28 Solving Problems
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Other technical problems
General hardware problems
If your computer exhibits one or more of the following symptoms, a device conflict may exist:
• Your computer locks up, particularly while using a specific device.
• A recently added device does not work.
• A sound card emits noise or demonstrates other problems.
BACK UP YOUR FILES IMMEDIATELY — If your computer has a CD-RW drive or a zip drive installed, see 
the drive’s documentation for instructions.
ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE NOT MADE AN ERROR WHILE ENTERING DATA — See the program documentation to 
ensure that the values or characters you are entering are valid.
CHECK FOR VIRUSES — Use a virus-scanning program to check the hard drive, floppy disks, or CDs.
RESTART THE COMPUTER — Save and close any open files, exit any open programs, and then shut down 
your computer through the Start menu instead of by pressing the power button. Otherwise, you 
may lose data.
CHECK FOR COMPATIBILITY — 
• Ensure that the program is compatible with the operating system installed on your computer and 
that your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements needed to run the software. See 
the software documentation for information.
• If necessary, uninstall and then reinstall the program.
ENSURE THAT YOU PROPERLY INSTALLED AND CONFIGURED THE PROGRAM — See the software documentation 
for information. If necessary, uninstall and then reinstall the program.
GO TO THE DELL SUPPORT WEBSITE — Go to support.dell.com for help with general usage, installation, 
and troubleshooting questions.The support website offers several different tools to help you, such 
as Dell Forum—a chat room where you can communicate with other Dell customers about their 
computers and gain access to technical support through e-mail. See "Dell Technical Support Policy 
(U.S. Only)" on page 88 for a description of the hardware and software support provided by Dell.
CALL DELL — If you cannot solve your problem using the Dell Support website or e-mail service, call 
Dell for technical assistance (see page 90). See "Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)" on 
page 88 for a description of the hardware and software support provided by Dell.