Acer ALTOS G500 Manual

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Acer Altos G500

User’s guide

Acer Altos G500

User’s guide

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 correspondense 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.

Model Number : _________________________________

Serial Number: ___________________________________

Purchase Date: ___________________________________

Place of Purchase: ________________________________

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

iii

Notices

FCC notice

This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This device generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.

However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this device does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the device off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

•Increase the separation between the device and receiver

•Connect the device into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected

•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help

Notice: Shield cables

All connections to other computing devices must be made using shielded cables to maintain compliance with FCC regulations.

Notice: Peripheral devices

Only peripherals (input/output devices, terminals, printers, etc.) certified to comply with the Class B limits may be attached to this equipment. Operation with noncertified peripherals is likely to result in interference to radio and TV reception.

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.

Use conditions

This part 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.

Notice: Canadian users

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Remarque à l’intention des utilisateurs canadiens

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respected toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.

Important safety instructions

Read these instructions carefully. Save these instructions for future reference.

1Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product.

2Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.

3Do not use this product near water.

4Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table. The product may fall, causing serious damage to the product.

5Slots and openings in the cabinet and the back or bottom are provided for ventilation; to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating, these openings must not be blocked or covered. The openings should never be blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface. This product should never be placed near or over a radiator or heat register, or in a built-in installation unless proper ventilation is provided.

6This product should be operated from the type of power indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power available, consult your dealer or local power company.

7Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate this product where persons will walk on the cord.

8If an extension cord is used with this product, make sure that the total ampere rating of the equipment plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the extension cord ampere rating. Also, make sure that the total rating of all products plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed the fuse rating.

9Never push objects of any kind into this product through cabinet slots as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.

10Do not attempt to service this product yourself, as opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage points or other risks. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.

11Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions:

a When the power cord or plug is damaged or frayed b If liquid has been spilled into the product

c If the product has been exposed to rain or water

d If the product does not operate normally when the operating instructions are followed. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions since improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to normal condition.

e If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged

f If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance, indicating a need for service.

12Replace the battery with the same type as the product's battery we recommend. Use of another battery may present a risk of fire or explosion. Refer battery replacement to a qualified serviceman.

13Warning! Batteries may explode if not handled properly. Do not disassemble or dispose of them in fire. Keep them away from children and dispose of used batteries promptly.

14Use only the proper type of power supply cord set (provided in your accessories box) for this unit. It should be a detachable type: UL listed/CSA certified, type SPT-2, rated 7A 125V minimum, VDE approved or its equivalent. Maximum length is 15 feet (4.6 meters).

Laser compliance statement

The CD-ROM drive in this computer is a laser product. The CD-ROM drive’s classification label (shown below) is located on the drive.

CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT

CAUTION: INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION WHEN OPEN. AVOID EXPOSURE TO BEAM.

Notices	iii
FCC notice	iii
Important safety instructions	iv
Laser compliance statement	vi

1 System overview	1
Overview	3
Processors	3
Memory	3
System chipsets	4
Expansion slots	5
Hardware management support	6
Features summary	7

2 System tour	9
External and internal structure	11
Front panel	11
Rear panel	12
Internal components	13
Keyboard	15
Mouse	18
Disk drives	19
3.5-inch floppy drive	19
CD-ROM drive	20
Setting up your system	21
Preinstallation requirements	21
Basic connections	22
Connecting the USB keyboard	22
Connecting the PS/2 mouse	23
Connecting the VGA monitor	24
Connecting to the network	24
Connecting the power cable	25
Turning on your system	27
Power-on problems	28
Turning off your system	29
Connecting options	30
Printer	30
USB devices	30
3 Upgrading your system	33

Contents

Installation precautions

ESD precautions	35
Preinstallation instructions	35
Post-installation instructions	36
Opening your system	37
Opening the front panel door	37
Removing the front panel door	37
Opening the side panel	38
Mainboard layout	40
Installing and removing storage devices	44
Replacing the 3.5-inch floppy drive	44
Replacing a 5.25-inch storage device (optional)	45
Removing and installing the CPU	48
Removing a CPU	48
Installing a CPU	48
Removing and installing memory modules	50
Removing a DIMM	50
Installing a DIMM	51
Installing expansion cards	53
Installing an external redundant system fan (optional)	55

4 BIOS Setup utility	57
BIOS Setup utility	59
Entering Setup	60
System Information	62
Product Information	64
Disk Drives	65
IDE Channel Type	67
Onboard Peripherals	69
Power Management	72
Boot Options	75
Date and Time	77
System Security	78
Setting and changing the password	79
Removing a password	81
IPMI Configuration	82
RDM Configuration	85
Advanced Options	89
Memory/Cache Options	90
PnP/PCI Options	91
CPU Frequency	94
Load Default Settings	96
Abort Settings Change	97
Exit Setup	98

Appendix A: ASM Pro quick installation guide

Installing ASM Pro System requirements System setup

Installing ASM Pro Console Installing ASM Pro Server Agent

Installing RDM

System requirements

Connecting communication peripherals RDM Console setup

Installing AWM and Microsoft Internet Information Service (IIS)

System requirements Installing AWM Setting up Microsoft IIS Running AWM

99	Contents

101

102

109

110

113

115

116

117

Index

119

1 System overview

The Acer Altos G500 server model is a powerful dual-processor system loaded with a host of new and innovative features. The system offers a new standard for flexible productivity ideal for local or wide area networks and multiuser server environments.

Overview

The Acer Altos G500 server models utilizes a PCI bus based dualprocessor mainboard built on an ATX baseboard. It comes with a dual FC-PGA (Flip-Chip Pin-Grip Array) processor socket utilizing the Intel® Pentium® III processor integrated with the VIA Pro 266T chipset. The mainboard also integrates the Intel® 82550 10/100 Mbps PCI Ethernet chipset that supports WOL (Wake on LAN) for better remote site management.

For expandability, the mainboard includes one AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus, five PCI bus slots and four DIMM sockets that allow memory installation to a maximum of 4 GB using 512-MB DDR SDRAM (double data rate Synchronous DRAM) modules.

For connectivity, the mainboard provides two USB (Universal Serial Bus) connectors, PS/2 interface for both mouse and keyboard and other standard features such as two UART NS16C550 serial ports, enhanced parallel port with Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP)/Extended Capabilities Port (ECP) support and one RJ-45 network port.

The system is fully compatible with MS-DOS V6.X, Novell Netware, Red Hat Linux, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and SCO Unixware.

Processors

The Pentium III processor delivers higher performance than previous Pentium processors while maintaining binary compatibility with all previous Intel Architecture processors.

The mainboard supports 100 or 133 MHz GTL+ host bus frequencies for one Pentium III processor running at 1GHz, 1.13 GHz, 1.26 GHz and future generation of Pentium III processors.

Memory

The four DIMM sockets on board accept 128-, 256-, 512-MB and 1-GB DDR SDRAM modules for a maximum memory upgrade capacity of up to 4 GB. For data integrity, the default setting of the ECC (errorcorrecting code) function of the memory system in BIOS is enabled. See “Memory/Cache Options” on page 90 for more on this BIOS setting.

1 System overview

Note: The DDR SDRAM module should work under 3.3 volts only; 5-volt memory devices are not supported.

The mainboard supports 266 MHz DDR-SDRAM (PC-2100) module.

System chipsets

VIA Pro266T chipset

The VIA Pro266T chipset was specifically designed to meet the needs of high performance systems. It consists of two components: VT8653 (north bridge) and VT8233 (south bridge).

•VT8653 (north bridge) provides the host interface, memory system control interface, PCI interface, and AGP interface to boost graphics performance.

•VT8233 (south bridge) integrates super I/O functions like keyboard and mouse interface, floppy disk controller, advanced digital data separator, two compatible serial ports (UARTs), one parallel port, on-chip 12 mA AT bus drivers, one floppy direct drive support, and Intelligent Power Management support.

SCSI subsystem

The dual-channel AIC-7899 single-chip host adapter delivers Ultra 160/m SCSI data transfer rates which double the Ultra-2 SCSI data transfer rate of up to 160 MByte/s. With two channels, it delivers a total of 320 MByte/s bandwidth. In addition, the AIC-7899 features a 66 MHz, 64-bit PCI interface that supports zero wait-state memory which also operates on 33 MHz, 32-bit PCI buses. It supports up to 15 devices on a 12-meter cable (or 25 meters in a point-to-point configuration), making it ideal for both clustering and RAID configurations.

LAN subsystem

Another cost-effective feature for network solutions is the integration of Intel’s 82550 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet controller which supports:

•Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) 1.20A-based power management

•wake on Magic Packet

•wake on Interesting Packet

•advanced System Management Bus (SMB) based manageability

•Wired for Management (WfM) 2.0 compliance

•IP checksum assist

•PCI 2.2 compliance

•PC 2001 compliance

Expansion slots

AGP bus

AGP is solely developed for the purpose of supporting 3D graphic applications. The AGP Pro (50) slot has a 32-bit wide channel that runs at 66 MHz, which translates into a total bandwidth of 266 MBps. This is twice the bandwidth of PCI buses (133 MBps). AGP also accesses the main memory directly allowing 3D textures to be stored in main memory rather than video memory.

PCI bus

The mainboard has five PCI buses that support 32-bit/33 MHz PCI devices. The PCI bus is the key interface that communicates between the north and the south bridge.

6	1 System overview

Hardware management support

The mainboard supports a power management function that conforms to the power saving standards of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star program. It also offers Plug-and-Play feature which helps save users from configuration problems, thus making the system more user-friendly.

Additional features include hardware support for ASM Pro (Advanced System Manager Pro) and RDM (Remote Diagnostic Management). ASM detects problems in the CPU thermal condition, CPU working voltage detection (±12V/±5V/3.3V/1.5V), and PCI bus utilization calculation. It also detects if the CPU fan or the chassis fan malfunctions. Meanwhile, RDM allows execution of the RDM diagnostic program from a remote RDM station to fix detected problems or to reboot the system.

Features summary

The mainboard has the following major components:

•FC-PGA dual socket that supports a Pentium III processor running at 1GHz, 1.13 GHz and1.26 GHz and future generations of Pentium III CPUs

•VIA Pro266T chipset which includes the north and the south bridge

•Onboard Intel 82550 10/100 Mbps LAN chip with WOL support

•Adaptec® AIC-7899 Dual Channel SCSI controller chipset supports:

•Channel A - one 68-pin ULTRA 160/m SCSI connector

•Channel B - one 68-pin ULTRA 160/m SCSI connector

•Four DIMM sockets that accept 128-, 256-, 512-MB and 1-GB DDRSDRAM with a maximum memory upgrade capacity of 4 GB

•One AGP bus and five PCI bus slots

•System clock/calendar with battery backup

•IDE disk drive interfaces

•Super I/O chipset

•Auxiliary power connector for 280-watts SPS and ATX power supply

•Hardware support for ASM Pro (Advanced System Manager Pro) and RDM (Remote Diagnostic Management)

•External ports:

•	Two USB connectors	•	RJ-45 jack
•	PS/2-compatible keyboard port	•	Parallel port
•	PS/2-compatible mouse port	•	Two serial ports

8	1 System overview

2 System tour

This chapter discusses the features and components of your system.

External and internal structure

Front panel

Note: One pair of system keys are hung inside the front panel door. Additional duplicate keys can be found at the back of the system.

No.	Item

1	Power indicator

2	Hard disk activity indicator

12	2 System tour

No.	Item

3	System status indicator

4	Keylock

4	Front panel

Rear panel

No.	Item	No.	Item

1	Power indicator	4	Mainboard connectors

2	Power cable connector	5	Monitor port

No.	Item	No.	Item

3	Housing fan	6	Expansion slots

Internal components

No.	Item	No.	Item

1	CD-ROM Headphone/	12	System status indicator
	Earphone port

2	Volume tuner	13

3	CD-ROM activity indicator	14	Keylock

4	CD-ROM tray	15	Tape drive eject button

5	CD-ROM Stop/Eject	16	Tape drive tray
	button

14			2 System tour

No.	Item	No.	Item

6	Floppy drive eject button	17	Drive indicator (amber)

7	Floppy drive tray	18

8	Floppy drive activity	19
	indicator

9	Power button	20

10	Power indicator	21	Housing fan

11	Hard disk activity	22	Power supply
	indicator

Keyboard

Your system comes with a USB keyboard. The keyboard has full-sized keys that include separate cursor keys, two Windows keys, and twelve function keys.

No.	Component	Function

1Function keys (F1 - F12)

2Caps Lock

Access most of the computer’s controls like screen brightness, volume output and the BIOS Setup utility.

When activated, all alphabetic characters typed appear in uppercase (same function as pressing Shift + <letter>).

16	2 System tour

No.	Component	Function

3	Windows logo key	Start button. Combinations with this key
		perform special functions, such as:
		• Windows + Tab: Activate the next
		Taskbar button
		• Windows + E: Explore My Computer
		• Windows + F: Find Document
		• Windows + M: Minimize All
		• Shift + Windows + M: Undo Mini-
		mize All
		• Windows + R: Displays the Run dia-
		log box
4	Application key	Opens the applications context menu
		(same function as clicking the right button
		of the mouse).
5	Cursor keys	Also called the arrow keys. These keys let
		you move the cursor around the screen.

They serve the same function as the arrow keys on the numeric pad when the Num Lock is toggled off.

6Palm rest (detachable)

7Num Lock

Provides a comfortable place to rest your hands while typing.

When activated, the keypad is set to numeric mode, i.e., the keys function as a calculator (complete with arithmetic operators such as +, -, x, and /).

8	Scroll Lock	When activated, the screen moves one line
		up or down when you press the up arrow
		or down arrow respectively. Take note
		that Scroll Lock may not work with some
		applications.
9	Volume control/	The volume control/mute knob controls
	Mute knob	the speaker volume. Turn it clockwise or
		counterclockwise to adjust the volume.
		Press it to toggle between mute and
		sound.

No.	Component	Function

10	Multimedia keys	Allow you to do the following:
		•	Play/Pause button		- press
			to start playing the audio or video
			file. Press again to pause.
		•	Stop button	- press to stop play-
		•	Stop button	- press to stop play-
			ing the audio or video file.
		•	Forward button		- press to skip
			forward to the next file and start
			playing.
		•	Backward button		- press to skip
			backward to the previous file and
			start playing.
11	Internet/Suspend	Consist of three buttons:
	keys
		•	Email button		launches your
			email application.
		•	Web browser button
			launches your current default
			browser.
		•	Suspend/Resume button
			puts the system to sleep when
			pressed. To wake the system press it
			again.
12	Programmable keys	Access a URL (Web site) or launch any pro-
		gram, file or application in your system.
		The fifth key is set to launch the Windows
		Media Player.

To configure the settings of each key, right-click on the Magic Keyboard icon located on your Windows desktop.

18	2 System tour

Mouse

Your PS/2 mouse has one ratchet wheel and two buttons: a left button and a right button. Quickly pressing and releasing the buttons is called clicking. Sometimes, you will need to do a double-click (clicking the same button twice quickly) or a right-click (clicking the right button quickly).

The ratchet wheel in between the two buttons is added to provide easier scrolling capability. By simply moving the wheel with your index finger, you can quickly move through multiple pages, lines, or windows. The wheel may also function as a third button allowing you to quickly click or double-click an icon or a selected item.

Note: If you are left-handed, refer to your Windows manual for instructions on how to set up your mouse for left-handed use.

Disk drives

Your system comes with the following disk drives:

3.5-inch floppy drive

Your system’s 3.5-inch floppy drive can handle 720-KB and 1.44-MB capacity diskettes.

Floppy diskettes are compact, lightweight, and easy to carry around. Here are some tips on how to take care of your diskettes:

•Always make backup copies of the diskettes that contain important data or program files.

•Keep diskettes away from magnetic fields and sources of heat.

•Avoid removing a diskette from the floppy drive when the drive activity indicator is on.

•Write-protect your diskettes to prevent accidental erasure. To do this, slide the write-protect tab to the write-protect position (1).

Sliding the write-protect tab to the not-write-protect position (2) will allow you to store and modify data in your diskettes.

•When you put a label on a 3.5-inch diskette, make sure that the label is properly attached (flat on the surface) and within the labeling area (area with a slight surface depression) on the

20	2 System tour

diskette. An improperly attached label may cause a diskette to get stuck in the floppy drive when you are inserting or removing it.

CD-ROM drive

Your system comes with a CD-ROM drive. This drive is located on the front panel of your system. The CD-ROM drive allows you to play different types of compact discs (CDs) and video CDs.

CDs, like diskettes, are also compact, lightweight, and easy to carry around. However, they are more delicate than diskettes and must be handled with extra care.

To insert a CD into your system’s CD-ROM drive:

1Gently push the eject button located on the front panel.

2When the disc tray slides open insert the CD. Make sure that the label or title side of the disc is facing upward.

Caution! Hold the disc by the edges to avoid leaving smudges or fingerprints.

3 Push the eject button again to close the tray.

To take care of your CDs:

•Keep your discs in a disk case when not in use to avoid scratches or other damage. Any kind of dirt or damage can affect the data on the disc, impair the disc lens reader on the CD-ROM drive, or stop the system from successfully reading the disc.

•When handling discs, always hold them by the edges to avoid smudges or fingerprints.

•When cleaning discs, use a clean, dust-free cloth and wipe in a straight line from the center to the edge. Do not wipe in a circular motion.

•Clean your CD-ROM drive periodically. You may refer to a cleaning kit for instructions. Cleaning kits can be purchased in any system or electronics shop.

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