Dell Xps Gen 5 Manual

Finding Information11
 Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips, articles 
from technicians, and online courses, frequently asked 
questions
 Community — Online discussion with other Dell 
customers
 Upgrades — Upgrade information for components, such 
as memory, the hard drive, and the operating system
 Customer Care — Contact information, service call and 
order status, warranty, and repair information
 Service and support — Service call status and support 
history, service contract, online...

12Finding Information
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 How to reinstall my operating systemOperating System CD
The operating system is already installed on your 
computer. To reinstall your operating system, use the 
Operating System CD. See Reinstalling Microsoft
® 
Windows® XP on page 64.
After you reinstall your 
operating system, use the 
ResourceCD to reinstall 
drivers for the devices 
that came with your 
computer.
NOTE: The color of your 
CD varies based on the 
operating system you 
ordered....

Setting Up and Using Your Computer13
Setting Up and Using Your Computer
Opening the Drive Door
Changing the Front-Panel Light Color
You can use this exclusive Dell™ Dimension™ XPS feature either to change the color of the 
front-panel light that illuminates the Dell name and displays around the badge on the front of 
your computer, or to turn off the front-panel light entirely. 
D8659bk0.book  Page 13  Thursday, March 10, 2005  10:18 AM 

14Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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You can choose from several color choices:
Off
Ruby
Emerald
Sapphire (default)
Amber
Amethyst 
Topaz
Diamond
 CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions 
located in the Product Information Guide.
 
NOTE: The front-panel light is not for diagnostic purposes.
1Follow the procedures in Before You Begin on page 69.
2Turn on (or restart) your computer.
3Enter system setup by...

Setting Up and Using Your Computer15
Using a Media Card Reader (Optional)
Use the media card reader to transfer data directly to your computer.
The media card reader supports the following memory types: 
xD-Picture card
 SmartMedia (SMC)
 CompactFlash Type I and II (CF I/II)
 MicroDrive card
 SecureDigital card (SD)
 MultiMediaCard (MMC)
 Memory Stick (MS/MS Pro)
For information on installing a media card reader, see Installing a Media Card Reader on 
page 104.
xD-Picture card
and SmartMedia...

16Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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To use the media card reader:
1
Check the media or card to determine the proper orientation for insertion.
2Slide the media or card into the appropriate slot until it is completely seated in the connector. 
If you encounter resistance, do not force the media or card. Check the card orientation and 
try again. 
Connecting Two Monitors
 CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions...

Setting Up and Using Your Computer17
Connecting One Monitor With a VGA Connector and One Monitor With a DVI Connector
1Follow the procedures in Before You Begin on page 69.
2Connect the VGA connector on the monitor to the VGA (blue) connector on the back of the 
computer.
3Connect the DVI connector on the other monitor to the DVI (white) connector on the back 
of the computer.
Connecting a TV
 NOTE: To connect a TV to your computer, you must purchase an S-video cable, which is available at 
most consumer...

18Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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Changing the Display Settings
1After you connect the monitor(s) or TV, turn on the computer.
The Microsoft
® Windows® desktop displays on the primary monitor.
2Enable clone mode or extended desktop mode in the display settings.
 In clone mode, both monitors display the same image.
 In extended desktop mode, you can drag objects from one screen to the other, effectively 
doubling the amount of viewable work space.
For information on...

Setting Up and Using Your Computer19
RAID Level 0 Configuration
A RAID level 0 configuration uses a storage technique known as data striping to provide a high 
data access rate. Data striping is a method of writing consecutive segments, or stripes, of data 
sequentially across the physical drives to create a large virtual drive. Data striping allows one of 
the drives to read data while the other drive is searching for and reading the next block.
Another advantage of a RAID level 0 configuration is that...

20Setting Up and Using Your Computer
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If a drive failure occurs, subsequent read and write operations are directed to the surviving drive. 
A replacement drive can then be rebuilt using the data from the surviving drive. Also, because 
data is duplicated on both drives, a RAID level 1 configuration using two 120-GB hard drives 
collectively has a maximum of 120 GB on which to store data.
Configuring Your Computer for RAID
At some point you may want to configure your...