Dell Insp 640 M Manual

							Troubleshooting101
Drivers
What Is a Driver?
A driver is a program that controls a device such as a printer, mouse, or keyboard. All devices require a 
driver program.
A driver acts like a translator between the device and any other programs that use the device. Each device 
has its own set of specialized commands that only its driver recognizes.
Dell ships your computer to you with required drivers already installed—no further installation or 
configuration is needed.
 NOTICE: The Drivers and Utilities CD may contain drivers for operating systems that are not on your computer. 
Ensure that you are installing software appropriate for your operating system.
Many drivers, such as the keyboard driver, come with your Microsoft® Windows® operating system. You 
may need to install drivers if you:
 Upgrade your operating system.
 Reinstall your operating system.
 Connect or install a new device.
Identifying Drivers
If you experience a problem with any device, identify whether the driver is the source of your problem 
and, if necessary, update the driver.
1
Click the Start button and click Control Panel.
2Under Pick a Category, click Performance and Maintenance.
3Click System.
4In the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab.
5Click Device Manager.
6Scroll down the list to see if any device has an exclamation point (a yellow circle with a [!]) on the 
device icon.
If an exclamation point is next to the device name, you may need to reinstall the driver or install a new 
driver. See Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities on page 101.
Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities
 NOTICE: The Dell Support website at support.dell.com and your Drivers and Utilities CD provide approved drivers 
for Dell™ computers. If you install drivers obtained from other sources, your computer might not work correctly.
 
NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD is optional and may not ship with your computer. 
						

							102Troubleshooting
Using Windows XP Device Driver Rollback
If a problem occurs on your computer after you install or update a driver, use Windows XP Device Driver 
Rollback to replace the driver with the previously installed version.
1
Click the Start button and click Control Panel.
2Under Pick a Category, click Performance and Maintenance.
3Click System.
4In the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab.
5Click Device Manager.
6Right-click the device for which the new driver was installed and click Properties.
7Click the Drivers tab.
8Click Roll Back Driver.
If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore to return your 
computer to the operating state that existed before you installed the new driver.
Using the Drivers and Utilities CD
 NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD is optional and may not ship with your computer.
If using Device Driver Rollback (see Using Windows XP Device Driver Rollback on page 102) or System 
Restore does not resolve the problem, then reinstall the driver from the Drivers and Utilities CD.
1
Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs. 
2Insert the Drivers and Utilities CD.
In most cases, the CD starts running automatically. If it does not, start Windows Explorer, click your 
CD drive directory to display the CD contents, and then double-click the 
autorcd.exe file. The first 
time that you run the CD, it might prompt you to install setup files. Click 
OK, and follow the 
instructions on the screen to continue.
3From the Language drop-down menu in the toolbar, select your preferred language for the driver or 
utility (if available). A welcome screen appears.
4Click Next. 
The CD automatically scans your hardware to detect drivers and utilities used by your computer.
5After the CD completes the hardware scan, you can also detect other drivers and utilities. Under 
Search Criteria, select the appropriate categories from the System Model, Operating System, and 
To p i c drop-down menus.
A link or links appear(s) for the specific drivers and utilities used by your computer.
6Click the link of a specific driver or utility to display information about the driver or utility that you 
want to install. 
						

							Troubleshooting103
7Click the Install button (if present) to begin installing the driver or utility. At the welcome screen, 
follow the screen prompts to complete the installation.
If no 
Install button is present, automatic installation is not an option. For installation instructions, 
either see the appropriate instructions in the following subsections, or click 
Extract, follow the 
extracting instructions, and then read the readme file.
If instructed to navigate to the driver files, click the CD directory on the driver information window to 
display the files associated with that driver.
Manually Reinstalling Drivers 
1After extracting the driver files to your hard drive as described in the previous section, click the Start 
button and right-click 
My Computer.
2Click Properties.
3Click the Hardware tab and click Device Manager.
4Double-click the type of device for which you are installing the driver (for example, Modems or 
Infrared devices).
5Double-click the name of the device for which you are installing the driver.
6Click the Driver tab and click Update Driver.
7Click Install from a list or specific location (Advanced) and click Next.
8Click Browse and browse to the location to which you previously copied the driver files.
9When the name of the appropriate driver appears, click Next.
10Click Finish and restart your computer.
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities
If a device is either not detected during the operating system setup or is detected but incorrectly 
configured, you can use the Hardware Troubleshooter to resolve the incompatibility. 
To start the Hardware Troubleshooter:
1
Click the Start button and click Help and Support.
2Ty p e  hardware troubleshooter in the Search field and click the arrow to start the search.
3Click Hardware Troubleshooter in the Search Results list.
4In the Hardware Troubleshooter list, click I need to resolve a hardware conflict on my computer, and 
click 
Next. 
						

							104Troubleshooting
Restoring Your Operating System
You can restore your operating system in the following ways:
 Microsoft® Windows® XP System Restore returns your computer to an earlier operating state without 
affecting data files. Use System Restore as the first solution for restoring your operating system and 
preserving data files.
 Dell PC Restore by Symantec restores your hard drive to the operating state it was in when you 
purchased the computer. Dell PC Restore permanently deletes all data on the hard drive and removes 
any applications installed after you received the computer. Use PC Restore only if System Restore did 
not resolve your operating system problem.
 If you received an 
Operating System CD with your computer, you can use it to restore your operating 
system. However, using the 
Operating System CD also deletes all data on the hard drive. Use the CD 
only if System Restore did not resolve your operating system problem.
Using Microsoft Windows XP System Restore
The Microsoft Windows XP operating system provides System Restore to allow you to return your 
computer to an earlier operating state (without affecting data files) if changes to the hardware, software, 
or other system settings have left the computer in an undesirable operating state. See the Windows Help 
and Support Center for information on using System Restore. To access the Help and Support Center, 
see Windows Help and Support Center on page 13.
 NOTICE: Make regular backups of your data files. System Restore does not monitor your data files or recover 
them.
 
NOTE: The procedures in this document were written for the Windows default view, so they may not apply if you 
set your Dell™ computer to the Windows Classic view.
Creating a Restore Point
1Click the Start button and click Help and Support.
2Click the task for System Restore.
3Follow the instructions on the screen.
Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State
If problems occur after you install a device driver, use Device Driver Rollback (see Using Windows XP 
Device Driver Rollback on page 102) to resolve the problem. If that is unsuccessful, then use System 
Restore.
 NOTICE: Before you restore the computer to an earlier operating state, save and close any open files and exit any 
open programs. Do not alter, open, or delete any files or programs until the system restoration is complete.
1Click the Start button, point to All Programs→ Accessories→ System Tools, and then click System 
Restore
.
2Ensure that Restore my computer to an earlier time is selected and click Next. 
						

							Troubleshooting105
3Click a calendar date to which you want to restore your computer.
The 
Select a Restore Point screen provides a calendar that allows you to see and select restore points. 
All calendar dates with available restore points appear in boldface type. 
4Select a restore point and click Next. 
If a calendar date has only one restore point, then that restore point is automatically selected. If two or 
more restore points are available, click the restore point that you prefer.
5Click Next.
The 
Restoration Complete screen appears after System Restore finishes collecting data and then the 
computer restarts.
6After the computer restarts, click OK. 
To change the restore point, you can either repeat the steps using a different restore point, or you can 
undo the restoration.
Undoing the Last System Restore
 NOTICE: Before you undo the last system restore, save and close all open files and exit any open programs. Do not 
alter, open, or delete any files or programs until the system restoration is complete.
1Click the Start button, point to All Programs→ Accessories→ System Tools, and then click System 
Restore
.
2Click Undo my last restoration and click Next.
Enabling System Restore
If you reinstall Windows XP with less than 200 MB of free hard-disk space available, System Restore is 
automatically disabled. To see if System Restore is enabled:
1
Click the Start button and click Control Pa n e l. 
2Click Performance and Maintenance.
3Click System.
4Click the System Restore tab.
5Ensure that Turn off System Restore is unchecked.
Using Dell PC Restore by Symantec
 NOTICE: Using Dell PC Restore permanently deletes all data on the hard drive and removes any applications or 
drivers installed after you received your computer. If possible, back up the data before using PC Restore. Use PC 
Restore only if System Restore did not resolve your operating system problem.
 
NOTE: Dell PC Restore by Symantec may not be available in certain countries nor on certain computers. 
						

							106Troubleshooting
Use Dell PC Restore by Symantec only as the last method to restore your operating system. PC Restore 
restores your hard drive to the operating state it was in when you purchased the computer. Any programs 
or files added since you received your computer—including data files—are permanently deleted from the 
hard drive. Data files include documents, spreadsheets, e-mail messages, digital photos, music files, and 
so on. If possible, back up all data before using PC Restore.
To use PC Restore:
1
Turn on the computer.
During the boot process, a blue bar with 
www.dell.com appears at the top of the screen.
2Immediately upon seeing the blue bar, press .
If you do not press  in time, let the computer finish starting, and then restart the 
computer again.
 NOTICE: If you do not want to proceed with PC Restore, click Reboot in the following step.
3On the next screen that appears, click Restore.
4On the next screen, click Confirm.
The restore process takes approximately 6–10 minutes to complete.
5When prompted, click Finish to reboot the computer.
 NOTE: Do not manually shut down the computer. Click Finish and let the computer completely reboot.
6When prompted, click Ye s.
The computer restarts. Because the computer is restored to its original operating state, the screens that 
appear, such as the End User License Agreement, are the same ones that appeared the first time the 
computer was turned on. 
7Click Next.
The 
System Restore screen appears and the computer restarts. 
8After the computer restarts, click OK.
Removing Dell PC Restore
 NOTICE: Removing Dell PC Restore from the hard drive permanently deletes the PC Restore utility from your 
computer. After you have removed Dell PC Restore, you will not be able to use it to restore your computer’s 
operating system.
 
NOTE: Dell PC Restore by Symantec may not be available in certain countries nor on certain computers.
Dell PC Restore enables you to restore your hard drive to the operating state it was in when you 
purchased your computer. It is recommended that you do not remove PC Restore from your computer, 
even to gain additional hard-drive space. If you remove PC Restore from the hard drive, you cannot ever 
recall it, and you will never be able to use PC Restore to return your computer’s operating system to its 
original state. 
						

							Troubleshooting107
To remove PC Restore:
1
Log on to the computer as a local administrator.
2In Windows Explorer, go to c:\dell\utilities\DSR.
3Double-click the filename DSRIRRemv2.exe.
 NOTE: If you do not log on as a local administrator, a message appears stating that you must log on as 
administrator. Click Quit, and then log on as a local administrator.
 
NOTE: If the partition for PC Restore does not exist on your computer’s hard drive, a message appears stating 
that the partition was not found. Click Quit; there is no partition to delete.
4Click OK to remove the PC Restore partition on the hard drive.
5Click Ye s when a confirmation message appears.
The PC Restore partition is deleted and the newly available disk space is added to the free space 
allocation on the hard drive. 
6Right-click Local Disk (C) in Windows Explorer, click Properties, and verify that the additional disk 
space is available as indicated by the increased value for 
Free Space.
7Click Finish to close the PC Restore Removal window.
8Restart the computer.
Using the Operating System CD
Before You Begin
If you are considering reinstalling the Windows XP operating system to correct a problem with a newly 
installed driver, first try using Windows XP Device Driver Rollback (see Using Windows XP Device 
Driver Rollback on page 102). If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System 
Restore to return your operating system to the operating state it was in before you installed the new 
device driver. See Using Microsoft
 Windows XP System Restore on page 104.
To reinstall Windows XP, you need the following items:
Dell™ Operating System CD
Dell 
Drivers and Utilities CD
 NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD contains drivers that were installed during assembly of the computer. Use the 
Drivers and Utilities CD to load any required drivers. Depending on the region from where you ordered your 
computer, or whether you requested the CDs, the Drivers and Utilities CD and Operating System CD may not ship 
with your system. 
						

							108Troubleshooting
Reinstalling Windows XP
To reinstall Windows XP, perform all the steps in the following sections in the order in which they are 
listed.
The reinstallation process can take 1 to 2 hours to complete. After you reinstall the operating system, you 
must also reinstall the device drivers, virus protection program, and other software.
 NOTICE: The Operating System CD provides options for reinstalling Windows XP. The options can overwrite files 
and possibly affect programs installed on your hard drive. Therefore, do not reinstall Windows XP unless a Dell 
technical support representative instructs you to do so.
 
NOTICE: To prevent conflicts with Windows XP, disable any virus protection software installed on your computer 
before you reinstall Windows XP. See the documentation that came with the software for instructions.
1Save and close any open files and exit any open programs.
2Insert the Operating System CD. Click Exit if the Install Windows XP message appears.
3Restart the computer.
4Press  immediately after the DELL™ logo appears.
If the operating system logo appears, wait until you see the Windows desktop, and then shut down the 
computer and try again.
5Press the arrow keys to select CD-ROM, and press .
6When the Press any key to boot from CD message appears, press any key.
7When the Windows XP Setup screen appears, press .
8Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the reinstallation.
9When the operating system reinstallation completes, reinstall drivers and applications as necessary. See 
Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities on page 101. 
						

							Adding and Replacing Parts109
Adding and Replacing Parts
Before You Begin
This chapter provides procedures for removing and installing the components in your computer. 
Unless otherwise noted, each procedure assumes that the following conditions exist:
 You have performed the steps in Turning Off Your Computer (see this page) and Before 
Working Inside Your Computer (see page 110).
 You have read the safety information in your Dell™ 
Product Information Guide.
 A component can be replaced—or if purchased separately—installed by performing the removal 
procedure in reverse order.
Recommended Tools
The procedures in this document may require the following tools:
 Small flat-blade screwdriver
 Phillips screwdriver
 Small plastic scribe
 Flash BIOS update (see the Dell Support website at 
support.dell.com)
Turning Off Your Computer
 NOTICE: To avoid losing data, save and close any open files and exit any open programs before you turn off 
your computer.
1Shut down the operating system:
aSave and close any open files, exit any open programs, click the Start button, and then click 
Turn Off Computer.
bIn the Turn off computer window, click Tu r n  o f f. 
The computer turns off after the operating system shutdown process finishes.
2Ensure that the computer and any attached devices are turned off. If your computer and attached 
devices did not automatically turn off when you shut down your operating system, press and hold 
the power button for 4 seconds. 
						

							110Adding and Replacing Parts
Before Working Inside Your Computer
Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer from potential damage and to help 
ensure your own personal safety.
 CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product 
Information Guide.
 
CAUTION: Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on a card. Hold a 
card by its edges or by its metal mounting bracket. Hold a component such as a processor by its edges, not by its 
pins.
 
NOTICE: Only a certified service technician should perform repairs on your computer. Damage due to servicing 
that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty.
 
NOTICE: 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 disconnecting this type of cable, press in on the locking 
tabs before you disconnect the cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any 
connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable, ensure that both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned. 
 
NOTICE: To avoid damaging the computer, perform the following steps before you begin working inside the 
computer. 
1Ensure that the work surface is flat and clean to prevent the computer cover from being scratched.
2Turn off your computer. See Turning Off Your Computer on page 109. 
 NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer and then unplug it from the 
network wall jack.
3Disconnect any telephone or network cables from the computer.
 NOTICE: To avoid damaging the system board, you must remove the main battery before you service the computer. 
4Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets.
5Remove the battery. 
Slide and hold the battery-bay latch release on the bottom of the computer, and then pull the battery 
out of the battery bay.