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Using the Computer: Dell™ Inspiron™ 7500

	Storage Devices		Touch Pad
	Audio Devices		PC Cards
	Embedded Numeric Keypad		External Monitor
	External Keyboard, Keypad, or Mouse

Storage Devices

Removing and Installing a Device in the Media Bay

The media bay holds a second battery, a combination CD-ROM drive/diskette drive, a combination DVD-ROM drive/diskette drive, a combination DVD-ROM drive/LS-120 diskette drive, or an optional hard-disk drive.

NOTE: All devices are removed and installed the same way.

To remove a device from the media bay, perform the following steps:

1. Save any open files.
   
   
2. Shut down the computer.
   
   
3. Remove the currently installed device from the media bay.
   
   Close the display and turn the computer over. Push the latch lock to the unlocked position (see Figure 1), and slide the latch release in the direction of the arrow. Keep holding the latch release with one hand while pulling the device out of the media bay with the other.

Figure 1. Removing Devices From the Media Bay

 

1	Latch release
2	Combo module or secondary battery
3	Latch lock (unlocked position)



4. Install the new device in the media bay.
   
   Insert the device into the media bay and push the latch lock back into the locked position. The label on the device will be facing away from you when the computer is turned over.
   
   
5. Reboot the system.

Hard-Disk Drive

NOTE: The computer's BIOS may not support hard-disk drives obtained from vendors other than Dell. Dell does not guarantee compatibility or provide support for hard-disk drives obtained from other sources.

To install a hard-disk drive, perform the following steps.

1. Save any open files.
   
   
2. Shut down the computer and remove any installed batteries (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Removing a Battery From the Media Bay

1	Latch lock (unlocked position)
2	Battery
3	Latch release

3. Remove the currently installed hard-disk drive (see Figure 3).
   
   Turn the computer over, and loosen the two captive screws securing the hard-disk drive cover. The screws are held captive in the lip of the carrier. A spring causes the front edge of the cover to pop up. If the front edge of the cover does not pop up, pull on one of the screws to lift the front edge.

Figure 3. Removing the Hard-Disk Drive

1	Hard-disk drive
2	Hinge
3	Captive screws (2)

4. Push the hard-disk drive forward until it stops, and then pull it up.
   
   
5. Remove the new drive from its packaging.
   
   Save the original packaging to use when storing or shipping the hard-disk drive.

6. Slide the new drive into place.
   
   There may be some resistance as the drive connects to its interface connector at the back of the bay.
   
   
7. Tighten the screws you loosened in step 3.
   
   
8. Test the drive by running the Hard-Disk Drives (Non-SCSI) test group in the Dell Diagnostics.
   
   For information on running the diagnostics, see "Running the Dell Diagnostics" in Chapter 3 of the Dell Inspiron 7500 Reference and Troubleshooting Guide.

Audio Devices

You can connect speakers, a microphone, headphones, and record/playback devices such as cassette players, CD players, and VCRs to the audio connectors on the computer (see Figure 4). The connectors are located directly under the PC Card slot. Dell recommends using amplified speakers for the best sound.

Figure 4. Audio connectors

Connect headphones or speakers to the line-out jack on the left of the audio connectors. Connect a microphone to the microphone jack in the middle. Connect record/playback devices such as cassette players, CD players, and VCRs to the line-in jack on the right.

See your Microsoft® Windows® 98 documentation for the location of sound application programs such as mixers and volume control.

You can control the sound coming from the external speakers and the computer's integrated speakers with the volume control dial. You can also use the keyboard to adjust the volumes. Press to lower the volume. Press to increase the volume. Press to enable or disable both the integrated and external speakers.

NOTE: If no sound comes from the speakers, make sure that the sound is not disabled. Press and check the volume control dial.

See Utilities and Drivers for Microsoft Windows 98 and Utilities and Drivers for Microsoft Windows NT® for information about reinstalling the audio drivers. The drivers are located on the Dell Inspiron 7500 System Software CD.

Embedded Numeric Keypad

As you work, you may want to use the embedded numeric keypad (see Figure 5) to enter numbers into a spreadsheet or financial program. The embedded numeric keypad shares some of the keys on the computer's keyboard. The embedded keypad numbers and symbols are marked on the right of the keypad keys in blue.

Figure 5. Embedded Numeric Keypad

To activate the embedded numeric keypad, press <Num Lock>. The Number Lock indicator lights up.

To deactivate the embedded keypad, press <Num Lock>. The Num Lock indicator is no longer illuminated.

When the embedded keypad is activated, the key combinations in Table 1 temporarily disable specific keypad keys.

Table 1. Activated Keypad Functions

To use the embedded arrow keys, ensure that <Num Lock> is off. Press and hold <Fn> and the corresponding key displayed in Table 2.

Table 2. Deactivated Keypad Functions

NOTE: The embedded numeric keypad is automatically disabled if an external keyboard or keypad is connected to the computer.

External Keyboard, Keypad, or Mouse

You can connect a keyboard with a standard connector to the Personal System/2 (PS/2) connector on the computer by using an adapter available from Dell. You can use the integrated keyboard even when an external keyboard is attached to the computer. You can also connect a Universal Serial Bus (USB) keyboard to the computer's USB connector.

Attach a PS/2 mouse to the PS/2-compatible connector on the computer (see Figure 6) or a USB-compatible mouse to the USB connector. If you attach a USB mouse to the computer, you do not need to reboot the computer in order to use the mouse. The touch pad device drivers that Dell installed on your hard-disk drive work with a PS/2 mouse, serial mouse, or USB mouse from Dell.

Figure 6. Attaching a PS/2 Mouse

If you did not receive your mouse from Dell, you may need to install device drivers separately to use the mouse. This software is usually included with mouse installation kits.

NOTE: If you are using a PS/2 mouse that is not Microsoft-compatible and the mouse does not work properly, reboot the computer. If the mouse still does not work, install the drivers from the diskette that came with the mouse and reboot the computer.

Touch Pad

The PS/2-compatible touch pad detects the position of your finger over a touch-sensitive area and provides the computer full mouse functionality. The touch pad's two buttons correspond to the left and right buttons on a standard mouse.

To move the cursor, lightly slide your finger over the smooth sensor area. To select an object, gently tap once on the surface of the touch pad. To select and move (or drag) an object, position the cursor on the object and tap down-up-down on the touch pad. On the second down motion, leave your finger on the touch pad and move the selected object by sliding your finger across the surface. To double-click an object, position the cursor on the object and then tap twice.

To customize touch pad and cursor features, perform the following steps:

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
   
   The Control Panel window appears.
   
   
2. Double-click the Mouse icon.
   
   
3. Select the Touch Pad tab.
   
   
4. Make your selections. Click the Help button if you need more information.

Dell has already installed the touch pad drivers for you.

NOTE: Keep your fingers away from the touch pad while the computer is booting or loading the operating system. If you touch the touch pad at either time, the cursor will not move until you remove your finger from the touch pad surface.

Installing the Touch Pad/Mouse Driver

See Utilities and Drivers for Microsoft Windows 98 and Utilities and Drivers for Microsoft Windows NT for information about reinstalling touch pad/mouse drivers.

PC Cards

The computer has two slots (see Figure 7) into which up to two 3.3- or 5-volt (V) PC Cards that comply with the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) standard and Japanese Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA) Release 4.2 can be installed. Both PC Card slots support CardBUS technology. In addition, a zoomed video (ZV) port is available from the lower slot (slot 0). If you ordered an Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG)-2 decoder PC Card from Dell, install it in the lower PC slot for high-performance graphics.

Figure 7. PC Card Slots

The computer supports two Type I, two Type II, or one Type III PC Card, including such memory devices as static random-access memory (SRAM) cards that emulate diskettes, RAM cards, one-time programmable (OTP) ROM cards, and Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) cards that emulate integrated drive electronics (IDE) hard-disk drives. Also supported are input/output (I/O) cards such as modem communication cards, local area network (LAN) cards, wireless LAN cards, small computer system interface (SCSI) cards, and sound cards. You can also use extended PC Cards in the computer.

NOTE: A PC Card is not a boot device.

Installing a PC Card

The PC Card slot has two PC Card connectors and can hold up to two cards in one of the following configurations:

• A single Type I or Type II card (using either the top or bottom PC Card connector)
  
  
• One Type I card and one Type II card (using either connector)
  
  
• Two Type I cards or two Type II cards
  
  
• A single Type III card (using the bottom connector)

The type of card refers to its thickness, not its functionality. Because a Type III card is thicker than Type I and Type II cards, it takes up the entire PC Card slot, although it uses only one PC Card connector.

PC Cards are generally marked (with a triangle or an arrow) to indicate which end should be inserted into the slot. The cards are keyed to prevent incorrect insertion. If card orientation is not clear, see the documentation that came with the card.

You can install a PC Card while the computer is running. The PC Card is automatically detected. To install a PC Card, hold the card with its orientation symbol pointing into the slot and the top side of the card facing up. Insert the card into the slot, and press in firmly until the card is completely seated in the internal PC Card connector. If there is too much resistance when inserting the card, do not force the card. Check the card's orientation, and try again.

When a PC Card is being used, the PC Card access indicator appears in the status display panel. The computer recognizes most I/O cards and automatically loads the appropriate device driver. If you have older modem communications software that cannot use interrupt request (IRQ)8 or higher, you must disable the serial port or infrared port to use the software.

Removing a PC Card

To remove a PC card from the top connector, press the top eject button twice (identified by an arrow pointing up). To remove a PC card from the bottom connector, press the bottom eject button twice (identified by an arrow pointing down). If you are removing a Type III card, press the bottom eject button twice.

The first time you press an eject button, the eject button itself pops out. The second time you press the eject button, the PC Card is released and extends slightly from the slot. Grasp the end of the card, and pull it completely from the slot.

See Utilities and Drivers for Microsoft Windows 98 and Utilities and Drivers for Microsoft Windows NT for information on installing utilities and drivers.

Configuring a PC Card

If you are using the Microsoft Windows 98 operating system, click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click the PC Card to open the PC Card Properties window. For more information, check the documentation that came with your operating system.

You can also double-click the PC Card icon on the Windows 98 desktop.

External Monitor

Use the 15-pin video connector to attach an external monitor to the computer. If you reconfigure your hardware, you may need pin number and signal information for the monitor connector. To connect an external monitor, perform the following steps.

1. Turn off the external monitor.

NOTICE: Do not place the external monitor directly on top of your portable computer, even if it is closed. Doing so can crack the computer case, the display, or both.

Set the monitor on a monitor stand, desktop, or other level surface near the computer.

2. Connect the external monitor's video cable to the computer.
   
   Plug the monitor cable connector into the matching video connector at the back of the computer. If the cable is not permanently attached to the monitor, connect it to the monitor also. Tighten all the screws on the video cable connector(s) to eliminate radio frequency interference (RFI).
   
   
3. Connect your external monitor to a grounded AC power source.
   
   Plug the three-prong connector on one end of the monitor's power cable into a grounded power strip or some other grounded power source. If the cable is not permanently attached to the monitor, connect it to the monitor also.

The video image can be displayed on an external monitor, on the computer's display, or on both simultaneously. To toggle between the three display modes, press <Fn><F8>.

If the external monitor is turned off when you boot the computer, and if the Video Display Device category is set to CRT Mode in the Main menu of the Setup program, the computer sends the video image to the external monitor. In this case, you do not see an image on either the computer's display or on the external monitor. To resolve this situation, turn on the external monitor or press <Fn><F8> to switch the video image to the computer's display.

Whether you are using an appropriately equipped multifrequency monitor only or an external monitor and the built-in display simultaneously, you can display up to 256 colors at a noninterlaced resolution of 1400 x 1050 pixels at a 32-bit color depth.

NOTE: When the external monitor and built-in display are used simultaneously, the refresh rate is always 60 hertz (Hz).

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