A driver is a program that controls a device such as a printer, mouse, or keyboard. All devices require a driver program.
A driver acts like a translator between the device and any other programs that use the device. Each device has its own set of specialized commands that 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 Microsoft® Windows® operating system. You may need to install drivers if you:
Upgrade your operating system.
Reinstall your operating system.
Connect or install a new device.
Identifying Drivers
If you experience a problem with any device, identify whether the driver is the source of your problem and, if necessary, update the driver.
Microsoft® Windows® XP
Click Start®Control Panel.
Under Pick a Category, click Performance and Maintenance, and click
System.
In the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab, and click Device
Manager.
Microsoft Windows Vista®
Click the Windows Vista start button , and right-click Computer.
Click Properties® Device Manager.
NOTE: The User Account Control window may appear. If you are an administrator on the computer, click Continue; otherwise, contact your administrator to continue.
Scroll down the list to see if any device has an exclamation point (a yellow circle with a [!]) on the device icon.
If an exclamation point is next to the device name, you may need to reinstall the driver or install a new driver (see Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities).
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, use Windows Device Driver Rollback to replace the driver with the previously installed version.
Right-click the device for which the new driver was installed and click
Properties.
Click the Drivers tab®Roll Back Driver.
Windows Vista:
Click the Windows Vista start button , and right-click Computer.
Click Properties® Device Manager.
NOTE: The User Account Control window may appear. If you are an administrator on the computer, click Continue; otherwise, contact your administrator to enter the Device Manager.
Right-click the device for which the new driver was installed and click
Properties.
Click the Drivers tab® Roll Back Driver.
If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore (see Restoring Your Operating System) to return your computer to the operating state that existed before you installed the new driver.
Using the Drivers and Utilities Media
If using Device Driver Rollback or System Restore (see Restoring Your Operating System) does not resolve the problem, then reinstall the driver from the Drivers and Utilities media.
Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs.
Insert the Drivers and Utilitiesmedia.
In most cases, the CD/DVD starts running automatically. If it does not, start Windows Explorer, click your CD/DVD drive directory to display the CD/DVD contents, and then double-click the autorcd.exe file. The first time that you run the CD/DVD, it might prompt you to install setup files. Click OK, and follow the instructions on the screen to continue.
From the Language drop-down menu in the toolbar, select your preferred
language for the driver or utility (if available).
At the welcome screen, click Next and wait for the CD/DVD to complete
the hardware scan
To detect other drivers and utilities, under Search Criteria, select the
appropriate categories from the System Model, Operating System, and
Topic drop-down menus.
A link or links appear(s) for the specific drivers and utilities used by your computer.
Click the link of a specific driver or utility to display information about the
driver or utility that you want to install.
Click the Install button (if present) to begin installing the driver or utility.
At the welcome screen, follow the screen prompts to complete the
installation.
If no Install button is present, automatic installation is not an option. For installation instructions, either see the appropriate instructions in the following subsections, or click Extract, follow the extracting instructions, and then read the readme file.
If instructed to navigate to the driver files, click the CD/DVD directory on the driver information window to display the files associated with that driver.
Manually Reinstalling Drivers
NOTE: If you are reinstalling an infrared sensor driver, you must first enable the infrared sensor in system setup (see System Setup Program) before continuing with the driver installation.
After extracting the driver files to your hard drive as described in the previous section:
Windows XP:
Click Start® My Computer® Properties® Hardware® Device Manager.
Double-click the type of device for which you are installing the driver (for
example, Audio or Video).
Double-click the name of the device for which you are installing the driver.
Click the Driver tab®Update Driver.
Click Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)® Next.
Click Browse and browse to the location to which you previously copied
the driver files.
When the name of the appropriate driver appears, click Next.
Click Finish and restart your computer.
Windows Vista:
Click the Windows Vista start button , and right-click Computer.
Click Properties® Device Manager.
NOTE: The User Account Control window may appear. If you are an administrator on the computer, click Continue; otherwise, contact your administrator to enter the Device Manager.
Double-click the type of device for which you are installing the driver (for
example, Audio or Video).
Double-click the name of the device for which you are installing the driver.
Click the Driver tab®Update Driver® Browse my computer for driver
software.
Click Browse and browse to the location to which you previously copied
the driver files.
When the name of the appropriate driver appears, click the name of the
driver® OK® Next.
Click Finish and restart your computer.
Troubleshooting Software and Hardware
Problems in the Microsoft® Windows® XP and
Microsoft Windows Vista® Operating Systems
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.
To start the Hardware Troubleshooter:
Windows XP:
Click Start®Help and Support.
Type hardware troubleshooter in the search field and press
<Enter> to start the search.
In the Fix a Problem section, click Hardware Troubleshooter.
In the Hardware Troubleshooter list, select the option that best describes
the problem and click Next to follow the remaining troubleshooting steps.
Windows Vista:
Click the Windows Vista start button , and click Help and Support.
Type hardware troubleshooterin the search field and press
<Enter> to start the search.
In the search results, select the option that best describes the problem and
follow the remaining troubleshooting steps.
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 PC Restore by Symantec (available in Windows XP) and Dell Factory Image Restore (available in Windows Vista) returns your hard drive to the operating state it was in when you purchased the computer. Both permanently delete all data on the hard drive and remove any programs installed after you received the computer. Use Dell PC Restore or Dell Factory Image Restore only if System Restore did not resolve your operating system problem.
If you received an Operating System disc with your computer, you can use it to restore your operating system. However, using the Operating System disc also deletes all data on the hard drive. Use the disc only if System Restore did not resolve your operating system problem.
Using Microsoft Windows System Restore
The Windows operating systems provide a System Restore option which allows 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. Any changes that System Restore makes to your computer are completely reversible.
NOTICE: Make regular backups of your data files. System Restore does not monitor your data files or recover them.
NOTE: The procedures in this document were written for the Windows default view, so they may not apply if you set your Dell™ computer to the Windows Classic view.
Starting System Restore
Windows XP:
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.
Click Start®All Programs® Accessories® System Tools®System
Restore.
Click either Restore my computer to an earlier time or Create a restore
point.
Click Next and follow the remaining on-screen prompts.
Windows Vista:
Click Start.
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.
Click Next and follow the remaining prompts on the screen.
In the event that System Restore did not resolve the issue, you may undo the last system restore.
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.
Windows XP:
Click Start®All Programs® Accessories® System Tools®System
Restore.
Click Undo my last restoration and click Next.
Windows Vista:
Click Start
.
In the Start Search box, type System Restore and press <Enter>.
Click Undo my last restoration and click Next.
Enabling System Restore
NOTE: Windows Vista does not disable System Restore; regardless of low disk space. Therefore, the steps below apply only to Windows XP.
If you reinstall Windows XP with less than 200 MB of free hard-disk space available, System Restore is automatically disabled.
To see if System Restore is enabled:
Click Start®ControlPanel® Performance and Maintenance® System.
Click the System Restore tab and ensure that Turn off System Restore is
unchecked.
Using Dell™ PC Restore and Dell Factory Image Restore
NOTICE: Using Dell PC Restore or Dell Factory Image Restore permanently deletes all data on the hard drive and removes any programs or drivers installed after you received your computer. If possible, back up the data before using these options. Use PC Restore or Dell Factory Image Restore only if System Restore did not resolve your operating system problem.
NOTE: Dell PC Restore by Symantec and Dell Factory Image Restore may not be available in certain countries or on certain computers.
Use Dell PC Restore (Windows XP) or Dell Factory Image Restore (Windows Vista) only as the last method to restore your operating system. These options restore your hard drive to the operating state it was in when you purchased the computer. Any programs or files added since you received your computer—including 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 PC Restore or Factory Image Restore.
Windows XP: Dell PC Restore
Using PC Restore:
Turn on the computer.
During the boot process, a blue bar with www.dell.com appears at the top of the screen.
Immediately upon seeing the blue bar, press <Ctrl><F11>.
If you do not press <Ctrl><F11> in time, let the computer finish starting, and then restart the computer again.
NOTICE: If you do not want to proceed with PC Restore, click Reboot.
Click Restore and click Confirm.
The restore process takes approximately 6 to 10 minutes to complete.
When prompted, click Finish to reboot the computer.
NOTE: Do not manually shut down the computer. Click Finish and let the computer completely reboot.
When prompted, click Yes.
The computer restarts. Because the computer is restored to its original operating state, the screens that appear, such as the End User License Agreement, are the same ones that appeared the first time the computer was turned on.
Click Next.
The System Restore screen appears and the computer restarts.
After the computer restarts, click OK.
Removing PC Restore:
NOTICE: Removing Dell PC Restore from the hard drive permanently deletes the PC Restore utility from your computer. After you have removed Dell PC Restore, you will not be able to use it to restore your computer operating system.
Dell PC Restore enables you to restore your hard drive to the operating state it was in when you purchased your computer. It is recommended that you do not remove PC Restore from your computer, even to gain additional hard-drive space. If you remove PC Restore from the hard drive, you cannot ever recall it, and you will never be able to use PC Restore to return your computer operating system to its original state.
Log on to the computer as a local administrator.
In Microsoft Windows Explorer, go to c:\dell\utilities\DSR.
Double-click the filename DSRIRRemv2.exe.
NOTE: If you do not log on as a local administrator, a message appears stating that you that you must log on as administrator. Click Quit, and then log on as a local administrator.
NOTE: If the partition for PC Restore does not exist on your computer hard drive, a message appears stating that the partition was not found. Click Quit; there is no partition to delete.
Click OK to remove the PC Restore partition on the hard drive.
Click Yes when a confirmation message appears.
The PC Restore partition is deleted and the newly available disk space is added to the free space allocation on the hard drive.
Right-click Local Disk (C) in Windows Explorer, click Properties, and
verify that the additional disk space is available as indicated by the
increased value for Free Space.
Click Finish to close the PC Restore Removal window and restart the
computer.
Windows Vista: Dell Factory Image Restore
Turn on the computer. When the Dell logo appears, press <F8> several
times to access the Vista Advanced Boot Options Window.
Select Repair Your Computer.
The System Recovery Options window appears.
Select a keyboard layout and click Next.
To access the recovery options, log on as a local user. To access the
command prompt, type administrator in the User name field, then
click OK.
Click Dell Factory Image Restore.
NOTE: Depending upon your configuration, you may need to select Dell Factory Tools, then Dell Factory Image Restore.
The Dell Factory Image Restore welcome screen appears.
Click Next.
The Confirm Data Deletion screen appears.
NOTICE: If you do not want to proceed with Factory Image Restore, click Cancel.
Click the checkbox to confirm that you want to continue reformatting the
hard drive and restoring the system software to the factory condition, then
click Next.
The restore process begins and may take five or more minutes to complete. A message appears when the operating system and factory-installed applications have been restored to factory condition.
Click Finish to reboot the system.
Using the Operating System Media
Before you Begin
If you are considering reinstalling the Windows operating system to correct a problem with a newly installed driver, first try using Windows Device Driver Rollback. See Using Windows Device Driver Rollback. 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 MicrosoftWindowsSystem Restore.
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 Drivers and Utilities media
NOTE: The Dell Drivers and Utilities media contains drivers that were installed during the assembly of the computer. Use the Dell Drivers and Utilities media to load any required drivers. Depending on the region from which you ordered your computer, or whether you requested the media, the Dell Drivers and Utilities media and Operating System media may not ship with your computer.
Reinstalling Windows XP or Windows Vista
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 media provides options for reinstalling Windows XP. The options can overwrite files and possibly affect programs that are installed on your hard drive. Therefore, do not reinstall Windows XP unless a Dell technical support representative instructs you to do so.
Save and close any open files and exit any open programs.
Insert the Operating System disc.
Click Exit if the Install Windows message appears.
Restart the computer.
When the DELL logo appears, press <F12> immediately.
NOTE: If you wait too long and 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.
When the boot device list appears, highlight CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive
and press <Enter>.
Press any key to Boot from CD-ROM.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
.