Acer Travelmate 6592, Travelmate 6592G Service Manual

TravelMate 6592/6592G

Service Guide

Service guide files and updates are available

on the ACER/CSD web; for more information,

please refer to http://csd.acer.com.tw

PRINTED IN TAIWAN

Revision History

Please refer to the table below for the updates made on TravelMate 6592/6592G service guide.

Date Chapter Updates

transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated.

Disclaimer

The information in this guide is subject to change without notice.

Acer Incorporated makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Any Acer Incorporated software described in this manual is sold or licensed "as is". Should the programs prove defective following their purchase, the buyer (and not Acer Incorporated, its distributor, or its dealer) assumes the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, and any incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the software.

Acer is a registered trademark of Acer Corporation. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. Pentium and Pentium II/III are trademarks of Intel Corporation. Other brand and product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Conventions

The following conventions are used in this manual:

SCREEN MESSAGES Denotes actual messages that appear

on screen.

NOTE Gives bits and pieces of additional

information related to the current topic.

WARNING Alerts you to any damage that might

result from doing or not doing specific actions.

CAUTION Gives precautionary measures to

avoid possible hardware or software problems.

IMPORTANT Reminds you to do specific actions

relevant to the accomplishment of procedures.

Preface

Before using this information and the product it supports, please read the following general information.

1. This Service Guide provides you with all technical information relating to the BASIC CONFIGURATION

decided for Acer's "global" product offering. To better fit local market requirements and enhance product competitiveness, your regional office MAY have decided to extend the functionality of a machine (e.g. add-on card, modem, or extra memory capability). These LOCALIZED FEATURES will NOT be covered in this generic service guide. In such cases, please contact your regional offices or the responsible personnel/channel to provide you with further technical details.

2. Please note WHEN ORDERING FRU PARTS, that you should check the most up-to-date information

available on your regional web or channel. If, for whatever reason, a part number change is made, it will not be noted in the printed Service Guide. For ACER-AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERS, your Acer office may have a DIFFERENT part number code to those given in the FRU list of this printed Service Guide. You MUST use the list provided by your regional Acer office to order FRU parts for repair and service of customer machines.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 System Specifications 1

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

System Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Mainboard Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Top View ...............................................................................................................5

Bottom View ..........................................................................................................6

Your Acer Notebook Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Front View .............................................................................................................7

Closed Front View .................................................................................................8

Left View ...............................................................................................................9

Right View .............................................................................................................9

Rear view ............................................................................................................10

Base view ............................................................................................................11

Indicators ............................................................................................................12

Easy-Launch Buttons ..........................................................................................13

Touchpad Basics ................................................................................................14

Using the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Lock Keys and embedded numeric keypad ........................................................15

Windows Keys ....................................................................................................15

Hot Keys .............................................................................................................16

Special Key .........................................................................................................17

Acer Empowering Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Acer eDataSecurity Management .......................................................................19

Acer eLock Management ....................................................................................21

Acer ePerformance Management .......................................................................22

Acer eRecovery Management ............................................................................23

Acer eSettings Management ...............................................................................24

Acer ePower Management .................................................................................25

Acer OrbiCam .....................................................................................................28

Using the System Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Acer GridVista (dual-display compatible) ............................................................33

Launch Manager .................................................................................................34

Hardware Specifications and Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Chapter 2 System Utilities 43

BIOS Setup Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Navigating the BIOS Utility ..................................................................................44

Information ..........................................................................................................45

Main ....................................................................................................................46

Advanced ............................................................................................................48

Security ...............................................................................................................49

Boot .....................................................................................................................54

Exit ......................................................................................................................55

BIOS Flash Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Chapter 3 Machine Disassembly and Replacement 57

General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Before You Begin ................................................................................................58

Disassembly Procedure Flowcharts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Main Unit Disassembly Flowchart .......................................................................59

LCM Module Disassembly Flowchart ..................................................................60

Main Unit Disassembly Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Removing the Battery Pack ................................................................................61

Removing the Cover Securing Screws and Covers ............................................61

Removing the HDD .............................................................................................62

Removing the Memory Module ...........................................................................63

Removing the Wireless Card ..............................................................................64

Removing the ODD .............................................................................................65

Removing Dummy Trays ....................................................................................65

Removing the Switch Cover ................................................................................66

Removing the Keyboard .....................................................................................67

Disconnecting the TouchPad ..............................................................................69

Removing the Switch Board ................................................................................70

Removing the Modem Module ............................................................................70

Removing the Antenna Cables ...........................................................................71

Removing the LCM Module ................................................................................72

Removing the TouchPad ....................................................................................72

Removing the Mainboard ....................................................................................73

Removing the I/O Board .....................................................................................74

Removing the Heatsink and Fan Module ............................................................75

Removing the CPU .............................................................................................76

LCM Module Disassembly Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Removing the LCM Bezel ...................................................................................77

Removing the LCD Panel ...................................................................................78

LCM Module Reassembly Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Replacing the LCD Panel ....................................................................................81

Replacing the LCM Bezel ...................................................................................83

Main Module Reassembly Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Replacing the CPU .............................................................................................84

Replacing the Heatsink and Fan Module ............................................................84

Replacing the I/O Board ......................................................................................85

Replacing the Mainboard ....................................................................................86

Replacing the TouchPad .....................................................................................87

Replacing the LCM Module .................................................................................87

Replacing the Antenna Cables ...........................................................................88

Replacing the Modem .........................................................................................88

Replacing the Switch Board ................................................................................89

Reconnecting the TouchPad ...............................................................................89

Replacing the Keyboard ......................................................................................90

Replacing the Switch Cover ................................................................................91

Replacing the Dummy Trays ...............................................................................92

Replacing the ODD .............................................................................................92

Replacing the Wireless Card ..............................................................................93

Replacing the Memory Module ...........................................................................94

Replacing the HDD .............................................................................................94

Replacing the Covers ..........................................................................................94

Replacing the Battery Pack .................................................................................96

Chapter 4 Troubleshooting 97

System Check Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

External Diskette Drive Check ............................................................................98

External CD-ROM Drive Check ..........................................................................98

Keyboard or Auxiliary Input Device Check ..........................................................98

Memory check .....................................................................................................99

Power System Check ..........................................................................................99

Touchpad Check ...............................................................................................101

Power-On Self-Test (POST) Error Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Index of Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Phoenix BIOS Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

Index of Symptom-to-FRU Error Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

Intermittent Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Undetermined Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Chapter 5 Jumper and Connector Locations 115

Top View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115

Bottom View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116

Connector Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117

Chapter 6 FRU (Field Replaceable Unit) List 119

TravelMate 6592 Exploded Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

System Specifications

Features

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

Operating system

q Genuine Windows

NOTE: Windows® VistaTM Capable PCs come with Windows® XP installed, and can be upgraded to

Windows

VistaTM. For more information on Windows® VistaTM and how to upgrade, go to:

Microsoft.com/windowsvista.

Platform and memory

q Mobile Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile Processor — Micro-FCPBA 478-pin

q Intel PM965 / Intel GM965 (North Bridge) — FCBGA 1299 balls

q Intel ICH8ME (South Bridge) — mBGA 676 balls

q Integrated Intel

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED

q Core logic: Intel® 910GML+ICH6M

q Up to 2GB of DDR2 400 MHz memory, upgradeable to 4GB using two soDIMM moules (dual-

channel support)

VistaTM Capable

XP Home Edition (Service Pack 2)

XP Media Center Edition 2005 (Rollup 2)

PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection (dual-band tri-mode 802.11a/b/g)

solution, supporting Acer SignalUpTM wireless technology

Chapter 1

Display and graphics

q 20.1” WSXGA+ high-brightness Acer CrystalBrite

lamps

q 19” WXGA+ high-brightness Acer CrystalBrite

q 16 ms typical of/off and 8 ms average gray-to-gray response time

q Simultaneous multi-window viewing via Acer Vista

q NVIDIA

VRAM and up to 256 MB of shared system memory) or,

q NVIDIA

VRAM and up to 128 MB of shared system memory)

q Supporting NVIDIA

Acceleration, integrated HDTV encoder) dual-link DVI, Microsoft

OpenEXR Hight Dynamic Range (HDR) technology, NVIDIA

Express

q Dual independent display

q 16.7 million colors (20.1” LCD model)

q 16.2 million colors (19” LCD model)

q MPEG-2/DVD hardware-assisted capability

q S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) support

q DVI-D (ture digital video interface) with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) support

TFT LCD, 1680 x 1050 pixel resolution, 6

TFT LCD, 1440 x 900 pixel resolution, 4 lamps

supported

GeForce® Go 7600 with up to 512MB TurboCacheTM (256 MB of dedicated GDDR2

GeForce® Go 7300 with up to 256MB TurboCacheTM (128 MB of dedicated GDDR2

PureVideoTM technology (WMV HD, High-Definition MPEG-2 Hardware

DirectX® 9.0, Shader Model 3.0,

PowerMizerTM 6.0 and PCI

Chapter 1 1

TV-tuner

Audio

q Acer Arcade

q Acer TV-tunver options:

•Analog TV-tuner supporting hardware MPEG-2 stream encding

•Digital and analog hybrid TV-tuner supporting hardware MPEG-2 stream encoding

•Digital and analog hybrid TV-tuner supporting software MPEG-2 stream encoding

q Analog TV-tuner supporting international analog TV standards (NTSC/PAL/SECAM)

q Digital TV-tuner supporting DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial) standard (6 MHz to

featuring Acer CinemaVisionTM and Acer ClearVision technologies

8MHz)

q TV-tuner I/O:

•RF jack for digital/analog TV antenna cable input

•AV-in port for composite/S-video/line-in audio/video input

q TV-tuner cables:

•PAL cable for digital/analog TV input, PAL/SECAM to NTSC port converter

•Mini DIN cable: RCA jack and S-video port for audio/video input

q Acer DVB-T antenna (UHF/VHF reception) supporting Acer SignaUp

q Audio system with two built-in Acer 3DSonic (1.5W) stereo speakers and one Acer BasSonic

wireless technology

Subwoofer

q Dolby

q Intel

q S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) support for digital speakers (1.5W)

q Sound Blaster Pro

q Two built-in stereo microphone

Digital Live and DTS Neo: PC support

High Definition audio support

and MS Sound compatible

Storage subsystem

q One or two 80/100/120 GB Serial ATA hard disk drive, supporting software RAID 0/1

q Optical drive options: DVD-Super Mulit double-layer drive (slot-load)

q 5-in-1 card reader, supporting Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick

Memory Stick PRO

Input devices

q 88/89-key Acer FineTouch

q Touchpad with 4-way scroll button

q Four easy-launch buttons

q Two front-access switches: WLAN LED and Bluetooth

Communication

q Acer Video Conference, featuring Voice and Video over Internet Protocol (VVoIP) support via Acer

OrbiCam

q Acer OrbiCam

•30 degree ergonomic rotation

•Acer VisageOn

•Acer PrimaLite

(MS PRO), xD-Picture CardTM (xD)

keyboard with 5-degree curve

and optional Acer Bluetooth® VoIP phone

1.3 megapixel CMOS camera, featuring:

technology

LED-switches (for selected models)

(MS),

2 Chapter 1

I/O Ports

q Modem: 56K ITU V.92 modem with PTT approval; wake-on ring ready

q LAN: gigabit Ethernet; wake-on-LAN ready

q WPAN: Bluetooth® 1.1 @ 723 bps

q Optional WLAN:ICH6-M (dual-band tri-mode 802.11a/b/g) Wi-Fi® CERTIFIEDTM solution,

supporting Acer SignalUpTM wireless technology

q CRT port --- Suport CRT monitor.

q 3 * USB 2.0/1.1 ports

q Head Phone port

q MIC-In

q Line-In

q RJ11/RJ45

q DC Jack

q IR

q CardBus slot

q Smart Card slot

q 5-in-1 media card port

q 1394 port

q PS/2

q Serial port

q DVI (only for Discrete sku)

q Docking port

Environment

q Temperature:

q Humidity (non-condensing):

•operating: 5°C to 35°C

•Non-operating: -20°C to 65°C

•operating: 20%~80%

•Non-operating: 20%~80%

Chapter 1 3

System Block Diagram

4 Chapter 1

Mainboard Layout

Top View

1 JACK1 AV-in Jack 20 CN29 PATA HDD Connector

2 CN1 TV Antenna Connector 21 CN30 SATA HDD Connector

3 CN2 S-Video Connector 22 U23 North Bridge

4 CN509 Card Bus Socket 23 U33 RAID Controller

5 CN3 S-Video Connector 24 U37 Timing Controller

6 CN4 HDMI Connector 25 CN13 CPU Socket

7 U6 Video Memory 26 CN28 SATA HDD Connector

8 CN5 I/O Board to Main Board

Connector

9 U7 Video Memory 28 U515 Audio Codec

10 CN8 DVI-D Port 29 CN20 Mini PCI Socket

11 U14 Graphic Controller 30 CN23 Mini Card Connector

12 U9 DDR2 SDRAM IC 31 CN26 Media Board Connector

13 U15 DDR2 SDRAM IC 32 CN22 Wireless LAN Card Connector

14 JACK2 Microphone Jack 33 CN21 USB Connector

15 U11 Ethernet Controller 34 CN19 USB Connector

16 CN15 DIMM Socket 35 CN16 USB Connector

27 CN24 BIOS Flash Memory

Chapter 1 5

17 CN14 DIMM Socket 36 CN11 IEEE port

18 CN18 Optical Disk Drive Connector 37 U25 PCI cardbus/Media Board/1394 IC

19 U39 South Bridge

Bottom View

1 U504 LAN Transformer GSN 5009 9 CN4000 Touchpad Connector (Touchpad to

main board)

2 CN502 Launch Board Connector 10 CN4001 6-pin Touchpad Board Connector

3 U503 Video Memory 11 CN504 Audio Board Connector

4 U502 Video Memory 12 CN506 DDR2 SDRAM IC

5 CN4002 LCD Connector 13 CN5001 Hotkey Board Connector

6 CN3000 Hotkey Board Connector 14 CN5000 Main Board to Media Board

Connector

7 CN503 Express Card Slot 15 CN505 Touchpad Board Connector

8 CN507 DDR2 SDRAM IC

6 Chapter 1

Your Acer Notebook Tour

After knowing your computer features, let us show you around your new TravelMate 6592/6592G computer.

Front View

# Icon Item Description

1 Built-in camera 1.3 megapixel web camera for video

communication.

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

displays computer output.

3 Media/volume buttons For use with Acer Arcade and other mdeia

playing programs.

4/8 Microphone Internal microphone for sound recording.

5 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which

6 Click buttons (left,

center and right)

7 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands

9 Keyboard For entering data into your computer.

functions like a computer mouse.

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

when you use the computer.

Chapter 1 7

10/11 Easy-launch buttons Buttons for launching frequently used

12 Power button Turns the computer on and off.

Closed Front View

# Icon Item Description

1 Speaker Left and right speakers deliver stereo audio

2 Infrared port/CIR

receiver

programs.

output.

Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g, infrared printer and IR-aware computer)/ Receives signals from a remote control.

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

4 Microphone-in jack Accepts input from external microphones.

5 Headphones/speaker/

6 Power indicator Indicates the computer’s power status.

7 Battery indicator Indicates the computer’s battery status.

9 Wireless

line-out jack with S/ PDIF support

Bluetooth communication button/ indicator

communication button/ indicator

CD player, stereo walkman).

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

Enables/disables the Bluetooth Indicates the status of Bluetooth communication.

Enables/disables the wireless function. Indicates the status of wireless LAN communication.

function.

8 Chapter 1

Left View

# Icon Item Description

1 USB 2.0 ports Connects to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB

mouse, USB camera).

2 Modem (RJ-11) port Connects to a phone line.

3 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs

(slot-load or tray-load depending on model).

4 Optical disk access

indicator

5 Optical drive eject

button

6 Emergency eject hole Ejects the optical drive tray when the

7 Latch Locks and releases the lid.

Lights up when the optical drive is active.

Ejects the optical disk from the drive.

computer is turned off.

Right View

# Icon Item Description

1 Latch Locks and releases the lid.

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

MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xDPicture Card (xD).

Chapter 1 9

3 3 USB 2.0 ports Connect to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB

mouse, USB camera).

4 4-pin IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.

5 PC Card slot eject

6 PC Card slot Accepts one Type II PC Card.

7 Express Card/54 slot Accepts and ExpressCard/34 module

Rear view

Ejects the PC Card from the slot.

button

Note: ExpressCards are third generation of PC cards, hot-swapable and smaller than previous PC Cards. Designed for both desktop and mobile use, ExpressCards use either USB 2.0 or a single lane PCI Express technology that provides 500 Mbytes/sec total throughput. Formerly code named "NEWCARD," ExpressCards are 5 mm thick like Type II PC Cards, but do not use the same 86x54 mm footprint. ExpressCards come in 75x54 mm and 75x34 mm sizes. Express Card/54 slot means this notebook accepts 75x54mm ExpressCards.

# Icon Item Description

1 DC-in jack Connects to an AC adapter.

2 TV-in port Accepts input signals from analog/digital

TV-tuner devices (for selected models).

3 AV-in port Accepts input signals from audio/video

(AV) devices (manufacturing option).

4 Kensington lock slot Connects to a Kensington-compatible

computer security lock.

10 Chapter 1

# Icon Item Description

5 Ventilation slots Enable the computer to stay cool, even

6 S-video/TV-out

(NTSC/PAL) port

after prolonged use.

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

7 External display

(VGA) port

8 DVI-D port Supports digital video connections.

9 Ethernet (RJ-45) Connects to an Ethernet 10/100/1000-

10 Parallel port Connects to a printer.

11 Serial port Connects to a serial device.

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

based network (for selected models).

Base view

# Item Description

1 Ventilation slots and

cooling fan

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

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

Chapter 1 11

2 Memory compartment Houses the computer’s main memory.

3 Battery lock Locks the battery in position.

4 Battery release latch Releases the battery for removal.

5 Battery bay Houses the computer’s battery pack.

6 Hard disk bay Houses the computer’s hard disk (secured

7 Sub woofer Emits low frequency sound output.

with screws)

Indicators

The computer has several easy-to-read status indicators.

The front panel indicators are visible even when the computer cover is closed up.

Icon Function Description

Standby Indicates the computer’s standby status.

HDD Indicates when the hard disc or optical

drive is active.

Cap lock Lights when Cap Lock is activated

Num lock Lights when Num Lock is activated.

Power Lights up when the computer is on.

12 Chapter 1

Icon Function Description

Battery Lights up when the battery is being

Bluetooth Indicates the status of Bluetooth

charged.

communication.

Wireless LAN Indicates the status of wireless LAN

communication.

NOTE: 1. Charging: The light shows amber when the battery is charging. 2. Fully charged: The light shows

green when in AC mode.

Easy-Launch Buttons

Located above the keyboard are four buttons. These buttons are called easy-launch buttons. They are: mail

Web browser, Empowering Key “ “and one user-programmable button.

Press “ “ to run the Acer Empowering Technology. The mail and Web browser buttons are pre-set to email and Internet programs, but can be reset by users. To set the Web browser, mail and programmable buttons, run the Acer Launch Manager.

Launch key Default application

Acer Empowering Technology (user-programmable)

P User-programmable

Web browser Internet browser (user-programmable)

Mail Email application (user-programmable)

Chapter 1 13

Touchpad Basics

The following teaches you how to use the touchpad:

q Move your finger across the touchpad (2) to move the cursor.

q Press the left (1) and right (4) buttons located beneath the touchpad to perform selection and

execution functions. These two buttons are similar to the left and right buttons on a mouse. Tapping on the touchpad is the same as clicking the left button.

q Use the 4-way scroll (3) button to scroll up or down and move left or right a page. This button

mimics your cursor pressing on the right scroll bar of Windows applications.

Function Left Button (1)

Execute Click twice

quickly

Select Click once Tap once

Drag Click and hold,

then use finger on the touchpad to drag the cursor.

Access context menu

Scroll Click and hold to move

Right Button

(4)

Click once

Main touchpad

(2)

Tap twice (at the same speed as doubleclicking the mouse button)

Tap twice (at the same speed as doubleclicking a mouse button); rest your finger on the touchpad on the second tap and drag the cursor.

Center button (3)

up/down/left/right.

NOTE: When using the touchpad, keep it - and your infers - dry and clean. The touchpad is sensitive to finger

movements; hence, the lighter the touch, the better the response. Tapping too hard will not increase the touchpad’s responsiveness.

14 Chapter 1

Using the Keyboard

yyygg

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

Lock Keys and embedded numeric keypad

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

Scroll lock

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.

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

Type numbers in a normal manner.

Hold <Shift> while using cursor-control keys.

letters on embedded keypad.

Hold <Fn> while using cursor-control keys.

Type the letters in a normal manner.

Windows Keys

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

Chapter 1 15

Key Icon Description

Windows key Pressed alone, this key has the same effect as

clicking on the Windows Start button; it launches the Start menu. It can also be used with other keys to provide a variety of function:

+ <Tab> Activates next taskbar button.

+ <E> Opens the My Computer window

+ <F1> Opens Help and Support.

+ <F> Opens the Find: All Files dialog box.

+ <R> Opens the Run dialog box.

+ M Minimizes all windows.

<Shift>+ + <M> Undoes the minimize all windows action.

This key has the same effect as clicking the right

Applicati

on key

mouse button; it opens the application’s context menu.

Hot Keys

The computer employs hotkeys or key combinations to access most of the computer’s controls like sreen brightness, volume output and the BIOS utility.

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

Hot Key Icon Function Description

<Fn>+<F1> Hot key help Displays help on hot keys.

<Fn>+<F2> Acer eSetting Launches the Acer eSettings in Acer eManager.

<Fn>+<F3> Acer

ePowerManagement

Launches the Acer ePowerManagement in Acer Empowering Technology. See “Acer Empowering Technology” on page 19.

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Hot Key Icon Function Description

<Fn>+<F4> Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep mode.

<Fn>+<F5> Display toggle Switches display output between the display screen,

<Fn>+<F6> Screen blank Turns the display screen backlight off to save power.

<Fn>+<F7> Touchpad toggle Turns the internal touchpad on and off.

<Fn>+<F8> Speaker toggle Turns the speakers on and off.

<Fn>+<w> Volume up Increases the speaker volume.

<Fn>+<y> Volume down Decreases the speaker volume.

<Fn>+<-x> Brightness up Increases the screen brightness.

external monitor (if connected) and both.

Press any key to return.

<Fn>+<z> Brightness down Decreases the screen brightness

Special Key

You can locate the Euro symbol and US dollar sign at the upper-center and/or bottom-right of your keyboard. To t y pe :

The Euro symbol

1. Open a text editor or word processor.

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2. Either directly press the <> symbol at the bottom-right of the keyboard, or hold <Alt Gr> and then press the<5> symbol at the upper-center of the keyboard.

NOTE: Some fonts and software do not support the Euro symbol. Please refer to www.microsoft.com/

typography/faq/faq12.htm for more information.

The US dollar sign

1. Open a text editor or word processor.

2. Either directly press the <> key at the bottom-right of the keyboard, or hold <Shift> and then press the <4> key at the upper-center of the keyboard.

NOTE: This function varies by the operating system version.

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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:

q Acer eDataSecurity Management protects data with passwords and advanced encryption algorithms. q Acer eLock Management limits access to external storage media. q Acer ePerformance Management improves system performance by optimizing disk space, memory and

registry settings.

q Acer eRecovery Management backs up/recovers data flexibly, reliably and completely. q Acer eSettings Management accesses system information and adjusts settings easily. q Acer ePower Management extends battery power via versatile usage profiles. q Acer ePresentation Management connects to a projector and adjusts display settings conveniently.

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 handy file encryption utility that protexts your files from being accessed by unauthorized persons. It is conveniently integrated with Windows explorer as a shell extension for quick and

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easy data encryption/decryption and also supports on-the-fly file encryption for MSN Messager and Microsoft Outlook.

There are two passwords that can be used to encrypt/decrypt a file; the supervisor passowrd and the filespecific password. The supervisor passwork is a “master” password that cna decrypt any file on your system; the file-specific password will be used to encrypt files by default, or you cna choose to enter your own filespecific 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 encryped file! Be sure to safeguard all related

passwords!

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+ 118 hidden pages