Dell™ Latitude™ D510
Quick Reference Guide
Model PP17L
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Notes, Notices, and Cautions
  NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
  NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid 
the problem.
  CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the User’s Guide (depending on your operating system, 
double-click the User’s Guide icon on your desktop or click the Start button, click Help and Support Center, 
and click User and system guides).
If you purchased a Dell™ n Series computer, any references in this document to Microsoft® Windows® 
operating systems are not applicable.
  NOTE: Some features may not be available for your computer or in certain countries.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, and Latitude are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel, Pentium, and Celeron are registered trademarks 
of Intel Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
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 Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
Model PP17L
February 2005
P/N K8194
Rev. A00
Contents
Finding Information   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .
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Setting Up Your Computer  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .
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Battery Performance .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Checking the Battery Charge   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
Microsoft® Windows® Power Meter   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
Charge Gauge .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Health Gauge  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Low-Battery Warning .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Charging the Battery .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Removing a Battery   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Installing a Battery .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Storing a Battery .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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About Your Computer.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Front View .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Left View   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Right View .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Back View .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Bottom View   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Solving Problems   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Notebook System Software .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Lockups and Software Problems .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Running the Dell Diagnostics .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  
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Index .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .
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Contents
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4
Contents
Finding Information
  NOTE: Some features may not be available for your computer or in certain countries.
  NOTE: Additional information may ship with your computer.
What Are You Looking For?
Find It Here
 A diagnostic program for my computer
 Drivers for my computer 
 My computer documentation
 My device documentation
 Notebook System Software (NSS)
Drivers and Utilities CD (also known as ResourceCD)
Documentation and drivers are already installed on your 
computer. You can use the CD to reinstall drivers, run the 
Dell Diagnostics, or access your documentation. For more 
information, see your User’s Guide.
 Warranty information
 Terms and Conditions (U.S. only)
 Safety instructions
 Regulatory information
 Ergonomics information
 End User License Agreement
Readme files may be 
included on your CD to 
provide last-minute 
updates about technical 
changes to your 
computer or advanced 
technical-reference 
material for technicians 
or experienced users.
NOTE: Drivers and documentation updates can be found at 
support.dell.com.
NOTE: The Drivers and Utilities CD is optional and may not 
ship with your computer.
Dell™ Product Information Guide
Quick Reference Guide
5
Find It Here
User’s Guide
®
 Windows
Access Microsoft
Center two ways:
 Double-click the User’s Guide icon on your desktop
 XP Help and Support 
®
OR:
1 Click the Start button and click Help and Support.
2 Click User’s and system guides and click User’s guides.
The User’s Guide is also available on the optional 
Drivers and Utilities CD.
Service Tag and Microsoft Windows License
These labels are located on the bottom of your computer.
 Use the Service Tag to 
identify your 
computer when you 
use support.dell.com 
or contact 
technical support.
 Enter the Express Service Code to direct your call when 
contacting technical support. 
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What Are You Looking For?
 How to remove and replace parts
 Specifications
 How to configure system settings
 How to troubleshoot and solve problems
 Service Tag and Express Service Code 
 Microsoft Windows License Label
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Quick Reference Guide
What Are You Looking For?
Find It Here
Dell Support Website — support.dell.com
NOTE: Select your region to view the appropriate 
support site.
NOTE: Corporate, government, and education customers 
can also use the customized Dell Premier Support website 
at premier.support.dell.com. The website may not be 
available in all regions.
 Solutions — Troubleshooting hints and tips, articles 
from technicians, online courses, frequently 
asked questions 
 Community — Online discussion with other 
Dell customers
 Upgrades — Upgrade information for components, such 
as memory, the hard drive, and the operating system
 Customer Care — Contact information, service call and 
order status, warranty, and repair information
 Service and support — Service call status and support 
history, service contract, online discussions with 
technical support
 Reference — Computer documentation, details on my 
computer configuration, product specifications, and 
white papers
 Downloads — Certified drivers, patches, and 
software updates 
 Notebook System Software (NSS) — If you reinstall the 
operating system for your computer, you should also 
reinstall the NSS utility. NSS provides critical updates 
for your operating system and support for 
Dell™ 3.5-inch USB floppy drives, Intel® Pentium® M 
processors, optical drives, and USB devices. NSS is 
necessary for correct operation of your Dell computer. 
The software automatically detects your computer and 
operating system and installs the updates appropriate 
for your configuration.
 How to use Windows XP
 Documentation for my computer 
 Documentation for devices (such as a modem)
Windows Help and Support Center
1 Click the Start button and click Help and Support.
2 Type a word or phrase that describes your problem and 
click the arrow icon.
3 Click the topic that describes your problem.
4 Follow the instructions on the screen.
Quick Reference Guide
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What Are You Looking For?
Find It Here
 How to reinstall my operating system
Operating System CD
The operating system is already installed on your 
computer. To reinstall your operating system, use the 
Operating System CD. See your Latitude User’s Guide 
for instructions.
After you reinstall your 
operating system, use the 
Drivers and Utilities CD 
to reinstall drivers for the 
devices that came with 
your computer.
Your operating system 
product key label 
is located on 
your computer.
NOTE: The color of your CD varies based on the operating 
system you ordered.
NOTE: The Operating System CD is optional and may not 
ship with your computer.
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Quick Reference Guide