Acer TRAVELMATE-38X User Manual

TravelMate 380 series

User’s guide

TravelMate 380 series User’s guide Original Issue: August 2004

Changes may be made periodically to the information in this publication without obligation to notify any person of such revision 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, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated.

TravelMate 380 series Notebook computer

Model number : _________________________________

Serial number: ___________________________________

Purchase date: ___________________________________

Place of purchase: ________________________________

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

iii

First things first

We would like to thank you for making the TravelMate series of notebook computers your choice for your mobile computing needs. We hope you will be happy with your TravelMate as much as we enjoyed making it for you.

You r g ui de s

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

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

This User’s guide introduces you to the many ways your computer can help you be more productive. This guide provides clear and concise information about the computer, so read it thoroughly.

If you ever need to print out a copy, this User’s guide is also available in PDF (Portable Document Format). Follow these steps:

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

installed. For instructions on how to use Adobe Acrobat Reader, access the Help menu.

English

For more information about our products, services, and support information, please visit our Web site (www.acer.com

Basic care and tips for using your computer

English

Turning your computer on and off

To turn on the computer, simply press the power button on the left of the launch keys found above your TravelMate’s standard keyboard. See “Front open view” on page 3 for the location of the power button.

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

• Use the Windows shutdown command For Windows XP: Click on Start, Turn off Computer; then click

Turn Off .

• Use the power button

Note: You can also use the power button to perform power

management functions. See Windows help for more information.

• Use the customized functions for power management You can also shut down the computer by closing the display cover,

or by pressing the sleep hot key (Fn-F4). See the online guide for details.

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 0ºC (32ºF) or above 50ºC (122ºF).

• 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 and vibration.

• Do not expose the computer to dust and dirt.

• Never place objects on top of the computer to avoid damaging 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 personal 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

at all possible.

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Cleaning and servicing

• When cleaning the computer, follow these steps:

• Power off the computer and remove the battery pack.

• Disconnect the AC adapter.

• Use a soft cloth moistened with water. Do not use liquid or aerosol

cleaners.

• To clean the display screen, use an LCD cleaning kit.

If any of the following occurs:

• The computer has been dropped or the body has been damaged.

• Liquid has been spilled into the product.

• The computer does not operate normally.

Please refer to "Troubleshooting my computer" on page 49.

First things first iii

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

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 1

A TravelMate tour 3

Front open view 3 Front view 5 Left view 6 Right view 7 Rear view 8

Bottom view 9 Features 10 Indicators 12 Using the keyboard 14

Special keys 14 Launch Keys 21 Touchpad 22

Touchpad basics 22 Storage 24

Hard disk 24

IEEE 1394 Optical drive 24

Using software 25 Audio 26

Adjusting the volume 26 Power management 27 Moving around with your TravelMate 28

Disconnecting from the desktop 28

Moving around 28

Taking the computer home 29

Traveling with the computer 31

Traveling internationally with the computer 31 Securing your computer 33

Using a computer security lock 33

Using passwords 33

Contents

2 Customizing my computer 35

Expanding through options 37

Connectivity options 37

Upgrade options 43 Using system utilities 45

Notebook Manager 45

Launch Manager 46

BIOS Utility 46 Disk to Disk Recovery 47

3 Troubleshooting my computer 49

Frequently-asked questions 51 Troubleshooting tips 54

Error messages 54 Requesting service 55 International Travelers Warranty (ITW) 55 Before you call 55

Appendix A Specifications 57

Appendix B Regulation & safety notices 63

Index 79

1 Getting to know your

TravelMate

Your TravelMate computer combines highperformance, versatility, power management features and multimedia capabilities with a unique style and ergonomic design. Work with unmatched productivity and reliability with your new power computing partner.

A TravelMate tour

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

computer.

Front open view

English

# Item Description

1 Display screen Also called LCD (liquid-crystal display),

displays computer output.

# Item Description

1 Getting to know your TravelMate4

English

2 Status indicators LEDs (light-emitting diode) that turn on and

off to show the status of the computer, its functions and components.

3 Power button Turns on the computer.

4 Launch keys Six special keys for frequently used

programs. See “Launch Keys” on page 21 for more details.

5 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands

6 Click buttons

(left, center and right)

7 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which

8 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer.

9 Speaker Outputs sound.

when you use 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.

functions like a computer mouse.

Front view

# Item Description

1 USB 2.0 port Connects to Universal Serial Bus devices (e.g.,

2 Latch Latch for opening and closing the computer.

3 Headphone/

Speaker/ Line-out (SPDIF) jack

USB mouse, USB camera).

Connects to headphones or other line-out audio devices (speaker).

English

4 Microphone/ Line-in

jack

Accepts input from external microphones.

English

1 Getting to know your TravelMate6

Left view

# Item Description

1 Modem port Connects to a phone line.

2 Ethernet port Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-

3 EasyPort Connects to Acer EasyPort or I/O port

4 DC-in jack

5 IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.

6 PC Card slot Accepts one Type II 16-bit PC Card or

7 Eject button Ejects the PC Card from the slot.

based network.

replicator

Connects the AC adapter.

32-bit CardBus PC Card.

Right view

# Item Description

1 HDD Houses the computer’s hard disk.

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

infrared printer, IR-aware computer).

3 USB 2.0 ports Connects to Universal Serial Bus devices (e.g.,

USB mouse, USB camera).

4 Ventilation Slot Enables the computer to stay cool, even after

prolonged use.

English

5 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible

computer security lock.

English

1 Getting to know your TravelMate8

Rear view

# Item Description

1 Battery release

latch

2 External display

port

Unlatches the battery to remove the battery pack.

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

16.7 million colors with 2048x1536 pixel resolution.

Bottom view

# Item Description

1Memory

compartment

This compartment houses the computer's main memory.

English

2 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.

3 Ventilation Slot Enables the computer to stay cool, even

after prolonged use.

Features

1 Getting to know your TravelMate10

English

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

Performance

• Intel® Pentium® M 715 ~ 755 or higher

• Intel® 855GM chipset

• Memory upgradeable up to 2 GB with 2 slots

• High-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk

• Li-ion main battery pack

• Power management system with ACPI (Advanced Configuration

Power Interface)

Display

• 12.1” Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) displaying 32-bit high color up to 1024 x 768 eXtended Graphics Array (XGA) resolution

• 3D graphics engine

• Simultaneous LCD and CRT display support

• Dual independent display support

Multimedia

• 16-bit high-fidelity AC’97 stereo audio

• Built-in speaker

Connectivity

• High-speed fax/data modem port

• Ethernet/Fast Ethernet port

• Fast infrared wireless communication

• Two USB 2.0 ports

• IEEE 1394 port

• InviLink™ 802.11 b/g wireless LAN and Wi-Fi®

• Bluetooth® wireless communication

• 100-pin Acer EasyPort or I/O port replicator connector

Human-centric design and ergonomics

• Internet 4-way scroll button

• Sleek, smooth and stylish design

• Ergonomically-centered touchpad pointing device

Expansion

• One Type II CardBus PC Card slot

• Upgradeable memory

English

Indicators

1 Getting to know your TravelMate12

English

The computer has seven easy-to-read status indicators on the display screen and three on the LCD panel.

The Wireless, Power and Sleep status indicators (marked area) are visible even when the display is closed.

Icon Function Description

InviLink™/ Bluetooth®

Orange indicates that wireless LAN is enabled.

Blue indicates that Bluetooth® is enabled.

Power Lights green when the power is on and

standby mode.

Sleep Lights when the computer enters Standby

mode and blinks when it enters into or resumes from hibernation mode.

Icon Function Description

Media Activity

Battery Charge

Caps Lock Lights when Caps Lock is activated.

Num Lock Lights when Num Lock is activated.

Lights when the floppy drive, hard disk or optical drive is active.

Lights when the battery is being charged.

English

Using the keyboard

1 Getting to know your TravelMate14

English

The full-sized keyboard includes an embedded numeric keypad, separate cursor keys, two Windows keys and twelve function keys.

Special keys

Lock keys

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

Lock key Description

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

uppercase.

Num Lock (Fn-F11)

Scroll Lock (Fn-F12)

When Num Lock is on, the embedded keypad is in numeric mode. The keys function as a calculator (complete with the arithmetic operators +, -, *, and /). Use this mode when you need to do a lot of numeric data entry. A better solution would be to connect an external keypad.

When Scroll Lock is on, the screen moves one line up or down when you press the up or down arrow keys respectively. Scroll Lock does not work with some applications.

Embedded numeric keypad

The embedded numeric keypad functions like a desktop numeric keypad. It is indicated by small characters located on the upper right corner of the keycaps. To simplify the keyboard legend, cursor-control

key symbols are not printed on the keys.

Desired access Num lock on Num lock off

Number keys on embedded keypad

Type numbers in a normal manner.

English

Cursor-control keys on embedded keypad

Main keyboard keys Hold Fn while typing letters

Note: If an external keyboard or keypad is connected to the computer, the Num Lock feature automatically shifts from the internal keyboard to the external keyboard or keypad.

Hold Shift while using cursor-control keys.

on embedded keypad.

Hold Fn while using cursor-control keys.

Type the letters in a normal manner.

English

1 Getting to know your TravelMate16

Windows keys

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

Key Description

Windows logo key

Application key Opens a context menu (same as a right-click).

Start button. Combinations with this key perform shortcut functions. Below are a few examples:

+ Tab (Activates next taskbar button)

+ E (Explores My Computer)

+ F (Finds Document)

+ M (Minimizes All)

Shift + + M (Undoes Minimize All)

+ R (Displays the Run... dialog box)

Keyboard Hot keys

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

To activate a keyboard hot key, press and hold the Fn key before pressing the other key(s) in the hot key combination.

Hot key Icon Function Description

Fn-F1 Hot key help Displays help on hot keys.

Fn-F2 Setup Accesses the computer’s

configuration utility.

English

Fn-F3 Power

Management Scheme Toggle

Fn-F4 Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep

Switches the power management scheme used by the computer (function available if supported by operating system). See “Power management” on page 27.

mode, which can be defined. See “Power management” on

page 27.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate18

Hot key Icon Function Description

English

Fn-F5 Display toggle Switches display output

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

Fn-F6

Fn-F7 Touchpad Toggle Turns the internal touchpad

Fn-F8 Speaker on/off Turns the speaker on and off.

Fn-→ Brightness up Increases the screen

Fn-

←

Fn-↑ Volume up Increases the speaker volume.

Fn-↓ Volume down Decreases the speaker

Screen blank Turns the display screen

backlight off to save power; press any key to resume.

on and off.

brightness.

Brightness down Decreases the screen

brightness.

volume.

The Euro symbol

If your keyboard layout is set to United States-International or United Kingdom or if you have a keyboard with a European layout, you can type the Euro symbol on your keyboard.

Note for US keyboard users: The keyboard layout is set when you first set up Windows. For the Euro symbol to work, the keyboard layout has to be set to United States-International.

To verify the keyboard type in Windows Millennium Edition and Windows 2000, follow the steps below:

1 Click on Start, Settings, Control Panel. 2 Double-click on Keyboard. 3 Click on the Language tab. 4 Verify that the keyboard layout used for "En English (United

States)" is set to United States-International. If not, select and click on Properties; then select United States-

International and click on OK.

5 Click on OK.

English

To verify the keyboard type in Windows XP, follow the steps below: 1 Click on Start, Control Panel. 2 Double-click on Regional and Language Options. 3 Click on the Language tab and click on Details. 4 Verify that the keyboard layout used for "En English (United

States)" is set to United States-International.

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