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Dell™ Inspiron™ 1501
Owner’s Manual
Model PP23LA
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
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Notes, Notices, and Cautions NOTE: A NOTE 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 potential for property damage, personal injury, or death. Abbreviations and Acronyms For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see "Glossary" on page 147. ® ® If you purchased a Dell™ n Series computer, any refere
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Contents Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1 About Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Determining Your Computer’s Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Left Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Right Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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3 Using the Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Adjusting Brightness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Switching the Video Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Setting Display Resolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 4 Using the Keyboard and Touch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Numeric Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Key C
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6 Using Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Playing a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Adjusting the Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Adjusting the Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Copying CDs and DVDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 How to Copy a CD or DVD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
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Computer Tracking Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 10 Solving Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Dell Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Drive Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 CD and DVD drive problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 No sound from integrated speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 No sound from external speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 No sound from headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Touch Pad or Mouse Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Video and Display Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 If the display is
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Coin-Cell Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 12 Traveling With Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Identifying Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Packing the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Travel Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Contents 9
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10 Contents
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Finding Information NOTE: Some features or media may be optional and may not ship with your computer. Some features or media may not be available in certain countries. NOTE: Additional information may ship with your computer. What Are You Looking For? Find It Here A diagnostic program for my computer Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as ResourceCD) Drivers for my computer NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD may be optional and may not ship with your computer. My computer documentatio
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What Are You Looking For? Find It Here How to set up my computer Setup Diagram ® ® Service Tag and Express Service Code Service Tag and Microsoft Windows License Microsoft Windows License Label These labels are located on the bottom of your computer. Use the Service Tag to identify your computer when you use support.dell.com or contact technical support. Enter the Express Service Code to direct your call when contacting technical support. 12 Finding Information
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What Are You Looking For? Find It Here Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips; articles Dell Support Website — support.dell.com from technicians; online courses; and frequently asked NOTE: Select your region to view the appropriate support questions site. 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,
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What Are You Looking For? Find It Here How to reinstall my operating system Operating System CD NOTE: The Operating System CD may be optional and may not ship with your computer. The operating system is already installed on your computer. To reinstall your operating system, use one of the following methods: Microsoft Windows System Restore — Microsoft Windows System Restore returns your computer to an earlier operating state without affecting data files. Dell PC Restore — Dell PC Resto
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About Your Computer Determining Your Computer’s Configuration Based on selections that you made when purchasing your computer, your computer has one of several different video controller configurations. To determine your computer’s video controller configuration: ® ® 1 Access the Microsoft Windows Help and Support Center. For instructions, see "Windows Help and Support Center" on page 13. 2 Under Pick a Task, click Use Tools to view your computer information and diagnose problems. 3 Under M
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Front View 1 2 3 4 10 5 9 6 8 7 1 display latch release 2 display latches (2) 3 display 4 power button 5 device status lights 6 touch pad 7 speakers (2) 8 touch pad buttons 9 keyboard 10 keyboard and wireless status lights DISPLAY LATCH RELEASE — Press to release the display latches and open the display. DISPLAY — For more information about your display, see "Using the Display" on page 33. POWER BUTTON — Press the power button to turn on the computer or to enter or exit a power management mode.
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DEVICE STATUS LIGHTS Turns on when you turn on the computer, and blinks when the computer is in a power management mode. Turns on when the computer reads or writes data. NOTICE: To avoid loss of data, never turn off the computer while the light is flashing. Turns on steadily or blinks to indicate battery charge status. If the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, the light operates as follows: Solid green: The battery is charging. Flashing green: The battery is almost fully cha
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TOUCH PAD — Provides the functionality of a mouse. Silk screening on the touch pad indicates scrolling capabilities. SPEAKERS — To adjust the volume of the integrated speakers, press the media control buttons or speaker-volume keyboard shortcuts. For more information, see "Speaker Functions" on page 37. TOUCH PAD BUTTONS — Touch pad buttons provide the functionality of a mouse. KEYBOARD — The keyboard includes a numeric keypad as well as the Microsoft Windows logo key. For information on supp
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KEYBOARD AND WIRELESS STATUS LIGHTS The green lights located above the keyboard indicate the following: 9 Turns on when the numeric keypad is enabled. A Turns on when the uppercase letter function is enabled. Turns on when the scroll lock function is enabled. Turns on when wireless networking is enabled. To enable or disable wireless networking, press . DISPLAY LATCHES — Keep the display closed. About Your Computer 19
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Left Side View 124 3 1 air vent 2 security cable slot 3 optical drive bay 4 optical-drive-tray eject button CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire. AIR VENT — The computer uses fans to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from overheating. NOTICE: B
