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Dell Inspiron 3500 System Reference

1. N A N A N A N A N A N A N A N A N A N A N A 18 9 8 7 6 15 1 13 12 11 Pin Signal RED GREEN BLUE NC GND GND GND GND NC GND NC 12 NC 13 HSYNC 14 VSYNC 15 NC Shell N A 3 4 a a 5 2 Connector Use the 6 hole miniature DIN PS 2 connector to attach PS 2 compatible devices such as a mouse keyboard or external numeric keypad Pin Assignments for the PS 2 Connector The following figure shows the pin assignments for a PS 2 connector Definition External keyboard keypad mouse data No connection Signal ground External keyboard keypad mouse supply voltage External keyboard keypad mouse clock No connection Frame ground vO N A N A vO N A N A Pin 1 Pin 2 Pin 3 Pin 4 Pin 5 Pin 6 hell N Oo Oo fF WD Pin Signal 1 EXK MSDATA NC GND EXK MSPWR EXK MSCLK NC Shell N A Oo ai amp i oo fp Memory Memory Installation Guidelines 1 The system can accommodate up to 256 MB of RAM 1 The system comes with a minimum of 32 MB of memory To increase memory install 32 64 or 128 MB memory modules Valid Memory Configurations Base
2. 0 00000n 003FFh Interrupt vector table 00400n 004FFh BIOS data area 00500h 005FFh MS DOS work area 00600h OFFFFh User memory 1 10000h 1FFFFh User memory 2 20000h 2FFFFh User memory 3 30000h 3FFFFh User memory 4 40000h 4FFFFh User memory 5 50000h 5FFFFh User memory 6 60000h 6FFFFh User memory 7 70000h 7FFFFh User memory 8 80000h 8FFFFh User memory 9 90000h 9FBFFh User memory 9FC00h 9FFFFh PS 2 mouse data area Power Sources AC Adapter The AC adapter converts AC power to the DC power reguired by the computer The AC adapter kit includes two cables the AC adapter cable and an AC power cable 1 AC adapter connector 2 AC adapter cable 3 AC adapter 4 AC power cable 5 LED You can connect the AC adapter with your computer either turned on or off The AC adapter works with AC power sources worldwide However power connectors vary among countries Before using AC power in a foreign country you may need to obtain a new power cable designed for use in that country If you are running your computer on AC power with a battery installed the AC adapter charges the battery if needed and then maintains its charge NOTICE The AC adapter should be in a ventilated area such as on a desktop or on the floor when used to power the computer or charge the battery Do not use the AC adapter in a poorly ventilated environment such as inside a
3. Keyboard Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 16 3 3 5 4 0 kgf cm I NOTE You can remove the keyboard while the display assembly is still attached However Dell strongly recommends removing the display assembly before removing the keyboard to prevent cosmetic damage i Se m 16 mm 1 screws 3 You can remove the keyboard without removing the palmrest To remove the keyboard see the exploded view of the palmrest assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the display assembly 2 Place the computer base face down 3 Remove the three 16 mm keyboard screws from the bottom of the computer The keyboard screws have a K tooled into the plastic beside them 4 Turn the computer face up 5 Lift the top edge of the keyboard up and then slide the keyboard out from beneath the palmrest assembly Do not try to completely remove the keyboard because it is still attached to the system board by a cable 6 Disconnect the keyboard cable from the side lift ZIF connector C42 on the system board 7 Remove the keyboard I NOTE The ZIF connector cap for the keyboard is stocked as a separate part If the plastic connector cap is broken you can snap a new one in place without having to replace the entire system board LCD Interior Assembly Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer CAUTION The followin
4. Passwords and Security Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer About Passwords Physically Securing the Computer Disabling the Serial Infrared and Parallel Ports About Passwords When you receive the computer the password features are disabled so that you can assign passwords if you wish Once you assign a password you must enter the password to access the Setup program Use the Security menu in the Setup program to assign a password CAUTION The password features provide a high level of security for the data in the computer However they are not foolproof If your data requires more security it is your responsibility to obtain and use additional forms of protection such as data encryption programs or PC Cards with encryption features Physically Securing the Computer To prevent unauthorized removal of the computer use a security cable to attach the computer to an immovable object The security cable slot lets you attach a commercially available antitheft device to the computer Antitheft devices for portable computers usually include a segment of metal stranded cable with an attached locking device and associated key Complete instructions for installing this kind of antitheft device are usually included with the device To prevent unauthorized removal of the computer loop the cable around an immovable object insert the locking device into the security cable slot and lock the device NOTE A
5. power cable Audio Jacks Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer line in jack microphone jack line out jack Audio Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer You can connect speakers a microphone headphones and record playback devices such as cassette players CD players and VCRs to the sound jacks on the computer Dell recommends using amplified speakers for the best sound Connect headphones or speakers to the line out jack on the far right of the sound jacks Connect a microphone to the microphone jack in the middle Connect record playback devices such as cassette players and CD players to the line in jack on the far left You can control the sound coming from the external speakers and from the computer s built in speakers with key combinations Press lt Fn gt lt Page Down gt to lower the volume Press lt Fn gt lt Page Up gt to increase the volume Press lt Fn gt lt End gt to enable or disable both the built in and external speakers NOTES If no sound comes from the speakers make sure that the sound is not disabled by pressing lt Fn gt lt End gt If you hear no sound output from your external speakers be sure that the connection to the sound output jack is secure If you are playing a DVD in the optional DVD ROM drive and have speakers that connect to your computer through the USB port no sound will be output to the speakers This configuration is not supported See your Microsoft Windows 98 d
6. Palmrest Assembly Removal Type of Screw Torgue FPH 2 5 19 7 3 5 4 0 kgf cm 1 16 mm screws 7 To remove the palmrest assembly see the exploded view of the palmrest assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Turn the computer face down Remove the seven 19 mm palmrest screws from the bottom of the computer Turn the computer face up Remove the palmrest assembly 5 After installing the palmrest assembly make sure that the battery bay release latch and the options bay release latch operate smoothly If they do not slightly loosen the two palmrest assembly screws that secure the latches so that the latches move easily Touch Pad Assembly Removal Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 5 3 3 0 3 5 kgf cm To remove the touch pad assembly see the exploded view of the palmrest assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the palmrest assembly Remove the three 5 mm screws securing the touch pad assembly to the palmrest assembly Lift the touch pad assembly out of the palmrest assembly Disconnect the touch pad FPC cable from the center lift ZIF connector J1 on the touch pad The touch pad buttons are heat staked into the touch pad assembly and cannot be removed 5 5 gt Back to Contents Page Glossary
7. FPH 2 5 x 14 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm You can remove the video board without removing the palmrest To remove the video board see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the LVDS board Remove the modem card if present Remove and save for installation any Kapton tape securing the modem cable to the video board and lift the cable out of the way Remove the two 4 mm jack screws on either side of the display connector that hold the video board to the I O bracket Disconnect the touch pad FPC cable from the side lift ZIF connector J4 on the video board Remove the 14 mm screw holding the system board retaining clip Remove both the screw and the retaining clip Remove the video board from connectors JP2 and JP3 JP4 on the system board Lift the end toward the touch pad up and then lift up and pull back the other end to free it from the I O bracket RSV RR OS 2 When you install the board put pressure only on the areas where the connectors on the video board and on the system board fit together Pressing on other areas may flex the board and break connections Zip Drive Disassembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 5 2 2 5 3 0 kgf cm 7 5 mm screws 2
8. On the Update Device Driver Wizard screen the Updated driver recommended NeoMagic Magic Media 256AV should be checked 13 Click Next gt 14 After the driver has been located click Next gt 15 After Windows has finished installing the updated driver click Finish 16 Click Yes to restart the computer eoNuoonom m I NOTE After the computer restarts you may change the video resolution See the following section Changing Video Resolution Changing Video Resolution To change the video resolution perform the following steps When the system restarts click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel Double click the Display icon and click the Settings tab Update the Color palette from 256 colors to High Color 16 bit I NOTE This setting is optimized to DVD 4 Set the Screen area to 1024 x 768 and click Apply 5 Click Apply the new color settings without restarting Click OK 6 When a message appears informing you that Windows will resize your computer click OK 7 8 ON When a message asks if you want to keep the new setting click Yes Click Advanced 9 Click the Monitor tab and click Change 10 Under models click Laptop Display Panel 1024 x 768 and click OK 11 Click Apply and then click OK 12 Click OK again 13 Restart the system Continue with the installation procedure by installing the audio driver as described in the next section Installing the Audio Driver
9. PC Card eject button Power Sources Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer AC Adapter Battery Removing and Installing the Main Battery Removing and Installing a Second Battery Charging the Battery Checking a Battery s Charge Level AC Adapter The AC adapter converts AC power to the DC power required by the computer The AC adapter kit includes two cables the AC adapter cable and an AC power cable You can connect the AC adapter with your computer either turned on or off The AC adapter works with AC power sources worldwide However power connectors vary among countries Before using AC power in a foreign country you may need to obtain a new power cable designed for use in that country If you are running your computer on AC power with a battery installed the AC adapter charges the battery if needed and then maintains its charge CAUTION The AC adapter should be in a ventilated area such as on a desktop or on the floor when used to power the computer or charge the battery Do not use the AC adapter in a poorly ventilated environment such as inside a carrying case yw CAUTION The AC adapter is designed to work only with Dell Inspiron portable computers Do not use adapters from other computers and do not attempt to use this adapter with other computers When your computer is turned on the green power indicator light is constantly lit which indicates that the system is active This light is on when t
10. 800 600 65 000 16 bit 800 x 600 16 million 24 bit 1024 x 768 256 8 bit 1024 x 768 65 000 16 bit 1024 x 768 16 million 24 bit 1280 x 1024 256 8 bit ZIF Connectors Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer A CAUTION ZIF connectors are fragile To avoid breaking the connectors touch them carefully Do not apply too much pressure to the movable part of the connector when opening or closing it Some of the computer s interface connectors are ZIF connectors These connectors are not removable they must be released to disconnect a cable from them To disconnect a cable from a ZIF connector perform the following steps 1 Insert a small flat blade screwdriver or dental pick under the movable part of the connector For most ZIFs carefully pry up one end of the movable part of the connector and then the other end Some ZIFs may need to be lifted in the center 2 Pull up gently on the movable part of the connector until the cable is released 3 Grasp the cable and pull it out of the connector To reconnect an interface cable to a ZIF connector perform the following steps Use the flat blade screwdriver or dental pick to open the movable part of the ZIF connector 2 Orient the end of the cable with the ZIF connector and insert the end of the cable into the connector 3 While holding the cable in place close the ZIF connector To ensure a firm
11. Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Reference Conventions Technical Overview Jumpers Switches Controls and Indicators Utilities and Drivers Setup Program Technical Specifications Removing and Replacing Parts Documentation Glossary Information in this document is subject to change without notice 1999 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 Inspiron are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation Microsoft Windows MS DOS and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation ntel is a registered trademark and Celeron is a trademark of of Intel Corporation VESA is a registered trademark of Video Electronics Standards Association DVD to Go is a trademark of Margi Systems Inc Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated which may be registered in certain jurisdictions 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 Initial release 25 Jun 1999 Last revised 11 Aug 1999 AC Adapter Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer SS AC adapter connector AC adapter cable Pay AC adapter
12. on o2 o B Oo Mm To disassemble the hard disk drive perform the following steps 1 Remove the hard disk drive from the base of the computer Remove the 4 mm screw from the side of the hard disk drive Lift up the large plastic tab that the screw had previously secured There are a series of small plastic tabs along the three sides of the plastic carrier Unsnap the plastic carrier along three sides Turn the carrier over in your hand so that the hard disk drive partially falls into your hand The 9 5 mm hard disk drive uses a spacer inside the plastic carrier for proper fit Slide the hard disk drive connector out of the plastic retainer inside the plastic carrier and remove the drive completely from the carrier Use the plastic pull to remove the flex cable from the hard disk drive oe om NO 1 NOTE Although the connector may not be as wide as the set of pins it is keyed so that it can only fit one way on the pins Diskette Drive Disassembly CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 4 2 2 5 3 0 kgf cm 1 4 mm screws 2 2 Metal bracket 3 Lower plastic 4 Diskette drive 5 Upper plastic To disassemble the diskette drive perform the following steps Remove the diskette drive from the media bay 2 Remove the two 4 mm screws from the top of the diskette d
13. upper plastic Zip drive metal bracket lower plastic To disassemble the optional Zip drive perform the following steps 1 Remove the optional Zip drive from the options bay 2 Remove the two 5 mm screws from the top of the drive assembly 3 Carefully unsnap the upper plastic from the lower plastic The upper plastic is held in place by a series of internal plastic tabs around the edge of the holder 4 Lift the Zip drive out of the lower plastic The metal bracket for the connector may lift out as you remove the Zip drive 2 NOTE To remove the media from the Zip drive once the power to the drive is off insert a small thin object such as one end of a paper clip into the pinhole in the drive s LED This ejects the Zip disk Screw Identification and Tightening Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer CAUTION The correct length screw must be used when reinstalling a screw Otherwise hardware damage could result Make sure that the screw is properly aligned with its corresponding hole and avoid overtightening Where applicable information about screw lengths is provided with the illustrations The Inspiron 3500 portable computer contains many screws of various sizes Be careful not to scratch the computer plastic case by allowing screws to get between the disassembly surface and the plastic case Dell suggests a soft padded work surface While removing and replacing parts use a tackle or pill bo
14. and then click Finish to restart the computer NIG Installing the DVD MPEG 2 PC Card Device Driver and DVD to Go Software To install the Dell DVD MPEG 2 PC Card and the required device driver for your computer perform the following steps 1 Insert the DVD to Go CD into the DVD ROM drive 2 Insert the MPEG 2 PC Card into the lower of the two connectors in your computer s PC Card slot NOTE Only the lower PC Card slot connector is designed for use with ZV capable PC Cards The first time you insert the MPEG 2 PC Card the New Hardware Found dialog box appears with the following statement DELL DVD Player Windows has found new hardware and is locating the software for it Then another dialog box appears with the following statement Add New Hardware Wizard This Wizard searches for new drivers for Dell DVD Player 3 Click Next A dialog box appears with the following guestion What do you want Windows to do 4 Click Search for the best driver for your device Recommended 5 Click Next A dialog box appears with the following statement Windows will search for new drivers in its driver database on your hard drive and in any of the following selected locations Click uncheck the boxes next to Floppy disk drives and Specify location Click check the box next to CD ROM drive 8 Click Next A dialog box appears with the following statement Windows will search for the driver Windows driver file search for th
15. 1024 x 768 65 000 16 bit 85 1024 x 768 16 million 24 bit 85 1280 x 1024 256 60 depending upon the specifications of the external display Graphics Modes for LCDs Resolution Colors Maximum Refresh Rate Hz 640 x 480 256 8 bit 60 640 x 480 65 000 16 bit 60 640 480 16 million 24 bit 60 800 x 600 256 8 bit 60 800 600 65 000 16 bit 60 800 x 600 16 million 24 bit 60 1024 x 768 256 8 bit 60 1024 x 768 65 000 16 bit 60 1024 x 768 16 million 24 bit 60 1280 x 1024 256 8 bit 60 The LCD monitor is in panning mode when it is set to this resolution VO I O Connectors PS 3 keyboard mouse connector USB connector Infrared port Serial port Monitor port Optional internal modem port Parallel port Docking connector O On o o FWD AC adapter connector o Audio jacks Infrared Port The computer comes with an infrared port An infrared data stream is transmitted through a lens in the computer up to a distance of 1 m and received by a compatible computer printer mouse or remote control The infrared port lets you transfer files from the computer to another infrared device without using cable connections You can also use other comme
16. Causing Equipment Standard in Canada ICU Abbreviation for ISA Configuration Utility IDE Abbreviation for integrated drive electronics See also EIDE IrDA Acronym for Infrared Data Association IRQ Abbreviation for interrupt request A signal that data is about to be sent to or received by a device travels by an IRQ line to the microprocessor Each device connection must be assigned an IRQ number For example the first serial port in your computer COM1 is assigned to IRO4 by default Two devices can share the same IRQ assignment but you cannot operate both devices simultaneously ISA Acronym for Industry Standard Architecture A 16 bit expansion bus design The expansion card connectors in an ISA computer are also compatible with 8 bit ISA expansion cards ISP Abbreviation for Internet service provider A company that allows you to dial into its host server to connect directly to the Internet JEIDA Acronym for Japanese Electronic Industry Development Association jumper Jumpers are small blocks on a circuit board with two or more pins emerging from them Plastic plugs containing a wire fit down over the pins The wire connects the pins and creates a circuit Jumpers provide a simple and reversible method of changing the circuitry in a printed circuit board K K Abbreviation for kilo indicating 1000 KB Abbreviation for kilobyte s 1024 bytes Kb Abbreviation for kilobit s 1024 bits KB sec Abbreviation
17. DC DC board Disconnect the speaker cables Remove the heat sink fin Remove the 5 mm screw from the upper right corner of the system board 10 Remove the system board retaining clip that was held in place by this screw 11 Remove the 14 mm screw used for grounding on the lower left corner of the system board 12 Remove the system board by lifting up the back of the board EMI pan so that it clears all of the bottom plastic and then pulling back to free the I O connectors from the bottom plastic The EMI shield is still attached to the system board ooNogoR Who Audio Jack Board Removal To remove the audio jack board see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the palmrest assembly Remove the system board rails Remove the DC DC board Disconnect the speaker cables Remove the system board Remove the audio jack shielding that covers the audio jacks on three sides Note that the shielding wraps around and goes beneath the system board and the EMI pan not between the board and the pan Lift the audio jack board off of connectors J16 and J11 on the system board ONO POM o When you install the audio jack board it is helpful to move the PC Card latches out of the way Put pressure only on the areas where the connectors on the audio jack board and on the system board fit together Pressing on other areas may bend the board and break conn
18. Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Storage Devices Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Touch Pad Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Touch Pad Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Video Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer ZIF Connectors Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Removing a Memory Module Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer 1 memory door 4 mm screws bottom of computer Back to Contents Page Glossary Removing and Replacing Parts Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Reference Precautionary Measures Recommended Tools Procedures for Customer Replaceable Parts Screw Identification and Tightening Procedures for Field and Depot Replaceable Parts ZIF Connectors Precautionary Measures CAUTION FOR YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY AND PROTECTION OF THE EQUIPMENT Before you start to work on the computer perform the following steps in the sequence indicated 1 Ground yourself by attaching an antistatic grounding strap to your wrist and to an unpainted metal surface on the computer s I O panel If an antistatic grounding strap is not available periodically discharge static electricity from your body by touching one of the connectors on the I O panel 2 Turn off the computer
19. Install Total 32 MB 32 MB 64 MB 32 MB 64 MB 96 MB 32 MB 128 MB 160 MB 64 MB 32 MB 96 MB 64 MB 64 MB 128 MB 64 MB 128 MB 192 MB 128 MB 32 MB 160 MB 128 MB 64 MB 192 MB 128 MB 128 MB 256 MB Removing and Installing Memory NOTICE Ground yourself by attaching an antistatic grounding strap to your wrist and to an unpainted metal surface on the computer s I O panel If an antistatic grounding strap is not available periodically discharge static electricity from your body by touching one of the connectors on the I O panel NOTICE Do not install or remove a memory module when the computer is turned on or in save to disk suspend mode To remove or install memory perform the following steps 1 Save and close any open files and exit all application programs 2 Shut down your computer 3 Turn off all peripherals and disconnect them from the computer If you are using the AC adapter detach it as well 4 Remove any installed batteries 1 Battery bay release latch released position 2 Battery bay 3 Battery 5 Ground yourself by touching the unpainted metal surface of the I O panel on the back of the computer While you work periodically touch the I O panel to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components 6 Turn the computer over and remove the memory module cover 1 Memory door 2 4 mm screw Remove the two s
20. Installing the Audio Driver The audio driver allows you to customize the sound features of your computer To install the audio driver perform the following steps Double click the My Computer icon and then double click the CD ROM or DVD ROM icon Double click the Audio folder Double click the setup exe icon At the Welcome screen click Next gt Messages indicating that files are being copied and driver information is being built appear on your screen At the NeoMagic License Agreement screen click Yes 6 Atthe Choose Installation Configuration screen the check boxes for MagicMedia 256AV Audio System and NeoMagic MagicWave 3DX Audio system are already checked as the defaults Click Next gt The audio driver files are copied to the hard disk drive 7 Atthe Setup is Complete window click Yes want to restart my computer now and click Finish PONS o Continue with the installation procedure by installing the internal modem driver as described in the next section Installing the Internal Modem Driver Installing the Internal Modem Driver lU NOTE The internal modem is not available in some regions The modem driver allows you to customize the operation of your internal modem To install the internal modem driver perform the following steps Double click the My Computer icon and then double click the CD ROM or DVD ROM icon Double click the Modem folder Double click setup exe At the Welcome screen click Next
21. Menu PhoenixBIOS Setup Utility Main System Devices Security Boot Exit 2 Item Specific Help Power Management Mode Customized CPU Throttling Off Standby Time out Disabled Suspend Time out Disabled Suspend Mode Save to RAM Resume On Modem Ring Disabled Resume On Time of Day Disabled Resume Time 00 00 00 Fi Help TL Select Item F5 F6 Change Values F9 Setup Defaults ESC Exit Select Menu Enter Select gt Sub Menu F10 Save and Exit Glossary Boot Menu PhoenixBIOS Setup Utility Main System Devices Security Power Exit Item Specific Help 1 Diskette Drive 2 Hard Drive 3 CD ROM Drive Fi Help TL Select Item F5 F6 Change Values F9 Setup Defaults ESC Exit Select Menu Enter Select gt Sub Menu F10 Save and Exit Exit Menu PhoenixBIOS Setup Utility Main System Devices Security Power Boot Exit Item Specific Help Save Changes and Exit Discard Changes and Exit Load Factory Defaults Load Last Saved Values Save Changes Fi Help TL Select Item F5 F6 Change Values F9 Setup Defaults ESC Exit gt Select Menu Enter Execute Command F10 Save and Exit Back to Contents Page Back to Contents Page Glossary Technical Specifications Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Reference Microprocessor 14 1 Inch Display Inspiron 3500 D266GT D300GT A300GT A333GT A400GT C400GT Chip Set and Bus Ar
22. Once you choose a region your PC Card can only play DVDs designed to be sold in that region Creating the Save to Disk Suspend File If you are installing a new hard disk drive or if you are rebuilding a hard disk drive with corrupted software and you want to be able to use the save to disk suspend mode you must use the phdisk exe utility on the Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD to create a save to disk suspend file When save to disk suspend mode is activated all system data is stored in this file To create the save to disk suspend file perform the following steps Insert the Microsoft Boot Disk Windows 98 Series diskette into the external diskette drive Restart the system When the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears select Start computer with CD ROM Support and press lt Enter gt When the MS DOS prompt appears insert the Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD into the CD ROM or optional DVD ROM drive At the MS DOS prompt type x where x is the drive letter for your CD ROM or DVD ROM drive and press lt Enter gt The MS DOS prompt changes to your CD ROM or DVD ROM drive Type cd utility and press lt Enter gt Type phdisk create file and press lt Enter gt NOTE Make sure that there is a space between phdisk create and file Pe pe pa The utility calculates the size of the file in kilobytes based on the amount of system memory in your computer plus 2 MB of video memory and additional system
23. The desktop is restored exactly as it appeared before the display was turned off Turn Off Hard Disk Drive The Turn Off Hard Disk Drive option turns off the hard disk drive so that the computer uses less battery power You can press any key or the touch pad to turn on the hard disk drive The desktop is restored exactly as it appeared before the hard disk was turned off Save to Disk Suspend Mode ie NOTE Save to disk suspend mode is not available in Windows NT Save to disk suspend mode copies all system data to a reserved area on the hard disk drive and then turns off all power to the computer When you resume normal operation the same programs will be running and the same files will be open that were open before you activated this mode I NOTES Save to disk suspend mode helps preserve system data by quickly saving it onto the hard disk drive if you are about to run out of battery power Place the computer in save to disk suspend mode if you do not intend to store the computer for longer than 40 days Save to disk suspend mode preserves the configuration information stored in NVRAM The reserve battery maintains this information but may run out of energy after 40 days To activate save to disk suspend mode immediately press lt Fn gt lt A gt or lt Fn gt lt Q gt on the French keyboard To resume using the computer after activating save to disk suspend mode press the power button It may take up to 2 minutes for the computer t
24. The following figure shows the pin assignments for a parallel connector it Tie Tie Tie 3 13121116 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 25 24 23 22 21 28 19 18 17 16 15 14 Signal vo Definition 1 STB 0 Strobe 2 PDO 0 Parallel data bit 0 3 PD1 VO Parallel data bit 1 4 PD2 0 Parallel data bit 2 5 PD3 0 Parallel data bit 3 6 PD4 0 Parallel data bit 4 7 PD5 o Parallel data bit 5 8 PD6 O Parallel data bit 6 9 PD7 0 Parallel data bit 7 10 ACK Acknowledge 11 BUSY Busy 12 PE Paper end 13 SLCT Select 14 AFD 0 Automatic feed 15 ERR Error 16 INIT 0 Initialize printer 17 SLIN 0 Select in 18 25 N A N A Signal ground Shell N A N A Frame ground Monitor Connector Use the 15 pin monitor connector to attach an external monitor to the computer Pin Assignments for the Monitor Connector The following figure shows the pin assignments for a monitor connector Definition Red video Green video Blue video No connection Signal ground Signal ground Signal ground Signal ground No connection Signal ground No connection Reserved Horizontal synchronization Vertical synchronization No connection Frame ground
25. a data communications eguipment DCE device such DVD Abbreviation for digital versatile disc A large capacity optical disc able to store more data than standard CDs DVD ROM Abbreviation for digital versatile disc read only memory DVD ROM drives use optical technology to read data from DVDs DVDs are read only storage devices you cannot write new data to a DVD with standard DVD ROM drives Most DVD ROM drives also read standard CDs E ECC Abbreviation for error checking and correction ECP Abbreviation for Extended Capabilities Port ECP mode while similar to EPP mode may provide a performance enhancement to the Microsoft Windows operating system in that ECP mode can use DMA to transfer data Also ECP uses a FIFO buffer for sending or receiving data EEPROM Acronym for electrically erasable programmable read only memory EIDE Abbreviation for enhanced integrated device electronics EIDE devices add one or more of the following enhancements to the traditional IDE standard Data transfer rates of up to 16 MB sec Support for drives other than just hard disk drives such as CD ROM and tape drives Support for hard disk drives with capacities greater than 528 MB Support for up to two controllers each with up to two devices attached EMI Abbreviation for electromagnetic interference EPP Abbreviation for Enhanced Parallel Port A parallel port design that provides improved bidirectional data transmission ESD Abbr
26. and Indicators Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Embedded Numeric Keypad Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Memory Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Tech Notes Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Embedded Numeric Keypad Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Passwords and Security Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer PC Cards Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer PC Card Slots Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Power Sources Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Power Management Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Removing a Memory Module Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Removing and Replacing Parts Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Removing the Hard Disk Drive Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Removing Devices From the Options Bay Dell Inspiron 3500 13 3 Inch LCD Inverter Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer 13 3 Inch LCD Panel and EMI Pan Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer 13 3 Inch LCD Panel Rails Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer 14 1 Inch LCD Inverter Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer 14 1 Inch LCD Panel and EMI Pan Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer 14 1 Inch LCD Panel Rails Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Audio Jack Board Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Bezel and LCD Latch Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer CD ROM DVD ROM Drive Disassembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer DC DC Board Removal Dell Inspiron 3
27. and any attached peripherals 3 Disconnect the computer and any attached peripherals from electrical outlets to reduce the potential for personal injury or shock You must also take the following steps If the computer is docked in a port replicator undock the computer Disconnect all other external cables from the computer Remove any installed PC Cards Remove any devices from the media bay Remove the battery from the battery bay Remove the hard disk drive D 5 gt The preceding steps are described in detail in Procedures for Customer Replaceable Parts Procedures for Customer Replaceable Parts To disconnect the computer from the AC adapter and port replicator and to remove the main battery PC Cards hard disk drive RAM door memory modules and device in the media bay perform the following steps I NOTE The following procedures can be performed by customers as well as Dell certified repair technicians 1 Determine the power state of the computer If the computer is on go to step 2 If you are unsure whether the computer is on press the power button to shut down and restart the computer and then go to step 2 2 Turn off any attached peripherals and then shut down the computer 3 Disconnect the computer and any attached peripherals from electrical outlets to reduce the potential for personal injury or shock If the computer has an AC adapter disconnect the AC power cable from the electrical outlet and then
28. and save for installation any Kapton tape securing the LED or LCD cable to the back cover Remove the entire LCD interior assembly from the back cover 1 2 3 9 10 When installing the LCD interior assembly place it flat into the back cover as close to the hinge edge as possible Then slide it upward to fit it underneath the plastic retaining tabs LVDS Board Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer You can remove the LVDS board without removing the palmrest To remove the LVDS board see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the display assembly 2 Remove the keyboard 3 Carefully lift the LVDS board off of connectors J2 and J3 on the video board The board is surrounded by an EMI fence IS NOTE For grounding purposes an EMI tape may run from the LVDS board to the I O bracket Note the placement of the tape and during installation replace it in the same position When installing the LVDS board put pressure only on the areas where the connectors on the LVDS board and on the video board fit together Pressing on other areas may flex the board and break connections l amp NOTE The LVDS board is unique for each type of LCD panel During installation make sure that the LVDS board is the correct one for the panel and that any EMI tape attached to the board is replaced in its original position Modem Card Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Por
29. any Kapton tape securing the drive cable Disconnect the cable 0 NOTE To remove the media from the CD ROM drive or DVD ROM drive once the power to the drive is off insert a small thin object such as one end of a paper clip into the pinhole near the drive s LED This ejects the media tray so that you can retrieve the CD or DVD DC DC Board Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 14 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm To remove the DC DC board see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the palmrest assembly Remove the system board rails Remove the 14 mm screw Gently lift the DC DC board off of the connector on the system board ON Oude So When you install the board put pressure only on the areas where the connectors on the DC DC board and on the system board fit together Pressing on other areas may flex the board and break connections Diskette Drive Disassembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer mw CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torgue FPH 2 5 4 2 2 5 3 0 kgf cm 4 mm upper plastic screws 2 metal bracket diskette drive lower plastic To disassemble the diskette drive perf
30. back cover 13 3 Inch LCD Inverter Removal mw CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians To remove the inverter see the exploded view of the 13 3 inch display assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the display assembly 2 Remove the bezel 3 Disconnect the inverter signal cable from the side lift ZIF connector CN1 on the left side of the inverter by gently pulling each side of the ZIF connector and then pulling out the cable 4 Disconnect the LED cable from connector CN3 on the inverter 5 Disconnect the LCD cable from connector CN2 on the inverter A red dot denotes the top of the LCD cable connector when you are installing the cable 6 Remove the inverter 14 1 Inch LCD Inverter Removal A CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians To remove the inverter see the exploded view of the 14 1 inch display assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the display assembly Remove the bezel Disconnect the inverter signal cable from the side lift ZIF connector CN1 on the left side of the inverter by gently pulling each side of the ZIF connector and then pulling out the cable Disconnect the wraparound LCD FPC cable on the left side of the inverter The cable wraps around the inverter and connects to itself Remove and save for installation any Kapton tape securing cables on the right side of the inverter Lift the invert
31. connection make sure the ZIF connector is completely closed
32. devices To remove a device from the options bay perform the following steps Save any files you have open From the Start menu shut down your computer Disconnect the AC adapter Remove the currently installed device from the options bay Using your index finger pull the options bay latch located on the side of the computer next to the options bay toward you With your thumb gently push the options bay latch out and back until the device pops out The device cannot be fully inserted into the computer unless the options bay latch is released Grasp the device firmly and slide it out of the DO options bay 5 Install the new device in the options bay With the options bay latch released slide the new device into the options bay until it is flush with the computer casing Close the options bay latch by using your index finger to push it toward the front of the computer until it is flush with the computer casing Using your thumb push the options bay latch in 6 Restart your computer by pressing the power button Removing and Installing a Hard Disk Drive I NOTES You need the Microsoft Windows 98 CD and the Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD to install software on the new hard disk drive The computer 5 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
33. gt The internal modem files are copied to your hard disk drive 5 At the Setup Complete window click Finish 6 After the computer restarts click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel 7 Atthe Control Panel double click the System icon 8 9 Dom Click the Device Manager tab Be sure that View devices by type default is selected Inthe device list double click Other devices and then click Unknown Device 10 Click Remove and then click OK at the Confirm Device Removal window 11 Click Close 12 Exit the Control Panel window shut down and then restart the computer Continue with the installation procedure by installing the touch pad driver as described in the next section Installing the Touch Pad Driver Installing the Touch Pad Driver The touch pad driver and associated utilities allow you to customize the operation of your touch pad and cursor features To install the touch pad driver perform the following steps Double click the My Computer icon and then double click the CD ROM or DVD ROM icon Double click the Touchpad folder Double click the setup exe icon At the Welcome screen click Next gt At the Close Destination Location screen click Next gt Click Location then click Next gt At the Start Copying Files window click Next gt The touch pad files are copied to your hard disk drive 8 At the Setup Complete window click Yes I want to restart my computer now
34. is connected to the computer the battery meter displays a plug icon The battery meter icons are visible in the desktop taskbar If you move the cursor over the battery or plug icon in the desktop taskbar a pop up window shows the battery s current charge status percentage Storage Devices When you receive your Dell Inspiron 3500 computer a diskette drive is installed in the media bay The media bay supports a battery CD ROM drive diskette drive DVD ROM drive or Zip drive as secondary devices Removing and Installing a Device in the Media Bay Using Softex BayManager To install or remove a device from the media bay using Softex BayManager perform the following steps G NOTE If you do not have Softex BayManager the icon does not appear in the Control Panel or on the taskbar To install Softex BayManager see Installing Softex BayManager Software If you do not have Softex BayManager see Removing and Installing a Device in the Media Bay Without Using Softex BayManager 1 Double click the Softex BayManager icon D on the taskbar 2 Click either Remove Swap Bay Device s or Insert Bay Device s and follow the instructions on the screen Removing and Installing a Device in the Media Bay Without Using Softex BayManager To remove a device from the media bay perform the following steps Save any files you have open From the Start menu shut down your computer Disconnect the AC adapter Remove the currently installed device from th
35. is in save to disk suspend mode or if the hard disk drive access indicator is lit 1 Save and close any open files and exit all application programs 2 Shut down the computer 3 Unplug the AC adapter 4 Remove the battery from the battery bay 1 Battery bay release latch released position 2 Battery bay 3 Battery The hard disk drive is inside the computer located beneath the battery You must remove the battery to access the hard disk drive 5 Turn the computer over and remove the screw securing the hard disk drive to the bottom of the computer 1 Hard disk drive 2 4 mm screw NOTICE When the hard disk drive is not in the computer protect the drive from exposure to static electricity by storing it in protective packaging Remove the currently installed drive Gently pull the plastic tab on the top of the hard disk drive to slide the hard disk drive forward Remove the new drive from its packaging Save the original packaging to use when storing or shipping the hard disk drive i CAUTION While sliding the drive in do not force it into place 9 Slide the new drive into place You may feel some resistance as the drive connects to its interface connector at the back of the bay 10 Replace the screw you removed in step 5 11 Test the drive by running the IDE ATA ATAPI Devices test group in the Dell Diagnostics For information on running the diagnostics see Chapter 4 Running the Dell Diagnostics in your Re
36. keyboard Remove the heat sink fin cover Remove the two 14 mm screws securing the processor module assembly to the system board Lift the processor module assembly off of connector U14 on the system board Lift from the outside first 5 To disassemble the processor module assembly slide the top plate free of the interlock tabs The assembly separates into upper and lower plates and reveals the processor module 6 Remove and replace the thermal pads only if needed The pink pad covers the BX chip and the gray pad covers the processor chip PS When you install the processor module assembly put pressure only on the areas where the connectors on the processor module assembly and on the system board fit together Pressing on other areas may break pins or connections System Board Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 5 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm FPH 2 5 14 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm To remove the system board see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the infrared board LVDS board heat sink fin cover processor module assembly fan cover and fan modem card if present and video board Removed the palmrest assembly Remove the system board rails Remove the DC DC board Disconnect the speaker cables Remove the heat sink fin Remove the 5 mm screw f
37. lights come on during testing If none of the lights come on when you press the battery tester the battery has no charge left NOTICE If only one or none of the charge level indicator lights are lit it indicates a critically low battery state Do not use the battery unless the computer is connected to AC power or unless you install a second charged battery A low battery warning occurs when the battery is about 90 depleted The speaker beeps once every 15 seconds When you hear the low battery warning only a few minutes of battery life remain If both the main battery and the second battery are installed the low battery warning means that the combined charge of both batteries is about 90 percent depleted NOTICE To avoid losing data and possibly corrupting data areas on your hard disk drive save your work immediately after a low battery warning Then connect the computer to AC power or install a second battery in the media bay If the battery runs completely out of power the computer activates save to disk suspend mode 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 Power Management icon to open the Power Management Properties window For more information check the documentation that came with your operating system The Windows 98 battery meter displays a battery icon that shows the amount of battery charge remaining If an AC adapter
38. lt Num Lock gt The Num Lock LED is no longer illuminated Key combinations can be used when the keypad is off or on When Key Pad Is On Purpose lt Num Lock gt Toggles the embedded numeric keypad between number and letter keys lt Fn gt lt key gt Temporarily disables the embedded numeric keypad enables the lowercase characters functions of the keyboard lt Fn gt lt Shift gt lt key gt Temporarily disables the embedded numeric keypad enables the uppercase characters functions of the keyboard lt Shift gt lt cursor key gt Temporarily enables a cursor control key in the embedded numeric keypad External Monitor Use the 15 pin monitor 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 Use the following procedure to connect an external monitor 1 Turn off the external monitor and your computer NOTICE Do not place the 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 monitor 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 scr
39. memory modules Carefully spread the inner plastic tabs of the memory module socket to disengage the module from the socket The module should pop up slightly Gently pull the memory module out of the socket 1 Memory module 2 Plastic tab 10 If present remove the second battery diskette drive CD ROM drive DVD ROM drive or Zip drive from the media bay Pull the media bay release latch located on the side of the computer next to the media bay toward you With your thumb gently rotate the latch out until the device pops out of the bay Grasp the device firmly and remove 0 1 Optional device 2 Media bay release latch unlocked position I NOTES If the computer is booted with a diskette drive or second battery in the media bay you must reboot after installing another device in the media bay To remove the media from the CD ROM drive DVD ROM drive or Zip drive once the power to the drive is off insert a small thin object such as one end of a paper clip into the pinhole near or in the device s LED This ejects the media or the media tray so you can retrieve the CD DVD or Zip disk Procedures for Field and Depot Replaceable Parts mw CAUTION Only a certified service technician should perform these procedures for removal replacement and installation of parts The warranty on the computer becomes void if anyone other than a certified technician performs these procedures NOTICE During the removal and
40. panel so the interior assembly fits inside the back cover 13 3 Inch LCD Panel and EMI Pan Removal CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians To remove the LCD panel from the EMI pan see the exploded view of the 13 3 inch display assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the bezel Remove the LCD interior assembly Remove the panel rails Turn the LCD interior assembly face up If present remove and save for installation any Kapton tape from the lower right corner of the LCD interior assembly If present remove and save for installation any Kapton tape from the center left side of the LCD interior assembly Remove and save for installation the EMI tape from the side and the bottom of the LCD interior assembly NOTE When removing the EMI tape hold each end of the tape at all times If one end is released the tape curls and sticks to itself 9 Remove and save for installation any other Kapton or EMI tape securing the LCD cable to the EMI pan 10 Lift the LCD panel partially out of the EMI pan The LCD FPC cable is still attached to the LCD panel 11 Remove and save for installation the Kapton tape securing the LCD FPC cable to the LCD panel 12 Gently pull the LCD FPC cable out of the connector on the LCD panel 13 Lift the LCD panel out of the EMI pan The LCD FPC cable remains taped to the E
41. requirements 8 Follow the instructions on your screen to create the save to disk suspend file To check the size of the save to disk suspend file type phdisk info at an MS DOS prompt and press lt Enter gt If you need to delete the save to disk suspend file type phdisk delete file atan MS DOS prompt and press lt Enter gt Installing the System User s Guide See Documentation to download the Dell Inspiron 3500 System User s Guide if needed Click Dell Inspiron 3500 User s Guide hlp and when prompted save the file to your hard disk drive Reinstalling Device Drivers If a driver and or a utility that came with your computer is corrupted you may wish to reinstall it individually The reinstallation procedures for the video driver the internal modem driver the audio driver and the touch pad driver are the same as the installation procedures External Monitor Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Use the 15 pin monitor 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 Use the following procedure to connect an external monitor 1 Turn off the external monitor and your computer 4 CAUTION Do not place the 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 surfac
42. tests various system components such as RAM the disk drives and the keyboard PS 2 Abbreviation for Personal System 2 R RAM Acronym for random access memory The computer s primary temporary storage area for program instructions and data Each location in RAM is identified by a number called a memory address Any information stored in RAM is lost when you turn off your computer read only A read only file is one that you are prohibited from editing or deleting A file can have read only status if Its read only attribute is enabled i It resides on a physically write protected diskette or on a diskette in a write protected drive i ltis located on a network in a directory to which the system administrator has assigned read only rights to you readme file A text file included with a software package or hardware product that contains information updating or supplementing the documentation for the software or hardware Typically readme files provide installation information describe new product enhancements or corrections that have not yet been documented and list known problems or other things you need to be aware of as you use the software or hardware refresh rate The rate at which the monitor redraws the video image on the monitor screen More precisely the refresh rate is the frequency measured in Hz at which the screen s horizontal lines are recharged sometimes also referred to as its vertical frequency The higher the refresh
43. the connection to the sound output jack is secure If you are playing a DVD in the optional DVD ROM drive and have speakers that connect to your computer through the USB port no sound will be output to the speakers This configuration is not supported See your Microsoft Windows 98 documentation for the location of sound applications such as mixers and volume control The MagicWave 3DX Config utility allows you to increase the microphone gain by 20 dB and configure the tone treble bass and 3D enhancement settings To launch the utility 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 MagicWave 3DX Config See Installing Utilities and Drivers for information about installing or reinstalling audio drivers PC Cards About PC Cards You can install up to two PC Cards that adhere to PCMCIA standards and release 4 2 of the JEIDA standard The computer supports type I type ll and type lll PC Cards including such memory devices as SRAM cards that emulate diskettes RAM cards OTP ROM cards and ATA cards that emulate IDE hard disk drives The computer also can support I O cards such as modem communication cards LAN cards wireless LAN cards SCSI cards and sound cards You can install one type lll or two type I or type ll cards in the computer You can also use extended PC Cards in the computer NOTICE Take extra precautions if
44. to AC power or install a battery in a computer that is connected to AC power the computer checks the battery s charge and temperature The AC adapter then charges the battery if necessary and maintains the battery s charge If two batteries are installed in the computer the AC adapter charges the battery in the battery bay first and then charges the second battery in the media bay The second battery is discharged first The battery LED located to the right of the display latch appears as a blinking green light while the battery is charging The AC adapter needs from 2 to 3 hours depending on whether the system is on or off to fully charge a battery that has been completely discharged NOTE You can leave the battery in the computer as long as you like The battery s built in circuitry prevents the battery from overcharging Checking a Battery s Charge Level Use one of the following methods to check the battery s charge level 1 Check the battery charge level before you insert the battery into your computer Once the battery is inserted into the computer you cannot see the charge gauge The battery has a charge gauge with five charge level indicator lights that show how much battery charge remains Press the battery tester a textured sguare on the back of the battery to check the charge level Each light represents approximately 2096 of the total battery charge For example if the battery has 80 of its charge remaining four of the
45. top of the latch and pry the latch up from the retainer in the back cover You may be able to rotate the LCD latch inward to release it from the retainer in the back cover CD ROM DVD ROM Drive Disassembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 3 3 1 5 1 8 kgf cm FPH 2 5 x 5 2 2 5 3 0 kgf cm Pa metal plate upper plastic CD ROM drive or DVD ROM H 5 mm screws drive 3 mm drive D assembly A screws 2 8 lower plastic 3 mm mount ing bracket screw mounting bracket To disassemble the CD ROM drive or optional DVD ROM drive perform the following steps Remove the CD ROM drive or the optional DVD ROM drive from the options bay 2 Remove the 3 mm screws from both sides of the drive assembly 3 Insert a flat blade into the slots on the side of the upper plastic and carefully pry the upper plastic away from the lower plastic A series of internal plastic tabs holds the plastic in place Remove two 5 mm screws securing the drive into the lower plastic Turn the drive assembly over so that the drive falls out of the lower plastic into your hand Slide the metal plate off of the end of the drive Remove the 3 mm screw holding the mounting bracket to the drive and then remove the bracket Remove and save for installation
46. you use extended PC Cards in the computer Extended cards are longer versions of standard PC Cards They fit into and operate correctly with the computer However they extend beyond the edge of the computer when installed If something strikes the exposed end of an installed card the card or the system board can be damaged Always remove an extended PC Card before you pack the computer for traveling I NOTE Because of space considerations you may have trouble using two PC Cards in the computer if one of them is an extended card Always install an extended card in the top PC Card connector Both PC Card slots support CardBus technology In addition a ZV Port is available from the lower slot slot 0 If you ordered an MPEG 2 decoder PC Card from Dell install it in the lower PC Card connector I NOTES A PC Card is not a boot device Type of card refers to its thickness not its functionality Installing PC Cards The PC Card slot has two PC Card connectors and supports four combinations of cards A single type or type ll 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 ll cards One type lll card using the bottom connector The type of card refers to its thickness not its functionality Because a type lll card is thicker than type I and type ll cards it takes up the entire PC Card slot although it uses only one PC Ca
47. 0 kgf cm 25x5 1 2 0 2 5 kgf cm FPH 2 x 2 5 2 1 5 1 8 kgf cm 1 19 mm screws 4 2 5 mm screw To remove the display assembly see the exploded view of the computer and the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Close the computer and place it upside down Remove the four 19 mm display screws from the bottom of the computer The display screws have a D tooled into the base plastic beside them Once the screws are removed the display assembly is very loose Hold the computer firmly and turn it over Remove the top half of the cover over the monitor connector This connector is on the back of the computer Remove the 5 mm screw that was beneath the cover Unlatch the LCD latch Slowly open the display assembly so it is at a 90 degree angle to the base This action repositions the hinges so you can remove the bezel later 8 Gently lift the display assembly so the hinges are free of the base Do not lift the assembly too far up because the LCD FPC cable is still connected to the LVDS board The FPC bobbin and hinge covers lift up with the assembly the connector cover may lift up with the assembly 9 Place the display assembly on a support so that the LCD FPC cable is not stressed 10 Remove the connector cover to expose the end of the LCD FPC cable that connects to the system board 11 Remove the two 2 5 mm screws securing the LCD FPC cable connector to the LVDS board and gently lift the con
48. 1 COM2 COM3 and COM4 The default interrupt for COM1 and COMS is IRQ4 and the default interrupt for COM2 and COM4 is IRQ3 Therefore you must be careful when configuring software that runs a serial device so that you don t create an interrupt conflict component As they relate to DMI manageable components are operating systems application programs desktop and server computer systems adapter nee eae that are compatible with DMI Each component is made up of groups and attributes that are defined as relevant to that CON The MS DOS device name for the console which includes your computer s keyboard and text displayed on the screen config sys The config sys file is executed when you boot your computer before running any commands in the autoexec bat file This start up file contains commands that specify which devices to install and which device drivers to use This file also contains commands that determine how the operating system uses memory and controls files control panel The part of the computer that contains indicators and controls such as the power button hard disk drive access indicator and reset button controller A chip that controls the transfer of data between the microprocessor and memory or between the microprocessor and a device such as a disk drive or the keyboard conventional memory The first 640 KB of RAM Conventional memory is found in all computers coprocessor A chip that relieves the computer s micropr
49. 500 Portable Computer Diskette Drive Disassembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Display Assembly Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Fan Cover and Fan Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Hard Disk Drive Disassembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Heat Sink Fin Cover Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Infrared Board Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Keyboard Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer LCD Interior Assembly Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer LVDS Board Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Modem Card Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Palmrest Assembly Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer PC Card Cage Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Processor Module Assembly Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Board Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Board Rails Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Speaker Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Touch Pad Assembly Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Video Board Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Zip Drive Disassembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Screw Identification and Tightening Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Security Cable Slot Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Setup Program Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Specifications Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Status Display Dell
50. Battery performance features such as charge time operating time and life span can vary according to the conditions under which the computer and battery are used and according to the configuration of the computer 90 to 264 VAC system AC Adapter Input voltage 1 5 A at 90 VAC full load 47 to 63 Hz 3 5 A continuous 60 W 20 VDC 29 6 mm 1 17 inches 60 0 mm 2 36 inches 105 mm 4 13 inches 0 3 kg 0 66 Ib 5 to 35 C 41 to 95 F 20 to 50 C 4 to 122 F 35 mm 1 38 inches 316 mm 12 40 inches 250 mm 9 80 inches 2 84 kg 6 25 Ib 39 mm 1 53 inches 316 mm 12 40 inches 250 mm 9 80 inches 2 97 kg 6 53 Ib Input current maximum Input freguency Output current Output power Rated output voltage Dimensions Height Width Depth Weight with cables Temperature range Operating Storage Physical 13 3 inch display Height Width Depth Weight 14 1 inch display Height Width Depth Weight Includes hard disk drive diskette drive and battery 5 to 35 C 41 to 95 F 20 to 50 C 4 to 122 F 10 to 90 noncondensing 0 9 GRMS using a random vibration spectrum that simulates shipment by air 1 1 GRMS using a random vibration spectrum that simulates shipment by truck 1 52 m sec 60 inches sec less than or equal to a pulse width of 2 ms Environmental Temperature Operating Storage Relative humidity Maximum v
51. Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer hard disk drive Removing Devices From the Options Bay Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer options bay release latch unlocked position optional device 13 3 Inch LCD Inverter Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer A CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians To remove the inverter see the exploded view of the 13 3 inch display assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the display assembly 2 Remove the bezel 3 Disconnect the inverter signal cable from the side lift ZIF connector CN1 on the left side of the inverter by gently pulling each side of the ZIF connector and then pulling out the cable 4 Disconnect the LED cable from connector CN3 on the inverter Disconnect the LCD cable from connector CN2 on the inverter A red dot denotes the top of the LCD cable connector when you are installing the cable 6 Remove the inverter 4 13 3 Inch LCD Panel and EMI Pan Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer mw CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians To remove the LCD panel from the EMI pan see the exploded view of the 13 3 inch display assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the bezel Remove the LCD interior assembly Remove the panel rails Turn the LCD interior assembly face up If present remove a
52. MI pan SON Oop Oh 14 1 Inch LCD Panel and EMI Pan Removal mw CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians To remove the LCD panel from the EMI pan see the exploded view of the 14 1 inch display assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the bezel Remove the LCD interior assembly Remove the panel rails Remove and save for installation the Kapton tape from the lower right corner of the LCD interior assembly I NOTE When removing the EMI tape hold each end of the tape at all times If one end is released the tape curls and sticks to itself Remove and save for installation the EMI tape from the side and the bottom of the LCD interior assembly Remove and save for installation any other Kapton or EMI tape securing the LCD cable to the EMI pan Lift the LCD panel out of the EMI pan The LCD FPC cable remains inside the EMI pan held in place by Kapton tape o o ss OND Back to Contents Page Glossary Documentation Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer You must right click the link for a portable document format PDF file and save the file to your hard disk drive Attempting to link directly to large PDF files causes your system to freeze To save PDF files files with an extension of pdf to your hard disk drive right click the document title click Save Target As in Microsoft Internet Explorer or Save Link As in Netscape
53. Navigator and specify a location on your hard disk drive Right click only the following links Reference and Troubleshooting Guide pdf Installing System Software pdf Port Replicator User s Guide pdf Service Manual pdf Setup Guide pdf To view a PDF file launch Adobe Acrobat Reader Click File Open and select the PDF file To view a Help file a file with an extension of hlp click the link for the file System User s Guide hlp NOTES PDF files reguire Acrobat Reader which you can download from the Adobe World Wide Web site Help files reguire winhelp exe which is part of the Microsoft Windows operating system located in the windows directory To view Help files online you may need to configure winhelp exe to work with your browser as a helper application program See the Help information associated with your browser for additional information Back to Contents Page Glossary Drive Assemblies Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Reference Hard Disk Drive Disassembly CD ROM DVD ROM Drive Disassembly Diskette Drive Disassembly Zip Drive Disassembly Hard Disk Drive Disassembly CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torque FPH3x4 1 2 0 2 5 kgf cm Plastic tab Flex cable Plastic pull Hard disk drive connector Plastic retainer Plastic carrier 4 mm screw Hard disk drive
54. OTE Note the routing of the LED cable through the right panel rail for installation Place the LCD interior assembly face down on a surface that will not damage the LCD Remove the two 5 mm screws securing the left panel rail 7 Remove the left panel rail It is stamped with an L left for easy identification 8 Remove the two 5 mm screws securing the right panel rail Note that these screws can be loosened so the panel rail can slide out of the slots the screws do not have to be completely removed 9 Remove the right panel rail It is stamped with an R right for easy identification 5 9 E ew During installation the rails must fit snugly against the LCD panel so the interior assembly will fit inside the back cover 14 1 Inch LCD Inverter Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians To remove the inverter see the exploded view of the 14 1 inch display assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the display assembly 2 Remove the bezel 3 Disconnect the inverter signal cable from the side lift ZIF connector CN1 on the left side of the inverter by gently pulling each side of the ZIF connector and then pulling out the cable Disconnect the wraparound LCD FPC cable on the left side of the inverter The cable wraps around the inverter and connects to itself Remove and save for installation any Kapton t
55. Select lt lt Sub Menu F10 Save and Exit System Devices Menu PhoenixBIOS Setup Utility Main Security Power Boot Exit Internal Pointing Device Auto Disabled g IDE Controller Both Tram SeechFic cHelp FDD Controller Enabled Serial Port Auto Infrared Port 055 Parallel Port Auto Mode ECP Modem Port Customized Base 1 0 address IRO 2F8 IRQ3 Configuration port 130 16 bit DMA channel A DMA 6 16 bit DMA channel B DMA 7 Audio Customized SB I O address 220 WSS I O address 530 AGLib 1 0 address 388 Interrupt IRQ 5 1st DMA channel DMA 0 2nd DMA channel DMA 1 Fi Help TL Select Item F5 F6 Change Values F9 Setup Defaults ESC Exit Select Menu Enter Select Sub Menu F10 Save and Exit Security Menu NOTICE The password features provide a high level of security for the data in the computer However they are not foolproof If your data requires more security it is your responsibility to obtain and use additional forms of protection such as data encryption programs or PC Cards with encryption features Item Specific Help PhoenixBIOS Setup Utility Exit Security Power Boot Clear Enter Disabled Main System Devices System Password is Set System Password Password On Boot Fi Help TL select Item F5 F6 Change Values F9 Setup Defaults ESC Exit Select Menu Enter Select Sub Menu F10 Save and Exit Power
56. There are no configuration switches on this system Controls and Indicators LCD latch Status lights next to LCD latch Display PC Card connectors 2 Audio jacks 3 AC adapter connector Speaker Battery release latch o 04 o Oo F ON Battery bay o Media bay Touch pad buttons 2 Touch pad gt o Keyboard 14 Power button 15 Connector cover 16 Microphone 17 Display close suspend button 18 Status lights 3 on keyboard Status Lights 1 Caps Lock status 2 Scroll Lock status 3 Num Lock status Three status lights are located on the connector cover directly above the keyboard Caps Lock Solid green light when Caps Lock is on Press lt Caps Lock gt to turn this feature on or off i Scroll Lock Solid green light when Scroll Lock is on Press lt Scroll Lock gt to turn this feature on or off 1 Num Lock Solid green light when Num Lock is on Press lt Num Lock gt to turn this feature on or off 1 System power status 2 Hard disk drive activity status 3 Battery status Three additional status lights are located on the front of the unit to the right of the LCD latch 1 System power o No light when the system is off or in suspend to disk mode hibernating o Green light when the system is on o Amber light when the system is in standby or suspend to RAM mode Hard disk drive activity Blinking light as the hard disk drive or a PC Card is being accessed Battery
57. You Begin Before you begin the installation you must install the CD ROM or the optional DVD ROM drive in the options bay of your computer and you must attach the diskette drive externally For instructions on installing the CD ROM or the optional DVD ROM drive in the options bay refer to the Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Using the Options Bay document To install the external diskette drive perform the following steps 1 Plug the sguared end of the cable into the parallel connector on the back of the computer and tighten the screws on either side of the cable connector 2 Plug the triangular end of the cable into the diskette drive and tighten the screws on either side of the cable connector 3 Insert the CD ROM or DVD ROM drive in the options bay and ensure that the diskette drive is connected to the parallel port connector via the diskette drive cable The diskette drive is now connected Installing Microsoft Windows 98 and Device Drivers To install reinstall Microsoft Windows 98 and device drivers on your computer perform the following steps 1 Insert the Microsoft Boot Disk Windows 98 Series diskette into the external diskette drive 2 Restart the system 3 Insert the Microsoft Windows 98 CD into the CD ROM drive 4 Ensure that the computer is connected to AC power 5 When the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears be sure that the 1 Start Windows 98 setup from CD ROM is highlighted and press lt Enter gt 6 Wh
58. an cable from connector J6 on the system board Remove the fan NAM NOTE Note the positioning of the fan and the routing of the fan cable carefully so that you can duplicate it during installation An arrow on the top of the fan indicates that the flow of air is from the outside of the computer in to the board Hard Disk Drive Disassembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer A CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torque FPH3x4 1 2 0 2 5 kgf cm hard disk plastic tab 4mm drive SS screw A Pa flex cable plastic pull y Basie hard disk retainer drive connector To disassemble the hard disk drive perform the following steps J plastic carrier 5n A Remove the hard disk drive from the base of the computer 2 Remove the 4 mm screw from the side of the hard disk drive 3 Lift up the large plastic tab that the screw had previously secured There are a series of small plastic tabs along the three sides of the plastic carrier 4 Unsnap the plastic carrier along three sides 5 Turn the carrier over in your hand so that the hard disk drive partially falls into your hand The 9 5 mm hard disk drive uses a spacer inside the plastic carrier for proper fit 6 Slide the hard disk drive connector out of the plastic retainer inside the plastic carrier and remove the drive complete
59. ansmission speed For example modems are designed to transmit data at one or more specified baud rate s through the COM serial port of a computer BBS Abbreviation for bulletin board service A computer system that serves as a central location for accessing data or relaying messages by modem beep code A diagnostic message in the form of a pattern of beeps from your computer s speaker For example one beep followed by two beeps is beep code 1 2 binary A base 2 numbering system that uses 0 and 1 to represent information The computer performs operations based on the ordering and calculation of these numbers BIOS Acronym for basic input output system Your computer s BIOS contains programs stored on a flash memory chip The BIOS controls the following Communications between the microprocessor and devices such as the keyboard and the video adapter Miscellaneous functions such as system messages bit The smallest unit of information interpreted by your computer boot routine The start up process of a computer that clears all memory initializes devices and loads the operating system bootable diskette A diskette from which you can boot your system Your Dell Diagnostics Diskette is a bootable diskette bpi Abbreviation for bits per inch bps Abbreviation for bits per second BTU Abbreviation for British thermal unit bus An information pathway between the components of a computer Your computer contains an expansion bus
60. ape securing cables on the right side of the inverter Lift the inverter partially up to make disconnecting the remaining cables easier Disconnect the LED cable from connector CN3 on the right side of the inverter Disconnect the LCD cable from connector CN2 on the right side of the inverter Remove the inverter WC 3 14 1 Inch LCD Panel and EMI Pan Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians To remove the LCD panel from the EMI pan see the exploded view of the 14 1 inch display assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the bezel Remove the LCD interior assembly Remove the panel rails Remove and save for installation the Kapton tape from the lower right corner of the LCD interior assembly ee NOTE When removing the EMI tape hold each end of the tape at all times If one end is released the tape curls and sticks to itself D Remove and save for installation the EMI tape from the side and the bottom of the LCD interior assembly Remove and save for installation any other Kapton or EMI tape securing the LCD cable to the EMI pan 8 Lift the LCD panel out of the EMI pan The LCD FPC cable remains inside the EMI pan held in place by Kapton tape a 14 1 Inch LCD Panel Rails Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer mw CAUTION The following procedur
61. ary file formats containing binary characters although some can read and write text files text mode A video mode that can be defined as x columns by y rows of characters TFT Abbreviation for thin film transistor From one to four of these transistors control each pixel in an active matrix display for portable computers time out A time out is a system setup option that activates a power conservation feature after a specified period of inactivity tpi Abbreviation for tracks per inch trackball A pointing device built in to a portable computer that controls the movement of the cursor on the screen Trackball aware software allows you to activate commands by rolling the trackball and clicking its buttons while pointing at objects displayed on the screen touch pad A pointing device that detects the position of your finger over a touch sensitive area It is PS 2 compatible and provides full mouse functionality TSR Abbreviation for terminate and stay resident A TSR program runs in the background Most TSR programs implement a predefined key combination sometimes referred to as a hot key that allows you to activate the TSR program s interface while running another program When you finish using the TSR program you can return to the other application program and leave the TSR program resident in memory for later use Because MS DOS is not designed to support multiple programs running simultaneously TSR programs can sometimes cause memory
62. atically loads the appropriate device driver If you have older modem communications software that cannot use certain IRO settings you must disable the serial port or infrared port to use the software Removing PC Cards To remove a PC Card use your finger tip to flip the eject button out so that it is perpendicular to the computer Push in the eject button to release the card Gently remove the PC Card After you have removed a PC Card or PC Cards you should install one or both of the PC Card blanks provided with the computer to protect the PC Card connectors See Installing Utilities and Drivers for information on installing or reinstalling PC Card utilities and drivers Configuring PC Cards 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 icon 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 Embedded Numeric Keypad The embedded numeric keypad shares some of the keys on your computer s keyboard The keypad numbers and symbols are marked on the right of the keypad keys To activate the embedded numeric keypad press lt Num Lock gt the Num Lock LED lights up Press and hold lt Fn gt to toggle between the letter and number keys To deactivate the keypad press
63. attery 6 Remove any PC Cards To remove a PC Card use your finger to flip the eject button out so that it is perpendicular to the computer Push in the eject button to release the card Gently remove the PC Card 1 PC Card 2 Eject button 7 Remove the hard disk drive Type of Screw Torque FPH3x4 1 2 0 2 5 kgf cm NOTICE Hard disk drives are extremely fragile and must be handled carefully Even a slight jar or bump can damage the spinning heads and plates thus rendering the drive inoperable NOTICE Hard disk drives are extremely fragile and must be handled carefully Even a slight jar or bump can damage the spinning heads and plates thus rendering the drive inoperable CAUTION The hard disk drive may be hot to the touch Do not touch the plastic carrier of the hard disk drive if you remove the drive from the computer when the drive is hot Turn the computer over and remove the 4 mm screw securing the hard disk drive to the bottom of the computer The screw has an H tooled into the plastic beside it Grasp the plastic tab and pull the hard disk drive forward and out 1 Hard disk drive 2 4 mm screw 8 Remove the RAM door Type of Screw Torque FPH3x4 2 2 0 2 5 kgf cm Remove the two 4 mm screws from the memory door also known as the memory module cover Using your finger lift the door off 1 Memory door 2 4 mm screw 9 Remove the
64. carrying case NOTICE The AC adapter is designed to work only with Dell Inspiron portable computers Do not use adapters from other computers and do not attempt to use this adapter with other computers When your computer is turned on the green power indicator light at the top of the display is constantly lit which indicates that the system is active This light is on when the computer is running either on AC or battery power If the light is amber the computer is in Standby mode The battery charge indicator LED at the top of the display shows the status of the battery When the AC adapter is connected to the computer this light is green When the battery is charging this light blinks slowly When this light stops blinking and becomes solid green the battery is fully charged Battery The battery uses lithium ion technology to power the computer when it is not connected to an AC power source The main battery comes standard with the computer To double battery life you can install an optional second battery in the media bay You can expect 2 to 3 hours of battery life with a single fully charged battery and 4 to 6 hours of battery life with two fully charged batteries A built in charge gauge lets you check a battery s charge before you insert it into the computer The battery s self test capability alerts you to battery conditions such as low charge A numb
65. cated to the right of the display latch appears as a blinking green light while the battery is charging The AC adapter needs from 2 to 3 hours depending on whether the system is on or off to fully charge a battery that has been completely discharged NOTE You can leave the battery in the computer as long as you like The battery s built in circuitry prevents the battery from overcharging Checking a Battery s Charge Level Use one of the following methods to check the battery s charge level 1 Check the battery charge level before you insert the battery into your computer Once the battery is inserted into the computer you cannot see the charge gauge The battery has a charge gauge with five charge level indicator lights that show how much battery charge remains Press the battery tester a textured square on the back of the battery to check the charge level Each light represents approximately 20 of the total battery charge For example if the battery has 80 of its charge remaining four of the lights come on during testing If none of the lights come on when you press the battery tester the battery has no charge left 4 CAUTION If only one or none of the charge level indicator lights are lit it indicates a critically low battery state Do not use the battery unless the computer is connected to AC power or unless you install a second charged battery 1 A low battery warning occurs when the battery is about 90 depleted The speaker bee
66. chitecture Keyboard PC Cards Touch Pad Memory Battery Connectors AC Adapter Audio Physical Video Environmental 13 3 Inch Display Inspiron 3500 D233XT D266XT Regulatory C300XT C333XT C366XT Microprocessor Microprocessor type Intel Pentium II Mobile Module or Celeron microprocessor Microprocessor speed Pentium II Mobile Module Inspiron 3500 D233XT 233 MHz Inspiron 3500 D266XT 266 MHz Inspiron 3500 D266GT 266 MHz Inspiron 3500 D300GT 300 MHz Inspiron 3500 AS00GT 300 MHz Inspiron 3500 AS33GT 333 MHz Inspiron 3500 A366GT 366 MHz Inspiron 3500 A400GT 400 MHz Celeron Inspiron 3500 C300XT 300 MHz Inspiron 3500 C333XT 333 MHz Inspiron 3500 C366XT 366 MHz Inspiron 3500 C400GT 400MHz Level 1 L1 cache 32 KB internal Level 2 L2 cache 128 KB or 256 KB integrated or 512 KB pipelined burst SRAM external Math coprocessor internal to the microprocessor Chip Set and Bus Architecture System chip set Intel Mobile 440BX AGP Data bus width 64 bits DRAM bus width 64 bits 32 bits 4 Mbits 33 MHz local bus frequency 32 bit data bus width 66 MHz local bus frequency 32 bit data bus width 8 33 MHz bus frequency 16 bit data bus width Texas Instruments 0011220 CardBus controller two supports a single type lll card or two type I or ll cards 3 3 and 5 V cards 68 pins 32 bits SDRAM 32 64 and 128 MB memory module 32 MB one 32 MB SODIMM that is instal
67. ck Browse 10 Double click the CD ROM or DVD ROM icon 11 Double click the Video folder 12 Click OK and then click Next gt On the Update Device Driver Wizard screen the Updated driver recommended NeoMagic Magic Media 256AV should be checked 13 Click Next gt 14 After the driver has been located click Next gt 15 After Windows has finished installing the updated driver click Finish 16 Click Yes to restart the computer BN 0 2 NOTE After the computer restarts you may change the video resolution See the following section Changing Video Resolution Changing Video Resolution To change the video resolution perform the following steps 1 When the system restarts click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel 2 Double click the Display icon and click the Settings tab 3 Update the Color palette from 256 colors to High Color 16 bit I NOTE This setting is optimized to DVD 4 Set the Screen area to 1024 x 768 and click Apply 5 Click Apply the new color settings without restarting Click OK 6 When a message appears informing you that Windows will resize your computer click OK 7 When 8 message asks if you want to keep the new setting click Yes 8 Click Advanced 9 Click the Monitor tab and click Change 10 Under models click Laptop Display Panel 1024 x 768 and click OK 11 Click Apply and then click OK 12 Click OK again 13 Restart the system Conti
68. conflicts When troubleshooting rule out the possibility of such a conflict by rebooting your computer without starting any TSR programs U UL Abbreviation for Underwriters Laboratories UMB Abbreviation for upper memory block upper memory area The 384 KB of RAM located between 640 KB and 1 MB A utility called a memory manager can create UMBs in the upper memory area in which you can load device drivers and memory resident programs UPS Abbreviation for uninterruptible power supply A battery powered unit that automatically supplies power to your computer in the event of an electrical failure USB Abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus A USB port provides a single connection point for multiple USB compliant devices such as mice keyboards printers and computer speakers USB devices can be connected and disconnected while the system is running UXGA Abbreviation for ultra extended graphics adapter V V Abbreviation for volt s VAC Abbreviation for volt s alternating current VCCI Abbreviation for Voluntary Control Council for Interference VDC Abbreviation for volt s direct current VESA Acronym for Video Electronics Standards Association VGA Abbreviation for video graphics array VGA and SVGA are video standards for video cards and controllers with greater resolution and color display capabilities than previous standards To display a program at a specific resolution you must install the appropriate vid
69. crews from the memory module cover Use your finger or a flat plastic tool to lift the cover out NOTICE To prevent damage to the computer do not use tools to spread the inner plastic tabs of the socket when you are installing or removing a memory module 7 If you are replacing a memory module remove the existing memory module s Carefully spread apart the inner plastic tabs of the memory module socket to disengage the module from the socket The module pops up slightly Gently pull the memory module out of the socket I NOTE If one memory module is already installed and you are adding a second memory module put the second module in the available slot Remove an existing module only if you are replacing it Depending on how you ordered your computer one or two modules may already be installed 8 Install the new memory module Align the notch in the edge connector with the slot in the center of the memory module socket Press the memory module s edge connector firmly into the socket and push the module down until it clicks 9 Replace the memory module cover and replace the two screws 10 Reinstall any batteries you removed in step 4 Reconnect the peripherals to the computer Turn on the peripherals and then turn on the computer If you were using the AC adapter reattach it as well As the computer boots it detects the additional memory and automatically updates the system configuration information 11 Confirm that the system config
70. d Remove the heat sink fin cover Remove the two 14 mm screws securing the processor module assembly to the system board Lift the processor module assembly off of connector U14 on the system board Lift from the outside first To disassemble the processor module assembly slide the top plate free of the interlock tabs The assembly separates into upper and lower plates and reveals the processor module 6 Remove and replace the thermal pads only if needed The pink pad covers the BX chip and the gray pad covers the processor chip 5 o When you install the processor module assembly put pressure only on the areas where the connectors on the processor module assembly and on the system board fit together Pressing on other areas may break pins or connections Fan Cover and Fan Removal Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 5 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm You can remove the fan cover and fan without removing the palmrest To remove the fan cover and fan see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the heat sink fin cover Remove the 5 mm screw securing the fan cover Remove the fan cover Disconnect the fan cable from connector J6 on the system board Remove the fan NOP gt lU NOTE Note the positioning of the fan and the routing of the fan cable carefully so that you can duplica
71. d through key combinations and application program menus NeoMagic MagicMedia 256AV NM2200B 2 5 MB integrated SGRAM 66 MHz AGP DirectDraw DirectVideo DirectShow ActiveMovie 640 x 480 all color depths 85 Hz on external monitor 800 x 600 all color depths 85 Hz on external monitor 1024 x 768 all color depths 85 Hz on external monitor 1280 x 1024 256 colors 60 Hz on external monitor Internal speaker amplifier External microphone input voltage range Line audio input voltage range Controls Video Video controller Video memory Video bus Supported Microsoft standards External monitor support analog 13 3 Inch Display Inspiron 3500 D233XT D266XT C300XT C333XT C366XT active matrix color TFT 194 mm 7 64 inches 262 mm 10 3 inches 337 8 mm 13 3 inches 1024 x 768 pixels 16 million colors 24 bit as supported by application program 80 ms 0 closed to 140 0 264 mm 3 6 W brightness can be controlled through key combinations Type Dimensions viewable area Height Width Diagonal Maximum resolution Response time typical Operating angle Dot pitch Power consumption Controls 14 1 Inch Display Inspiron 3500 D266GT D300GT A300GT A333GT A366GT A400GT C400GT active matrix color TFT 205 mm 8 09 inches 277 mm 10 9 inches 358 1 mm 14 1 inches 1024 x 768 pixels 16 million colors 24 bit as supported by application program 80 ms 0 cl
72. ded View of Base Assembly 5 5 9 5 9 o 0 a lt r 3 Palmrest assembly 2 Keyboard 1 Display assembly Ground springs 2 Infrared board with 5 mm screw Optional internal modem with 14 mm screw EMI fin 2 LVDS board Video board with 4 mm jack screws 2 and 14 mm screw PC Card cage with 14 mm screws 4 Monitor connector cover DC DC board with 14 mm screw Audio jack board Audio jack shield System board retaining clip with 5 mm screw Bottom plastic Release latches Speakers System board in EMI pan Fan and fan cover with 5 mm screw Heat sink fin Processor module assembly with 14 mm screws 2 System board retaining clip with 14 mm screw System board rails 2 with 5 mm screws 2 and 16 mm screw O On o o F WD a N N 8 8 8 hn hn hh o o ON o ao RAON CO Video Graphics Modes for External Displays Resolution Colors Refresh Rate Hz 320 x 200 4 85 320 x 200 16 85 320 x 200 256 85 640 x 200 2 85 640 x 200 16 85 640 x 350 mono 85 640 x 350 4 85 640 x 350 16 85 640 x 400 256 85 640 x 480 2 85 640 x 480 16 85 640 x 480 256 8 bit 85 640 x 480 65 000 16 bit 85 640 x 480 16 million 24 bit 85 800 x 600 16 85 800 x 600 256 8 bit 85 800 x 600 65 000 16 bit 60 800 x 600 16 million 24 bit 60 1024 x 768 16 85 1024 x 768 256 8 bit 85
73. drive 8 Click Next A dialog box appears with the following statement Windows will search for the driver Windows driver file search for the device DELL DVD_Player 9 Click Next The Copying Files dialog box appears with the following message a The file InstAgnt exe on Unknown cannot be found 10 Click Browse 11 Click the arrow next to the Drives menu 12 Select the drive letter for example E or G with the CD icon 13 Click OK 14 Click OK again The computer automatically installs the DVD device driver onto the hard disk drive After the DVD device driver is installed your computer emits two beeps notifying you that the MPEG 2 PC Card is recognized 15 Click Finish After the driver software installation has been completed an installation application for the DVD to Go Player software launches automatically During the installation you may need to wait for 6 to 8 seconds between some of the installation windows while the software is being installed from the CD Do not try to rush through the installation as you may skip over some important steps Provide all requested information For example be sure to select the appropriate region code NOTE Your only chance to select the region code occurs during the installation procedure You cannot change it later Each region as defined in the installation software encodes DVDs differently You cannot switch back and forth between differently coded regional DVDs
74. e bracket Remove and save for installation any Kapton tape securing the drive cable Disconnect the cable So Noc I NOTE To remove the media from the CD ROM drive or DVD ROM drive once the power to the drive is off insert a small thin object such as one end of a paper clip into the pinhole near the drive s LED This ejects the media tray so that you can retrieve the CD or DVD Zip Drive Disassembly CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 5 2 2 5 3 0 kgf cm 1 5 mm screws 2 2 Metal bracket 3 Lower plastic 4 Zip drive 5 Upper plastic To disassemble the optional Zip drive perform the following steps 1 Remove the optional Zip drive from the media bay 2 Remove the two 5 mm screws from the top of the drive assembly 3 Carefully unsnap the upper plastic from the lower plastic The upper plastic is held in place by a series of internal plastic tabs around the edge of the holder 4 Lift the Zip drive out of the lower plastic The metal bracket for the connector may lift out as you remove the Zip drive NOTE To remove the media from the Zip drive once the power to the drive is off insert a small thin object such as one end of a paper clip into the pinhole in the drive s LED This ejects the Zip disk Back to Contents Page Glossary Utilities and D
75. e device DELL DVD_Player 9 Click Next The Copying Files dialog box appears with the following message The file InstAgnt exe on Unknown cannot be found 10 Click Browse 11 Click the arrow next to the Drives menu 12 Select the drive letter for example E or G with the CD icon 13 Click OK 14 Click OK again The computer automatically installs the DVD device driver onto the hard disk drive After the DVD device driver is installed your computer emits two beeps notifying you that the MPEG 2 PC Card is recognized 15 Click Finish After the driver software installation has been completed an installation application for the DVD to Go Player software launches automatically During the installation you may need to wait for 6 to 8 seconds between some of the installation windows while the software is being installed from the CD Do not try to rush through the installation as you may skip over some important steps Provide all requested information For example be sure to select the appropriate region code I NOTE Your only chance to select the region code occurs during the installation procedure You cannot change it later Each region as defined in the installation software encodes DVDs differently You cannot switch back and forth between differently coded regional DVDs After you choose a region your PC Card can only play DVDs designed to be sold in that region PO Creating the Save to Disk Suspend File If you are instal
76. e media bay Pons 1 Optional device 2 Media bay release latch unlocked position Using your index finger pull the media bay latch located on the side of the computer next to the media bay toward you With your thumb gently push the media bay latch out and back until the device pops out The device cannot be fully inserted into the computer unless the media bay latch is released Grasp the device firmly and slide it out of the media bay 5 Install the new device in the media bay With the media bay latch released slide the new device into the media bay until it is flush with the computer casing Close the media bay latch by using your index finger to push it toward the front of the computer until it is flush with the computer casing Using your thumb push the media bay latch in 6 Restart your computer by pressing the power button Removing and Installing a Hard Disk Drive NOTES You need the Microsoft Windows 98 CD and the Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD to install software on the new hard disk drive The computers 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 NOTICE To prevent data loss shut down your computer before removing or installing your hard disk drive Do not remove the hard disk drive if the computer
77. e modem cable to the video board and lift the cable out of the way Remove the two 4 mm jack screws on either side of the display connector that hold the video board to the I O bracket Disconnect the touch pad FPC cable from the side lift ZIF connector J4 on the video board Remove the 14 mm screw holding the system board retaining clip Remove both the screw and the retaining clip Remove the video board from connectors JP2 and JP3 JP4 on the system board Lift the end toward the touch pad up and then lift up and pull back the other end to free it from the I O bracket BONO OP OM When you install the board put pressure only on the areas where the connectors on the video board and on the system board fit together Pressing on other areas may flex the board and break connections System Board Rails Removal Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 5 2 3 0 3 5 kgf cm FPH 2 5 x 16 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm To remove the system board rails see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the palmrest assembly Remove the infrared board Remove the 5 mm screw and the 16 mm screw securing the right system board rail Remove the right system board rail Remove the 5 mm screw securing the left system board rail Remove the left system board rail Remov
78. e near the computer 2 Connect the external monitor s video cable to the computer Plug the monitor cable connector into the matching monitor 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 monitor cable connector s for proper connection 3 Connect your external monitor to a grounded electrical outlet 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 lt Fn gt lt F8 gt 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 lt Fn gt lt F8 gt to switch the video image to the computer s display Whether you are using an appropriately equipped multifrequency monitor only or you are using an external monitor and the built in display simultaneously you can display up to 16 million col
79. e options bay release latch operate smoothly If they do not slightly loosen the two palmrest assembly screws that secure the latches so that the latches move easily PC Card Cage Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque PNH 2 14 4 1 5 1 8 kgf cm The PC Card cage is supplied as a part of the system board assembly However if only the PC Card cage needs replacement use this procedure to remove and replace the PC Card cage You do not need to remove the entire system board To remove the PC Card cage see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the palmrest assembly Remove the system board rails Remove the LVDS board modem card if present and video board Remove the four 14 mm screws securing the PC Card cage to the system board Remove the PC Card cage NAW WY When you install the PC Card cage ensure that the modem cable is routed correctly and is not pinched by the cage Processor Module Assembly Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque PNH 2 x 14 2 1 5 1 8 kgf cm You can remove the processor module assembly without removing the palmrest To remove the processor module assembly see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the
80. e should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torque FLH2x4 4 1 5 1 8 kgf cm To remove the panel rails see the exploded view of the 14 1 inch display assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the bezel Remove the LCD interior assembly Remove the LED cable from the right panel rail optional I NOTE Note the routing of the LED cable through the right panel rail for installation Remove the two 4 mm screws securing the left panel rail to the side of the LCD panel 6 Remove the left panel rail It is stamped with an L left for easy identification 7 Remove the two 4 mm screws securing the right panel rail to the side of the LCD panel 8 Remove the right panel rail It is stamped with an R right for easy identification PO UN 2 During installation the rails must fit snugly against the LCD panel so the interior assembly fits inside the back cover Audio Jack Board Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer To remove the audio jack board see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the palmrest assembly Remove the system board rails Remove the DC DC board Disconnect the speaker cables Remove the system board Remove the audio jack shielding that covers the audio jacks on three sides Note that the shieldin
81. e the release latches for the battery bay and media bay which were previously held in place by the system board rails Remove the heat sink SONO PROM When you install the rails be sure that the speaker cables are not pinched DC DC Board Removal Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 14 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm To remove the DC DC board see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the palmrest assembly Remove the system board rails Remove the 14 mm screw Gently lift the DC DC board off of the connector on the system board oo moOonme When you install the board put pressure only on the areas where the connectors on the DC DC board and on the system board fit together Pressing on other areas may flex the board and break connections Speaker Removal To remove the speakers see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the palmrest assembly Remove the system board rails Remove the DC DC board Disconnect the left speaker cable from connector J13 on the system board Disconnect the right speaker cable from connector J15 on the system board Lift the speakers and cables out of the bottom plastic SNOOP lU NOTE The left and right speakers are interchangeable Note the routing of the speaker cables through the
82. ea Conventional memory Use Interrupt vector table BIOS data area MS DOS work area ser memory ser memory ser memory ser memory ser memory ser memory ser memory ser memory ser memory U U U U U U U U U U ser memory PS 2 mouse data area Upper Memory Map Location 10FFFO 100000 10FFEF 0F0000 0FFFFF 0E0000 0EFFFF 0DC000 0DFFFF 0D0000 0DBFFF 0C0000 0CFFFF 0A0000 0BFFFF 09FC00 09FFFF 000000 09FBFF Address Range 00000h 003FFh 00400h 004FFh 00500h 005FFh 00600h 0FFFFh 10000h 1FFFFh 20000h 2FFFFh 30000h 3FFFFh 40000h 4FFFFh 50000h 5FFFFh 60000h 6FFFFh 70000h 7FFFFh 80000h 8FFFFh 90000h 9FBFFh 9FC00h 9FFFFh Conventional Memory Map Segment 0 Tech Notes Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Video Memory Power Sources Storage Devices Touch Pad Audio PC Cards Embedded Numeric Keypad External Monitor External Keyboard Keypad or Mouse Power Management Passwords and Security Setup Program Utilities and Drivers Removing and Replacing Parts Embedded Numeric Keypad Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer The embedded numeric keypad shares some of the ke
83. eceives so use an AC power source to run the computer if one is available Use the Windows 98 Power Management Properties window to adjust the way the computer uses battery power Options in the window slow or stop some internal devices when the computer is idle Take advantage of the computer s power management modes set in the Windows 98 Power Management Properties window when you leave the computer unattended for long periods of time Standby Turn Off Monitor and Turn Off Hard Drive allow you to maximize power conservation when your work is interrupted I NOTE You can also set power management modes in the Setup program s Power menu However the Windows 98 power management settings always override the power management selections chosen in the Setup program When the computer is using battery power remove PC Cards that you are not using Experiment with power conservation features to achieve the optimum power conservation for your work environment I NOTE You might have to trade some of the computer s performance for increased battery operating time For example if you turn off the hard disk drive you may experience a delay the next time the computer tries to access the drive Using Microsoft Windows 98 to Conserve Battery Power Complete the following steps in Windows 98 to access the Power Management Properties window and set the power management features 1 Click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel 2 D
84. ections Back to Contents Page Glossary Battery Charge Gauge Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer status lights 5 battery tester Removing and Installing a Battery Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer battery bay release latch released position battery bay Back to Contents Page Glossary Conventions Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Reference Notes Notices and Cautions Typographical Conventions The following subsections describe notational conventions used in this document Notes Notices and Cautions Throughout this guide blocks of text may be accompanied by an icon and printed in bold type or in italic type These blocks are notes notices and cautions and they are used as follows NOTE A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer system NOTICE A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem 4 CAUTION A CAUTION indicates a potentially hazardous situation which if not avoided may result in minor or moderate injury Typographical Conventions The following list defines where appropriate and illustrates typographical conventions used as visual cues for specific elements of text throughout this document Interface components are window titles button and icon names menu names and selections and other options that appear
85. ectories Subdirectories may contain additional directories branching off of them Disable Autoplay The autoplay feature in Microsoft Windows 98 interferes with the operation of the computer s power management time outs If Dell installed Windows 98 on your hard disk drive the autoplay feature was disabled If you enable autoplay or if you installed Windows 98 yourself Dell recommends that you disable autoplay See your Windows 98 documentation for instructions on changing the Auto Insert Notification option diskette drive The diskette drive is a removable storage device which comes as a combination module with a CD ROM drive or DVD ROM drive in the computer s media bay The diskette drive lets you install programs and transfer data using 3 5 inch diskettes display See dual scan display display adapter The logical circuitry that provides in combination with the display or monitor your computer s video capabilities A display adapter may support more or fewer features than a specific display or monitor offers Typically a display adapter comes with video drivers for displaying popular application programs and operating environments in a variety of video modes On Dell portable computers a display adapter is integrated into the system board Display adapters often include memory separate from RAM on the system board The amount of video memory along with the adapter s video drivers may affect the number of colors or shades of gray t
86. eference Exploded View of 13 3 Inch Display Assembly LCD Interior Assembly Removal Exploded View of 14 1 Inch Display Assembly 13 3 Inch LCD Panel Rails Removal Display Assembly Removal 14 1 Inch LCD Panel Rails Removal Bezel and LCD Latch Removal 13 3 Inch LCD Panel and EMI Pan Removal 13 3 Inch LCD Inverter Removal 14 1 Inch LCD Panel and EMI Pan Removal 14 1 Inch LCD Inverter Removal Exploded View of 13 3 Inch Display Assembly i i Rubber bumpers 2 Bezel LCD panel EMI pan LED card LED cable LCD cable LCD latch Panel rails 2 O On o ao F ON 10 5 mm hinge screws 2 11 5 mm panel rail screws 4 12 Back cover 13 Bottom FPC bobbin 14 Inverter 15 Hinges 2 16 Top FPC bobbin 17 Inverter signal cable 18 LCD FPC cable 19 5 mm bezel screws 6 20 Screw covers 4 21 Hinge covers 2 Exploded View of 14 1 Inch Display Assembly Rubber bumpers 2 Bezel LCD panel EMI pan LED card LED cable LCD cable LCD latch N o o FWD 9 Right panel rail 10 4 mm panel rail screws 4 11 Back cover 12 Bottom FPC bobbin 13 Inverter 14 Top FPC bobbin 15 Hinges 2 16 Inverter signal cable 17 Left panel rail 18 5 mm hinge screws 2 19 LCD FPC cable 20 5 mm bezel screws 6 21 Hinge covers 4 22 Hinge covers 2 Display Assembly Removal Type of Screw Torque FLH 2 5 x 19 4 1 5 2
87. eject button use your fingertip to flip the button toward the front of the computer until the button is flush with the computer casing If the PC Card connector was empty when you inserted a PC Card the eject button remains flush with the computer casing during and after insertion The computer recognizes most I O cards and automatically loads the appropriate device driver If you have older modem communications software that cannot use certain IRO settings you must disable the serial port or infrared port to use the software Removing PC Cards To remove a PC Card use your finger tip to flip the eject button out so that it is perpendicular to the computer Push in the eject button to release the card Gently remove the PC Card After you have removed a PC Card or PC Cards you should install one or both of the PC Card blanks provided with the computer to protect the PC Card connectors See Installing Utilities and Drivers for information on installing or reinstalling PC Card utilities and drivers Configuring PC Cards 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 icon 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 PC Card Slots Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer
88. en a message asks you if you want to reinstall Windows 98 over your current operating system use the down arrow key to highlight Continue setup and replace your current operating system then press lt Enter gt 7 When a message tells you that Windows 98 is about to prepare the system for installing the operating system press lt Enter gt ScanDisk checks your system files When prompted for the directory in which to install the Windows 98 files make sure that c windows is selected and click Next gt 9 When the Windows 98 Setup window appears click Continue Windows 98 checks your hard disk drive and prepares your system for installing the operating system 0 When prompted to quit all programs before continuing the setup click OK The Windows 98 Setup window appears and checks your system for available hard disk drive space 1 When prompted to save the existing system files click Yes Recommended 12 When prompted for the drive to which you want to save the system files click OK to select the default directory or type the path of another directory Windows 98 saves the system files to the designated directory 13 When the Establish Your Location window appears select your regional location and click Next gt This setting tells Windows 98 how to display Internet content If necessary you can select the keyboard type you want to use 14 When prompted to create the start up diskette remove the boot diskette from the diskette drive and click N
89. entation of memory in addition to conventional memory such as extended memory memory module A small circuit board containing SDRAM chips that connects to the system board MHz Abbreviation for megahertz microprocessor The primary computational chip inside the computer that controls the interpretation and execution of arithmetic and logic functions Software written for one microprocessor must usually be revised to run on another microprocessor CPU is a synonym for microprocessor MIDI Acronym for musical instrument digital interface mm Abbreviation for millimeter s modem A device that allows your computer to communicate with other computers over telephone lines mouse A pointing device that controls the movement of the cursor on a screen Mouse aware software allows you to activate commands by clicking a mouse button while pointing at objects displayed on the screen MPEG Acronym for Moving Picture Experts Group MPEG is a digital video file format ms Abbreviation for millisecond s MS DOS Abbreviation for Microsoft Disk Operating System MSN Abbreviation for the Microsoft Network multifrequency monitor A monitor that supports several video standards A multifrequency monitor can adjust to the frequency range of the signal from a variety of video cards mV Abbreviation for millivolt s N NIC Abbreviation for network interface controller NMI Abbreviation for nonmaskable interrupt A device sends an NMI to signa
90. eo drivers and your monitor must support the resolution Similarly the number of colors that a program can display depends on the capabilities of the monitor the video controller and its drivers and the amount of video memory installed in the computer video card An expansion card that provides the video capabilities in combination with the monitor for your computer system A video card may support more or fewer features than a specific monitor offers Typically a video card comes with video drivers for displaying popular application programs and operating systems in a variety of video modes Video cards can include memory separate from RAM on the system board The amount of video memory along with the card s video drivers may affect the number of colors that can be simultaneously displayed Video cards can also include their own coprocessor for faster graphics rendering video driver A program that allows graphics mode application programs and operating systems to be displayed at a chosen resolution with the desired number of colors A software package may include some generic video drivers Any additional video drivers may need to match the video card installed in the computer video memory Most VGA and SVGA video cards include memory chips in addition to the computer s RAM The amount of video memory installed primarily influences the number of colors that a program can display with the appropriate video drivers and monitor capabiliti
91. er of factors affect battery operating time 1 The power conservation features used The number and type of PC Cards used The kinds of application programs run i The capacity of the optional memory module installed the higher the capacity the more power used The use of an internal Zip drive CD ROM drive or DVD ROM drive which use more power than a hard disk drive or a diskette drive NOTICE The battery is designed to work with Dell Inspiron 3500 series computers only Do not use the battery with other computers and do not use batteries from other computers in your computer See also Power Conservation Removing and Installing the Main Battery To remove and install the main battery perform the following steps 1 Save any files you have open and exit all application programs 2 lf your computer is operating on battery power preserve your data by connecting the AC adapter and plugging it into an electrical outlet or by shutting down your computer from the Start menu 3 Remove the main battery Using your index finger pull the battery bay latch located on the side of the computer next to the battery bay toward you With your thumb gently push the latch out and back until the battery pops out Grasp the battery firmly and slide it out of the battery bay 4 Install the new battery With the battery bay latch released slide the new battery into the battery bay until it is flush with the computer casing You cannot fully in
92. er partially up to make disconnecting the remaining cables easier Disconnect the LED cable from connector CN3 on the right side of the inverter Disconnect the LCD cable from connector CN2 on the right side of the inverter Remove the inverter on 9 LCD Interior Assembly Removal mw CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torgue FPH 2 5 5 2 3 5 4 0 kgf cm To remove the LCD interior assembly from the back cover see the exploded view of the 13 3 inch display assembly or the exploded view of the 14 1 inch display assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the display assembly 2 Remove the bezel 3 Remove the left and right hinge covers lU NOTE For installation remember that the foot of the left hinge cover abuts the keyboard and that the infrared lens in the right hinge cover faces outward to receive infrared transmissions 4 Remove the two 5 mm screws securing the left and right hinges and then remove the hinges The hinges are not interchangeable but are color coded the nut on the right hinge is gold and on the left silver I NOTE Note how the screws go through the panel rails into the hinge so you will install the screws in the right place during installation 5 Remove the top half of the FPC bobbin by inserting a flat blade into the bobbin and carefull
93. es video mode Video cards normally support multiple text and graphics display modes Character based software such as text editors display in text modes that can be defined as x columns by y rows of characters Graphics based software such as the Windows 98 operating system displays in graphics modes that can be defined as x horizontal pixels by y vertical pixels by z colors video resolution Video resolution 800 x 600 for example is expressed as the number of pixels across by the number of pixels up and down To display a program at a specific graphics resolution you must install the appropriate video drivers and your monitor must support the resolution virus A program designed to be an inconvenience either by replicating itself until a computer or network runs out of memory or by corrupting files stored on a hard disk drive The most common way that virus programs move from one computer to another is via infected diskettes and from software downloaded from the Internet When an infected program is started so is the embedded virus W Abbreviation for watt s wallpaper The background appearance of the Windows desktop WH Abbreviation for watt hour s win ini file A start up file for the Windows operating system When you start Windows it consults the win ini file to determine a variety of options for the Windows operating environment Among other things the win ini file records what printer s and fonts are i
94. eviation for electrostatic discharge expansion bus Your computer contains an expansion bus that allows the microprocessor to communicate with controllers for devices such as a network card or an internal modem expansion card A printed circuit board that plugs into an expansion card connector on the computer s system board An expansion card adds some specialized function to the computer by providing an interface between the expansion bus and a device An example of an expansion card is a sound card expansion card connector A connector on the computer s system board for plugging in an expansion card extended memory RAM above 1 MB Most software that can use it such as the Windows 98 operating system requires that extended memory be under the control of an XMM Extended PC Cards NOTICE Take extra precautions if you use extended PC Cards in the computer Extended cards are longer versions of standard PC Cards They fit into and operate correctly with the computer However they extend beyond the edge of the computer when installed If something strikes the exposed end of an installed card the card or the system board can be damaged Always remove an extended PC Card before you pack the computer for traveling NOTE Because of space considerations you may have trouble using two PC Cards in the computer if one of them is an extended card Always install an extended card in the top PC Card connector F F Abbreviation for Fah
95. ews on the monitor cable connector s for proper connection 3 Connect your external monitor to a grounded electrical outlet 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 lt Fn gt lt F8 gt 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 lt Fn gt lt F8 gt to switch the video image to the computer s display Whether you are using an appropriately equipped multifrequency monitor only or you are using an external monitor and the built in display simultaneously you can display up to 256 colors at a noninterlaced resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels I NOTE When the external monitor and built in display are used simultaneously the refresh rate is always 60 Hz Each time you press lt Fn gt lt F8 gt the computer switches the video image to the next display in the following sequence
96. ext gt 5 Label a blank diskette as instructed insert the diskette into the diskette drive and click OK If a dialog box instructs you to format the diskette click Format 6 After you have created the start up diskette remove it from the diskette drive 7 When the Start copying files window appears click Next gt The Welcome to Microsoft Windows 98 window appears and displays information about the operating system while the files are copied to your hard disk drive ge I amp NOTE This step may take several minutes to complete The approximate time is displayed on the Windows 98 status bar When the files have been copied to the hard disk drive Windows 98 prompts you to restart the system 18 Click OK to restart the computer 19 Inthe User Information window type your name and if applicable your company name then click Next gt The Name field must be completed The Company Name is optional 20 Read the license agreement click I accept the agreement and then click Next gt If you do not accept the agreement you cannot access Windows 98 After you accept the license agreement the Product Key window appears 21 Find the Product Key on the Certificate of Authenticity on the front cover of the Getting Started Microsoft Windows 98 document enter the Product Key in the fields provided and then click Next gt 22 When the Start Wizard appears click Finish A series of windows appears to inform you that Windows 98 is
97. ference and Troubleshooting Guide 12 Install the Microsoft Windows 98 operating system and the computer s drivers and utilities See the nstalling System Software guide for instructions OND Touch Pad Using the 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 from among the three tabs Buttons Pointers and Motion If the Synaptics touch pad drivers have been installed there are five additional tabs Touch Edge Motion Scrolling Button Actions More Features to customize your touch pad settings 4 Make your selections Click the Help button if you
98. following steps CAUTION To prevent data loss shut down your computer before removing or installing your hard disk drive Do not remove the hard disk drive if the computer is in save to disk suspend mode or if the hard disk drive access indicator is lit Save and close any open files and exit all application programs Shut down the computer Unplug the AC adapter Remove the battery from the battery bay The hard disk drive is inside the computer located beneath the battery You must remove the battery to access the hard disk drive 5 Turn the computer over and remove the screw securing the hard disk drive to the bottom of the computer mw CAUTION When the hard disk drive is not in the computer protect the drive from exposure to static electricity by storing it in protective packaging 6 Remove the currently installed drive Gently pull the plastic tab on the top of the hard disk drive to slide the hard disk drive forward 8 Remove the new drive from its packaging Save the original packaging to use when storing or shipping the hard disk drive 4 CAUTION While sliding the drive in do not force it into place 9 Slide the new drive into place You may feel some resistance as the drive connects to its interface connector at the back of the bay 10 Replace the screw you removed in step 5 11 Test the drive by running the IDE ATA ATAPI Devices test group in the Dell Diagnostics For information on running the diagnostics see Cha
99. for kilobit s per second Kbps Abbreviation for kilobyte s per second key combination A command requiring you to press multiple keys at the same time For example you can minimize all open windows by pressing a kg Abbreviation for kilogram s 1000 grams kHz Abbreviation for kilohertz 1000 hertz L LAN Acronym for local area network A LAN system is usually confined to the same building or a few nearby buildings with all equipment linked by wiring that is dedicated specifically to the LAN Ib Abbreviation for pound s LCD Abbreviation for liquid crystal display An LCD consists of a liquid crystal solution between two sheets of polarizing material An electric current causes each crystal to act like a shutter that can open to allow light past or close to block the light LED Abbreviation for light emitting diode An electronic device that lights up when a current is passed through it local bus On a computer with local bus expansion capability certain devices such as the AGP video card can be designed to run much faster than they would with a traditional expansion bus Some local bus designs allow devices to run at the same speed and with the same width data path as the computer s microprocessor logical formatting The method of setting up groups of sectors on a hard disk drive to store system start up information sector status information and directory information loopback device A piece of hardware used f
100. from the AC adapter Disconnect the AC adapter cable from the AC adapter connector on the computer or on the port replicator 1 AC adapter connector 2 AC adapter cable 3 AC adapter 4 AC power cable 5 LED 3 ka 4 If the computer is connected to a port replicator pull both release handles on the sides of the replicator to undock the computer 1 Release handles 2 5 Remove the main battery from the battery bay CAUTION The battery is designed to work with Dell Inspiron 3500 computers only Do not use a battery from another computer with the Dell Inspiron 3500 computer Replace the battery only with the same or equivalent type purchased from Dell Using the wrong battery type may present a risk of fire or explosion CAUTION The battery may present a fire or chemical burn hazard if mistreated Do not disassemble expose the battery to temperatures above 60 C 140 F or incinerate Keep the battery away from children Handle damaged or leaking batteries with extreme care If the battery is damaged electrolytes may leak from the cells and cause personal injury Dispose of a used battery promptly Pull the battery bay release latch located on the side of the computer next to the battery bay toward you With your thumb gently rotate the latch out until the battery pops out of the bay Grasp the battery firmly and remove 1 Battery bay release latch released position 2 Battery bay 3 B
101. ftware Changing Video Resolution Reinstalling Device Drivers Installing the Audio Driver Installing the System User s Guide 2 Installing the Internal Modem Driver Introduction You may need to install the Microsoft Windows 98 operating system and the Dell device drivers and utilities on your Dell Inspiron 3500 portable computer under the following conditions Dell did not install an operating system or other system software on your computer You are reinstalling the version of Windows 98 that came with your computer and you need to reinstall the drivers and utilities that Dell provides 1 You have a new hard disk drive and you need to install all of the system software To install the Windows 98 operating system as well as Dell device drivers and utilities you must have the following items Microsoft Windows 98 CD Microsoft Boot Disk Windows 98 Series diskette Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD Diskette drive cable To install or reinstall Dell utilities and drivers in the Windows 98 operating system use the program diskette set from Dell or the backup diskettes that you made after receiving the computer Before You Begin Before you begin the installation you must install the CD ROM or the optional DVD ROM drive in the media bay of your computer and you must attach the diskette drive externally For instructions on installing the CD ROM or the optional DVD ROM drive in the media bay refer
102. g procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 5 2 3 5 4 0 kgf cm To remove the LCD interior assembly from the back cover see the exploded view of the 13 3 inch display assembly or the exploded view of the 14 1 inch display assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the bezel Remove the left and right hinge covers NOTE For installation remember that the foot of the left hinge cover abuts the keyboard and that the infrared lens in the right hinge cover faces outward to receive infrared transmissions Remove the two 5 mm screws securing the left and right hinges and then remove the hinges The hinges are not interchangeable but are color coded the nut on the right hinge is gold and on the left silver NOTE Note how the screws go through the panel rails into the hinge so you will install the screws in the right place during installation Remove the top half of the FPC bobbin by inserting a flat blade into the bobbin and carefully prying the top and bottom apart If you have not removed the inverter lift it up slightly it is still connected to the LCD Slide the entire LCD interior assembly which includes the LCD panel panel rails EMI pan and LED card and cable down to free the panel rails from the retaining tabs in the back cover Slide the LED card out of the plastic retainer next to the LCD latch Remove
103. g wraps around and goes beneath the system board and the EMI pan not between the board and the pan 9 Lift the audio jack board off of connectors J16 and J11 on the system board YD ME Roe When you install the audio jack board it is helpful to move the PC Card latches out of the way Put pressure only on the areas where the connectors on the audio jack board and on the system board fit together Pressing on other areas may bend the board and break connections Bezel and LCD Latch Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 5 6 3 54 0 kgf cm To remove the bezel and LCD latch see the exploded view of the 13 3 inch display assembly or 14 1 inch display assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the display assembly 2 Use the dental pick to remove the four screw covers from the bottom of the bezel Take care not to cause cosmetic damage and not to put pressure on the LCD panel 3 Remove the two rubber bumpers from the top of the bezel Take care not to cause cosmetic damage and not to put pressure on the LCD panel 4 Remove the six 5 mm screws securing the bezel to the display assembly 5 Remove the bezel Unfasten the snaps at the bottom of the bezel by applying light pressure on the inside bottom edge of the bezel and pulling the bezel slightly up and toward you Hold the LCD latch out of the way when removing the top of the bezel 6 Insert a small flat blade at the
104. gt If you need to delete the save to disk suspend file type phdisk delete file at an MS DOS prompt and press lt Enter gt Temporary file Delete before release AC Adapter Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Audio Jacks Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Audio Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Component Locations Back View Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Battery Charge Gauge Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Removing and Installing a Battery Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Documentation Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Utilities and Drivers Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer External Monitor Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Exploded View of 13 3 Inch Display Assembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Exploded View of 14 1 Inch Display Assembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Exploded View of Base Assembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Exploded View of Computer Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Exploded View of Palmrest Assembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer External Keyboard Keypad or Mouse Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Component Locations Front View Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Graphics Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Contents Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer T O Connectors Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer T O Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer 30 Cone of Infrared Light Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Jumpers Switches Controls
105. hat can be simultaneously displayed Display adapters can also include their own coprocessor for faster graphics rendering DMA Abbreviation for direct memory access A DMA channel allows certain types of data transfer between RAM and a device to bypass the microprocessor DMI Abbreviation for Desktop Management Interface DMTF Abbreviation for Desktop Management Task Force a consortium of companies representing hardware and software providers of which Dell Computer Corporation is a member DOC Abbreviation for Department of Communications in Canada dpi Abbreviation for dots per inch DPMS Abbreviation for Display Power Management Signaling A standard developed by VESA that defines the hardware signals sent by a video controller to activate power management states in a monitor A monitor is said to be DPMS compliant when it is designed to enter a power management state after receiving the appropriate signal from a computer s video controller DRAM Abbreviation for dynamic random access memory A computer s RAM is usually made up entirely of DRAM chips Because DRAM chips cannot store an electrical charge indefinitely your computer continually refreshes each DRAM chip in the computer driver See device driver DTE Abbreviation for data terminal equipment Any device such as a computer system that can send data in digital form by means of a cable or O line The DTE is connected to the cable or communications line through
106. hdisk info at an MS DOS prompt and press lt Enter gt If you need to delete the save to disk suspend file type phdisk delete file at an MS DOS prompt and press lt Enter gt Installing Softex BayManager Software The BayManager software allows you to remove and install devices without turning off your system To install BayManager perform the following steps 1 Insert the Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD into the CD ROM drive 2 Double click the My Computer icon and then double click the CD ROM icon 3 Double click the BayMgr folder 4 Double click setup exe 5 At the Welcome screen click Next An InstallShield message indicates that the files are being copied At the Setup Complete window click Yes want to restart my computer now and click Finish The system restarts 7 Remove the Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD from the CD ROM drive 8 After your computer restarts a BayManager icon appears in the icon tray D Installing the System User s Guide See Documentation to download the Dell Inspiron 3500 System User s Guide if needed Click System User s Guide hlp and when prompted save the file to your hard disk drive Reinstalling Device Drivers a driver and or a utility that came with your computer is corrupted you may wish to reinstall it individually The reinstallation procedures for the video driver the internal modem driver the audio driver and the touch pad driver are the same as t
107. he installation procedures Back to Contents Page Glossary Video Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Graphics Modes for External Displays Graphics Modes for Built in LCD Displays Refresh Rate Hz 85 85 85 85 85 85 85 85 85 85 85 85 85 85 60 60 85 85 85 85 60 Maximum Refresh Rate Hz 60 60 60 Graphics Modes for External Displays Resolution Colors 320 x 200 4 320 x 200 16 320 x 200 256 640 x 200 2 640 x 200 16 640 x 350 mono 640 x 350 4 640 x 350 16 640 x 400 256 640 x 480 2 640 x 480 16 640 x 480 256 8 bit 640 x 480 65 000 16 bit 640 x 480 16 million 24 bit 800 x 600 16 800 x 600 256 8 bit 800 x 600 65 000 16 bit 800 x 600 16 million 24 bit 1024 x 768 16 1024 x 768 256 8 bit 1024 x 768 65 000 16 bit 1024 x 768 16 million 24 bit 1280 x 1024 256 depending upon the specifications of the external display Graphics Modes for Built in LCD Displays Resolution Colors 640 x 480 256 8 bit 640 x 480 65 000 16 bit 640 x 480 16 million 24 bit 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 800 600 256 8 bit
108. he computer is running either from AC or battery power If the light is amber colored the computer is in Standby mode The battery charge indicator LED shows the status of the battery When the AC adapter is connected to the computer this light is green When the battery is charging this light blinks slowly When this light stops blinking and becomes solid green the battery is fully charged Battery The battery uses lithium ion technology to power the computer when it is not connected to an AC power source The main battery comes standard with the computer To double battery life you can install an optional second battery in the options bay You can expect 2 to 3 hours of battery life with a single fully charged battery and 4 to 6 hours of battery life with two fully charged batteries A built in charge gauge lets you check a battery s charge before you insert it into the computer The battery s self test capability alerts you to battery conditions such as low charge A number of factors affect battery operating time 1 The power conservation features used 1 The number and type of PC Cards used 1 The kinds of application programs run The capacity of the optional memory module installed the higher the capacity the more power used 1 The use of an internal Zip drive CD ROM drive or DVD ROM drive which use more power than a hard disk drive or a diskette drive CAUTION The battery is designed to work with Dell Inspiron 3500 serie
109. he keyboard out from beneath the palmrest assembly Do not try to completely remove the keyboard because it is still attached to the system board by a cable 6 Disconnect the keyboard cable from the side lift ZIF connector C42 on the system board 7 Remove the keyboard NOTE The ZIF connector cap for the keyboard is stocked as a separate part If the plastic connector cap is broken you can snap a new one in place without having to replace the entire system board Infrared Board Removal Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 5 1 3 0 3 5 kgf om You can remove the infrared IR board without removing the palmrest To remove the infrared board see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the 5 mm screw securing the IR board to the right system board rail Lift the IR board to expose the wires Disconnect the IR cable from connector J4 on the system board Remove the IR board oe ON I NOTE Reconnect the IR board to the system board by carefully threading the wires and connector by the I O bracket and using a screwdriver to press on the connector to reseat it LVDS Board Removal You can remove the LVDS board without removing the palmrest To remove the LVDS board see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the display assembly 2 Remove the keyboard 3 Carefully
110. he list of terms below or click one of the letter buttons above A A Abbreviation for ampere s AC Abbreviation for alternating current AC Adapter An external power supply that converts AC power to DC power for a portable computer The AC adapter s cable connects to the portable computer A power cable connects the AC adapter to an electrical outlet active matrix display A type of display that uses thin film transistors These transistors allow each picture element to be turned on or off ADI Abbreviation for Autodesk Device Interface AGP Abbreviation for accelerated graphics port AGP is a dedicated graphics port that provides a faster interface between the video subsystem and the system memory than a PCI graphics device and allows conventional memory to be used for video related tasks The improved interface enables AGP to deliver a smooth true color video image ANSI Acronym for American National Standards Institute application program Software such as a spreadsheet or word processor designed to help you perform a specific task or series of tasks Application programs run from the operating system ASCII Acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange ASIC Acronym for application specific integrated circuit ATA Abbreviation for Advanced Technology Attachment attribute As it relates to DMI an attribute is a piece of information related a component Attributes can be combined to for
111. he unpainted metal surface of the I O panel on the back of the computer While you work periodically touch the I O panel to dissipate any static electricity that might harm internal components 6 Turn the computer over and remove the memory module cover oe Remove the two screws from the memory module cover Use your finger or a flat plastic tool to lift the cover out rw CAUTION To prevent damage to the computer do not use tools to spread the inner plastic tabs of the socket when you are installing or removing a memory module 7 Ifyou are replacing a memory module remove the existing memory module s Carefully spread apart the inner plastic tabs of the memory module socket to disengage the module from the socket The module pops up slightly Gently pull the memory module out of the socket NOTE Tf one memory module is already installed and you are adding a second memory module put the second module in the available slot Remove an existing module only if you are replacing it Depending on how you ordered your computer one or two modules may already be installed 8 Install the new memory module Align the notch in the edge connector with the slot in the center of the memory module socket Press the memory module s edge connector firmly into the socket and push the module down until it clicks 9 Replace the memory module cover and replace the two screws 10 Reinstall any batteries you removed in step 4 Reconnect the periphe
112. he way that the different time out settings affect how long you can operate the computer on battery power versus the relative efficiency of how your software performs Checking the Battery Status The battery status LED at the top of the computer s display indicates the battery s current operating status The LED has three states Flashing green which indicates that the AC adapter is connected and the battery is charging Solid green which indicates that the AC adapter is connected and the battery is fully charged No light which indicates that the AC adapter is not connected Standby Mode Standby turns off the display stops the hard disk drive and turns off other internal devices so that the computer uses less battery power When the computer resumes operation from Standby mode the desktop is restored exactly as it was before entering Standby mode NOTICE Windows 98 saves data to RAM not to your hard disk drive before entering Standby mode If the computer enters Standby mode while running on battery power data loss from RAM can occur if the battery discharges completely You can activate Standby mode by pressing lt Fn gt lt Esc gt or by selecting Standby from the Shutdown window To resume operation from Standby mode press the power button Turn Off Monitor The Turn Off Monitor option turns off the display so that the computer uses less battery power You can press any key or the touch pad to turn on the display
113. ibration Operating Storage Maximum shock Operating Glossary 2 03 m sec 80 inches sec less than or equal to a pulse width of 2 ms 0 to 3048 m 0 to 10 000 ft 0 to 12 192 m 0 to 40 000 ft Storage Altitude Operating Storage Measured with the hard disk drive in head parked position FCC Class A or Class B IC Notice CE Notice EN 55022 EN 50082 1 EN 60950 EN 55022 Compliance VCCI Class A or Class B ITE Class A or Class B PN 93 T 42107 and PN 89 E 06251 NOM BCIQ notice Regulatory U S Canada Europe Czech Republic Japan Korea Poland Mexico Taiwan Back to Contents Page Status Display Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Three status lights are located on the connector cover directly above the keyboard Caps Lock status Scroll Lock status Num Lock status light 6 Am ua Three status lights are located on the front of the computer to the right of the LCD latch system power status light hard disk drive activity status battery status light Storage Devices Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Removing and Installing a Device in the Options Bay Removing and Installing a Hard Disk Drive Removing and Installing a Device in the Options Bay When you receive your Dell Inspiron 3500 computer a diskette drive is installed in the options bay The options bay supports a battery CD ROM drive diskette drive DVD ROM drive or Zip drive as secondary
114. iles that you have open and shut down the computer 2 Insert the Microsoft Boot Disk Windows 98 Series diskette into the diskette drive 3 When the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears use the down arrow key to select Start computer with CD ROM support and press lt Enter gt 4 When lt appears on the screen insert the Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD into your CD ROM or DVD ROM drive Your MS DOS prompt changes from an A to a D assuming that D is the drive letter of your CD ROM or DVD ROM drive 5 Type cd utility and press lt Enter gt 6 Type phdisk create file and press lt Enter gt I NOTE Make sure a space is betweenphdisk create 800 16 The utility calculates the size of the file in kilobytes based on the amount of system memory in your computer plus 2 MB to handle video memory and additional system requirements 7 Follow the instructions on your screen to create the save to disk suspend file To check the size of the save to disk suspend file type phdisk info atan MS DOS prompt and press lt Enter gt If you need to delete the save to disk suspend file type phdisk delete file atan MS DOS prompt and press lt Enter gt Passwords and Security About Passwords When you receive the computer the password features are disabled so that you can assign passwords if you wish Once you assign a password you must enter the password to access the Setup program Use the Security menu in the Set
115. ion 1 RED 0 Red video 2 GREEN 0 Green video 3 BLUE 0 Blue video 4 NC N A No connection 5 GND N A Signal ground 6 GND N A Signal ground 7 GND N A Signal ground 8 GND N A Signal ground 9 NC N A No connection 0 GND N A Signal ground 1 NC N A No connection 2 NC N A Reserved 3 HSYNC 0 Horizontal synchronization 4 VSYNC 0 Vertical synchronization 5 NC N A No connection Shell N A N A Frame ground PS 2 Connector Use the 6 hole miniature DIN PS 2 connector to attach PS 2 compatible devices such as a mouse keyboard or external numeric keypad Pin Assignments for the PS 2 Connector shell 1 Pin Signal Definition 1 EXK_MSDATA External keyboard keypad mouse data 2 NC N A No connection 3 GND N A Signal ground 4 EXK_MSPWR 0 External keyboard keypad mouse supply voltage 3 EXK_MSCLK External keyboard keypad mouse clock 6 NC N A No connection Shell N A N A Frame ground 30 Cone of Infrared Light Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Back to Contents Page Glossary Jumpers Switches Controls and Indicators Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Reference Jumpers Switches Controls and Indicators Jumpers There are no jumpers on this system Switches
116. issipate heat Some microprocessors include a heat sink help file A file containing descriptive or instructional information about a product that is organized and formatted for display by the Windows operating system Some help files are associated with a particular program such as Help in Windows Other help files such as this one for your Dell Dimension system function as stand alone reference sources Help files typically have a filename extension of hlp or chm HMA Abbreviation for high memory area The first 64 KB of extended memory above 1 MB A memory manager that conforms to the XMS can make the HMA a direct extension of conventional memory See also upper memory area and XMM host adapter A host adapter implements communication between the computer s bus and the controller for a device Hard disk drive controller subsystems include integrated host adapter circuitry To add a SCSI expansion bus to your system you must install or connect the appropriate host adapter HRTF Acronym for head related transfer function Hz Abbreviation for hertz Vo Abbreviation for input output The keyboard is an input device and a printer is an output device In general I O activity can be differentiated from computational activity For example when a program sends a document to the printer it is engaging in output activity when the program sorts a list of terms it is engaging in computational activity ICES Abbreviation for Interference
117. l rail It is stamped with an L left for easy identification 8 Remove the two 5 mm screws securing the right panel rail Note that these screws can be loosened so the panel rail can slide out of the slots the screws do not have to be completely removed 9 Remove the right panel rail It is stamped with an R right for easy identification PO DO During installation the rails must fit snugly against the LCD panel so the interior assembly will fit inside the back cover 14 1 Inch LCD Panel Rails Removal mw CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torque FLH 2 x 4 4 1 5 1 8 kgf cm To remove the panel rails see the exploded view of the 14 1 inch display assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the bezel Remove the LCD interior assembly Remove the LED cable from the right panel rail optional UF NOTE Note the routing of the LED cable through the right panel rail for installation Remove the two 4 mm screws securing the left panel rail to the side of the LCD panel Remove the left panel rail It is stamped with an L left for easy identification 7 Remove the two 4 mm screws securing the right panel rail to the side of the LCD panel 8 Remove the right panel rail It is stamped with an R right for easy identification EON oo During installation the rails must fit snugly against the LCD
118. l the microprocessor about hardware errors such as a parity error ns Abbreviation for nanosecond s one billionth of a second NTFS Abbreviation for the NT File System option in the Windows NT operating system NTSC Abbreviation for National Television Standards Committee The governing body that dictates broadcast and consumer video guidelines and values It ensures that all broadcast video and television products in the United States adhere to the NTSC Interface Scan System NTSC is not compatible with PAL NVRAM Abbreviation for nonvolatile random access memory Memory that does not lose its contents when you turn off your computer NVRAM is used for maintaining the date time and system configuration information 0 online access service A service that typically provides access to the Internet e mail bulletin boards chat rooms and file libraries OTP Abbreviation for one time programmable P PAL Abbreviation for phase alternating line Standards for television found in many European countries PAL is not compatible with NTSC and is not marketed sold or serviced in the United States parallel port An I O port used most often to connect a parallel printer to your computer You can usually identify a parallel port on your computer by its 25 hole connector parameter A value or option that you specify to a program partition A physical storage area on a hard disk drive that is assigned to one or more logical sto
119. led in one of the two memory expansion connectors 64 MB one 64 MB SODIMM that is installed in one of the two memory expansion connectors 256 MB 66 MHz F000 0000 9 pin connector 16550 compatible 16 byte buffer 25 hole connector normal unidirectional bidirectional EPP 1 9 or ECP 15 hole connector 6 hole mini DIN connector infrared port 240 pins microphone headphones speakers line in 4 pin connector RJ11 modem port optional not available in all regions Sound Blaster Pro compatible voice and music functions software wavetable NeoMagic NM3298 16 bit stereo analog to digital and digital to analog 20 voice 72 operator ISA bus microphone dual stereo speakers microphone headphones and line in jacks Microprocessor address bus width Flash EPROM Bus architecture PCI AGP ISA PC Cards PCI controller PC Card connectors Cards supported PC Card connector size Data width maximum Memory Architecture Memory module capacities Standard RAM 13 3 inch display Standard RAM 14 1 inch display Maximum RAM Memory access time clock frequency BIOS address Connectors Serial Parallel Monitor PS 2 keyboard mouse Infrared Docking connector Audio USB RJ11 Audio Audio type Audio controller Conversion FM music synthesizer Interfaces Internal External 1 5 W total 0 75 W for each speaker 280 mV peak to peak 2 8 V peak to peak volume can be controlle
120. lift the LVDS board off of connectors J2 and J3 on the video board The board is surrounded by an EMI fence I NOTE For grounding purposes an EMI tape may run from the LVDS board to the I O bracket Note the placement of the tape and during installation replace it in the same position When installing the LVDS board put pressure only on the areas where the connectors on the LVDS board and on the video board fit together Pressing on other areas may flex the board and break connections I NOTE The LVDS board is unique for each type of LCD panel During installation make sure that the LVDS board is the correct one for the panel and that any EMI tape attached to the board is replaced in its original position Heat Sink Fin Cover Removal Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 x 3 5 1 1 5 1 8 kgf cm You can remove the heat sink fin cover without removing the palmrest To remove the heat sink fin cover see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the keyboard 2 Remove the 3 5 mm screw securing the cover to the heat sink fin 3 Remove the heat sink fin cover Processor Module Assembly Removal Type of Screw Torque PNH 2 x 14 2 1 5 1 8 kgf cm You can remove the processor module assembly without removing the palmrest To remove the processor module assembly see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the keyboar
121. ling a new hard disk drive or if you are rebuilding a hard disk drive with corrupted software and you want to be able to use the save to disk suspend mode you must use the phdisk exe utility on the Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD to create a save to disk suspend file When save to disk suspend mode is activated all system data is stored in this file To create the save to disk suspend file perform the following steps Insert the Microsoft Boot Disk Windows 98 Series diskette into the external diskette drive Restart the system When the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears select Start computer with CD ROM Support and press lt Enter gt When the MS DOS prompt appears insert the Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD into the CD ROM or optional DVD ROM drive At the MS DOS prompt type x where x is the drive letter for your CD ROM or DVD ROM drive and press lt Enter gt The MS DOS prompt changes to your CD ROM or DVD ROM drive Type cdutility and press lt Enter gt Type phdisk create file and press lt Enter gt I NOTE Make sure that there is a space between phdisk create and file o e NO The utility calculates the size of the file in kilobytes based on the amount of system memory in your computer plus 2 MB of video memory and additional system requirements 8 Follow the instructions on your screen to create the save to disk suspend file To check the size of the save to disk suspend file type p
122. ly from the carrier 7 Use the plastic pull to remove the flex cable from the hard disk drive 8 NOTE Although the connector may not be as wide as the set of pins it is keyed so that it can only fit one way on the pins Heat Sink Fin Cover Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Torque 1 5 1 8 kgf cm Type of Screw FPH 2 x 3 5 1 You can remove the heat sink fin cover without removing the palmrest To remove the heat sink fin cover see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the keyboard 2 Remove the 3 5 mm screw securing the cover to the heat sink fin 3 Remove the heat sink fin cover Infrared Board Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 5 1 3 0 3 5 kef om You can remove the infrared IR board without removing the palmrest To remove the infrared board see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the 5 mm screw securing the IR board to the right system board rail Lift the IR board to expose the wires Disconnect the IR cable from connector J4 on the system board Remove the IR board UD aS I NOTE Reconnect the IR board to the system board by carefully threading the wires and connector by the I O bracket and using a screwdriver to press on the connector to reseat it
123. m groups If an attribute is defined as read write it may be defined by a management application autoexec bat file The autoexec bat file is executed when you boot your computer after executing any commands in the config sys file This start up file contains commands that define the characteristics of each device connected to your computer and it finds and executes programs stored in locations other than the active directory backup A copy of a program or data file As a precaution you should back up your computer s hard disk drive on a regular basis Before making a change to the configuration of your computer you should back up important start up files from your operating system base memory Synonym for conventional memory batch file An ASCII text file containing a list of commands that run in sequence Instead of typing each command you need only type the batch file name The system executes the commands as if you had typed each one individually Batch files must have a filename extension of bat battery An internal power source used to operate a portable computer To operate a portable computer on battery power insert a charged battery into the main or optional battery compartment of the computer Battery Performance Battery performance features such as charge time operating time and life span can vary according to the conditions under which the computer and battery are used baud rate A measurement of data tr
124. ms 2 If your computer is operating on battery power preserve your data by connecting the AC adapter and plugging it into an electrical outlet or by shutting down your computer from the Start menu 3 Remove the main battery Using your index finger pull the options bay latch located on the side of the computer next to the options bay toward you With your thumb gently push the latch out and back until the battery pops out Grasp the battery firmly and slide it out of the options bay 4 Install the new battery With the options bay latch released slide the new battery into the options bay until it is flush with the computer casing You cannot fully insert the battery into the computer unless the options bay latch is released Close the options bay latch by using your index finger to push it toward the front of the computer until it is flush with the computer casing Using your thumb push the options bay latch in 5 Turn on the computer Charging the Battery Each time you connect the computer to AC power or install a battery in a computer that is connected to AC power the computer checks the battery s charge and temperature The AC adapter then charges the battery if necessary and maintains the battery s charge If two batteries are installed in the computer the AC adapter charges the battery in the battery bay first and then charges the second battery in the options bay The second battery is discharged first The battery LED lo
125. n 40 days Save to disk suspend mode preserves the configuration information stored in NVRAM The reserve battery maintains this information but may run out of energy after 40 days To activate save to disk suspend mode immediately press lt Fn gt lt A gt or lt Fn gt lt Q gt on the French keyboard To resume using the computer after activating save to disk suspend mode press the power button It may take up to 2 minutes for the computer to return to its previous state Some PC Cards may not operate correctly after exiting from save to disk suspend mode If you encounter problems with a card remove and replace it NOTE Save to disk suspend mode requires a special file on your hard disk drive that sets aside enough disk space to store the contents of the computer s memory Dell creates an appropriately sized save to disk suspend file before shipping the computer to you If you remove the file or add memory to the computer or if your hard disk drive becomes corrupted you must re create the file before you can again use save to disk suspend mode Save to Disk Suspend File The save to disk suspend file on your hard disk drive cannot be accessed by the operating system or application programs When save to disk suspend mode is activated all system data is stored in this file Use the following instructions to create a save to disk suspend file if you installed a new hard disk drive if you removed the file or if you are rebuilding a co
126. nal Definition 1 VCC Cable power 2 Data N A 3 Data N A 4 Ground Cable ground Serial Connector Use the 9 pin serial connector to attach a serial device to the computer The serial port passes data in serial format one bit at a time over one line This port supports a variety of devices including a serial mouse that require serial data transmission If you reconfigure your hardware you may need pin number and signal information for the serial connector Pin Assignments for the Serial Connector 123 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pin Signal Definition 1 DCD I Data carrier detect 2 RXDA I Receive data 3 TXDA 0 Transmit data Data terminal ready Signal ground Data set ready Request to send Clear to send Ring indicator Frame ground N A N A DIR GND DSR RTS CTS N A Shell Parallel Connector Use the 25 hole parallel connector to attach a parallel device to the computer The parallel connector is used primarily for printers The parallel port sends and receives data in parallel format where eight data bits one byte are sent simultaneously over eight separate lines The parallel port can also be configured for compatibility with the PS 2 standard Support for the EPP feature improves network adapter performance ada
127. nal internal modem with 14 mm screw EMI fin 2 LVDS board Video board with 4 mm jack screws 2 and 14 mm screw a Mm 7 PC Card cage with 14 mm screws 4 8 Monitor connector cover 9 DC DC board with 14 mm screw 10 Audio jack board 11 Audio jack shield 12 System board retaining clip with 5 mm screw 13 Bottom plastic 14 Release latches 15 Speakers 16 system board in EMI pan 17 Fan and fan cover with 5 mm screw 18 Heat sink fin 19 Processor module assembly with 14 mm screws 2 20 System board retaining clip with 14 mm screw 21 System board rails 2 with 5 mm screws 2 and 16 mm screw Keyboard Removal Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 16 3 3 5 4 0 kgf cm NOTE You can remove the keyboard while the display assembly is still attached However Dell strongly recommends removing the display assembly before removing the keyboard to prevent cosmetic damage 1 16 mm screws 3 q Leon ae 1 You can remove the keyboard without removing the palmrest To remove the keyboard see the exploded view of the palmrest assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the display assembly 2 Place the computer base face down 3 Remove the three 16 mm keyboard screws from the bottom of the computer The keyboard screws have a K tooled into the plastic beside them 4 Turn the computer face up 5 Lift the top edge of the keyboard up and then slide t
128. nd one type II card using either connector Two type I cards or two type II cards One 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 symbol such as 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 US NOTE It is important that you complete the setup of your operating system before installing a PC Card You can install a PC Card while the computer is running The PC Card is automatically detected Unpack the card and install it by performing the following steps 1 If necessary remove the blank from the connector you intend to use 2 Hold the card with its orientation symbol pointing into the slot and the top side of the card facing up 3 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 NOTES If you ejected a blank or another PC Card before you inserted the PC Card the eject button slides out when you insert the new card To reposition the
129. nd save for installation any Kapton tape from the lower right corner of the LCD interior assembly If present remove and save for installation any Kapton tape from the center left side of the LCD interior assembly Remove and save for installation the EMI tape from the side and the bottom of the LCD interior assembly ee DG OD 2 NOTE When removing the EMI tape hold each end of the tape at all times If one end is released the tape curls and sticks to itself 9 Remove and save for installation any other Kapton or EMI tape securing the LCD cable to the EMI pan 10 Liftthe LCD panel partially out of the EMI pan The LCD FPC cable is still attached to the LCD panel 11 Remove and save for installation the Kapton tape securing the LCD FPC cable to the LCD panel 12 Gently pull the LCD FPC cable out of the connector on the LCD panel 13 Lift the LCD panel out of the EMI pan The LCD FPC cable remains taped to the EMI pan 13 3 Inch LCD Panel Rails Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torque FLH 2 5 x 5 4 1 5 1 8 kgf cm To remove the panel rails see the exploded view of the 13 3 inch display assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the bezel Remove the LCD interior assembly Remove the LED cable from the right panel rail optional N
130. nector off of connector C24 on the LVDS board The display assembly is now free from the base The hinge covers may remain in place 12 Remove the ground springs from the holes in the system board rails in the base of the computer These fall out easily when the computer is turned upside down EO DM No Bezel and LCD Latch Removal Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 5 6 3 5 4 0 kgf cm To remove the bezel and LCD latch see the exploded view of the 13 3 inch display assembly or 14 1 inch display assembly and perform the ollowing steps 1 Remove the display assembly 2 Use the dental pick to remove the four screw covers from the bottom of the bezel Take care not to cause cosmetic damage and not to put pressure on the LCD panel 3 Remove the two rubber bumpers from the top of the bezel Take care not to cause cosmetic damage and not to put pressure on the LCD panel 4 Remove the six 5 mm screws securing the bezel to the display assembly 5 Remove the bezel Unfasten the snaps at the bottom of the bezel by applying light pressure on the inside bottom edge of the bezel and pulling the bezel slightly up and toward you Hold the LCD latch out of the way when removing the top of the bezel 6 Insert a small flat blade at the top of the latch and pry the latch up from the retainer in the back cover You may be able to rotate the LCD latch inward to release it from the retainer in the
131. need more information 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 Driver See Installing Utilities and Drivers for information about installing or reinstalling touch pad driver Audio You can connect speakers a microphone headphones and record playback devices such as cassette players CD players and VCRs to the sound jacks on the computer 1 Line in jack 2 Microphone jack 3 Line out jack Dell recommends using amplified speakers for the best sound Connect headphones or speakers to the line out jack on the far right of the sound jacks Connect a microphone to the microphone jack in the middle Connect record playback devices such as cassette players and CD players to the line in jack on the far left You can control the sound coming from the external speakers and from the computer s built in speakers with key combinations Press lt Fn gt lt Page Down gt to lower the volume Press lt Fn gt lt Page Up gt to increase the volume Press lt Fn gt lt End gt to enable or disable both the built in and external speakers I NOTES If no sound comes from the speakers make sure that the sound is not disabled by pressing lt Fn gt lt End gt you hear no sound output from your external speakers be sure that
132. ng files window appears click Next gt The Welcome to Microsoft Windows 98 window appears and displays information about the operating system while the files are copied to your hard disk drive I NOTE This step may take several minutes to complete The approximate time is displayed on the Windows 98 status bar When the files have been copied to the hard disk drive Windows 98 prompts you to restart the system 18 Click OK to restart the computer 19 Inthe User Information window type your name and if applicable your company name then click Next gt The Name field must be completed The Company Name is optional 20 Read the license agreement click I accept the agreement and then click Next gt If you do not accept the agreement you cannot access Windows 98 After you accept the license agreement the Product Key window appears 21 Find the Product Key on the Certificate of Authenticity on the front cover of the Getting Started Microsoft Windows 98 document enter the Product Key in the fields provided and then click Next gt 22 When the Start Wizard appears click Finish A series of windows appears to inform you that Windows 98 is setting up hardware initializing drivers and detecting hardware and Plug and Play devices Windows 98 restarts the system and detects additional hardware settings The Windows 98 Setup window appears and lists which items Windows 98 is setting up Windows 98 updates the system settings and restarts the sy
133. nstalled for Windows The win ini file also usually includes sections that contain optional settings for Windows application programs that are installed on the hard disk drive Windows 98 An integrated and complete Microsoft Windows operating system that does not reguire MS DOS and provides advanced operating system performance improved ease of use enhanced workgroup functionality and simplified file management and browsing Windows NT High performance server and workstation operating system software intended for technical engineering and financial applications write protected Read only files are said to be write protected You can write protect a 3 5 inch diskette by sliding its write protect tab to the open position or by setting the write protect feature in the system setup program X XGA Abbreviation for extended graphics array VGA SVGA and XGA are video standards for video adapters with greater resolution and color display capabilities than previous standards XGA generally refers to a video resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels To display a program at a specific resolution you must install the appropriate video drivers and your display and or external monitor must support the resolution Similarly the number of colors that a program can display depends on the capabilities of the display and or monitor the video driver and the amount of video memory installed in the computer XMM Abbreviation for extended memory manager a u
134. nting with Power Conservation Checking the Battery Status Standby Mode Turn Off Monitor Turn Off Hard Disk Drive Save to Disk Suspend Mode Save to Disk Suspend File How to Conserve Battery Power You automatically conserve battery power each time you attach an AC power source to the computer When the AC adapter is attached the battery or batteries if installed are being charged while the computer runs from AC power The life expectancy of your battery is determined largely by the number of charges it receives so use an AC power source to run the computer if one is available Use the Windows 98 Power Management Properties window to adjust the way the computer uses battery power Options in the window slow or stop some internal devices when the computer is idle Take advantage of the computer s power management modes set in the Windows 98 Power Management Properties window when you leave the computer unattended for long periods of time Standby Turn Off Monitor and Turn Off Hard Drive allow you to maximize power conservation when your work is interrupted I NOTE You can also set power management modes in the Setup program s Power menu However the Windows 98 power management settings always override the power management selections chosen in the Setup program When the computer is using battery power remove PC Cards that you are not using Experiment with power conservation features to achieve the optimum power conservation fo
135. ntitheft devices are of differing designs Before purchasing such a device make sure it will work with the security cable slot in the computer Disabling the Serial Infrared and Parallel Ports You can disable the serial port to prevent unauthorized access to the computer through an external serial device To disable the serial port set the Serial Port option to Off in the System Devices menu of the Setup program In addition you should set up a password in the Security menu of the Setup program You can disable the infrared port to prevent unauthorized access to the computer through an external infrared device To disable the infrared port set the IR Port option to Off in the System Devices menu of the Setup program You can disable the parallel port to prevent unauthorized access to the computer through an external parallel device To disable the parallel port set the Parallel Port option to Off in the System Devices menu of the Setup program Disabling any of these ports also prevents the unauthorized download of data from that port PC Cards Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer About PC Cards Installing PC Cards Removing PC Cards Configuring PC Cards About PC Cards You can install up to two PC Cards that adhere to PCMCIA standards and release 4 2 of the JEIDA standard The computer supports type I type II and type III PC Cards including such memory devices as SRAM cards that emulate diskettes RAM cards OTP ROM card
136. nue with the installation procedure by installing the audio driver as described in the next section Installing the Audio Driver Installing the Audio Driver The audio driver allows you to customize the sound features of your computer To install the audio driver perform the following steps Double click the My Computer icon and then double click the CD ROM or DVD ROM icon Double click the Audio folder Double click the setup exe icon At the Welcome screen click Next gt Messages indicating that files are being copied and driver information is being built appear on your screen At the NeoMagic License Agreement screen click Yes 6 At the Choose Installation Configuration screen the check boxes for MagicMedia 256A V Audio System and NeoMagic MagicWave 3DX Audio system are already checked as the defaults Click Next gt The audio driver files are copied to the hard disk drive 7 Atthe Setup is Complete window click Yes I want to restart my computer now and click Finish PbS 4 Continue with the installation procedure by installing the internal modem driver as described in the next section Installing the Internal Modem Driver Installing the Internal Modem Driver I NOTE The internal modem is not available in some regions The modem driver allows you to customize the operation of your internal modem To install the internal modem driver perform the following steps Double click the My Computer icon and then d
137. o return to its previous state Some PC Cards may not operate correctly after exiting from save to disk suspend mode If you encounter problems with a card remove and replace it I NOTE Save to disk suspend mode requires a special file on your hard disk drive that sets aside enough disk space to store the contents of the computer s memory Dell creates an appropriately sized save to disk suspend file before shipping the computer to you If you remove the file or add memory to the computer or if your hard disk drive becomes corrupted you must re create the file before you can again use save to disk suspend mode Save to Disk Suspend File I NOTE Save to disk suspend file is not available in Windows NT Save to disk suspend file on your hard disk drive cannot be accessed by the operating system or application programs When save to disk suspend mode is activated all system data is stored in this file Use the following instructions to create a save to disk suspend file if you installed a new hard disk drive if you removed the file or if you are rebuilding a corrupted hard disk drive If possible print these instructions before you begin this procedure NOTE If you installed additional memory delete the save to disk suspend file and then complete this procedure To delete the save to disk suspend file type the following at an MS DOS prompt and press lt Enter gt phdisk delete file 1 Save and exit any application programs and f
138. ocessor of specific processing tasks A math coprocessor for example handles numeric processing A graphics coprocessor handles video rendering The Intel Pentium microprocessor includes a built in math coprocessor cpi Abbreviation for characters per inch CPU Abbreviation for central processing unit See also microprocessor cursor A marker such as a block underscore or pointer possibly blinking that represents the position at which the next keyboard or mouse action will occur D DAT Acronym for digital audio tape dB Abbreviation for decibel s DC Abbreviation for direct current Dell Diagnostics A comprehensive set of diagnostic tests for your Dell computer To use the diagnostics you must boot your computer from your Dell Diagnostics Diskette device driver A program that allows the operating system or some other program to interface correctly with a device such as a printer Some device drivers such as network drivers must be loaded from the config sys file with a device statement or as memory resident programs usually from the autoexec bat file Others such as video drivers must load when you start the program for which they were designed DIN Acronym for Deutsche Industrie Norm directory Directories help keep related files organized on a disk in an ordered inverted tree structure Each disk has a root directory Additional directories that branch off of the root directory are called subdir
139. ocessor to process multiple data elements in parallel thereby improving overall system performance SPD Abbreviation for serial presence detect SRAM Abbreviation for static random access memory standby mode A power conservation mode that turns off the display and reduces power to the microprocessor VGA PCI bus diskette drive or CD ROM drive if installed serial and parallel ports hard disk drive PC Card controller internal speakers and microphone and external speakers and microphone if attached SVGA Abbreviation for super video graphics array VGA and SVGA are video standards for video cards and controllers with greater resolution and color display capabilities than previous standards To display a program at a specific resolution you must install the appropriate video drivers and your monitor must support the resolution Similarly the number of colors that a program can display depends on the capabilities of the monitor the video controller and its drivers and the amount of video memory installed in the computer SXGA Abbreviation for super extended graphics array system battery A coin cell battery that maintains system configuration date and time information in a special section of memory when the system is turned off system board As the main circuit board the system board usually contains most of your computer s integral components such as the following Microprocessor RAM Controllers for standard devices
140. ocumentation for the location of sound applications such as mixers and volume control The MagicWave 3DX Config utility allows you to increase the microphone gain by 20 dB and configure the tone treble bass and 3D enhancement settings To launch the utility 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 MagicWave 3DX Config See Installing Utilities and Drivers for information about installing or reinstalling audio drivers Component Locations Back View Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer infrared port optional internal modem parallel connector speaker ay power shut 2 Pi Ea off button gt USB connector PS 2 connector fan exhaust serial connector monitor connector docking connector air intake lock connector Glossary Back to Contents Page Base Assembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Exploded View of Base Assembly Video Board Removal Keyboard Removal System Board Rails Removal Infrared Board Removal DC DC Board Removal LVDS Board Removal Speaker Removal Heat Sink Fin Cover Removal PC Card Cage Removal Processor Module Assembly Removal System Board Removal Fan Cover and Fan Removal Audio Jack Board Removal Modem Card Removal Exploded View of Base Assembly Ground springs 2 Infrared board with 5 mm screw Optio
141. on the monitor screen or display They are presented in bold Example Click OK Keycaps are labels that appear on the keys on a keyboard They are enclosed in angle brackets Example lt Enter gt Key combinations are series of keys to be pressed simultaneously unless otherwise indicated to perform a single function Example lt Ctrl gt lt Alt gt lt Enter gt Commands presented in lowercase bold are for reference purposes only and are not intended to be typed when referenced Example Use the format command to In contrast commands presented in the Courier New font are part of an instruction and intended to be typed Example Type format a to format the diskette in drive A Filenames and directory names are presented in lowercase bold Examples autoexec bat and c windows Screen text is a message or text that you are instructed to type as part of a command referred to as a command line Screen text is presented in the Courier New font Example The following message appears on your screen No boot device available Example Type md c programs and press lt Enter gt Variables are placeholders for which you substitute a value They are presented in italics Example DIMM_x where x represents the DIMM socket designation Back to Contents Page Glossary Glossary Back to Contents Page 13 3 and 14 1 Inch Display Assemblies Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System R
142. ons the hinges so you can remove the bezel later 8 Gently lift the display assembly so the hinges are free of the base Do not lift the assembly too far up because the LCD FPC cable is still connected to the LVDS board The FPC bobbin and hinge covers lift up with the assembly the connector cover may lift up with the assembly 9 Place the display assembly on a support so that the LCD FPC cable is not stressed 10 Remove the connector cover to expose the end of the LCD FPC cable that connects to the system board 11 Remove the two 2 5 mm screws securing the LCD FPC cable connector to the LVDS board and gently lift the connector off of connector C24 on the LVDS board The display assembly is now free from the base The hinge covers may remain in place 12 Remove the ground springs from the holes in the system board rails in the base of the computer These fall out easily when the computer is turned upside down pa Nin Fan Cover and Fan Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 5 1 3 0 3 5 kef om You can remove the fan cover and fan without removing the palmrest To remove the fan cover and fan see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the heat sink fin cover Remove the 5 mm screw securing the fan cover Remove the fan cover Disconnect the f
143. onservation In general the lower the value you set for each time out option the longer your battery s charge lasts On the other hand setting high time out values tends to optimize the computer s performance For best results experiment with the following conservation methods Use the computer with all the options set to their defaults Use the computer with all the time out options disabled or set to Off 1 Use the computer with all the time out options set to their minimum values Evaluate the way that the different time out settings affect how long you can operate the computer on battery power versus the relative efficiency of how your software performs Checking the Battery Status The battery status LED on the front of the computer s display indicates the battery s current operating status The LED has three states Flashing green which indicates that the AC adapter is connected and the battery is charging 1 Solid green which indicates that the AC adapter is connected and the battery is fully charged No light which indicates that the AC adapter is not connected Standby Mode Standby turns off the display stops the hard disk drive and turns off other internal devices so that the computer uses less battery power When the computer resumes operation from Standby mode the desktop is restored exactly as it was before entering Standby mode CAUTION Windows 98 saves data to RAM not to your hard disk d
144. or testing a serial port or parallel port The loopback device contains a port connector and sometimes a looped cable The connector attaches to the port on the computer and is used during testing to send a signal out through the port and immediately have it returned through the port LPTn The device names for the first through third parallel ports on your computer are LPT1 LPT2 and LPT3 LVDS Acronym for low voltage differential signaling m Abbreviation for meter s mA Abbreviation for milliampere s math coprocessor A chip that relieves the computer s microprocessor of numeric processing tasks The Intel Pentium III microprocessor for example includes a built in math coprocessor Mb Abbreviation for megabit s 1 048 576 bits MB Abbreviation for megabyte s The term megabyte means 1 048 576 bytes however when referring to hard disk drive storage the term is often rounded to mean 1 000 000 bytes MB sec Abbreviation for megabytes per second Mbps Abbreviation for megabits per second memory A computer can contain several different forms of memory such as RAM ROM and video memory Frequently the word memory is used as a synonym for RAM for example an unqualified statement such as a computer with 64 MB of memory refers to a computer with 64 MB of RAM memory address A specific location usually expressed as a hexadecimal number in the computer s RAM memory manager A utility that controls the implem
145. orm the following steps Remove the diskette drive from the options bay 2 Remove the two 4 mm screws from the top of the diskette drive assembly 3 Carefully unsnap the upper plastic from the lower plastic The upper plastic is held in place by a series of internal plastic tabs around the edge of the holder 4 Lift the diskette drive out of the lower plastic The metal bracket for the connector may lift out as you remove the diskette drive Display Assembly Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque FLH 2 5 19 4 1 5 2 0 kgf cm 2 5x5 1 2 0 2 5 kgf cm FPH 2 x 2 5 2 1 5 1 8kgf om 1 5 mm screw i Fa 19 mm screws 4 fee To remove the display assembly see the exploded view of the computer and the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps 1 Close the computer and place it upside down 2 Remove the four 19 mm display screws from the bottom of the computer The display screws have a D tooled into the base plastic beside them Once the screws are removed the display assembly is very loose Hold the computer firmly and turn it over 4 Remove the top half of the cover over the monitor connector This connector is on the back of the computer Remove the 5 mm screw that was beneath the cover Unlatch the LCD latch 7 Slowly open the display assembly so it is at a 90 degree angle to the base This action repositi
146. ors at a noninterlaced resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels NOTE When the external monitor and built in display are used simultaneously the refresh rate is always 60 Hz Each time you press lt Fn gt lt F8 gt the computer switches the video image to the next display in the following sequence the built in display an external monitor both displays simultaneously Exploded View of 13 3 Inch Display Assembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer rubber bumpers 2 LCD panel EMI pan LED card j Y a LED cable LCD cable LCD latch panel rails 2 5 mm hinge screws 2 5 mm panelrail back cover screws 4 w i FPC cable hinge covers 2 screw covers 4 y 5 mm bezel screws 6 LCD inverter signal cable top FPC bobbin inverter bottom FPC bobbin Exploded View of 14 1 Inch Display Assembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer rubber bumpers 2 s screw covers 4 bezel U 5 mm bezel screws 6 3 LCD FPC cable hinge covers 2 LCD panel 5 mm hinge screws 2 a EMI pan left panel rail Fr card inverter signal i p LED cable cable a LCD cable hinges 2 AD LCD latch right panel top FPC rail bobbin 4 mm panel rail screws 4 inverter back cover bottom FPC bobbin Exploded View of Base Assembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Compu
147. osed to 140 0 264 mm 3 9 W brightness can be controlled through key combinations Type Dimensions viewable area Height Width Diagonal Maximum resolution Response time typical Operating angle Dot pitch Power consumption Controls Keyboard 87 U S and Canada 88 Europe 88 Japan 3 0 0 5 mm 0 12 0 02 inch 19 1 mm 0 75 inch GWERTY AZERTY Kanji PS 2 compatible 20 points mm 500 points inch 4 65 mm 0 18 inch at highest component 64 mm 2 52 inch sensor active area 47 0 mm 1 85 inch rectangle with 0 5 mm 0 02 inch tabs 15 g 0 52 oz 0 5 g 0 001 oz 5V 10 4 mA maximum operating lithium ion 23 0 mm 0 91 inch 146 5 mm 5 77 inches 98 3 mm 3 87 inches 0 44 kg 0 97 Ib 10 8 VDC 48 5 WH 3 0 hours computer on 2 0 hours computer off 2 to 3 hours with one battery 4 to 6 hours with two batteries 400 discharge charge cycles 5 to 35 C 41 to 95 F 5 to 35 C 41 to 95 F 20 to 50 C 4 to 122 F Number of keys Key travel Key spacing Layout Touch Pad Interface X Y position resolution graphics table mode Size Thickness Width Height Weight Power Supply voltage Supply current Battery Type Maximum dimensions Height Depth Width Weight Voltage Capacity Charge time approximate Operating time approximate Life span approximate Temperature range Charge Discharge Storage
148. ouble click the CD ROM or DVD ROM icon Double click the Modem folder Double click setup exe At the Welcome screen click Next gt The internal modem files are copied to your hard disk drive 5 Atthe Setup Complete window click Finish 6 After the computer restarts click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel 7 8 DOE At the Control Panel double click the System icon Click the Device Manager tab Be sure that View devices by type default is selected 9 In the device list double click Other devices and then click Unknown Device 10 Click Remove and then click OK at the Confirm Device Removal window 11 Click Close 12 Exit the Control Panel window shut down and then restart the computer Continue with the installation procedure by installing the touch pad driver as described in the next section Installing the Touch Pad Driver Installing the Touch Pad Driver The touch pad driver and associated utilities allow you to customize the operation of your touch pad and cursor features To install the touch pad driver perform the following steps Double click the My Computer icon and then double click the CD ROM or DVD ROM icon Double click the Touchpad folder Double click the setup exe icon At the Welcome screen click Next gt At the Close Destination Location screen click Next gt Click Location then click Next gt At the Start Copying Files window click Next gt The to
149. ouble click the Power Management Properties icon The Power Management Properties window contains the following tabs 1 Power Schemes allows you to select one of three power mode settings Alarms allows you to set the Low battery and Critical battery alarms to alert you when the system battery falls below a certain percentage When you received your computer the Low battery and Critical battery alarms check boxes were not checked Dell recommends that you do not select these options Power Meter allows you to view the percentage of battery life remaining when your system is operating on battery power If your system is operating on AC power the system displays a message 1 Advanced allows you to display the Power Meter on the Windows 98 taskbar and to display a password prompt when the computer resumes from Standby mode 3 Select the appropriate settings for the power management features you want Experimenting With Power Conservation In general the lower the value you set for each time out option the longer your battery s charge lasts On the other hand setting high time out values tends to optimize the computer s performance For best results experiment with the following conservation methods Use the computer with all the options set to their defaults Use the computer with all the time out options disabled or set to Off Use the computer with all the time out options set to their minimum values Evaluate t
150. our 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 from among the three tabs Buttons Pointers and Motion If the Synaptics touch pad drivers have been installed there are five additional tabs Touch Edge Motion Scrolling Button Actions More Features to customize your touch pad settings 4 Make your selections Click the Help button if you need more information 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 Driver See Installing Utilities and Drivers for information about installing or reinstalling touch pad driver Back to Contents Page Glossary Utilities and Drivers Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Reference Introduction Installing the Touch Pad Driver Before You Begin Installing the DVD MPEG 2 PC Card Device Driver and DVD to Go Software Installing Microsoft Windows 98 and Device Drivers Creating the Save to Disk Suspend File Installing the Video Driver Installing Softex BayManager So
151. oused in a cartridge that connects to the system board through an SECC2 connector The SECC2 connector allows you to upgrade the microprocessor cartridge as future upgrades become available serial port An I O port used most often to connect a modem to your computer You can usually identify a serial port on your computer by its 9 pin connector service tag A bar code label on the computer that Dell technicians use to identify your computer when you call Dell for customer or technical support setup program A BIOS based program that allows you to configure your computer s hardware and customize the computer s operation by setting such features as password protection Because the setup program is stored in NVRAM any settings remain in effect until you change them again SGRAM Acronym for synchronous graphics random access memory shortcut Icons that provide quick access to frequently used programs files folders and drives By double clicking a shortcut you can open its corresponding folder or file without having to find it first Shortcuts do not change the location of files if you delete a shortcut the original file is not affected SIMD Abbreviation for single instruction multiple data SIMD is a technology incorporated into certain Intel microprocessors that extends the capabilities of these microprocessors to handle multimedia and communications software This technology includes new instructions and data types that allows the micropr
152. over 2x3 5 1 Modem card 2 5x 14 1 25 5 3 PC Card cage 2x 14 4 ZIF Connectors NOTICE ZIF connectors are fragile To avoid breaking the connectors touch them carefully Do not apply too much pressure to the movable part of the connector when opening or closing it Some of the computer s interface connectors are ZIF connectors These connectors are not removable they must be released to disconnect a cable from them To disconnect a cable from a ZIF connector perform the following steps 1 Insert a small flat blade screwdriver or dental pick under the movable part of the connector For most ZIFs carefully pry up one end of the movable part of the connector and then the other end Some ZIFs may need to be lifted in the center 2 Pull up gently on the movable part of the connector until the cable is released 3 Grasp the cable and pull it out of the connector To reconnect an interface cable to a ZIF connector perform the following steps 1 Use the flat blade screwdriver or dental pick to open the movable part of the ZIF connector 2 Orient the end of the cable with the ZIF connector and insert the end of the cable into the connector 3 While holding the cable in place close the ZIF connector To ensure a firm connection make sure the ZIF connector is completely closed Glossary Back to Contents Page Removing the Hard Disk Drive Dell
153. p a password in the Security menu of the Setup program You can disable the infrared port to prevent unauthorized access to the computer through an external infrared device To disable the infrared port set the IR Port option to Off in the System Devices menu of the Setup program You can disable the parallel port to prevent unauthorized access to the computer through an external parallel device To disable the parallel port set the Parallel Port option to Off in the System Devices menu of the Setup program Disabling any of these ports also prevents the unauthorized download of data from that port Back to Contents Page Glossary Touch Pad Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer touch pad buttons touch pad Touch Pad Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Using the Touch Pad Installing the Touch Pad Mouse Driver Using the 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 y
154. plastic routing ribs for installation PC Card Cage Removal Type of Screw Torque PNH 2 x 14 4 1 5 1 8 kgf cm The PC Card cage is supplied as a part of the system board assembly However if only the PC Card cage needs replacement use this procedure to remove and replace the PC Card cage You do not need to remove the entire system board To remove the PC Card cage see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the palmrest assembly Remove the system board rails Remove the LVDS board modem card if present and video board Remove the four 14 mm screws securing the PC Card cage to the system board oon monme 7 Remove the PC Card cage When you install the PC Card cage ensure that the modem cable is routed correctly and is not pinched by the cage System Board Removal Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 5 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm FPH 2 5 14 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm To remove the system board see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the infrared board LVDS board heat sink fin cover processor module assembly fan cover and fan modem card if present and video board Removed the palmrest assembly Remove the system board rails Remove the
155. ps once every 15 seconds When you hear the low battery warning only a few minutes of battery life remain If both the main battery and the second battery are installed the low battery warning means that the combined charge of both batteries is about 90 percent depleted mw CAUTION To avoid losing data and possibly corrupting data areas on your hard disk drive save your work immediately after a low battery warning Then connect the computer to AC power or install a second battery in the options bay If the battery runs completely out of power the computer activates save to disk suspend mode 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 Power Management icon to open the Power Management Properties window For more information check the documentation that came with your operating system 1 The Windows 98 battery meter displays a battery icon that shows the amount of battery charge remaining If an AC adapter is connected to the computer the battery meter displays a plug icon The battery meter icons are visible in the desktop taskbar If you move the cursor over the battery or plug icon in the desktop taskbar a pop up window shows the battery s current charge status percentage Power Management Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer How to Conserve Battery Power Using Microsoft Windows 98 to Conserve Battery Power Experime
156. pter 4 Running the Dell Diagnostics in your Reference and Troubleshooting Guide 12 Install the Microsoft Windows 98 operating system and the computer s drivers and utilities See the Jnstalling System Software guide for instructions a 3 Back to Contents Page Glossary Technical Overview Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Reference Front View Touch Pad Back View Audio Exploded View of Computer PC Cards Exploded View of Base Assembly Embedded Numeric Keypad Video External Monitor 9 External Keyboard Keypad or Mouse Memo Power Management Power Sources Passwords and Security Storage Devices Front View LCD latch Status lights next to LCD latch Display PC Card connectors 2 Audio jacks 3 AC adapter connector Speaker Battery release latch O On o o B WD a Battery bay o Media bay Touch pad buttons 2 gt WN Touch pad o Keyboard a Power button oa Security cable slot 16 Microphone 17 Display close suspend button 18 Status lights 3 on keyboard Back View Speaker Reset button USB connector PS 2 connector Fan exhaust Security cable slot Air intake Docking connector o 4 o o FWD Monitor connector o Serial connector Parallel N Optional internal modem o Infrared port Exploded View of Computer Explo
157. pters connect to the computer s parallel port and require the appropriate software drivers from the adapter s manufacturer If you reconfigure your hardware you may need pin number and signal information for the serial connector bit 0 bit 1 bit 2 bit 3 bit 4 bit 5 bit 6 bit 7 Definition data data data data data data data data Acknowledge Paper end Automatic feed Initialize printer Select in Signal ground Frame ground Strobe Paralle Paralle Paralle Paralle Paralle Paralle Paralle Paralle Busy Select Error VO VO VO VO VO VO N A N A Pin Assignments for the Parallel Connector 9999999999994 it ie ie ee se e 13121116 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 25 2 23 22 21 28 19 18 17 16 15 14 Signal STB PDO PDI PD2 PD3 PD4 PD5 PD6 PD7 ACK BUSY PE SLCT AFD ERR INIT SLIN N A N A Monitor Connector 0 8 25 Shell Use the 15 pin monitor connector to attach an external monitor to the computer Pin Assignments for the Monitor Connector 18 9 8 7 6 15 14 13 12 11 Pin Signal Definit
158. r your work environment US NOTE You might have to trade some of the computer s performance for increased battery operating time For example if you turn off the hard disk drive you may experience a delay the next time the computer tries to access the drive Using Microsoft Windows 98 to Conserve Battery Power Complete the following steps in Windows 98 to access the Power Management Properties window and set the power management features 1 Click the Start button point to Settings and click Control Panel 2 Double click the Power Management Properties icon The Power Management Properties window contains the following tabs Power Schemes allows you to select one of three power mode settings Alarms allows you to set the Low battery and Critical battery alarms to alert you when the system battery falls below a certain percentage When you received your computer the Low battery and Critical battery alarms check boxes were not checked Dell recommends that you do not select these options Power Meter allows you to view the percentage of battery life remaining when your system is operating on battery power If your system is operating on AC power the system displays a message I Advanced allows you to display the Power Meter on the Windows 98 taskbar and to display a password prompt when the computer resumes from Standby mode 3 Select the appropriate settings for the power management features you want Experimenting with Power C
159. rage areas known as logical drives Each partition can contain multiple logical drives After partitioning the hard disk drive you must logically format the drive See also logical formatting PC Card Slightly larger than a credit card a PC Card is a removable I O card such as a modem LAN SRAM or flash memory card that adheres to the PCMCIA standards PC Cards are sometimes referred to as PCMCIA cards PC Card Types Because a type Ill card is thicker than type and type II cards it takes up the entire PC Card slot although it uses only one PC Card connector PCI Abbreviation for Peripheral Component Interconnect A standard for local bus implementation developed by Intel Corporation PCMCIA Abbreviation for Personal Computer Memory Card International Association peripheral device See device PIO Abbreviation for Programmed I O pixel A single point on a video display Pixels are arranged in rows and columns to create an image A video resolution such as 800 x 600 is expressed as the number of pixels across by the number of pixels up and down Plug and Play An industry standard specification that makes it easier to add devices to your personal computer Plug and Play provides automatic installation and configuration compatibility with existing hardware and dynamic support of mobile computing environments POST Acronym for power on self test Before the operating system loads when you turn on your computer the POST
160. rals to the computer Turn on the peripherals and then turn on the computer If you were using the AC adapter reattach it as well As the computer boots it detects the additional memory and automatically updates the system configuration information 11 Confirm that the system configuration information reflects the newly installed memory by checking the System Memory option on the Main menu of the Setup program To enter the Setup program press lt F2 gt while the computer is booting The Main menu appears If the System Memory total is incorrect the memory modules may not be installed properly Repeat steps 1 through 10 until the memory total is correct 12 Run the RAM test group in the Dell Diagnostics to confirm that the installed memory modules are operating correctly For instructions on running the RAM test group in the Dell Diagnostics see Chapter 4 Running the Dell Diagnostics in your Reference and Troubleshooting Guide 13 Ifyou have added additional memory to your computer you need to delete and re create the save to disk suspend file on your hard disk drive so that it is large enough to accommodate the new memory For instructions see the topic titled Save to Disk Suspend File in your online System User s Guide Description Extended memory High memory area System BIOS Video BIOS Available PC Card memory Available Video RAM PS 2 mouse data ar
161. rared Port USB Connector Serial Connector Parallel Connector Monitor Connector PS 2 Connector 1 0 Connectors Infrared Port The computer comes with an infrared port An infrared data stream is transmitted through a lens in the computer up to a distance of 1 m and received by a compatible computer printer mouse or remote control The infrared port lets you transfer files from the computer to another infrared device without using cable connections You can also use other commercially available infrared capable application programs To use the infrared port point the computer s infrared port directly at the infrared port of the compatible device Infrared devices transmit data in a 30 cone of infrared light Start the data communications software on both devices and then begin transferring files Read the documentation that came with your compatible device to make sure you operate it correctly NOTE Make sure that there are no books papers or other objects between the two infrared devices and that the two devices are within the 30 cone For information on configuring the standard infrared drivers that came with Windows 98 see your operating system documentation USB Connector Use the USB connector to attach up to two USB devices such as a mouse to the computer USB is a peripheral bus standard that enables automatic detection of USB compliant peripheral devices Pin Assignments for the USB Connector Pin Sig
162. rate the less video flicker can be seen by the human eye resolution See video resolution RFI Abbreviation for radio frequency interference ROM Acronym for read only memory Your computer contains some programs essential to its operation in ROM code Unlike RAM a ROM chip retains its contents even after you turn off your computer Examples of code in ROM include the program that initiates your computer s boot routine and the POST rpm Abbreviation for revolutions per minute RTC Abbreviation for real time clock Battery powered clock circuitry inside the computer that keeps the date and time after you turn off the computer 5 SCSI Acronym for small computer system interface An I O bus interface with faster data transmission rates than standard ports You can connect up to seven devices 15 for some newer SCSI types to one SCSI interface SDRAM Abbreviation for synchronous dynamic random access memory SDRAM is a memory technology that improves the performance of your computer s memory subsystem by reducing the need for wait states SDRAM devices have a synchronous interface to the devices to which they are connected and are governed by the system clock These features reduce the need for wait states often required for conventional memory devices to ensure that timing signals have been set up correctly sec Abbreviation for second s SECC2 Acronym for single edge contact cartridge 2 On some systems the microprocessor is h
163. rations The Inspiron 3500 portable computer contains many screws of various sizes Be careful not to scratch the computer plastic case by allowing screws to get between the disassembly surface and the plastic case Dell suggests a soft padded work surface While removing and replacing parts use a tackle or pill box as a storage device to keep track of the screws Use the following location template to store the screws during disassembly I NOTE Each removal and replacement procedure lists the type size and torque value of screws removed during the procedure Screw types include flat head FLH flat pan head FPH pan head PNH and jack screws Hard disk drive RAM door Display assembly 3 x 4 1 removing 3x 4 2 2 5 x 19 4 3 x 4 1 disassembling 2 5 x 5 1 2x 2 5 2 Bezel LCD interior assembly LCD panel rails 13 3 2 5 x 5 6 2 5 x 5 2 2 5 x 5 4 LCD panel rails 14 1 Diskette drive CD ROM DVD ROM drive 2 3 3 2 5 5 2 Infrared board 2 5 x5 1 Fan cover 2 5 x 5 1 Palmrest 2 5 x 19 7 DC DC board 2 5x 14 1 2 4 2 5 Keyboard 2 5 x 16 3 Processor module assembly 2x 14 2 Video board 2 5 x 4 2 2 5x 14 1 System board rails 2 5 x5 2 2 5 x 16 1 System board 2 5x5 1 2 5x 14 1 Touch pad assembly 2x4 4 lomega Zip drive 2 5x5 2 Heat sink fin c
164. rcially available infrared capable application programs To use the infrared port point the computer s infrared port directly at the infrared port of the compatible device Infrared devices transmit data in a 30 cone of infrared light Start the data communications software on both devices and then begin transferring files Read the documentation that came with your compatible device to make sure you operate it correctly NOTE Make sure that there are no books papers or other objects between the two infrared devices and that the two devices are within the 30 cone For information on configuring the standard infrared drivers that came with Microsoft Windows 98 see your operating system documentation USB Connector Use the USB connector to attach up to two USB devices such as a mouse to the computer USB is a peripheral bus standard that enables automatic detection of USB compliant peripheral devices Pin Assignments for the USB Connector The following figure shows the pin assignments for a USB connector Definition Cable power N A N A Cable ground Pin Signal Data Data Ground 4 3 2 1 Li VCC alol Serial Connector Use the 9 pin serial connector to attach a serial device to the computer The serial port passes data in serial format one bit at a time over one line This port supports a variety of de
165. rd connector PC Cards are generally marked with a symbol such as 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 I NOTE It is important that you complete the setup of your operating system before installing a PC Card You can install a PC Card while the computer is running The PC Card is automatically detected Unpack the card and install it by performing the following steps 1 If necessary remove the blank from the connector you intend to use 2 Hold the card with its orientation symbol pointing into the slot and the top side of the card facing up 3 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 I NOTES If you ejected a blank or another PC Card before you inserted the PC Card the eject button slides out when you insert the new card To reposition the eject button use your fingertip to flip the button toward the front of the computer until the button is flush with the computer casing If the PC Card connector was empty when you inserted a PC Card the eject button remains flush with the computer casing during and after insertion The computer recognizes most I O cards and autom
166. renheit FAT Acronym for file allocation table The file system structure used by the MS DOS and Windows operating systems to organize and keep track of file storage The Windows NT operating system can optionally use a FAT file system structure FCC Abbreviation for Federal Communications Commission FIFO Acronym for first in first out flash memory A type of EEPROM chip that can be reprogrammed from a utility on diskette while still installed in a computer most EEPROM chips can only be rewritten with special programming equipment format To prepare a hard disk drive or diskette for storing files ft Abbreviation for feet FTP Abbreviation for file transfer protocol G G Abbreviation for gravities GB Abbreviation for gigabyte s A gigabyte equals 1024 MB or 1 073 741 824 bytes graphics mode A video mode that can be defined as x horizontal pixels by y vertical pixels by zcolors GRMS Abbreviation for gravity root mean squared GST Abbreviation for Goods and Services Tax H h Abbreviation for hexadecimal A base 16 numbering system often used in programming to identify addresses in the computer s RAM and I O memory addresses for devices The sequence of decimal numbers from 0 through 16 for example is expressed in hexadecimal notation as 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 10 In text hexadecimal numbers are often followed by h heat sink A metal plate with metal pegs or ribs that help d
167. replacement procedures you will see Kapton tape in many places on the computer When reinstalling or replacing parts be sure to replace the Kapton tape correctly to retain the electrical protection and noise reduction the tape provides Unless otherwise noted each procedure assumes the following 1 You have the recommended tools You have performed the steps in Precautionary Measures The computer and any attached peripherals are turned off and the peripherals are disconnected from the computer s I O panel You can replace or reinstall a part by performing the removal procedure in reverse order unless additional information is provided Procedures for field and depot replaceable parts are described in these sections 13 3 and 14 1 Inch Display Assemblies Palmrest Assembly Drive Assemblies Base Assembly Recommended Tools Most of the procedures require the use of one or more of the following tools Small flat blade screwdriver Number 1 Phillips head screwdriver Antistatic grounding strap Dental pick or similar pointed instrument Small scribe or nylon flat blade Nut drivers 5 mm and 5 5 mm Screw Identification and Tightening NOTICE The correct length screw must be used when reinstalling a screw Otherwise hardware damage could result Make sure that the screw is properly aligned with its corresponding hole and avoid overtightening Where applicable information about screw lengths is provided with the illust
168. rive before entering Standby mode If the computer enters Standby mode while running on battery power data loss from RAM can occur if the battery discharges completely You can activate Standby mode by pressing lt Fn gt lt Esc gt or by selecting Standby from the Shutdown window To resume operation from Standby mode press the power button Turn Off Monitor The Turn Off Monitor option turns off the display so that the computer uses less battery power You can press any key or the touch pad to turn on the display The desktop is restored exactly as it appeared before the display was turned off Turn Off Hard Disk Drive The Turn Off Hard Disk Drive option turns off the hard disk drive so that the computer uses less battery power You can press any key or the touch pad to turn on the hard disk drive The desktop is restored exactly as it appeared before the hard disk was turned off Save to Disk Suspend Mode Save to disk suspend mode copies all system data to a reserved area on the hard disk drive and then turns off all power to the computer When you resume normal operation the same programs will be running and the same files will be open that were open before you activated this mode I NOTES Save to disk suspend mode helps preserve system data by quickly saving it onto the hard disk drive if you are about to run out of battery power Place the computer in save to disk suspend mode if you do not intend to store the computer for longer tha
169. rive assembly 3 Carefully unsnap the upper plastic from the lower plastic The upper plastic is held in place by a series of internal plastic tabs around the edge of the holder 4 Lift the diskette drive out of the lower plastic The metal bracket for the connector may lift out as you remove the diskette drive CD ROM DVD ROM Drive Disassembly CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torque kgf cm 1 5 1 8 3 3 2 kgf cm 2 5 3 0 2 5 2 5 FPH Metal plate 5 mm screws Mounting bracket 3 mm mounting bracket screw Lower plastic 3 mm drive assembly screws 2 CD ROM drive or DVD ROM drive Upper plastic ou o2 o FWD To disassemble the CD ROM drive or optional DVD ROM drive perform the following steps Remove the CD ROM drive or the optional DVD ROM drive from the media bay Remove the 3 mm screws from both sides of the drive assembly Insert a flat blade into the slots on the side of the upper plastic and carefully pry the upper plastic away from the lower plastic A series of internal plastic tabs holds the plastic in place Remove two 5 mm screws securing the drive into the lower plastic Turn the drive assembly over so that the drive falls out of the lower plastic into your hand Slide the metal plate off of the end of the drive Remove the 3 mm screw holding the mounting bracket to the drive and then remove th
170. rivers Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Introduction Before You Begin Installing Microsoft Windows 98 and Device Drivers Installing the Video Driver Changing Video Resolution Installing the Audio Driver Installing the Internal Modem Driver Installing the Touch Pad Driver Installing the DVD MPEG 2 PC Card Device Driver and DVD to Go Software Creating the Save to Disk Suspend File Installing the System User s Guide Reinstalling Device Drivers Introduction You may need to install the Microsoft Windows 98 operating system and the Dell device drivers and utilities on your Dell Inspiron 3500 portable computer under the following conditions Dell did not install an operating system or other system software on your computer 1 You are reinstalling the version of Windows 98 that came with your computer and you need to reinstall the drivers and utilities that Dell provides 1 You have a new hard disk drive and you need to install all of the system software To install the Windows 98 operating system as well as Dell device drivers and utilities you must have the following items Microsoft Windows 98 CD Microsoft Boot Disk Windows 98 Series diskette Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD Diskette drive cable To install or reinstall Dell utilities and drivers in the Windows 98 operating system use the program diskette set from Dell or the backup diskettes that you made after receiving the computer Before
171. rom the upper right corner of the system board Remove the system board retaining clip that was held in place by this screw Remove the 14 mm screw used for grounding on the lower left corner of the system board Remove the system board by lifting up the back of the board EMI pan so that it clears all of the bottom plastic and then pulling back to free the I O connectors from the bottom plastic The EMI shield is still attached to the system board Pe Oh a a Be NR System Board Rails Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 5 2 3 0 3 5 kgf cm FPH 2 5 16 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm To remove the system board rails see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the palmrest assembly Remove the infrared board Remove the 5 mm screw and the 16 mm screw securing the right system board rail Remove the right system board rail Remove the 5 mm screw securing the left system board rail Remove the left system board rail Remove the release latches for the battery bay and options bay which were previously held in place by the system board rails Remove the heat sink PEO ON ee Bes gt Tan When you install the rails be sure that the speaker cables are not pinched Speaker Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Por
172. ron 3500 Portable Computer Memory Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Memory Installation Guidelines Valid Memory Configurations Removing and Installing Memory Upper Memory Map Conventional Memory Map Memory Installation Guidelines The system can accommodate up to 256 MB of RAM 1 The system comes with a minimum of 32 MB of memory 1 To increase memory install 32 64 or 128 MB memory modules Valid Memory Configurations Base Install Total 32MB 32MB 64 MB 32MB 64 MB 96 MB 32MB 128 MB 60 MB 64 MB 32MB 96 MB 64 MB 64 MB 28 MB 64 MB 128 MB 92MB 128 MB 32MB 60 MB 128 MB 64 MB 92MB 128 MB 128 MB 256 MB Removing and Installing Memory CAUTION Ground yourself by attaching an antistatic grounding strap to your wrist and to an unpainted metal surface on the computer s I O panel If an antistatic grounding strap is not available periodically discharge static electricity from your body by touching one of the connectors on the T O panel CAUTION Do not install or remove a memory module when the computer is turned on or in save to disk suspend mode To remove or install memory perform the following steps Save and close any open files and exit all application programs Shut down your computer Turn off all peripherals and disconnect them from the computer If you are using the AC adapter detach it as well Remove any installed batteries Ground yourself by touching t
173. rrupted hard disk drive If possible print these instructions before you begin this procedure NOTE Tf you installed additional memory delete the save to disk suspend file and then complete this procedure To delete the save to disk suspend file type the following at an MS DOS prompt and press lt Enter gt PHDISK DELETE FILE Save and exit any application programs and files that you have open and shut down the computer Insert the Microsoft Boot Disk Windows 98 Series diskette into the diskette drive When the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears use the down arrow key to select Start computer with CD ROM support and press lt Enter gt When a gt appears on the screen insert the Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD into your CD ROM or DVD ROM drive Your MS DOS prompt changes from an A to a D assuming that d is the drive letter of your CD ROM or DVD ROM drive Type cd utilities and press lt Enter gt 6 Type phdisk create file and press lt Enter gt PU NS NOTE Make sure that there is a space between phdisk create and file The utility calculates the size of the file in kilobytes based on the amount of system memory in your computer plus 2 MB to handle video memory and additional system requirements Follow the instructions on your screen to create the save to disk suspend file To check the size of the save to disk suspend file type phdisk info at an MS DOS prompt and press lt Enter
174. s and ATA cards that emulate IDE hard disk drives The computer also can support I O cards such as modem communication cards LAN cards wireless LAN cards SCSI cards and sound cards You can install one type III or two type I or type II cards in the computer You can also use extended PC Cards in the computer yw CAUTION Take extra precautions if you use extended PC Cards in the computer Extended cards are longer versions of standard PC Cards They fit into and operate correctly with the computer However they extend beyond the edge of the computer when installed If something strikes the exposed end of an installed card the card or the system board can be damaged Always remove an extended PC Card before you pack the computer for traveling NOTE Because of space considerations you may have trouble using two PC Cards in the computer if one of them is an extended card Always install an extended card in the top PC Card connector Both PC Card slots support CardBus technology In addition a ZV Port is available from the lower slot slot 0 If you ordered an MPEG 2 decoder PC Card from Dell install it in the lower PC slot I NOTES A PC Card is not a boot device Type of card refers to its thickness not its functionality Installing PC Cards The PC Card slot has two PC Card connectors and supports four combinations of cards A single type I or type II card using either the top or bottom PC Card connector One type I card a
175. s computers only Do not use the battery with other computers and do not use batteries from other computers in your computer See also Power Conservation Removing and Installing the Main Battery To remove and install the main battery perform the following steps 1 Save any files you have open and exit all application programs 2 If your computer is operating on battery power preserve your data by connecting the AC adapter and plugging it into an electrical outlet or by shutting down your computer from the Start menu 3 Remove the main battery Using your index finger pull the battery bay latch located on the side of the computer next to the battery bay toward you With your thumb gently push the latch out and back until the battery pops out Grasp the battery firmly and slide it out of the battery bay 4 Install the new battery With the battery bay latch released slide the new battery into the battery bay until it is flush with the computer casing You cannot fully insert the battery into the computer unless the battery bay latch is released Close the battery bay latch by using your index finger to push it toward the front of the computer until it is flush with the computer casing Using your thumb push the battery bay latch in 5 Turn on the computer Removing and Installing a Second Battery To remove and install the second battery perform the following steps 1 Save any files you have open and exit all application progra
176. sert the battery into the computer unless the battery bay latch is released Close the battery bay latch by using your index finger to push it toward the front of the computer until it is flush with the computer casing Using your thumb push the battery bay latch in 5 Turn on the computer Removing and Installing a Second Battery To remove and install the second battery perform the following steps 1 Save any files you have open and exit all application programs 2 If your computer is operating on battery power preserve your data by connecting the AC adapter and plugging it into an electrical outlet or by shutting down your computer from the Start menu 3 Remove the main battery Using your index finger pull the media bay latch located on the side of the computer next to the media bay toward you With your thumb gently push the latch out and back until the battery pops out Grasp the battery firmly and slide it out of the media bay 4 Install the new battery With the media bay latch released slide the new battery into the media bay until it is flush with the computer casing You cannot fully insert the battery into the computer unless the media bay latch is released Close the media bay latch by using your index finger to push it toward the front of the computer until it is flush with the computer casing Using your thumb push the media bay latch in 5 Turn on the computer Charging the Battery Each time you connect the computer
177. setting up hardware initializing drivers and detecting hardware and Plug and Play devices Windows 98 restarts the system and detects additional hardware settings The Windows 98 Setup window appears and lists which items Windows 98 is setting up Windows 98 updates the system settings and restarts the system The Welcome to Windows 98 screen appears After installing Windows 98 on your computer you need to install the following device drivers Video driver Internal modem driver Audio driver Touch pad driver Installing the Video Driver The video driver controls features such as screen resolution and the number of screen colors IS NOTE If you need to use extended video modes check the documentation that accompanied the application program to determine if the drivers are provided If they are not contact the software manufacturer to obtain the necessary drivers To install the video driver perform the following steps Insert the Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD into the CD ROM or optional DVD ROM drive Click Start point to Settings and click Control Panel In the Control Panel double click the Display icon In the Display Properties screen click the Settings tab and then click Advanced Click the Adapter tab and then click Change In the Update Device Driver Wizard screen click Next gt Click Next gt again Click the Specify a Location checkbox Uncheck the floppy diskette drive checkbox and change drive A to D Cli
178. status o Blinking green light when the AC adapter is attached and the battery is charging o Green light when the AC adapter is attached and the battery is fully charged A green light also indicates a battery problem such as a bad cell overheating or overcharging Use the battery charge gauge to further determine the battery status Some devices located in the media bay diskette drive CD ROM drive DVD ROM drive Zip drive also have an activity light indicating when the device is being accessed Battery Charge Gauge 1 Battery tester 2 Status lights 5 The battery charge gauge on the bottom of the battery has five status lights that indicate how much battery charge remains Each light indicates approximately 20 battery charge Press the battery tester a textured square on the back of the battery to check the total battery charge Power Button Under normal circumstances you should only use the power button to turn on the computer or to resume operation from save to disk suspend mode To shut down the computer click the Start button in the Microsoft Windows 98 operating system and then click Shut Down If the computer is locked up that is it does not respond to commands press and hold down the power button for at least five seconds Display Close Button When you close the display this button activates Standby mode Do not press this button Back to Contents Page Glossary Embedded Numeric Keypad Dell Inspi
179. stem The Welcome to Windows 98 screen appears After installing Windows 98 on your computer you need to install the following device drivers and software tools Video driver Audio driver Internal modem driver Touch pad driver System Help DVD MPEG 2 PC Card Device Driver and DVD to Go Software Save to Disk Suspend File 1 1 1 1 Softex BayManager Software Installing the Video Driver The video driver controls features such as screen resolution and the number of screen colors I NOTE you need to use extended video modes check the documentation that accompanied the application program to determine if the drivers are provided If they are not contact the software manufacturer to obtain the necessary drivers To install the video driver perform the following steps Insert the Dell Inspiron 3500 System Software CD into the CD ROM or optional DVD ROM drive Click Start point to Settings and click Control Panel In the Control Panel double click the Display icon In the Display Properties screen click the Settings tab and then click Advanced Click the Adapter tab and then click Change In the Update Device Driver Wizard screen click Next gt Click Next gt again Click the Specify a Location checkbox Uncheck the floppy diskette drive checkbox and change drive A to D Click Browse 10 Double click the CD ROM or DVD ROM icon 11 Double click the Video folder 12 Click OK and then click Next gt
180. such as the keyboard Various ROM chips 1 Frequently used synonyms for system board are motherboard and logic board system configuration information Data stored in memory that tells a computer what hardware is installed and how the computer should be configured for operation system diskette System diskette is a synonym for bootable diskette system memory System memory is a synonym for RAM system ini file A start up file for the Windows operating system When you start Windows it consults the system ini file to determine a variety of options for the Windows operating environment Among other things the system ini file records which video mouse and keyboard drivers are installed for Windows Running the Control Panel or Windows Setup program may change options in the system ini file On other occasions you may need to change or add options to the system ini file manually with a text editor such as Notepad T termination Some devices such as the last device at each end of a SCSI cable must be terminated to prevent reflections and spurious signals in the cable When such devices are connected in a series you may need to enable or disable the termination on these devices by changing jumper or switch settings on the devices or by changing settings in the configuration software for the devices text editor An application program such as Windows Notepad that is used for editing text files Most word processors use propriet
181. table Computer Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 14 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm The modem card is an option available only to customers in the U S and Canada You can remove the modem card without removing the palmrest To remove the modem card see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps 1 Remove the keyboard 2 Remove the 14 mm screw from the right side of the modem card 3 Pry up the modem card from the right side 4 Disconnect the modem cable from connector J2 on the modem card 5 Remove the modem card When you install the modem card slip it into place under the system board retaining clip Put pressure only on the areas where the connectors on the modem card and on the video board fit together Pressing on other areas may flex the card and break connections Palmrest Assembly Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 19 7 3 5 4 0 kgf cm 16 mm screws 7 To remove the palmrest assembly see the exploded view of the palmrest assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Turn the computer face down Remove the seven 19 mm palmrest screws from the bottom of the computer Turn the computer face up Remove the palmrest assembly a After installing the palmrest assembly make sure that the battery bay release latch and th
182. table Computer To remove the speakers see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the palmrest assembly Remove the system board rails Remove the DC DC board Disconnect the left speaker cable from connector J13 on the system board Disconnect the right speaker cable from connector J15 on the system board Lift the speakers and cables out of the bottom plastic DY Re NOTE The left and right speakers are interchangeable Note the routing of the speaker cables through the plastic routing ribs for installation Touch Pad Assembly Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 5 3 3 0 3 5 kef om To remove the touch pad assembly see the exploded view of the palmrest assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the palmrest assembly Remove the three 5 mm screws securing the touch pad assembly to the palmrest assembly Lift the touch pad assembly out of the palmrest assembly Disconnect the touch pad FPC cable from the center lift ZIF connector 11 on the touch pad The touch pad buttons are heat staked into the touch pad assembly and cannot be removed a w p Video Board Removal Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Type of Screw Torque jack 2 5 x 4 2 3 0 3 5 kgf cm
183. te it during installation An arrow on the top of the fan indicates that the flow of air is from the outside of the computer in to the board Modem Card Removal Type of Screw Torque FPH 2 5 x 14 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm The modem card is an option available only to customers in the U S and Canada You can remove the modem card without removing the palmrest To remove the modem card see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the keyboard Remove the 14 mm screw from the right side of the modem card Pry up the modem card from the right side Disconnect the modem cable from connector J2 on the modem card Remove the modem card oe co Mo When you install the modem card slip it into place under the system board retaining clip Put pressure only on the areas where the connectors on the modem card and on the video board fit together Pressing on other areas may flex the card and break connections Video Board Removal Type of Screw Torgue jack 2 5 4 2 3 0 3 5 kgf cm FPH 2 5 14 1 3 0 3 5 kgf cm You can remove the video board without removing the palmrest remove the video board see the exploded view of the base assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the keyboard Remove the LVDS board Remove the modem card if present Remove and save for installation any Kapton tape securing th
184. tem then press lt Enter gt 8 When a message tells you that Windows 98 is about to prepare the system for installing the operating system press lt Enter gt ScanDisk checks your system files 9 When the Windows 98 Setup window appears click Continue NO Windows 98 checks your hard disk drive and prepares your system for installing the operating system 10 When prompted for the directory in which to install the Windows 98 files make sure that c windows is selected and click Next gt 11 When prompted to save the existing system files click Yes Recommended 12 When prompted for the drive to which you want to save the system files click OK to select the default directory or type the path of another directory Windows 98 saves the system files to the designated directory 13 When the Establish Your Location window appears select your regional location and click Next gt This setting tells Windows 98 how to display Internet content If necessary you can select the keyboard type you want to use 14 When prompted to create the start up diskette remove the boot diskette from the diskette drive and click Next gt 15 Label a blank diskette as instructed insert the diskette into the diskette drive and click OK If a dialog box instructs you to format the diskette click Format 16 After you have created the start up diskette remove it from the diskette drive 17 When the Start copyi
185. ter infrared board with 5 mm screw optional internal modem with 14 mm screw EMl fin 2 LVDS board video board with 4 mnm jack screws 2 and 14 mm screw PC Card cage with 14 mm screws 4 monitor connector cover DCDC board with 14 mm audio jack board audio jack shield system board retaining clip with 5 mm screw bottom plastic ground springs 2 processor module y assembly 4 16 mm screw 2 5 system board rails 2 with Smm screws 2 and system board retaining clip with 14 mm screw __ ls with 14 mm heat sink fin fan and fan cover with 5 mm screw ly system board in EMI pan speakers 2 release latches 2 assembly base palmrest assembly Exploded View of Computer Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Exploded View of Palmrest Assembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer GODRO ee cover keyboard touch pad Es assembly touch pad FPC cable hn 5mm screws 3 co bottom plastic optional intemal modem with 14 mm screw External Keyboard Keypad or Mouse Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer You can connect a keyboard with a standard PS 2 connector to the PS 2 connector on the computer or a USB compatible keyboard to the USB connector You can attach an external numeric keypad to the PS 2 connec
186. that allows the microprocessor to communicate with controllers for all the various devices connected to the computer Your computer also contains an address bus and a data bus for communications between the microprocessor and RAM byte Eight contiguous bits of information the basic data unit used by your computer BZT Abbreviation for Bundesamt fur Zulassungen in der Telekommunikation C 0 Abbreviation for Celsius cache A fast storage area that keeps a copy of data or instructions for quicker data retrieval Cache memory enhances the speed of many microprocessor operations by storing the most recently accessed contents of system memory CardBus An I O bus architecture that combines the PCMCIA form factor with 32 bit 33 MHz PCI bus protocols Carnet A carnet is an international customs document also known as a merchandise passport that facilitates temporary imports into foreign countries and is valid for up to one year CD ROM Abbreviation for compact disc read only memory CD ROM drives use optical technology to read data from CDs CDs are read only storage devices you cannot write new data to a CD with standard CD ROM drives CGA Abbreviation for color graphics adapter cm Abbreviation for centimeter s CMOS Acronym for complementary metal oxide semiconductor In computers CMOS memory chips are often used for NVRAM storage COMn The device names for the first through fourth serial ports on your computer are COM
187. the built in display an external monitor both displays simultaneously External Keyboard Keypad or Mouse You can connect a keyboard with a standard PS 2 connector to the PS 2 connector on the computer or a USB compatible keyboard to the USB connector You can attach an external numeric keypad to the PS 2 connector on the computer or a USB compatible keypad to the USB connector NOTE You can still use the built in keyboard when an external keyboard or external keypad is attached to the computer You can attach a PS 2 compatible mouse to the PS 2 connector on the computer or a USB compatible mouse to the USB connector lU NOTE Before connecting or disconnecting a serial mouse or PS 2 mouse it is recommended that you turn off your computer 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 If you did not receive your mouse from Dell you must install device drivers separately to use the mouse This software is usually included with mouse installation kits Power Management How to Conserve Battery Power You automatically conserve battery power each time you attach an AC power source to the computer When the AC adapter is attached the battery or batteries if installed are being charged while the computer runs from AC power The life expectancy of your battery is determined largely by the number of charges it r
188. tility that allows applications and operating systems to use extended memory in accordance with the XMS XMS Abbreviation for eXtended Memory Specification Z ZV Port Abbreviation for Zoom Video port A port to the video controller that provides hardware MPEG 1 decode and encode solutions in notebooks These solutions could include PC Card CardBus or on board solutions ZV Port must be integrated into notebook board design to allow for these solutions to be passed directly through to the video processor circumventing the processor allowing for more efficient CPU utilization Windows NT does not support Zoom Video Back to Contents Page Graphics Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Status Display Component Locations Front View Component Locations Back View AC Adapter Removing and Installing a Battery Battery Charge Gauge Removing Devices From the Options Bay Removing the Hard Disk Drive Removing a Memory Module Touch Pad Audio Jacks PC Card Slots Embedded Numeric Keypad Security Cable Slot VO Connectors 30 Cone of Infrared Light VO Connectors Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer PS 2 keyboard mouse USB connector connector infrared port serial port monitor port optional internal parallel port docking modem port connector Pevnenne enone 1 a ae AC adapter connector audio jacks T O Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Inf
189. to the Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Using the Media Bay document To install the external diskette drive perform the following steps 1 Plug the squared end of the cable into the parallel connector on the back of the computer and tighten the screws on either side of the cable connector 2 Plug the triangular end of the cable into the diskette drive and tighten the screws on either side of the cable connector 3 Insert the CD ROM or DVD ROM drive in the media bay and ensure that the diskette drive is connected to the parallel port connector via the diskette drive cable The diskette drive is now connected Installing Microsoft Windows 98 and Device Drivers To install reinstall Microsoft Windows 98 and device drivers on your computer perform the following steps Insert the Microsoft Boot Disk Windows 98 Series diskette into the external diskette drive Restart the system Insert the Microsoft Windows 98 CD into the CD ROM drive Ensure that the computer is connected to AC power When the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears be sure that the 1 Start Windows 98 setup from CD ROM is highlighted and press lt Enter gt The Microsoft Windows 98 Startup screen appears Press lt Enter gt to continue with the installation of Windows 98 When a message asks you if you want to reinstall Windows 98 over your current operating system use the down arrow key to highlight Continue setup and replace your current operating sys
190. tor on the computer or a USB compatible keypad to the USB connector IF NOTE You can still use the built in keyboard when an external keyboard or external keypad is attached to the computer You can attach a PS 2 compatible mouse to the PS 2 connector on the computer or a USB compatible mouse to the USB connector NOTE Before connecting or disconnecting a serial mouse or PS 2 mouse it is recommended that you turn off your computer While an external mouse is attached to the computer the touch pad is still usable 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 If you did not receive your mouse from Dell you must install device drivers separately to use the mouse This software is usually included with mouse installation kits Component Locations Front View Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer status lights 3 on keyboard we status lights nextto display close suspend button LCD latch LCD latch microphone display connector cover power button keyboard touch pad touch pad buttons 2 options bay Pc Card connectors 2 audio jacks 3 AC adapter connector battery bay speaker b attery release latch Back to Contents Page Glossary Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Reference ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPGRSTUVWXYZ To find a term scroll through t
191. uch pad files are copied to your hard disk drive 8 At the Setup Complete window click Yes I want to restart my computer now and then click Finish to restart the computer 0 0 Installing the DVD MPEG 2 PC Card Device Driver and DVD to Go Software Perform the following steps to install the Dell DVD MPEG 2 PC Card and the required device driver for your computer 1 Insert the DVD to Go CD into the DVD ROM drive 2 Insert the MPEG 2 PC Card into the lower of the two connectors in your computer s PC Card slot NOTE Only the lower PC Card slot connector is designed for use with ZV capable PC Cards The first time you insert the MPEG 2 PC Card the New Hardware Found dialog box appears with the following statement DELL DVD Player Windows has found new hardware and is locating the software for it Then another dialog box appears with the following statement Add New Hardware Wizard This Wizard searches for new drivers for Dell DVD Player 3 Click Next A dialog box appears with the following guestion What do you want Windows to do 4 Click Search for the best driver for your device Recommended 5 Click Next A dialog box appears with the following statement Windows will search for new drivers in its driver database on your hard drive and in any of the following selected locations 6 Click uncheck the boxes next to Floppy disk drives and Specify location Click check the box next to CD ROM
192. up Program Power Menu Main Menu Boot Menu System Devices Menu Exit Menu Security Menu Using the Setup Program For detailed information about the Setup menus and categories see the online System User s Guide You can enter the Setup program only when the computer is booting Each time you turn on or boot the computer the Dell logo screen appears To open the Main menu of the Setup program press lt F2 gt before the Dell logo screen disappears From the Main menu you can access the System Devices menu the Security menu the Power menu the Boot menu and the Exit menu Change option settings in the menus to customize the configuration of the computer The legend at the bottom of each menu tells you which keys to use for navigating through the Setup program lU NOTE Press lt F9 gt to restore the default values for each option in a menu To save changes and exit from the Setup program press lt F10 gt Press lt F5 gt or lt F6 gt to change the value for an option Main Menu PhoenixBIOS Setup Utility Main System Devices Security Power Boot Exit Item Specific Help System Time 03 06 19 System Date 09 18 1998 Floppy Drive 1 44 MB 3 1 2 Hard Disk 4100 MB Quiet Boot Enabled Video Display Device Simul Mode System Memory 640 KB Extended Memory 32 MB Visit our Web site at http wiw dell com Fi Help TL select Item F5 F6 Change Values F9 Setup Defaults ESC Exit Select Menu Enter
193. up program to assign a password NOTICE The password features provide a high level of security for the data in the computer However they are not foolproof If your data requires more security it is your responsibility to obtain and use additional forms of protection such as data encryption programs or PC Cards with encryption features Physically Securing the Computer To prevent unauthorized removal of the computer use a security cable to attach the computer to an immovable object The security cable slot lets you attach a commercially available antitheft device to the computer Antitheft devices for portable computers usually include a segment of metal stranded cable with an attached locking device and associated key Complete instructions for installing this kind of antitheft device are usually included with the device To prevent unauthorized removal of the computer loop the cable around an immovable object insert the locking device into the security cable slot and lock the device I NOTE Antitheft devices are of differing designs Before purchasing such a device make sure it will work with the security cable slot in the computer Disabling the Serial Infrared and Parallel Ports You can disable the serial port to prevent unauthorized access to the computer through an external serial device To disable the serial port set the Serial Port option to Off in the System Devices menu of the Setup program In addition you should set u
194. uration information reflects the newly installed memory by checking the System Memory option on the Main menu of the Setup program To enter the Setup program press lt F2 gt while the computer is booting The Main menu appears If the System Memory total is incorrect the memory modules may not be installed properly Repeat steps 1 through 10 until the memory total is correct 12 Run the RAM test group in the Dell Diagnostics to confirm that the installed memory modules are operating correctly For instructions on running the RAM test group in the Dell Diagnostics see Chapter 4 Running the Dell Diagnostics in your Reference and Troubleshooting Guide 13 If you have added additional memory to your computer you need to delete and re create the save to disk suspend file on your hard disk drive so that it is large enough to accommodate the new memory For instructions see the topic titled Save to Disk Suspend File in your online System User s Guide Upper Memory Map Location Description 10FFFO Extended memory 100000 10FFEF High memory area 0F0000 0FFFFF System BIOS 0E0000 0EFFFF Video BIOS 0DC000 0DFFFF Available 0D0000 0DBFFF PC Card memory 0C0000 0CFFFF Available 0A0000 0BFFFF Video RAM 09FC00 09FFFF PS 2 mouse data area 000000 09FBFF Conventional memory Conventional Memory Map Segment Address Range Use
195. vices including a serial mouse that require serial data transmission If you reconfigure your hardware you may need pin number and signal information for the serial connector Pin Assignments for the Serial Connector The following figure shows the pin assignments for a serial connector Definition Data carrier detect Receive data Transmit data Data terminal ready vo Signal DCD RXDA TXDA DTR 123 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pin N 5 GND N A Signal ground 6 DSR Data set ready 7 RTS 0 Request to send 8 CTS Clear to send 9 Ring indicator Shell N A N A Frame ground Parallel Connector Use the 25 hole parallel connector to attach a parallel device to the computer The parallel connector is used primarily for printers The parallel port sends and receives data in parallel format where eight data bits one byte are sent simultaneously over eight separate lines The parallel port can also be configured for compatibility with the PS 2 standard Support for the EPP feature improves network adapter performance adapters connect to the computer s parallel port and reguire the appropriate software drivers from the adapter s manufacturer If you reconfigure your hardware you may need pin number and signal information for the serial connector Pin Assignments for the Parallel Connector
196. x as a storage device to keep track of the screws Use the following location template to store the screws during disassembly Each removal and replacement procedure lists the type size and torque value of screws removed during the procedure Screw types include NOTE Each land repli dure lists th i d torque val d during th dure 8 includ flat head FLH flat pan head FPH pan head PNR and jack screws Hard disk drive RAM door Display assembly 3 x 4 1 removing 3x4 2 2 5 x 19 4 3 x 4 1 disassembling 2 5x5 1 2 2 5 2 Bezel LCD interior assembly LCD panel rails 13 3 23x5 6 25x50 25x5 4 LCD panel rails 14 1 Diskette drive CD ROM DVD ROM drive 2x4 4 2 5 4 2 2x3 3 2 5 5 2 Iomega Zip drive Keyboard Infrared board 2 5 2 5 2 5 16 3 2 5x5 1 Heat sink fin cover Processor module assembly Fan cover 2x 3 5 1 2x 14 2 2 5 5 1 Modem card Video board Palmrest 2 5x 14 1 2 5x 4 2 2 5 x 19 7 2 5 14 1 Touch pad assembly System board rails DC DC board 2 5 x 5 3 2 5 5 2 2 5x 14 1 2 5 x 16 1 PC Card cage System board 2x 14 4 2 5 5 1 2 5 x 14 1 Security Cable Slot Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer Back to Contents Page Glossary Setup Program Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Reference Using the Set
197. y prying the top and bottom apart 6 If you have not removed the inverter lift it up slightly it is still connected to the LCD 7 Slide the entire LCD interior assembly which includes the LCD panel panel rails EMI pan and LED card and cable down to free the panel rails from the retaining tabs in the back cover 8 Slide the LED card out of the plastic retainer next to the LCD latch 9 Remove and save for installation any Kapton tape securing the LED or LCD cable to the back cover 10 Remove the entire LCD interior assembly from the back cover When installing the LCD interior assembly place it flat into the back cover as close to the hinge edge as possible Then slide it upward to fit it underneath the plastic retaining tabs 13 3 Inch LCD Panel Rails Removal mw CAUTION The following procedure should be performed only by depot repair technicians Type of Screw Torgue FLH 2 5 5 4 1 5 1 8 kgf cm To remove the panel rails see the exploded view of the 13 3 inch display assembly and perform the following steps Remove the display assembly Remove the bezel Remove the LCD interior assembly Remove the LED cable from the right panel rail optional IZ NOTE Note the routing of the LED cable through the right panel rail for installation Place the LCD interior assembly face down on a surface that will not damage the LCD Remove the two 5 mm screws securing the left panel rail Remove the left pane
198. ys on your computer s keyboard The keypad numbers and symbols are marked on the right of the keypad keys To activate the embedded numeric keypad press lt Num Lock gt the Num Lock LED lights up Press and hold lt Fn gt to toggle between the letter and number keys To deactivate the keypad press lt Num Lock gt The Num Lock LED is no longer illuminated Key combinations can be used when the keypad is off or on When Key Pad Is On Purpose lt Num Lock gt Toggles the embedded numeric keypad between number and letter keys lt Fn gt lt key gt Temporarily disables the embedded numeric keypad enables the lowercase characters functions of the keyboard lt Fn gt lt Shift gt lt key gt Temporarily disables the embedded numeric keypad enables the uppercase characters functions of the keyboard lt Shift gt lt cursor key gt Temporarily enables a cursor control key in the embedded numeric keypad Glossary Back to Contents Page Palmrest Assembly Dell Inspiron 3500 Portable Computer System Reference Exploded View of Palmrest Assembly Palmrest Assembly Removal Touch Pad Assembly Removal Exploded View of Palmrest Assembly Connector cover Keyboard Palmrest Touch pad Touch pad assembly Touch pad FPC cable 5 mm screws 3 System board retaining clip with 14 mm screw O On Oo FF WD a Bottom plastic o Optional internal modem with 14 mm screw

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