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Dell™ Latitude™ 120L
Quick Reference Guide
Model PP21L
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
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For information on other documentation included with your computer, see "Finding Information" on page 5. 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 abbreviati
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Contents Finding Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Setting Up Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 About Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Front View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Left Side View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Right Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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4 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 device documentation
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What Are You Looking For? Find It Here How to remove and replace parts Dell Latitude™ User’s Guide Specifications Microsoft Windows XP Help and Support Center How to configure system settings 1 Click Start→ Help and Support→ Dell User and System How to troubleshoot and solve problems Guides→ System Guides. 2 Click the User’s Guide for your computer. ® ® Service Tag and Express Service Code Service Tag and Microsoft Windows License Microsoft Windows License Label These labels are loc
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What Are You Looking For? Find It Here Software upgrades and troubleshooting hints Dell Support Utility Frequently asked questions, hot topics, and general The Dell Support Utility is an automated upgrade and health of your computing environment notification system installed on your computer. This support provides real-time health scans of your computing environment, software updates, and relevant self-support information. Access the Dell Support Utility from the icon in the taskbar. F
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Setting Up Your Computer CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product Information Guide. 1 Unpack the accessories box. 2 Set aside the contents of the accessories box, which you will need to complete the setup of your computer. The accessories box also contains user documentation and any software or additional hardware (such as PC Cards, drives, or batteries) that you have ordered. 3 Connect the AC adapter to the AC adapter co
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About Your Computer Front View 1 2 3 4 10 9 5 6 8 7 1 display latch release 2 display latches (2) 3 display 4 keyboard status lights 5 touch pad 6 touch pad buttons (2) 7 speakers (2) 8 device status lights 9 keyboard 10 power button Quick Reference Guide 9
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Left Side View 1 2 3 45 6 7 8 1 modem connector 2 network connector 3 video connector 4 USB connectors (3) 5 microphone connector 6 headphone connector 7 ExpressCard slot 8 ExpressCard slot release button Right Side View 2 1 3 1 optical drive bay 2 optical-drive-tray eject button 3 security cable slot Back View 1 2 1 AC adapter connector 2 air vent 10 Quick Reference Guide
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Bottom View 12 3 8 7 6 5 4 1 memory module/Mini PCI 2 optical-drive locking screw 3 hard drive cover 4 battery 5 battery-bay latch lock 6 battery-bay latch release 7 processor and thermal module 8 fan cover Using a Battery Battery Performance NOTE: For information about the Dell warranty for your computer, see the Product Information Guide or separate paper warranty document that shipped with your computer. For optimal computer performance and to help preserve BIOS settings, operate your Dell™
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NOTE: Battery operating time (the time the battery can hold a charge) decreases over time. Depending on how often the battery is used and the conditions under which it is used, you may need to purchase a new battery during the life of your computer. NOTE: It is recommended that you connect your computer to an electrical outlet when writing to a CD or DVD. Battery operating time varies depending on operating conditions. Operating time is significantly reduced when you perform operations incl
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Low-Battery Warning NOTICE: To avoid losing or corrupting data, save your work immediately after a low-battery warning. Then connect the computer to an electrical outlet. If the battery runs completely out of power, hibernate mode begins automatically. A pop-up window warns you when the battery charge is approximately 90 percent depleted. The computer enters hibernate mode when the battery charge is at a critically low level. You can change the settings for the battery alarms in QuickSet or
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To exit standby mode, press the power button or open the display, depending on how you set the power management options. You cannot make the computer exit standby mode by pressing a key or touching the touch pad. Hibernate Mode Hibernate mode conserves power by copying system data to a reserved area on the hard drive and then completely turning off the computer. When the computer exits hibernate mode, it returns to the same operating state it was in before entering hibernate mode. NOTICE: Y
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Charging the Battery NOTE: When the computer is turned off, the AC adapter charges a completely discharged battery to 80 percent in about 1 hour and to 100 percent in approximately 2 hours. Charge time is longer with the computer turned on. You can leave the battery in the computer for as long as you like. The battery’s internal circuitry prevents the battery from overcharging. When you connect the computer to an electrical outlet or install a battery while the computer is connected to an e
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To remove the battery: 1 If the computer is connected to a docking device (docked), undock it. See the documentation that came with your docking device for instructions. 2 Ensure that the computer is turned off. 3 Slide the battery-bay latch lock on the bottom of the computer away from the battery. 4 Slide and hold the battery-bay latch release, and then remove the battery from the bay. 1 3 2 1 battery 2 battery-bay latch release 3 battery-bay latch lock To replace the battery, follow the remo
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The computer does not start up ENSURE THAT THE AC ADAPTER IS FIRMLY CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTER AND TO THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET. The computer stops responding NOTICE: You might lose data if you are unable to perform an operating system shutdown. TURN THE COMPUTER OFF — If you are unable to get a response by pressing a key on your keyboard or moving your mouse, press and hold the power button for at least 8 to 10 seconds until the computer turns off. Then restart your computer. A program stops res
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BACK UP YOUR FILES IMMEDIATELY. USE A VIRUS-SCANNING PROGRAM TO CHECK THE HARD DRIVE, FLOPPY DISKS, OR CDS. SAVE AND CLOSE ANY OPEN FILES OR PROGRAMS AND SHUT DOWN YOUR COMPUTER THROUGH THE START MENU. SCAN THE COMPUTER FOR SPYWARE — If you are experiencing slow computer performance, you frequently receive pop-up advertisements, or you are having problems connecting to the Internet, your computer might be infected with spyware. Use an anti-virus program that includes anti-spyware protection (
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b Press and hold the key while starting the computer. NOTE: If you see a message stating that no diagnostics utility partition has been found, run the Dell Diagnostics from the Drivers and Utilities CD. The computer runs the Pre-boot System Assessment, a series of initial tests of your system board, keyboard, hard drive, and display. During the assessment, answer any questions that appear. If a failure is detected, the computer stops and beeps. To stop the assessment and restart the
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Dell Diagnostics Main Menu 1 After the Dell Diagnostics loads and the Main Menu screen appears, click the button for the option you want. Option Function Express Test Performs a quick test of devices. This test typically takes 10 to 20 minutes and requires no interaction on your part. Run Express Test first to increase the possibility of tracing the problem quickly. Extended Test Performs a thorough check of devices. This test typically takes 1 hour or more and requires you to answer quest
