Dell Precision 650: instruction
Class: Household, kitchen appliances, electronics and equipment
Type: Computer
Manual for Dell Precision 650
Table of contents
- Notes, Notices, and Cautions Abbreviations and Acronyms
- Contents
- Finding Information and Assistance What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
- What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
- What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
- What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
- Setting Up Your Dell Precision™ 650 Computer Connect the keyboard and the mouse
- Connect the modem or the network cable
- Connect the monitor
- For single- and dual-monitor capable cards with a single connector
- For dual-monitor capable cards with 1 DVI and 1 VGA connector For dual-monitor capable cards with 2 DVI connectors
- Connect the speakers
- Connect the power cables and turn on the computer and monitor
- Install additional software or devices
- To access the User’s Guide from your hard drive: To access the User’s Guide from the CD: To access your User’s Guide from the Dell Support Site:
- Setting Up Your Dell Precision 450 Computer Connect the keyboard and mouse
- Connect the modem or network cable
- Connect the monitor
- For single- and dual-monitor capable cards with a single connector
- For dual-monitor capable cards with 1 DVI and 1 VGA connector For dual-monitor capable cards with 2 DVI connectors
- Connect the speakers
- Connect the power cables and turn on the computer and monitor
- Install Additional Software or Devices
- To access the User’s Guide from your hard drive: To access the User’s Guide from the CD: To access your User’s Guide from the Dell Support Site: Caring for Your Computer
- Solving Problems Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities Windows XP
- Windows 2000
- Using System Restore in Windows XP Creating a Restore Point Restoring the Computer to an Earlier Operating State
- Using Last Known Good Configuration Other Options to Help Resolve Additional Device or Software Conflicts When to Use the Dell Diagnostics
- Starting the Dell Diagnostics Starting the Dell Diagnostics From Your Hard Drive
- Starting the Dell Diagnostics From the Drivers and Utilities CD Dell Diagnostics Main Menu Option Function
- Tab Function
- System Lights Power Light Hard-Drive Cause Corrective Action Light
- Power Light Hard-Drive Cause Corrective Action Light Beep Codes Error Messages Diagnostic Lights
- Diagnostic Light Codes Before POST Light Pattern Problem Description Suggested Resolution
- Light Pattern Problem Description Suggested Resolution Diagnostic Light Codes During POST Light Pattern Problem Description Suggestion Resolution
- Light Pattern Problem Description Suggestion Resolution
- Light Pattern Problem Description Suggestion Resolution
- Light Pattern Problem Description Suggestion Resolution
- Light Pattern Problem Description Suggestion Resolution
- Frequently Asked Questions How Do I... Solution Where to Find Additional Information
- How Do I... Solution Where to Find Additional Information
- Opening the Computer Cover
- Dell Precision 650 Computer
- Inside the Dell Precision 650 Computer
- Dell Precision 450 Computer
- Inside the Dell Precision 450 Computer

Dell Precision™ Workstations 450 and 650
Setup and Quick Reference
Guide
www.dell.com | support.dell.com

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 “Glossary” in the
User’s Guide.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2002 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Computer
Corporation is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, and Dell Precision are trademarks of Dell
Computer Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
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 Computer Corporation disclaims any proprietary interest
in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
December 2002 P/N 7T144 Rev. A01

Contents
Finding Information and Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Connect the keyboard and the mouse
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Connect the modem or the network cable
. . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Connect the monitor
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connect the speakers
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Connect the power cables and turn on the computer
and monitor
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Install additional software or devices
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Connect the keyboard and mouse
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Connect the modem or network cable
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Connect the monitor
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Connect the speakers
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Connect the power cables and turn on the computer
and monitor
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Install Additional Software or Devices
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Caring for Your Computer
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Solving Problems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities
. . . . . . 27
Using System Restore in Windows XP
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Using Last Known Good Configuration
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
When to Use the Dell Diagnostics
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Starting the Dell Diagnostics
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
System Lights
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Beep Codes
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Error Messages
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Diagnostic Lights
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Frequently Asked Questions
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Opening the Computer Cover
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Contents 3

4 Contents

Finding Information and Assistance
The following table lists the resources that Dell provides as support tools.
Additional resources may be shipped with your computer.
What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
• A diagnostic program for my computer
Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as the
• Drivers for my computer
ResourceCD)
•My User’s Guide
• My device documentation
You can use this CD to access documentation, reinstall drivers, or run
diagnostics tools.
• How to set up my computer
Setup and Quick Reference Guide
• How to care for my computer
• Troubleshooting information
• How to open my computer cover
• How to locate other documentation
Setup and Quick Reference Guide 5

What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
• Express Service Code and Service Tag
Express Service Code and Product Key
®
®
• Microsoft
Windows
License Label
The labels are located on your computer.
• How to reinstall my operating system Operating System CD and Installation Guide
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
After you reinstall your operating system, use the Drivers and Utilities
CD to reinstall drivers for the devices that came with your computer.
6 Setup and Quick Reference Guide

What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
• How to remove and replace parts
User’s Guide Icon (Microsoft Windows 2000)
• Technical specifications
• How to configure system settings
• How to troubleshoot and solve problems
Double-click the User’s Guide icon on your desktop.
Windows XP Help and Support Center
1 Click the Start button and click Help and Support.
2 Click User’s Guide.
• Location of connectors on the system board System Information Label
or
The label is located on the inside of your computer cover.
• Latest drivers for my computer
Dell Support Website — support.dell.com
• Answers to technical service and support
The Dell Support website provides several online tools, including:
questions
• Knowledge Base — Hints, tips, and online courses
• Online discussions with other users and
• Customer Forum — Online discussion with other Dell customers
technical support
• Upgrades — Upgrade information for components, such as memory,
• Documentation for my computer including
the hard drive, and the operating system
the Service Manual
• Customer Care — Contact information, order status, warranty, and
repair information
• Downloads — Drivers, patches, and software updates
• Reference — Computer documentation, product specifications, and
white papers
Setup and Quick Reference Guide 7

What Are You Looking For? Find it Here
• Service call status and support history
Dell Premier Support Website —
• Top technical issues for my computer
premiersupport.dell.com
• Frequently asked questions
The Dell Premier Support website is customized for corporate,
• File downloads
government, and education customers. This website may not be
available in all regions.
• Details on my computer’s configuration
• Service contract for my computer
• Warranty information System Information Guide
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
• How to use Windows XP
Windows XP Help and Support Center
• Documentation for my computer and
1 Click the Start button, and click Help and Support.
devices
2 Type a word or phrase that describes your problem, and click the
arrow icon.
3 Click the topic that describes your problem.
4 Follow the instructions shown on the screen.
NOTE: For help using Windows 2000, click the Start button and click
Help.
8 Setup and Quick Reference Guide

Setting Up Your Dell Precision™ 650
Computer
You must complete all steps to properly set up your computer.
Connect the keyboard and the mouse
or
or
Setup and Quick Reference Guide 9

Connect the modem or the network cable
NOTICE: Do not connect a modem cable to the network adapter. Voltage
from telephone communications can damage the network adapter.
NOTE: If your computer
has a network card
installed, connect the
network cable to the card.
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
10 Setup and Quick Reference Guide

Connect the monitor
Depending on your graphics card, you can connect your monitor in various
ways.
A B C D
NOTICE: Your computer may require the use of the provided adapter or cable
to connect to your monitor.
Setup and Quick Reference Guide 11

For single- and dual-monitor capable cards with a single connector
VGA Adapter
VGA
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
• Use the VGA adapter when you have a single
monitor graphics card and you want to connect to a
VGA monitor.
Dual VGA Y Cable Adapter
Dual DVI Y Cable Adapter
VGA
DVI
VGA
DVI
• Use the appropriate Y cable when your graphics card
• Use the appropriate Y cable when your graphics card
has a single connector and you want to connect to
has a single connector and you want to connect to
one or two VGA monitors.
one or two DVI monitors.
The dual-monitor cable is color coded; the blue connector is for the primary
monitor, and the black connector is for the secondary monitor. To enable
dual-monitor support, both monitors must be attached when the computer
starts.
12 Setup and Quick Reference Guide

For dual-monitor capable cards with 1 DVI and 1 VGA connector
Single DVI/Single VGA
Dual VGA With VGA Adapter
DVI
VGA
VGA
VGA
• Use the appropriate connector when you connect to
• Use the VGA adapter when you want to connect to
one or two monitors.
two VGA monitors.
For dual-monitor capable cards with 2 DVI connectors
Dual DVI
Dual DVI With One VGA Adapter
Dual DVI With Two VGA Adapters
DVI
DVI
DVI
VGA
VGA
VGA
• Use the DVI connectors to
• Use the VGA adapter to connect
• Use two VGA adapters to
connect to one or two DVI
a VGA monitor to one DVI
connect two VGA monitors to
monitors.
connector.
the DVI connectors.
Setup and Quick Reference Guide 13

Connect the speakers
NOTE: If your computer
has an audio card
installed, connect the
speakers to the card.
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
14 Setup and Quick Reference Guide

Connect the power cables and turn on the
computer and monitor
Setup and Quick Reference Guide 15

Install additional software or devices
Before you install any devices or software that did not come with your
computer, read the documentation that came with the software or device or
contact the vendor to verify that the software or device is compatible with
your computer and operating system.
Congratulations! You have completed the setup for your
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
computer.
Your Dell Precision Workstation 650 User’s Guide contains additional
information about your computer such as:
• Technical specifications
• Front and back views of your computer, including all of the available
connectors
• Inside views of your computer, including a detailed graphic of the
system board and the connectors
• Instructions for cleaning your computer
• Information on software features, such as LegacySelect Technology
control, using a password, and system setup options
• A description of the Windows XP operating system
• Instructions for removing and installing parts, including memory,
cards, drives, the microprocessor, the VRM, and the battery
• Information for troubleshooting various computer problems
• Instructions for using the Dell Diagnostics and reinstalling drivers
• Information on how to contact Dell
You can access the User’s Guide from your hard drive, the Drivers and
Utilities CD, or the Dell Support website.
16 Setup and Quick Reference Guide

To access the User’s Guide from your hard drive:
If you have Windows 2000, double-click the User’s Guides icon.
If you have Windows XP, click the Start button and click Help and
Support.
To access the User’s Guide from the CD:
1 Insert the Drivers and Utilities CD into the drive.
If you are using the Drivers and Utilities CD for the first time, the
ResourceCD Installation window opens to inform you that the CD is
about to begin installation.
2 Click OK to continue and then respond to the prompts offered by the
installation program.
3 Click Next at the Welcome Dell System Owner screen.
4 Select the appropriate System Model, Operating System, and Topic.
To access your User’s Guide from the Dell Support Site:
1 Go to support.dell.com.
2 Follow the prompts on the website that ask you for information
specific to your computer.
3 At the Dell Support website home page, click Reference, click User’s
Guides, click Systems, and then select your Dell Precision computer.
Setup and Quick Reference Guide 17

Setting Up Your Dell Precision 450
Computer
You must complete all steps to properly set up your computer.
Connect the keyboard and mouse
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
or
or
18 Setup and Quick Reference Guide

Connect the modem or network cable
NOTICE: Do not connect a modem cable to the network adapter. Voltage
NOTE: If your computer
from telephone communications cause damage the network adapter.
has a network card
installed, connect the
network cable to the card.
Setup and Quick Reference Guide 19

Connect the monitor
Depending on your graphics card, you can connect your monitor in various
ways.
www.dell.com | support.dell.com
A B C D
NOTICE: Your computer may require the use of the provided adapter or cable
to connect to your monitor.
20 Setup and Quick Reference Guide

