DELL ALIENWARE® M17x MOBILE User Manual

DELL ALIENWARE® M17x MOBILE User Manual

Before Setting Up Your Laptop

Congratulations on the purchase of your Alienware M17x!

Read all safety and setup instructions before connecting your new laptop. Begin by carefully opening the box and removing all components that were shipped to you.

Before setting up your laptop or components, see the included invoice to verify that all items ordered are present and be sure to inspect all items for any physical damage that may have occurred during shipment. Report any missing components or damaged items to customer service within 5 days of receiving the shipment. Anything reported missing or damaged after the first 5 days of receiving a shipment will not be honored. Some of the most common items to check for include:

• Laptop and AC adapter with power cable
• Microsoft CD‑key located at the bottom of the laptop
• Monitor with power cable and video cable (if ordered)
• Keyboard(if ordered)
• Mouse(if ordered)
• Multimedia speakers and sub‑woofer (if ordered)
• Joystickcontrollers (if ordered)

You may also need a small flathead and/or a Phillips head screwdriver for connecting peripheral cables to the laptop.

Product Documentation and Media

The documentation that ships with your Alienware laptop is designed to provide answers to many of the questions that may arise as you explore your new laptop’s capabilities. You may see the documentation for technical information or general use as needed to answer questions in the future, or aid you in finding answers and solutions. The media included with your laptop is referenced in some sections of the documentation and may be needed to complete certain tasks. As always, our technical support staff is available to assist you.

Placing Your Laptop

WARNING: Do not place the laptop near or over a radiator or heating vent. If your laptop is placed in a cabinet, ensure that adequate ventilation is provided. Do not place thelaptop in a humid location or in any area where the laptop may be exposed to rain or water. Be careful not to spill liquid of any kind on or into the laptop.

When placing your laptop, ensure that:

• It is placed on a surface that is both level and
• The power and other cable connectors are not jammed between the laptop and a wall or any other object.

• Nothing obstructs airflow in front of, behind, or below the
• The laptop has enough room so that optical drives and other external storage drives can be easily accessed.

System Setup Options

NOTE: Depending on your computer and installed devices, the items listed in this section may not appear, or may not appear exactly as listed.

NOTE: For  the  updated  system  setup  information,  see  the  Service  Manual  atsupport.dell.com/manuals.

Before You Begin

This section provides procedures for removing and installing the components in your laptop.

Unless otherwise noted, each procedure assumes that the following conditions exist:

• You have performed the steps in “Turning Off Your Computer” and “Before Working Inside Your Computer” in this
• You have read the safety information that shipped with your
• Component can be replaced or—if purchased separately—installed by performing the removal procedure in reverse

The procedures in this section may require the following tools:

• Small flat-blade screw driver
• Phillips screw driver

Before Working Inside Your Computer

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

WARNING: Before working inside your laptop, read the safety information that shipped with your computer. For additional safety best practices information, see the

Regulatory Compliance Homepage at www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.

CAUTION: Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on a card. Hold a card by its edges. Hold a component such as a processor by its edges, not by its pins.

CAUTION: Only a certified service technician should perform repairs on your computer. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty.

CAUTION: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a connector on the back of the computer).

CAUTION: When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its pull-tab, not on the cable itself. Some cables have connectors with locking tabs; if you are disconnecting this type of cable, press in on the locking tabs before you disconnect the cable. As you pull connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before you connect a cable, ensure that both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.

Replacing the Battery Pack

This battery pack can easily be removed and replaced. Ensure that the laptop is properly shut

down before changing the battery pack.

CAUTION: To avoid damage to the laptop, use only the battery designed for this particular Alienware laptop. Do not use batteries designed for other Alienware or Dell laptops.

To remove the battery pack:

1. Followthe instructions in “Before You Begin” on page 68.
2. Shutdown the
3. Turn the laptop
4. Slide the battery latch to the unlock position as The battery pack pops up.
5. Remove the battery

Upgrading or Replacing Memory

Your laptop is equipped with a configurable memory unit. The industry standard JEDEC PC3-10600 (DDR3) SODIMM memory module connectors are available for memory upgrade.

NOTE: If you purchased a dual‑core processor, your computer supports only memory module connectors DIMM 1 and DIMM 2.

NOTE: The table below illustrates one possible way the system memory can be configured. You can also configure the system memory by installing memory modules in connectors DIMM 3 and DIMM 4.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Basic Hints and Tips

• Computer does not power on: Is your AC adapter cable securely connected to a working electrical outlet? If connected to a power strip, ensure that the strip is actually
• Connections: Check all the cables to ensure that there are no loose connections
• Power Savings: Ensure that your computer is not in hibernate or standby mode bypressing the power button for less than 4  The power status light will fade from blue to black while in standby mode; in hibernate mode it will be off.
• Brightness: Check and adjust the brightness of the display by pressing the key

combinations <Fn><F4> or <Fn><F5>.

• Display Choice: Press the key combination <Fn><F6> to ensure that the computer is not set to “External Only” display.

• Useonly the AC adapter that shipped with your

Backup and General Maintenance

• Alwaysbackup your important data on a regular basis and keep copies of your operating system and software safe. Do not forget to note the serial numbers if you are storing them outside of their original cases ‑ for example, in a CD
• Run maintenance programs as often as you can. You may schedule these programs torun at times when you are not using your computer. You can use those provided with your operating system, or buy more powerful, dedicated programs to do
• Writedown your passwords and keep them safe (away from your computer). This is especially important if you choose to password‑protect your computer’s BIOS and operating
• Documentvital settings such as network, dialup, mail and Internet setting.

Answers to Common Problems

System

The computer fails the POST

The Power On Self Test (POST) ensures that the computer meets all the necessary system requirements and that all hardware is working properly before starting the remainder of the boot process. If the computer passes the POST, the computer will continue to start normally. However, if the computer fails the POST, the computer will generate a single beep to indicate a general failure and an error message will be displayed. For assistance, contact Alienware Technical Support (see “CONTACTING ALIENWARE“.

BASIC Specifications