DELL OptiPlex 7000 Tower Desktop Computer User Guide

: June 3, 2024
: Dell

OptiPlex 7000 Tower Desktop Computer
User Guide

OptiPlex 7000 Tower Desktop Computer

OptiPlex 7000 Tower
Re-imaging guide for Windows
Regulatory Model: D31M Regulatory
Type: D31M001 March 2022
Rev. A00

Notes, cautions, and warnings

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your product.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
© 2022 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Installation overview

CAUTION: This re-imaging guide is designed for system administrators. Do not attempt to re-image the system if you are not an administrator or if you are unsure of the procedures. Failure to follow instructions may result in permanent data loss.
NOTE: Information provided in this guide is only applicable to computers shipped with Windows 10 or Window 11 operating system.
NOTE: Dell recommends that you download and install the device drivers from the Dell Drivers & Downloads website. Installing device drivers from a non-Dell website can cause system performance issues, corrupt operating system files, blue screen errors, unexpected shutdowns, or infect your computer with malicious software.
Device drivers must be updated when you reinstall the operating system using either a CD, DVD, USB key, or when you are facing networking, graphics, sound or other hardware-related problems. Dell recommends that you install or update device drivers if you have performed a factory reset of your Dell computer using the Dell Backup and Recovery | Dell US application or other factory-reset methods. This ensures that you have the latest device drivers installed on your computer and that the devices function optimally.
Installing or updating device drivers may lead to the following improvements:

Increases in system performance
Patched security risks
Expanded compatibility
Fixed device issues
Support for new features

However, if your computer is operating normally and there are no driver issues or updates being prompted by Windows, driver updates may be unnecessary. Updating drivers unnecessarily may create new problems.
Review the importance of each driver update on the DellSupport | Dell US page before assessing the need to continue with an update.

Introduction

CAUTION: This re-imaging guide is designed for system administrators. Do not attempt to re-image the system if you are not an administrator or are unsure of the procedures. Failure to follow instructions may result in permanent data loss.
NOTE: Information that is provided in this guide is only applicable to computers shipped with Windows 10 or Window 11 operating system.
Re-imaging is the process of removing all software on the computer and reinstalling the removed software. Re-imaging is required when software in the computer is corrupted or damaged and it can also be used as a means of removing harmful and malicious software in your computer. This re-imaging guide provides the steps that are required for re-imaging your computer.
This guide assists you in installing Dell-recommended software stack and settings, drivers, and applications, which are tested and validated on the computer. The installation of the listed drivers and applications as described in the guide enhances the optimal performance of your computer.
Dell also provides drivers and applications that are not included with the Windows operating system. These drivers are required to enable the following solid-state drives (SSDs):

128 GB SSD
256 GB PCIe SSD
512 GB PCIe SSD
1024 GB PCIe SSD
2048 GB PCIe SSD and larger capacity size PCIe SSDs

It is always recommended to re-image on a newly installed operating system and not from any previous image-build. Ensure BIOS settings, including SATA configurations and modes, are appropriately set and the latest drivers and applications are used when re-imaging the computer.

Order of reinstallation

NOTE: Some drivers and application installation steps may not be applicable, depending on the configuration of the computer you have ordered.
NOTE: The hidden partition in the shipping storage serves for the maintenance purpose and can recover from crisis. Dell recommends you keep the hidden partition before re-imaging.
To achieve optimal performance, install the drivers and applications in the following sequence:

BIOS: Enables the operating system and the initial setup process to be loaded into the memory on your computer.
Windows operating system: The operating system controls the computer’s hardware to be a base on which other software can operate on.
Intel chipset driver: Allows Windows to communicate and adjust settings on components on the system board which
includes:
• Intel Chipset Device Software Driver
• Intel Management Engine Components Installer
• Intel Serial IO Driver
• Intel HID Event Filter Driver
• Intel Thunderbolt Controller Driver
• Intel Dynamic Tuning Driver
• Intel Integrated Sensor Solution Driver
• Intel Manageability and Security Status Application
Networking and communication drivers, which include:
• Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) adapter driver:
• Enables and enhances the wireless adapter.
• Bluetooth driver: Enables and enhances the Bluetooth adapter.
• Onboard Local Area Network (LAN) driver
Install latest updates and drivers:
• For commercial computers, use Dell Command Updates (DCU).
• For consumer computers, use SupportAssist.
NOTE: Drivers can be downloaded and installed manually from the Drivers & Downloads.
Critical Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) updates: Microsoft updates that fix and optimize the operating system. For more information, see Windows release information.
Media-card reader driver: Enables and enhances the media-card reader.
Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST): Enables and enhances data storage vitalization for the storage drives installed in the computer.
Graphics driver:
• Enhances and optimizes video performance.
• Enables and provides additional functionality not included in the native
• Microsoft VGA driver, including:
• User-customizable power management features
• Portability and behavioral profiles
• Multiple-monitor support
Audio driver: Enables and enhances the audio controller.
Security drivers, which include Goodix Fingerprint Sensor.
Dell applications, which include: Dell Update application Dell Power Manager (DPM) Dell On-Screen Display application Dell Optimizer (DO)

Updating or resetting the BIOS

Updating the BIOS in Windows
About this task
It is recommended to update the BIOS is Windows when an update is available or when you replace the system board.
Steps

Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers.
In the Operating system drop-down, select the operating system that is installed on your computer.
In the Category drop-down list, select BIOS
Select the latest version of BIOS, and click Download to download the BIOS file for your computer.
After the download is complete, browse the folder where you saved the BIOS update file.
Double-click the BIOS update file icon and follow the on-screen instructions.
For more information, see knowledge base article 000124211 at www.dell.com/support.

Clearing CMOS settings

About this task If flashing your computer with the latest BIOS update results in your computer being unable to boot, a BIOS reset is necessary. Clearing the CMOS settings will reset the BIOS to factory settings. For more information about clearing the CMOS settings, go to www.dell.com/support and see your computer’s Service Manual .

Trusted Platform Module (TPM) security

About this task TPM must be enabled in the BIOS setup program for it to be deployed on the computer. Follow these steps to enable and configure the TPM:
Steps

Turn on or restart your computer.
Press F2 when the Dell logo is displayed on the screen to enter the BIOS setup program. The BIOS setup program is displayed.
On the left pane, select Security.
Select or clear any of the following options to enable or disable it, respectively:
• TPM state (Enabled or Disabled):
• Enabled: The BIOS will enable the TPM during POST and it can be accessed by the operating system.
• Disabled: The BIOS will not enable the TPM during POST and it cannot be accessed by the operating system.
• TPM 2.0 security On: The TPM is enabled and activated.
• Clear: The BIOS clears the information stored in the TPM.
Save the settings and exit.

Reinstalling the operating system

The Windows operating system is validated for use on this computer. You can reset or reinstall the operating system under different scenarios. For more information about reinstalling the operating system, see the knowledge base article Reset or Reinstall Windows 11 on Your Dell Computer | Dell US at www.dell.com/support.
For installing Windows on Intel 12th Generation computers using ISO images, see the knowledge base article Reset or Reinstall Windows 11 on Your Dell Computer | Dell US at www.dell.com/support.
Before attempting a reinstall of your operating system, Dell recommends that you backup all data as described in the Backup and Restore in Windows – Microsoft Support.

Reinstalling drivers and applications

Drivers and applications are software that enables Windows to communicate with the hardware devices and software in your computer. Devices such as video and sound cards require drivers to function correctly within Windows, and enable users to adjust hardware settings.
Windows includes drivers for most devices, but device-specific drivers may have to be downloaded and installed separately. Dell recommends that you download the device drivers for your Dell computer from Drivers & Downloads | Dell US.
Applications must be downloaded and installed separately. Dell recommends that you download the required applications for your Dell computer from the Dell Download Center | Dell US
Displaying drivers and applications on your computer
Steps

Turn on your computer.
Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers. 5. Select the Windows operating system installed on your computer to get a list of the drivers and applications available on your computer.

Reinstallation sequence for drivers and applications

Driver installation is critical after reinstalling the Windows operating system on your Dell computer. Install the drivers in the correct sequence for your computer to function correctly. In some scenarios, you may have to reinstall or update the device driver if you are encountering issues with a specific device.
For more information, see the Dell knowledge base article How to Install Dell Drivers in the Correct Order | Dell USat www.dell.com/support.
NOTE: The Windows operating system includes touchpad drivers; no other touchpad-driver installation is required.
NOTE: The Windows operating system includes the webcam drivers; no additional webcam-driver installation is required. For video capture or streaming, users can install webcam software available from third-party providers.
Dell recommends installing drivers or applications in the following sequence.

Intel chipset device software

The Windows operating system may not include the updated Intel chipset device software for Dell computers. The Intel chipset device software is available on Dell’s support site www.dell.com/support.
Downloading and installing the chipset driver
Steps

Turn on your computer.
Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers.
In the Category drop-down, select Chipset.
Click Download to download the chipset driver for your computer.
After the download is complete, go to the folder where you saved the chipset driver file.
Double-click the chipset driver file icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

Intel Management Engine driver

Intel Management Engine driver enables the advance manageability features. To obtain manageability functionality, install the relevant Intel ME drivers from the www.dell.com/support.
Downloading and installing the Intel Management Engine Components Installer
Steps

Turn on your computer.
Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers.
In the Category drop-down, select Chipset.
Click Download to download the driver for your computer.
After the download is complete, go to the folder where you saved the Intel Management Engine Components driver file.
Double-click the chipset driver file icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

Downloading and installing the Intel Manageability and Security Status Application
Steps

Turn on your computer.
Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers.
In the Category drop-down, select Chipset.
Click Download to download the driver for your computer.
After the download is complete, go to the folder where you saved the Intel Manageability and Security Status driver file.
Double-click the chipset driver file icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

Critical Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) updates
Dell recommends installing all the latest available KB updates from the latest Windows Service Pack. Service packs are automatically downloaded and installed when Windows Updates are enabled and can also be manually downloaded and installed from the Microsoft support site. For more information, see Windows 10 – release information | Microsoft Learn.
Media-card reader driver
The Windows operating system does not include the media-card reader driver. Install the Realtek driver that is available for download from www.dell.com/support.
Downloading and installing the media-card reader driver
Steps

Turn on your computer.
Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers.
In the Category drop-down, select Chipset.
Click Download to download the media-card reader driver for your computer.
After the download is complete, go to the folder where you saved the card reader driver file.
Double-click the card reader driver file icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

PCI-E memory card reader driver

The Windows operating system does not include the PCI-E memory card reader driver. Install the Realtek Memory Card Reader driver that is available for download from www.dell.com/support.
Downloading and installing the PCI-E memory card reader driver
Steps

Turn on your computer.
Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers.
In the Category drop-down, select Chipset.
Click Download to download the driver for your computer.
After the download is complete, go to the folder where you saved the PCI-E memory card reader driver file.
Double-click the card reader driver file icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST)

The IRST software package enables and enhances high-performance Serial ATA (SATA) and SATA RAID capabilities for supported operating systems. The IRST software package provides an added protection against data loss in the event of a hard-drive failure.
NOTE: The following conditions must be met before you can install IRST on your computer.
Your computer has a RAID I/O controller hub (ICH).
If your computer does not have a RAID ICH, you cannot install IRST unless a third-party RAID controller card is installed.
Your RAID controller is enabled by default.
CAUTION: If a SATA hard drive is already installed, disabling the RAID controller (switch to AHCI mode) might cause your computer to display a blue screen and an error code followed by a system reboot.
Downloading and installing the IRST APPX
Steps

Turn on your computer.
Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers.
In the Category drop-down, select Serial ATA.
Click Download to download the IRST APPX for your computer
After the download is complete, go to the folder where you saved the IRST APPX file.
Double-click the IRST APPX file icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

Downloading and installing the IRST driver
Steps

Turn on your computer.
Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers.
In the Category drop-down, select Serial ATA.
Click Download to download the IRST driver for your computer.
After the download is complete, go to the folder where you saved the IRST driver file.
Double-click the driver file icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

Graphics

The Windows operating system includes the VGA-graphics driver only. For optimal graphics performance, install the Dell graphics driver applicable to your computer from www.dell.com/support.
Downloading and installing the Dell graphics driver
Steps

Turn on the computer.
Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers.
In the Category drop-down, select Video.
Click Download to download the graphics driver for your computer.
After the download is complete, go to the folder where you saved the graphics driver file.
Double-click the graphics driver file icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

Audio

The Windows operating system does not include the audio driver recommended by Dell. Install the HD audio driver available for download from www.dell.com/support.
Downloading and installing the Dell audio driver
Steps

Turn on the computer.
Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers.
In the Category drop-down, select Audio.
Click Download to download the audio driver for your computer.
After the download is complete, go to the folder where you saved the audio driver file.
Double-click the audio driver file icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

Dell On-Sceen Display Application

This package provides the application for Dell On-Screen Display. The software package is available on the www.dell.com/ support.
Downloading and installing the Dell OSD application
Steps

Turn on the computer.
Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers
In the Category drop-down, select Application.
Click Download to download the application for your computer.
After the download is complete, go to the folder where you saved the Dell OSD driver file.
Double-click the file icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

Wireless Local Network (WLAN) drivers and applications

The Windows operating system does not provide native-device driver support for WLAN controllers on Dell computers. To obtain wireless network functionality, install the relevant WLAN drivers from the Dell support site. WLAN applications, which provide additional features including enterprise authentication enhancements, can also be installed from the Dell support site.
Downloading and installing the Wi-Fi driver
Steps

Turn on the computer.
Go to www.dell.com/support.
In the Search support field, enter the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword of your computer, and then click Search.
NOTE: If you do not have the Service Tag/Serial Number/Service Request/Model/Keyword, use the SupportAssist feature to automatically identify your computer. You can also click Browse all products to manually browse for your computer.
Click Drivers & downloads > Find drivers.
In the Category drop-down, select Network.
Click Download to download the preferred Wi-Fi driver for your computer.
After the download is complete, go to the folder where you saved the Wi-Fi driver file.
Double-click the Wi-Fi driver file icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

NET Framework

The .NET Framework is a software framework from Microsoft, which is bundled with Windows operating systems. The .NET Framework is intended to be used by applications created for the Windows platform.

Getting help and contacting Dell

Self-help resources
You can get information and help on Dell products and services using these self-help resources:
Table 1. Self-help resources

Self-help resources	Resource location
Information about Dell products and services

www.dell.com
My Dell app| DELL
Tips|
Contact Support| In Windows search, type cont act support, and press Enter.
Online help for operating system| www.dell.com/support/windows
Access top solutions, diagnostics, drivers and downloads, and learn more about your computer through videos, manuals and documents.| Your Dell computer is uniquely identified by a Service Tag or Express Service Code. To view relevant support resources for your Dell computer, enter the Service Tag or Express Service Code at www.dell.com/support.
For more information on how to find the Service Tag for your computer, see Locate the Service Tag on your computer.
Dell knowledge base articles for a variety of computer concerns| 1.Go to www.dell.com/support.
2.On the menu bar at the top of the Support page, select Support > Knowledge Base.
3.In the Search field on the Knowledge Base page, type the keyword, topic, or model number, and then click or tap the search icon to view the related articles.

Contacting Dell

To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or customer service issues, see www.dell.com/contactdell.
NOTE: Availability varies by country/region and product, and some services may not be available in your country/region.
NOTE: If you do not have an active Internet connection, you can find contact information about your purchase invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog.