Acer ES 15 User Manual

User’s Manual

- 1

2 -

Important

Open the Acer Portal app to sign up for an Acer ID or sign in if you already have an Acer ID.

There are three great reasons for you to get an Acer ID:

• Build Your Own Cloud with Acer BYOC.

• Get the latest offers and product information.

• Register your device for quick, personalized customer support.

For more information, please visit the Acer BYOC website:

www.acer.com/byoc-start

This manual contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright laws. The information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice. Images provided herein are for reference only and may contain information or features that do not apply to your computer. Acer Group shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained in this manual.

Model number: _________________________________ Serial number: _________________________________ Date of purchase: ______________________________ Place of purchase: ______________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of contents - 3

First things first 6

Your guides ............................................. 6

Basic care and tips for using your

computer.................................................. 7

Turning your computer off ........................... 7

Taking care of your computer ..................... 7

Taking care of your AC adapter.................. 8

Cleaning and servicing................................ 8

Your Acer notebook tour 9

Screen view ............................................. 9

Keyboard view ....................................... 10

Left view ............................................... 11

Information on USB 3.0............................. 11

Right view ............................................. 12

Rear view .............................................. 12

Base view .............................................. 13

Using the keyboard 15

Lock keys............................................... 15

Hotkeys ..................................................... 15

Windows keys........................................ 16

Using the Precision Touchpad 17

Touchpad gestures................................ 17

Changing touchpad settings .................. 18

Recovery 21

Creating a factory default backup.......... 21

Backing up your wireless and LAN

drivers.................................................... 24

Restoring your computer ....................... 24

Reset this PC and keep my files ............... 24

Reset this PC and remove everything ...... 25

Using a Bluetooth connection 28

Enabling and disabling Bluetooth .......... 28

Enable Bluetooth and add a device .......... 28

Connecting to the Internet 30

Connecting to a wireless network.......... 30

Connecting to a wireless LAN................... 30

Connecting with a cable ........................ 34

Built-in network feature ............................. 34

Connecting to a cellular network ........... 34

Acer Bluelight Shield 35

Securing your computer 37

Using a computer security lock.............. 37

Using passwords ................................... 37

Entering passwords .................................. 38

BIOS utility 39

Boot sequence....................................... 39

Setting passwords ................................. 39

Power management 40

Saving power ......................................... 40

Battery pack 42

Battery characteristics ........................... 42

Charging the battery ................................. 42

Optimizing battery life ............................... 43

Checking the battery level......................... 44

Battery-low warning .................................. 44

Traveling with your computer 45

Disconnecting from the desktop ............ 45

Moving around ....................................... 45

Preparing the computer ............................ 45

What to bring to meetings ......................... 46

Taking the computer home .................... 46

Preparing the computer ............................ 46

What to take with you................................ 47

Special considerations .............................. 47

Setting up a home office ........................... 47

Traveling with the computer................... 48

Preparing the computer ............................ 48

What to take with you................................ 48

Special considerations .............................. 48

Traveling internationally......................... 48

Preparing the computer ............................ 49

What to bring with you .............................. 49

Special considerations .............................. 49

Universal Serial Bus (USB) 51

Memory card reader 52

Connectivity options............................... 52

Video and audio connectors 54

HDMI 55

Frequently asked questions 57

Requesting service ................................ 59

Tips and hints for using Windows 10 ..... 60

How do I get to Start? ............................... 60

How do I turn off my computer?................ 60

How do I unlock my computer?................. 60

How do I set the alarm? ............................ 62

Where are my apps?................................. 63

What is a Microsoft ID (account)?............. 63

How do I check for Windows updates?..... 64

Where can I get more information?........... 64

Troubleshooting ..................................... 65

Troubleshooting tips.................................. 65

Error messages......................................... 65

Internet and online security 67

First steps on the net ............................. 67

Protecting your computer .......................... 67

4 - Table of contents

Choose an Internet Service Provider........ 67

Network connections................................. 69

Surf the Net!.............................................. 71

Security ..................................................... 71

Playing Blu-Ray or DVD movies 78

Getting started...

In this section you will find:

• Useful information on caring for your computer and your health

• Where to find the power button, ports and connectors

• Tips and tricks for using the touchpad and keyboard

• How to create recovery backups

• Guidelines for connecting to a network and using Bluetooth

• Information on using Acer’s bundled software

6 - First things first

FIRST THINGS FIRST

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

Your guides

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

First off, the Setup Guide (or Setup Poster) helps you get started with setting up your computer.

The Quick Guide introduces you to the basic features and functions of your new computer. For more on how your computer can help you to be more productive, please refer to the User’s Manual. This guide contains detailed information on such subjects as system utilities, data recovery, expansion options and troubleshooting.

There are two ways to download the User’s Manual. You must first be connected to the internet.

1. Open Acer Care Center from the desktop and select My System > Summary and click User’s Manual to download the User’s Manual.

2. Click on the link under Support.

1. The link will open the Acer Service & Support webpage.

2. From this page you can download and install the Acer

identification tool that will automatically detect your computer’s serial number and SNID and allow you to copy it to the clipboard.

3. Scroll down to Drivers and Manuals and search for your model by

pasting in or manually entering the serial number, SNID, or product model.

4. Once you have found your product model, select Documents and

select your language to download the User’s Manual.

Basic care and tips for using your computer

Turning your computer off

To turn the power off, do any of the following:

First things first - 7

Note

• Use the Windows shutdown command: Press the Windows key or select the Windows Start button, select Power > Shut down.

• Right-click the Windows Start button > Shut down or sign out > Shut down.

If you need to power down the computer for a short while, but don’t want to completely shut it down, you can put it to Sleep by doing any of the following:

• Press the power button.

• Press the sleep hotkey.

• Press the Windows key or select the Windows Start button, select Power > Sleep.

• Right-click the Windows Start button > Shut down or sign out > Sleep.

If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and hold the power button for more than four seconds to shut down the computer. If you turn off the computer and want to turn it on again, wait at least two seconds before powering up.

Taking care of your computer

Your computer will serve you well if you take care of it.

• Do not expose the computer to direct sunlight. Do not place it near sources of heat, such as a radiator.

• Do not expose the computer to temperatures below 0º C (32º F) or above 50º C (122º F).

• Do not subject the computer to magnetic fields.

• Do not expose the computer to rain or moisture.

• Do not spill water or any liquid on the computer.

• Do not subject the computer to heavy shock or vibration.

• Do not expose the computer to dust or dirt.

• Never place objects on top of the computer.

• Do not slam the computer display when you close it.

• Never place the computer on uneven surfaces.

8 - First things first

Taking care of your AC adapter

Here are some ways to take care of your AC adapter:

• Do not connect the adapter to any other device.

• Do not step on the power cord or place heavy objects on top of it. Route the power cord and any cables away from where people walk.

• When unplugging the power cord, do not pull on the cord itself but pull on the plug.

• The total ampere ratings of the equipment plugged in should not exceed the ampere rating of the cord if you are using an extension cord. Also, the total current rating of all equipment plugged into a single wall outlet should not exceed the fuse rating.

Cleaning and servicing

When cleaning the computer, follow these steps:

1. Turn off the computer.

2. Disconnect the AC adapter.

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

If your computer is dropped or visibly damaged, or does not work normally, please contact your nearest authorized Acer service center. For more information, please see Got a question? on page 56.

Your Acer notebook tour - 9

YOUR ACER NOTEBOOK TOUR

After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Setup Guide, let us show you around your new Acer computer.

Screen view

# Icon Item Description

Web camera for video

1 Webcam

2 Screen Displays computer output.

communicat

A light next to the webcam indicates that the

ion.

webcam is active.

10 - Your Acer notebook tour

Keyboard view

# Icon Item Description

1 Microphone

2 Keyboard

3 Touchpad

Internal microphone for sound recording.

For entering data into your computer.

See "Using the keyboard" on page

15.

Touch-sensitive pointing device.

The touchpad and selection buttons f

orm a single surface. Press down firmly on the touchpad surface to perform a left click. Press down firmly on the lower right corner to perform a right click.

Power button Turns the computer on and off.

# Icon Item Description

Indicates the computer’s battery st

atus.

Battery indicator

Power indicator

Charging: The when the battery is charging. Fully charged: The when in AC mode.

Indicates the computer’s power st

atus.

Your Acer notebook tour - 11

light shows amber

light shows blue

Left view

# Icon Item Description

Connects to a Kensington-compatible

Kensington lock slot

computer security lock.

Wrap the computer security lock cable arou such as a table or handle of a locked drawer. Insert the lock into the notch and turn the key to secure the lock. Keyless models are also available.

nd an immovable object

Information on USB 3.0

• USB 3.0 compatible ports are blue.

• Compatible with USB 3.0 and earlier devices.

• For optimal performance, use USB 3.0-certified devices.

• Defined by the USB 3.0 specification (SuperSpeed USB).

12 - Your Acer notebook tour

6 754321

2 341

Right view

# Icon Item Description

4 Optical drive

Accepts one Secure Digital (SD or

SD card reader

Headset/ speaker jack

USB port Connects to USB devices.

Optical disk

ccess indicator

a Optical drive

ject button

Emergency eject ho

DHC) card.

Only one card can operate at a time.

Connects to audio devices (e.g., spea

kers, headphones) or a headset

with microphone.

Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVD

Lights up when the optical drive is active.

Ejects the optical disk from the drive.

Ejects the optical drive tray when the computer is tu

Carefully insert a straightened paper clip to e

ject the optical drive tray.

rned off.

Rear view

# Icon Item Description

DC-in jack Connects to an AC adapter.

HDMI port

USB port Connects to USB devices.

Supports high-definition digital video

ections.

conn

# Icon Item Description

Base view

Ethernet (RJ-45) port

Your Acer notebook tour - 13

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

# Icon Item Description

Simulates removing and reinstalling

2 Speakers Deliver stereo audio output.

Battery reset pinhole

Main storage comp

artment

Memory

artment

comp

the bat

Insert a paperclip into the hole and press for fo

Houses the computer’s main storage.

You may upgrade your computer’s main sto asking an approved service center to do this.

Houses the computer’s memory.

You may upgrade your computer’s memory. Acer recommends asking an approved service center to do this.

tery.

ur seconds.

rage. Acer recommends

14 - Your Acer notebook tour

# Icon Item Description

Ventilation and cooling fan

Allows the computer to stay cool.

Do not cover or obstruct the openings.

Using the keyboard - 15

USING THE KEYBOARD

The keyboard has full-sized keys and a separate numeric keypad, separate cursor, lock, Windows, function and special keys.

Lock keys

The keyboard has three lock keys which you can toggle on and off.

Lock key Description

Caps Lock

Num Lock

Scroll Lock <Fn> + <F12>

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

When Num Lock is on, the 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.

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.

Hotkeys

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

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

Hotkey Icon Function Description

<Fn> + <F3> Airplane mode

<Fn> + <F4> Sleep

<Fn> + <F5> Display toggle

Turns on / off the computer's network devices.

Puts the computer in Sleep mode.

Switches display output between the display screen, external monitor (if connected) and both.

16 - Using the keyboard

Hotkey Icon Function Description

<Fn> + <F6> Display off

<Fn> + <F8> Speaker toggle

<Fn> + <F12>Scr Lk

<Fn> + < > Brightness up

<Fn> + < > Volume up Increases the sound volume.

<Fn> + < > Volume down Decreases the sound volume. <Fn> +

<Home> <Fn> +

<Pg Up> <Fn> +

<Pg Dn> <Fn> + <End> Next Jump to the next media file.

Touchpad toggle

Brightness down

Play/Pause

Stop

Turns the display screen backlight off to save power. Press any key to return.

Turns the built-in touchpad on and off.

Turns the speakers on and off.

Turns the scroll lock feature on or off.

Increases the screen brightness.

Decreases the screen brightness.

Play or pause a selected media file.

Stop playing the selected media file.

Return to the previous media file.

Windows keys

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

Key Description

Pressed alone it returns to the Start screen or to return to the last open app.

Windows key

Application key

It can also be used with other keys for special functions, please check Windows Help.

This key has the same effect as clicking the right mouse button; it opens the application's context menu.

Using the Precision Touchpad - 17

USING THE PRECISION TOUCHPAD

The touchpad controls the arrow (or 'cursor') on the screen. As you slide your finger across the touchpad, the cursor will follow this movement. The Precision Touchpad (PTP) is designed to provide a more uniform, smooth, and accurate touchpad experience. Many applications support precision touchpad gestures that use one or more fingers, however, some gestures may not be supported by the specific application or program you are using.

Touchpad gestures

Single-finger slide

Slide a finger across the touchpad to move the cursor.

Single-finger press or tap

Press the touchpad down, or lightly tap the touchpad with your finger, to perform a 'click', which will select or start an item. Quickly repeat the tap to perform a double tap or 'double click'.

Two-finger press

Lightly tap the touchpad with two fingers to perform a

this will toggle the app commands. In most

pps this will open a context menu related

a to the selected item.

'right click'. In the Start screen,

Two-finger slide

Swiftly scroll through web pages, documents and playlists by placing two fingers on the touchpad and moving both in any direction.

18 - Using the Precision Touchpad

Note

Two-finger pinch

Zoom in and out of photos, maps and documents with a simple finger-and-thumb gesture.

Three-finger press

Lightly tap the touchpad with three fingers to open Cortana (if your computer supports Cortana) or open the Action Center (if your computer does not support Cortana).

Three-finger swipe

Swipe across the touchpad with three fingers.

- Swipe up to open Task V iew. Move the cursor over a window and tap the touchpad to select that window, or swipe downwards to exit Task Vie w.

- Swipe down to minimize all open windows and show Desktop; swipe upwards to restore the minimized windows.

- Swipe left or right to switch between open windows.

The precision touchpad includes added technology features that help recognize and prevent unintentional gestures such as accidental taps, gestures, and pointer movement.

The touchpad is sensitive to finger movement; the lighter the touch, the better the response. Please keep the touchpad and your fingers dry and clean.

Changing touchpad settings

To change the touchpad settings to suit your personal requirements, please do the following.

1. In the icon tray in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, select the Notifications icon to open the Notifications pane.

Using the Precision Touchpad - 19

2. Select All settings.

3. Select Devices > Mouse & touchpad.

4. Now you can adjust the settings to suit your personal needs. You can change the primary button for left- or right-handed use, turn the touchpad off if you prefer to use a mouse, or set a delay to prevent

20 - Using the Precision Touchpad

the cursor from moving if you accidentally tap the touchpad with your palm while working. Scroll down to see more settings.

RECOVERY

Note

Important

Note

If you are having trouble with your computer, and the frequently asked questions (see Frequently asked questions on page 57) do not help, you can recover your computer.

This section describes the recovery tools available on your computer. Acer provides Acer Care Center, which allows you to reset your PC, refresh your PC, or create a factory default backup.

Acer Care Center is only available with a pre-installed Windows operating system.

We recommend that you create a Factory Default Backup as soon as possible. In certain situations a full recovery will require a USB recovery backup.

Creating a factory default backup

Recovery - 21

Backup allows you to quickly and easily back up your operating system, installed apps and data.

1. From Start, select All apps then Acer. Select Acer Recovery Management in the list of Acer apps.

Since the recovery backup requires at least 8 GB of storage after formatting, it is recommended to use a USB drive with a capacity of 16

GB or larger.

22 - Recovery

2. Select the Backup tab and click Get Started for Create Factory Default Backup to open the Recovery Drive window.

3. Make sure Backup system files to the recovery drive is selected and click Next.

4. Plug in the USB drive and wait for the PC to detect the USB drive then click Next.

Recovery - 23

Important

• Since the recovery backup requires at least 8 G B o f s t o r a g e a f t e r

formatting, it is recommended to use a USB drive with a capacity of 16

GB or larger.

5. Everything on the drive will be deleted. Click Create to continue.

6. You will be shown the backup progress on the screen.

7. Follow the process until it completes.

8. After creating the recovery backup, you can choose to delete the recovery information on your computer. If you delete this information, you can only use the USB recovery backup to restore your computer, if you lose or erase the USB drive, you cannot restore your computer.

9. Unplug the USB drive and label it clearly.

Write a unique, descriptive label on the backup, such as 'Windows Recovery Backup'. Make sure you keep the backup in a safe place that you will remember.

24 - Recovery

Backing up your wireless and LAN drivers

Back up your wireless and LAN drivers. You can use these backups to install the wireless and LAN drivers if you install another operating system.

1. From Start, select All apps then Acer. Select Acer Recovery Management in the list of Acer apps.

2. Select the Backup tab and click Get started for Backup wireless and LAN drivers. Choose a folder to save your drivers and select

OK.

Restoring your computer

Recovery Management allows you to quickly and easily restore your computer back to its default status. You can choose to keep your files or remove them before reinstalling Windows.

Reset this PC and keep my files

1. From Start, select All apps then Acer. Select Acer Recovery Management in the list of Acer apps.

2. Select the Restore tab and click Get started to Choose an option.

+ 54 hidden pages