Dell Technology Guide
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... change without the written permission of these materials in any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other countries.; Reproduction of Dell Inc. Trademarks used by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and other than its own. under license; August 2008 Rev. All rights... disclaims any manner whatsoever without notice. represents Windows Vista Start button. Information in this document to refer to all Dell systems. © 2007-2008 Dell Inc. Dell Inc. Intel and iAMT are trademarks of your computer. Microsoft, Windows, Internet Explorer, Windows Vista, and the...
... change without the written permission of these materials in any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other countries.; Reproduction of Dell Inc. Trademarks used by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and other than its own. under license; August 2008 Rev. All rights... disclaims any manner whatsoever without notice. represents Windows Vista Start button. Information in this document to refer to all Dell systems. © 2007-2008 Dell Inc. Dell Inc. Intel and iAMT are trademarks of your computer. Microsoft, Windows, Internet Explorer, Windows Vista, and the...
Dell Technology Guide
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Contents 1 Finding Information 23 Start Button 23 Microsoft Windows Help and Support 24 Windows Vista 25 Windows® XP 25 Control Panel 26 Information About Installed Hardware 26 Device Manager 26 Hardware Devices Installed on Your Computer 27 Programs Installed on Your Computer 28 Wireless Networking 28 Dell Support Website 29 Technical Support 29 Customer Service 30 Warranty Information 30 Dell Forums 31 Contact Us 31 BIOS (System Setup Program) Settings 31 2 Microsoft Windows Desktop 33 Overview 33 Taskbar 34 Contents 3
Contents 1 Finding Information 23 Start Button 23 Microsoft Windows Help and Support 24 Windows Vista 25 Windows® XP 25 Control Panel 26 Information About Installed Hardware 26 Device Manager 26 Hardware Devices Installed on Your Computer 27 Programs Installed on Your Computer 28 Wireless Networking 28 Dell Support Website 29 Technical Support 29 Customer Service 30 Warranty Information 30 Dell Forums 31 Contact Us 31 BIOS (System Setup Program) Settings 31 2 Microsoft Windows Desktop 33 Overview 33 Taskbar 34 Contents 3
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Overview 34 Displaying the Taskbar 35 Customizing the Taskbar 35 Displaying Hidden Icons From the Notification Area 35 Adding Icons in the Notification Area 35 Desktop Icons and Shortcuts 36 Deleting an Icon From the Desktop 36 Creating and Deleting Program Shortcuts on the Desktop 37 Shortcut Menus 38 Changing the Desktop Appearance 39 Windows Vista 39 Windows® XP 40 Setting up a Screen Saver 41 Windows Vista 41 Windows XP 41 Start Button (Menu 42 Overview 42 Customizing the Start Menu 43 Control Panel 44 Accessing and Using the Control Panel 45 Customizing Your ...
Overview 34 Displaying the Taskbar 35 Customizing the Taskbar 35 Displaying Hidden Icons From the Notification Area 35 Adding Icons in the Notification Area 35 Desktop Icons and Shortcuts 36 Deleting an Icon From the Desktop 36 Creating and Deleting Program Shortcuts on the Desktop 37 Shortcut Menus 38 Changing the Desktop Appearance 39 Windows Vista 39 Windows® XP 40 Setting up a Screen Saver 41 Windows Vista 41 Windows XP 41 Start Button (Menu 42 Overview 42 Customizing the Start Menu 43 Control Panel 44 Accessing and Using the Control Panel 45 Customizing Your ...
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Features and Benefits 56 NVIDIA SLI and ATI Crossfire Technologies 56 4 Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad 57 Mouse 58 Controlling the Speed of the Mouse Buttons. . . . 58 Controlling the Speed of the Scroll Wheel . . . . . 59 Cleaning a Non-Optical Mouse 59 Cleaning an Optical Mouse 60 Using a Bluetooth® -Enabled Wireless Mouse . . 60 Touch Pad 62 Circular Scrolling 62 Single Finger Zoom 63 Cleaning the Touch Pad 63 Using a Touch Pointer (Track Stick or Tablet PC Pen 63 Contents 5 Windows® XP 49 Troubleshooting 50 Choosing the Best Display Settings 50 ...
Features and Benefits 56 NVIDIA SLI and ATI Crossfire Technologies 56 4 Navigation Devices (Mouse, Keyboard, Touch Pad 57 Mouse 58 Controlling the Speed of the Mouse Buttons. . . . 58 Controlling the Speed of the Scroll Wheel . . . . . 59 Cleaning a Non-Optical Mouse 59 Cleaning an Optical Mouse 60 Using a Bluetooth® -Enabled Wireless Mouse . . 60 Touch Pad 62 Circular Scrolling 62 Single Finger Zoom 63 Cleaning the Touch Pad 63 Using a Touch Pointer (Track Stick or Tablet PC Pen 63 Contents 5 Windows® XP 49 Troubleshooting 50 Choosing the Best Display Settings 50 ...
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Turning the Touch Pointer On or Off From the Control Panel 63 Turning the Touch Pointer On or Off From the Taskbar 64 Using a USB Pointing Device (Mouse 64 Troubleshooting a USB Pointing Device 64 Keyboard 65 Customizing Your Keyboard 66 Backlit Keyboard 66 Changing the Input Language of Your Keyboard 67 Using the Numeric Keypad on a Laptop Computer 68 General Keyboard Shortcuts 69 5 Printers-Settings and Drivers 71 Accessing Printer Information 71 Changing Printer Settings 72 For Windows Vista 72 For Windows® XP 72 Setting up Printers 73 Adding a Printer 73 Setting the ...
Turning the Touch Pointer On or Off From the Control Panel 63 Turning the Touch Pointer On or Off From the Taskbar 64 Using a USB Pointing Device (Mouse 64 Troubleshooting a USB Pointing Device 64 Keyboard 65 Customizing Your Keyboard 66 Backlit Keyboard 66 Changing the Input Language of Your Keyboard 67 Using the Numeric Keypad on a Laptop Computer 68 General Keyboard Shortcuts 69 5 Printers-Settings and Drivers 71 Accessing Printer Information 71 Changing Printer Settings 72 For Windows Vista 72 For Windows® XP 72 Setting up Printers 73 Adding a Printer 73 Setting the ...
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Shadow Storage 77 Reducing Hard Drive Space Used by Shadow Storage 78 Solid-State Drive (SSD 78 Installing Drivers for Media Drives 79 Determining Whether a Device Driver is the Source of a Device Problem 79 Replacing a Driver With a Previous Version of the Driver 79 Using the Drivers and Utilities Media to Reinstall a Driver 80 Manually Reinstalling a Driver 80 Drive Problems 81 Optical Drive Problems 82 Hard Drive Problems 82 Working with RAID 83 RAID Level 0 83 RAID Level 1 84 RAID Level 0+1 Configuration 86 RAID Level 5 Configuration 87 Setting Your Computer to RAID-Enabled...
Shadow Storage 77 Reducing Hard Drive Space Used by Shadow Storage 78 Solid-State Drive (SSD 78 Installing Drivers for Media Drives 79 Determining Whether a Device Driver is the Source of a Device Problem 79 Replacing a Driver With a Previous Version of the Driver 79 Using the Drivers and Utilities Media to Reinstall a Driver 80 Manually Reinstalling a Driver 80 Drive Problems 81 Optical Drive Problems 82 Hard Drive Problems 82 Working with RAID 83 RAID Level 0 83 RAID Level 1 84 RAID Level 0+1 Configuration 86 RAID Level 5 Configuration 87 Setting Your Computer to RAID-Enabled...
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Hot Undocking 104 Undocking Without Shutting Down 104 Shutting Down Your Computer When it Fails to Files 110 Selecting and Opening Files 111 Selecting a Group of Files 111 Selecting Several Random Files 111 Opening and Saving a File 112 Opening a Graphic Image (Picture or Art) . . . . 112 Finding Files 112 Searching for a File 112 Renaming Files 113 Printing Files 113 Deleting Files 113 8 Contents Ending a Program That is not Responding . . . . 101 Ending a Process That is not Responding . . . . 103 Docking and Undocking Your Laptop Computer. . . . 104 Undocking Your Computer ...
Hot Undocking 104 Undocking Without Shutting Down 104 Shutting Down Your Computer When it Fails to Files 110 Selecting and Opening Files 111 Selecting a Group of Files 111 Selecting Several Random Files 111 Opening and Saving a File 112 Opening a Graphic Image (Picture or Art) . . . . 112 Finding Files 112 Searching for a File 112 Renaming Files 113 Printing Files 113 Deleting Files 113 8 Contents Ending a Program That is not Responding . . . . 101 Ending a Process That is not Responding . . . . 103 Docking and Undocking Your Laptop Computer. . . . 104 Undocking Your Computer ...
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Sharing Files 114 Windows Vista 114 Windows XP 115 Sharing Files With Password Protection. . . . . . 115 Restricting Access to a File 115 Transferring Files and Settings to a New Computer . . 116 Transferring Files From a Computer Running Windows XP to a Computer Running Windows Vista 116 Transferring Files Between Computers Running Windows XP 117 Backing up Files 117 Windows Vista 117 Windows XP 118 Running Backup When the Settings Have Been Preconfigured 118 Running Backup With Hidden Drives 119 Restoring Files 119 Windows Vista 119 Windows XP 119 9 Managing Applications (...
Sharing Files 114 Windows Vista 114 Windows XP 115 Sharing Files With Password Protection. . . . . . 115 Restricting Access to a File 115 Transferring Files and Settings to a New Computer . . 116 Transferring Files From a Computer Running Windows XP to a Computer Running Windows Vista 116 Transferring Files Between Computers Running Windows XP 117 Backing up Files 117 Windows Vista 117 Windows XP 118 Running Backup When the Settings Have Been Preconfigured 118 Running Backup With Hidden Drives 119 Restoring Files 119 Windows Vista 119 Windows XP 119 9 Managing Applications (...
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Removing Applications From Your Computer . . . . . 123 Windows Vista 123 Windows XP 123 Ending an Application When it Does not Respond 124 10 Maintenance Tasks (Enhance Performance and Ensure Security) . . . . 125 Performing Maintenance Tasks to Increase Computer Speed and Ensure Security 125 Cleaning Your Computer 126 Before You Start 126 Cleaning the Computer 126 Cleaning Optical Drives and Optical Drive Media 126 Managing Your Computer Performance 127 Windows Vista 127 Windows® XP 128 Performance Tuning 129 System Setup Based Performance Tuning . . . . 129 Software Based ...
Removing Applications From Your Computer . . . . . 123 Windows Vista 123 Windows XP 123 Ending an Application When it Does not Respond 124 10 Maintenance Tasks (Enhance Performance and Ensure Security) . . . . 125 Performing Maintenance Tasks to Increase Computer Speed and Ensure Security 125 Cleaning Your Computer 126 Before You Start 126 Cleaning the Computer 126 Cleaning Optical Drives and Optical Drive Media 126 Managing Your Computer Performance 127 Windows Vista 127 Windows® XP 128 Performance Tuning 129 System Setup Based Performance Tuning . . . . 129 Software Based ...
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... Checking the Battery Charge 143 Conserving Battery Power 145 Charging the Battery 145 Storing a Battery 146 US Department of Transportation (DOT) Notebook Battery Restrictions 146 Dell™ ControlPoint Power Manager 146 12 Networks (LAN, Wireless, Mobile Broadband 149 Overview 149 Local Area Networks (LAN 150 What You Need to Set up...
... Checking the Battery Charge 143 Conserving Battery Power 145 Charging the Battery 145 Storing a Battery 146 US Department of Transportation (DOT) Notebook Battery Restrictions 146 Dell™ ControlPoint Power Manager 146 12 Networks (LAN, Wireless, Mobile Broadband 149 Overview 149 Local Area Networks (LAN 150 What You Need to Set up...
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... . . . . . 160 Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network . . 160 Activating Mobile Broadband Service 160 Managing the Network With the Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility 161 WiMAX 161 WPAN 162 Managing Your Network 162 Securing Your Network 162 Securing Your Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN 164... Ensuring Security When Using Public Wi-Fi Networks (Hotspots 165 Locating Networks With the Dell Wi-Fi Catcher™ Network Locator 166 Scanning for a Wireless Network 167 Enabling the Network Locator 167 Managing Networked Computers With...
... . . . . . 160 Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network . . 160 Activating Mobile Broadband Service 160 Managing the Network With the Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility 161 WiMAX 161 WPAN 162 Managing Your Network 162 Securing Your Network 162 Securing Your Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN 164... Ensuring Security When Using Public Wi-Fi Networks (Hotspots 165 Locating Networks With the Dell Wi-Fi Catcher™ Network Locator 166 Scanning for a Wireless Network 167 Enabling the Network Locator 167 Managing Networked Computers With...
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13 Accessing the Internet 171 Overview 171 What you Need to Connect to the Internet. . . . . 171 Web Browsers for Viewing Internet Sites . . . . . 172 Web Addresses 173 Setting up Your Internet Connection 173 Windows Vista 173 Windows® XP 174 Troubleshooting Problems Connecting to the Internet 175 Web Browser Settings 175 Setting the Browser Home Page 175 Setting the Way the Browser Displays Web Pages 176 Saving Space by Setting the way the Browser Logs Viewing History 177 Increasing Computer Speed by Limiting the Number of Open Internet Windows 177 Using Accessibility Options...
13 Accessing the Internet 171 Overview 171 What you Need to Connect to the Internet. . . . . 171 Web Browsers for Viewing Internet Sites . . . . . 172 Web Addresses 173 Setting up Your Internet Connection 173 Windows Vista 173 Windows® XP 174 Troubleshooting Problems Connecting to the Internet 175 Web Browser Settings 175 Setting the Browser Home Page 175 Setting the Way the Browser Displays Web Pages 176 Saving Space by Setting the way the Browser Logs Viewing History 177 Increasing Computer Speed by Limiting the Number of Open Internet Windows 177 Using Accessibility Options...
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Controlling Pop-ups 184 Controlling Unwanted Toolbars 185 Content Advisory/Parental Controls 185 Bookmarking Favorite Websites 185 Searching for Information on the Internet 186 Changing the Internet Communications Protocol (TCP/IP) Settings 187 Printing a Web Page 187 Freeing up Space and Protecting Your Computer 188 Clearing Browser History 188 Deleting Temporary Internet Files 188 Decreasing the Size of the Temporary Files Folder 188 Maintaining Privacy by Blocking and Deleting Cookies 189 14 E-mail 191 Setting up a new E-mail Account 191 Windows Vista 192 Windows® XP ...
Controlling Pop-ups 184 Controlling Unwanted Toolbars 185 Content Advisory/Parental Controls 185 Bookmarking Favorite Websites 185 Searching for Information on the Internet 186 Changing the Internet Communications Protocol (TCP/IP) Settings 187 Printing a Web Page 187 Freeing up Space and Protecting Your Computer 188 Clearing Browser History 188 Deleting Temporary Internet Files 188 Decreasing the Size of the Temporary Files Folder 188 Maintaining Privacy by Blocking and Deleting Cookies 189 14 E-mail 191 Setting up a new E-mail Account 191 Windows Vista 192 Windows® XP ...
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Avoiding E-mail Attachments 197 Viewing E-mail Messages 197 Sending E-mail 197 Windows Vista 197 Windows XP 198 Creating a Contact Group (Mailing List 198 Windows Vista 198 Windows XP 199 Backing Up E-mail Messages 200 Windows Vista 200 Windows XP 200 15 Multimedia (CDs/DVDs, 5.1 Audio, MP3s, TVs, Digital Cameras, and Projectors 203 Overview 203 CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Disc™ Media 204 Playing a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray Disc Media . . . . . 204 Copying CD, DVD, or Blu-ray Disc Media . . . . . 205 5.1 Audio 207 Setting up the 5.1 Audio Connections 207 Laptop Media Devices (MP3 ...
Avoiding E-mail Attachments 197 Viewing E-mail Messages 197 Sending E-mail 197 Windows Vista 197 Windows XP 198 Creating a Contact Group (Mailing List 198 Windows Vista 198 Windows XP 199 Backing Up E-mail Messages 200 Windows Vista 200 Windows XP 200 15 Multimedia (CDs/DVDs, 5.1 Audio, MP3s, TVs, Digital Cameras, and Projectors 203 Overview 203 CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Disc™ Media 204 Playing a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray Disc Media . . . . . 204 Copying CD, DVD, or Blu-ray Disc Media . . . . . 205 5.1 Audio 207 Setting up the 5.1 Audio Connections 207 Laptop Media Devices (MP3 ...
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Copying Audio and Video Files to Your Laptop Media Device 209 Playing Media Using the Dell Travel Remote . . . . . 210 Adjusting the Volume on Your Computer 210 Enabling S/PDIF Digital Audio Through the Media Software 210 Enabling S/PDIF Digital Audio in the ...
Copying Audio and Video Files to Your Laptop Media Device 209 Playing Media Using the Dell Travel Remote . . . . . 210 Adjusting the Volume on Your Computer 210 Enabling S/PDIF Digital Audio Through the Media Software 210 Enabling S/PDIF Digital Audio in the ...
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Selecting the Correct Input Signal From the TV Menu 226 TV Menu Example 227 What to do If the TV Does not Recognize a Signal 228 Evaluating Suggested Connection Configurations . . . 229 Enabling the Display View for the Computer and the TV 239 Verify the Connection to the TV 239 Verify the Input Signal for the TV 239 Set up the TV as a Display Device 239 Configure the Display Views 240 Dual Independent Display Mode 241 Swapping Primary and Secondary Displays . . . . 242 Switching the Display Image 242 Configuring Display Settings 242 Setting Display Resolution With the Windows ...
Selecting the Correct Input Signal From the TV Menu 226 TV Menu Example 227 What to do If the TV Does not Recognize a Signal 228 Evaluating Suggested Connection Configurations . . . 229 Enabling the Display View for the Computer and the TV 239 Verify the Connection to the TV 239 Verify the Input Signal for the TV 239 Set up the TV as a Display Device 239 Configure the Display Views 240 Dual Independent Display Mode 241 Swapping Primary and Secondary Displays . . . . 242 Switching the Display Image 242 Configuring Display Settings 242 Setting Display Resolution With the Windows ...
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Using a TV Wizard to Configure Display Settings 248 Getting Help for Video Card Control Panels . . . 249 Troubleshooting Display Settings 249 Where to Find Help 249 Resolving Common Problems 249 17 Security and Privacy 251 Protecting Your Computer-Using Administrator Rights, User Groups, and Passwords 251 Administrator Rights 251 User Groups 252 Passwords 253 Smart Cards 254 Fingerprint Readers 254 Facial Recognition Software 255 Using a Firewall to Secure Your Computer 255 Turning On Windows Firewall 255 Encrypting Files and Folders 256 Using Antivirus Software 256 ...
Using a TV Wizard to Configure Display Settings 248 Getting Help for Video Card Control Panels . . . 249 Troubleshooting Display Settings 249 Where to Find Help 249 Resolving Common Problems 249 17 Security and Privacy 251 Protecting Your Computer-Using Administrator Rights, User Groups, and Passwords 251 Administrator Rights 251 User Groups 252 Passwords 253 Smart Cards 254 Fingerprint Readers 254 Facial Recognition Software 255 Using a Firewall to Secure Your Computer 255 Turning On Windows Firewall 255 Encrypting Files and Folders 256 Using Antivirus Software 256 ...
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...Windows® System Restore . . . . . 265 Starting System Restore 266 Undoing the Last System Restore 266 Enabling System Restore 267 Using Dell™ PC Restore and Dell Factory Image Restore 267 Windows Vista: Dell Factory Image Restore . . . . 268 Using the Operating System Media 269 Before you Begin 269 Reinstalling Windows XP or Windows Vista... . . . . 274 Diagnostic Lights for Laptop Computers 275 System Messages for Desktop Computers. . . . . 275 System Messages for Laptop Computers . . . . . 276 Windows Hardware Troubleshooter 280 Running the Dell Diagnostics 281 Contents 19
...Windows® System Restore . . . . . 265 Starting System Restore 266 Undoing the Last System Restore 266 Enabling System Restore 267 Using Dell™ PC Restore and Dell Factory Image Restore 267 Windows Vista: Dell Factory Image Restore . . . . 268 Using the Operating System Media 269 Before you Begin 269 Reinstalling Windows XP or Windows Vista... . . . . 274 Diagnostic Lights for Laptop Computers 275 System Messages for Desktop Computers. . . . . 275 System Messages for Laptop Computers . . . . . 276 Windows Hardware Troubleshooter 280 Running the Dell Diagnostics 281 Contents 19
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Dell Support Center 285 Solving Problems 287 Battery Problems 287 Drive Problems 287 Optical Drive Problems 288 E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . 289 Error Messages 290 ... Scanner Problems 299 Sound and Speaker Problems 299 Touch Pad or Mouse Problems for Laptop Computers 301 Video and Monitor Problems 302 Power Lights 304 Dell Technical Update Service 305 21 System Setup 307 Viewing System Settings With the System Setup Program 307 Entering the System Setup Program 308 Working With...
Dell Support Center 285 Solving Problems 287 Battery Problems 287 Drive Problems 287 Optical Drive Problems 288 E-Mail, Modem, and Internet Problems . . . . . 289 Error Messages 290 ... Scanner Problems 299 Sound and Speaker Problems 299 Touch Pad or Mouse Problems for Laptop Computers 301 Video and Monitor Problems 302 Power Lights 304 Dell Technical Update Service 305 21 System Setup 307 Viewing System Settings With the System Setup Program 307 Entering the System Setup Program 308 Working With...
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Changing Boot Sequence to a USB Device . . . . 310 Changing the BIOS Settings 310 Viewing the BIOS Settings 311 Upgrading the BIOS (Flashing the BIOS 311 22 Ports 313 USB Port 313 IEEE 1394 Port 314 RS232 Serial Port 315 Parallel Port 316 eSATA Port 317 Modem 318 Ethernet Port 319 Keyboard and Mouse Port (PS2 320 VGA Port 321 DVI-I Port 322 S-Video TV-Out Port 323 Component Video 324 Composite Video 325 HDMI Port 326 DisplayPort 327 S/PDIF Port (Coaxial RCA 328 Contents 21
Changing Boot Sequence to a USB Device . . . . 310 Changing the BIOS Settings 310 Viewing the BIOS Settings 311 Upgrading the BIOS (Flashing the BIOS 311 22 Ports 313 USB Port 313 IEEE 1394 Port 314 RS232 Serial Port 315 Parallel Port 316 eSATA Port 317 Modem 318 Ethernet Port 319 Keyboard and Mouse Port (PS2 320 VGA Port 321 DVI-I Port 322 S-Video TV-Out Port 323 Component Video 324 Composite Video 325 HDMI Port 326 DisplayPort 327 S/PDIF Port (Coaxial RCA 328 Contents 21