Acer TravelMate 3020 User Manual

TravelMate 3020 Series

User's Guide

TravelMate 3020 Series User's Guide Original Issue: Jan 2006

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.

TravelMate 3020 Series Notebook PC

Model number: __________________________________

Serial number: ___________________________________

Date of purchase: ________________________________

Place of purchase: ________________________________

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

Disposal instructions

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

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

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

. For lamp-specific disposal

iii

First things first

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

Your guides

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

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

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

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

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

Basic care and tips for using your computer

Turning your computer on and off

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

Taking care of your AC adapter

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

• Do not connect the adapter to any other device.

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

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

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

on the plug.

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

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

Taking care of your battery pack

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

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

before removing or replacing batteries.

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

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

Cleaning and servicing

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

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

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

• the computer does not operate normally

please refer to "Frequently asked questions" on page 43.

Caution

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

Operation conditions

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

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

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

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

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

Disposal instructions iii First things first iv

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

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

Acer Empowering Technology 1

Acer eDataSecurity Management 2 Acer eLock Management 3 Acer ePerformance Management 4 Acer eRecovery Management 5 Acer eSettings Management 6 Acer eNet Management 6 Acer ePower Management 8 Acer ePresentation Management 9

Your Acer notebook tour 11

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

Base view 15 Specifications 16 Indicators 20 Easy-launch buttons 21 Touchpad 22

Touchpad basics 22 Using the keyboard 24

Lock keys and embedded numeric keypad 24

Windows keys 25

Hotkeys 25

Special keys 27 Ejecting the optical (CD or DVD) drive tray 28 Using a computer security lock 28 Audio 29

Adjusting the volume 29 Acer OrbiCam (for selected models) 30

Launching the Acer OrbiCam 31

Changing the Acer OrbiCam settings 31

Capturing photos/videos 33

Using the Acer OrbiCam as webcam 33

Enabling the Acer VisageON 34 Acer GraviSense 37

Using Acer GraviSense 37 Protecting the HDD 37 Anti-Theft 38

Using the system utilities 40

Acer GridVista (dual-display compatible) 40 Launch Manager 41 Norton AntiVirus 42

Frequently asked questions 43

Requesting service 46

International Travelers Warranty (ITW) 46 Before you call 46

Taking your notebook PC with you 47

Disconnecting from the desktop 47 Moving around 47

Preparing the computer 47 What to bring to meetings 48

Taking the computer home 48

Preparing the computer 48 What to take with you 48 Special considerations 49 Setting up a home office 49

Traveling with the computer 49

Preparing the computer 49 What to take with you 49 Special considerations 50

Traveling internationally with the computer 50

Preparing the computer 50 What to bring with you 50 Special considerations 50

Securing your computer 51

Using a computer security lock 51 Using passwords 51

Entering passwords 52 Setting passwords 52

Expanding through options 53

Connectivity options 53

Fax/data modem 53 Built-in network feature 54 Fast Infrared (FIR) 54 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 55 IEEE 1394 port 55 PC Card slot 56 Installing memory 57

BIOS utility 57

Boot sequence 57 Enable disk-to-disk recovery 58

Password 58

Using software 58

Playing DVD movies 58 Power management 59 Acer eRecovery Management 60

Create backup 60 Restore from backup 61 Create factory default image CD 61 Re-install bundled software without CD 62 Change password 62

Troubleshooting 63

Troubleshooting tips 63 Error messages 63

Regulations and safety notices 65

ENERGY STAR guidelines compliance 65 FCC notice 65 Modem notices 66 Important safety instructions 69 Laser compliance statement 71 LCD pixel statement 71 Macrovision copyright protection notice 71 Radio device regulatory notice 72 General 72 European Union (EU) 72 The FCC RF safety requirement 73 Canada — Low-power license-exempt radio communication devices (RSS-210) 74 Federal Communications Comission Declaration of Conformity 75 Declaration of Conformity for CE Marking 76

Index 77

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

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

function.

Acer eDataSecurity Management

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

Empowering Technology

Messenger and Microsoft Outlook.

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

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

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

Acer eLock Management

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

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

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

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

• Floppy disk drives — 3.5-inch disks only.

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

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

Empowering Technology

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

except by reformatting your notebook or taking your notebook

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

down your password.

Empowering Technology

Acer ePerformance Management

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

• Memory optimization — releases unused memory and check usage.

• Disk optimization — removes unneeded items and files.

• Speed optimization — improves the usability and performance of your

Windows XP system.

Acer eRecovery Management

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

• Password protection.

• Recovery of applications and drivers.

• Image/data backup:

• Back up to HDD (set recovery point).

• Back up to CD/DVD.

• Image/data recovery tools:

• Recover from a hidden partition (factory defaults).

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

• Recover from CD/DVD.

Empowering Technology

For more information, please refer to "Acer eRecovery Management" on page 60 in the AcerSystem User's Guide.

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

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

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

DVD. To ensure the best results when recovering your system

using a CD or Acer eRecovery Management, detach all peripherals

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

including your Acer ezDock.

Acer eSettings Management

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

Acer eSettings Management also:

• Provides a simple graphical user interface for navigating through the

program effortlessly.

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

Empowering Technology

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

• Permits you to migrate personal settings.

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

Acer 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.

Empowering Technology

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.

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.

Empowering Technology

Your Acer notebook tour

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

Front view

English

# Item Description 1 Camera 1.3 Mega Pixel CMOS video camera with 225 degree

rotation feature (for selected models).

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

computer output.

English

# Item Description 3 Easy-launch

buttons

4 Status

indicators

5 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands when you use

6 Click buttons

(left, center and right)

7 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which functions like a

8 Microphone Internal microphone for sound recording. 9 Keyboard For entering data into your computer. 10 Power button Turns the computer on and off.

Buttons for launching frequently used programs. See "Easy-launch buttons" on page 21 for more details.

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

the computer. The left and right buttons function like the left and

right mouse buttons; the center button serves as a 4-way scroll button.

computer mouse.

Closed front view

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

2Bluetooth

communication button/indicator

3 Wireless

communication button/indicator

4 Power indicator Indicates the computer's power status.

audio output. Press to enable/disable the Bluetooth

function. Indicates the status of Bluetooth communication (manufacturing option).

Press to enable/disable the wireless function. Indicates the status of wireless LAN communication (manufacturing option).

# Icon Item Description 5 Battery indicator Indicates the computer's batttery status.

6 Headphones/

speaker/line-out jack with S/PDIF support

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

Microphone jack

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

Accepts inputs from external microphones.

infrared printer and IR-aware computer).

Left view

# Icon Item Description 1 External display

(VGA) port

2 Ethernet (RJ-45)

port

3 Modem (RJ-11)

port

4 Two USB 2.0 ports Connect to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse,

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

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

Connects to a phone line.

USB camera).

English

Right view

# Icon Item Description 1 PC Card slot Accepts one Type II PC Card.

2 5-in-1 card reader Accepts Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard

3 PC Card slot eject

button

4 USB 2.0 port Connects to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB

5 IEEE 1394 port

(6-pin)

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

7 Kensington lock

slot

(MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick Pro (MS PRO), and xD-Picture Card.

Note: Only one card can operate at any given time.

Ejects the PC Card from the slot.

mouse, USB camera). Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.

prolonged use. Connects to a Kensington-compatible

computer security lock.

Rear view

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

2 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack. 3 124-pin Acer

ezDock connector

Connects to Acer ezDock.

Base view

English

# Item Description 1 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack. 2 Battery lock Locks the battery in position. 3 Cooling fan Helps keep the computer cool.

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

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

prolonged use. 5 Memory compartment Houses the computer's main memory. 6 Battery release latch Releases the battery to remove the battery pack.

Specifications

English

Operating system

Platform

System memory 256, 512 MB or 1 GB of DDR2 533/667 MHz memory,

Display and graphics

• Genuine Windows

Intel

Centrino® Duo mobile technology, featuring:

• Intel

upgradeable to 2 GB using two soDIMM modules (dualchannel support)

Core™ Duo processor T2300/T2400/T2500/ T2600 (2 MB L2 cache, 1.66/1.83/2/2.16 GHz, 667 MHz FSB)

945GM Express chipset

PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection (dual-band tri-mode 802.11a/b/g) Wi-Fi CERTIFIED solution, supporting Acer SignalUp

technology

• 12.1" WXGA 200-nit Acer CrystalBrite

brightness TFT LCD, 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, 16:10 viewing ratio, supporting simultaneous multi-

window viewing via Acer GridVista

• Intel

945GM integrated 3D graphics, featuring

Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 with

Intel up to 224 MB of shared memory, supporting

Microsoft

XP Home Edition (Service Pack 2)

XP Professional (Service Pack 2)

™

wireless

™

high-

™

DirectX® 9.0 and PCI Express®

• Dual independent display support

• 16.7 million colors

• MPEG-2/DVD hardware-assisted capability

Storage subsystem

• 80/100/120 GB Serial ATA hard disk drive

• External IEEE 1394 bus-powered optical drive:

• 8X DVD-Super Multi double-layer

• 5-in-1 card reader supporting Secure Digital (SD),

(MS),

Dimensions and weight

MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick Memory Stick PRO

™

(MS PRO), xD-Picture Card™ (xD)

• 297.5 (W) x 210 (D) x 24.5/32.4 (H) mm

(11.71 x 8.27 x 0.96/1.28 inches)

• 1.65 kg (3.63 lbs.) with 6-cell battery

• 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs.) with 3-cell battery

™

Power subsystem

Input devices

Audio

• ACPI 2.0b CPU power management standard:

supports Standby and Hibernation power-saving modes

• 53 W 4800 mAh Li-ion battery pack (6-cell) and 22 W

2000 mAh Li-ion battery pack (3-cell)

• Acer QuicCharge

• 80% charge in 1 hour

• 2-hour rapid charge system-off

• 2.5-hour charge-in-use

™

technology:

• 3-pin 65 W AC adaptor

• 84-/85-key keyboard with inverted "T" cursor layout;

2.5mm (minimum) key travel

• Built in touchpad with 4-way scroll button

• 12 function keys, four cursor keys, two Windows

keys, hotkey controls, embedded numeric keypad, international language support

• Four easy-launch buttons buttons: Empowering Key,

email, Internet, user-progammable button

• Two front-access buttons: WLAN, Bluetooth

• Intel

High Definition audio support

• S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) support for

digital speakers

• Audio system with two built-in speakers

• Sound Blaster Pro

™

and MS-Sound compatible

• Built-in microphone

English

+ 61 hidden pages

Acer TravelMate 3020 User Manual

Disposal instructions

First things first

Your guides

Basic care and tips for using your computer

Contents

Acer Empowering Technology

Acer eDataSecurity Management

Acer eLock Management

Acer ePerformance Management

Acer eRecovery Management

Acer eSettings Management

Acer eNet Management

Acer ePower Management

Acer ePresentation Management

Your Acer notebook tour

Front view

Closed front view

Left view

Right view

Rear view

Base view

Specifications