Acer 4100, 4600 User Manual

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TravelMate 4100 / 4600 Series

User’s Guide

Copyright © 2004. Acer Incorporated.

All Rights Reserved.

TravelMate 4100 / 4600 Series User’s Guide

Original Issue: December 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 4100 / 4600 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.

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.

The 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:

1Click on Start, All Programs, AcerSystem.

2Click on AcerSystem User's guide.

Note: Viewing the file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader be installed. For instructions on how to use Adobe Acrobat Reader, access the Help and Support menu.

English

English

iv

Basic care and tips for using your computer

Turning your computer on and off

To turn on the computer, simply press and release the power button below the LCD screen beside the launch keys. See “Front view” on page 1 for the location of the power button.

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 button

Note: You can also use the power button to perform power management functions. See “Moving around with your Notebook PC” on page 29.

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 “Moving around with your Notebook PC” on page 29.

Note: If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and hold the power button 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.

v

 

Do not expose the computer to dust and dirt.

 

English

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.

Cleaning and servicing

When cleaning the computer, follow these steps:

1Power off the computer and remove the battery pack.

2Disconnect the AC adapter.

3Use a soft cloth moistened with water. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.

English

vi

If any of the following occurs:

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

The computer does not operate normally.

Please refer to “Frequently-asked questions” on page 53.

Caution

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user's authority, which is granted by the Federal Communications Commission, to operate this computer.

Operation conditions

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Users are requested to follow the RF safety instructions on wireless option devices that are included in the user's manual of each RF option device.

An improper installation or unauthorised use may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Also any tampering of the internal antenna will void the FCC certification and your warranty.

To prevent radio interference to the licensed service, this device is intended to be operated indoors and installation outdoors is subject to licensing.For more information about our products, services, and support information, please visit our website: http://global.acer.com/.

First things first

iii

Your guides

iii

Basic care and tips for using your computer

iv

Turning your computer on and off

iv

Taking care of your computer

iv

Taking care of your AC adapter

v

Taking care of your battery pack

v

Cleaning and servicing

v

A TravelMate tour

1

Front view

1

Closed front view

3

Left view

5

Right view

6

Rear view

7

Bottom view

8

Specifications

9

Indicators

12

Using the keyboard

14

Lock keys

14

Embedded numeric keypad

15

Windows keys

16

Hot keys

17

Special Keys

19

The Euro symbol

19

The US dollar sign

19

Launch keys

20

Touchpad

21

Touchpad basics

21

Ejecting the optical (CD or DVD) drive tray

23

Using a computer security lock

24

Audio

25

Adjusting the volume

25

Using system utilities

26

Acer eManager

26

Launch Manager

27

Acer GridVista

28

Moving around with your Notebook PC

29

Disconnecting from the desktop

29

Moving around

29

Preparing the computer

29

What to take to short meetings

30

What to bring to long meetings

30

Taking the computer home

30

Preparing the computer

30

Contents

What to take with you

31

Special considerations

31

Setting up a home office

32

Traveling with the computer

32

Preparing the computer

32

What to take with you

32

Special considerations

32

Traveling internationally with the computer

33

Preparing the computer

33

What to bring with you

33

Special considerations

33

Securing your computer

34

Using a computer security lock

34

Using passwords

34

Entering passwords

35

Setting passwords

35

Expanding through options

37

Connectivity options

37

Fax/Data modem

37

Built-in network feature

38

Fast Infrared

38

Universal Serial Bus

39

IEEE 1394 port

39

PC Card slot

40

BIOS Utility

42

Boot sequence

42

Disc to Disc Recovery enable

42

Password

42

Using software

43

Playing DVD movies

43

Power management

44

 

44

Acer eRecovery

45

Create backup

45

Restore from backup

46

Create factory default image CD

46

Re-install bundled software without CD

47

Change password

47

Acer disc-to-disc recovery

48

Multilingual operating system installation

48

Restore without a Recovery CD

48

Troubleshooting my computer

51

Frequently-asked questions

53

Troubleshooting tips

56

Error messages

56

Requesting service

57

International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW)

57

Before you call

58

Appendix A

 

Regulation & safety notices

59

Acer 4100, 4600 User Manual

1

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

English

#

Item

Description

 

 

 

1

Display screen

Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD),

 

 

displaying computer output.

 

 

 

2

Microphone

Internal microphone for sound recording.

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

English

 

#

Item

Description

 

 

 

 

3

Keyboard

Inputs data into your computer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

Palmrest

Comfortable support area for your hands

 

 

 

 

when you use the computer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

Click buttons

The left and right buttons function like the

 

 

 

(Left, center and right)

left and right mouse buttons; the center

 

 

 

 

button serves as a 4-way scroll button.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

Touchpad

Touch-sensitive pointing device which

 

 

 

 

functions like a computer mouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

Status indicators

Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that turn on

 

 

 

 

and off to show the status of the

 

 

 

 

computer’s functions and components.

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

Launch keys

Buttons for launching frequently used

 

 

 

 

programs. See “Launch keys” on page 20

 

 

 

 

for more details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

Power button

Turns the computer on and off.

 

 

 

 

 

Closed front view

3

English

#

Item

Description

1

Speakers

Left and right speakers deliver stereo audio

 

 

output.

2

Infrared port

Interfaces with infrared devices

 

 

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

3

Power indicator

Lights when the computer is on.

4

Battery indicator

Lights when the battery is being charged.

5

Bluetooth

Press to enable/disable Bluetooth function.

 

communication

Lights to indicate the status of Bluetooth

 

button/indicator

communications.

 

(for selected

 

 

models)

 

English

4

#

Item

Description

 

 

 

6

Wireless

Press to enable/disable Wireless function. Lights

 

communication

to indicate the status of wireless LAN

 

button/indicator

communications. (manufacturing option)

 

 

 

7

Line-in jack

Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD

 

 

player, stereo walkman).

 

 

 

8

Mic-in jack

Accepts inputs from external microphones.

 

 

 

9

Speaker/Line-Out/

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

 

Headphone jack

speakers, headphones).

 

 

 

10

USB 2.0 port

Connects to Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0

 

 

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

 

 

 

11

Latch

Locks and releases the lid.

 

 

 

Left view

5

English

#

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

 

 

 

4

Optical drive eject button

Ejects the optical drive tray from the

 

 

drive.

 

 

 

5

AcerMedia bay

Houses an AcerMedia drive module.

 

(for selected models)

 

 

 

 

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

English

6

Right view

#

Item

Description

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

IEEE 1394 port

Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

4-in-1 card reader

Accepts MS, MS PRO, MMC and SD card.

 

(for selected models)

Note: The 4-in-1 card reader is a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

manufacturing option, subject to

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

configuration. Only one card can operate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

at any given time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

Two USB 2.0 ports

Connect to Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

S-video port

Connects to a television or display device

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

with S-video input.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

Network jack

Connects to an Ethernet 10/100/1000-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

based network (for selected models).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

Modem jack

Connects to a phone line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

Ventilation slots

Enable the computer to stay cool, even

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

after prolonged use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rear view

7

English

#

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

124-pin Acer ezDock

Connects to Acer ezDock.

 

connector

 

 

(for selected models)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

Security keylock

Connects to a Kensington-compatible

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

computer security lock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

English

8

Bottom view

#

Item

Description

 

 

 

1

Hard disk bay

Houses the computer's hard disk

 

 

(secured by a screw).

 

 

 

2

AcerMedia bay

Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for

 

release latch

removal of drive.

 

(for selected models)

 

 

 

 

3

AcerMedia bay

Houses an AcerMedia drive module.

 

(for selected models)

 

 

 

 

4

Battery release latch

Unlatches the battery to remove the

 

 

battery pack.

 

 

 

5

Battery bay

Houses the computer's battery pack.

 

 

 

6

Battery lock

Locks the battery in place.

 

 

 

7

Cooling fan

Helps keep the computer cool.

 

 

Note: Do not cover or obstruct the

 

 

opening of the fan.

 

 

 

8

Memory compartment

Houses the computer's main memory and

 

 

Mini PCI Card.

 

 

 

9

Specifications

Microprocessor

Intel® Pentium® M Processor at 1.5 ~ 2.13 GHz or higher

Intel® Celeron® M Processor at 1.3 ~ 1.6 GHz or higher

Memory

256/512 MB of DDR333 SDRAM standard, upgradeable to 2048 MB with dual soDIMM modules

512 KB flash ROM BIOS

Data storage

One 40 GB and above E-IDE hard disk (2.5”, 9.5mm, UltraDMA-100)

One internal optical drive, or

One 5.25-inch internal removable optical drive (AcerMedia bay, for selected models)

4-in-1 Card Reader (for selected models)

Display and video

Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) displaying at:

-15.0” XGA (1024x768)

-15.4” WXGA (1280x800)

-15.0” SXGA+ (1400x1050)

ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON™ X600 with 64/128 MB of video memory (for selected models)

Simultaneous LCD and CRT display support

Dual independent display

"Automatic LCD dim" feature that automatically decides the best settings for your display and conserves power

Connectivity

Integrated 10/100/1000 Mbps Fast Ethernet connection (1000Mpbs for selected models)

Built-in 56Kbps fax/data modem

Three Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 ports

English

 

10

 

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

English

LAN (for selected models)

 

 

Bluetooth® (for selected models)

 

Audio

 

 

16-bit AC’97 stereo audio

 

Dual speakers and one internal microphone

 

Separate audio ports for headphone-out, line-in and microphone-

 

in devices

Keyboard and pointing device

88/89-key Windows keyboard

Ergonomically-centered touchpad pointing device with scroll function

Acer FineTouch™ keyboard with a 5-degree curve

I/O ports

One Type II PC Card slot

One RJ-11 phone jack (V.92, 56Kbps modem)

One RJ-45 network jack

One DC-in jack (AC adapter)

One 124-pin Acer ezDock connector (for selected models)

One external monitor port

One speaker/headphone-out jack

One audio line-in jack

One microphone-in jack

One Infrared (FIR) port

One IEEE 1394 port

One S-video TV-out port

Three USB 2.0 ports

4-in-1 MS/MS Pro/MMC/SD card reader (for selected models)

Weight (with battery)

6.6 lbs (3 kg)

11

Dimensions

-360 (W) x 273 (D) x27/32 (H) mm

Environment

Temperature:

-Operating: 5°C ~ 35°C

-Non-operating: -20°C ~ 65°C

Humidity (non-condensing):

-Operating: 20% ~ 80% RH

-Non-operating: 20% ~ 80% RH

System

Microsoft® Windows® XP Home/Pro/MCE (MCE for selected models)

ACPI 1.0b support

DMI 2.0-compliant

Wi-Fi®-compliant

CCX compliant (for selected models)

Power

8-cell (65W) or 4-cell (32W) Li-ion battery pack

65W AC adapter 19V 3.42A

Options

256MB/512MB/1GB memory upgrade module

Additional 65W AC adapter

Addition Li-ion battery pack

Additional hard disk

USB floppy drive

Second hard disk (AcerMedia bay, for selected models)

Second 6-cell battery pack (AcerMedia bay, for selected models)

Acer ezDock (for selected models)

English

Note: The specifications listed above are for reference only. The exact configuration of your PC depends on the model purchased.

English

12

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Num Lock

Lights when Num Lock is activated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Media activity

Lights when the hard disk or optical drive is active.

 

 

 

 

13

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

English

Icon

Function

Description

 

Power

Lights when the computer is on.

 

Battery indicator

Lights when the battery is being charged.

1.Charging: the light shows amber when the battery is charging.

2.Fully charged: light shows green when in AC mode.

English

14

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

 

uppercase.

 

 

Num Lock

When Num Lock is on, the embedded keypad is in numeric

(Fn-F11)

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.

 

 

Scroll Lock

When Scroll Lock is on, the screen moves one line up or down

(Fn-F12)

when you press the up or down arrow keys respectively.

 

Scroll Lock does not work with some applications.

 

 

15

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.

English

Desired Access

Num Lock On

Num Lock Off

 

 

 

Number keys on

Type numbers in a normal

 

embedded keypad

manner.

 

 

 

 

Cursor-control keys

Hold Shift while using

Hold Fn while using

on embedded

cursor-control keys.

cursor-control keys.

keypad

 

 

Main keyboard keys

Hold Fn while typing letters

 

on embedded keypad.

Type the letters in a normal manner.

English

16

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.

 

 

Application key

This key has the same effect as clicking the right mouse

 

button; it opens the application's context menu.

 

 

 

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