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®
ALIENWARE M18x
MOBILE MANUAL
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Notes, Cautions, and Warnings NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer. CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem. The contents herein are subject to change without notice. WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death. © 2011 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without t
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CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP .................................... 7 CHAPTER 3: USING YOUR LAPTOP......................................... 25 Before Setting Up Your Laptop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Alienware Command Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 . Connect the AC Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Connec
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CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING ......................................... 47 Basic Hints and Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Backup and General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Software Diagnostic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Answers to Common Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Dear Valued Alienware Customer, Welcome to the Alienware family. We are thrilled to include you among the growing number of savvy high‑performance computer users. The Alienware technicians who have crafted your computer have made certain that your high‑performance computer is properly optimized and performs to its fullest potential. We build computers with a single unwavering purpose: Build It As If It Were Your Own. The technicians will not rest until your new computer meets or exceeds our
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CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP 7
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Product Documentation and Media Before Setting Up Your Laptop The documentation that ships with your Alienware laptop is designed to provide Congratulations on the purchase of your Alienware M18x! answers to many of the questions that may arise as you explore your new laptop’s capabilities. You may see the documentation for technical information or general Read all safety and setup instructions before connecting your new laptop. Begin use as needed to answer questions in the future, or aid
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Connect the AC Adapter Press the Power Button WARNING: The AC adapter works with electrical outlets worldwide. However, power connectors and power strips vary among countries. Using an incompatible cable or improperly connecting the cable to a power strip or electrical outlet may cause fire or equipment damage. CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP 9
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Connect the Network Cable (Optional) Set Up Microsoft Windows Your computer is preconfigured with the Microsoft Windows operating system. To set up Windows for the first time, follow the instructions on the screen. These steps are mandatory and may take some time to complete. The Windows setup screens will take you through several procedures including accepting license agreements, setting preferences, and setting up an Internet connection. CAUTION: Do not interrupt the operating system’s se
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Set Up WirelessHD (Optional) Set Up Wireless Display (Optional) The WirelessHD feature allows you to share high-definition video from your NOTE: The wireless display feature may not be supported on all computers. computer display to a TV without the use of cables. To set up WirelessHD, use a For information about the hardware and software requirements for setting WirelessHD kit. For instructions on setting up WirelessHD, see the document that up wireless display, see intel.com. shipped with yo
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Setting Up a Wireless Connection Connect to the Internet (Optional) NOTE: To set up your wireless router, see the documentation that shipped Setting Up a Wired Connection with your router. • If you are using a dialup connection, connect the telephone line to the ‑ Before you can use your wireless Internet connection, you need to connect to your optional external USB modem and to the telephone wall jack before you set wireless router. up your Internet connection. To set up your connection t
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Setting Up Your Internet Connection ISPs and ISP offerings vary by country. Contact your ISP for offerings available in your country. If you cannot connect to the Internet but have successfully connected in the past, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) might have a service outage. Contact your ISP to check the service status, or try connecting again later. Have your ISP information ready. If you do not have an ISP, the Connect to the Internet wizard can help you get one. 1. Save and close an
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14 CHAPTER 1: SETTING UP YOUR LAPTOP
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CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP 15
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This chapter provides information about your new laptop to familiarize you with its various features, and get you up and running quickly. HDMI-output connector — Connects to a TV for both multi‑channel 4 digital audio and video signals. Left View Features NOTE: For a monitor without built‑in speakers, only the video signal will be read. 5 Mini-DisplayPort connector — Connects your computer to external DisplayPort monitors and projectors. USB 3.0 connectors (2) — Provide faster data transmi
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Right View Features USB 2.0 connectors (2) — Connect to USB devices, such as a mouse, 4 keyboard, printer, external drive, or MP3 player. 1 5 eSATA/USB combo connector with USB PowerShare — Connects to eSATA compatible storage devices (such as external hard drives or optical drives) or USB devices (such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, external drive, or MP3 player). The USB Powershare feature allows you to charge USB devices when the computer is powered on/off or in sleep state. NOTE: Cert
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Back View Features 1 1 AC adapter connector — Connects to the AC adapter to power the computer and charge the battery. 18 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP
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1 Left digital-array microphone — Combines with the right digitalarray ‑ Display Features microphone to provide high quality sound for video chatting and voice recording. 2 Camera activity indicator — Indicates if the camera is on or off. A solid 1 2 3 4 5 white light indicates camera activity. 3 Camera — Built‑in camera for video capture, conferencing, and chat. 4 Right digital-array microphone — Combines with the left digital‑array microphone to provide high quality sound for video chattin
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1 Status lights (3) — Indicate if the Caps Lock, Number Lock, or Scroll Lock Computer Base and Keyboard Features lights are turned on or off. 2 Macro keys — You can assign keystrokes, predefined functions, macros, 7 or shortcuts for your games using the TactX Macro Key Controls option available in the Alienware Command Center. For more information, see “Alienware Command Center” on page 26. 6 1 3 Backlit keyboard — Illuminates to provide visibility in low lit or dark environments. You can
