How to Use and Troubleshoot the Inspiron 5521

Table of Contents:

1. Wireless Networking How-to's and Troubleshooting
2. Dell Windows Support Center
3. Mouse, Keyboard, or Touchpad Not Working Correctly
4. The Computer Stops Responding or troubleshooting slow performance issues
5. Microsoft Windows Crashes, Stops, Restarts, or a Blue Screen Appears
6. Troubleshooting a Notebook LCD Screen That is Black, Blank or Hard to See
7. How to Turn the Wireless Antenna On and Off on a Dell Computer
8. Inspiron 5521/15R Drivers
9. Using and Troubleshooting the Dell Webcam and Dell Webcam Central Software
10. Disabling or Enabling the Touchpad
11. The Computer Fails to Start or There is No Video
12. Dell personal computer Diagnostics Quick Test and SupportAssist for PCs and Tablets
13. Specifications
14. Port Locations
15. Resetting the System Setup (BIOS) to its Default Settings
16. Computer Component is not Recognized

 

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1. Wireless Networking How-to's and Troubleshooting

For how-to's and troubleshooting information about wireless networking browse to the Dell Networking and Wireless Support Center.

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2. Dell Windows Support Center

This link takes you to the Dell Windows Support Center. Select the Operating System that you need help with.

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3. Mouse, Keyboard, or Touchpad Not Working Correctly

See the following Dell Knowledge Base articles for information about how to use or troubleshoot mouse, keyboard, or touchpad issues.

• Keyboard Usage and Troubleshooting Guide
• Mouse Usage and Troubleshooting Guide
• Touchpad Usage and Troubleshooting Guide

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4. The Computer Stops Responding

1. Press the power button for at least 15 seconds to ensure the computer turns off.
2. Disconnect all devices including the keyboard, mouse, and external monitor. Peripherals also include external storage devices such as flash drives, USB devices, printers, cards so forth.
3. Press the power button to see if the computer turns on and boots OK; if not, see Dell Knowledge Base article Computer Does Not Turn on or is Stuck on the Dell Logo Screen.
4. Download and install SupportAssist. For more information about how to obtain and install SupportAssist, browse to the SupportAssist for PCs and tablets page.
5. Perform computer maintenance on your computer-- for more information see Dell Knowledge Base article Optimization and Maintenance of Microsoft Windows or Troubleshooting Slow Performance Issues.
6. Start attaching devices to the computer one at a time and test to see if your computer stops responding.

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5. Microsoft Windows Crashes, Stops, Restarts, or a Blue Screen Appears

This link takes you to the Dell Knowledge Base article Microsoft Windows Locks Up or an Error Occurs.

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6. Troubleshooting a Notebook LCD Screen That is Black, Blank or Hard to See

For information about troubleshooting a laptop LCD Screen, see the Dell Knowledge Base article Troubleshooting a Notebook LCD Screen That is Black, Blank or Hard to See.

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7. How to Turn the Wireless Antenna On and Off on a Dell Computer

Press and hold the FN key and then press the PrtScr key. Repeating this will click the wireless antenna off and on.

For more information about how to turn the wireless antenna on and off on a Dell Computer, see Dell Knowledge Base article How to Turn the Wireless Antenna On and Off on a Dell Computer.

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8. Inspiron 5521/15R Drivers

For information about the drivers available, browse to the Inspiron 5521/15R Driver Page.

This article provides information about how to download drivers for the Inspiron 5521/15R computer, Drivers and Downloads FAQs (See the How to Download and Install a Driver section).

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9. Using and Troubleshooting the Dell Webcam and Dell Webcam Central Software

For information about how to troubleshoot the webcam on your computer, see Dell Knowledge Base article Using and Troubleshooting the Dell Webcam and Dell Webcam Central Software.

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10. Disabling or Enabling the Touchpad

For information about how to turn the touchpad on or off, see Dell Knowledge Base article Disabling or Enabling the Touchpad.

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11. The Computer Fails to Start or There is No Video.

If you experience a situation in which the computer does not start at all or if it does turn on (lights turn on and fans are spinning), but the computer does not show any image, listen for a series of beeps during start-up.

When beeping codes are heard, see (Table 1) to help troubleshoot the issue with your computer.

Beeps	Description	Possible Cause
1	BIOS ROM checksum in progress or failure	System board failure, covers BIOS corruption or ROM errors.
2	No Memory (RAM) detected	Memory or Memory slot failure
3	Chipset Error (North and South bridge error, DMA/IMR/Timer error) Time-Of-Day Clock test failure Gate A20 failure Super I/O chip failure Keyboard controller test failure	System board failure
4	Memory read/write failure.	Memory failure
5	Real Time Clock (RTC) power fails	CMOS battery failure
6	Video BIOS test failure	Video subsystem failure
7	CPU Cache test failure	Processor failure
8	LCD	LCD failure

Table 1: Repetitive Beep Codes

For additional help with your computer, please Contact Technical Support.

 

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When no beeping codes are heard, perform the following steps:

1. Disconnect all devices including the keyboard, mouse, and external monitor. Peripherals also include external storage devices such as flash drives, USB devices, printers, cards, so forth.
2. Remove the AC adapter from the computer and unplug the adapter from the AC outlet.
3. Remove the battery; for more information about how to remove the battery, browse to the Inspiron 5521/15R Online Support Page, click Manuals, click PDF next to Service Manual.
4. Press the power button for 15 seconds.
5. Ensure the connections on the power cable and AC adapter are firmly pressed together.
6. Insert the AC into the computer and a good AC outlet.
7. Press the power button to see if the computer turns on and boots up ok, if not, see Dell Knowledge Base article Computer Does Not Turn on, or is Stuck on the Dell Logo Screen.
8. Turn the computer off and insert the battery back into the computer.
9. Press the power button to see if the computer turns on and boots OK; if not, see Dell Knowledge Base article Check the Battery.
10. Start attaching devices one at a time and testing to see if the computer will turn on.

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12. Dell personal computer Diagnostics Quick Test and SupportAssist for PCs and Tablets

• The fastest and easiest way to identify and resolve the most common issues is by using our Dell PC Diagnostics quick test. This will either fix the problem automatically, or it will guide you through the steps to resolve the problem.
  NOTE: When the diagnostic identifies a failing part, depending on the failing part, we will immediately start the process for a free in-warranty replacement part.

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• SupportAssist, previously called My Dell, provides computer updates, detects issues, and sends you alerts based on your device, which makes solving and preventing problems easier than ever. This application gives you access to everything you need to take the guesswork out of maintaining PCs and tablets. For more information such as how to obtain and install SupportAssist, browse to the SupportAssist for PCs and tablets page.

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• When the computer cannot access the Internet, you can run the integrated diagnostics on your computer, for more information, see Dell Knowledge Base article, Run Built-In Diagnostics (ePSA) for Your System.

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13. Specifications

For information about the Inspiron 5521/15R Specifications, browse to the Inspiron 5521/15R Online Manual Page, click PDF next to Specifications.

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14. Port Locations

For information about the port locations, browse to the Inspiron 5521/15R Online Manual Page, click PDF next to Quick Start Guide or Specifications.

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15. Resetting the System Setup (BIOS) to its Default Settings

Option 1:

1. Reboot the computer.
2. When you see the Dell logo during POST, press the F2 key to enter the setup screen.
3. On the System Setup screen, press the Right Arrow key to move to the Exit menu.
4. Press the Down Arrow key until Restore Defaults is highlighted, and press the Enter key.
5. Press the Enter key on Yes to Load Optimized Defaults and restart the computer.

Option 2:

1. Reboot the computer.
2. When you see the Dell logo during POST, press the F2 key to enter the setup screen.
3. On the System Setup screen, press the F9 key.
4. Press the Enter key on Yes to Load Optimized Defaults and restart the computer.

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16. Computer Component is not Recognized.

SupportAssist, previously called My Dell, detects issues and sends you alerts based on your device. This application gives you access to everything you need to take the guesswork out of maintaining PCs and tablets. For more information about how to obtain and install SupportAssist, browse to the SupportAssist for PCs and tablets page.

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