Dell provides software utilities and drivers that help you control certain features of your computer. The utilities and drivers for Dell-installed devices are installed and operative when you receive the computer. If you ever need to reinstall any of these drivers, you can use the Dell™ Drivers and Utilities CD that came with your computer.
Often, device problems can be corrected by reinstalling the appropriate drivers. Also, hardware manufacturers frequently provide updated drivers that support feature enhancements or that correct problems. Obtain updated drivers for products purchased from Dell at the Dell Support website, support.dell.com.
NOTICE: Drivers available on the Dell support website have been validated
for correct operation on Dell computers. Installing drivers obtained from other
sources may cause errors or performance degradation.
To install drivers and utilities, you need the following items:
Dell Drivers and Utilities CD
CD or DVD drive
Dell recommends that you print these procedures before you begin.
NOTICE: Ensure that the computer is disconnected from any USB port
replicator before you reinstall drivers.
Dell ships your computer to you with required drivers and utilities already installed—no further installation or configuration is needed.
NOTICE: The Drivers and Utilities CD may contain drivers for operating
systems that are not on your computer. Ensure that you are installing software
appropriate for your operating system.
To reinstall drivers for optional devices such as wireless communications and DVD drives, you may need the CD and documentation that came with those devices.
NOTICE: The Dell Support website, support.dell.com, and the Drivers and
Utilities CD provide approved drivers for Dell computers. If you install drivers
from other sources, your computer might not work correctly.
Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs.
Insert the Drivers and Utilities CD.
In most cases, the CD starts running automatically. If it does not, start Microsoft® Windows® Explorer, click your CD drive directory to display the CD contents, and then double-click the autocd.exe file. The first time that you run the CD, it might prompt you to install setup files. Click OK, and follow the instructions on the screen to continue.
From the Language pull-down menu in the toolbar, select your
preferred language for the driver or utility (if available).
A welcome screen appears.
Click Next.
The CD automatically scans your hardware to detect drivers and utilities used by your computer.
After the CD completes the hardware scan, you can also detect other drivers and utilities. Under Search Criteria, select the appropriate categories from the System Model, Operating System, and Topic pull-down menus.
A link or links appear(s) for the specific drivers and utilities used by your computer.
Click the link of a specific driver or utility to display information about
the driver or utility that you want to install.
Click the Install button (if present) to begin installing the driver or
utility. At the welcome screen, follow the screen prompts to complete
the installation.
If no Install button is present, automatic installation is not an option. For installation instructions, either see the appropriate instructions in the following subsections, or click the Extract button, follow the extracting instructions, and read the readme file.
If instructed to navigate to the driver files, click the CD directory on the driver information window to display the files associated with that driver.
If you install a new device driver that causes system instability, you can use Windows XP Device Driver Rollback to replace the new device driver with the previously installed version of the device driver. If you cannot reinstall your previous driver by using Device Driver Rollback, then use System Restore to return your operating system to its previous operating state before you installed the new device driver. To use Device Driver Rollback:
Click the Start buttonand right-click My Computer.
Click Properties.
Click the Hardware tab and click Device Manager.
In the Device Manager window, right-click the device for which the
new driver was installed and then click Properties.
IRQ conflicts occur if a device either is not detected during the operating system setup or is detected but incorrectly configured. See the following subsection that corresponds to your operating system to check for IRQ conflicts on your computer.
Click Performance and Maintenance and click System.
Click the Hardware tab and click Device Manager.
In the Device Manager list, check for conflicts with the other devices.
Conflicts are indicated by a yellow exclamation point (!) beside the conflicting device or a red X if the device has been disabled.
Double-click any conflicting device listed to bring up the Properties
window so that you can determine what needs to be reconfigured or
removed from the Device Manager.
Resolve these conflicts before checking specific devices.
Double-click the malfunctioning device type in the Device Manager
list.
Double-click the icon for the specific device in the expanded list.
The Properties window appears.
If an IRQ conflict exists, the Devicestatus area in the Properties window reports what other devices are sharing the device's IRQ.
Resolve any IRQ conflicts.
You can also use Windows XP Hardware Troubleshooter. To use the troubleshooter, click the Start button and click Help and Support. Type hardware troubleshooter in the Search field, and then click the arrow to start the search. Click Hardware Troubleshooter in the Search Results list. In the Hardware Troubleshooter list, click I need to resolve a hardware conflict on my computer, and then click Next.
Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control
Panel.
Double-click the System icon.
Click the Hardware tab.
Click Device Manager.
Click View and click Resources by connection.
Double-click Interrupt request (IRQ) to view the IRQ assignments.
Conflicts are indicated by a yellow exclamation point (!) beside the conflicting device or a red X if the device has been disabled.
Double-click any conflicting device listed to bring up the Properties
window so that you can determine what needs to be reconfigured or
removed from the Device Manager. Resolve these conflicts before
checking specific devices.
Double-click the malfunctioning device type in the Device Manager
list.
Double-click the icon for the specific device in the expanded list.
The Properties window appears.
If an IRQ conflict exists, the Device status area in the Properties window reports what other devices are sharing the device's IRQ.
Resolve any IRQ conflicts.
You can also use Windows 2000 Hardware Troubleshooter. To use the troubleshooter, click the Start button and click Help. Click Troubleshooting and Maintenance on the Contents tab, click Windows 2000 troubleshooters, and then click Hardware. In the Hardware Troubleshooter list, click I need to resolve a hardware conflict on my computer, and then click Next.
The Window XP operating system provides a System Restore feature that allows you to return your computer to an earlier operating state if changes to the computer's hardware or software (including new hardware or program installations), or other system settings, have left the computer in an undesirable operating state. You can also undo the last system restore.
System Restore automatically creates system checkpoints. You can also manually create your own checkpoints by creating restore points. To limit the amount of hard disk space used, older restore points will be automatically purged.
To resolve an operating system problem, you can use System Restore from Safe Mode or Normal Mode to return your computer to an earlier operating state.
System Restore does not cause you to lose personal files stored in the My Documents folder, data files, or e-mail messages after restoring the computer to an earlier time. If you restore the computer to an operating state that existed before you installed a program, the program's data files are not lost, but you must reinstall the actual program again.
NOTICE: It is important to make regular backups of your data files. System
Restore does not monitor changes to or recover your data files. If the original
data on the hard disk is accidentally erased or overwritten, or if it becomes
inaccessible because of a hard disk malfunction, use your backup files to
recover the lost or damaged data.
System Restore is enabled on your new computer. However, if you reinstall Windows XP with less than 200 MB of free hard-disk space available, System Restore is automatically disabled. Before you use System Restore, confirm that it is enabled:
Click the Start button and click ControlPanel.
Click Performance and Maintenance.
Click System.
Click the System Restore tab.
Ensure that Turn off System Restore is not checked.
Click the Start button, click Help and Support, click System Restore, and then follow the instructions on the System Restore Wizard window. You can also create and name a restore point if you are logged on as the computer administrator or a user with administrator rights.
If problems occur after installing a device driver, first try using Device Driver Rollback. If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore.
NOTICE: Before restoring the computer to an earlier operating state, save
and close all open files and exit all open programs. Do not alter, open, or delete
any files or programs until the system restoration is complete.
Click the Start button, point to All Programs®Accessories® System
Tools, and then click System Restore.
Ensure that Restore my computer to an earlier time is selected and
click Next.
Click a calendar date to which you want to restore your computer.
The Select a Restore Point screen provides a calendar that allows you to see and select restore points. All calendar dates with available restore points appear in bold.
Select a restore point and click Next.
If a calendar date has only one restore point, then that restore point is automatically selected. If two or more restore points are available, click the restore point that you want to use.
NOTICE: Save and close all open files and exit all open programs. Do not
alter, open, or delete any files or programs until the system restoration is
complete.
Click Next.
The Restoration Complete screen appears after System Restore finishes collecting data, and then the computer automatically restarts.
After the computer restarts, click OK.
To change the restore point, you can either repeat the steps using a different restore point, or you can undo the restoration.
NOTICE: Save and close all open files and exit all open programs. Do not
alter, open, or delete any files or programs until the system restoration is
complete.
Click the Start button, point to All Programs® Accessories®System
Tools, and then click System Restore.
Select Undo my last restoration and click Next.
NOTICE: Save and close all open files and exit all open programs. Do not
alter, open, or delete any files or programs until the system restoration is
complete.
Click Next.
The System Restore screen appears, and then the computer
automatically restarts.
