Dell Xps Gen 5 Manual

							Advanced Troubleshooting61
Windows XP
1Click 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 page 60).
Reinstalling Drivers 
 NOTICE: The Dell Support website at support.dell.com and your Dell Dimension ResourceCD provide 
approved drivers for Dell™ computers. If you install drivers obtained from other sources, your computer 
might not work correctly.
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 ResourceCD
If using Device Driver Rollback or System Restore does not resolve the problem, then reinstall 
the driver from the ResourceCD.
1
With the Windows desktop displayed, insert the ResourceCD.
If this is your first time to use the ResourceCD, go to step 2. If not, go to step 5.
2When the ResourceCD installation program starts, follow the prompts on the screen.
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3When the InstallShield Wizard Complete window appears, remove the ResourceCD and 
click 
Finish to restart the computer.
4When you see the Windows desktop, reinsert the ResourceCD.
5At the Welcome Dell System Owner screen, click Next.
 NOTE: The ResourceCD displays drivers only for hardware that came installed in your computer. If you 
installed additional hardware, the drivers for the new hardware might not be displayed by the 
ResourceCD. If those drivers are not displayed, exit the ResourceCD program. For drivers information, 
see the documentation that came with the device.
A message stating that the ResourceCD is detecting hardware in your computer appears.
The drivers that are used by your computer are automatically displayed in the 
My Drivers—The ResourceCD has identified these components in your system window.
 6Click the driver that you want to reinstall and follow the instructions on the screen. 
If a particular driver is not listed, then that driver is not required by your operating system.
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.
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 extracted the driver files.
9When the name of the appropriate driver appears, click Next.
10Click Finish and restart your computer.
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 help, see page 11.
 NOTICE: Make regular backups of your data files. System Restore does not monitor your data files or 
recover them.
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							Advanced Troubleshooting63
Creating a Restore Point
1Click the Start button and click Help and Support.
2Click 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 page 61) 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.
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.
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3Click Next.
The 
System Restore screen appears and the computer restarts. 
4After the computer restarts, click OK.
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.
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 resolve incompatibilities using 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.
Reinstalling Microsoft® Windows® XP
 NOTICE: You must use Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later when you reinstall Windows XP.
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 page 61). If 
Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore (see page 62) to 
return your operating system to the operating state it was in before you installed the new device 
driver.
 NOTICE: Before performing the installation, back up all data files on your primary hard drive. For 
conventional hard drive configurations, the primary hard drive is the first drive detected by the computer.
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							Advanced Troubleshooting65
To reinstall Windows XP, you need the following items:
Dell™ Operating System CD
Dell ResourceCD
 NOTE: The ResourceCD contains drivers that were installed during assembly of the computer. Use the 
ResourceCD to load any required drivers.
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.
Booting From the Operating System CD
1Save and close any open files and exit any open programs.
2Insert the Operating System CD. Click Exit if 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.
Windows XP Setup
1When the Windows XP Setup screen appears, press  to select To set up 
Windows now
.
2Read the information on the Microsoft Windows Licensing Agreement screen, and press 
 to accept the license agreement.
3If your computer already has Windows XP installed and you want to recover your current 
Windows XP data, type 
r to select the repair option, and remove the CD. 
4If you want to install a new copy of Windows XP, press  to select that option.
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5Press  to select the highlighted partition (recommended), and follow the 
instructions on the screen.
The 
Windows XP Setup screen appears, and the operating system begins to copy files and 
install the devices. The computer automatically restarts multiple times.
 NOTE: The time required to complete the setup depends on the size of the hard drive and the speed of 
your computer.
 
NOTICE: Do not press any key when the following message appears: Press any key to boot 
from the CD. 
6When the Regional and Language Options screen appears, select the settings for your 
location and click 
Next.
7Enter your name and organization (optional) in the Personalize Your Software screen, and 
click 
Next.
8If you are reinstalling Windows XP Home Edition, at the Whats your computers name 
window, enter a name for your computer (or accept the name provided) and click Next.
If you are reinstalling Windows XP Professional, at the Computer Name and Administrator 
Password
 window, enter a name for your computer (or accept the one provided) and a 
password, and click 
Next.
9If the Modem Dialing Information screen appears, enter the requested information and click 
Next.
10Enter the date, time, and time zone in the Date and Time Settings window, and click Next.
11If the Networking Settings screen appears, click Typical and click Next.
12If you are reinstalling Windows XP Professional and you are prompted to provide further 
information regarding your network configuration, enter your selections. If you are unsure of 
your settings, accept the default selections. 
Windows XP installs the operating system components and configures the computer. The 
computer automatically restarts.
 NOTICE: Do not press any key when the following message appears: Press any key to boot 
from the CD. 
13When the Welcome to Microsoft screen appears, click Next.
14When the How will this computer connect to the Internet? message appears, 
click 
Skip. 
15When the Ready to register with Microsoft? screen appears, select No, not at this time and 
click 
Next.
16When the Who will use this computer? screen appears, you can enter up to five users. 
17Click Next.
18Click Finish to complete the setup, and remove the CD.
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							Advanced Troubleshooting67
19Reinstall the appropriate drivers with the ResourceCD (see page 61).
20Reinstall your virus protection software.
21Reinstall your programs.
 NOTE: To reinstall and activate your Microsoft Office or Microsoft Works Suite programs, you need the 
Product Key number located on the back of the Microsoft Office or Microsoft Works Suite CD sleeve.
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							Removing and Installing Parts69
Removing and Installing 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 page 69) and Before 
Working Inside Your Computer (see page 70).
 You have read the safety information in your Dell™ 
Product Information Guide.
 A component can be replaced 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
 BIOS updates available on 
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.
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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 located 
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. 
1Turn off your computer (see page 69).
 NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer and then unplug it 
from the network wall jack.
2Disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
3Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets, and then 
press the power button to ground the system board.
 CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your computer from the electrical outlet 
before opening the cover.
4Open the computer cover (see page 75).
 NOTICE: Before touching anything inside your computer, ground yourself by touching an unpainted 
metal surface, such as the metal at the back of the computer. While you work, periodically touch an 
unpainted metal surface to dissipate any static electricity that could harm internal components.
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