Acer 2300, 4000, 4500 User Manual

TravelMate

2300/4000/4500 Series

User’s Guide

TravelMate 2300/4000/4500 Series User’s Guide Original Issue: July 2004

Changes may be made periodically to the information in this publication without obligation to notify any person of such revision or changes. Such changes will be incorporated in new editions of this manual or supplementary documents and publications. This company makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Record the model number, serial number, purchase date, and place of purchase information in the space provided below. The serial number and model number are recorded on the label affixed to your computer. All correspondence concerning your unit should include the serial number, model number, and purchase information.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated.

TravelMate 2300/4000/4500 Series Notebook Computer

Model Number : __________________________________

Serial Number: ___________________________________

Purchase Date: ___________________________________

Place of Purchase: ________________________________

Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Incorporated. Other company's product names or trademarks are used herein for identification purposes only and belong to their respective companies.

iii

First things first

We would like to thank you for making the TravelMate series of notebook computers your choice for your mobile computing needs. We hope you will be happy with your TravelMate as much as we enjoyed making it for you.

Your guides

To help you use your TravelMate, we have designed a set of guides:

First off, the Just for starters... poster helps you get started with setting up your computer.

This User’s guide introduces you to the many ways your computer can help you be more productive. This guide provides clear and concise information about the computer, so read it thoroughly.

If you ever need to print out a copy, this User’s guide is also available in Portable Document Format (PDF). Follow these steps:

1 Click on Start, All Programs, AcerSystem. 2 Click on AcerSystem User’s guide. Note: Viewing the file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader

installed. If Adobe Acrobat Reader is not installed on your computer, clicking on TravelMate User’s guide will run the Acrobat Reader setup program first. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. For instructions on how to use Adobe Acrobat Reader, access the Help and Support menu.

English

Basic care and tips for using your computer

English

Turning your computer on and off

To turn on the computer, simply press and release the power switch below the LCD screen beside the launch keys. See “Front view” on page 3 for the location of the power switch.

To turn the power off, do any of the following:

• Use the Windows shutdown command Click on Start, Turn Off Computer; then click on Turn Off.

• Use the power switch

Note: You can also use the power switch to perform power management functions. See “Power management” on page 28.

• Use the customized functions for power management You can also shut down the computer by closing the display cover,

or by pressing the sleep hot key (Fn-F4). See “Power management” on page 28.

Note: If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and hold the power switch for more than four seconds to shut down the computer. If you turn off the computer and want to turn it on again, wait at least two seconds before powering up.

Taking care of your computer

Your computer will serve you well if you take care of it.

• Do not expose the computer to direct sunlight. Do not place it near sources of heat, such as a radiator.

• Do not expose the computer to temperatures below 0ºC (32ºF) or above 50ºC (122ºF).

• Do not subject the computer to magnetic fields.

• Do not expose the computer to rain or moisture.

• Do not spill water or any liquid on the computer.

• Do not subject the computer to heavy shock and vibration.

• Do not expose the computer to dust and dirt.

• Never place objects on top of the computer to avoid damaging the computer.

• Do not slam the computer display when you close it.

• Never place the computer on uneven surfaces.

Taking care of your AC adapter

Here are some ways to take care of your AC adapter:

• Do not connect the adapter to any other device.

• Do not step on the power cord or place heavy objects on top of it.

Carefully route the power cord and any cables away from personal traffic.

• When unplugging the power cord, do not pull on the cord itself but pull on the plug.

• The total ampere ratings of the equipment plugged in should not exceed the ampere rating of the cord if you are using an extension cord. Also, the total current rating of all equipment plugged into a single wall outlet should not exceed the fuse rating.

Taking care of your battery pack

Here are some ways to take care of your battery pack:

• Use only batteries of the same kind as replacements. Turn the power off before removing or replacing batteries.

• Do not tamper with batteries. Keep them away from children.

• Dispose of used batteries according to local regulations.

Recycle if at all possible.

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Cleaning and servicing

When cleaning the computer, follow these steps: 1 Power off the computer and remove the battery pack.

2 Disconnect the AC adapter. 3 Use a soft cloth moistened with water. Do not use liquid or

aerosol cleaners.

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If any of the following occurs:

• The computer has been dropped or the body has been damaged.

• Liquid has been spilled into the product.

• The computer does not operate normally.

Please refer to "Troubleshooting my computer" on page 53.

First things first iii

Your guides iii Basic care and tips for using your computer iv

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 1

A TravelMate tour 3

Front view 3 Closed front view 5 Left view 7 Right view 8 Rear view 9

Bottom view 10 Features 11 Indicators 13 Using the keyboard 15

Lock keys 15

Embedded numeric keypad 16

Windows keys 17

Hot keys 18

Special Key 20

Launch keys 21 Touchpad 23

Touchpad basics 23 Storage 25

Hard disk 25

Optical drive 25

AcerMedia bay (only in TravelMate 4500) 26 Audio 28

Adjusting the volume 28 Power management 28 Moving around with your TravelMate 29

Disconnecting from the desktop 29

Moving around 29

Taking the computer home 30

Traveling with the computer 32

Traveling internationally with the computer 32 Securing your computer 34

Using a computer security lock 34

Contents

2 Customizing my computer 37

Expanding through options 39

Connectivity options 39 Upgrade options 45

Using system utilities 48

Acer eManager 48 Launch Manager 49 BIOS Utility 49

D to D Recovery (Disc to Disc) 50

Multilingual operating system installation 50 Restore without a Recovery CD 50 Setup password and exit 51

3 Troubleshooting my computer 53

Frequently-asked questions 55 Troubleshooting tips 58 Error messages 59 Requesting service 60

ITW 60 Before you call 61

Appendix A Specifications 63

Appendix B Regulation & safety notices 69

Index 85

1 Getting to know your

TravelMate

Your TravelMate computer combines highperformance, versatility, power management features and multimedia capabilities with a unique style and ergonomic design. Work with unmatched productivity and reliability with your new power computing partner.

A TravelMate tour

After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Just for starters... poster, let us show you around your new TravelMate computer.

Front view

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# Item Description

1 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD),

displaying computer output.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate4

# Item Description

English

2 Microphone Internal microphone for sound recording.

3 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer.

4 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands

5 Click buttons

(Left, center and right)

6 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which

7 Status indicators Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that turn on

8 Launch keys Buttons for launching frequently used

9 Power button Turns the computer on and off.

when you use the computer.

The left and right buttons function like the left and right mouse buttons; the center button serves as a 4-way scroll button.

functions like a computer mouse.

and off to show the status of the computer’s functions and components.

programs. See“Launch keys” on page 21 for more details.

Closed front view

# Item Description

1 Speakers Left and right speakers deliver stereo audio

2 Infrared port

(Manufacturing option)

3 Power indicator Lights when the computer is on.

output.

Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g., infrared printer and IR-aware computer).

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4 Battery indicator Lights when the battery is being charged.

5 Bluetooth

communications

6 Wireless

communications

Lights to indicate the status of Bluetooth (optional) communications.

Lights to indicate the status of wireless LAN (optional) communications.

# Item Description

1 Getting to know your TravelMate6

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7 Line-in/Mic-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD

player, stereo walkman).

8 Line-in/Mic-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD

9 Speaker/Line-Out/

Headphone jack

10 USB 2.0 port Connects to Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0

11 Latch Locks and releases the lid.

player, stereo walkman).

Connects to audio line-out devices (e.g., speakers, headphones).

devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB camera).

Left view

# Item Description

1 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or

DVDs depending on the optical drive type.

2 LED indicator Lights up when the optical drive is

active.

3 Emergency eject hole Ejects the optical drive tray when the

computer is turned off. See page 56 for more details.

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4 Optical drive eject button Ejects the optical drive tray from the

drive.

5AcerMedia bay

(Manufacturing option)

Note: The positions of the AcerMedia indicator, eject button and emergency eject hole may differ depending on the optical drive module installed.

Houses an AcerMedia drive module.

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1 Getting to know your TravelMate8

Right view

# Item Description

1 IEEE 1394 port

(Manufacturing option)

2 PC Card slot eject button Ejects the PC Card from the slot.

3 PC Card slot Connects to one Type II CardBus PC Card.

4 3-in-1 card reader Accepts MS, MMC and SD card.

5 Two USB 2.0 ports Connect to Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0

6 S-video port

(Manufacturing option)

7 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100/1000-

Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.

Note: The 3-in-1 card reader is a manufacturing option, subject to configuration. Only one card can operate at any given time.

devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB camera).

Connects to a television or display device with S-video input.

based network (manufacturing option).

8 Modem jack Connects to a phone line.

9 Ventilation slots Enable the computer to stay cool, even

after prolonged use.

Rear view

# Item Description

1 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter.

2 External display port Connects to a display device (e.g., external

monitor, LCD projector).

3 100-pin port replicator

connector (Manufacturing option)

Connects to an I/O port replicator, or Acer EasyPort expansion devices.

English

4 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible

computer security lock.

English

1 Getting to know your TravelMate10

Bottom view

# Item Description

1 Cooling fan Helps keep the computer cool.

Note: Do not cover or obstruct the opening of the fan.

2 Battery lock Locks the battery in place.

3 Memory compartment Houses the computer's main memory.

4 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk

5AcerMedia bay

release latch

6 AcerMedia bay Houses an AcerMedia drive module.

7 Battery release latch Unlatches the battery to remove the

8 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.

(secured by a screw).

Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for removing the optical drive. (Only in TravelMate 4500)

battery pack.

Features

Below is a brief summary of the computer’s many features:

Performance

• Intel® Pentium® M Processor 705, 715, 725, 735, 745, 755, or

Intel® Celeron® M Processor 320, 330

• Intel® 855GME or 852GM chipset (manufacturing option)

• 256/512 MB of DDR333 SDRAM standard, upgradeable to 2048 MB

with dual soDIMM modules

• 30 GB and above high-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk

• Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) power

management system

• Internal removable optical drive (AcerMedia bay)

• Li-ion main battery pack

Display

• The TFT LCD panel providing a large viewing area for maximum

efficiency and ease-of-use:

- 14.1” XGA (1024x768) resolution

- 15.0” XGA (1024x768) or SXGA+ (1400x1050) resolution

- 15.4” WXGA (1280x800) or WSXGA+ (1680x1050) resolution

• ATI MOBILITY ™ RADEON™ 9700 with 64MB of video memory

(manufacturing option)

• 3D graphics support

• Simultaneous LCD and CRT monitor, and other display devices like

projector support

• "Automatic LCD dim" feature that automatically deciding the best

settings for your display and conserves power

• Dual independent display

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Multimedia

• High-speed drive:

DVD/CD-RW Combo, DVD-Dual or DVD-Super Multi

• 16-bit high-fidelity AC’97 stereo audio

• Built-in microphone and dual speakers

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1 Getting to know your TravelMate12

Connectivity

• Integrated 10/100/1000 Mbps Fast Ethernet connection (manufacturing option)

• Built-in 56Kbps fax/data modem

• Fast infrared wireless communication (manufacturing option)

• IEEE 1394 port (manufacturing option)

• Three Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 ports

• InviLink™ 802.11b/g or 802.11a/b/g dual-band tri-mode Wireless

LAN (manufacturing option)

• Bluetooth® (manufacturing option)

• 100-pin port replicator connector (manufacturing option)

• SD/MMC/MS memory card reader (manufacturing option)

Human-centric design and ergonomics

• Rugged, yet extremely portable design

• Stylish appearance

• Full-size keyboard with four programmable launch keys

• Ergonomically-centered touchpad pointing device

• Acer FineTouch™ keyboard with a 5-degree curve

• Internet 4-way scroll button

Expansion

• One Tpye II CardBus PC Card slot

• Upgradeable memory modules

• Acer EasyPort (only in TravelMate 4500)

Indicators

The computer has three easy-to-read status icons on the upper-right above the keyboard.

Icon Function Description

Caps Lock Lights when Caps Lock is activated.

English

Num Lock Lights when Num Lock is activated.

Media activity Lights when the hard disk or optical drive is active.

English

1 Getting to know your TravelMate14

In addition, there are two indicators at the front panel. Even when the cover is closed, the state or features can still be seen.

Icon Function Description

Power Lights when the computer is on.

Battery indicator Lights when the battery is being charged.

Using the keyboard

The keyboard has full-sized keys and an embedded keypad, separate cursor keys, two Windows keys and twelve function keys.

Lock keys

The keyboard has three lock keys which you can toggle on and off.

Lock Key Description

Caps Lock When Caps Lock is on, all alphabetic characters typed are in

Num Lock (Fn-F11)

uppercase.

When Num Lock is on, the embedded keypad is in numeric mode. The keys function as a calculator (complete with the arithmetic operators +, -, *, and /). Use this mode when you need to do a lot of numeric data entry. A better solution would be to connect an external keypad.

English

Scroll Lock (Fn-F12)

When Scroll Lock is on, the screen moves one line up or down when you press the up or down arrow keys respectively. Scroll Lock does not work with some applications.

English

1 Getting to know your TravelMate16

Embedded numeric keypad

The embedded numeric keypad functions like a desktop numeric keypad. It is indicated by small characters located on the upper right corner of the keycaps. To simplify the keyboard legend, cursor-control key symbols are not printed on the keys.

Desired Access Num Lock On Num Lock Off

Number keys on embedded keypad

Cursor-control keys on embedded keypad

Main keyboard keys Hold Fn while typing letters

Type numbers in a normal manner.

Hold Shift while using cursor-control keys.

on embedded keypad.

Hold Fn while using cursor-control keys.

Type the letters in a normal manner.

Windows keys

The keyboard has two keys that perform Windows-specific functions.

Key Description

Windows key Pressed alone, this key has the same effect as clicking

on the Windows Start button; it launches the Start menu. It can also be used with other keys to provide a variety of functions:

+ Tab Activates the next Taskbar button. + E Opens the My Computer window. + F1 Opens Help and Support. + F Opens the Find: All Files dialog box.

+ M Minimizes all windows. Shift + + M Undoes the minimize all windows ( + M) action.

+ R Opens the Run dialog box.

English

Application key This key has the same effect as clicking the right mouse

button; it opens the application's context menu.

English

1 Getting to know your TravelMate18

Hot keys

The computer employs hot keys or key combinations to access most of the computer’s controls like screen brightness, volume output and the BIOS Utility.

To activate hot keys, press and hold the Fn key before pressing the other key in the hot key combination.

Hot Key Icon Function Description

Fn-F1 Hot key help Displays help on hot keys.

Fn-F2 Acer eSetting Launches the Acer eSetting

in the Acer eManager set by the Acer Empowering Key. See “Acer eManager” on page 48.

Fn-F3 Acer

ePowerManagement

Fn-F4 Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep

Launches the Acer ePowerManagement in the Acer eManager set by the Acer Empowering Key. See “Acer eManager” on page

48.

mode.

Hot Key Icon Function Description

Fn-F5 Display toggle Switches display output

between the display screen, external monitor (if connected) and both the display screen and external monitor.

Fn-F6 Screen blank Turns the display screen

backlight off to save power. Press any key to return.

Fn-F7 Touchpad toggle Turns the internal touchpad

on and off.

Fn-F8 Speaker toggle Turns the speakers on and

off.

Fn-↑ Volume up Increases the sound volume.

Fn-↓ Volume down Decreases the sound volume.

Fn-→ Brightness up Increases the screen

brightness.

English

Fn-

←

Alt Gr-$ US dollar Types the US dollar sign.

Alt GrEuro

Brightness down Decreases the screen

brightness.

Euro Types the Euro symbol.

English

1 Getting to know your TravelMate20

Special Key

You can locate the Euro symbol and US dollar sign at the upper-center and/or bottom-right of your keyboard. To type:

The Euro symbol

1 Open a text editor or word processor. 2 Either directly press the Euro symbol at the bottom-right of the

keyboard, or hold Alt Gr and then press the Euro symbol at the upper-center of the keyboard.

The US dollar sign

1 Open a text editor or word processor. 2 Either directly press the dollar sign at the bottom-right of the

keyboard, or hold Alt Gr and then press the dollar sign at the upper-center of the keyboard.

Note: This function varies by the operating system version.

Launch keys

Located at the upper-right above the keyboard are four buttons. These buttons are called launch keys. They are designated as the mail, Web browser, Empowering and programmable keys.

Press the Acer Empowering Key to run the Acer eManager. Please see “Acer eManager” on page 48. The mail and Web browser are default for Email and Internet programs, but can be reset by users. To set the mail, Web browser and programmable keys, run the Acer Launch Manager. See “Launch Manager” on page 49.

English

No. Description Default Application

1 Mail Email application (User-programmable)

2 Web browser Internet browser application

(User-programmable)

3 e Acer eManager application (User-programmable)

4 P User-programmable

+ 66 hidden pages