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Safety First—For You and Your Computer

Dell Precision™ Workstation 340 User's Guide

  When Working Inside Your Computer

Use the following safety guidelines to help protect your computer system from potential damage and to ensure your own personal safety.

When Working Inside Your Computer

Before you open the computer cover, perform the following steps in the sequence indicated.

NOTICE: Do not attempt to service the computer yourself, except as explained in your online Dell documentation or otherwise provided to you. Always follow installation and service instructions closely.

1. Turn off the computer and any peripherals.
   
   
2. Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface on the chassis, such as the metal around the card-slot openings at the back of the computer, before touching anything inside your computer.
   
   

While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components.

3. Disconnect your computer and peripherals from their power sources.
   
   

Before disconnecting a peripheral device from the computer, wait 10 to 20 seconds after disconnecting the computer from its electrical outlet. Before removing a component from the system board, verify that the standby power light on the system board has turned off. To locate this light, see "System Board Components.

Disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer. Doing so reduces the potential for personal injury or shock.

In addition, take note of these safety guidelines when appropriate:

• When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief loop, not on the cable itself. Some cables have a connector with locking tabs; if you are disconnecting this type of cable, press in on the locking tabs before disconnecting the cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable, make sure both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.
  
  
• Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on a card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting bracket. Hold a component such as a microprocessor chip by its edges, not by its pins.
  
  

Also see "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge." Dell recommends that you periodically review the safety instructions in your System Information Guide.

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