DellTM InspironTM 1525/1526 Owner's Manual Model PP29L w w w. d e l l . c o m | s u p p o r t . d e l l . c o m Notes, Notices, and Cautions NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer. NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem. CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death. ___________________ Information in this document is subject to change without notice. © 2007 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Inspiron, Wi-Fi Catcher, and Dell MediaDirect are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel and Core are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.; AMD, AMD Turion, Athlon, Sempron, ATI Radeon and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.; Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license. Blu-ray Disc is a trademark of the Blu-ray Disc Association. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own. Model PP29L October 2007 P/N NN491 Rev. A01 Contents Finding Information ................... 13 1 About Your Computer Front View ............... 19 19 24 26 28 29 ........................ ...................... ..................... Left Side View Right Side View Back View ........................ ....................... Bottom View 2 Setting Up Your Computer . Connecting to the Internet ........... 31 31 32 33 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 ............... ....... ..... Setting Up Your Internet Connection . Transferring Information to a New Computer Windows Easy Transfer Setting Up a Printer Printer Cable .............. ................... .................... ............. Connecting a USB Printer Power Protection Devices Surge Protectors Line Conditioners . ............... .................. ................. .......... Uninterruptible Power Supplies Contents 3 3 Using the Display Adjusting Brightness .................. .................. 37 37 Switching the Video Image From Your Computer Display To a Projector . . . ......... ..... 37 38 Setting Display Resolution and Refresh Rate . 4 Using the Keyboard and Touchpad Numeric Keypad ..... 39 39 40 40 40 40 40 41 41 41 42 43 ..................... .................... .................. ................. Key Combinations System Functions Battery Display Functions . ....................... ................ .... Power Management Microsoft® Windows® Logo Key Functions DellTM QuickSet Key Combinations Adjusting Keyboard Settings Touch Pad ......... ............ ........................ ............ Customizing the Touch Pad . 5 Using a Battery .................... .................. .............. 45 45 46 46 47 47 Battery Performance Checking the Battery Charge Dell QuickSet Battery Meter Low-Battery Warning ............ ® Windows® Battery Meter . . . . . . . Microsoft ............... 4 Contents Conserving Battery Power ............... .... 47 48 48 49 49 50 Configuring Power Management Settings . Using the Sleep Power State Charging the Battery Replacing the Battery Storing a Battery ........... .................. .................. .................... 6 Using Multimedia Playing Media .................. 51 51 ...................... Playing Media Using Dell Travel Remote (Optional) . Copying CD, DVD, and Blu-ray DiscTM (BD) Media ............. 53 ............... ........... ....... 54 55 55 56 57 58 58 How to Copy a CD, DVD or BD Helpful Tips Using Blank CD, DVD, and BD Media ..................... .................. .................. ............... Adjusting the Volume Adjusting the Picture Using Dell MediaDirectTM . Connecting Your Computer to a TV or Audio Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . S-Video and Standard Audio . S-Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio ......... 59 61 62 64 66 68 ........... ......... ....... .... Composite Video and Standard Audio Component Video and Standard Audio Composite Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio ...... Contents 5 Component Video and S/PDIF Digital Audio HDMI (Optional) Enabling the Display Settings for a TV .... 71 73 74 .................. ....... 7 Using the Optional Camera Accessing the Camera's Help File ........... ........... ........ 75 75 76 76 Manually Adjusting the Camera Settings Creating a Picture or a Video .............. 8 Using Cards ExpressCards ....................... ...................... ................... ................ .......... 77 77 78 78 79 79 79 80 81 ExpressCard Blanks Installing an ExpressCard Removing an ExpressCard or Blank . Memory Card Reader .................. ................ ................ ........... Memory Card Blanks Installing a Memory Card Removing a Memory Card or Blank 9 Setting Up and Using Networks Connecting a Network or Broadband Modem Cable Setting Up a Network ....... 83 83 84 ................ .................. 6 Contents Wireless Local Area Network ............. ........... ...... .... 84 84 84 85 87 What You Need to Establish a WLAN Connection . . . . . . Checking Your Wireless Network Card Setting Up a New WLAN Using a Wireless Router and a Broadband Modem Connecting to a WLAN . .............. Mobile Broadband (or Wireless Wide Area Network) ........... ..... ... ... 88 88 89 90 90 91 What You Need to Establish a Mobile Broadband Network Connection Checking Your Dell Mobile Broadband Card . Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network Enabling/Disabling the Dell Mobile Broadband Card . ........... ......... Dell Wi-Fi CatcherTM Network Locator 10 Securing Your Computer Security Cable Lock Passwords . ............. 93 93 93 94 ................... ....................... ........... If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen 11 Troubleshooting ................... ............. 95 95 95 99 100 101 Dell Technical Update Service Dell Diagnostics . .................... ................... ................... .................... Dell Support Utility Dell Support 3 DellConnect Contents 7 Network Assistant PC TuneUp PC CheckUp Drive Problems ................. 101 101 102 102 103 104 104 106 111 111 112 112 113 113 113 113 114 114 114 114 115 116 116 117 118 ..................... .................... ..................... ............... Optical drive problems Hard drive problems ................ ........ E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . Error Messages ..................... ................. ............... ExpressCard Problems IEEE 1394 Device Problems Keyboard Problems ................... ............ External Keyboard problems Unexpected characters .............. ............ ............ .......... .......... ..... Lockups and Software Problems The computer does not start The computer stops responding A program stops responding or crashes repeatedly . . . . . . . A program is designed for an earlier Microsoft® Windows® operating system A solid blue screen appears Dell MediaDirect problems . Other software problems . Memory Problems ............ ............ ............. .................... ................... ..... Network Problems . Mobile Broadband (Wireless Wide Area Network [WWAN]) Power Problems ..................... 8 Contents Printer Problems .................... ................... ............. ........ 119 120 120 120 121 121 121 122 122 123 124 124 124 125 125 Scanner Problems . Sound and Speaker Problems No sound from integrated speakers No sound from external speakers No sound from headphones Touch Pad or Mouse Problems Video and Display Problems If the display is blank . ......... ............ ............. .............. ............... .......... ....... If the display is difficult to read If only part of the display is readable Drivers .......................... ................. ................. .......... What Is a Driver? . Identifying Drivers Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities Troubleshooting Software and Hardware Problems in the Windows Vista® Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Restoring Your Operating System ...... 127 128 128 ............ ....... Using Windows Vista System Restore 12 Adding and Replacing Parts Before You Begin Recommended Tools ......... 133 133 133 133 134 .................... ................ ............. ...... Turning Off Your Computer Before Working Inside Your Computer . Contents 9 Hard Drive ........................ ............. ............. ........... 135 136 137 137 138 138 138 139 139 140 140 141 142 142 142 144 146 147 147 149 149 149 150 151 Removing the Hard Drive . Replacing the Hard Drive . Returning a Hard Drive to Dell Optical Drive . ...................... ............ ............ Removing the Optical Drive Replacing the Optical Drive Hinge Cover ....................... ............. ............. Removing the Hinge Cover Replacing the Hinge Cover Keyboard ......................... .............. .............. Removing the Keyboard Replacing the Keyboard Memory ......................... ............ ............ ......... Removing Memory Module Replacing Memory Module Subscriber Identity Module (Optional) Wireless Mini-Cards .................. ................ ................ Removing Mini-Card Replacing Mini-Card Flash Cache Module . .................. ................. ................. ............... Removing the FCM Replacing the FCM Broadcom® Media PC Card Internal Card With Bluetooth® Wireless Technology . . . . . Removing the Card Replacing the Card ............. 151 151 152 ................. ................. 10 Contents 13 Traveling With Your Computer Identifying Your Computer Packing the Computer . Travel Tips ....... 153 153 153 154 154 ............... ................. ........................ .................. Traveling by Air . 14 Getting Help ..................... .................. ..... 155 155 156 156 156 157 157 157 157 158 158 160 Obtaining Assistance DellConnect Technical Support and Customer Service Online Services AutoTech Service .................... .................. ................. ......... Automated Order-Status Service Problems With Your Order Product Information ............... ................... ..... Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit Before You Call Contacting Dell ..................... ..................... 15 Specifications .................... 161 Contents 11 A Appendix ........................ ............ ......... 171 171 172 172 172 174 174 175 175 175 176 177 177 177 177 178 Using the System Setup Program System Setup Screen . Viewing the System Setup Screen Commonly Used Options Cleaning Your Computer . Touch Pad Mouse Media ............... .............. ................ ......... Computer, Keyboard, and Display ..................... ....................... ........................ ....... ....... Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only) Definition of "Dell-Installed" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . . . . . . . Definition of "Third-Party" Software and Peripherals . . . . . . . . . . . FCC Notice (U.S. Only) FCC Class B ........ .................. ..................... .............. Macrovision Product Notice Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Index 197 .............................. 12 Contents Finding Information NOTE: Some features may be optional and may not ship with your computer. Some features may not be available in certain countries. NOTE: Additional information may ship with your computer. What Are You Looking For? · · · · A diagnostic program for my computer Drivers for my computer Device documentation Notebook System Software (NSS) Find It Here Drivers and Utilities Media Documentation and drivers are already installed on your computer. You can use the Drivers and Utilities media to reinstall drivers (see "Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities" on page 125) or run the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 95). Readme files may be included on your Drivers and Utilities media to provide last-minute updates about technical changes to your computer or advanced technical-reference material for technicians or experienced users. NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates can be found at support.dell.com. Finding Information 13 What Are You Looking For? · · · · · · Warranty information Terms and Conditions (U.S. only) Safety instructions Regulatory informa ...