Acer ASPIRE 3620-A, ASPIRE 3620 User Manual

Aspire 3620 Series

User's Guide

Aspire 3620 Series User's Guide Original Issue: November 2005

Changes may be made periodically to the information in this publication without obligation to notify any person of such revisions 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, electronically, mechanically, by photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated.

Aspire 3620 Series Notebook PC

Model number: __________________________________

Serial number: ___________________________________

Date of purchase: ________________________________

Place of purchase: ________________________________

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

Disposal instructions

Do not throw this electronic device into the trash when discarding. To minimize pollution and ensure utmost protection of the global environment, please recycle.

USA For electronic products containing an LCD/CRT monitor or display: Lamp(s) inside this product contain mercury and must be recycled or disposed of

according to local, state or federal laws. For more information, contact the Electronic Industries Alliance at www.eiae.org information, check www.lamprecycle.org

. For lamp-specific disposal

iii

First things first

We would like to thank you for making an Acer notebook your choice for meeting your mobile computing needs.

Your guides

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

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

The printed User's Guide introduces you to the basic features and functions of your new computer. For more on how your computer can help you to be more productive, please refer to the AcerSystem User's Guide. This guide contains detailed information on such subjects as system utilities, data recovery, expansion options and troubleshooting. In addition it contains warranty information and the general regulations and safety notices for your notebook. It is available in Portable Document Format (PDF) and comes preloaded on your notebook. Follow these steps to access it:

1 Click on Start, All Programs, AcerSystem. 2 Click on AcerSystem User's Guide. Note: Viewing the file requires Adobe Reader. If Adobe Reader is

not installed on your computer, clicking on AcerSystem User's Guide will run the Adobe Reader setup program first. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. For instructions on how to use Adobe Reader, access the Help and Support menu.

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 easy-launch buttons. See "Front view" on page 9 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

You can also shut down the computer by closing the display cover, or by pressing the sleep hotkey <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.

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 ºC (32 ºF) or above

50 ºC (122 ºF).

• 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 or vibration.

• Do not expose the computer to dust or dirt.

• Never place objects on top of 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 foot 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 possible.

Cleaning and servicing

When cleaning the computer, follow these steps: 1 Turn off the computer and remove the battery pack. 2 Disconnect the AC adapter.

3 Use a soft, moist cloth. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners. If either 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 30.

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 for wireless option devices that are included in the user's manual of each RF option device.

An improper installation or unauthorized 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

Disposal instructions iii First things first iv

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

Turning your computer on and off iv Taking care of your computer v Taking care of your AC adapter v Taking care of your battery pack vi Cleaning and servicing vi

Acer Empowering Technology 1

Acer eDataSecurity Management 2 Acer eLock Management 3 Acer ePerformance Management 4 Acer eRecovery Management 5 Acer eSettings Management 6 Acer ePower Management 7 Acer ePresentation Management 8

Your Acer notebook tour 9

Front view 9 Closed front view 10 Left view 11 Right view 12 Rear view 12

Base view 13 Specifications 14 Indicators 17 Easy-launch buttons 18 Touchpad 19

Touchpad basics 19 Using the keyboard 21

Lock keys and embedded numeric keypad 21

Windows keys 22

Hotkeys 22

Special keys 24 Ejecting the optical (CD or DVD) drive tray (for selected models) 25 Using a computer security lock 25

Audio 26

Adjusting the volume 26

Using the system utilities 27

Acer GridVista (dual-display compatible) 27 Launch Manager 28 Norton AntiVirus 29

Frequently asked questions 30

Requesting service 33

International Travelers Warranty (ITW) 33 Before you call 33

Acer Arcade 34

Finding and playing content 35

Settings 35

Arcade controls 36

Navigation controls 36 Player controls 36

Cinema 37

Settings 37

Album 38

Editing Pictures 38 Slide Show settings 38

Video 39

Playing a video file 39 Snapshot 39

Editing video 39 Music 40 Make DVDs 40

Authoring CD/DVDs 40

Taking your notebook PC with you 42

Disconnecting from the desktop 42 Moving around 42

Preparing the computer 42

What to bring to meetings 43 Taking the computer home 43

Preparing the computer 43

What to take with you 43

Special considerations 44

Setting up a home office 44

Traveling with the computer 44

Preparing the computer 44 What to take with you 44 Special considerations 45

Traveling internationally with the computer45

Preparing the computer 45 What to bring with you 45 Special considerations 45

Securing your computer 46

Using a computer security lock 46 Using passwords 46

Entering passwords 47 Setting passwords 47

Expanding through options 48

Connectivity options 48

Fax/data modem 48 Built-in network feature 49 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 49 PC Card slot 50 Installing memory 51

BIOS utility 51

Boot sequence 51 Enable disk-to-disk recovery 52 Password 52

Using software 52

Playing DVD movies 52 Power management 53 Acer eRecovery Management 53

Create backup 54 Restore from backup 54 Create factory default image CD 55 Re-install bundled software without CD 55 Change password 56

Troubleshooting 57

Troubleshooting tips 57 Error messages 57

Regulations and safety notices 59

ENERGY STAR guidelines compliance 59 FCC notice 59 Modem notices 60 Important safety instructions 63 Laser compliance statement 65 LCD pixel statement 65 Macrovision copyright protection notice 65 Radio device regulatory notice 66 General 66 European Union (EU) 66 The FCC RF safety requirement 67 Canada — Low-power license-exempt radio communication devices (RSS-210) 68 Federal Communications Comission Declaration of Conformity 69 Declaration of Conformity for CE Marking 70

Index 71

Acer Empowering Technology

Acer's innovative Empowering Technology makes it easy for you to access frequently used functions and manage your new Acer notebook. It features the following handy utilities:

• Acer eDataSecurity Management protects data with passwords and

advanced encryption algorithms.

• Acer eLock Management limits access to external storage media.

• Acer ePerformance Management improves system performance by

optimizing disk space, memory and registry settings.

• Acer eRecovery Management backs up/recovers data flexibly, reliably

and completely.

• Acer eSettings Management accesses system information and adjusts

settings easily.

• Acer ePower Management extends battery power via versatile usage

profiles.

• Acer ePresentation Management connects to a projector and adjusts

display settings conveniently.

Empowering Technology

For more information, press the < > key to launch the Empowering Technology menu, then click on the appropriate utility and select the Help

function.

Acer eDataSecurity Management

Acer eDataSecurity Management is a handy file encryption utility that protects your files from being accessed by unauthorized persons. It is conveniently integrated with Windows Explorer as a shell extension for quick and easy data encryption/decryption and also supports on-the-fly file encryption for MSN

Empowering Technology

Messenger and Microsoft Outlook.

There are two passwords that can be used to encrypt/decrypt a file: the supervisor password and the file-specific password. The supervisor password is a "master" password that can decrypt any file on your system; the file-specific password is assigned when you encrypt each individual file.

The Acer eDataSecurity Management setup wizard will prompt you for a supervisor password and default file-specific password. This file-specific password will be used to encrypt files by default, or you can choose to enter your own file-specific password when encrypting a file.

Note: The password used encrypt a file is the unique key that the system needs to decrypt it. If you lose the password, the supervisor password is the only other key capable of decrypting the file. If you lose both passwords, there will be no way to decrypt your encrypted file! Be sure to safeguard all related passwords!

Acer eLock Management

Acer eLock Management is a security utility that allows you to lock up your removable data, optical and floppy drives to ensure that data can't be stolen while your notebook is unattended.

• Removable data devices — includes USB disk drives, USB pen drives, USB

flash drives, USB MP3 drives, USB memory card readers, IEEE 1394 disk drives and any other removable disk drives that can be mounted as a file system when plugged into the system.

• Optical drive devices — includes any kind of CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drives.

• Floppy disk drives — 3.5-inch disks only.

To activate Acer eLock Management, a password must be set first. Once set, you may apply locks to any of the three kinds of devices. Lock(s) will immediately be set without any reboot necessary, and will remain locked after rebooting, until unlocked.

If you do not set a password, Acer eLock Management will reset back to the initial status with all locks removed.

Empowering Technology

Note: If you lose your password, there is no method to reset it

except by reformatting your notebook or taking your notebook

to an Acer Customer Service Center. Be sure to remember or write

down your password.

Empowering Technology

Acer ePerformance Management

Acer ePerformance Management is a system optimization tool that boosts the performance of your Acer notebook. It provides you with the following options to enhance overall system performance:

• Memory optimization — releases unused memory and check usage.

• Disk optimization — removes unneeded items and files.

• Speed optimization — improves the usability and performance of your

Windows XP system.

Acer eRecovery Management

Acer eRecovery Management is a powerful utility that does away with the need for recovery disks provided by the manufacturer. The Acer eRecovery Management utility occupies space in a hidden partition on your system's HDD. User-created backups are stored on D:\ drive. Acer eRecovery Management provides you with:

• Password protection.

• Recovery of applications and drivers.

• Image/data backup:

• Back up to HDD (set recovery point).

• Back up to CD/DVD.

• Image/data recovery tools:

• Recover from a hidden partition (factory defaults).

• Recover from the HDD (most recent user-defined recovery point).

• Recover from CD/DVD.

Empowering Technology

For more information, please refer to "Acer eRecovery Management" on page 53 in the AcerSystem User's Guide.

Note: If your computer did not come with a Recovery CD or

System CD, please use Acer eRecovery Management's "System

backup to optical disk" feature to burn a backup image to CD or

DVD. To ensure the best results when recovering your system

using a CD or Acer eRecovery Management, detach all peripherals

(except the external Acer ODD, if your computer has one),

including your Acer ezDock.

Acer eSettings Management

Acer eSettings Management allows you to inspect hardware specifications and to monitor the system health status. Furthermore, Acer eSettings Management enables you to optimize your Windows operating system, so your computer runs faster, smoother and better.

Acer eSettings Management also:

• Provides a simple graphical user interface for navigating through the

program effortlessly.

• Displays general system status and advanced monitoring for power users.

Empowering Technology

• Logs when a hardware component has been removed or replaced.

• Permits you to migrate personal settings.

• Keeps a history log of all alerts that were previously issued.

Acer ePower Management

Acer ePower Management features a straightforward user interface. To launch it, select Acer ePower Management from the Empowering Technology interface, or double-click the Acer ePower Management icon in the task tray.

AC mode

The default setting is "Maximum Performance." You can adjust CPU speed, LCD brightness and other settings, or click on buttons to turn the following functions on/off: Wireless LAN, Bluetooth, CardBus, Memory Card, Audio, and Wired LAN.

DC mode

To suit your usage, there are four pre-defined profiles — Entertainment, Presentation, Word Processing, and Maximum Battery. Or, you can define up to three of your own profiles.

Create new power scheme

1 Assign a name for the new scheme. 2 Choose existing scheme to use as a template. 3 Select whether used for mains (AC) or battery mode. 4 Choose which power options best fit your needs, then click OK. 5 The new profile will appear on the main screen.

Battery status

For real-time battery life estimates based on current usage, refer to the panel on the lower left-hand side of the window.

Empowering Technology

You can also click "Advanced Settings" to:

• Set alarms.

• Re-load factory defaults.

• Select what actions will be taken when the cover is closed, and set

passwords for accessing the system after Hibernation or Standby.

• View information about Acer ePower Management.

Empowering Technology

Acer ePresentation Management

Acer ePresentation Management lets you select from two of the most common projector resolutions: XGA and SVGA.

Your Acer notebook tour

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

Front view

English

# Item Description 1 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), displays

computer output.

2 Status

indicators

3 Keyboard For entering data into your computer.

Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that light up to show the status of the computer's functions and components.

English

# Item Description 4 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which functions like a

computer mouse.

5 Click buttons

(left, center and right)

6 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands when you use

7 Microphone Internal microphone for sound recording. 8 Power button Turns the computer on and off. 9 Easy-launch

buttons

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

the computer.

Buttons for launching frequently used programs. See "Easy-launch buttons" on page 18 for more details.

Closed front view

# Icon Item Description 1Bluetooth

communication button/indicator

2 Wireless

communication button/indicator

3 Speakers Left and right speakers deliver stereo

4 Line-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices

5 Microphone-in jack Accepts input from external microphones.

6 Headphones/speaker/

line-out jack

Press to enable/disable the Bluetooth function. Indicates the status of Bluetooth communication.

Press to enable/disable the wireless function. Indicates the status of wireless LAN communication.

audio output.

(e.g., audio CD player, stereo walkman).

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

# Icon Item Description 7 Battery indicator Indicates the computer's batttery status.

8 Power indicator Indicates the computer's power status.

9 Latch Locks and releases the lid.

Left view

# Icon Item Description 1 Kensington lock

slot

2 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs

3 Optical disk access

indicator

4 Optical drive eject

button

5 Emergency eject

hole

6 PC Card slot eject

button

7 PC Card slot Accepts one Type II PC Card.

Connects to a Kensington-compatible computer security lock.

(for selected models). Lights up when the optical drive is active

(for selected models). Ejects the optical disk from the drive

(for selected models). Ejects the optical drive tray when the

computer is turned off (for selected models). Ejects the PC Card from the slot.

English

Right view

# Icon Item Description 1 Three USB 2.0 ports Connect to USB 2.0 devices

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

2 Ventilation slots Enable the computer to stay cool, even after

prolonged use.

3 Modem (RJ-11) port Connects to a phone line.

4 Ethernet (RJ-45)

port

Connects to an Ethernet 10/100/1000-based network.

Rear view

# Icon Item Description 1 DC-in jack Connects to an AC adapter.

2 External display

(VGA) port

3 Battery Powers the computer.

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

Base view

# Item Description 1 Battery lock Locks the battery in position. 2 Cooling fan Helps keep the computer cool.

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

3 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured

with screws). 4 Memory compartment Houses the computer's main memory. 5 Battery release latch Releases the battery for removal. 6 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.

English

Specifications

English

Operating system

Platform

• Genuine Windows

• Intel

Celeron® M processor 370/380/390 (1 MB L2

cache, 1.50/1.60/1.70 GHz, 400 MHz FSB) or higher

Pentium® M processor 725 (2 MB L2 cache, 1.60

GHz, 400 MHz FSB) or higher

• Mobile Intel

System memory 256/512 MB of DDR2 400 MHz memory, upgradeable to 2

GB using two soDIMM modules (dual-channel support)

Display and graphics

• 14.1" WXGA color TFT LCD, 1280 x 800 pixel

resolution, supporting simultaneous multi-window viewing on dual displays via Acer GridVista

XP Home Edition (Service Pack 2)

XP Professional (Service Pack 2)

910GML Express chipset

™

• 16.7 million colors

• Intel

GMA 900 integrated 3D graphics, with up to

128 MB of VRAM, supporting Microsoft and dual independent display

DirectX® 9.0

• Simultaneous LCD and CRT display, with LCD panel

refresh rate at 70 Hz

• MPEG-2/DVD hardware-assisted capability

Storage subsystem

Dimensions and weight

Power subsystem

• 40/60/80/100/120 GB ATA/100 hard disk drive

• Optical drive options (for selected models):

• 8X DVD-Dual double-layer

• DVD/CD-RW combo

• 334 (W) x 244 (D) x 28.6/35.2 (H) mm

• 2.38 kg (5.24 lbs.)

• ACPI 1.0b CPU power management standard:

supports Standby and Hibernation power-saving modes

• 44.6 W (6-cell) Li-ion battery pack

• 2.5-hour rapid charge; 3.5-hour charge-in-use

• 65 W AC adapter

Input devices

• 88-/89-key keyboard

• Touchpad with 4-way scroll button

• Four easy-launch buttons

Audio

• Two front-access LED-buttons: WLAN, Bluetooth

• Audio system with two built-in speakers and

microphone

• Intel

• Sound Blaster Pro

High-Definition audio support

™

and MS Sound compatible

Communication

I/O interface

Security

Software

Options and accessories

Environment

• Modem: 56K ITU V.92 with PTT approval;

Wake-on-Ring ready

• LAN: 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet;

Wake-on-LAN ready

• WLAN: integrated Acer InviLink

CERTIFIED wireless technology

™

solution, supporting Acer SignalUp™

™

802.11b/g Wi-Fi

• Three USB 2.0 ports

• PC Card slot (one Type II)

• External display (VGA) port

• Headphones/speaker/line-out jack

• Microphone-in jack

• Line-in jack

• Ethernet (RJ-45) port

• Modem (RJ-11) port

• DC-in jack for AC adapter

• Kensington lock slot

• BIOS user and supervisor passwords

• Acer Empowering Technology (Acer eDataSecurity

Management / eLock Management / ePerformance Management / eRecovery Management / eSettings Management / ePower Management / ePresentation Management)

• Acer Arcade

• Acer GridVista

™

• Acer Launch Manager

• Adobe

• CyberLink

• Norton AntiVirus

• NTI CD-Maker

Reader

PowerProducer

™

• 512 MB or 1 GB DDR2 400 MHz soDIMM modules

• External USB floppy disk drive

• 9-cell Li-ion battery pack

• 65 W AC adapter

• External USB optical drive

• Temperature:

• Operating: 5 °C to 35 °C

• Non-operating: -20 °C to 65 °C

• Humidity (non-condensing):

• Operating: 20% to 80%

• Non-operating: 20% to 80%

English

+ 57 hidden pages

Acer ASPIRE 3620-A, ASPIRE 3620 User Manual

Disposal instructions

First things first

Your guides

Basic care and tips for using your computer

Contents

Acer Empowering Technology

Acer eDataSecurity Management

Acer eLock Management

Acer ePerformance Management

Acer eRecovery Management

Acer eSettings Management

Acer ePower Management

Acer ePresentation Management

Your Acer notebook tour

Front view

Closed front view

Left view

Right view

Rear view

Base view

Specifications