The replacement program was introduced by Dell to remedy a bad component that could short out and render the notebook unable to power up, when turned on.

Dell will replace the flawed motherboards inside nearly 20,000 Inspiron 2650 laptop models manufactured between the middle of November and the middle of December 2002, instead of requiring owners to send in their systems for repair, the PC maker will go to them.

"We are proactively contacting customers to schedule a service call at their convenience, at which time a Dell-authorized service representative will come out and replace the motherboard," said company spokeswoman Anne Camden.

The company has already notified many of the owners of the affected models. It started doing so in February by letter and phone call, Camden said.

Dell has replaced components on a large-scale basis in the past. In 2001, it replaced 284,000 flawed notebook batteries after a report that at least one had caused a notebook to catch fire. And in 2000, it replaced faulty memory modules in between 200,000 and 400,000 laptops.

Inspiron 2650 customers with questions can contact Dell's technical support department at (800) 822-8965. Customers outside the United States should call local Dell tech support numbers.