Compaq N115 User Manual

Users Guide

Evo Notebook N115

Document Part Number: 260624-002

January 2002

Compaq, the Compaq logo, and Evo are trademarks of Compaq Information Technologies Group, L.P. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Compaq shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. The information is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind and is subject to change without notice. The warranties for Compaq products are set forth in the express limited warranty statements accompanying such products. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.

Users Guide Evo Notebook N115 First Edition January 2002 Document Part Number: 260624-002

Contents

1 Introduction

Where Can I Find Information? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–2

Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–2

Viewing or Printing a Guide on the CD . . . . . . . . . . 1–3

Symbols and Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–5

Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–5

Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–5

Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–6

Turning Off Your Notebook PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–6

Protecting Your Notebook During an

Electrical Storm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–7

2 Your Notebook at a Glance

Front of Your Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–2

Common Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–2

Lower Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–3

Lights and Easy Access Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–4

Function Key Combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–6

Left and Right Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–8

Components on Left Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–8

Components on Right Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–9

Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–10

Components on Back. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–10

Underside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–11

Components on the Underside. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–11

Users Guide iii

Contents

3 Using Your Notebook

Power On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–2

Plugging and Unplugging AC Power . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–2

Turning Your Notebook On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–4

Using Battery Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–5

Using Keyboard and Pointing Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–7

Using the TouchPad Instead of a Mouse . . . . . . . . . . 3–8

Tapping and Double-Tapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–9

Edge Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–10

Easy Access Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–11

Reprogramming the Easy Access Buttons. . . . . . . . 3–11

Storage Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–12

Identifying Your Storage Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–12

Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–12

Using the Security Slot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–13

Power-On Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–13

4 Common Tasks

S-Video Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–2

Switching Between Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–2

Connecting and Enabling S-Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–3

Software and Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5

Adding and Removing Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5

Installing Hardware Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–6

Upgrading your Notebook’s Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–6

Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–10

Connecting a Modem Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–10

Connecting a Network Cable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–12

5 Using the CD or DVD Drive

CD or DVD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–2

Inserting a Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–2

Removing a Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–3

Manually Ejecting a Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–3

iv Users Guide

Audio CDs and Non-DVD Video Discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–4

Playing Audio CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–4

Playing Non-DVD Video Discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–5

DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–6

Using the DVD Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–6

On-Screen Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–7

Identifying Your DVD Region Setting . . . . . . . . . . . 5–8

CD-RW Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–10

Installing CD-RW Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–10

Accessing CD-RW Software

User Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–11

Using CD-RW Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–12

Preventing Buffer Underrun Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–13

6 Caring for Your Battery

Battery Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–2

Using the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–2

Storing the Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–3

Recycling the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–4

Battery Calibration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–5

Calibrating the Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–5

Maximizing Battery Operating Time . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7

Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–8

What Is Power Management? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–8

Fixing a Low-Battery Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–11

Contents

7 Maintenance, Shipping and Travel

Updating Your System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–1

Obtaining Update Information and Software . . . . . . 7–1

Downloading Software Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–2

Installing Software Updates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–3

Restoring Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–5

Installing a Retail Version of an Operating System. . . . . 7–6

Virus Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–7

Monitoring Computer Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–7

Users Guide v

Contents

Caring for the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–8

Caring for Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–9

Preparing the Computer for Shipping or Travel . . . . . . 7–10

Traveling with the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–10

Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–12

8 Solutions

Basic Solutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–2

Backup Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–2

Using Backup Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–2

Compaq Help and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–3

Accessing Compaq Help and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–3

Using Online Help and Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–4

Helpful Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–5

Finding Solutions Quickly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–6

Solution Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–7

Audio and Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–7

Battery and Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–11

Mass-Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–12

Games and Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–14

Keyboard and TouchPad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–15

Memory and PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–17

Glossary

Index

vi Users Guide

Introduction

Congratulations! As the owner of a new Compaq notebook computer, you have joined the worldwide community of mobile computer users. After your notebook is set up and connected to the Internet, you can explore vast regions of information, entertainment, and services online.

To help you access the information you need on your notebook, this chapter covers the following main topics:

Where Can I Find Information?, 1-2

■

Symbols and Graphics, 1-5

■

Safety, 1-6

■

This Users Guide is designed for both experienced computer users and beginners. This easy-to-scan guide helps you find the information you want as quickly as possible. It’s also designed to familiarize you with the following:

Features you’ll want to try

■

during the first few days or weeks.

Keeping your notebook running

■

smoothly.

Solving common problems

■

as they occur.

Users Guide 1–1

Introduction

Where Can I Find Information?

All the information you’ll need to use the basic features of your new notebook is available in the documents included with your notebook. Some of these documents are printed and some are provided on the Documentation Suite CD.

Documentation

Your new notebook computer comes with documentation containing helpful reference material. If you have access to the Internet, you can also view these and other documents on the Compaq Web site. See the “Using Online Help and Support” section in Chapter 8 for specific Web site information.

The Warranty Statement and setup card are included in

■

your kit.

The Users Guide and Safety and Comfort Guide can be found

■

on CD.

Additional documents may vary by region.

Note

✎

Setup Card

This card shows you how to set up your notebook. For more information about the hardware that came with your new notebook, see “Your Notebook at a Glance” later in this guide.

Users Guide

This easy-to-scan guide explains how to set up your notebook and get acquainted with its features. It also introduces:

Common computer tasks

■

The Internet

■

Notebook maintenance

■

1–2 Users Guide

Solutions for computer problems

■

Compaq service and support tools

■

Introduction

Did you know...

Guide is available on the Compaq Web Site. See the “Using Online Help and Support” section in Chapter 8 for specific Web site information.

The User’s Guide and the Safety and Comfort

Safety and Comfort Guide

This document explains how to protect your equipment from damage, protect yourself from injury, and ensure your comfort while using your notebook.

Warranty Certificate

The warranty details the Compaq commitment to service during the warranty period. Keep the warranty in a safe place for future reference.

Viewing or Printing a Guide on the CD

For information about using the CD drive, including instructions for inserting or removing a CD, refer to Chapter 5, “Using the CD or DVD Drive.”

To view or print a document on the Documentation Suite CD:

1. Insert the Documentation Suite CD into the CD drive.

2. Select a guide from the Documentation Suite menu.

Users Guide 1–3

Introduction

3. If Adobe Acrobat Reader information is displayed and you are asked to respond, follow the instructions on the screen to accept the Adobe Acrobat Reader license agreement. (Acrobat Reader is a software application that enables you to view and print the documents on the Documentation Suite CD. You will also use Acrobat Reader to view and print some documents available on the Internet.)

4. For information about closing Acrobat Reader or using it to view or print a document on the Documentation Suite CD, click the Help button near the top of the Adobe Acrobat Reader window.

1–4 Users Guide

Symbols and Graphics

Symbols

The following words and symbols have special meaning in this guide and in the electronic documentation:

WARNING: Text set off in this manner indicates that failure to follow

directions in the warning could result in bodily harm or loss of life.

CAUTION: Text set off in this manner indicates that failure to follow

directions could result in damage to equipment or loss of information.

Introduction

Did you know...

information that may help you solve a problem.

Text set off in this manner provides helpful hints that make

Tip

using your notebook easier and faster.

See also

☞

or another page in this document that has related information.

Note

✎

or interesting points of information.

Text set off in this manner refers to another document

Text set off in this manner provides commentary, sidelights,

Text set off in this manner provides important

Graphics

The illustrations shown and features described in this document may differ slightly from those provided with your notebook computer.

Users Guide 1–5

Introduction

Safety

WARNING: To reduce the risk of electric shock and damage to the

equipment, read the Safety and Comfort Guide.

Did you know...

plug all power cords into a high-quality surge protector. If you have a dedicated telephone line for the modem, buy a surge protector with a telephone jack.

To protect your equipment from power surges,

Turning Off Your Notebook PC

To shut down your notebook properly:

1. Close all open programs.

2. Shut down the Windows operating system by selecting the

Start menu from the taskbar, then select the Turn Off Computer icon, and the Turn O ff button.

If the notebook does not turn off automatically, press and

Note

✎

hold the Power does not recommend turning off your computer this way.

3. Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet and unplug the modem line from the wall jack.

button until the notebook shuts down. Compaq

1–6 Users Guide

Protecting Your Notebook During an Electrical Storm

During an electrical storm, you should take the following precautions to protect your notebook from damage. You should immediately disconnect your notebook from the power source.

After your notebook is disconnected from AC power, you can

Tip

run your notebook on battery power.

If you are not using a surge protector, unplug all power cords

■

from the wall outlets.

Disconnect your notebook from the wall outlets.

■

Turn off the power button on all surge protectors.

■

If a telephone line from your notebook is plugged directly

■

into the wall jack (without going through a surge protector), disconnect the line from the wall jack.

Introduction

Users Guide 1–7

Your Notebook at a Glance

Before you begin using your new notebook computer, you’ll want to look at some of the basic components.

To help you locate your notebook’s components, this chapter covers the following main topics:

Front of Your Notebook, 2-2

■

Left and Right Panels, 2-8

■

Back Panel, 2-10

■

Underside, 2-11

■

To open your notebook, push the Display Release Latch gently lift up the lid.

Users Guide 2–1

and

Your Notebook at a Glance

Front of Your Notebook

Open your notebook and take a look at these components.

See also

☞

this guide to learn more about how to start and shut down your

“Turning Your Notebook On and Off” in Chapter 3 of

notebook.

Common Features

1 Display Release Tab 2 Display 3 Powe r Button 4 Keyboard 5 TouchPad

6 Left TouchPad Button 7 Display Release Latch 8 Easy Scroll 9 Right TouchPad Button

2–2 Users Guide

Lower Front Panel

Your Notebook at a Glance

See also

☞

of this guide for more information on using the TouchPad.

1 Power Light 2 Battery Charge Light

“Using Keyboard and Pointing Device” in Chapter 3

Users Guide 2–3

Your Notebook at a Glance

Lights and Easy Access Buttons

1 AC Adapter Light 7 Digital Audio Button

2 Num Lock Light 8 Volume Down Button

3 Instant Internet Access Button 9 Volume Up Button

4 Instant E-Mail Button - Caps Lock Light

5 Search Button q Hard Drive Access Light

6 Power Button

See also

☞

Chapter 3 of this guide to learn how to program the Easy Access buttons to suit your needs.

Tip

same time mutes the sound. Repeat to restore the sound.

2–4 Users Guide

“Reprogramming the Easy Access Buttons” in

Pressing the volume down and volume up buttons at the

Button

Your Notebook at a Glance

Button

Description

Digital Audio Launches Windows Media Player to

Default Button Action

play MP3 music.

∆

Instant Internet Access

Instant E-mail Provides you with one-touch access

Search Provides you with instant access to

Provides your daily start point to the Internet. It connects you to a personalized Web page filled with local weather, news, sports, and financial information.

for sending and reading your e-mail.

news and information on the Internet. Search for topics including shopping, images, music, and videos.

Users Guide 2–5

Your Notebook at a Glance

Function Key Combinations

Preset function key combinations use the Fn key and a function key to access or execute frequently used system functions.

Keys Description

Fn+F1 Compaq Help and Support Web site launch key*

Fn+F2

Fn+F3 Switch between the display and external monitor in the

Fn+F4

Fn+F7 Brightness control down

Fn+F8

Fn+F9 CD or DVD play/pause

2–6 Users Guide

Help launch key†

following order:

Display

■

External monitor

■

Display and external monitor

■

Sleep

Brightness control up

Your Notebook at a Glance

Keys Description

Fn+F10

Fn+F11 CD or DVD previous track

Fn+F12

*Connects instantly to Compaq for product information, helpful hints, performance updates, service, and more.

†Launches Compaq Help and Support and provides access to Web-based service and support information.

CD or DVD stop

CD or DVD next track

Users Guide 2–7

Your Notebook at a Glance

Left and Right Panels

Take a look at the left and right sides of your notebook. The PC card slot and the removable floppy drive are located on the left side panel. The microphone jack, headphone jack, and optical drive are located on the right side panel.

Components on Left Side

1 Security Lock Slot 2 Air Vent 3 PC Card Eject Button

2–8 Users Guide

4 PC Card Slot 5 Floppy Drive 6 Floppy Eject Button

Components on Right Side

Your Notebook at a Glance

1 Microphone Jack

2 Headphone Jack

3 Optical Drive

Users Guide 2–9

4 Optical Drive Activity Light

5 Optical Drive Eject Button

6 Manual Eject Hole

Your Notebook at a Glance

Back Panel

Take a look at the back of your notebook. This is where you connect external hardware, such as a printer or external monitor. See “Installing Hardware Devices” in Chapter 4 of this guide for more information on attaching external devices.

Components on Back

1 AC Adapter Input 2 1394 Port (on select models) 3 S-Video Port 4 External Monitor (VGA) Port 5 Printer/Parallel Port

2–10 Users Guide

6 Keyboard/Mouse Port 7 USB Port (1) 8 USB Port (2) 9 Ethernet Port (1)

- Ethernet Port (2)

Underside

Here’s what is on the underside of your notebook. This is where the memory compartment, the main battery, battery release switch and the pop-up feet are located.

Before contacting Compaq Customer Support, you will need

Tip

the serial number from the underside of your notebook.

Components on the Underside

Your Notebook at a Glance

1 Pop-up Feet

2 Memory Compartment

3 Battery Release Switch

See also

☞

more information about the Battery Release Switch.

Users Guide 2–11

“Using Battery Power” in Chapter 3 of this guide for

4 Main Battery Compartment

5 Mini PCI Compartment

(Modem)

6 Hard Drive Access Panel

Using Your Notebook

Your notebook computer is designed for easy setup, use, and upgrading. In this chapter, you’ll become familiar with your notebook features.

This chapter covers the following main topics:

Power On, 3-2

■

Using Keyboard and Pointing Device, 3-7

■

Easy Access Buttons, 3-11

■

Storage Drives, 3-12

■

Security, 3-12

■

Users Guide 3–1

Using Your Notebook

Power On

This section helps you get your notebook set up and running:

Plugging and Unplugging AC Power

■

Turning Your Notebook On and Off

■

Using Battery Power

■

WARNING: To reduce the risk of electrical shock, fire, or damage to

the equipment, do not use converter kits sold for appliances to power your notebook. Use only the Compaq adapter that came with your notebook or a Compaq replacement part.

CAUTION: High voltages can enter your notebook through the

phone line connected to the modem. To protect your notebook during electrical storms, use a telephone line surge protector.

Plugging and Unplugging AC Power

Do’s

Ensure that you can

■

reach the electrical outlet easily.

Unplug the AC adapter

■

from the electrical outlet when you want to disconnect AC power from your notebook.

When unplugging from

■

the electrical outlet, grasp the cord by the plug.

3–2 Users Guide

Don’ts

Don’t leave the AC adapter plugged into the electrical outlet

■

when it is not connected to your notebook.

Don’t place anything on power cords or cables. Arrange them

■

so that no one accidentally steps on or trips over them.

Surge Protectors

Using surge protectors and line conditioners can substantially reduce the risk of electrical shock and aid in protecting your notebook from power-source problems.

During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your notebook can increase and cause data loss or system damage. Protect your notebook and peripherals by connecting them to a surge suppressor, which absorbs voltage surges and prevents them from reaching your notebook.

Why Use AC Power When I’ve Got a Battery?

When you’re not on the go, you’ll want to use your notebook’s AC adapter as your power source. This method ensures that the battery is always charged.

Using Your Notebook

When your notebook does not have a charged battery, you should save your work and turn off your notebook before unplugging it from the AC power supply.

Did you know...

you can simply unplug it from AC power. Your notebook automatically switches to battery power.

Users Guide 3–3

When a charged battery is in your notebook,

Using Your Notebook

Turning Your Notebook On and Off

To turn on your notebook, press the Power located at the top of the keyboard.

To turn off your notebook properly:

1. Save your work and exit all open programs.

2. Shut down the Windows operating system by selecting the Start menu from the taskbar. Select the Turn Off Computer icon, then select the Turn O f f button. Your notebook will turn itself off.

Power Button Functionality

When your notebook is on, pressing the Powerªbutton places your notebook in Hibernation mode.

ª button, which is

Did you know...

When your notebook enters this mode, the contents of the memory are saved to the hard disk and your notebook powers off.

The settings for the Power

Press and release the Powerªbutton once to enter

■

Hibernation mode. Press and hold down the Power ª button to shut down your

■

notebook.

3–4 Users Guide

Hibernation is a state of no power consumption.

button are:

Using Battery Power

WARNING: Your notebook contains a lithium-ion battery pack.

Improper handling of the battery pack can result in fire and chemical burns. Do not disassemble, crush, puncture, short external contacts, dispose of in water or fire, or expose to temperatures higher than 140° F (60° C). Replace only with the Compaq battery pack specified for your notebook.

Using Your Notebook

Did you know...

on or off. It continues charging until the battery is fully charged or the AC power is disconnected.

The battery will lose its charge if not used for a long time.

Tip

The battery charges whether your notebook is

Inserting and Removing the Battery

To insert the main battery into the battery compartment:

1. Turn your notebook bottom side up.

2. Slide the Battery Release Switch outward. Lift up the battery door.

3. Position the battery so that the battery label faces downward.

4. Insert the battery, front-edge first, into the keyed battery compartment.

Users Guide 3–5

Using Your Notebook

5. Gently push down on the battery door until it snaps into place.

See also

☞

guide for help in locating the Battery Release Switch.

To remove the battery:

1. Save your files.

2. If the AC adapter is not connected, turn off your notebook.

3. Turn your notebook bottom side up and slide the Battery

4. Lift the battery out of the battery compartment.

“Components on the Underside” in Chapter 2 of this

Release Switch on the underside of your notebook outward. The battery will pop up.

3–6 Users Guide

+ 103 hidden pages