Acer TRAVELMATE 8000, TRAVELMATE-6000 User Manual

TravelMate 6000/8000

Series

User’s Guide

TravelMate 6000/8000 Series User’s Guide Original Issue: Mar 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 6000/8000 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 , All Programs, Acer System.

2 Click on Acer System 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.

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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

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:

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• Use the Windows shutdown command

For Windows® 2000: Click on Start, Shut Down..., and select Shut down; then click on OK.

- or -

For Windows® XP: Click on Start, Turn off Computer; then click Tur n

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.

Cleaning and servicing

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When cleaning the computer, follow these steps:

1 Power off the computer and remove the battery pack.

2 Disconnect the AC adapter.

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 59.

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First things first iii

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

A TravelMate tour 3

Front open view 3 Front view 4 Left view 6 Right view 7 Rear view 8

Bottom view 9 Features 11 Indicators 13 Using the keyboard 15

Special keys 15 Launch Keys 22 Touchpad 24

Touchpad basics 24 Storage 26

Hard disk 26

AcerMedia bay 26

Using software 27 Audio 29

Adjusting the volume 29 DVI(Digital Visual Interface) 30 Power management 31 Moving around with your TravelMate 32

Disconnecting from the desktop 32

Moving around 32

Taking the computer home 33

Traveling with the computer 35

Traveling internationally with the computer 36 Securing your computer 37

Using a computer security lock 37

Using the Smart Card 37

Using passwords 43

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2 Customizing my computer 45 Expanding through options 47

Connectivity options 47

Upgrade options 53 Using system utilities 56

Notebook Manager 56

Launch Manager 57

BIOS Utility 57

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3 Troubleshooting my computer 59 Frequently-asked questions 61 Troubleshooting tips 65 Error messages 66 Requesting service 67

ITW 67 Before you call 67

Appendix A Specifications 69

Appendix B Notices 75

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

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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.

3 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which

4 Click buttons (left,

center and right)

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.

# Item Description

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5 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands

when you use the computer.

6 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer.

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

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

8 Microphone Internal microphone for sound recording.

9 Launch keys Special keys for launching internet browser,

email program and frequently used programs. See “Launch Keys” on page 22 for more details.

Front view

# Item Description

1 Speaker Outputs sound.

4-in-1 card reader

4-in-1 card reader indicator

Reads cards from Smart Media, Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard, and Secure Digital cards.

Displays activity of 4-in-1 card reader.

# Item Description

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

infrared printer, IR-aware computer).

Bluetooth button

Bluetooth indicator

InviLink button

InviLink indicator

Enables or disables Bluetooth functionality.

Indicates that (optional) Bluetooth is enabled.

Enables or disables wireless LAN feature.

Indicates status of wireless LAN communication.

9 Latch Latch for opening and closing the laptop.

Notes:

1.Four-in-one card reader is a manufacturing option, subject to configuration. Only one media card type can be used at any given time. To avoid data loss or damage, do not shut down the system while card reader is active.

2.Bluetooth button and indicator work on models with Bluetooth only.

3.InviLink button and indicator work on models with wireless LAN only.

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Left view

# Item Description

1 Four USB 2.0 ports Connect to Universal Serial Bus devices (e.g.,

USB mouse, USB camera).

2 IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.

3 Smart Card slot Slot for Smart Card interface with pre-boot

authentication system.

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

player, stereo walkman).

5 Microphone jack Accepts input from external microphones.

6 Headphone/

Speaker/ Line-out jack

7 PC Card eject button Ejects the PC Card from the slot.

8 PC Card slot Accepts one Type II 16-bit PC Card or 32-bit

Connect to headphones or other line-out audio devices (speakers).

CardBus PC Card.

Right view

# Item Description

1 AcerMedia drive Houses a removable media drive module.

2 AcerMedia indicator Lights up when the AcerMedia drive is active.

3 Eject button Ejects the drive tray.

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

turned off. See page 63 for more details.

5 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter.

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

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Rear view

# Item Description

1 Modem jack Connects to a phone line.

2 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100/1000-based

network.

3 Expansion port Connects to I/O port replicator or EasyPort

expansion devices.

4 DVI-digital port DVI-digital(Digital visual interface) port

provides a better quality digital connection between this computer and a display device .

5 External display

port

6 S-video Connects to a television or display device

7 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible

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

16.7 million colors.

with S-video input.

computer security lock.

Bottom view

# Item Description

1AcerMedia bay

release latch

Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for removing the optical drive.

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2 AcerMedia bay Houses an AcerMedia drive module.

3 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.

4 Battery release latch Unlatches the battery to remove the

battery pack.

5 Battery lock Locks the battery in place.

6 Mini-PCI slot Slot for adding mini-PCI cards.

7 Hard disk protector Acer’s patented Disc Anti-Shock Protection

(DASP) system.

8 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured

by a screw).

9Memory

compartment

Houses the computer’s main memory.

# Item Description

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10 Cooling fan Helps keep the computer cool.

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

11 Personal

identification slot

Insert a business card or similar-sized identification card to personalize your computer.

Features

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

Performance

• Intel® Pentium® M Processor at 1.4~1.7 GHz with 1MB L2 Cache or

1.5~2.0 GHz with 2MB L2 Cache.

• Intel® 855GME chipset

• Memory upgradeable up to 2 GB with 2 slots

• Internal removable optical drive (AcerMedia bay)

• High-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk

• Li-ion main battery pack

• Power management system with ACPI (Advanced Configuration

Power Interface)

• Smart Card interface with pre-boot authentication system for

added security

Display

• Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) displaying 32-

bit high color up to 1024 x 768 eXtended Graphics Array (XGA) resolution for 14.1” or 1400 x 1050 Super eXtended Graphics Array + (SXGA+) resolution for 15” models (specification varies depending on the model)

• 3D graphics engine

• ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9700 64MB/128MB(Manufacturing option)

• Simultaneous LCD ,CRT monitor or other display device like

projector 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 indenpendent display

• DVI-Digital improves the quality to realistic display, the

transmitting via a divital means

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Multimedia

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

• Built-in dual speakers

• Built-in microphone

• High-speed optical drive (AcerMedia bay)

Connectivity

• High-speed fax/data modem port

• 10/100/1000 T-based Gigabit Ethernet port

• Fast infrared wireless communication

• Four USB 2.0 (Universal Serial Bus) ports

• IEEE 1394 port

• InviLink™ 802.11a/b or 802.11b/g wireless LAN (manufacturing

option)

• Bluetooth™ ready (manufacturing optional)

• SD/MMC/SM/MS memory slot (manufacturing option)

Human-centric design and ergonomics

• Internet 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 slot

• Upgradeable memory

• Acer EasyPort

Indicators

The computer has three easy-to-read status indicators below the display screen, and five on the front of the computer.

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The Power and Battery status indicators are visible even when the display is closed.

No Icon Function Description

1 Caps lock Lights when Caps Lock is activated.

2 Num lock Lights when Num Lock is activated.

3 Media Activity Lights when the disc or AcerMedia is

activated.

4 Power Lights green when the power is on and

orange when the computer is in standby mode.

No Icon Function Description

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5 Battery Lights orange when the battery is

6Four-in-one

Card Reader

7 Bluetooth Lights to indicate that Bluetooth™ is

8 Wireless Lights to indicate status of wireless LAN

charging.

Lights when card reader is activating

enabled

communication

Using the keyboard

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

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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.

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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

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.

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.

Windows keys

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

Key Description

Windows logo key

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)

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+ M (Minimizes All)

Shift + + M (Undoes Minimize All)

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

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

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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 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 Setup Launches the Notebook

Manager.

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 31.

mode. See“Power management” on

page 31

Hot key Icon Function Description

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 Screen blank Turns the display screen

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

Fn-F7 Touchpad toggle Turns the internal touchpad

enable and disable.

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

Fn-↑ Volume up Increases the speaker volume.

Fn-↓ Volume down Decreases the speaker

volume.

Fn-→ Brightness up Increases the screen

brightness.

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Fn-

←

Brightness down Decreases the screen

brightness.

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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.

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.

If not, select and click on ADD; then select United StatesInternational and click on OK.

5 Click on OK.

To type the Euro symbol: 1 Locate the Euro symbol on your keyboard. 2 Open a text editor or word processor. 3Hold Alt Gr and press the Euro symbol.

Note: Some fonts and software do not support the Euro symbol. Please refer to http://www.microsoft.com/typography/faq/ faq12.htm for more information.

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Launch Keys

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Located above the keyboard are five buttons. The left-most button is the power button. To the right of the power button are the four launch keys. They are designated as the mail button, the web browser button, and two programmable buttons (P1 and P2).

Launch key Default application

Mail

Email application(User-programmable)

Web browser

P1 User-programmable

P2 User-programmable

Internet browser application(User-programmable)

+ 72 hidden pages