Acer 540 User Manual

TravelMate 540 series

User’s guide

TravelMate 540 series User’s guide Original Issue: July 2003

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 540 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.

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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 PDF (Portable Document Format). 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. For instructions on how to use Adobe Acrobat Reader, access the Help menu.

English

For more information about our products, services, and support information, please visit our Web site (global.acer.com

Basic care and tips for using your computer

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Turning your computer on and off

To turn on the computer, simply press and release the power button on the top left of your TravelMate. See page 3 for the location of the power button.

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

• Use the Windows shutdown command For Windows 2000: Click on Start, Shut Down..., and select Shut

down; then click on OK.

- or For Windows XP:

Turn Off .

• Use the power button

Note: You can also use the power button to perform power management functions. See Windows help for more information.

• 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).

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.

Click on Start, Turn o ff Comput er ; then click

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 0⁄C (32⁄F) or above 50⁄C (122⁄F).

• Do not subject the computer to magnetic fields.

• Do not expose the computer to rain or moisture.

• Do not spill water or any other 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

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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:

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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4 To clean the display screen, use an LCD cleaning kit.

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 49.

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 Left view 5 Right view 6 Rear view 7

Bottom view 9 Features 10 Indicators 12 Using the keyboard 14

Special keys 14 Touchpad 22

Touchpad basics 22 Storage 24

Hard Disk 24

Optical drive 24

Using software 25 Audio 26

Adjusting the volume 26 Power management 27 Moving around with your TravelMate 28

Disconnecting from the desktop 28

Moving around 28

Taking the computer home 29

Traveling with the computer 31

Traveling internationally with the computer 31 Securing your computer 33

Using a computer security lock 33

Using passwords 34

Contents

2 Customizing my computer 37

Expanding through options 39

Connectivity options 39

Connecting to Acer EasyPort replicator 43 Using system utilities 46

Notebook Manager 46

Launch Manager 46

BIOS Utility 47

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3 Troubleshooting my computer 49

Frequently-asked questions 51

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Requesting service 54

International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) 54 Before you call 54

Appendix A Specifications 57

Appendix B Notices 63

Index 73

1 Getting to know your

TravelMate

Your TravelMate computer combines high-

performance, 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 LCD (liquid-crystal display),

2 Launch keys Special keys for launching internet browser,

3 Power button Turns on the computer power.

displays computer output.

E-Mail program and frequently used programs. See “Launch Keys” on page 20 for more details.

# Item Description

1 Getting to know your TravelMate4

English

4 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which

5 Click buttons (left,

center and right)

6 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g.,

7 Floppy disc drive (or

card reader, if installed)

8 Floppy eject button Ejects floppy disc. (N/A when card reader

9 Speakers Outputs sound.

10 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands

11 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer.

12 Status indicators LEDs (light-emitting diode) that turn on and

functions like a computer mouse.

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

infrared printer, IR-aware computer).

Reads/writes data from/to the media.

installed.)

when you use the computer.

off to show the status of the computer, its functions and components.

13 Latch Latch for opening and closing the laptop.

Left view

# Item Description

1 Optical drive Houses an optical drive module (CD-ROM ,

DVD-ROM or DVD/CD-RW combo drive).

2 Optical drive

indicator

3 Eject button Ejects the drive tray.

4 Emergency eject slot Ejects the drive tray when the computer is

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

Lights up when the optical drive is active.

turned off. See page 52 for more details.

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6 PC Card slots Accepts two type II or one type III PC Card.

7 Headphone/

Speaker/Line-out jack

8 Microphone/Line-in

jack

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

Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., microphone, audio CD player, stereo walkman).

1 Getting to know your TravelMate6

Note: The positions of the optical drive indicator, eject button and

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emergency eject hole may differ depending on the optical drive module installed.

Right view

# Item Description

1 USB port Connects to Universal Serial Bus devices (e.g.,

USB mouse, USB camera).

2 Ventilation slot Enables the computer to stay cool, even after

3 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter.

prolonged use.

Rear view

# Item Description

1 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible

2 S-video Connects to a television or display device

3 External display

port

computer security lock.

with S-video input.

Connects to a display device (e.g., external monitor, LCD projector).

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4 Parallel port Connects to a parallel device (e.g., parallel

5 USB ports Connects to Universal Serial Bus devices (e.g.,

6 Expansion port Connects to I/O port replicator or expansion

printer).

USB mouse, USB camera).

devices (e.g., Acer EasyPort).

# Item Description

1 Getting to know your TravelMate8

English

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

network.

8 IEEE 1394 port Connects to an IEEE 1394 device.

9 Modem jack Connects to a phone line.

Bottom view

# Item Description

1 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.

2 Battery release latch Unlatches the battery to remove the

battery pack.

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3 Cooling fans Help keep the computer cool.

Note: Don’t cover or obstruct the opening of the fans.

4 HDD Houses the computer's Hard Disk.

5 FDD/card reader

cable connector cover

6 AcerMedia Bay Houses an AcerMedia drive module.

7AcerMedia Bay

release latch

Accesses the cable connectors for the FDD or card reader.

Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for removing the optical drive.

Features

1 Getting to know your TravelMate10

English

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

Performance

• Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with 512 KB level 2 cache featuring the new Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® technology

• Standard 256 MB DDR333 SDRAM, upgradeable to 2 GB on dual soDIMM sockets

• Integrated CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD/CD-RW combo or DVD-RW or DVD-Dual drive

• 30/40/60 GB or higher-capacity ATA/100 HDD

• Li-ion battery pack

• Power management system with ACPI (Advanced Configuration

Power Interface) 1.0b supporting Standby and Hibernation power saving modes

Display

• 14.1" Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) displaying 32-bit high true color up to 1024 x 768 eXtended Graphics Array (XGA) resolution

• 15" Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) displaying 32-bit high true color up to 1400 x 1050 Super eXtended Graphics Array (SXGA+) resolution

• 3D capabilities

• Simultaneous LCD and CRT display support

• S-video for output to a television or display device that supports S-

video input

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

• Dual display capability

Multimedia

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

• Dual built-in speakers

• Built-in microphone

• High-speed optical drive

Connectivity

• High-speed fax/data modem port

• Ethernet/Fast Ethernet port

• USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports

• IEEE 1394 port

• Fast Infrared (FIR) port

• Docking port for port replicator

• Inetgrated Invilink wireless LAN module

• Integrated Bluetooth module

Human-centric design and ergonomics

• Five launch keys, including internet browser, E-Mail and three user-programmable keys

• 4-way scroll button

• Sleek, smooth and stylish design

• Full-sized keyboard

• Ergonomically-centered touchpad pointing device

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Expansion

• Two type II or one type III CardBus PC Card slot

• Upgradeable memory

Indicators

1 Getting to know your TravelMate12

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The computer has seven easy-to-read status icons below the display screen and on the front. .

Icon Function Description

Power Lights green when the computer is on and

lights orange when the computer is in Standby mode.

Media activity Lights when the Hard Disk is active.

Battery charge Lights green when the battery is being

Wireless Communication

(applicable only when Wireless LAN or Bluetooth installed)

charged. Lights orange when the battery power is low

and is being charged.

Lights orange when the Wireless LAN capabilities are enabled.

Lignts blue when Bluetooth capabilities are enabled.

Icon Function Description

Caps lock Lights when Caps Lock is activated.

Num lock Lights when Num Lock is activated.

Scroll lock Lights when Scroll lock is activated.

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Using the keyboard

1 Getting to know your TravelMate14

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

Special 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 (Fn-F11)

Scroll Lock (Fn-F12)

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.

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.

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

Type numbers in a normal manner.

Hold Shift while using cursor-control keys.

Hold Fn while using cursor-control keys.

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Main keyboard keys Hold Fn while typing letters

on embedded keypad.

Type the letters in a normal manner.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate16

Windows keys

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

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Key Description

Windows logo key

Application key Opens a context menu (same as a right-click).

Start button. Combinations with this key perform shortcut functions. Below are a few examples:

+ Tab (Activates next taskbar button) + E (Explores My Computer) + F (Finds Document) + M (Minimizes All)

Shift + + M (Undoes Minimize All)

+ R (Displays the Run... dialog box)

Hot keys

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

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 Setup Launch Notebook Manager

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Fn-F3 Power

management scheme toggle

Fn-F4 Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep

Switches the power management scheme used by the computer (function available if supported by operating system).

See “Power management” on page 27.

mode. See “Power management” on

page 27.

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