South America and some Far Eastern coun tries such as South Korea and Taiwan 230 V 50 Hz in most of Europe the Middle East and the Far East Also be sure your monitor and attached devices are electrically rated to operate with the AC power available in your location e Before working inside the computer unplug the system to help prevent electric shock or system board damage Certain system board components continue to receive power any time the computer is connected to AC power e Before disconnecting a device from the computer disconnect the power cable to your computer and then press the power button to help avoid possible damage to the system board e To help prevent electric shock plug the computer and device power cables into properly grounded power sources These cables are equipped with three prong plugs to help ensure proper grounding Do not use adapter plugs or remove the vi grounding prong from a cable If you must use an extension cable use a three wire cable with prope
119. unctions may be caused by the following problems Wrong or incorrectly installed network interface controller NIC drivers Interrupt request IRQ conflicts Damaged RJ45 connector or patch cable Bad hub port connection Incorrectly installed or malfunctioning network card NOTE If you can connect to the network but are having problems accessing network resources contact your network administrator To troubleshoot a network card perform the following steps 1 Run the diagnostics for your network card as described in the documentation that came with the card If the network card is not detected go to step 2 If the network card does not pass all the tests see Chapter 6 Getting Help for instructions on obtaining technical assistance Remove the computer cover as described in Removing and Replacing the Com puter Cover in Chapter 2 Remove the riser board bracket as described in Removing and Replacing the Riser Board Bracket in Chapter 2 Basic Troubleshooting 3 7 4 Remove all expansion cards installed in the computer see Removing Expansion Cards in Chapter 2 except the network card to prevent a card that is incorrectly configured from causing an interrupt or input output I O port resource conflict 5 Replace the riser board bracket and computer cover connect all external cables and turn on the system 6 Clear nonvolatile random access memory NVRAM as described in Clearing NVRAM in A
120. ure B 8 Date and Time Screen Menu 000 0 eee B 13 Figure B 9 System Security Screen Menu 0 00 eee B 14 Figure B 10 Advanced Options Screen Menu 2 002020 eee eee B 15 Tables Figure B 11 Figure B 12 Figure D 1 Figure D 2 Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab Tab e 2 1 e 2 2 e 2 3 e 2 4 e 2 5 e 3 1 e 6 1 e A 1 e B 1 e B 2 e B 3 e B 4 e B 5 B 6 B 7 B 8 B 9 DM DM M M M M e C 1 e C 2 B 10 B 11 e B 12 e B 13 Memory Cache Options Submenu 2 0000 eee B 16 PnP PCI Options Submenu ss siais seise giii gisi EOE ee EE k B 17 VCCI Class A ITE Regulatory Mark D 3 VCCI Class B ITE Regulatory Mark 0 D 3 System Board Connectors and Sockets 7 U 2 7 Password Jumper Settings 000002 e eee eee 2 8 Processor Mode Jumper Settings 0 2 9 NVRAM Jumper Settings 00 000002 e eee eee 2 9 Boot Block Jumper Settings eee 2 10 Start Up Routine Indications 0 0 00 0 3 3 Dell Contact Numbers 2 0 0 eee 6 6 Technical Specifications 2 0 0 eee A 1 System Setup Navigation Keys anaana aaa cee eee B 2 Main Screen Menu Qptions 00002 e eee eee B 4 System Information Screen Menu Options B 5 Product Information Screen Menu Options B 6 Disk Drives
121. ve boots first as directed by a Dell technical sup port representative Then place the operating system CD in the CD ROM or DVD ROM drive and close the drive tray Exit the system setup program Select Boot From CD ROM and then press lt Enter gt If you wait too long to make this selection the computer automatically boots from the hard drive If this occurs allow the computer to boot completely and then restart it and try again Select Start Windows Setup from CD ROM and then press lt Enter gt Press lt Enter gt again Select Continue Setup and replace your current operating system and then press lt Enter gt Press lt Enter gt again ScanDisk automatically starts and checks your hard disk drive Click Next in the Welcome to Windows Me window Select the directory in which Windows resides If C WINDOWS recommended is displayed select it and then click Next If C WINDOWS 000 recommended is displayed click Other change C NWINDOWS 000 to C WINDOWS and then click Next Ensure that Typical is selected and then click Next Specify a computer name workgroup and computer description if desired and then click Next Select a country in the Country Region window and then click Next Specify a time zone in the Establish Time Zone window and then click Next 4 8 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
122. vers All of your system s drivers for Dell installed devices are operative when you receive the system no further installation or configuration is needed However if you ever need to reinstall any of these drivers the driver files are provided on the Dell Dimension ResourceCD Device problems can often be corrected by reinstalling the appropriate drivers Also hardware manufacturers frequently provide updated drivers that support feature enhancements or that correct problems Obtain updated drivers for products purchased from Dell at the support section of the Dell World Wide Web site http support dell com NOTICE Drivers available on the Dell Web site have been validated for correct operation on Dell systems Installing drivers obtained from other sources may cause errors or performance degradation 4 2 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com Your System s Drivers The device drivers that can be reinstalled on your system are listed below e Intel Chip Set Update Utility Driver Installs Windows device installation files inf that tell the operating system how certain chip set components should be configured for proper operation e Intel Security Driver Provides a heightened level of security for transmitting data across a network or across the Internet e Intel 810e Video Driver Enables the system s video controller to function properly e ADI Audio Driver Enables th
123. ystem Reference and Troubleshooting Guide Disk Drives Screen Disk Drives Floppy Drive A 1 44 MB 3 5 inch Floppy Drive B None IDI ID ID IDI Haw Primary Channel Master Primary Channel Slave Secondary Channel Master Secondary Channel Slave Figure B 4 Disk Drives Screen Menu Table B 5 Disk Drives Screen Menu Options Option Function Floppy Drive A Selects the type of diskette drive Valid selections are 1 44 MB 3 5 inch default 2 88 MB 3 5 inch 720 KB 3 5 inch or None Floppy Drive B Because the chassis supports only one diskette drive this option should be set to None IDE Primary Channel Master Identifies the first drive attached to the primary EIDE inter face usually the boot hard disk drive See IDE Primary Channel Master Submenu found later in this appendix IDE Primary Channel Slave Identifies the second drive attached to the primary EIDE interface if there is one The format of this submenu is the same as the one described in IDE Primary Channel Master Submenu found later in this appendix IDE Secondary Channel Master Identifies the first drive attached to the secondary EIDE interface usually a CD ROM drive The format of this sub menu is the same as the one described in IDE Primary Channel Master Submenu found later in this appendix IDE Secondary Channel Slave Identifies the second drive attached to the secondary EIDE
124. ystems are classified by the Voluntary Control Council for Inter ference VCCI as Class B information technology equipment ITE However the inclusion of certain options can change the rating of some configurations to Class A ITE including peripherals expansion cards printers input output I O devices moni tors and so on integrated into or connected to the system should match the electromagnetic environment classification Class A or B of the computer system To determine which classification applies to your computer system examine the regu latory labels markings see Figures D 1 and D 2 located on the bottom or back panel of your computer Once you have determined your system s VCCI classification read the appropriate VCCI notice Class A ITE COMBI PRUE ERI A ER HS VCCI OSE PRET CT 6 ORE 2 AER CHATS ER ERBBVED COWBICIMEAA DNA CRT EDET This is a Class A product based on the standard of the Voluntary Control Council for Interference VCCI for information technology equipment If this equipment is used in a domestic environment radio disturbance may arise When such trouble occurs the user may be required to take corrective actions D 2 Dell Dimension 900 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide support dell com VCCI A Figure D 1 VCCI Class A ITE Regulatory Mark Class B ITE COREL EERE I A ER RE VCCI OEM ISK 7 FX B BRAN RECT OREIARERAE CHAT SOL SANE LTWETA CORBA DIRT LED a VRRP LT EASE
125. zardous situation which if not avoided may result in minor or moderate injury Typographical Conventions The following list defines where appropriate and illustrates typographical conven tions used as visual cues for specific elements of text throughout this document e Interface components are window titles button and icon names menu names and selections and other options that appear on the monitor screen or display They are presented in bold Example Click OK e Keycaps are labels that appear on the keys on a keyboard They are enclosed in angle brackets Example lt Enter gt e Key combinations are series of keys to be pressed simultaneously unless other wise indicated to perform a single function Example lt Ctrl gt lt Alt gt lt Enter gt e Commands presented in lowercase bold are for reference purposes only and are not intended to be typed when referenced n Example Use the format command to In contrast commands presented in the Courier New font are part of an instruc tion and intended to be typed Example Type format a to format the diskette in drive A e Filenames and directory names are presented in lowercase bold Examples autoexec bat and c windows e Screen text is a message or text that you are instructed to type as part of a com mand referred to as a command line Screen text is presented in the Courier New font Example The following message appears on your screen

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