Acer Aspire 9500 Service Manual

Aspire 9500

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 9500 service guide.

D ate Chapter Updates

II

Copyright

Copyright © 2005 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

NOTE Gives bits and pieces of additional

WARNING Alerts you to any damage that might

CAUTION Gives precautionary measures to

IMPORTANT Reminds you to do specific actions

Denotes actual messages that appear
on screen.

information related to the current
topic.

result from doing or not doing specific
actions.

avoid possible hardware or software
problems.

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

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 System Specifications 1

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

MainBoard Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

System Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Outlook View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Launch Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Hardware Specifications and Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Jumper Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Chapter 2 System Utilities 40

BIOS Setup Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

System Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Main . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Advanced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Boot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Chapter 3 Machine Disassembly and Replacement 55

General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Aspire 9500 Disassembly Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Disassemble the Battery and HDD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Disassemble the TV Tuner and Wireless. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Disassemble the CPU Heatsink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Disassemble the RAM and ODD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Disassemble the Power Board, Bluetooth and Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Disassemble the Cables, Antenna and LCD Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Disassemble Case, Touchpad and CD-Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Disassemble the Mainboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Disassemble the VGA and Modem board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Disassemble the CPU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Disassemble the LCD Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Chapter 4 Troubleshooting 65

System Check Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

PhoenixBIOS POST Tasks and Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Repair Flowchar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Chapter 5 FRU (Field Replaceable Unit) List 102

Exploded Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Aspire 9500 Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112

VII

System Specifications

Features

This computer was designed with the user in mind. Here are just a few of its many features:

Performance

T CPU : Intel

T Intel

T 2MB L2 cache

T 1.60GHz speed

T support 400MHz FSB

T Intel

T 2MB L2 cache

T 1.60/1.73/1.86/2.13 GHz speed

T support 533MHz FSB or higher

T Intel

T 1M L2 cache

T 1.5 GHz speed

T support 400 MHz FSB or higher

T 915 GM (for UMA) / 915 PM ( for discrete VGA ) + ICH6M with PCI-Express technology

T Intel

T Support Wi-Fi CERTIFIED

®

Dothan® with FCPGA Package

®

Pentium® M Processor 725a

®

Pentium® M Processor 730/740/750/760/770

®

Celeron® M Processor 370

®

PRO/Wireless 2200BG network connection (dual-model 802.11 b/g or 802.11 a/b/g)

µ

TM

solution

Chapter 1

Memory

T DDR II SDRAM memory interface design

T 0MB DDR II RAM on board

T Two DDR II SODIMM slots (dual channel)

T 256MB or 512MB of DDR II 533 memory

T Maximum memory up to 2GB with two 1GB SODIMM slots

Display

T 17” Wide WSXGA color TFT LCD with 1680 x 1050 pixel resolution, 16.7 million colours

T 17” Wide WXGA color TFT LCD with 1440 x 900 pixel resolution, high-brightness (Dual Lamp)

T 17” Wide WXGA color TFT LCD with 1440 x 900 pixel resolution, Single Lamp

T 16 :10 aspect ratio

T Support simultaneous multi-window viewing via Acer GridVista

T TV-tuner, Analog w/H/W Mpeg or Digital+Analog w/H/W Mpeg or Digital +Analog w/S/W Mpeg

(MFG optional)

Chapter 1 1

Graphics

T ATI M O B I L I T Y

T ATI P O W E R P L AY

T DualView

T PCI Express

T Intel

T Dual independent display support

T External resolution/refresh rate

T MPEG-2 DVD hardware -assisted capability

T S-video /TV-out (NTSC/PAL) support

T DVI-D (tue digital video interface) support

T Aspire CinemaVision

T Aspire ClearVision

T VGA chip : ATI M26P with 128/256MB VRAM

Media Console YES NO

DVI Interface YES NO

TM

RADEONTM X700(M26P) with 128/256 MB of external DDR video RAM

®

supporting Microsoft

TM

support

TM

®

915GM integrated 3D graphics featuring Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 900 and up to

128MB of VRAM, supporting Microsoft

T 2040x1536: 75/60 Hz

T 1600x1200: 120/100/85/75/60/ Hz

T 1280x1024: 160/120/100/85/75/60 Hz

T 1024x768: 200/160/120/100/85/75/60 Hz

T 800x600: 200/160/120/100/85/75/60 Hz

DirectX® 9.0

TM

5.0 support

X16 graphic card support

®

DirectX ® 9.0

TM2

video technology (Aspire Arcade)

TM2

video optimisation technology (Aspire Arcade)

Discrete VGA UMA VGA

Audio

2

T High Definition Audio (Azalia) support

T Realtek ALC260D

T Built-in two 1.5W speakers

T 2.1 channel speakers with 2W built-in subwoofer

T S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) support for digital speakers

T MS-Sound Compatible

T Built-in microphone

T Dolby digital live is required for Windows XP

T S/W VoIP support

Storage

ODD

T 60/80/100 GB ATA/100 hard disk drive

T 9.5mm height, 2.5” HDD

T PCI Bus Master Enhanced IDE

T Support Ultra DMA100, S.M.A.R.T

T 4200/5400RPM

T PATA/SATA co-layout (one HDD only)

T PATA mode only (HDD: Master, ODD: Slave)

T Mix mode (HDD: SATA-0, ODD: PATA Master)

T 5-in1 card reader, supporting MultiMedia Card (MMC), Secure Digital (SD), Memory Stick

Memory Stick PRO

T Slot-in type

T 12.7mm DVD-Combo, DVD Dual, and DVD Super Multi

TM

(MS-Pro), and xD-Picture Card

TM

Mode Performance

DVD-Dual Double Layer Drive

Read 24X CD-ROM

24X CD-R

24X CD-RW

8X DVD-ROM

8X DVD-R

8X DVD+RW

8X DVD+R

6X LD DVD+R

8X DVD-RW

Write 24X CD-R

24X CD-RW

8X DVD+R

8X DVD-R

4X DVD+RW

2.4X DL DVD+R

4X DVD-RW

DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive

Read 24X CD-ROM

24X CD-R

24X CD-RW

8X DVD-ROM

8X DVD-R

4X DVD-RW

8X DVD+R

4X DVD+RW

Write 24X CD-R

24X CD-RW

®

(MS),

Aspire 9500

PCMCIA

T PC Card & Carbus card supported with one type II

T no ZV(Zoomed Video) support

Express Card

T One PCI-Express card (Left side)

Communication

T 56Kbps V.90/V.92 HD Audio modem card (MDC)

T Gigabit Ethernet LAN on board

T WLAN 802.11b/g and 802.11 a/b/g with mini-PCI interface

T Bulit-in 2 Antennas

T Bluetooth v2.0 module (Broadcom) wiht mini-USB interface

I/O Ports

T Color-coded connectors

T 5 USB 2.0 ports

T 1 Ethernet (RJ-45) port

T 1 Modeom (RJ-11) port

T 1 External VGA port

T 1 Infrared (FIR)

T 1 CIR

T 1 90W DC-in jack for AC adaptor

T 1 Microphone-in

T 1 Line-in Jack

T 1 S/PDIF / Headphone/ Speaker-out/ Line-out jack

T 1 S-video port (TV-out)

T 1 DVI-D output port (UMA and Discrete VGA)

T 1 1394(4 pin) port

T 5-in-1 Card Reader (MS, MS Pro, SD, MMC, xD)

T 1 AV-in (7 pin) port (MFG option)

T 1 RF input for digital TV and analog TV (MFG option)

T Small (PCMCIA size) remote control

T Kensington Lock

T Parallel port

Battery

4

T 8 cells of Li-ion battery pack (4300mAH)(share with TM4050)

T Smart Battery Compliant

T ACPI 2.2 CPU power management standard supporting Standby and Hibernation power-saving

modes

System Status Indicators

LED Status

Orange E-mail button

Cap Lock

Num Lock

Media Activity (HDD/ODD)

Green, Orange System Power

Green, Orange Battery Charging

Orange Wireless on/off

Blue Bluetooth on/off

Aspire 9500

Mainboard Placement

Top View

Rear View

6

ITEM DESCRIPTION ITEM DESCRIPTION

JP1 To Power/B Connector JP33 CPU Socket

JP2 Bluetooth Connector JP35 IEEE1394 Connector

JP4 LCD Connector JP36 MINIPCI Connector (WLAN)

JP5 Internal MIC Connector JP37 FAN Connector

JP6 Headphone/SPDIF Jack JP38 USB Connector

JP7 Line-In Jack JP40 MINIPCI Connector (TV-

Tuner)

JP8 MIC-In Jack JP41 DDRII SO-DIMM Socket

JP9 Internal K/B Connector JP42 Internal Subwoofer

Connector

JP12 T/P Board Connector JP43 Internal Speaker Connector

JP13 To LED/B Connector JP44 MDC Connector

JP14 RF-In Connector JP45 DDRII SO-DIMM Socket

JP15 Parallel Port Connector JP46 5 IN 1 Socket

JP16 DVI Connector JP48 ODD Connector

JP17 CRT Connector JP51 PCMCIA Socket

JP18 USB Connector JP52 HDD Connector (P-ATA)

JP19 TV-Out Connector PJP1 DC-IN Jack

JP20 AV-In Connector PJP2 Battery Connector

JP21 RJ11/RJ45 Connector SW1 Lid Switch

JP22 RF to TV-Tuner Connector U3 LAN Chip

JP24 USB Connector U4 South Bridge Chipset

JP25 USB Connector U40 North Bridge Chipset

JP28 Express Card Socket T1 LAN Transformer

JP29 VGA/B Connector IR1 FIR Module

JP30 USB Connector J1 Clear CMOS Jumper

Aspire 9500

Block Diagram

Aspire 9500

Outlook View

A general introduction of ports allow you to connect peripheral devices, as you would with a desktop PC.

Front View

10

# Item Description

1 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), displays computer

output.

2 Status indicators Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that light up to show the status

of the computer's functions and components.

3 Easy-launch buttons Buttons for launching frequently used programs.

4 Power button Turns the computer on and off.

5 Keyboard For entering data into your computer.

6 Microphones Internal microphones for stereo sound recording.

7 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which functions like a

computer mouse.

8 Click buttons (left,

center and right)

9 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands when you use the

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

computer.

Closed Front Panel

# Item Description

1 Speakers Left and right speakers deliver stereo audio output.

2Wireless

communication
button/indicator

3 Bluetooth

communication
button/indicator

4 CIR receiver Receives signals from a remote control.

5 Power indicator Indicates the computer's power status.

6 Battery indicator Indicates the computer's batttery status.

7 Arcade/media

buttons

8 Media control Five-way multimedia button (for selected models).

9 Latch Locks and releases the lid.

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

Press to enable/disable Bluetooth function. Lights to indicate
the status of Bluetooth communications.

For use with Acer Arcade and other media playing programs
(for selected models).

Aspire 9500

Left View

# Icon Item Description

1 USB 2.0 port USB 2.0 ports

2 Express Card PCI Express card slot Accepts one PCI Express card.

3 Headphone/speaker/line-

out & S/PDIF jack

Connects to audio line-out devices (e.g., speakers,
headphones), S/PDIF compatible

4 N/A Line-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices

5 Microphone jack Accepts input from external microphones.

6 N/A Slot-load optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs.

7 N/A Slot-load optical drive

eject button

8 N/A LED indicator Lights up when the optical drive is active.

Ejects the optical disk from the drive.

12

Right View

# Item Description

1 PC Card slot eject

2 PC card slot Accepts one Type II PC Card.

3 5-in-1 card reader Accepts Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, MultiMediaCard (MMC),

4 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g. infrared printer, IR-aware

Ejects the PC Card from the slot.

button

Secure Digital (SD), and xD-Picture Card.

computer, etc...)

3 IEEE 1394 Port Connects IEEE 1394 devices.

4 Two USB Ports Connect to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB camera).

Aspire 9500

Rear View

# Item Description

1 Ventilation slots Enable the computer to stay cool, even after prolonged use.

2 DC-in jack Connects to an AC adapter.

3 External display

(VGA) port

4 S-video out port Connects to a television or display device supporting S-video input.

5 Parallel port Connects to a printer.

6 DVI-D port Supports digital video connections. (for selected models)

7 RF jack For digital and analog TV input (for selected models).

8 Audio/video in port Supports both audio and video input.(for selected models).

9 Network jack Connects the computer to the 10/100/1000 Ethernet network.

10 Modem Jack Connects the built-in fax/data modem to a phone line.

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

14

11 USB 2.0 port Connects to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB camera).

12 Kensington lock slot Connects to a Kensington-compatible computer security lock.

Base View

# Item Description

1 Cooling fan Helps keep the computer cool.

2 Memory compartment Houses the computer's main memory.

3 Battery lock latch Locks the battery in place.

4 Battery release latch Releases the battery for removal.

5 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.

6 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured by a screw).

7 Sub woofer Emits low frequency sound output.

8 PCI Card bay Houses the computer’s Mini PCI Card.

Aspire 9500

Indicators

"Launch keys" on page 10

"Launch keys" on page 10

"Launch keys" on page 10

"Launch keys" on page 10

Your computer provides an array of three indicators located above the keyboard, in addition to four

indicators positioned at the front of the palm rest area. These indicators show the status of the computer

and its componetns.

The three indicators located above the keyboard provide the following status information:

Icon Item Description

Caps Lock activity Lights when Caps Lock is activated.

Num Lock activiy Lights when Num Lock is activated.

Media activity Lights when the hard disk or optical drive is active.

Bluetooth Indicates the status of Bluetooth communication.

Wireless LAN Indicates the status of wireless LAN communication.

Power Lights up when the computer is on.

(Lights amber when in stand-by or sleep mode)

16

Battery Lights up when the battery is being charged.

Keyboard

The keyboard features full-size keys with an embedded keypad, separated cursor keys, two Windows

keys, and twelve function keys (hot keys).

Special keys

Lock keys

The computer features three lock keys, each with its own status indicator light.

Lock Key Description

Caps Lock When Caps Lock is on, all alphabetic characters are typed in

uppercase. Toggle on and off by pressing the Caps Lock key on the left
side of the keyboard.

Num lock When Num Lock is on, the embedded numeric keyboard can be used.

Toggle on and off by pressing the Fn+tkeys simultaneously.

Scroll lock When Scroll Lock is on, the screen toggles up or down one line

at a time when the up and down cursor control keys are pressed.

NOTE: Scroll Lock doesn’t work in all applications. Toggle on and off by pressing the Fn+F12 keys

simultaneously.

Aspire 9500

Windows Keys

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

Key Description

Windows logo 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 functions:

+ Tab (Activates the next Taskbar button)

+ E (Opens the My Computer window)

+ F1 (opens Help and Support)

+ F (opens the Find: All Files dialog box)

+ M (minimizes all windows)

j + Windows icon + M (undoes the minimize all windows
action)

+ R (opens the Run dialog box)

Application key This key has the same effect as clicking the right mouse button; it

opens the application’s context menu.

18

Function Keys

Using the Fn key with another key creates a hot key, providing a quick and convenient method for controlling

various functions.

To use a hot key, first hold down the Fn key. Next, press the second key in combination. Finally, release

both keys.

Your computer provides the following hot keys:

Hot Key Function Description

Fn+F1 Hot key help Displays help on hot keys

Fn+F2 Setup Access the computer’s configuration utility.

Fn+F3 Power management scheme

toggle

Fn+F4 Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep mode.

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

Fn+F6 Screen blank Turns the display screen backlight

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

Fn+F8 Speaker toggle Turns the speaker on and off.

Fn+Sub-

woofer key

Fn+w Volume up Increases the speaker volume.

Fn+y Volume down Decreases the speaker volume.

Fn+x Brightness up Increases the screen brightness.

Fn+z Brightness down Decreases the screen brightness.

Sub-woofer Turns the sub woofer on and off

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

external monitor ( if connected) and both the display
screen and external monitor.

off to save power. Press any key to return.

NOTE: When activating hotkeys, press and hold the Fn key before pressing the other key in the hotkey

combination.

Aspire 9500

Fn F6

Fn F7

Fn F8

Fn

Fn

Fn

Fn

Euro key

Your computer supports the new Euro currency character. First, hold down the Alt Gr key, and then press the
Euro key.

20

Touchpad

The build-in touchpad is a PS/2 compatible pointing device that senses movement on its surface.

The cursor responds to your finger movements on the touchpad. In addition, the two click buttons provide

the same functionality as a computer mouse, while the scroll key enables easy up and down scrolling in

documents and web pages.

The touchpad is located in the middle of the palm rest area, providing maximum comfort and efficiency.

Touchpad Basics

Use the touchpad as follows:

T Slide your finger over the surface of the touchpad to control the movement of the cursor. Tap the

touchpad to perform selection and execution functions.

T Press the left (1) and right (3) buttons to perform selection and execution functions, just as you

would use the buttons on a computer mouse.

T Use the scroll key (2) to scroll through long documents and web pages. Press the top of the key to

scroll up, and the bottom to scroll down; left to scroll left, and right to scroll right.

Function Left Button Righ Button 4-Way Scroll Way Tap

Execute Click twice quickly Tap twice (at the

same speed as
double-clicking the
mouse button)

Select Click once Tap once

Aspire 9500

Function Left Button Righ Button 4-Way Scroll Way Tap

Drag Click and hold.

Then slide your
finger across the
touchpad to drag
the cursor over the
selection.

Access
context
menu

Scroll Click and hold the

NOTE: Keep your fingers, as well as the surface of the touchpad dry and clean. The touchpad is sensitive to

your finger movements: the lighter the touch, the better the response. Tapping hard will not increase the
touchpad’s responsiveness.

Click once

up/down/left/right
button

Tap twice quickly.
On the second tap,
slide your finger
across the
touchpad to drag
the cursor over the
selection.

22

Launch Keys

Located at the top of the keyboard are four buttons, in addition to the power button. These buttons are

called launch keys. They are designed as key 1, key 2, key 3 and key 4, from right to left. By default,

key 1 is used to launch the email application and key 2 is used to launch the Internet browser. Key 3

and key 4 start the Launch Manager application. The first four launch keys can be set by the user. To set

the launch keys, run the Acer Launch Manager.

# Description

e Launches your email application.

P User-programmable

Web browser Internet browser application

Mail Email application

Aspire 9500

Hardware Specifications and Configurations

Processor

Item Specification

CPU type Intel Pentium M 1.6G ~ 2.13G

CPU package 478pin

CPU core voltage Depend on VID

CPU I/O voltage 1.05V

BIOS

Item Specification

BIOS vendor Insyde

BIOS Version Insyde

BIOS ROM type Flash ROM

BIOS ROM size 512KB

BIOS package 32 lead of TSSOP

BIOS password control Set by setup manual

Second Level Cache

Item Specification

Cache controller Built-in CPU

Cache size 2MB

1st level cache control Always enabled

2nd level cache control Always enabled

Cache scheme control Always enabled

System Memory

Item Specification

Memory controller Intel 915PM/GM

Memory size 256MB/512MB/1GB

DIMM socket number 2 slots

Supports memory size per slot 1024MB

Supports maximum memory size 2GB (by two 1024MB SO-DIMM module)

Supports DIMM type DDR II DRAM

Supports DIMM Speed 400/533MHz

Supports DIMM voltage 1.8V

Supports DIMM package 200-pin SO-DIMM

Memory module combinations You can install memory modules in any combinations as long as

they match the above specifications.

24

Memory Combinations

Slot 1 Slot 2 Total Memory

256/512MB/1024MB 0 MB 256MB/512MB/1024MB

256/512MB/1024MB 256MB 512MB/768MB/1280MB

256/512MB/1024MB 512MB 768MB/1024MB/1536MB

256/512MB/1024MB 1024MB 1280MB/1536MB/2048MB

NOTE: Above table lists some system memory configurations. You may combine DIMMs with various

capacities to form other combinations.

Sysetm Major Chip

Item Controller

System core logic Intel 915GM/PM + ICH6M

Super I/O controller SMSC 47N217, LPC interface

Audio controller Realtek ALC260D Codec

Video controller ATI M26P

Hard disk drive controller ICH6M

Keyboard controller ENE KB910Q

RTC ICH6M

LAN controller RTL8110SBL

IEEE 1394 controller TPA43AB21A

.

LAN Interface

Item Specification

Supports LAN protocol 1Gbps

LAN connector type RJ45

LAN connector location Rear Side

.

Modem / Bluethooth Interface

Item Specification

Data modem data baud rate (bps) 56K

Supports modem/bluetooth protocol V.90/V.92 HD Audio modem card (MDC)

Modem connector type RJ11

Modem connector location Rear Side

Hard Disk Drive Interface

Item Specification

Vendor &
Model
Name

Capacity
(MB)

HITACHI Moraga A
IC25N060ATMR04-0

SEAGATE N2

ST960821A
Toshiba Pluto
MK6025GAS

60000 80000 100000 100000

HITACHI Moraga A

IC25N060ATMR04-0

SEAGATE N2

ST9808210A

Toshiba Pluto

MK8025GAS

SEAGATE N2
ST9100822A
Toshiba Pluto
MK1031GAS

HITACHI Moraga+B

HTS541010G9AT00
SEAGATE
ST9100823A

Toshiba Aries-B

MK1032GAX

Aspire 9500

Item Specification

Vendor & model name Panasonic Dual Slot-in UJ-845

Performance Specification CD-R/RW DVD-ROM/RW

Soft Read Error

Hard Read Error

Less than 10

Less than 10

-9

-12

Data Buffer Capacity 2 MBytes

Interface IDE (ATAPI Compliant)

Speed Reading :

24X Speed CD-ROM
Writing :
16X Speed CD-RW
24X Speed CD-R

Reading :

8X Speed DVD-ROM
Writing :
5X Speed DVD-RAM
8X Speed DVD-R
4X Speed DVD-RW

Applicable disc format DVD: DVD-ROM (DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10),

DVD-R (3.95G/4.7G),
DVD-RAM (2.6G/4.7G),
DVD-RW
CD: CD-Audio,
CD-ROM(mode 1 and mode 2),
CD-ROM XA ( mode2, form 1 and form 2),
CD-RW
Photo CD
Video CD
Enhanced Music CD
CD-TEXT

Power Requirement

Input Voltage +5 V +/- 5 %

26

Item Specification

Vendor & model name Panasonic Tray UJDA-770

Performance Specification CD-R/RW DVD-ROM/RW

Soft Read Error

Hard Read Error

Less than 10

Less than 10

-9

-12

Data Buffer Capacity 2 MBytes

Interface IDE (ATAPI Compliant)

Speed Reading :

Max 24X CAV CD-R
Writing :

Reading :

MAX 8X CAV (MAX 10800 kB/s) DVD­ROM

Max24X Zone CLV CD-R
4X CLV CD-RW

Applicable disc format DVD: DVD-ROM

DVD-R, DVD-RW(Ver. 1.1)
DVD-RAM(2.6GB, 4.7GB)
DVD+R, DVD+RW
CD: CD-DA,CD-ROM,CD-ROM XA
CD-R,CD-RW
PhotoCD(muiltiSession),Video CD
CD-Extra(CD+),CD-text

Power Requirement

Input Voltage +5 V +/- 5 %

Item Specification

Vendor & model name Pioneer DVR-K05RV

Performance Specification CD-R/RW DVD-ROM/RW

Soft Read Error

Hard Read Error

Less than 10

Less than 10

-9

-12

Data Buffer Capacity 2 MBytes

Interface IDE (ATAPI Compliant)

Speed Reading :

24X CAV at CD-ROM and CD-R / RW

Writing :
24X CAV atCD-R
24X Zone CLV at CD-RW

Reading :

8XCAV at DVD-ROM (Single Layer) &
DVD-R / RW or+R/RW
6X CAV at DVD-ROM (Dual Layer) &
DVD-R-DLor +R-DL
2X Zone CLV at DVD-RAM

Writing :
8X CAV at DVD-R or +R
8X Zone CLV at DVD+RW
6X Zone CLV at DVD-RW
4X Zone CLV at DVD-R-DL (Dual
Layer)or +R-DL (Double Layer)

Aspire 9500

Item Specification

Applicable disc format KODAK Photo CD Single and Multi-session

CD Extra (CD PLUS)
Video CD
CD text data (Read / Write)
CD-R discs (Read / Write)
CD-RW discs (Read / Write)
DVD-ROM
DVD-R Ver.2.00 for General (Read / Write)
DVD-R-DL (Read/Write)
DVD-RW Ver.1.0 & 1.1 & 1.2 (Read / Write)
+R Ver.1.0 & 1.11& 1.2 (Read/Write)
+R -DL Ver1.0 (Read / Write)
+RW Ver.1.1 & 1.2 (Read/Write)
DVD-RAM (Ver.2.0 & 2.1) (Read only)

Power Requirement

Input Voltage +5 V +/- 5 %

Audio

Item Specification

Audio Controller Realtek ALC 260D

Audio onboard or optional Built-in

Mono or Stereo Stereo

Resolution 20 bit stereo Digital to analog converter

18 bit stereo Analog to Ditial converter

Compatibility Microsoft PC99/2100, AC97 2.3 & WHQL/WLP2.0

Mixed sound source CD

Sampling rate 96 KHz

Internal microphone No

Internal speaker / Quantity Yes / 2

28

Hard Disk Drive Interface

Item Specification

Bytes per

512 512 512 512

sector

Data heads 3/3/4 4/4/4 4/4/4 4/4/4

Drive Format

Disks 2/2/2 2/2/2 2/2/2 2/2/2

Spindle

4200 RPM 4200 RPM 4200 RPM 4200 RPM
speed
(RPM)

Performance Specifications

Buffer size 8192KB 8192KB 8192KB 8192KB/8192KB/

16384KB

Interface ATA-6 ATA-6 ATA-6 ATA-6

Max. media

350Mb/s 350Mb/s 350Mb/s 493Mb/s
transfer rate
(disk-buffer,
Mbytes/s)

Data
transfer rate

100 MB/Sec.

Ultra DMA mode-5

100 MB/Sec.
Ultra DMA mode-5

100 MB/Sec.
Ultra DMA mode-5

100 MB/Sec.

Ultra DMA mode-5
(host~buffer
, Mbytes/s)

DC Power Requirements

Voltage

5V(DC) +/- 5% 5V(DC) +/- 5% 5V(DC) +/- 5% 5V(DC) +/- 5%

tolerance

Optical Drive Interface

Item Specification

Vendor & model name Panasonic Combo SLOT-IN CW 8124

Performance Specification CD-R/RW DVD-ROM

Soft Read Error

Hard Read Error

Less than 10

Less than 10

-9

-12

Data Buffer Capacity 2 MBytes

Interface IDE (ATAPI Compliant)

Speed Reading :

24x speed CD-ROM
Writing :
24x speed CD-R

Reading :
8x speed DVD-ROM
DVD MULTI Read Support

24x speed CD-RW writing

Aspire 9500

Optical Drive Interface

Item Specification

Applicable disc format DVD: DVD-ROM (DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10),

DVD-R (3.95G/4.7G),
DVD-RAM (4.7G),
DVD-RW
CD: CD-Audio,
CD-ROM(mode 1 and mode 2),
CD-ROM XA ( mode2, form 1 and form 2),
CD-RW
Photo CD
Video CD
Enhanced Music CD
CD-TEXT

Power Requirement

Input Voltage +5 V +/- 5 %

Video Interface

Item Specification

Video vendor ATI

Video name M26P

Chip voltage Core/1.2V, 1.5V

Supports ZV (Zoomed Video) port No

Video Resolution Mode (for both LCD and CRT)

Resolution 16 bits (High color) 32 bits (True color)

1440*900 (WXGA) Yes Yes

1680*1050(WSXGA+) Yes Yes

USB Port

Item Specification

USB compliancy level 2.0

OHCI USB 2.0

Number of USB port 5

Location Rear side x1

Left side x 2
Right side x2

PCMCIA Port

Item Specification

PCMCIA controller ENE CB714 CardBus

Supports card type Type II

Number of slots One type-II

Access location Left Side

Supports ZV (Zoomed Video) port No

Supports 32 bit CardBus Yes

30

Keyboard

Item Specification

Keyboard Controller ENE KB910Q

Total Number of Keypads 103 keys with 12 function keys

Function Keys

Easy-Launch Buttons

Two Front-Access LED Buttons

T Four cursor keys

T Two Windows keys

T Hotkey controls

T Embedded numeric keypad

T International language support

T Internet

T Email

T Empowering button

T User-programmable button

T WLAN

T Bluetooth

Windows logo key Yes

Internal & external keyboard work

Yes

simultaneously

Battery

Item Specification

Vendor & model name Sony/Sanyo

Battery Type Li-ion

Pack capacity 60Wh

Cell voltage 3.7V/cell/2000mAh High discharge rate

Number of battery cell 8

Package configuration

Pin 1

BATT+: Battery+, Battery Positive Terminal

Pin 2

Pin 3 ID : Identify Pin (Note 1)

Pin 4 B/I : Battery-In Pin

Pin 5 TS : Connect to Thermister

Pin 6 SMD : SMBus data interface I/O pin

Pin 7 SMC : SMBus clock interface I/O pin

Pin 8

GND : Battery Negative Terminal

Pin 9

NOTE: 1. Li-ion Battery: Connect 1K % ohm resistor to GND in Battery PCB.

5±

NOTE: B/I pin: Battery can be Charged/Discharged only while this pin is connected to GND.

Aspire 9500

LCD Inverter Specification

No. Panel Model Type

1 Samsung LTN170WP-L02-0 17"

WSXGA+

Frequency

(KHz)

40/60/65 4/6/6.5 1950 Vrms 730 Vrms

Current

(mA)

VS at 0 C

°

Work

Voltage

at 6mA

2 Samsung LTN170WX-L05-E 17" WXGA 40/60/65 3/6/6.8 1690 Vrms 730 Vrms

at 6mA

3 LG LP171WP5-TL03 17" WXGA 40/60/70 3/6/6.5 1500 Vrms 760 Vrms

at 6mA

4 LG LP171WX2-A4K5 17" WXGA 40/60/70 3/6.5/6.8 1500 Vrms 735 Vrms

at 6.5mA

5 AUO B170PW01 V.1 17" WXGA 40/50/80 3/6.5/7 1500 Vrms 815 Vrms

at 6.5mA

6 QDI QD17TL02-02 17" WXGA 50/TBD/60 3/6/6.5 1660 Vrms 724 Vrms

at 6.5mA

LCD

Item Specification

Vendor &
model name

Samsung
LTN170W
P-L02-0

Samsung
LTN170W
X-L05-E

LG
LP171WP
5-TL03

LG
LP171WX

2-A4K5

AUO
B170PW0
1 V.1

QDI

QD17TL0

2-02

Mechanical Specifications

LCD display

17” 17” 17” 17” 17” 17”
area
(diagonal,
inch)

Display

TFT TFT TFT TFT TFT TFT
technology

Resolution

WSXGA

(1440*900)

WXGA
(1440*900)

WXGA
(1440*900)

WXGA
(1440*900)

WXGA
(1440*900)

WXGA
(1440*900)

Brightness

155/180

175/200

420/500

200(typ.)

170/200

175/200

Supports

262K 262K 262K 262K 262K 262K
colors

Optical Specification

Brightness
control

Contrast

keyboard

hotkey

keyboard
hotkey

keyboard
hotkey

No No No No No No
control

Suspend/

Yes Ye s Yes Ye s Yes Ye s
Standby
control

AC Adapter

Item Specification

Vendor & model name Delta 90W ADP-90SB BBAC

Lite-On 90W PA1900-04 AC

32

keyboard
hotkey

keyboard
hotkey

keyboard
hotkey

AC Adapter

Item Specification

Input Requirements

Maximum input current (A,
@100Vac, full load)

Nominal frequency (Hz) 47 - 63

Frequency variation range
(Hz)

Nominal voltages (Vrms) 90 - 264

Inrush current The maximum inrush current will be less than 50A and 100A when

Efficiency High efficiency 85% minimum, at 100~240Vac AC input, full load,

Output Ratings (CV mode)

DC output voltage Offers constant voltage 19.0V output source with 150W max output

Noise + Ripple 300mvp-pmax (20MHz bandwidth) for resistor load

Output current 0 A (min.) 3.5A (max.)

Output Ratings (CC mode)

DC output voltage 18.0 ~ 20.0

Constant output 7.74A

Dynamic Output Characteristics

Start-up time 3 sec. (@115 Vac and 230Vac full load)

Hold up time 5ms min. (@115 Vac input, full load)

Over Voltage Protection
(OVP)

Short circuit protection Output can be shorted without damage, and auto recovery

Electrostatic discharge
(ESD)

Dielectric Withstand Voltage

Primary to secondary 4242 Vdc for 1 second-

Leakage current 60uA at 240Vac/60Hz

Regulatory Requirements 1. FCC class B requirements (USA)

1.8A max@3.5A/100Vac and 240 Vac

47 - 63

the adapter is connected to 100Vac(60Hz) and 240Vac(50Hz)
respectively.

warm-up condition.

power capacity.

25V

15kV (at air discharge)
8kV (at contact discharge)

2. VDE class B requirements (German)

3. VCCI classII requirements (Japan)

Power Management

ACPI Mode Power Management

Mech. Off (G3) All devices in the system are turned off completely.

Soft Off (G2/S5) OS initiated shutdown. All devices in the system are turned

off completely.

Working (G0/S0) Individual devices such as the CPU and hard disk may be

power managed in this state.

Aspire 9500

Power Management

ACPI Mode Power Management

Sleeping State (S3) CPU Power Down

VGA Power Down
PCMCIA Suspend
Audio Power Down
Hard Disk Power Down
Super I/O Power Down

Sleeping State (S4) Also called Hibernate state. System saves all system

states and data onto the disk prior to power off the whole
system.

Environmental Requirements

Item Specification

Temperature

Operating +5 ~ +35°C

Non-operating -20 ~ +65°C (storage package)

Humidity

Operating 10% ~ 90% without condensation

Altitude Operating sea level 0 to 10,000ft

Storage sea level 0 to 40,000ft

Mechanical Specification

Item Specification

Dimensions 15.83” x 11.26” x1.2”

402(W)mm x 286(D)mm x 35/37(H) mm

Weight 3.6 kg with single lamp LCD module

3.7 kg with dual lamp LCD module

34

Mechanical Specification

Item Specification

I/O Ports

T Five USB 2.0 ports

T IEEE 1394 port

T Ethernet (RJ-45) port

T Modem (RJ-11) port

T External display (VGA) port

T S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) port

T DVI-D port

T Parallel port

T Microphone-in jack

T Line-in jack

T Headphones/Speaker/Line-out/SPDIF port

T Infrared (FIR) port

T CIR (at the front side)

T Type II PC Card slot

T AV-in (7-pin) port (MFG option)

T RF input for digital TV and analog TV (MFG option)

T 5-in-1 card reader (MS/MS-Pro/ MMC/ SD/xD-Picture card

T DC-in jack for AC adaptor

T Express Card

Drive Bays One

Material Recycle plastic PC+ABS 94V0

Media Console

T Arcade button

T Stop button

T Play/Pause button

T Fast Forward

T Rewind

T 5-way Switch

TM

)

Aspire 9500

Jumper Board

VGA Board

Item Description

JP1 To LCD Connector

JP2 To M/B Connector

U4 VGA Chip

U3,U5,U6,U7 Graphic Memory

36

Power Board

Item Description Item Description

SW1 Power Button D1 Power LED

SW2 Empowering Button D2 E-Mail LED

SW3 User Button 1 D3 Media LED

SW4 Internet Button D4 Caps Lock LED

SW5 E-Mail Button D5 Num Lock LED

Touchpad Board

Item Description Item Description

SW1 Scroll-up Button SW4 Scroll-down Button

SW2 Scroll-left Button SW5 Left Button

SW3 Scroll-right Button SW6 Right Button

Aspire 9500

LED Board

Item Description Item Description

SW1 WLAN ON/OFF Button D4 Suspend LED

SW2 Bluetooth ON/OFF Button D5 Battery Discharge LED

D1 WLAN LED D6 Battery Charge LED

D2 Bluetooth LED IR1 CIR Module

D3 POWER LED

Media Board

38

Item Description Item Description

SW1 WLAN ON/OFF Button D4 Suspend LED

SW2 Bluetooth ON/OFF Button D5 Battery Discharge LED

SW3 ARCADE Button D6 Battery Charge LED

SW4 PLAY/PAUSE Button D7 ARCADE LED

SW5 STOP Button D8 ARCADE ON LED

SW6 REV Button D9 LED

SW7 FWD Button D10 LED

SW8 5-Way Button D11 LED

D1 Bluetooth LED D12 LED

D2 WLAN LED IR1 CIR Module

D3 POWER LED

Clear CMOS Jumper

J1 : Clear CMOS JUMPER

Aspire 9500

Chapter 2

System Utilities

BIOS Setup Utility

The BIOS Setup Utility is a hardware configuration program built into your computer’s BIOS (Basic Input/

Output System).

Your computer is already properly configured and optimized, and you do not need to run this utility. However,

if you encounter configuration problems, you may need to run Setup. Please also refer to Chapter 4

Troubleshooting when problem arises.

To activate the BIOS Utility, press

on the bottom of screen).

The setup screen displays BIOS as follows:Navigating the BIOS Utility

Function Item

Information Display the system informations

Main Allows the user to specify standard IBM PC AT

Advanced Provides advanced settings of the system

Security Provides security settings of the system

Boot Allows the user to specify the boot options

Exit Allows the user to save CMOS setting and exit Setup

During setup,all Fn function keys and power saving functions are disabled.

There are five menu options: Main, Advanced, Security, Boot and Exit.

m during POST (when “Press <F2> to enter “Setup” message is prompted

system parameters

Chapter 2 40

System Controls

Hot Keys

All Fn Key will support Sticky key mode.

Hot Key Function Description

Fn + F1 Hot key Help Menu This key will cause a help message to appear on the

Fn + F2 Launch Acer eSettings This key will launch Acer eManager->eSetting

Fn+ F3 Launch Acer ePM It will launch Acer ePowerManagement.

Fn + F4 SleepButton in ACPI mode In ACPI mode, the OS provides two buttons for sleep

Fn + F5 Launch Display Mode Menu (DMM) Follow DMM Specification except in OS other than 32-bit

Fn + F6 Display blank (backlight off) This key will cause the LCD back light to be turned off. This

Fn + F7 Touchpad On/Off This key will cause the internal touchpad pointing device to

Fn + F8 Speaker On/Off This key will cause the audio output to the speakers to

Fn + F9 Launch arcade Launch the multimedia application that supports DVD

Fn +w Volume up These keys will cause the volume of the audio chip to be

Fn +y Volume down

Fn +x Brightness up These keys can increase or decrease the brightness of the

Fn +z Brightness down

Alt + F10 Enter D2D recovery during POST

Launch Acer eRecovery in OS

display device that describes the definition and functionality
of the unit hot keys. It is preferred to have the key activate a
graphical display.

function. One is the Power On button and the other is the
Sleep Button. “Fn+F4” is assigned as the Sleep button in
ACPI mode. User can set the action of the Sleep Button on
the Power Management property.

Windows

provides both a quick security feature and some power
savings. The LCD back light can also be turned off via an
APM timer. The LCD back light will be turned on again
when any of the following events occur:

1. Any key pressed

2. Pointing device movement

USB device does not need to support.

be disabled/enabled . This is to prevent accidental system
wake-ups from standby. Pressing this key a second time
will re-enable the touch pad pointing device. BIOS check
Internal AuxDev if not exist then BIOS empty return.

muted or disabled. Pressing this key a second time will re­enable the audio output to the speakers.

player, CD player, picture explorer, TV turner and MP3
player.

increased or decreased.When the hotkeys are pressed and
the volume are changing then system will pop one volume
status menu to show the status. This function should be
handled bythe system Volume utility within the each key
makes.

LCD back light. This function should be handled by the
Analog function within the keyboard controller (KBC).
Brightness will step up/down one unit as each time these
keys are pressed.

Enter D2D recovery during POST

Launch Acer eRecovery in OS

Euro, and USD dollar key: Under different language OS, user is able to input Euro dollar sign,and USD dollar
sign when word processing.

41 Chapter 2

Buttons

Application Launch Buttons

Launch Keys Description

Launch Button P <Launch manager>

Launch Button e <Launch eManager>

Specific Keys

Wireless Button Wireless enable/disable

E-mail Button Launch Outlook Express

Bluetooth Button Enable/disable bluetooth

Internet Button Launch Internet Explorer

NOTE: Detail description and definition of application Launch Buttons, please reference the External spec.

Wireless LAN & Bluetooth Default Setting

Wireless LAN Bluetooth

After loading default settings in BIOS ON OFF

At Logon Screen Follows user setting in previous OS session

(by ePM or Launch Manager)

In OS Controlled by ePM or Launch Manager. Controlled by ePM or Launch

Follows user setting inprevious
OS session (by ePM or Launch
Manager).

Manager.

Power Button

The activity of the power button is as follows:

T If power button is pressed for less than 1 second then nothing happens.
T If power button is pressed for more than 1 second but less than 4 seconds then system would execute

User Requested OFF before the system entered into OS.

T If power button is pressed for more than 4 seconds then the notebook will be powered off by power button

over-ride feature.

T If OS is running in ACPI mode, the power button acts as the sleep button, and let OS controls the policy of

power button which is defined in Power Option under the OS.

Power Button Over-ride

Holding down the Power Button for 4 seconds will cause an unconditional transfer to the Off state without
notifying the operating system.

If press power button for less than 4 seconds, the system will enter suspend to RAM or OFF state according to
OS power option setting.

Lid Switch

This section describes the expected behavior of the system when the lid is opened or closed by the user.

If the system is running under legacy mode:

T Closing the lid will turn off LCD backlight.

If the system is running under ACPI mode:

T The operating system will determine what action to take when the lid is closed. (Windows does not define

Lid Open action in Power Option control panel)

T The function of lid close will follow the OS setting in power management (Nothing, standby, Hibernate or

Chapter 2 42

Power off). However, if the setting is nothing, the backlight must still be turned off when the lid is closed.

T Lid Open action does not resume the system from S3, S4, and S5.

Hard Disk Password Function/ Password on boot function

This feature allows the user to set the password to prevent any unauthorized access to the internal hard disk.

T If the original HDD come from other machine with password protected, the system just show ” Enter HDD

password [ ]”

User is required to enter HDD password when system boot up.

T If user enter the wrong password, it will pop out message “Setup Warning, Invalid Passwrod”.....

T If the password is correct, system will continue to boot up into OS.

T "Password on boot"

T Password on boot is "Disabled", the system will NOT POP any password prompt windows during POST.
T If Password on boot is set to “Enabled” , the system will POP “Enter password” prompt windows during

POST. No matter the user key in "Supervisor Password" or "User Password", the system will be unlocked.

Valid Password Characters

Valid Password Characters:

Symbol Character Symbol Name

A-Z Alphabets A through Z (Not Case Sensitive)

0-9 Numerical Characters

-Dash

= Equal Sign

[ Left Bracket

] Right Bracket

.Period

, Comma

;Semi-Colon

/Slash

\ Back-slash

43 Chapter 2

Information

Insyde Software SCU May 20, 2003 5:40:09 AM

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

----Devices--------------------------------------------------- -----System------------------------­Product Name = Aspire 9500

Manufacture Name = Acer

BIOS Version = V1.00

VGA Version = 3104

HDD Model Name = HITACHI_DK23EA-40-(PM)

HDD Serial Number = 123456789

ATAPI Model Name = UJDA740 DVD/CDROM-(SM)

Serial Number = ( 32 bytes)

CPU = Intel® Pentium ® 4

CPU speed = 2.0 GHz

L2 Cache = 2048 KB

----Memory------------------------

System Memory = 640 KB

Extended Memory = 256MB

VGA Memory = 128 MB

Asset Tag Number = (32 bytes)

UUID = (16 bytes)

Setup system date, time. Enable boot logo and get system information.

Parameter Description

Product Name This field will show the product name

Manufacture Name This field will show manufacturer name

BIOS Version This field reports the BIOS version of system

VGA Version This field reports the VGA version of the system

HDD Model Name This item will show the Model name of HDD installed on Primary IDE

master. The hard disk model name is automatically detected by the
system. If there is no hard disk present or unknown type, “None”
should be shown on the field.

HDD Serial Number This item will show the Serial number of HDD installed on Primary IDE

master. If no Hard disk or other devices are installed on Primary IDE
master, then it will display a blank line

ATAPI Model Name This field shows the ATAPI Model Name for you

Serial Number This item will show the Serial number of system

Asset Tag This item will show the Asset Tag number of the system

UUID This will be visible only when there is an internal LAN device present

System Memory This field reports the memory size of system base memory. The size is

fixed to 640KB.

Extended Memory This field reports the memory size of the extended memory in the

system.
Extended Memory size = Total memory size - 1 MB

Chapter 2 44

Parameter Description

Video Memory VGA Memory size :

Discrete = 64 or 128MB (depends on actual VRAM size)
TurboCache = 32MB (actual TurboCache VRAM size)
Intel 915 DVMT: selectable between the following:

1. 64MB (8MB pre-allocated + 56MB DVMT)

2. 128MB (8MB pre-allocated + 128DVMT). This is the default
value.

3. Max DVMT (160MB on 256MB system memory, 224MB on

512MB and above system memory).

45 Chapter 2

Main

This menu provides you the information of the system.the is

Insyde Software SCU May 20, 2003 5:40:09 AM

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Date and Time

ˣ˸ʳˢʳ˗˼˿˴ʳ

ԩ Quiet Boot

ԩ LCD Auto DIM

˲ Network Boot

˲ʳ ʳ F12 Boot Menu

ԩ D2D Recoveryʳ

Press <Tab> key to select a control. <OK> button or <Enter> key accept
entries. <Cancel> button or <Esc> key reject entries. Use cursor, spacebar,
and numeric keys to change values. <Alt> key activates accelerators.

----------------Power On Display---------------

( ) Auto
( ) Both

OK Cancel

Insyde Software SCU May 20, 2003 5:40:09 AM

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Date and Time

ʳ ʳ ˣ˸ʳˢʳ˗˼˿˴ʳ
ԩ Quiet Boot

ԩ LCD Auto DIM

˲ Network Boot

˲ʳ ʳ F12 Boot Menu

ԩ D2D Recoveryʳ

Enable or disable the F12 key for Boot Menu during POST
<Space> for select

Chapter 2 46

Parameter Description Option

Date and Time The hours are displayed with 12 hour format. The values set in these two

Power On Display AUTO: if select “AUTO” item will let BIOS to select either one Display on

Quiet Boot Enabled: Customer Logo is displayed, and Summary Screen is disabled

Network Boot When this is selected, Boot from LAN feature is enabled. When this is not

LCD Auto Dim The system will support an automatic

F12 Boot Menu Enabled: During user’s quite boot, the OEM POST screen will have

D2D Recovery Enabled: Enable D2D Recovery/eRecovery

fields take effect immediately

screen.

BOTH: Select “Both” item the display mode will be select on twin mode.

Disabled: Customer Logo is not displayed, and Summary Screen is

enabled.

selected, Boot from LAN feature is then disabled.

Enabled: LCD brightness
dimming of the LCD backlight when the AC
power is NOT available (running on battery
power)

“Press <F12>Change Boot Device”

Disabled: During user’s quite boot, the OEM POST screen will not have
”Press <F12>Change Boot Device”

Disabled: Disable D2D Recovery/eRecovery

will automatically lower to

save more power whenAC is

not present.

Disabled: LCD brightness

will NOT automatically lower

to save more power when

AC is not present.

47 Chapter 2

Advanced

A

ԩ

ԩ

A

The Advanced screen contains parameters involving your hardware devices. It also provides advanced

settings of the system.

Insyde Software SCU Jul 26,2005 11:06:25

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Infrared Port (FIR)
ԩLegacy USB Port
_Spread Enable

IDE Settings

ԩEnable ACPI Support

Advanced CPU Controls

SpeedSteup Support

Enable enhanced IDE settings

Insyde Software SCU Jul 26,2005 11:06:25

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Infrared Port (FIR)

ԩ

Legacy USB Port

_Spread Enable

IDE Settings

ԩ

Enable ACPI Support

Advanced CPU Controls

SpeedSteup Support

Infrared Port (FIR)

FIR I/O Settings :

( ) Disabled

(Ԧ) Enabled

OK Cancel

<Tab><Right><Left> for block select. <Up><Down> for item select. <Enter>
for accept. <Cancel><Esc> for reject. <Alt> activates accelerators.

The table below describes the parameters in the screen. Settings in boldface are the default and suggested

parameter settings.

Description Option

Infrared Port (FIR)

FIR I/O Settings Sets the base I/O address and IRQ for

Infrared port.

Chapter 2 48

Disabled
Enabled

Insyde Software SCU Jul 26,2005 11:06:25

A

, sp

A

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Infrared Port (FIR)

ԩ

Legacy USB Port
_Spread Enable

IDE Settings

ԩ

Enable ACPI Support

HDD Timing

Advanced CPU Controls

( ) Standard
( ) Fast PIO

SpeedSteup Support

( ) Multiwork D MA

Press <Tab> key to select a control. <OK> button or <Enter> key accept
entries. <Cancel> button or <Esc> key reject entries. Use cursor, spacebar,
and numeric keys to change values. <Alt> key activates accelerators.

Enable enhanced IDE settings

( ) Ultra ATA-66
( Ԧ ) Ultra ATA-100

[ ] Serial ATA Enable

Mode : Combined Primary

OK Cancel

IDE Settings

SELECT DEVICES

[ ԩ] PRIMARY MASTER DEVICE
[ ԩ] PRIMARY SLAVE DEVICE
[ ] SECONDARY MASTER DEVICE
[ ] SECONDARY SLAVE DEVICE ( ) Ultra ATA-33

S.M.A.R .T Support Disabled

Insyde Software SCU Jul 26,2005 11:06:25

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Infrared Port (FIR)
ԩLegacy USB Port
_Spread Enable

IDE Settings

ԩEnable ACPI Support

Advanced CPU Controls

Advance CPU Controls

SpeedSteup Support

PCI Support :

Press <Tab> key to select a control. <OK> button or <Enter>
key accept entries. <Cancel> button or <Esc> key reject entries.
Use cursor

Set Processor Controls

APIC-IOAPIC Mode :
Cstate Enabling :
TM 2 Enabling :

acebar, and numeric keys to change values.

Execute-Disable Bit Capability :

OK Cancel

Disabled
Enabled
Enabled
Disabled
Enabled

49 Chapter 2

Ԧ

Insyde Software SCU Jul 26,2005 11:06:25

A

, sp

A

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Infrared Port (FIR)
ԩLegacy USB Port
_Spread Enable

IDE Settings

ԩEnable ACPI Support

dvanced CPU Controls

SpeedSteup Support

Press <Tab> key to select a control. <OK> button or <Enter>
key accept entries. <Cancel> button or <Esc> key reject entries.
Use cursor

Enable SpeedStep Supports

acebar, and numeric keys to change values.

SpeedStep Support

SpeedStep

(Ԧ ) Maximum Performance
( ) Battery Optimized
( ) Automatic
( ) Disabled

OK Cancel

Chapter 2 50

Security

The Security screen contains parameters that help safeguard and protect your computer from

unauthorized use.

Insyde Software SCU May 20, 2003 5:40:09 AM

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Set User Password

Set Supervisor Password

_ Lock HardDisk Drive --------Set Supervisor password----------------

Enter old Supervisor password: . . . . . . . . . .

Enter new Supervisor Password: . . . . . . . . . ..

Verify new Supervisor Password: . . . . . . . . . .

[ ] Boot System

OK Cancel

Enter new password. Password will NOT be displayed

If password on boot is required, the password must be set otherwise it cannot be enabled.

The formats of the password are as follows:

T Length 10 characters
T Characters Alphanumeric keys only. The shift status i.e. Ctrl, Shift, Alt and Capital are ignored.

The table below describes the parameters in this screen. Settings in boldface are the default and

suggested parameter settings.

Parameter Description

Set User Password Defines whether a password is required or not while the events defined

Set Supervisor Password

Lock Hard Disk Drive Set the password to lock the hard disk drive

in this group happened. The following sub-options are all requires the
Supervisor password for changes and should be grayed out if the user
password was used to enter setup.

When you set Supervisor password already and then you reboot and
into BIOS setup manual by User password, the set Supervisor
password, Boot device and Lock Hard Drive will be disable.

Allows the user to specify whether or not a password is required to boot.

51 Chapter 2

Boot

This menu allows the user to decide the order of boot devices to load the operating system. Bootable

devices includes the distette drive in module bay, the onboard hard disk drive and the CD-ROM

in module bay and onboard LAN device.

Insyde Software SCU May 20, 2003 5:40:09

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Boot Device

`

---- Boot Sequence ----

Hard Drive

CD-ROM/DVD Drive
Floppy Device
Network Boot

Press <Tab> key to select a control. <OK> button or <Enter> key accept entries. <Cancel> button
or <ESC> key reject entries. Use spacebar and number keys to change value <Alt> key activates
accelerators.

Default boot sequence should be the following:

1. Hard Drive

2. CD-ROM/DVD Drive

3. Floppy Drive

4. Network Boot (since only 3 items are availble, if above 3 items are invalid, a boot menu should be shown

when boot.)

Chapter 2 52

Exit

The Exit screen contains parameters that help safeguard and protect your computer from unauthorized use.

Insyde Software SCU Nov 26, 2003 5:40:09

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Exit Saving Changes

--------------Exit Saving Changes------------------ Exit Discarding Changes

Press <OK> to save the current Load Setup Defaults

Setup parameters to CMOS RAM. Discard Changes

The system will reboot!!!

OK Cancel

<Tab> <Right> <Left> for block select. <Up> <Down> for item select.
< Enter> for accept. <Cancel> <Esc> for reject. <Alt> activates accelerators.
<Space> for Enable or Disable.

Insyde Software SCU May 20, 2003 5:40:09

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Exit Saving Changes

--------------Exit Discarding Changes------------ Exit Discarding Changes

Press <OK> to Exit the SCU. Load Setup Defaults

The current settings will not be saved!!! Discard Changes

<Tab> <Right> <Left> for block select. <Up> <Down> for item select.
< Enter> for accept. <Cancel> <Esc> for reject. <Alt> activates accelerators.
<Space> for Enable or Disable.

53 Chapter 2

OK

Cancel

Insyde Software SCU May 20, 2003 5:40:09

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Exit Saving Changes

----------------Load Setup Default----------------- Exit Discarding Changes

Do you wish to change the current setup Load Setup Defaults

to the system default values? Discard Changes

OK Cancel

<Tab> <Right> <Left> for block select. <Up> <Down> for item select.
< Enter> for accept. <Cancel> <Esc> for reject. <Alt> activates accelerators.
<Space> for Enable or Disable.

Insyde Software SCU May 20, 2003 5:40:09

Main Advanced Security Boot Exit

Exit Saving Changes

----------------Discard Changes-------------------- Exit Discarding Changes

Do you wish to restore the current setup Load Setup Defaults

to the original custom values? Discard Changed

OK Cancel

<Tab> <Right> <Left> for block select. <Up> <Down> for item select.
< Enter> for accept. <Cancel> <Esc> for reject. <Alt> activates accelerators.
<Space> for Enable or Disable.

Chapter 2 54

Machine Disassembly and Replacement

This chapter contains step-by-step procedures on how to disassemble the notebook computer for

maintenance and troubleshooting.

To disassemble the computer, you need the following tools:

T Wrist grounding strap and conductive mat for preventing electrostatic discharge

T small phillips screwdriver

T flat head screwdriver

T Phillips screwdriver

T Hex screwdriver

NOTE: The screws for the different components vary in size. During the disassembly process, group the

screws with the corresponding components to avoid mismatch when putting back the components.

When you remove the stripe cover, please be careful not to scrape the cover.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Aspire 9500

General Information

Before You Begin

Before proceeding with the disassembly procedure, make sure that you do the following:

1. Turn off the power to the system and all peripherals.

a. Save and close any open files, exit any open programs, click the Start button, and then click Turn Off

Computer.

b. In the Turn off computer window, click Tur n o f f. The computer turns off after the operating system

shutdown process finishes

2. Unplug the AC adapter and all power and signal cables from the system.

3. Ensure that the computer and any attached devices are turned off. If your computer and attached devices

did not automatically turn off when you shut down your operating system, press and hold the power button
for at least 8 ~10 seconds until the computer turns off.

56 Chapter 3

Aspire 9500 Disassembly Procedure

This section will guide you how to disassemble the system when you need to perform system service.

Please also refer to the disassembly video, if availabled.

CAUTION: Before you proceeded sure you have turned off the system and all peripherals connected.

Disassemble the Battery and HDD

1. Slide and hold the battery-bay latch release on the bottom of the system, and then remove the battery
from the bay.

2. Turn the system over, and remove the hard drive screws.

3. Slide the hard drive out of the system.

Disassemble the TV Tuner and Wireless

1. Loosen the one screw to from the Wireless door

2. Place your finger under the cover at the indentation and lift the cover open.

3. Release the TV Tuner card by spreading the metal securing tabs until the card pops up slightly.

4. Disconnect the TV Tuner cable.

Chapter 3 Aspire 9500

5. Tear the tape before you conduct the next step.

6. Disconnect the antenna cables from the Mini PCI card.

7. Release the Mini PCI card by spreading the metal securing tabs until the card pops up slightly.

8. Lift the Mini PCI card out of its connector.

Disassemble the CPU Heatsink

1. Remove the two screws and detach the door.

2. Remove the three screws to detach the CPU fan.

3. Remove the four screws.

4. Detach the CPU heatsink.

Disassemble the RAM and ODD

1. Remove the one screw to release the RAM door.

2. Detach the RAM door.

3. Use your fingertips to carefully spread apart the securing clips on each end of the memory module

connector until the module pops up.

58 Chapter 3

4. Remove the one screw to release the ODD door.

5. Push the ODD bracket from the ODD rear to push it outward from the system.

6. Then pull the ODD out from the system.

7. Detach the bezel from the ODD.

Disassemble the Power Board, Bluetooth and Keyboard

1. Insert a scribe into the indent to lift the hinge cover on the right side.

2. Ease the hinge cover up, moving from right to left, and remove it.

3. Remove the screw securing the power board to the system board, and set it aside.

4. Disconnect the bluetooth cable from the routing channels with the tapes following system board.

5. Before you detach the bluetooth, you have to detach the right speaker first.

Chapter 3 Aspire 9500

6. Remove the three screws at the top of the keyboard.

7. Lift up the keyboard and hold it up and slightly forward to allow access to the keyboard connector.

8. Pull up on the keyboard connector pull-tab to disconnect the keyboard connector from the system board.

Disassemble the Cables, Antenna and LCD Module

1. Disconnect the touchpad cable and CD-Player cable.

2. Disconnect the wire cable from the board.

3. Disconnect the Antenna cable.

4. Tear the tape then pull the antenna cables from the routing channels.

5. Loosen the two screws on each side as shown here.

60 Chapter 3

6. Remove another two screws located on the each side of the rear side.

7. Then detach the LCD module from the system.

Disassemble Case, Touchpad and CD-Player

1. Remove the three screws located on the upper case as shown.

2. Remove those five screws located on the upper case as shown.

3. Turn the system over and loosen the five screws from the edge of the system.

4. Remove the seven screws as shown.

5. Disconnect the MIC. cable from here.

6. Tear the tape and disconnect the CD-Player FFC.

7. Remove the two screws securing the touchpad board support.

Chapter 3 Aspire 9500

8. Detach it from the system.

9. Disconnect the power board cable from the touchpad board.

10. Remove the two screws securing the power board.

11. Detach it from the position.

12. Remove the two screws as shown.

13. Be aware of indention positions to unhook the touchpad support.

14. Detach the touchpad support from the system.

15. Gently detach the touchpad board from the system.

Disassemble the Mainboard

1. Disconnect the sub-woofer and speaker cable from mainboard.

2. Remove the one screw securing the mainboard.

3. Remove the six henx screws from the rear of the mainboard.

4. Detach the mainboard from the case.

62 Chapter 3

Disassemble the VGA and Modem board

1. Remove the two screws securing the VGA board.

2. Trun the VGA over and loosen the three screws from the VGA thermal.

3. Separate the VGA thermal from the VGA board.

4. Remove the one screw securing the modem board.

5. Disconnect the modem cable from the position.

6. Detach the modem board from the mainboard.

Disassemble the CPU

1. With a flat screwdriver to loosen the CPU.

2. Detach the CPU from the mainboard.

Chapter 3 Aspire 9500

Disassemble the LCD Module

1. Remove the four screws on the other side to release the LCD front bezel.

2. Detach the front bezel from the LCD panel.

3. Disconnect the invertor cable from the invertor board.

4. Disconnect the LCD cable from the invertor board.

5. Remove the one screw.

6. Then detach the invertor board from the LCD panel module.

7. Remove the one screw on each bracket to release the bracket from the LCD module.

8. Take the entire LCD panel out from the top cover.

9. Remove the four screws to detach the bracket.

10. Then take the LCD bracket from the panel.

11. Remove another four screws to release the bracket.

12. Then detach the bracket out from the LCD Panel.

13. Tear the tapes as video guides you from the LCD wire set cable and disconnect it from the panel.

64 Chapter 3

Troubleshooting

Use the following procedure as a guide for computer problems.

1. Obtain the failed symptoms in as much detail as possible.

2. Verify the symptoms by attempting to re-create the failure by running the diagnostic test or by

repeating the same operation.

3. If any problem occurs, you can perform visual inspection before you fellow this chapter’s instructions.

You can check the following:

power cords are properly connected and secured;

there are no obvious shorts or opens;

there are no obviously burned or heated components;

all components appear normal.

4. After you perform visual inspection you can also verify the following:

ask the user if a password is registered and, if it is, ask him or her to enter the password.

verify with the customer that Wndows XP is installed on the hard disk. Operating systems that
were not preinstalled by Acer can cause malfunction.

make sure all optional equipment is removed from the computer.

make sure the floppy disk is empty.

5. Use the following table with the verified symptom to determine which page to go to.

Chapter 4

Symptoms (Verified) Go To

Power failure. (The power indicator does not go on
or stay on.)

POST does not complete. No beep or error codes
are indicated.

POST detects an error and displayed messages on
screen.

Other symptoms (i.e. LCD display problems or
others).

Symptoms cannot be re-created (intermittent
problems).

“Power System Check”

“Insyde MobilePro BIOS POST Beep Code and POST
Messages”

“Undetermined Problems”

“Insyde MobilePro BIOS POST Beep Code and POST
Messages”

“Insyde MobilePro BIOS POST Beep Code and POST
Messages”

Use the customer-reported symptoms and go to
“Insyde MobilePro BIOS POST Beep Code and POST
Messages” on page 67

“Intermittent Problems”
“Undetermined Problems”

Chapter 4 65

System Check Procedures

External Diskette Drive Check

Do the following steps to isolate the problem to a controller, driver, or diskette. A write-enabled, diagnostic
diskette is required.

NOTE: Make sure that the diskette does not have more than one label attached to it. Multiple labels can cause

damage to the drive or cause the drive to fail.

Do the following to select the test device.

1. The FDD heads can become dirty over time, affecting their performance. Use an FDD cleaning kit to clean
the heads. If the FDD still does not function properly after cleaning, go to next step.

2. Boot from diagnostic program.

3. If an error occurs with the internal diskette drive, reconnect the diskette connector on the main board.

If the error still remains:

1. Reconnect the external diskette drive module.

2. Replace the external diskette drive module.

3. Replace the main board.

External CD-ROM/DVD-ROM Drive Check

Do the following to isolate the problem to a controller, drive, or CD-ROM/DVD-ROM. Make sure that the CD­ROM does not have any label attached to it. The label can cause damage to the drive or can cause the drive
to fail.

Do the following to select the test device:

1. Insert an audio CD into the CD/DVD drive. If the CD/DVD drive can read the data from the audio CD. The
drive does not have problem, then go to next step. If the CD/DVD LED on the front panel does not emit
light as it read the data from the audio CD, then go to next step. However, if the CD/DVD drive can not
read data from the audio CD, you may need to clean the CD/DVD drive with a CD/DVD drive cleaning
disk.

2. Make sure that the appropriate driver has been installed on the computer for the CD/DVD drive.

3. Boot from the diagnostics diskette and start the diagnostics program

4. See if CD-ROM Test is passed when the program runs to CD-ROM/DVD-ROM Test.

5. Follow the instructions in the message window.

If an error occurs, reconnect the connector on the main board. If the error still remains:

1. Reconnect the CD-ROM/DVD-ROM module.

2. Replace the CD-ROM/DVD-ROM module.

3. Replace the main board.

66 Chapter 4

Keyboard or Auxiliary Input Device Check

Remove the external keyboard if the internal keyboard is to be tested.

If the internal keyboard does not work or an unexpected character appears, make sure that the flexible cable
extending from the keyboard is correctly seated in the connector on the main board.

If the keyboard cable connection is correct, run the Keyboard Test.

If the tests detect a keyboard problem, do the following one at a time to correct the problem. Do not replace a
non-defective FRU:

1. Reconnect the keyboard cables.

2. Replace the keyboard.

3. Replace the main board.

The following auxiliary input devices are supported by this computer:

T Embedded Numeric Keypad

T External keyboard

If any of these devices do not work, reconnect the cable connector and repeat the failing operation.

Memory Check

Memory errors might stop system operations, show error messages on the screen, or hang the system.
Currently, we do not provide memory test program. However, if you need to check memory but have no testing
program or diagonositc utility at hand, please go to http://www.passmark.com to download the shareware
“BurnIn Test V.3.0”. You may test the memory with this program under Window XP environment.

NOTE: Make sure that the DIMM is fully installed into the connector. A loose connection can cause an error.

Power System Check

To verify the symptom of the problem, power on the computer using each of the following power sources:

1. Remove the battery pack.

2. Connect the power adapter and check that power is supplied.

3. Disconnect the power adapter and install the charged battery pack; then check that power is supplied by

the battery pack.

If you suspect a power problem, see the appropriate power supply check in the following list:

T “Check the Power Adapter”

T “Check the Battery Pack”

Chapter 4 67

Check the Power Adapter

Unplug the power adapter cable from the computer and measure the output voltage at the plug of the power
adapter cable. See the following figure

Pin 1: 19V
Pin 2: 0V, Ground

1. If the voltage is not correct, replace the power adapter.

2. If the voltage is within the range, do the following:

T Replace the main board.

T If the problem is not corrected, see “Undetermined Problems”.

T If the voltage is not correct, go to the next step.

NOTE: An audible noise from the power adapter does not always indicate a defect.

3. If the DC-IN indicator does not light up, check the power cord of the power adapter for correct continuity

and installation.

4. If the operational charge does not work, see “Check the Power Adapter” .

68 Chapter 4

Check the Battery Pack

To check the battery pack, do the following:

From Software:

1. Check out the Power Options in control Panel

2. In Power Meter, confirm that if the parameters shown in the screen for Current Power Source and Total

Battery Power Remaining are correct.

3. Repeat the steps 1 and 2, for both battery and adapter.

4. This helps you identify first the problem is on recharging or discharging.

From Hardware:

1. Power off the computer.

2. Remove the battery pack and measure the voltage between battery terminals 1(+) and 6(ground).

3. If the voltage is still less than 7.5 Vdc after recharging, replace the battery.

4. If the voltage is within the normal range, run the diagnostic program.

To check the battery charge operation, use a discharged battery pack or a battery pack that has less than 50%
of the total power remaining when installed in the computer.

If the battery status indicator does not light up, remove the battery pack and let it return to room temperature.
Re-install the battery pack.

If the charge indicator still does not emit, replace the battery pack. If the charge indicator still does not light up,
replace the DC/DC charger board.

Touchpad Check

If the touchpad doesn’t work, do the following actions one at a time to correct the problem. Do not replace a
non-defective FRU:

1. After rebooting, run Touch pad/PS2 Mode Driver.

2. Run utility with the PS/2 mouse function and check if the mouse is working.

3. If the PS/2 mouse does not work, then check if the main board to switch board FPC is connected well.

4. If the main board to switch board FPC is connected well, then check if the touch pad FPC connects to the

main board properly.

5. If there is still an error after you have connected the touch pad FPC to the main board properly, then
replace the touch pad or touch pad FPC. The touch pad or touch pad FPC may be damaged.

6. Replace switch board.

7. If the touch pad still does not work, then replace the FPC on Track Pad PCB.

After you use the touchpad, the pointer drifts on the screen for a short time. This self-acting pointer movement
can occur when a slight, steady pressure is applied to the touchpad pointer. This symptom is not a hardware
problem. No service actions are necessary if the pointer movement stops in a short period of time.

Display Check

1. Connect an external display to the computer’s external monitor port, the boot the computer. The computer
can automatically detect the external display. Press Fn+ p to switch to the external display.

2. If the external display works fine, the internal LCD may be damaged. Then perform the following steps:

Make sure the DDRRAM module is seated properly. Then run the diplay test again. If the problem
still exists, go to next step.

Replace the inverter board, then run the display test program again. If the problem still occurs, go
on next step.

Replace the LCD module with a new one then run the display test again. If the probelm still
happens, continue next step.

Replace LCD/FL cable with a new one then execute the display diagnostic again. If the problem

Chapter 4 69

still occurs, continue next step.

Replace the CPU with another of the same specifications. If the problems still occurs, go to next
step.

The main board may be damaged. Replace main board.

3. If the external monitor has the same problem as the internal monitor, the main board may be damaged.
Please insert the diagnostic disk and run the display test program and go through the sub-steps under
step 2.

Sound Check

To determine if the computer’s built-in speakers are functioning properly, perform the following steps. Before
you start the steps below, adjust the speaker volume to an appropriate level.

1. Try different audio sources. For example, employ audio CD and ditital music file to determine whether the
fault is in the speaker system or not. If not all sources have sound problem, the problem is in the source
devices. If all have the same problem, continue next step.

2. Connect a set of earphone or external speakers. If these devices work fine, go to next step. If not, then the
main board may be defective or damaged. Replace the main board.

3. Follow the disassembling steps in Chapter 3. Esure the speaker cable is firmly connected to the main
board. If the speaker is still a malfunction, go on next step.

4. If the speakers do not sound properly, the speakers may be defective or damaged. Replace the speakers.
If the problem still occurs, then replace the main board.

70 Chapter 4

PhoenixBIOS POST Tasks and Beep Codes

When you turn on the PC, the BIOS first performs a number of tasks, called the Power-On-Self-Test (POST).

These tasks test and initialize the hardware and then boot the Operating System from the hard disk.

At the beginning of each POST task, the BIOS outputs the test-point error code I/O port 80h. Programmers

and technicians use this code during troubleshooting to establish at what point the system failed and what

routine was being performed. Some mainboards are equipped with a seven-segment LED display that

displays the current vaule of port 80h. For production boards which do not contain the LED display, you can

purchase an installable “Port 80h” card that performs the same function. If the BIOS detects a terminal error

condition, it issues a terminal-error beep code (See following), attemps to display the error code on upper

left conrner of the screen and on the port 80h LED display, and halts POST. It attempts repeatedly to write

the error to the screen.

If the system hangs before the BIOS can process the error, the value displayed at the port 80h is the last

test performed, In this case, the screen does not display the error code.

Chapter 4 71

Terminal POST Errors

There are several POST routines that require success to finish POST. If they fail, they issue a POST

Terminal Error and shut down the system. Before shutting down the system, the error handler issues

a beep code signifying the test point error, writes the error to port 80h, attempts to initialize the video,

and writes the error in the upper left corner of the screen (using both mono and color adapters).

The routine derives the beep code from the test point error as follows:

1. The 8-bit error code is broken down to four 2-bit groups.

2. Each group is made one -based ( 1 through 4) by adding 1.

3. Short beeps are generated for the number in each group.

Example:

Testpoint 16h=00 01 01 10=1-2-2-3 beeps

72 Chapter 4

POST Task Routines

The following is a list of the Test Point codes written to port 80h at the start of each routine, the beep codes

issued for terminal errors, and a description of the POST routine. Unless otherwise noted, these codes are

valid for PhoenixBIOS.

NOTE: The following routines are sorted by their test point numbers assigned in the BIOS code. Their actual

oder as executed during POST can be quite different.

Code Beeps POST Routine Description

02h Verify Real Mode

03h Disable Non-Maskable Interrupt (NMI)

04h Get CPU type

06h Initialize system hardware

08h Initialize chipset with initial POST values

09h Set IN POST flag

0Ah Initialize CPU registers

0Bh Enable CPU cache

0Ch Initialize caches to initial POST values

0Eh Initialize I/O component

0Fh Initialize the local bus IDE

10h Initialize Power Management

11h Load alternate registers with initial POST values

12h Restore CPU control word during warm boot

13h Initialize PCI Bus Mastering devices

14h Initialize keyboard controller

16h 1-2-2-3 BIOS ROM checksum

17h Initialize cache before memory autosize

18h 8254 timer initialization

1Ah 8237 DMA controller initialization

1Ch Reset Programmable Interrupt Controller

20h 1-3-1-1 Test DRAM refresh

22h 1-3-1-3 Test 8742 Keyboard Controller

24h Set ES segment register to 4 GB

26h Enable A20 line

28h Autosize DRAM

29h Initialize POST Memory Manager

2Ah Clear 512 KB base RAM

2Ch 1-3-4-1 RAM failure on address line xxxx*

2Eh 1-3-4-3 RAM failure on data bits xxxx* of low byte of memory bus

2Fh Enable cache before system BIOS shadow

30h 1-4-1-1 RAM failure on data bits xxxx* of high byte of memory bus

32h Test CPU bus-clock frequency

33h Initialize Phoenix Dispatch Manager

36h Warm start shut down

38h Shadow system BIOS ROM

3Ah Autosize cache

Chapter 4 73

Code Beeps POST Routine Description

3Ch Advanced configuration of chipset registers

3Dh Load alternate registers with CMOS values

42h Initialize interrupt vectors

45h POST device initialization

46h 2-1-2-3 Check ROM copyright notice

48h Check video configuration against CMOS

49h Initialize PCI bus and devices

4Ah Initialize all video adapters in system

4Bh QuietBoot start (optional)

4Ch Shadow video BIOS ROM

4Eh Display BIOS copyright notice

50h Display CPU type and speed

51h Initialize EISA board

52h Test keyboard

54h Set key click if enabled

58h 2-2-3-1 Test for unexpected interrupts

59h Initialize POST display service

5Ah Display prompt "Press F2 to enter SETUP"

5Bh Disable CPU cache

5Ch Test RAM between 512 and 640 KB

60h Test extended memory

62h Test extended memory address lines

64h Jump to UserPatch1

66h Configure advanced cache registers

67h Initialize Multi Processor APIC

68h Enable external and CPU caches

69h Setup System Management Mode (SMM) area

6Ah Display external L2 cache size

6Bh Load custom defaults (optional)

6Ch Display shadow-area message

6Eh Display possible high address for UMB recovery

70h Display error messages

72h Check for configuration errors

76h Check for keyboard errors

7Ch Set up hardware interrupt vectors

7Eh Initialize coprocessor if present

80h Disable onboard Super I/O ports and IRQs

81h Late POST device initialization

82h Detect and install external RS232 ports

83h Configure non-MCD IDE controllers

84h Detect and install external parallel ports

85h Initialize PC-compatible PnP ISA devices

86h Re-initialize onboard I/O ports.

87h Configure Motheboard Configurable Devices (optional)

88h Initialize BIOS Data Area

74 Chapter 4

Code Beeps POST Routine Description

89h Enable Non-Maskable Interrupts (NMIs)

8Ah Initialize Extended BIOS Data Area

8Bh Test and initialize PS/2 mouse

8Ch Initialize floppy controller

8Fh Determine number of ATA drives (optional)

90h Initialize hard-disk controllers

91h Initialize local-bus hard-disk controllers

92h Jump to UserPatch2

93h Build MPTABLE for multi-processor boards

95h Install CD ROM for boot

96h Clear huge ES segment register

97h Fixup Multi Processor table

98h 1-2 Search for option ROMs. One long, two short beeps on checksum failure

99h Check for SMART Drive (optional)

9Ah Shadow option ROMs

9Ch Set up Power Management

9Dh Initialize security engine (optional)

9Eh Enable hardware interrupts

9Fh Determine number of ATA and SCSI drives

A0h Set time of day

A2h Check key lock

A4h Initialize Typematic rate

A8h Erase F2 prompt

AAh Scan for F2 key stroke

ACh Enter SETUP

AEh Clear Boot flag

B0h Check for errors

B2h POST done - prepare to boot operating system

B4h 1 One short beep before boot

B5h Terminate QuietBoot (optional)

B6h Check password (optional)

B9h Prepare Boot

BAh Initialize DMI parameters

BBh Initialize PnP Option ROMs

BCh Clear parity checkers

BDh Display MultiBoot menu

BEh Clear screen (optional)

BFh Check virus and backup reminders

C0h Try to boot with INT 19

C1h Initialize POST Error Manager (PEM)

C2h Initialize error logging

C3h Initialize error display function

C4h Initialize system error handler

C5h PnPnd dual CMOS (optional)

C6h Initialize notebook docking (optional)

Chapter 4 75

Code Beeps POST Routine Description

C7h Initialize notebook docking late

C8h Force check (optional)

C9h Extended checksum (optional)

D2h Unknown interrupt

Code Beeps For Boot Block in ROM

E0h Initialize the chipset

E1h Initialize the bridge

E2h Initialize the CPU

E3h Initialize system timer

E4h Initialize system I/O

E5h Check force recovery boot

E6h Checksum BIOS ROM

E7h Go to BIOS

E8h Set Huge Segment

E9h Initialize Multi Processor

EAh Initialize OEM special code

EBh Initialize PIC and DMA

ECh Initialize Memory type

EDh Initialize Memory size

EEh Shadow Boot Block

EFh System memory test

F0h Initialize interrupt vectors

F1h Initialize Run Time Clock

F2h Initialize video

F3h Initialize System Management Mode

F4h 1 Output one beep before boot

F5h Boot to Mini DOS

F6h Clear Huge Segment

F7h Boot to Full DOS

76 Chapter 4

Repair Flowchar

Chapter 4 77

No Power

START

AC adapter or

battery work (Blue

LED active)?

AC Adapter

well connected?

Power Board

(LS-2782) OK?

Replace

M/B

No

No

No

Replace

AC-Adapter

or battery

Connect

it well

Replace

LS-2782

78 Chapter 4

No Display

START

Replace CPU

Replace

LCD panel/

LCD cable

Connect it well

or Replace VGA

BD

No

No

No

CPU OK?

LCD module

OK?

VGA BD

OK?

Or Connect it well?

Replace

M/B

Power On? No

Ext. DDRRAM

module well

connected?

Ext. DDRRAM

module OK?

CPU well

connected?

goto no power

trouble shooting

step

No

Connect

it well

Replace

No

Ext. DDR RAM

module

No Connect it well

Chapter 4 79

LCD Picture No Good

START

LCD Module

OK?

No

Replace

Inverter BD/

LCD panel/

LCD cable

VGA/B

Connect OK?

VGA BD

OK?

Replace

M/B

No

No

Connect it well

Replace

VGA BD

(LS-2786)

80 Chapter 4

Internal Keyboard Failure

START

Keyboard FPC

well connected?

Keyboard OK? No

Replace M/B

No

Connect

it well

Replace

keyboard

Chapter 4 81

Parallel Port Failure

START

Ext. loopback well

connected?

Loopback OK? No

Replace M/B

No

Connect

it well

Replace

Loopback

82 Chapter 4

Touch Pad Mouse Failure

START

T/P FFC

(M/B side) well

connected?

Upper Logic

OK?

Replace

M/B

No

No

Connect

it well

T/P FFC

(T/Pad BD side) well

connected?

T/P FFC

OK?

Replace

T/Pad

No

No

Connect

it well

Replace
T/P FFC

Chapter 4 83

Speaker Failure

START

Speaker cable

well connected?

On Logic lower

Speaker OK?

Replace

M/B

No

No

Connect

it well

Replace

speaker

84 Chapter 4

Microphone Record Failure

START

WinXP OS

record test OK?

MIC cable well

connected?

On logic
upper Mic
wire OK?

Replace

M/B

No

No

No

Change

Other OS

re-test

Connect well

Replace

Mic wire

Chapter 4 85

DVD/CD-ROM Failure

START

ODD driver

installed?

ODD module

well seated?

ODD disc

OK?

ODD module

OK?

Install itNo

No Seat it well

No

No

Replace

ODD disc

Replace

ODD module

Replace M /B

86 Chapter 4

Fir Failure

START

CMOS data

setup OK?

IR driver

install?

Replace

M/B

No

No Install it

Re-setup

Chapter 4 87

PCMCIA Failure

START

PC Card

well inserted?

PC Card OK?

Replace M/B

No

No

Insert

it well

Replae

PC Card

88 Chapter 4

USB Failure

START

USB device

well connect?

USB device

driver installed?

USB dvice

OK?

No

No

No

Connect

it well

Install it

Replace

USB device

Replace M/B

Chapter 4 89

Battery Charge Failure

(Adapter)
AC-in well
connected?

(Adapter)

Pow er co re w ell

connected?

START

Conne ct it w ellNo

No Conn ect it w ell

Batte ry

well seated?

Adapter/

or b attery O K ?

Replace M /B

No

No

Seat it w ell

Replace

adap ter /or batte ry

90 Chapter 4

Unit Thermal Failure

heatsink w ell

START

Fan power

wire well

connected?

Fan OK? No Replace fan

CPU

No

seated?

Conne ct it w ellNo

Seat it w ell

CPU OK?

Replace M /B

No

Replace

CPU

Chapter 4 91

Noisy HDD

STAR T

HDD

w ell seated?

Rep lace

HDD

No

S ea t it w ell

92 Chapter 4

LAN Function Failure

START

RJ-45

well connected?

Replace M /B

Conne ct it w ellNo

Chapter 4 93

Modem Function Failure

START

RJ-11

well connected?

Modem wire well

connected?

Modem card well

seated?

M odem card

OK?

Conne ct it w ellNo

No Conn ect it w ell

No

No

Seat it w ell

Replace

Modem card

Replace M /B

94 Chapter 4

WLAN Function Failure

START

Check

WLAN sw to

On?

Antenna

well connected?

Antenna wire

OK?

WLAN card
well seated?

No

No

No

WLAN SW to

Connect it wellNo

Check Antenna

whether short

upper ground?

Turn on

Seat it well

WLAN card

OK?

Replace M/B

Chapter 4 95

No

Replace

WLAN card