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Dell™ Dimension™ 4100 Systems
SOLUTIONS GUIDE
www.dell.com
support.dell.com
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Hints, Notices, and Cautions HINT: A HINT 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 potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury. Abbreviations and Acronyms For a complete listing of abbreviations and acronyms, see the Glossary in the Tell Me How help fil
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Contents Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1 Setting Up Setting Up Dellnet™ (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Accessing the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Accessing Your E-Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Viewing Your Account Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Sending and Receiving E-Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Resetting E-Mail Address Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
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Video and Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 If the screen is blank If the screen is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 If you cannot print to a parallel port printer . . . . . . . . . . 25 If you cannot print to a USB printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Scanner
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Reinstalling Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Reinstalling Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Reinstalling Windows Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Reinstalling Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 3 Adding Parts Removing the Computer Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Looking Inside Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 System Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Contact Numbers and Addresses Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit . . . . . . . . . 94 Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 FCC Notices (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Class A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Class B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Battery Disposa
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Safety Instructions Use the following safety guidelines to protect yourself and your computer. For comfort and efficiency, observe the ergonomic guidelines provided in the Tell Me How help file. When Using Your Computer CAUTION: Do not operate your computer with any cover(s) (including the computer cover, filler brackets, front-panel inserts, and so on) removed. • To help avoid damaging your computer, be sure that the voltage selection switch is set to match the AC power available at your
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• To help protect your computer from sudden, transient increases and decreases in electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner, or uninterruptible power supply. • Be sure that nothing rests on your computer’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, contact Dell (see page 82). • Do not push any objects into the openings of your computer. Doing so can caus
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In addition, take note of these safety guidelines when appropriate: • When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector, not on the cable itself. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any pins. Also, before you connect a cable, make sure that both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned. • Handle components and cards with care. Don’t touch the components on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal bracket. CAUTION: There is a danger of a new
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10 Safety Instructions www.dell.com | support.dell.com
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www.dell.com | support.dell.com SE CT ION 1 Setting Up Setting Up Dellnet™ (U.S. Only) Connecting a Printer Turning Off the Computer
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™ HINT: Dellnet is not Setting Up Dellnet (U.S. Only) available in all regions. To set up Dellnet Internet Access Service in the United States, double-click ® ® the Dellnet Signup icon on the Microsoft Windows desktop and follow the instructions that appear on the screen. Accessing the Internet To access the Internet after completing the Dellnet registration process, double-click the Internet Explorer icon on your Windows desktop. Internet Explorer automatically initiates the Internet conne
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Sending and Receiving E-Mail • Double-click the Outlook Express icon to initiate a connection to the Internet through Dellnet. • Always check the address of each recipient when sending e-mail. Otherwise, your e-mail is returned to you. • Be sure that the person who is sending e-mail to you is typing your e-mail address correctly. • Do not send e-mail messages larger than 2 MB. • If you are having difficulties sending e-mail, determine whether the problem involves just one recipient or all re
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Then follow the instructions that came with the printer to connect it to the computer. If no information is provided, see the following sections. Parallel Printer 1 Turn off the computer (see page 16). NOTICE: Use only a standard IEEE parallel cable measuring 3 m (10 ft) or less to connect the printer to the computer. Use of a nonstandard cable may prevent the printer from working. 2 Attach the parallel printer cable to the parallel connector on the computer and tighten the two screws. Atta
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USB Printer 1 Install the printer driver if necessary (see page 15). HINT: You can connect USB devices while the 2 Attach the USB printer cable to the USB connector on the computer computer is turned on. and the printer. The USB connectors only fit one way. USB connector on computer USB printer cable USB connector on printer Installing the Printer Driver If you need to install a printer driver, insert the installation CD into the CD HINT: Dell installs drivers for some new or DVD drive.
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Turning Off the Computer NOTICE: To prevent data loss, you must perform the Windows shutdown procedure. Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) and Windows Millennium Edition (Me) 1 Save and exit any programs and files you have open. 2 Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down. 3 In the Shut Down Windows window, click Shut down and then click OK. The computer automatically turns off after the shutdown process finishes. 4 Turn off your monitor and any other devices connected to power. Windows
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www.dell.com | support.dell.com SE CT ION 2 Solving Problems Finding Solutions Accessing Help Files Power Problems Start-Up Error Messages Video and Monitor Problems Sound and Speaker Problems Printer Problems Scanner Problems Modem Problems Mouse Problems Keyboard Problems Drive Problems Network Problems Windows Error Messages General Program Problems Internet Connection Problems E-Mail Problems Resolving Other Technical Problems Reinstalling Drivers Reinstalling Windows 98 Reinstalling Windows
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Finding Solutions Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out where to go for answers. Use this chart to help you quickly find the answers to your questions. See page 20. Get technical assistance from Dell. See page 82. See page 31. 18 Solving Problems www.dell.com | support.dell.com
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See page 22. See page 24. See page 25. See page 26. See page 27. See page 28. See page 28. See page 31. See page 26. See page 31. See page 32. See page 33. See page 33. See page 33. Solving Problems 19
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Accessing Help Files TO ACCESS THE TELL ME HOW HELP FILE 1 Click the Start button, point to Programs—> User’s Guides, and then click Tell Me How. ® ® TO ACCESS MICROSOFT WINDOWS 2000 HELP 1 Click the Start button and then click Help. 2 Click the Search tab. 3 Type a word or phrase that describes your problem and then click List Topics. 4 Click the topic that describes your problem and then click Display. 5 Follow the instructions shown on the screen. TO ACCESS WINDOWS ME HELP 1 Click the Start
