Acer TravelMate 420 series User's Guide

TravelMate 420 series

User’s guide

TravelMate 420 Series Notebook Computer User's Guide Original Issue: May 2002

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 420 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.

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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.

Your guides

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, Programs, TravelMate. 2 Click on TravelMate 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 (global.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 top left of your TravelMate. See 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 2000:

down; then click on OK.

- or For Windows XP:

Turn Off .

• Use the power switch

Note: You can also use the power switch 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).

Note: If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and hold the power switch 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.

Click on Start, Shut Down..., and select Shut

Click on Start, Turn off Comp ut e r ; then click

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

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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.

Cleaning and servicing

When cleaning the computer, follow these steps:

1 Power off the computer and remove the battery pack. 2 Disconnect the AC adapter.

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

aerosol cleaners.

4 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 45.

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 view 3 Left view 5 Right view 6 Rear view 7

Bottom view 8 Features 9 Indicators 11 Using the keyboard 12

Special keys 12 Touchpad 20

Touchpad basics 20 Storage 22

Hard disk 22

Optical drive 22

Using software 23 Audio 24

Adjusting the volume 24

Using the Audio DJ feature 25 Power management 26 Moving around with your TravelMate 27

Disconnecting from the desktop 27

Moving around 27

Taking the computer home 28

Traveling with the computer 30

Traveling internationally with the computer 30 Securing your computer 32

Using a computer security lock 32

Using passwords 32

Contents

2 Customizing my computer 35

Expanding through options 37

Connectivity options 37

Upgrade options 41 Using system utilities 43

Launch Manager 43

BIOS Utility 43

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3 Troubleshooting my computer 45

Frequently-asked questions 47 Requesting service 50

International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) 50 Before you call 51

Appendix A Specifications 53

Appendix B Notices 59

Index 67

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 view

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# Item Description

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

displays computer output.

2 Power Button Turns on the computer power.

3 Speakers Outputs sound.

# Item Description

1 Getting to know your TravelMate4

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4 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer.

5 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which

functions like a computer mouse.

6 Click buttons (left,

center and right)

7 Audio DJ controls

and indicators

8 Optical drive Houses an optical drive module (CD-ROM ,

9 Optical drive

indicator

10 Emergency eject slot Ejects the drive tray when the computer is

11 Eject button Ejects the drive tray.

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

13 Wireless networking

button

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

Button and indicators for the Audio DJ function. For more information, see “Using the Audio DJ feature” on page 25.

DVD-ROM or DVD/CD-RW combo drive).

Lights up when the optical drive is active.

turned off. See page 49 for more details.

infrared PDA, IR-aware computer).

Enables or disables the wireless networking feature.

14 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands

when you use the computer.

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

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

16 Microphone Inputs sounds and voices into your computer.

17 Launch keys Special keys for launching internet browser,

email program and frequently used programs. See “Launch Keys” on page 18 for more details.

Note: The positions of the Optical drive indicator, eject button and emergency eject hole may differ depending on the optical drive module installed.

Left view

# Item Description

1 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter.

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2 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible

computer security lock.

Right view

1 Getting to know your TravelMate6

English

# Item Description

1 USB port Connects to Universal Serial Bus devices

(e.g.,USB mouse, USB camera).

2 Line-in/Mic-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD

player, stereo walkman). Selection is through the OS Windows mixer.

3 Speaker/

Headphone-out jack

4 Modem jack Connects to a phone line.

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

5 IEEE 1394 port Connects to an IEEE 1394 device.

6 PC card eject button Ejects the PC card from the slot.

7 PC card slots Accepts one type II PC cards.

8 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-based

network.

# Item Description

9 Memory stick slot Accepts memory sticks.

10 SD/MMC slot Accepts SD or MMC cards.

Rear view

# Item Description

1 Expansion port I/O replicator or EasyPort expansion devices.

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2 External display

port

3 Parallel port

4 S-video Connects to a television or display device

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

Connects to a parallel device (e.g., parallel printer).

with S-video input.

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1 Getting to know your TravelMate8

Bottom view

# Item Description

1 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.

2 Battery release latch Unlatches the battery to remove the

battery pack.

3Memory

compartment

4 Cooling fans Helps keep the computer cool.

5 AcerMedia drive bay

release latch

6 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk.

Houses the computer's main memory.

Note: Don't cover or obstruct the opening of the fan.

Unlatches the AcerMedia bay to remove the optical diskette drive

Features

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

Performance

• Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with 512 KB level 2 cache

• DDR 266 (PC2100) SDRAM, memory expandable up to 1 GB

• Internal optical drive

• High-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk

• Li-lon battery pack

• Power management system with ACPI (Advanced Configuration

Power Interface)

Display

• Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) displaying 32bit high true color up to 1024 x 786 eXtended Graphics Array (XGA) resolution for 14.1”/15” or 1400 x 1050 Super eXtended Graphics Array+ (SXGA+) resolution for some 15” models (specification varies depending on models).

• 3D capabilities

• Simultaneous LCD and CRT display support

• S-video for output to a television or display device that supports S-

video input

• "Automatic LCD dim" feature that automatically decides the best settings for your display and conserves power

• Dual display capability

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Multimedia

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

• Built-in dual speakers

• Built-in microphone

• High-speed optical drive

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1 Getting to know your TravelMate10

Connectivity

• High-speed fax/data modem port

• Ethernet/Fast Ethernet port

• 3 USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports

• IEEE 1394 port

• SD/MMC memory slot

• Memory stick slot

• Acer EasyPort port replicator

• Bluetooth ready (optional)

Human-centric design and ergonomics

• 4-way scroll button

• Sleek, smooth and stylish design

• Acer FinTouch full-sized curved keyboard

• Ergonomically-centered touchpad pointing device

Expansion

• One type II CardBus PC Card slots

• Upgradeable memory

Indicators

The computer has seven easy-to-read status icons below the display screen.

Icon Function Description

Power Lights green when the computer is on. Flashes

when the computer is in low power.

Sleep Flashes when the computer enters Sleep

mode. Lights when the computer is in Sleep mode.

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Battery charge Lights when the battery is being charged.

Wireless communication

Caps lock Lights when Caps Lock is activated.

Num lock Lights when Num Lock is activated.

Media activity Lights when the hard disk or AcerMedia drive

Lights when the Wireless LAN or Bluetooth capabilities are enabled.

is active.

Using the keyboard

1 Getting to know your TravelMate12

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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

Cursor-control keys on embedded keypad

Main keyboard keys Hold Fn while typing letters

Type numbers in a normal manner.

Hold Shift while using cursor-control keys.

on embedded keypad.

Hold Fn while using cursor-control keys.

Type the letters in a normal manner.

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Windows keys

1 Getting to know your TravelMate14

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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)

Hot keys

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

To activate hot keys, press and hold the Fn key before pressing the other key in the hot key combination.

Hot key Icon Function Description

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

Fn-F2 System Property Displays the System Property.

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Fn-F3 Power Options Display the Power Options

Fn-F4 Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep

Properties used by the computer (function available if supported by operating system).

See “Power management” on page 26“.

mode. See “Power management” on

page 26“.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate16

Hot key Icon Function Description

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Fn-F5 Display toggle Switches display output

Fn-F6 Screen blank Turns the display screen

Fn-F7 Touchpad toggle Turns the internal touchpad

Fn-F8 Speaker toggle Turns the speakers on and off.

Fn-

↑

↓

→

Volume up Increases the speaker volume.

Volume down Decreases the speaker

Brightness up Increases the screen

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

backlight off to save power. Press any key to return.

on and off.

volume.

brightness.

Fn-

←

Brightness down Decreases the screen

brightness.

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