Acer Aspire 3200 series User's Guide

Guide

…the printed companion

to the way more fun and

handy on-screen experience of

My Aspire Guide

Introducing

the not nearly as exciting

ink on paper version of…

Did you know your Acer Aspire comes with incredible

multimedia software that was desigend to show you all

the cool stuff your computer can do? This book can be a

handy desktop reference, but you’ll receive much more in-

depth information and instruction by firing up My Aspire

Guide software. (It’s located on your Windows 98 desktop

and in the Tools ‘N Stuff folder in Ace.) We’re pretty sure

you’ll have more fun with the software, too.

(P.S. - If you’re reading this because you’re having trouble with your computer,

check the Troubleshooting section in My Aspire Guide software or the “Need

Help?” section in this book.)

Hey !

Wait

a minute!

Table of Contents

iii

Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks and Aspire is a trademark of

Acer Inc. and Acer Americ a Corp or ation .

Microsoft Windows and the Windows Logo are registered trademarks of

Microsoft Corporation. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel

Corp. All other brands/product names are trademarks or registered trademarks

of their respective companies.

Printed in Taiwan

First printing January 1999

Table of

Contents

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Before You Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Proper Setup and Placement Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

An Introduction to Your Aspire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The System: Aspire Microtower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Setting Up Your Aspire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Turning Your Aspire On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

The Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

The Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Drives on Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Using Your Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Formatting a Floppy Diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Using Your CD-ROM/DVD-ROM Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Your Data/Fax Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Accessing the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Connecting an Optional Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Printer Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Connecting an Optional Serial Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connecting an Optional Joystick or MIDID evice . . . . . . . . . . 21

Getting the Most from Your Acer Audio System. . . . . . . . 22

Playing an Audio CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Adjusting the Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

The Electronic Mixing Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Adding Options to Your Aspire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Connecting USB Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Opening/Closing Your Aspire Microtower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Welcome

Need Help?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

My Aspire Guide–Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Troubleshooting–General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Troubleshooting–Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Additional Acer Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Disclaimer of Warranties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Standard End User License Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

System Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Limited Product Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

FCC Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Acer Year 2000 Compliance Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

CD-ROM Safety Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Caution on Lithium Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Welcome and thank you for

purchasing an Aspire computer. You are now the owner of a

multimedia computer system! Already installed on your system

and ready to go are software programs designed to enable you

to:

Create personal documents

Access the Internet and send and receive e-mail

Use your computer as a fax machine

Play audio CDs while you’re working

and tons more!

Whether you’ve owned a computer before or not, your Aspire

was designed to improve the way you work and to serve your

needs now and into the future.

Before You Start...

• Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.

• Do not attempt to service this product yourself; opening or

removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage points

or other risks. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.

Service by persons other than Acer authorized service providers

may void your warranty.

• Unplug 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 improp er

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.

• Replace 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 qualified service

personnel.

• Warning! Battery may explode if not handled properly. Do

not recharge, disassemble or dispose of in fire. Keep aw ay f rom

children and dispose of used battery promptly.

• Use only the proper type of power supply cord set (provided

in your keyboard/manual accessories box) for this unit. It

should be a detachable type: UL listed/CSA certified, type

SVT/SJT, rated 6A 125V minimum, VDE approved or its equiva-

lent. Maximum length is 15 feet (4.6 meters).

• Always unplug the computer and monitor before opening

the housing or adjusting connections or cables.

• Use power strips with surge protection to protect your com-

puter in the event of a power surge, due to severe weather

such as a thunderstorm.

Before You Star t . . .

Make sure you read this section carefully for proper placement

and important Safety Instructions on the use and care of your

new computer. Please save these instructions for future reference.

Safety Instructions

• Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product.

• Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do

not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a cloth mildly

dampened with water for cleaning.

• Do not use this product in or near water.

• Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table.

The product may fall, causing serious damage to the product.

• Slots 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.

• This product should be operated from the type of power indi-

cated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of

power available, consult your dealer or local power company.

• This product is equipped with a 3-wire grounding-type plug,

a plug having a third (grounding) pin. This plug will only fit into

a grounding-type power outlet. This is a safety feature. If you

are unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact your elec-

trician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the pur-

pose of the grounding-type plug.

• Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. D o not

locate this product where persons will walk on the cord.

• If an extension cord is used with this product, make sure that

the total ampere rating of the equipment plugged into the

extension cord do es 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 15 amperes.

• Never 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.

An Introduction to Your A spire

Aspire

An Introduction to Your

The System: Aspire Micro tower

CD-ROM/

DVD-ROMDrive

CD-ROM/

DVD-ROM

Eject Button

Expansion Bay

Door

Power/

Quickstart

Button

Power Indicator Light

Activity Indicator

Light

Proper Setup and Placement Tips

It’s important that your computer be set up correctly and

according to your own comfort and ergonomic needs. The

following tips should make your workstation a comfortable

and healthy place:

Monitor Level. Position your computer so that it is at arm’s

length away and the top third of the monitor viewing area is

at eye level. This helps prevent eye and neck strain. To fur ther

reduce eye strain, close your eyes and refocus on something

other than your computer screen at least twice an hour. Most

monitors come standard with a detachable tilt-and-swivel base

and adjustable, rear-mounted foot, which allow you to position

the monitor exactly where you want it.

Your S eat. If you plan to use your Acer computer for extended

periods (for example, in a home office environment), select a

highly adjustable office chair with a five-pronged base. The seat

and chair back should be adjustable, while you’re sitting in the

chair, for height and tilt, and forward/backward positioning, and

the lumbar area of the back should be supported by the chair

adjustments or a cushion. Arm rests should conform to your

elbow height and shoulder width and should be used for sup-

port. For maximum comfort, var y positions f requently through-

out the day. Use good posture when seated, keep your head

centered over your shoulders and, just like your mother always

told you, don’t slump over your work.

Anti-Glare Coating. Som e m o nito r s c re ens are const r u c te d

with a special anti-glare coating, which minimizes reflections that

cause eye strain and discomfort. To f ur ther reduce eye strain,

close your eyes and refocus on something other than your com-

puter screen at least twice an hour .

Ta sk Lighting. When ro om lighting is dimmed, there may

be insufficient light on documents or reference materials for

comfortable reading. A well-lit room or a few directional,

adjustable task lights will allow you to see your monitor screen

and other materials clearly, and with the least amount of strain.

Hand and Wrist. Keep your wrists straight and your forearms

parallel to the floor while you are typing. If you use a wrist rest,

use it only briefly for resting. Do not rest your hands on the

table or on the wrist rest while you are typing. During long

periods of typing, frequent breaks are recommended.

An Introduction to Your A spire

1 • Press and release the monitor power button if it is not on

or blinking already.

2 • Press and release the computer power button (Quickstart

or traditional start).

The monitor will begin displaying images after 5-10 seconds. The power but-

ton lights on the computer and monitor will be on.

Note: If you previously used Quickstart OFFwhen you were done using your Aspire,

your computer will return exactly where it was in just a couple of seconds. If you

previously shut down Windows 98, your computer will take 2-3 minutes to start.

Setting Up Your Aspire

Refer to the Aspire Easy Setup Poster included in your system

box for details on how to set up your computer.

Turning Your Aspire On and Off

You have two options for turning your Aspire on and off. Your

Aspire was designed for you with convenience in mind. The

Quickstart option allows your computer to instantly turn on

and off, without waiting for a long start-up time. If you like the

traditional approach better, you can use it instead.

Tur ning on your Aspire

Note: Make sure that the AC ma ster power switch located on the

back of your system is in the ONposition. Leave it ON at all times

unless the system is being serviced.

An Introduction to Your A spire

The Mouse

The mouse uses a cursor called a pointer. Pointers come in

many different shapes but are most commonly shaped like an

arrow.

Your mouse ha s t wo buttons: a left button and a right button.

Quickly pressing and releasing one of these buttons is called

clicking. Sometimes you will need to double-click–or click the

same button twice quickly.

In this manual, click means to position your mouse point on

an icon and to single click the left button. When a right click is

required, this is stated clearly. Do uble-click also refers to the

left button.

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 quicky move through multiple

pages, line, 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, please refer to your Windows 98 manual

for instructions on how to set up your mouse for left-handed use.

Right button

Left button

Pointer movement on the

screen is controlled by the

movement of a small ball

on the bottom of the

mouse.

Using a mouse pad under

your mouse will help to

keep the internal parts of

the mouse clean. A dirty

mouse results in jerky

pointer movement and dif-

ficulty getting the pointer

where you want it on

screen.

To clean your mouse:

1 • Turn the mouse upside

down.

2 • Remove the ring holding

the ball in place by turning

it counterclockwise.

3 • Using a lint-free cloth or a

cotton swab dipped in rub-

bing alcohol, clean all mov-

ing parts.

4 • Insert the ball back into

the mouse, making sure to

turn the ring clockwise.

Caring for

your Mouse

Tur ning off your A spire

Option 1: Quickstart OFF • Your Aspire will continue to run

in the Quickstart OFF condition. It will appear that it is OFF.

When you press the power button to switch your Aspire to

the fully ON condition, it will do it in only a few seconds.

Option 2: Tr aditional OFF • If you want your Aspire to com-

pletely power OFF (if you need to unplug it):

1 • Click on the Windows Start button on the taskbar.

2 • Click on Shut Down.

3 • Click on Shut Down the Computer and click Yes . Your

computer will guide you through saving any open files and

then will shut down Windows 98. Your computer will then

turn off all computer power automatically. You will have to

manually turn off your monitor after you see the computer

power go off.

Refer to My Aspire Guide software for more in-depth options

and recommendations for Quickstart and traditional on/off

modes.

Ratchet wheel

An Introduction to Your A spire

End key • takes you to the end of a line.

Page Up / Page Down keys • move you up or down a screen

at a time.

Backspace key • is similar to the delete key above, but it will

delete one character at a time to the lef t of the cursor.

Alt and Ctrl keys • have varying functions on their own or

when used with other keys, depending on the software being

used.

Num Lock key and numeric key pad • when the Num

Lock/Num Pad key is on, the keys on the numeric key pad can

be used for entering numbers. When it’s off, these keys become

arrow keys, page up and page down keys–as indicated on the

bottom half of the key.

Sleep • puts your computer into sleep mode.

Volume Control /Mute • controls the speaker volume. Press

to mute.

Web Connection •starts up the Internet browser.

• brings up the Windows 98 START menu.

• displays drop-down menus from icons (same as right click)

and currently active applications.

Home

End

Page Up

Page Down

Backspace

Alt

Ctrl

Num Lock/

Num Pad

Sleep

Web

Conne ction

Volume

Control/

Mute

The Keyboard

The way keys are used varies from program to program. Here

are some of the most common uses:

Esc key • exits the current action, screen, or program.

Tab key • moves the cursor over a set number of spaces in

word processing software. In other types of programs, it moves

the cursor from one field (an area on the screen where data

can be entered) to the next.

Enter key • starts a new paragraph in word processing. In other

programs, it accepts data entered or shows that an action is

complete.

Shift key • pressing this key while typing a letter or symbol key

will give you the capital letter or symbol on the top of the key.

Caps Lock key • locks the capital letters in place. Pressing it

again will take the Caps Lock off. (A Caps Lock indicator light

will turn on when the Caps Lock is on.)

Function keys • numbered F1 through F12, each will perform a

specific and well-defined f unction, should an application use

them.

Cursor Arrow keys • move the cursor in the directions that

the arrows point.

Insert key • when activated, inserts data vs. typing over/

replacing it.

Delete key • will delete data that is highlighted or to the right

of the cursor.

Home key • takes you to the beginning of a line.

Esc

Enter

Tab

Caps

Lock

Shift

Function

Curs o r A r ro w s

Insert

Delete

+ 20 hidden pages