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PC Cards: Dell™ Latitude™ CS/CSx Portable Computers User's Guide
bullet.gif (1107 bytes) About PC Cards bullet.gif (1107 bytes) Removing PC Cards
bullet.gif (1107 bytes) Installing PC Cards bullet.gif (1107 bytes) Configuring PC Cards

About PC Cards

The computer provides two slots in which you can install PC Cards that comply with Release 2.01 of the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) standard and Release 4.2 of the Japanese Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA) standard.

The computer supports type I, type II, and type III PC Cards, such as modems, local area network (LAN) cards, wireless LAN cards, and small computer system interface (SCSI) cards. Also supported are such memory devices as static random-access memory (SRAM) cards that emulate diskettes, random-access memory (RAM) cards, and one-time programmable (OTP) ROM cards, and advanced technology attachment (ATA) cards that emulate integrated drive electronics (IDE) hard-disk drives.

If you are using the Microsoft® Windows® 95 or Windows 98 operating system, you can use a zoomed video (ZV) PC Card, such as a hardware Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) decoder. ZV cards must be used only in the upper PC Card slot. (The Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0 operating system does not support ZV.)
note.gif (515 bytes) NOTES: A PC Card is not a boot device.

The "type" of a card refers to its thickness, not its functionality.

Your computer recognizes most I/O cards and automatically loads the device driver associated with that card.

NOTICE: Take extra precautions if you use extended PC Cards in your computer. Extended cards are longer versions of standard PC Cards. They fit into, and operate correctly with, your computer. However, they extend beyond the edge of the computer when installed. If something strikes the exposed end of an installed card, your system board can be damaged. Because of space considerations, you may have trouble using two PC Cards in your computer if one of them is an extended card. It may be easier to use an extended card if you install it in the upper PC Card slot. Always remove an extended PC Card before you pack the computer in its carrying case.

You can use the following PC Card combinations in the PC Card slots:

note.gif (515 bytes) Note: Use a ZV PC Card in the upper slot only.

Installing PC Cards

PC Cards are generally marked with a symbol, such as a triangle or an arrow, to indicate which end should be inserted into the slot. The cards are keyed to prevent incorrect insertion. If card orientation is not clear, see the documentation that came with the card.

You do not need to turn off your computer or exit suspend or standby mode before you install a PC Card. To install a PC Card (see Figure 1), perform the following steps.

Figure 1. Installing a PC Card

pccd_in.gif (12871 bytes)

  1. If necessary, remove the blank from the PC Card slot you intend to use. Press the eject button once to pop the button out, press it again to eject the blank partway, and then pull the blank out.

  2. Make sure that the eject button is pressed all the way in. Hold the card with its orientation symbol pointing into the slot and the top side of the card facing up.

  3. Insert the card into the slot and press in firmly until the card is completely seated in the internal PC Card connector.

  4. If you encounter too much resistance when inserting it, do not force the card. Check the card's orientation and try again.

PC Card Blanks

Save the blank to use whenever you do not have a PC Card installed. The blank protects the PC Card slot from dust and other particles.

Removing PC Cards

NOTICE: If you are using Windows 95 or Windows 98, use the PC Card configuration utility on the taskbar to select and stop a card before you remove it. If you do not remove the card in the configuration utility, you could lose data from open application programs.

To remove a PC Card  (see Figure 2), perform the following steps.

Figure 2. Removing a PC Card

 

pccd_out.gif (12870 bytes)

  1. Press the PC Card eject button once to pop the button out, and then press the button in again to eject the card partway. (The button may or may not pop out again when you eject the card.) 
  1. Gently remove the card.

To protect the PC Card slots, install a blank if you are not going to use the slots.

Configuring PC Cards

The PC Card configuration utility performs the following functions:

The operating system automatically detects a PC Card and opens the Add New Hardware menu from the Control Panel. For information, see the PC Card operating system documentation.

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