12 Safety InstructionsWhen Working Inside Your SystemBefore you remove the system covers, perform the following steps in the sequence indicated:CAUTION: Except as expressly otherwise instructed in Dell documentation, only trainedservice technicians are authorized to remove the system cover and access any of thecomponents inside the system.CAUTION: To help avoid possible damage to the system board, wait 5 seconds afterturning off the system before removing a component from the system board or disconnectinga peripheral device.1 Turn off the system and any connected devices.2 Disconnect your system and devices from their power sources. To reduce the potential ofpersonal injury or shock, disconnect any telecommunication lines from the system.3 Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface on the chassis before touchinganything inside the system.4 While you work, periodically touch an unpainted metal surface on the chassis to dissipate anystatic electricity that might harm internal components.In addition, take note of the following safety guidelines when appropriate:• When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief loop, not on thecable itself. Some cables have a connector with locking tabs. If you are disconnecting thistype of cable, press in on the locking tabs before disconnecting the cable. As you pullconnectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins.Also, when you connect a cable, make sure both connectors are correctly oriented andaligned.• Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts ona card. Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting bracket. Hold a component suchas a microprocessor chip by its edges, not by its pins.Protecting Against Electrostatic DischargeElectrostatic discharge (ESD) events can harm electronic components inside your system. Undercertain conditions, ESD may build up on your body or an object, such as a peripheral, and thendischarge into another object, such as your system. To prevent ESD damage, you must dischargestatic electricity from your body before you interact with any of your system’s internal electroniccomponents, such as a memory module. You can protect against ESD by touching a metalgrounded object (such as an unpainted metal surface on your system’s I/O panel) before youinteract with anything electronic. When connecting a peripheral (including handheld digitalassistants) to your system, you should always ground both yourself and the peripheral beforeconnecting it to the system. Additionally, as you work inside the system, periodically touchan I/O connector to remove any static charge your body may have accumulated.
