display —
For more information about your display, see Using the Display.
power button —
Press the power button to turn on the computer or exit a power management mode (see Power Management Modes).
NOTICE: To avoid losing data, turn off your computer by performing a Microsoft® Windows® operating system shutdown rather than by pressing the power button.
If the computer stops responding, press and hold the power button until the computer turns off completely (which may take several seconds).
device status lights
Turns on when you turn on the computer and blinks when the computer is in a power management mode.
Turns on when the computer reads or writes data.
NOTICE: To avoid loss of data, never turn off the computer while the light is flashing.
Turns on steadily or blinks to indicate battery charge status.
Turns on when wireless devices are enabled. To enable or disable WiFi, use the wireless switch on the left side of the computer.
Turns on when Bluetooth®wireless technology is enabled. To enable or disable Bluetoothwireless technology, use the wireless switch on the left side of the computer.
NOTE: Bluetooth wireless technology is an optional feature on your computer, so the icon turns on only if you ordered Bluetooth wireless technology with your computer. For more information, see the documentation that came with your Bluetooth wireless technology.
If the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, the
light operates as follows:
Solid green: The battery is charging.
Flashing green: The battery is almost fully charged.
Off: The battery is adequately charged (or external power is not available to charge the battery).
If the computer is running on a battery, the
light operates as follows:
Off: The battery is adequately charged (or the computer is turned off).
Flashing orange: The battery charge is low.
Solid orange: The battery charge is critically low.
speaker —
To adjust the volume of the integrated speaker, press the volume control buttons or mute button.
keyboard —
The keyboard includes a numeric keypad as well as the Windows logo key. For information on supported keyboard shortcuts, see Numeric Keypad.
touch pad —
Provides the functionality of a mouse. See Touch Pad for more information.
Touch pad/track stick buttons —
Provide the functionality of a mouse. See Touch Pad for more information.
NOTE: If you ordered the optional fingerprint reader with your computer, the reader is located between the touch pad buttons.
ambient light sensor (ALS) —
Helps to control display brightness. For more information, see Using the Ambient Light Sensor.
keyboard status lights
The green lights located above the keyboard indicate the following:
Turns on when the numeric keypad is enabled.
Turns on when the uppercase letter function is enabled.
Turns on when the scroll lock function is enabled.
volume control buttons —
Press these buttons to adjust the volume.
mute button —
Press this button to turn off the volume.
security cable slot —
Lets you attach a commercially available antitheft device to the computer. For more information, see Security Cable Lock.
NOTICE: Before you buy an antitheft device, ensure that it will work with the security cable slot.
air vents —
The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from overheating.
CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your Dell™ computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.
NOTE: The computer turns on the fan when the computer gets hot. Fan noise is normal and does not indicate a problem with the fan or the computer.
IEEE 1394 connector —
Connects devices supporting IEEE 1394 high-speed transfer rates, such as some digital video cameras.
audio connectors
Attach headphones to the
connector.
Attach a microphone to the
connector.
ExpressCard slot —
Supports 34- and 54-mm PCI ExpressCards or USB-based ExpressCards (see Using Cards).
infrared sensor —
Lets you transfer files from your computer to another infrared-compatible device without using cable connections.
When you receive your computer, the sensor is disabled. You can use the system setup program to enable the sensor. For information on transferring data, see Windows Help, the Help and Support Center, or the documentation that came with your infrared-compatible device.
wireless switch —
Turns on/off wireless devices such as Wi-Fi and internal cards with Bluetooth technology and scans for Wi-Fi networks. For more information about scanning for wireless networks, see Dell™ Wi-Fi Catcher™ Network Locator.
NOTE: The wireless switch does not detect Mobile Broadband networks or networks that use internal cards with Bluetooth technology.
Wi-Fi Catcher™ light —
The light operates as follows:
Flashing green: Searching for networks
Solid green: Strong network found
Solid yellow: Weak network found
Flashing yellow: Error
Off: No signal found
PC Card slot —
Supports one PC Card, such as a modem or network adapter. The computer ships with a blank installed in the slot. For more information, see Using Cards.
smart card slot —
Supports one smart card (see Smart Cards).
media bay —
Supports a floppy drive, optical drives, or a second battery or second hard drive (see Using Multimedia).
USB connectors
Connect USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or printer.
Back View
CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.
NOTICE: The network connector is slightly larger than the modem connector. To avoid damaging the computer, do not plug a telephone line into the network connector.
Connects the computer to a network. The two lights next to the connector indicate status and activity for wired network connections.
Connect USB devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or printer. You can also connect the optional floppy drive directly to a USB connector using the optional floppy drive cable.
powered USB 2.0 connector
Connects USB 2.0 compliant devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or printer. Can also be used for peripherals that require more than 5 V of power.
modem connector (RJ-11)
If you ordered the optional internal modem, connect the telephone line to the modem connector.
For information on using the modem, see the online modem documentation supplied with your computer (see Finding Information).
serial connector
Connects serial devices, such as a mouse or handheld device.
video connector
Connects video devices, such as a monitor.
AC adapter connector —
Connects an AC adapter to the computer.
The AC adapter converts AC power to the DC power required by the computer. You can connect the AC adapter with your computer turned either on or off.
CAUTION: The AC adapter works with electrical outlets worldwide. However, power connectors and power strips vary among countries. Using an incompatible cable or improperly connecting the cable to the power strip or electrical outlet may cause fire or equipment damage.
NOTICE: When you disconnect the AC adapter cable from the computer, grasp the connector, not the cable itself, and pull firmly but gently to avoid damaging the cable. When you wrap the AC adapter cable, ensure that you follow the angle of the connector on the AC adapter to avoid damaging the cable.
air vents —
The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from overheating.
NOTE: The computer turns on the fan when the computer gets hot. Fan noise is normal and does not indicate a problem with the fan or the computer.
CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.
battery-bay latch release —
Releases the battery. See Replacing the Battery for instructions.
battery —
When a battery is installed, you can use the computer without connecting the computer to an electrical outlet (see Using a Battery).
memory module cover —
Covers the compartment that contains the second memory module (see Memory).
docking-device connector —
Lets you attach your computer to the Media Base or other docking device. See the Dell documentation that came with your docking device for more information.
fan air vents —
The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the fan air vents, which prevents the computer from overheating.
NOTE: The computer turns on the fan when the computer gets hot. Fan noise is normal and does not indicate a problem with the fan or the computer.
CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your computer in a low-airflow environment, such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.
light operates as follows:
light operates as follows:
connector. 
connector.
