Acer Aspire 5520, Aspire 5220 Service Manual

Aspire 5520/5220 Series

Service Guide

Service guide files and updates are available

on the ACER/CSD web; for more information,

please refer to http://csd.acer.com.tw

PRINTED IN TAIWAN

Revision History

Please refer to the table below for the updates made on Aspire 5520/5220 service guide.

Date Chapter Updates

II

Copyright

Copyright © 2007 by Acer Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated.

Disclaimer

The information in this guide is subject to change without notice.
Acer Incorporated makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the

contents hereof and specifically disclaims any warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular
purpose. Any Acer Incorporated software described in this manual is sold or licensed "as is". Should the
programs prove defective following their purchase, the buyer (and not Acer Incorporated, its distributor, or its
dealer) assumes the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, and any incidental or consequential
damages resulting from any defect in the software.

Acer is a registered trademark of Acer Corporation.
Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
Pentium and Pentium II/III are trademarks of Intel Corporation.
Other brand and product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

III

Conventions

The following conventions are used in this manual:

SCREEN MESSAGES Denotes actual messages that appear

on screen.

NOTE Gives bits and pieces of additional

information related to the current
topic.

WARNING Alerts you to any damage that might

result from doing or not doing specific
actions.

CAUTION Gives precautionary measures to

avoid possible hardware or software
problems.

IMPORTANT Reminds you to do specific actions

relevant to the accomplishment of
procedures.

IV

Preface

Before using this information and the product it supports, please read the following general information.

1. This Service Guide provides you with all technical information relating to the BASIC CONFIGURATION
decided for Acer's "global" product offering. To better fit local market requirements and enhance product
competitiveness, your regional office MAY have decided to extend the functionality of a machine (e.g.
add-on card, modem, or extra memory capability). These LOCALIZED FEATURES will NOT be covered
in this generic service guide. In such cases, please contact your regional offices or the responsible
personnel/channel to provide you with further technical details.

2. Please note WHEN ORDERING FRU PARTS, that you should check the most up-to-date information
available on your regional web or channel. If, for whatever reason, a part number change is made, it will
not be noted in the printed Service Guide. For ACER-AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERS, your Acer
office may have a DIFFERENT part number code to those given in the FRU list of this printed Service
Guide. You MUST use the list provided by your regional Acer office to order FRU parts for repair and
service of customer machines.

V

System Specifications

Features

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

Operating system

q Windows Vista™ Ultimate
q Windows Vista™ Home Premium
q Windows Vista™ Home Basic
q Windows Vista™ Starter

Platform and memory

q AMD Better By Design program, featuring:

• AMD Turion™ 64 X2 dual-core mobile technology TL-66 / TL-64 / TL-60 / TL-58 / TL-56 / TL-52

(2x512 KB L2 cache, 2.3 GHz / 2.2 GHz /2.0 GHz / 1.9 GHz / 1.8 GHz / 1.6 GHz, supporting
AMD HyperTransport® technology (for selected models)

• AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Mobile Technology TK-53/TK-55 (1.70/1.80 GHz, 2x 256 KB L2 cache),

supporting AMD PowerNow!™ technology and AMD HyperTransport™ technology (for selected
models)

• AMD Turion™ 64 Mobile Technology MK-36/MK-38 (2/2.20 GHz, 512 KB L2 cache), supporting

AMD PowerNow!™ technology and AMD HyperTransport™ technology (for selected models)

• Mobile AMD Sempron™ 3500+ (1.80 GHz, 512 KB L2 cache), 3600+/3800+ (2/2.20 GHz, 256

KB L2 cache) (for selected models)

• Acer InviLink™ 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® solution, supporting Acer SignalUp™ wireless

technology

q Acer InviLink™ 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® solution, supporting Acer SignalUp™ wireless

technology

q Core logic: North Bridge NVIDIA nForce® 610M (MCP67-MV) (Single chip)
q Up to 2GB of DDR2 677 MHz memory, upgradeable to 4GB using two soDIMM modules (dual-

channel support)

Chapter 1

TV-tuner

q Acer TV-tuner options:

Digital TV-tuner supporting DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial) standard (6 MHz to 8
MHz)

q TV-tuner I/O:

• RF jack for digital/analog TV antenna cable input

q TV-tuner cables:

• PAL cable for digital TV input, PAL/SECAM to NTSC port converter

q Acer DVB-T antenna (UHF/VHF reception) supporting Acer SignalUp™ wireless technology

Display and graphics

q 15.4" WXGA high-brightness (220-nits) Acer CrystalBrite™ TFT LCD, 1280 x 800 pixel resolution,

supporting simultaneous multi-window viewing via Acer GridVista™

q 8 ms response time
q NVIDIA GeForce® 8400M G with up to 1024MB of Turbocache™ (256MB of dedicated GDDR2

VRAM, up to 768MB of share system memory), supporting Microsoft DirectX 9 and DirectX 10,

Chapter 1 1

Audio

and PCI Express® (for selected models)

q NVIDIA GeForce® 8600M GS with up to 1280MB of TurboCache™ technology (512MB of

dedicated GDDR2 VRAM, 768MB of share system memory), Microsoft DirectX 9 and DirectX 10
support, PCI Express®

q NVIDIA GeForce® 7000M with up to 896MB of Turbocache™ (256MB of dedicated system

memory, up to 640MB of share system memory), Microsoft DirectX 9 and PCI Express (for
selected models)

q Dual independent display support
q 16.7 million colors (for selected models)
q MPEG-2/DVD hardware-assisted capability (full decode) (for selected models)
q WMV9 (VC-1) and H.264 (AVC) support (full decode) (for selected models)
q S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) support
q DVI-D (true digital video interface) with High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) support

(for selected models)

q Acer Arcade™ featuring Acer CinemaVision™ and Acer ClearVision™ technologies

q Dolby®-certified surround sound system with two built-in stereo speakers
q Dolby® Home Theater audio enhancement featuring Dolby® Digital, Dolby® Digital Live, Dolby®

PRO LOGIC® II, Dolby® Digital Stereo Creator, Dolby® Headphone and Dolby® Virtual Speaker
technologies

q High Definition Audio support
q S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) support for digital speakers

q Dolby
q MS-Sound compatible
q Built-in microphone

®

Digital Live and DTS Neo: PC support

Storage subsystem

q 80/120/160/200/250 GB or larger hard disk drive
q Optical drive options:

• HD-DVD drive (for selected models)

• DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive (for selected models)

• DVD/CD-RW combo drive (for selected models)

q 5-in-1 card reader, supporting Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick

Memory Stick PRO

Input devices

q 88-/89-/93-key keyboard, with inverted "T" cursor layout; 2.5 mm (minimum) key travel
q Seamless touchpad with 4-way scroll button
q 12 function keys, four cursor keys, two Windows® keys, hotkey controls, embedded numeric

keypad, international language support, independent US and Euro dollar sign keys, media control
keys

q Four media control keys: play/pause, stop, next, previous
q Empowering Key
q Easy-launch buttons: WLAN, Internet, email, Bluetooth, Acer Arcade™
q Volume wheel

Communication

q Acer Video Conference, featuring:

TM

(MS PRO), xD-Picture CardTM (xD)

®

(MS),

2 Chapter 1

I/O Ports

• Integrated Acer Crystal Eye webcam, supporting Acer PrimaLite™ technology (for selected

models)

• Acer Xpress VoIP phone (for selected models)

q WLAN: Acer InviLink™ 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® network connection, supporting Acer

SignalUp™ wireless technology

q WPAN: Bluetooth® 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) (for selected models)
q LAN: Gigabit Ethernet; Wake-on-LAN ready
q Modem: 56K ITU V.92 with PTT approval; Wake-on-Ring ready

q ExpressCard™/54 slot
q 5-in-1 card reader (SD™/MMC/MS/MS PRO/xD)
q Four USB 2.0 ports
q DVI-D port with HDCP support (for selected models)
q IEEE 1394 port
q Consumer infrared (CIR) port
q External display (VGA) port
q S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) port
q RF-in jack (for selected models)
q AV-in port (for selected models)
q Headphones/speaker/line-out port with S/PDIF support
q Microphone-in jack
q Line-in jack
q Ethernet (RJ-45) port
q Modem (RJ-11) port
q DC-in jack for AC adapter

Options and accesories

q Acer Xpress VoIP phone featuring Acer Video Conference Manager
q Acer Media Center remote control
q 512 MB, 1 or 2GB DDR2 667 MHz soDIMM modules
q 8-cell Li-ion battery pack
q 3-pin 90 W AC adapter
q External USB floppy disk drive

Software

q Acer Empowering Technology (Acer eNet, ePower, eAudio , ePresentation, eDataSecurity (for

selected models), eLock, eRecovery, eSettings Management)

q Acer Arcade™ featuring Cinema, Video, Album, Music, AcerHomeMedia
q Acer Arcade Deluxe™ featuring DV Wizard, SportsCap, VideoMagician, DVDivine and Acer

HomeMedia

q Acer Crystal Eye
q Acer GridVista™
q Acer GameZone™
q Acer Launch Manager
q Acer Video Conference Manager
q Adobe® Reader®

Chapter 1 3

q CyberLink® PowerProducer®
q Norton Internet Security™
q NTI CD-Maker™
q Microsoft Works 8.5 with Office Home and Student 2007 Trial

NOTE: Software listed above is for reference only. The exact configuration of your PC depends on the model

purchased.

Environment

q Temperature:

• Operating: 5ºC to 35ºC

• Non-operating: -20ºC to 65ºC

q Humidity (non-condensing):

• Operating: 20%~80%

• Non-operating: 20%~80%

Environment

q Wi-Fi
q ACPI
q Mobile PC 2002
q DMI 2.0

Environment

q One-year International Travelers Warranty (ITW)

NOTE: The specifications listed above are for reference only. The exact configuration of your PC depends on

the model purchased.

4 Chapter 1

System Block Diagram

Chapter 1 5

Board Layout

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2 3 4

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Top View

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1 JP1 LVDS Connector 9 U14
2 JP3 Speaker (Left) Connector 10 U15
3 JP34 Speaker (Right) Connector 11 JP9 PCI Express Card Socket
4 JP4 Microphone Connector 12 LED1 Power/Suspend LED
5 JP6 Touchpad Connector 13 LED2 Battery Charge/Discharge LED
6 JP5 Keyboard Connector 14 JP13 Mainboard to Audio Board

7 JP2 Button Board Connector 15 JP11 Mainboard to USB & TV Board

8 JP36 LED Board Connector 16 JP12 Bluetooth Module Connector

Connector

Connector

6 Chapter 1

Bottom View

1

2

3

4

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7

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6

10

14

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23212121

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1 PJP1 DC-in Power Jack 13 JP26 IEEE1394 Connector
2 PJP2 Battery Connector 14 JP22 CPU Socket
3 JP14 D-Sub CRT Connector 15 JP27 SATA HDD Connector
4 JP25 ODD Connector 16 SW1 Volume Control
5 JP20 Mini Card (TV-Tuner) Connector 17 JP28 DDRII Memory Socket
6 JP20 Mini Card (WLAN) Connector 18 JP29 DDRII Memory Socket
7 JP21 Mini Card (TV-Tuner) Socket 19 U29 Audio Codec Controller
8 U23 North Bridge 20 JP30 Memory Card Reader
9 JP16 Internal Fan Connector 21 JP31 Line-Out/Headphone/SPDIF Jackt
10 JP18 RJ45 (LAN) Connector 22 JP32 Mic-in Jack
11 JP23 USB (Dual) Connectors 23 JP33 Line-in Jack
12 JP24 S-video/TV-out Connector

Chapter 1 7

Your Acer Notebook Tour

After knowing your computer features, let us show you around your new Aspire computer.

Front View

# Icon Item Description

1 Built-in camera 0.3 megapixel web camera for video

communication.

2 Power button Turns the computer on and off.

3 Easy-launch buttons Buttons for launching frequently used

4 Wireless communication

5

button/indicator

Bluetooth
communication button/
indicator

®

programs.
Enables/disables the wireless function.

Indicates the status of wireless LAN
communication.

Enables/disables the Bluetooth
Indicates the status of Bluetooth
communication.

®

function.

8 Chapter 1

6 Keyboard For entering data into your computer.

"Easy-launch buttons" on page 18

"Easy-launch buttons" on page 18

7 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which

8 Click buttons (left,

9 Microphone Internal microphone for sound recording.

10 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD),

11 Status indicators Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that light up

12 Empowering button Launches the Empowering Technology

13 Speaker Left and right speakers deliver stereo audio

14 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands

Closed Front View

center, and right)

functions like a computer mouse.
The left and right buttons function like the

left and right mouse buttons.

displays computer output.

to show the status of the computer’s
functions and components.

toolbar.

output.

when you use the computer.

# Icon Item Description

1 Power indicator Indicates the computer’s power status.

2 Battery indicator Indicates the computer’s battery status.

3 Line-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio

CD player, stereo walkman).

4 Microphone-in jack Accepts input from external microphones.

5 Headphones/speaker/

line-out jack with S/PDIF
support

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

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

infrared printer and IR-aware computer).

Chapter 1 9

Left View

Note:

# Icon Item Description

1 Kensington lock slot Connects to a Kensington-compatible

computer security lock.

2 External display (VGA)

port

3 Ethernet (RJ-45) Connects to an Ethernet 10/100/1000-

4 2 USB 2.0 port Connect to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB

5 S-video/TV-out (NTSC/

PAL) port

6 4-pin IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.

7 Volume control Increases and decreases the volume.
8 5-in-1 card reader Accepts Secure Digital (SD),

9 PCI Express Card slot Accepts an Express Card/54 module.

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

based network (for selected models).

mouse, USB camera).

Connects to a television or display device
with S-video input.

MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick
(MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD­Picture Card (xD).

Note: Express Cards are third generation
of PC cards, hot-swapable and smaller
than previous PC Cards. Designed for both
desktop and mobile use, Express Cards
use either USB 2.0 or a single lane PCI
Express technology that provides 500
Mbytes/sec total throughput. Formerly
code named “NEWCARD,” Express Cards
are 5mm thick like Type II PC Cards, but do
not use the same 86x54mm footprint.
Express Cards come in 75x54mm and
75x34mm sizes. Express Card/54 slot
means this notebook accepts 75x54mm
Express Cards.

10 Chapter 1

Right View

# Icon Item Description

1 2 USB 2.0 ports Connect to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB

2 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs

3 Optical disk access

4 Optical drive eject

5 Emergency eject hole Ejects the optical drive tray when the

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

mouse, USB camera).

(slot-load or tray-load depending on
model).

Lights up when the optical drive is active.

indicator

Ejects the optical disk from the drive.

button

computer is turned off.

Rear view

# Icon Item Description

1 DC-in jack Connects to an AC adapter.

2 Ventilation slots Enable the computer to stay cool, even

after prolonged use.

Chapter 1 11

Base view

# Item Description

1 Battery bay Houses the computer’s battery pack.
2 Battery release latch Releases the battery for removal.
3 Battery lock Locks the battery in position.
4 Hard disk bay Houses the computer’s hard disk (secured with screws)
5 Ventilation slots and

cooling fan

Enable the computer to stay cool, even after prolonged use.
Note: Do not cover or obstruct the opening of the fan.

Indicators

The computer has several easy-to-read status indicators.

The front panel indicators are visible even when the computer cover is closed.

12 Chapter 1

Icon Function Description

Power Lights up when the computer is on.

Battery Lights up when the battery is being charged.

Wireless LAN Indicates the status of wireless LAN communication.

Bluetooth Indicates the status of Bluetooth communication.

HDD Indicates when the hard disc or optical drive is active.

Num lock Lights when Num Lock is activated.

Cap lock Lights when Cap Lock is activated

NOTE: 1. Charging: The light shows amber when the battery is charging. 2. Fully charged: The light shows

green when in AC mode.

Easy-Launch Buttons

To the top of the keyboard there are four easy-launch buttons: Web browser, mail, arcade buttons and an
Empowering Key “ .

Press “ “ to run the Acer Empowering Technology. The mail and Web browser buttons are pre-set to email
and Internet programs, but can be reset by users. To set the Web browser and mail buttons, run the Launch
Manager.

Chapter 1 13

Launch Button Default application

Acer Empowering Technology (user-programmable)

Web browser Internet browser (user-programmable)
Mail Email application (user-programmable)
Arcade Windows Media Center

Touchpad Basics

The following teaches you how to use the touchpad:

q Move your finger across the touchpad (2) to move the cursor.
q Press the left (1) and right (4) buttons located beneath the touchpad to perform selection and

execution functions. These two buttons are similar to the left and right buttons on a mouse.
Tapping on the touchpad is the same as clicking the left button.

q The center (3) button to mimics your cursor pressing on the right scroll ba r of Windows

applications.

Function Left Button (1) Right Button (4) Main touchpad (2) Center button (3)

Execute Click twice quickly Tap twice (at the

Select Click once Tap once
Drag Click and hold, then

use finger on the
touchpad to drag
the cursor.

Access context
menu

Scroll Click and hold to

Click once

same speed as
double-clicking the
mouse button)

Tap twice (at the
same speed as
double-clicking a
mouse button); rest
your finger on the
touchpad on the
second tap and
drag the cursor.

move up/down/left/
right.

NOTE: When using the touchpad, keep it - and your fingers - dry and clean. The touchpad is sensitive to finger

movements; hence, the lighter the touch, the better the response. Tapping too hard will not increase the
touchpad’s responsiveness.

14 Chapter 1

Using the Keyboard

The keyboard has full-sized keys and an embedded keypad, separate cursor keys, one Windows key and
twelve function keys.

Lock Keys and embedded numeric keypad

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.

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

Main keyboard keys Hold <Fn> while typing

Type numbers in a normal
manner.

Hold <Shift> while using
cursor-control keys.

letters on embedded
keypad.

Hold <Fn> while using
cursor-control keys.

Type the letters in a normal
manner.

Windows Keys

The keyboard has one key that performs Windows-specific functions.

Chapter 1 15

Key Icon 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 function:

+ <Tab> Activates next taskbar button.

+ <E> Opens the My Computer window

+ <F1> Opens Help and Support.

+ <F> Opens the Search: All Files dialog box.

+ <R> Opens the Run dialog box.

+ <M> Minimizes all windows.

<Shift>+ + <M> Undoes the minimize all windows
action.

This key has the same effect as clicking the right

Application key

mouse button; it opens the application’s context
menu.

Hot Keys

The computer employs hotkeys or key combinations to access most of the computer’s controls like screen
brightness, volume output, and the BIOS utility.

To activate hot keys, press and hold the <Fn> key before pressing the other key in the hotkey combination.

Hot Key Icon Function Description

<Fn>+<F1> Hot key help Displays help on hot keys.

<Fn>+<F2> Acer eSettings Launches the Acer eSettings in Acer eManager.

<Fn>+<F3> Acer ePower

Management

<Fn>+<F4> Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep mode.

Launches the Acer ePower Management in Acer
Empowering Technology. See “Acer Empowering
Technology” on page 19.

16 Chapter 1

Hot Key Icon Function Description

<Fn>+<F5> Display toggle Switches display output between the display screen,

<Fn>+<F6> Screen blank Turns the display screen backlight off to save power.

<Fn>+<F7> Touchpad toggle Turns the internal touchpad on and off.

<Fn>+<F8> Speaker toggle Turns the speakers on and off.

<Fn>+<x> Brightness up Increases the screen brightness.

<Fn>+<z> Brightness down Decreases the screen brightness

<Fn>+<Home> Play/Pause Plays or pauses the media.

<Fn>+<Pg Up> Stop Stops the media playing.

external monitor (if connected) and both.

Press any key to return.

<Fn>+<Pg Dn> Previous Returns to previous media file.

<Fn>+<End> Next Jumps to next media file.

Special Key

You can locate the Euro symbol and US dollar sign at the upper-center and/or bottom-right of your keyboard.
To type:

The Euro symbol

1. Open a text editor or word processor.

2. Either directly press the <> symbol at the bottom-right of the keyboard, or hold <Alt Gr> and then
press the<5> symbol at the upper-center of the keyboard.

NOTE: Some fonts and software do not support the Euro symbol. Please refer to www.microsoft.com/

typography/faq/faq12.htm for more information.

Chapter 1 17

The US dollar sign

1. Open a text editor or word processor.

2. Either directly press the <> key at the bottom-right of the keyboard, or hold <Shift> and then press the
<4> key at the upper-center of the keyboard.

NOTE: This function varies by the operating system version.

18 Chapter 1

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:

q Acer eNet Management hooks up to location-based networks intelligently.
q Acer ePower Management extends battery power via versatile usage profiles.
q Acer ePresentation Management connects to a projector and adjusts display settings conveniently.
q Acer eDataSecurity Management protects data with passwords and advanced encryption algorithms.
q Acer eLock Management limits access to external storage media.
q Acer eRecovery Management backs up and recovers data flexibly, reliably and completely.
q Acer eSettings Management accesses system information and adjusts settings easily.
q Acer ePerformance Manageme nt improves system performance by optimizing disk space, memory and

registry settings.

For more information, press the < > key to launch the Empowering Technology toolbar, then click on the
appropriate utility and select the Help or Tutorial function.

Empowering Technology password

Before using Acer eLock Management and Acer eRecovery Management, you must initialize the Empowering
Technology password. Right-click on the Empowering Technology toolbar and select “Password Setup” to do
so. If you do not initialize the Empowering Technology password, you will be prompted to do so when running
Acer eLock Management or Acer eRecovery Management for the first time.

Acer eNet Management

Acer eNet Management helps you to quickly and easily connect to both wired and wireless networks in a
variety of locations. To access this utility, either click on the “Acer eNet Management” icon on your notebook,
or start the program from the Start menu. You also have the option to set Acer eNet Management to start
automatically when you boot up your PC.

Acer eNet Management automatically detects the best settings for a new location, while offering you the
freedom to manually adjust the settings to match your needs.

Chapter 1 19

Acer eNet Management can save network settings for a location to a profile, and automatically switch to the
appropriate profile when you move from one location to another. Settings stored include network connection
settings (IP and DNS settings, wireless AP details, etc.), as well as default printer settings.

Security and safety concerns mean that Acer eNet Management does not store username and password
information.

20 Chapter 1

Acer ePower Management

Acer ePower Management features a straightforward user interface. To launch it, select Acer ePower
Management from the Empowering Technology interface.

AC Mode (Adapter 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, FireWire
(1394), Wired LAN and Optical Device if supported.

DC Mode (Battery mode)

There are three pre-defined profiles - Balanced, Power Saver, and High Performance. You can also define the
power plan optimized for your needs.

To create new power plan

1. Select a predefined power plan and click the “ “ icon shown on the lower left-hand side.

2. Enter the name for the newly created power plan.

3. Select one of the predefined power plan that is closest to what you want.

4. Change the display and sleep settings as desired.

5. Click “OK“ to apply the setting.

6. A new power plan is created.

Chapter 1 21

Battery status

For real-time battery life estimates based on current usage, refer to the time shown in the “Remaining Battery
Life” field.

For additional power options, click “More Power option”.

Acer ePresentation Management

Acer ePresentation Management lets you project your computer’s display to an external device or project
using the hot key: Fn + F5. If auto-detection hardware is implemented in the system, your system display will
be automatically switched out when an external display is connected to the system.

22 Chapter 1

Acer eDataSecurity Management

Acer eDataSecurity Management is 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 Messenger and Microsoft
Outlook.

The Acer eDataSecurity Management setup wizard will prompt you for a supervisor password and default
encryption. This encryption will be used to encrypt files by default, or you can choose to enter your won file­specific 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!

Chapter 1 23

24 Chapter 1