Summary of the content on the page No. 1
Dell™ Inspiron™ 8600
Owner’s Manual
Model PP02X
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Summary of the content on the page No. 2
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 the Tell Me How help file (see page 94). ____________________ Information in thi
Summary of the content on the page No. 3
Contents CAUTION: Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 General Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Air Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 EMC Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 California Residents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 When U
Summary of the content on the page No. 4
Modem and Internet Connection Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Transferring Information to a New Computer . . . . . . . . . . 36 Setting Up a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Printer Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Connecting a Parallel Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Connecting a USB Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Setting Up the Dock
Summary of the content on the page No. 5
Removing and Installing Devices While the Computer Is Turned Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 If the Device Screw Is Not Installed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 If the Device Screw Is Installed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Removing and Installing Devices While the Computer Is Running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 If the Device Screw Is Not Installed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 If the Device Screw Is Installed . . . .
Summary of the content on the page No. 6
5 Using CDs, DVDs, and Other Multimedia Using CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 CD or DVD problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 If you cannot play a CD, CD-RW, or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . 68 If you cannot eject the CD, CD-RW, or DVD drive tray . . . . . 69 If you hear an unfamiliar scraping or grinding sound . . . . . . 69 Sound and Speaker Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 If you have a problem with integrated speakers . .
Summary of the content on the page No. 7
7 Solving Problems Finding Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Accessing Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Error Messages Video and Display Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 If the display is blank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 If the display is difficult to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 If only part of the display is readable . . . . .
Summary of the content on the page No. 8
Using System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Creating a Restore Point Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State . . . . . 106 Undoing the Last System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities . . . . . . . 108 ® ® Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Reinstalling Microsoft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Before You Reinstall Reinstalling Window
Summary of the content on the page No. 9
Regulatory Noticesthe help file, see . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 NOM Information (Mexico Only) Limited Warranties and Return Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Limited Warranty for Dell-Branded Hardware Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 (U.S. Only) "Total Satisfaction" Return Policy (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . 162 Limited Warranty Terms for Dell-Branded Hardware Products (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Summary of the content on the page No. 10
10 Contents
Summary of the content on the page No. 11
CAUTION: Safety Instructions Use the following safety guidelines to help ensure your own personal safety and to help protect your computer and working environment from potential damage. General • Do not attempt to service the computer yourself unless you are a trained service technician. Always follow installation instructions closely. • If you use an extension power cable with your AC adapter, ensure that the total ampere rating of the products plugged in to the extension power cable does no
Summary of the content on the page No. 12
CAUTION: Safety Instructions (continued) • To help avoid the potential hazard of electric shock, do not connect or disconnect any cables or perform maintenance or reconfiguration of this product during an electrical storm. Do not use your computer during an electrical storm unless all cables have been disconnected and the computer is operating on battery power. • If your computer includes a modem, the cable used with the modem should be manufactured with a minimum wire size of 26 American wi
Summary of the content on the page No. 13
CAUTION: Safety Instructions (continued) • If you are using a multiple-outlet power strip, use caution when plugging the AC adapter’s power cable into the power strip. Some power strips may allow you to insert the plug incorrectly. Incorrect insertion of the power plug could result in permanent damage to your computer, as well as risk of electric shock and/or fire. Ensure that the ground prong of the power plug is inserted into the mating ground contact of the power strip. Battery • Use only
Summary of the content on the page No. 14
CAUTION: Safety Instructions (continued) Air Travel • Certain Federal Aviation Administration regulations and/or airline-specific restrictions may apply to the operation of your Dell computer while you are on board an aircraft. For example, such regulations/restrictions may prohibit the use of any personal electronic device (PED) that has the capacity for intentional transmission of radio frequency or other electromagnetic signals while on an aircraft. – In order to best comply with all such
Summary of the content on the page No. 15
When Using Your Computer Observe the following safe-handling guidelines to prevent damage to your computer: • When setting up the computer for work, place it on a level surface. • When traveling, do not check the computer as baggage. You can put your computer through an X-ray security machine, but never put your computer through a metal detector. If you have the computer checked by hand, be sure to have a charged battery available in case you are asked to turn on the computer. • When travelin
Summary of the content on the page No. 16
When Using Your Computer (continued) • Clean the display with a soft, clean cloth and water. Apply the water to the cloth; then stroke the cloth across the display in one direction, moving from the top of the display to the bottom. Remove moisture from the display quickly and keep the display dry. Long- term exposure to moisture can damage the display. Do not use a commercial window cleaner to clean your display. • If your computer gets wet or is damaged, follow the procedures on page 101. If
Summary of the content on the page No. 17
When Using Your Computer (continued) 4 Ground yourself by touching any unpainted metal surface on the back of the computer. While you work, periodically touch the I/O panel to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components. Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge Static electricity can harm electronic components inside your computer. To prevent static damage, discharge static electricity from your body before you touch any of your computer’s electronic components, suc
Summary of the content on the page No. 18
18 www.dell.com | support.dell.com
Summary of the content on the page No. 19
1 SECTI O N 1 A Tour of Your Computer Front View Left View Right View Back View Bottom View
Summary of the content on the page No. 20
Front View display latch display keyboard status lights mute button power button volume control buttons device status lights track stick keyboard media control track stick/touch buttons pad buttons touch pad display latch button speakers DISPLAY LATCH — Keeps the display closed. DISPLAY — For more information about your display, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 94. POWER BUTTON — Press the power button to turn on the computer or to enter or exit a power m
