Dell OptiPlex 320 – page 2

2

Disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.

3

Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets, and then press the

power button to ground the system board.

4

If applicable, remove the computer stand (for instructions, see the documentation that came with the

stand).

CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your computer from the electrical outlet before

removing the cover.

5

Remove the computer cover:

• Remove the mini tower computer cover (see "Mini Tower Computer" on page 21).

• Remove the desktop computer cover (see "Desktop Computer" on page 27).

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.

Mini Tower Computer

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your computer from the electrical outlet before

removing the computer cover.

1

Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 20.

2

If you have installed a padlock through the padlock ring on the back panel, remove the padlock.

3

Lay the computer on its side.

4

Slide the cover release latch back as you lift the cover.

5

Grip the sides of the computer cover and pivot the cover up using the hinge tabs as leverage points.

6

Remove the cover from the hinge tabs and set it aside on a soft nonabrasive surface.

Quick Reference Guide 21

1

2

3

1 security cable slot

2 cover release latch

3 padlock ring

22 Quick Reference Guide

Desktop Computer

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your computer from the electrical outlet before

removing the computer cover.

1

Follow the procedures in "Before You Begin" on page 20.

2

If you have installed a padlock through the padlock ring on the back panel, remove the padlock.

3

Slide the cover release latch back as you lift the cover.

4

Pivot the cover up using the hinge tabs as leverage points.

5

Remove the cover from the hinge tabs and set it aside on a soft nonabrasive surface.

1

2

3

1

security cable slot

2

cover release latch

3

padlock ring

Quick Reference Guide 23

Inside Your Computer

Mini Tower Computer

3

2

1

4

5

6

1 CD/DVD drive 4 system board

2 floppy drive 5 heat sink assembly

3 power supply 6 hard drive

24 Quick Reference Guide

System Board Components

12

3

17

4

16

5

15

14

6

7

13

12

10

911

8

Quick Reference Guide 25

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 an hour or more and

requires you to answer questions periodically.

Custom Test Tests a specific device. You can customize the tests you want to run.

Symptom Tree Lists the most common symptoms encountered and allows you to select a test based on

the symptom of the problem you are having.

2

If a problem is encountered during a test, a message appears with an error code and a description of the

problem. Write down the error code and problem description and follow the instructions on the

screen.

If you cannot resolve the error condition, contact Dell. For information on contacting Dell, see your

online

User’s Guide

.

NOTE: The Service Tag for your computer is located at the top of each test screen. If you contact Dell,

technical support will ask for your Service Tag.

3

If you run a test from the

Custom Test

or

Symptom Tree

option, click the applicable tab described in

the following table for more information.

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 for the selected device.

The Dell Diagnostics obtains configuration information for all devices from system

setup, memory, and various internal tests, and it displays the information in the device

list in the left pane of the screen. The device list may not display the names of all the

components installed on your computer or all devices attached to your computer.

Parameters You can customize the test by changing the test settings.

4

When the tests are completed, if you are running the Dell Diagnostics from the

Drivers and Utilities

CD (optional)

,

remove the CD.

5

Close the test screen to return to the

Main

Menu

screen. To exit the Dell Diagnostics and restart the

computer, close the

Main

Menu

screen.

32 Quick Reference Guide

System Lights

Your power light may indicate a computer problem.

Power Light Problem Description Suggested Resolution

Solid green Power is on, and the computer is

No corrective action is required.

operating normally.

Blinking green The computer is in a power-saving

Press the power button, move the mouse, or

mode.

press a key on the keyboard to wake the

computer.

Blinks green several

A configuration error exists. Check Diagnostic Lights to see if the specific

times and then turns off

problem is identified (see "Diagnostic Lights"

on page 34).

Solid yellow The Dell Diagnostics is running a

If the Dell Diagnostics is running, allow the

test, or a device on the system board

testing to complete.

may be faulty or incorrectly installed.

Check Diagnostic Lights to see if the specific

problem is identified (see "Diagnostic Lights"

on page 34).

If the computer does not boot, contact Dell

for technical assistance.

For information on

contacting Dell, see your online

User’s Guide

.

Blinking yellow A power supply or system board

Check Diagnostic Lights to see if the specific

failure has occurred.

problem is identified (see "Diagnostic Lights"

on page 34).

See "Power Problems" in your online User’s

Guide.

Solid green and a beep

A problem was detected while the

For instructions on diagnosing the beep code

code during POST

BIOS was executing.

see "Beep Codes" on page 37. Also, check

Diagnostic Lights to see if the specific

problem is identified.

Solid green power light,

The monitor or the graphics card may

Check Diagnostic Lights to see if the specific

no beep code and no

be faulty or incorrectly installed.

problem is identified.

video during POST

Solid green power light

An integrated system board device

Check Diagnostic Lights to see if the specific

and no beep code, but

may be faulty.

problem is identified. If the problem is not

the computer locks up

identified, contact Dell for technical

during POST

assistance.

For information on contacting Dell,

see your online

User’s Guide

.

Quick Reference Guide 33

Diagnostic Lights

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product

Information Guide.

To help you troubleshoot a problem, your computer has four lights labeled "1," "2," "3," and "4" on the

front or back panel. The lights can be "off" or green. When the computer starts normally, the patterns or

codes on the lights change as the boot process completes. If the POST portion of system boot completes

successfully, all four lights display solid green for a short time, and then turn off.

If the computer malfunctions during the POST process, the pattern displayed on the LEDs may help

identify where in the process the computer halted. If the computer malfunctions after a successful

POST, the diagnostic lights do not indicate the cause of the problem.

NOTE: The orientation of the diagnostic lights may vary depending on the system type. The diagnostic lights can be

either vertically or horizontally oriented.

Light Pattern Problem Description Suggested Resolution

The computer is in a normal "off"

Plug the computer into a working electrical

condition, or a possible pre-BIOS failure

outlet and press the power button.

has occurred.

The diagnostic lights are not lit after the

computer successfully boots to the

operating system.

A possible BIOS failure has occurred; the

Run the BIOS Recovery utility, wait for

computer is in recovery mode.

recovery completion, and then restart the

computer.

A possible processor failure has occurred. Reinstall the processor and restart the

computer.

For information on reinstalling the

processor, see your online

User’s Guide

.

34 Quick Reference Guide

Light Pattern Problem Description Suggested Resolution

Memory modules are detected, but a

• If you have one memory module installed,

memory failure has occurred.

reinstall it and restart the computer. For

information on reinstalling memory

modules, see your online

User’s Guide

.

• If you have two or more memory modules

installed, remove the modules, reinstall one

module, and then restart the computer. If

the computer starts normally, reinstall an

additional module. Continue until you have

identified a faulty module or reinstalled all

modules without error.

• If available, install properly working

memory of the same type into your

computer.

• If the problem persists,

contact Dell

. For

information on contacting Dell, see your

online

User’s Guide

.

A possible graphics card failure has

• If the computer has a graphics card, remove

occurred.

the card, reinstall it, and then restart the

computer.

• If the problem still exists, install a graphics

card that you know works and restart the

computer.

• If the problem persists or the computer has

integrated graphics,

contact Dell

. For

information on contacting Dell, see your

online

User’s Guide

.

A possible floppy or hard drive failure has

Reseat all power and data cables and restart

occurred.

the computer.

A possible USB failure has occurred. Reinstall all USB devices, check cable

connections, and then restart the computer.

Quick Reference Guide 35

Light Pattern Problem Description Suggested Resolution

No memory modules are detected.

• If you have one memory module installed,

reinstall it and restart the computer. For

information on reinstalling memory

modules, see your online

User’s Guide

.

• If you have two or more memory modules

installed, remove the modules, reinstall one

module, and then restart the computer. If

the computer starts normally, reinstall an

additional module. Continue until you have

identified a faulty module or reinstalled all

modules without error.

• If available, install properly working

memory of the same type into your

computer.

• If the problem persists,

contact Dell

. For

information on contacting Dell, see your

online

User’s Guide

.

Memory modules are detected, but a

• Ensure that no

special memory

memory configuration or compatibility

module/memory connector placement

error exists.

requirements

exist.

• Verify that the

memory modules

that you

are installing are compatible with your

computer.

• If the problem persists,

contact Dell

. For

information on contacting Dell, see your

online

User’s Guide

.

A failure has occurred.

• Ensure that the cables are properly

connected to the system board from the

hard drive, CD drive, and DVD drive.

This pattern also displays when you enter

• Check the computer message that appears

system setup and may not indicate a

on your monitor screen.

problem.

• If the problem persists,

contact Dell

. For

information on contacting Dell, see your

online

User’s Guide

.

After POST is complete, all four

None.

diagnostic lights turn green briefly before

turning off to indicate a normal operating

condition.

36 Quick Reference Guide

Beep Codes

Your computer might emit a series of beeps during start-up if the monitor cannot display errors or

problems. This series of beeps, called a beep code, identifies a problem. One possible beep code

(code 1-3-1) consists of one beep, a burst of three beeps, and then one beep. This beep code tells you

that the computer encountered a memory problem.

If your computer beeps during start-up:

1

Write down the beep code.

2

See "Dell Diagnostics" on page 30 to identify a more serious cause.

3

Contact Dell for technical assistance. For information on contacting Dell, see your online

User’s

Guide

.

Code Cause Code Cause

1-1-2 Microprocessor register failure 3-1-4 Slave interrupt mask register failure

1-1-3 NVRAM read/write failure 3-2-2 Interrupt vector loading failure

1-1-4 ROM BIOS checksum failure 3-2-4 Keyboard Controller test failure

1-2-1 Programmable interval timer failure 3-3-1 NVRAM power loss

1-2-2 DMA initialization failure 3-3-2 Invalid NVRAM configuration

1-2-3 DMA page register read/write

3-3-4 Video Memory test failure

failure

1-3 Video Memory test failure 3-4-1 Screen initialization failure

1-3-1 through 2-4-4 Memory not being properly

3-4-2 Screen retrace failure

identified or used

3-1-1 Slave DMA register failure 3-4-3 Search for video ROM failure

3-1-2 Master DMA register failure 4-2-1 No timer tick

3-1-3 Master interrupt mask register

4-2-2 Shutdown failure

failure

4-2-3 Gate A20 failure 4-4-1 Serial or parallel port test failure

4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in protected

4-4-2 Failure to decompress code to

mode

shadowed memory

4-3-1 Memory failure above address

4-4-3 Math-coprocessor test failure

0FFFFh

4-3-3 Timer-chip counter 2 failure 4-4-4 Cache test failure

4-3-4 Time-of-day clock stopped

Quick Reference Guide 37

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.

1

Click the

Start

button and click

Help and Support

.

2

Ty p e

hardware troubleshooter

in the

Search

field and click the arrow to start the search.

3

Click

Hardware Troubleshooter

in the

Search Results

list.

4

In the

Hardware Troubleshooter

list, click

I need to resolve a hardware conflict on my computer

, and

click

Next

.

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 the Windows Help and Support

Center, see "Windows Help and Support Center" on page 7.

NOTICE: Make regular backups of your data files. System Restore does not monitor your data files or recover them.

Creating a Restore Point

1

Click the

Start

button and click

Help and Support

.

2

Click

System Restore

.

3

Follow the instructions on the screen.

Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State

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.

1

Click the

Start

button, point to

All Programs

→

Accessories

→

System Tools

, and then click

System

Restore

.

2

Ensure that

Restore my computer to an earlier time

is selected, and click

Next

.

3

Click 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.

4

Select 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.

38 Quick Reference Guide

5

Click

Next

.

The

Restoration Complete

screen appears after System Restore finishes collecting data and then the

computer restarts.

6

After 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.

1

Click the

Start

button, point to

All Programs

→

Accessories

→

System Tools

, and then click

System

Restore

.

2

Click

Undo my last restoration

and click

Next

.

3

Click

Next

.

The

System Restore

screen appears and the computer restarts.

4

After 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 verify that System Restore is enabled:

1

Click the

Start

button and click

Control

Panel

.

2

Click

Performance and Maintenance

.

3

Click

System

.

4

Click the

System Restore

tab.

5

Ensure that

Turn off System Restore

is unchecked.

Reinstalling Microsoft Windows XP

Before You Begin

NOTE: The procedures in this document were written for the Windows default view in Windows XP Home Edition,

so the steps will differ if you set your Dell computer to the Windows Classic view or are using Windows XP

Professional.

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.

1

Click the

Start

button and click

Control Pane

l.

2

Under

Pick a Category

, click

Performance and Maintenance

.

Quick Reference Guide 39

3

Click

System

.

4

In the

System Properties

window, click the

Hardware

tab.

5

Click

Device Manager

.

6

Right-click the device for which the new driver was installed and click

Properties

.

7

Click the

Drivers

tab.

8

Click

Roll Back Driver

.

If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore to return your operating

system to the operating state it was in before you installed the new device driver (see "Using Microsoft

Windows XP System Restore" on page 38).

NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD contains drivers that were installed during assembly of the computer. Use the

Drivers and Utilities CD to load any required drivers, including the drivers required if your computer has a RAID

controller.

Reinstalling Windows XP

NOTICE: You must use Windows XP Service Pack 1 or later when you reinstall Windows XP.

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 XP, you need the following items:

•Dell

Operating System

CD

•Dell

Drivers and Utilities

CD

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

1

Save and close any open files and exit any open programs.

2

Insert the

Operating System

CD. Click

Exit

if the

Install Windows XP

message appears.

3

Restart the computer.

40 Quick Reference Guide