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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.

____________________

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2008 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. 
is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, DellConnectInspiron, and YOURS IS HERE are 
trademarks of Dell Inc.; IntelCeleron, Core, and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; 
AMD, AMD Athlon, and Phenom are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.; HyperTransport is 
a licensed trademark of the HyperTransport Technology Consortium; MicrosoftWindows, Windows 
Vista, 
and Windows Vista start button are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft 
Corporation in the United States and/or other countries; Bluetooth is a trademark owned by Bluetooth 
SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell Inc. under license; Blu-ray Disc is a trademark of Blu-ray Disc Association. 

Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming 
the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and 
trade names other than its own.

Model: DCMF

June 2008

P/N MT480

Rev. A01

book.book  Page 2  Wednesday, July 2, 2008  1:51 PM

Summary of Contents for Inspiron 518

Page 1: ...w w w d e l l c o m s u p p o r t d e l l c o m Dell Inspiron Quick Reference Guide Model DCMF ...

Page 2: ...E are trademarksofDell Inc Intel Celeron Core andPentiumareregisteredtrademarksofIntelCorporation AMD AMD Athlon and Phenom are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices Inc HyperTransport is a licensed trademark of the HyperTransport Technology Consortium Microsoft Windows Windows Vista and Windows Vista start button are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United...

Page 3: ...ing Your Computer in an Enclosure 11 Connecting to the Internet 13 Setting Up Your Internet Connection 13 Transferring Information to a New Computer 15 3 Specifications 17 4 Troubleshooting 27 Troubleshooting Tools 27 Beep Codes 27 System Messages 29 Troubleshooting Hardware Problems in the Windows Vista Operating System 31 Dell Diagnostics 31 ...

Page 4: ...sing the Drivers and Utilities media 43 Restoring Your Operating System 44 Using Microsoft Windows System Restore 45 Using Dell Factory Image Restore 46 Using the Operating System Media 47 6 Finding Information 49 7 Getting Help 51 Obtaining Assistance 51 Technical Support and Customer Service 52 DellConnect 52 Online Services 52 AutoTech Service 53 Automated Order Status Service 53 Problems With ...

Page 5: ...Contents 5 Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit 54 Before You Call 55 Contacting Dell 57 A Appendix 59 FCC Notice U S Only 59 FCC Class B 59 Macrovision Product Notice 60 Index 61 ...

Page 6: ...6 Contents ...

Page 7: ... Front View 1 USB 2 0 connectors 2 2 optical drive 3 optical drive panel 4 optical drive eject button 5 USB 2 0 connectors 2 6 headphone connector 7 microphone connector 8 power button 9 drive activity light 10 front panel door grip 11 FlexBay drive 12 optional optical drive bay 13 Service Tag located on top of the chassis towards the front 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 4 ...

Page 8: ...out Your Dell Inspiron 518 519 Back View 1 power connector 2 voltage selector switch 3 power supply light 4 back panel connectors 5 expansion card slots 4 6 padlock rings 7 security cable slot 1 2 3 4 5 7 6 ...

Page 9: ...grity light 3 network adapter connector 4 network activity light 5 center subwoofer connector 6 line in connector 7 front L R line out connector 8 microphone 9 side L R surround connector 10 back L R surround connector 11 USB 2 0 connectors 4 12 VGA video connector 2 3 9 8 4 5 6 7 11 12 10 1 ...

Page 10: ...10 About Your Dell Inspiron 518 519 ...

Page 11: ...e For example if the ambient room temperature is at 25 C 77 F depending on your computer s specifications you only have 5 to 10 C 9 to 18 F temperature margin before you reach your computer s maximum operating temperature For details about your computer s specifications see Specifications on page 17 Leave a 10 2 cm 4 in minimum clearance on all vented sides of the computer to permit the airflow re...

Page 12: ... Your Computer If your computer is installed in a corner on a desk or under a desk leave at least 5 1 cm 2 in clearance from the back of the computer to the wall to permit the airflow required for proper ventilation ...

Page 13: ...a satellite television system Dial up connections that provide Internet access through a telephone line Dial up connections are considerably slower than DSL and cable or satellite modem connections Wireless LAN connections that provide Internet access using Bluetooth wireless technology If you are using a dial up connection connect a telephone line to the modem connector on your computer and to th...

Page 14: ...files and exit any open programs 2 Click the Windows Vista start button and click Control Panel 3 Under Network and Internet click Connect to the Internet The Connect to the Internet window appears 4 Click either Broadband PPPoE or Dial up depending on how you want to connect Choose Broadband if you will use a DSL satellite modem cable TV modem or Bluetooth wireless technology connection Chose Dia...

Page 15: ...ation provided by your ISP to complete the setup Transferring Information to a New Computer You can use your operating system wizards to help you transfer files and other data from one computer to another for example from an old computer to a new computer To transfer information to a new computer using the Windows Vista wizard 1 Click the Windows Vista start button and then click Transfer files an...

Page 16: ...16 Setting Up Your Computer ...

Page 17: ...D Phenom X2 X4 X2 GE triple core L2 cache At least 512 KB pipelined burst eight way set associative writeback SRAM Up to 2 MB for AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual core processors Up to 512 KB for AMD Athlon 64 processors Up to 4 MB for AMD Phenom processors DRAM bus width Not applicable 64 bits per channel Computer Information Inspiron 518 Inspiron 519 System chipset Intel G33 and ICH9 AMD RS780 and SB700 RA...

Page 18: ...6 GB s SATA 1 5 Gbps and 3 0 Gbps 1 5 Gbps and 3 0 Gbps USB High speed 480 Mbps Full speed 12 Mbps Low speed 1 2 Mbps High speed 480 Mbps Full speed 12 Mbps Low speed 1 2 Mbps PCI Connectors Connector size Connector data width maximum One 124 pins 32 bits One 124 pins 32 bits PCI Express Connector Connector size Connector data width maximum Two x1 36 pins 1 PCI Express lane Two x1 36 pins 1 PCI Ex...

Page 19: ... SDRAM Minimum memory 512 MB Maximum memory 4 GB Drives Inspiron 518 519 Externally accessible One 3 5 inch drive bay Two 5 25 inch drive bays Internally accessible Two 3 5 inch drive bays Available devices Two 3 5 inch SATA hard drives Two 5 25 inch SATA DVD ROM DVD RW super multi drive Blu ray Disc drive Blu ray Disc RW drive One 3 5 inch USB media card reader Bluetooth media card reader ...

Page 20: ...pink connector to attach a personal computer microphone for voice or musical input into a sound or telephony program On computers with a sound card use the microphone connector on the card Center sub woofer connector Use the orange connector to attach the sub woofer Back L R speakers connector Use the black surround connector to attach multichannel capable speakers Side L R surround connector Use ...

Page 21: ...the card and on the back of the computer when setting up multiple network connections such as a separate intra and extranet It is recommended that you use Category 5 wiring and connectors for your network If you must use Category 3 wiring force the network speed to 10 Mbps to ensure reliable operation USB Eight USB 2 0 compliant connectors Front panel 2 Back panel 4 Top USB tray 2 Use the back USB...

Page 22: ...connector Front panel audio HDA header One 10 pin connector Front panel control One 10 pin connector Internal USB Four 10 pin connectors Memory Four 240 pin connectors PCI 2 3 One 124 pin connector PCI Express x1 Two 36 pin connectors PCI Express x16 One 164 pin connector Power One 24 pin connector Power 12V One 4 pin connector Processor Inspiron 518 one 775 pin connector Inspiron 519 one 940 pin ...

Page 23: ...r light Blinking amber indicates a problem with the system board A solid amber light when the system does not boot indicates that the system board cannot start initialization This could be an issue with the system board or power supply see Power Problems on page 35 Drive activity light Blue light A blinking blue light indicates the computer is reading data from or writing data to to the SATA hard ...

Page 24: ...is activity on the network Off no light indicates that there is no activity on the network Power supply diagnostic light Green indicates that the power supply is receiving power Off indicates that the power supply is not receiving power or the power supply is not working Power Inspiron 518 519 DC power supply Wattage 300 W Maximum heat dissipation 162 W NOTE Heat dissipation is calculated by using...

Page 25: ... spectrum that simulates user environment Operating 5 to 350 Hz at 0 0002 G2 Hz Storage 5 to 500 Hz at 0 001 to 0 01 G2 Hz Maximum shock measured with hard drive in head parked position and a 2 ms half sine pulse Operating 40 G 5 with pulse duration of 2 msec 10 equivalent to 20 in sec 51 cm sec Storage 105 G 5 with pulse duration of 2 msec 10 equivalent to 50 in sec 127 cm sec Altitude maximum Op...

Page 26: ...26 Specifications ...

Page 27: ...This message may help support personnel diagnose and fix the problem s If an error message occurs in a program see the program s documentation NOTE The procedures in this document were written for the Microsoft Windows default view so these may not apply if you set your Dell computer to the Windows Classic view Beep Codes Your computer might emit a series of beeps during start up if the monitor ca...

Page 28: ...he Service Manual on the Dell Support website at support dell com 3 If the problem persists contact Dell 3 Possible system board failure Contact Dell For more information see Contacting Dell on page 57 4 RAM Read Write failure 1 Ensure that no special memory module memory connector placement requirements exist see the Service Manual on the Dell Support website at support dell com 2 Verify that the...

Page 29: ...OUS ATTEMPTS AT BOOTING THIS SYSTEM HAVE FAILED AT CHECKPOINT NNNN FOR HELP IN RESOLVING THIS PROBLEM PLEASE NOTE THIS CHECKPOINT AND CONTACT DELL TECHNICAL SUPPORT The computer failed to complete the boot routine three consecutive times for the same error see Contacting Dell on page 57 for assistance CMOS CHECKSUM ERROR Possible system board failure or RTC battery low Replace battery See the Serv...

Page 30: ...oot device ensure that a bootable media is in the drive If the hard drive is your boot device ensure that the cables are connected and that the drive is installed properly and partitioned as a boot device Enter system setup and ensure that the boot sequence information is correct NO TIMER TICK INTERRUPT A chip on the system board might be malfunctioning or system board failure NOTICE HARD DRIVE SE...

Page 31: ...l Diagnostics If you experience a problem with your computer perform the checks in Lockups and Software Problems see Lockups and Software Problems on page 37 and run the Dell Diagnostics before you contact Dell for technical assistance It is recommended that you print these procedures before you begin NOTICE The Dell Diagnostics works only on Dell computers NOTE The Drivers and Utilities media is ...

Page 32: ...ion has been found run the Dell Diagnostics from the Drivers and Utilities media 4 Press any key to start the Dell Diagnostics from the diagnostics utility partition on your hard drive Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the Drivers and Utilities Media 1 Insert the Drivers and Utilities media 2 Shut down and restart the computer When the DELL logo appears press F12 immediately NOTE If you wait too ...

Page 33: ... main menu the following menu appears NOTE It is recommended that you select Extended Test from the menu below to run a more thorough check of devices in the computer Option Function Test Memory Run the stand alone memory test Test System Run System Diagnostics Exit Exit the Diagnostics Option Function Express Test Performs a quick test of devices in the system This typically can take 10 to 20 min...

Page 34: ...art the computer close the Main Menu screen 6 Remove the Drivers and Utilities media if applicable Tab Function Results Displays the results of the test and any error conditions encountered Errors Displays error conditions encountered error codes and the problem description Help Describes the test and may indicate requirements for running the test Configuration Displays your hardware configuration...

Page 35: ...e electrical outlet is working by testing it with another device such as a lamp IF THE POWER LIGHT IS STEADY BLUE OR WHITE AND THE COMPUTER IS NOT RESPONDING Ensure that the display is connected and powered on If the display is connected and powered on see Beep Codes on page 27 IF THE POWER LIGHT IS BLINKING BLUE OR WHITE The computer is in standby mode Press a key on the keyboard move the mouse o...

Page 36: ... the Dell Support website at support dell com ELIMINATE INTERFERENCE Some possible causes of interference are Power keyboard and mouse extension cables Too many devices on a power strip Multiple power strips connected to the same electrical outlet IF YOU RECEIVE AN INSUFFICIENT MEMORY MESSAGE Save and close any open files and exit any open programs you are not using to see if that resolves the pro...

Page 37: ...cessfully communicating with the memory Ensure that you are following the memory installation guidelines see the Service Manual on the Dell Support website at support dell com Your computer supports DDR2 memory For more information about the type of memory supported by your computer see Specifications on page 17 Run the Dell Diagnostics see Dell Diagnostics on page 31 Ensure that the power cable i...

Page 38: ...CUMENTATION If necessary uninstall and then reinstall the program RUN THE PROGRAM COMPATIBILITY WIZARD The Program Compatibility Wizard configures a program so that it runs in an environment similar to non Windows Vista operating system environments 1 Click Start Control Panel Programs Use an older program with this version of Windows 2 In the welcome screen click Next 3 Follow the instructions on...

Page 39: ...imum hardware requirements needed to run the software See the software documentation for information Ensure that the program is installed and configured properly Verify that the device drivers do not conflict with the program If necessary uninstall and then reinstall the program BACK UP YOUR FILES IMMEDIATELY USE A VIRUS SCANNING PROGRAM TO CHECK THE HARD DRIVE FLOPPY DISKS OR CDS SAVE AND CLOSE A...

Page 40: ...40 Troubleshooting ...

Page 41: ...at only its driver recognizes Dell ships your computer to you with required drivers already installed no further installation or configuration is needed NOTICE The Drivers and Utilities media may contain drivers for operating systems that are not on your computer Ensure that you are installing software appropriate for your operating system Many drivers such as the keyboard driver come with your Mi...

Page 42: ...ivers and Utilities on page 42 Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities NOTICE The Dell Support website at support dell com and your Drivers and Utilities media provide approved drivers for Dell computers If you install drivers obtained from other sources your computer might not work correctly Using Windows Device Driver Rollback If a problem occurs on your computer after you install or update a driver ...

Page 43: ...rivers and Utilities media 5 At the Welcome Dell System Owner screen click Next NOTE The Drivers and Utilities media 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 Drivers and Utilities media If those drivers are not displayed exit the Drivers and Utilities media program For...

Page 44: ...appropriate driver appears click the name of the driver OK Next 8 Click Finish and restart your computer Restoring Your Operating System You can restore your operating system in the following ways System Restore returns your computer to an earlier operating state without affecting data files Use System Restore as the first solution for restoring your operating system and preserving data files Dell...

Page 45: ...apply if you set your Dell computer to the Windows Classic view Starting System Restore 1 Click Start 2 In the Start Search box type System Restore and press Enter NOTE The User Account Control window may appear If you are an administrator on the computer click Continue otherwise contact your administrator to continue the desired action 3 Click Next and follow the remaining prompts on the screen I...

Page 46: ...g data files are permanently deleted from the hard drive Data files include documents spreadsheets e mail messages digital photos music files and so on If possible back up all data before using Factory Image Restore Dell Factory Image Restore 1 Turn on the computer When the Dell logo appears press F8 several times to access the Vista Advanced Boot Options Window 2 Select Repair Your Computer The S...

Page 47: ...g state it was in before you installed the new device driver See Using Microsoft Windows System Restore on page 45 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 To reinstall Windows you need the following items Dell Operating System media Dell ...

Page 48: ...the operating system logo appears continue to wait until you see the Microsoft Windows desktop then shut down your computer and try again NOTE The next steps change the boot sequence for one time only On the next start up the computer boots according to the devices specified in the system setup program 5 When the boot device list appears highlight CD DVD CD RW Drive and press Enter 6 Press any key...

Page 49: ...ivers and Utilities Media The Drivers and Utilities media is a CD or DVD that may have shipped with your computer A diagnostic program for your computer Drivers for your computer NOTE Drivers and documentation updates can be found at support dell com Desktop System Software DSS Readme files NOTE Readme files may be included on your media to provide last minute updates about technical changes to yo...

Page 50: ...oth E mail networking and more Microsoft Windows License Label Your Microsoft Windows License is located on your computer Provides your operating system product key Product safety and warranty information is available as a hardcopy with your computer Warranty information Terms and Conditions U S only Safety instructions Regulatory information Ergonomics information End User License Agreement Docum...

Page 51: ... of online services available at Dell Support support dell com for help with installation and troubleshooting procedures See Online Services on page 52 for a more extensive list of Dell Support online 5 If the preceding steps have not resolved the problem see Contacting Dell on page 57 NOTE Call Dell Support from a telephone near or at the computer so that the support staff can assist you with any...

Page 52: ...or your region or go to support dell com DellConnect DellConnect is a simple online access tool that allows a Dell service and support associate to access your computer through a broadband connection diagnose your problem and repair it all under your supervision For more information go to support dell com and click DellConnect Online Services You can learn about Dell products and services on the f...

Page 53: ...omputers When you call AutoTech use your touch tone telephone to select the subjects that correspond to your questions For the telephone number to call for your region see Contacting Dell on page 57 Automated Order Status Service To check on the status of any Dell products that you have ordered you can go to support dell com or you can call the automated order status service A recording prompts yo...

Page 54: ... the invoice and a letter describing the reason for the return 2 Include a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist see Diagnostics Checklist on page 56 indicating the tests that you have run and any error messages reported by the Dell Diagnostics see Contacting Dell on page 57 3 Include any accessories that belong with the item s being returned power cables software floppy disks guides and so on if the ...

Page 55: ...tics Checklist see Diagnostics Checklist on page 56 If possible turn on your computer before you call Dell for assistance and call from a telephone at or near the computer You may be asked to type some commands at the keyboard relay detailed information during operations or try other troubleshooting steps possible only at the computer itself Ensure that the computer documentation is available CAUT...

Page 56: ...rds Are you connected to a network Yes No Network version and network adapter Programs and versions See your operating system documentation to determine the contents of the system s start up files If the computer is connected to a printer print each file Otherwise record the contents of each file before calling Dell Error message beep code or diagnostic code Description of problem and troubleshoot...

Page 57: ...upport and service options Availability varies by country and product and some services may not be available in your area To contact Dell for sales technical support or customer service issues 1 Visit support dell com 2 Verify your country or region in the Choose A Country Region drop down menu at the bottom of the page 3 Click Contact Us on the left side of the page 4 Select the appropriate servi...

Page 58: ...58 Getting Help ...

Page 59: ...nges or modifications not expressly approved by Dell Inc could void your authority to operate this equipment These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause harmful interference with radio or television recept...

Page 60: ...ormation see the regulatory information that shipped with your computer Macrovision Product Notice This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by method claims of certain U S patents and other intellectual property rights owned by Macrovision Corporation and other rights owners Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision Corporation...

Page 61: ...chnology Guide 50 DellConnect 52 diagnostics beep codes 27 Dell 31 documentation Dell Technology Guide 50 End User License Agreement 50 ergonomics 50 Product Information Guide 50 regulatory 50 safety 50 Service Manual 49 warranty 50 drivers 41 about 41 identifying 42 reinstalling 42 Drivers and Utilities media Dell Diagnostics 31 E End User License Agreement 50 ergonomics information 50 error mess...

Page 62: ...ower problems 35 power light conditions 35 printer connecting 13 setting up 13 problems beep codes 27 blue screen 38 computer crashes 37 38 computer stops responding 37 conflicts 31 Dell Diagnostics 31 general 37 memory 36 power 35 power light conditions 35 program crashes 38 program stops responding 38 programs and Windows compatibility 38 restore to previous state 44 45 software 38 39 Program Co...

Page 63: ...ne numbers 57 transferring information to a new computer 15 troubleshooting conflicts 31 Dell Diagnostics 31 Hardware Troubleshooter 31 restore to previous state 44 45 W warranty information 50 Windows Vista Factory Image Restore 46 Hardware Troubleshooter 31 Program Compatibility Wizard 38 System Restore 45 Windows XP Device Driver Rollback 42 Files and Settings Transfer Wizard 15 reinstalling 49...

Page 64: ...64 Index ...

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