Acer Extensa 4100 User Manual

Extensa 4100 Series

User's Guide

Copyright © 2005. Acer Incorporated.
All Rights Reserved.

Extensa 4100 Series User's Guide
Original Issue: October 2005

Changes may be made periodically to the information in this publication without obligation
to notify any person of such revisions or changes. Such changes will be incorporated in new
editions of this manual or supplementary documents and publications. This company makes
no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the contents
hereof and specifically disclaims the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a
particular purpose.

Record the model number, serial number, purchase date, and place of purchase information in
the space provided below. The serial number and model number are recorded on the label
affixed to your computer. All correspondence concerning your unit should include the serial
number, model number, and purchase information.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in
any form or by any means, electronically, mechanically, by photocopy, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated.

Extensa 4100 Series Notebook Computer

Model number: __________________________________

Serial number: ___________________________________

Purchase date: ___________________________________

Place of purchase: ________________________________

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

Disposal instructions

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

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

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

. For lamp-specific disposal

.

iii

iv

First things first

We would like to thank you for making the Extensa series of notebook
computers your choice for meeting your mobile computing needs.

Your guides

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

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

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

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

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

Basic care and tips for using your computer

Turning your computer on and off

To turn on the computer, simply press and release the power button below the
LCD screen beside the easy-launch buttons. See "Front view" on page 11 for the
location of the power button.

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

• Use the Windows shutdown command

Click on Start, Turn Off Computer, then click on Turn Off.

• Use the power button

You can also shut down the computer by closing the display cover, or by
pressing the sleep hotkey <Fn> + <F4>.

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

Taking care of your computer

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

• Do not expose the computer to direct sunlight. Do not place it near sources

of heat, such as a radiator.

• Do not expose the computer to temperatures below 0 ºC (32 ºF) or above

50 ºC (122 ºF).

• Do not subject the computer to magnetic fields.

• Do not expose the computer to rain or moisture.

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

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

• Do not expose the computer to dust or dirt.

• Never place objects on top of the computer.

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

• Never place the computer on uneven surfaces.

v

Taking care of your AC adaptor

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

• Do not connect the adaptor to any other device.

• Do not step on the power cord or place heavy objects on top of it.

Carefully route the power cord and any cables away from foot traffic.

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

on the plug.

vi

• The total ampere ratings of the equipment plugged in should not exceed

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

Taking care of your battery pack

Here are some ways to take care of your battery pack:

• Use only batteries of the same kind as replacements. Turn the power off

before removing or replacing batteries.

• Do not tamper with batteries. Keep them away from children.

• Dispose of used batteries according to local regulations. Recycle if possible.

Cleaning and servicing

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

2 Disconnect the AC adaptor.
3 Use a soft, moist cloth. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.
If either of the following occurs:

• the computer has been dropped or the body has been damaged;

• the computer does not operate normally

please refer to "Frequently asked questions" on page 32.

Caution

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could
void the user's authority, which is granted by the Federal Communications
Commission, to operate this computer.

Operation conditions

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference,
and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.

Users are requested to follow the RF safety instructions for wireless option
devices that are included in the user's manual of each RF option device.

An improper installation or unauthorized use may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. Also, any tampering of the internal antenna will void
the FCC certification and your warranty.

To prevent radio interference to the licensed service, this device is intended to
be operated indoors, and installation outdoors is subject to licensing.

For more information about our products, services, and support information,
please visit our website: http://global.acer.com

.

Disposal instructions iii
First things first iv

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

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

Acer Empowering Technology 1

Acer eDataSecurity Management 2
Acer eLock Management 3
Acer ePerformance Management 4
Acer eRecovery Management 5
Acer eSettings Management 6

Contents

Acer eNet Management 6
Acer ePower Management 8
Acer ePresentation Management 9

An Extensa tour 11

Front view 11
Closed front view 12
Left view 13
Right view 14
Rear view 15
Base view 15

Specifications 16
Indicators 19
Easy-launch buttons 20
Touchpad 21

Touchpad basics 21

Using the keyboard 23

Lock keys and embedded numeric keypad 23
Windows keys 24
Hotkeys 24
Special keys 26

Ejecting the optical (CD or DVD) disk 27
Using a computer security lock 27

Audio 28

Adjusting the volume 28

Using the system utilities 29

Acer GridVista (dual-display compatible) 29
Launch Manager 30
Norton AntiVirus 31

Frequently asked questions 32

Requesting service 35

International Travelers Warranty (ITW) 35
Before you call 35

Acer Arcade (for selected models) 37

Arcade hotkeys 38
Finding and playing content 39

Settings 39

Arcade controls 39

Navigation controls 40
Player controls 40

Cinema 40

DVD settings 41

Album 42

Slideshow settings 43

Video 43

Playing a video file 43
Video authoring 44

Music 44
Burner 45

Copy — Back up your CD/DVD collection 45
Audio — Create your own greatest hits CDs 45
Data — Store files simply and easily 45
Video — Your world in pictures 45

TV 45

Instant replay 46
Recorded TV 46
Scheduling recordings 47
TV preview 47
Using TeleText functions 47
TV settings 47

Taking your notebook PC with you 49

Disconnecting from the desktop 49
Moving around 49

Preparing the computer 49
What to bring to meetings 50

Taking the computer home 50

Preparing the computer 50
What to take with you 50
Special considerations 51
Setting up a home office 51

Traveling with the computer 51

Preparing the computer 51
What to take with you 51
Special considerations 52

Traveling internationally with the computer52

Preparing the computer 52
What to bring with you 52
Special considerations 53

Securing your computer 53

Using a computer security lock 53
Using passwords 53

Entering passwords 54
Setting passwords 54

Expanding through options 55

Connectivity options 55

Fax/data modem 55
Built-in network feature 56
Fast Infrared 56
Universal Serial Bus (USB) 57
IEEE 1394 port 57
PC Card slot 58

BIOS utility 59

Boot sequence 59
Enable disk-to-disk recovery 60
Password 60

Using software 60

Playing DVD movies 60

Power management 61
Acer eRecovery Management 62

Create backup 62

Restore from backup 63
Create factory default image CD 63
Re-install bundled software without CD 63
Change password 64

Troubleshooting 65

Troubleshooting tips 65
Error messages 65

Regulations and safety notices 67

ENERGY STAR guidelines compliance 67
FCC notice 67
Modem notices 69
Important safety instructions 72

1

Acer Empowering Technology

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

• Acer eDataSecurity Management protects data with passwords and

advanced encryption algorithms.

• Acer eLock Management limits access to external storage media.

• Acer ePerformance Management improves system performance by

optimizing disk space, memory and registry settings.

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

and completely.

• Acer eSettings Management accesses system information and adjusts

settings easily.

• Acer eNet Management hooks up to location-based networks intelligently.

• Acer ePower Management extends battery power via versatile usage

profiles.

• Acer ePresentation Management connects to a projector and adjusts

display settings conveniently.

Empowering Technology

2

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

function.

Acer eDataSecurity Management

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

Empowering Technology

Messenger and Microsoft Outlook.

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

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

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

Acer eLock Management

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

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

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

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

• Floppy disk drives — 3.5-inch disks only.

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

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

3

Empowering Technology

Note: If you lose your password, there is no method to reset it
except by reformatting your notebook or taking your notebook
to an Acer Customer Service Center. Be sure to remember or write
down your password.

4

Empowering Technology

Acer ePerformance Management

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

• Memory optimization — release unused memory and check usage.

• Disk optimization — remove unneeded items and files.

• Speed optimization — improve the usability and performance of your

Windows XP system.

5

Acer eRecovery Management

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

• Password protection.

• Recovery of applications and drivers.

• Image/data backup:

• Back up to HDD (set recovery point).

• Back up to CD/DVD.

• Image/data recovery tools:

• Recover from a hidden partition (factory defaults).

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

• Recover from CD/DVD.

Empowering Technology

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

Note: If your computer did not come with a Recovery CD or
System CD, please use Acer eRecovery Management's "System
backup to optical disk" feature to burn a backup image to CD or
DVD. To ensure the best results when recovering your system
using a CD or Acer eRecovery Management, detach all peripherals
(except the external Acer ODD, if your computer has one),
including your Acer ezDock.

6

Acer eSettings Management

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

Acer eSettings Management also:

• Provides a simple graphical user interface for navigating through the

program effortlessly.

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

Empowering Technology

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

• Permits you to migrate personal settings.

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

Acer eNet Management

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

Acer eNet Management automatically detects the best settings for a new
location, while offering you the freedom to manually adjust the settings to
match your needs, simply by right-clicking on the icon in the taskbar.

Acer eNet Management can save network settings for a location to a profile,
and automatically apply the appropriate profile when you move from one
location to another. Settings stored include network connection settings (IP and
DNS settings, wireless AP details, etc.), as well as default printer settings.
Security and safety concerns mean that Acer eNet Management does not store
username and password information.

7

Empowering Technology

8

Acer ePower Management

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

AC mode

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

Empowering Technology

Wired LAN.

DC mode

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

Create new power scheme

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

Battery status

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

9

You can also click "Advanced Settings" to:

• Set alarms.

• Re-load factory defaults.

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

passwords for accessing the system after Hibernation or Standby.

• View information about Acer ePower Management.

Acer ePresentation Management

Empowering Technology

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

11

An Extensa tour

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

Front view

English

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

computer output.
2 Microphone Internal microphone for sound recording.
3 Keyboard For entering data into your computer.
4 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands when you use

5 Click buttons

(Left and right)

the computer.

The left and right buttons function like the left and

right mouse buttons.

English

12

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

computer mouse.

7 Status

indicators

8 Easy-Launch

buttons

9 Power button Turns the computer on and off.

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

Buttons for launching frequently used programs. See
"Easy-launch buttons" on page 20 for more details.

Closed front view

# Icon Item Description
1 Speakers Left and right speakers deliver stereo

audio output.

2 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g.,

infrared printer and IR-aware computer).

3 Power indicator Lights when the computer is on.

4 Battery indicator Lights when the battery is being charged.

5Bluetooth

communication
button/indicator
(for selected models)

6 Wireless

communication
button/indicator

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

8 Mic-in jack Accepts inputs from external microphone.

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

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

CD player, stereo walkman).

13

# Icon Item Description
9 Speaker-out/line-

out/Headphone jack

10 USB 2.0 ports Connect to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB

11 Latch Locks and releases the lid.

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

mouse, USB camera).

Left view

# Item Description
1 Slot-load optical drive

eject button

2 Optical disk access

indicator

3 Slot-load optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs and DVDs

Ejects the optical disk from the drive.

Lights up when the optical drive is active.

English

Note: The slot-load optical drive can only accept 12 cm disks.

English

14

Right view

# Icon Item Description
1 IEEE 1394

port

2 PC Card slot

eject button

3 PC Card slot Accepts one Type II PC Card.

Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.

Ejects the PC Card from the slot.

44-in-1 card

reader

5Two USB 2.0

port

6 S-video out

port

7 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100/1000-

8 Modem jack Connects to a phone line.

9 Ventilation

slots

Accepts an MS, MS PRO, MMC or SD card
(manufacturing option).
Note: Only one card can operate at any
given time.

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

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

based network (for selected models).

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

15

Rear view

# Icon Item Description
1 Power jack Connects to an AC adaptor.

2 External display port Connects to a display device

(e.g., external monitor, LCD projector).

3 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible

computer security lock.

Base view

English

# Item Description
1 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured by screws).
2 Battery release

latch
3 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.
4 Battery lock Locks the battery in place.
5 Cooling fan Helps keep the computer cool.

6Memory

compartment

Releases the battery for removal.

Note: Do not cover or obstruct the opening of the fan.
Houses the computer's main memory and mini PCI Card.

16

Specifications

English

Microprocessor

• Intel® Pentium® M Processor at 1.5 ~ 2.13 GHz or higher

• Intel

®

Celeron® M Processor at 1.3 ~ 1.6 GHz or higher

Memory

• 256/512 MB of DDR2 SDRAM standard, upgradeable to 2048 MB

with dual soDIMM modules

• 512 KB flash ROM BIOS

Data storage

• One 40 GB and above E-IDE hard disk (2.5”, 9.5mm, UltraDMA-100)

• One internal optical drive

• 4-in-1 Card Reader (for selected models)

Display and video

• Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) displaying at:

- 15.0” XGA (1024x768)

- 15.4” WXGA (1280x800)

- 15.0” SXGA+ (1400x1050)

• Acer CrystalBrite (for selected models)

™

• ATI MOBILITY

(for selected models)

• ATI MOBILITY

(for selected models)

• Simultaneous LCD and CRT display support

• Dual independent display

• "Automatic LCD dim" feature that automatically decides the best

settings for your display and conserves power

RADEON™ X600 with 64/128 MB of video memory

™

RADEON™ X700 with 64/128 MB of video memory

Connectivity

• Integrated 10/100/1000 Mbps Fast Ethernet connection

• Built-in 56Kbps fax/data modem

17

• Three Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 ports

• InviLink

LAN (for selected models)

™

802.11b/g or 802.11a/b/g dual-band tri-mode Wireless

Audio

• 16-bit AC’97 stereo audio

• Dual speakers and one internal microphone

• Separate audio ports for headphone-out, line-in and microphone-

in devices

Keyboard and pointing device

• 88/89-key Windows keyboard

• Ergonomically-centered touchpad pointing device with scroll

function

I/O ports

• One Type II PC Card slot

• One RJ-11 phone jack (V.92, 56Kbps modem)

• One RJ-45 network jack

• One DC-in jack (AC adapter)

• One external monitor port

• One speaker/headphone-out jack

• One audio line-in jack

• One microphone-in jack

• One Infrared (FIR) port

• One IEEE 1394 port

• One S-video TV-out port

• Three USB 2.0 ports

• 4-in-1 MS/MS Pro/MMC/SD card reader (for selected models)

English

Weight (with battery)

• 6.6 lbs (3 kg)

Dimensions

- 360 (W) x 273 (D) x27/32 (H) mm

English

18

Environment

• Temperature:

- Operating: 5°C ~ 35°C

- Non-operating: -20°C ~ 65°C

• Humidity (non-condensing):

- Operating: 20% ~ 80% RH

- Non-operating: 20% ~ 80% RH

System

• Genuine Windows® XP Home/professional/MCE (MCE for selected

models)

• ACPI 1.0b support

• DMI 2.0-compliant

®

• Wi-Fi

-compliant

Power

• 8-cell (65W) or 4-cell (32W) Li-ion battery pack

• 65W AC adapter 19V 3.42A

Options

• 256MB/512MB/1GB memory upgrade module

• Additional 65W AC adapter

• Addition Li-ion battery pack

• Additional hard disk

• USB floppy drive

Note: The specifications listed above are for reference only. The
exact configuration of your PC depends on the model purchased.