eMachines 8513036 User Manual

Starter Guide

for your eMachines computer

Look inside for helpful hints on:

• Using Windows

• Using multimedia

• Protecting your computer

• Restoring your computer

Thank you!

Thank you for your purchase! We want to make your

experience a satisfying one, so we’ve put together tips

to help you get started with your eMachines computer.

Contents

Getting started with Windows ...............................................4

Windows Welcome Center ....................................................... 7

Getting help .................................................................................. 8

Internet .........................................................................................10

E-mail .............................................................................................11

Using CDs and DVDs ................................................................12

Safety and security....................................................................14

Improving performance .........................................................19

Restoring your system .............................................................20

we do Windows

After you start your computer and complete the Windows® setup, the  rst thing you’ll see on
your screen is the Windows desktop. The desktop includes a taskbar, Start button ( ), and
Recycle Bin icon. Other icons may be added depending on your computer’s con guration.

Drag items to

the Recycle

Bin to delete

them

Add icons of

your own

This is the

Windows
desktop

Click (Start) to access programs
and to turn o your computer

4

For more information about Windows, see “Windows Basics” under Help and Support in the Start menu.

getting things started

The Start menu is the command center of your computer. Whether you want to start a program,
 nd a  le, change settings, or even shut down your system, the Start menu is where it all begins.

Click here to

access the

Internet, e-mail,

and your most

frequently used

programs

Click here to see

all your programs

Click here to open  les
and folders, access
networking, and
change settings

Type here to  nd

a  le or folder

Click here

to put your

computer in

Sleep mode

Click here
to lock your
computer

Click here
to shut
down your
computer

For more information about Windows, see “Windows Basics” under Help and Support.

5

maintaining order

Managing  les and folders starts with the Computer folder. From there, you can see everything
on your computer. To get there, click (Start), then click Computer. To save something right
away, use the Documents folder that has already been set up for you. To access that folder,
click

(Start), then click Documents.

Documents

Already created
for you, this
folder is ready for
immediate use

Computer

Look here to see
what’s on your
computer

6

For more information about Windows, see “Windows basics” under Help and Support.

welcome to the Welcome Center!

The Welcome Center o ers a wealth of options for getting more information about your
computer, as well as links to special deals from eMachines partners! To access the Welcome
Center, click (Start), Control Panel, then click System and Maintenance. Click Welcome
Center and select an option.

Transfer  les
and settings
from a previous
computer to a

Get information

about your

computer

new one

Learn about the
newest features
in Windows Vista®

7

need additional help?

If you need a little extra help with something on your computer, eMachines o ers several
options designed to meet your needs:

• eMachines Web support—Available 24/7,
eMachines’ online support provides current drivers,
product speci cations, tutorials, and personalized
information about your computer. Visit it at

www.emachines.com/support.

• Help and Support—This collection of Windows
help and troubleshooting information, along with
automated support, is easily accessible. Just click

(Start), then click Help and Support. Click a
link, do a search, or simply browse to  nd what
you’re looking for.

Help and
Support is a

quick and easy
way to get
information

eMachines’ Web support is available 24
hours a day, 7 days a week

8

help, continued...

• User guide—For detailed information on using your
eMachines computer, see the provided Reference Guide or
online User Guide. To access the online guide, click (Start),
All Programs, then click eMachines Documentation.

• Tech support—For help and advice you can trust, talk to
people who know computers. You can  nd the number on
the setup poster that came with your computer.

• BigFix*—Pre-installed for you on your eMachines
computer, BigFix checks your computer for problems and
con icts and lets you know if it  nds something. To start
BigFix, click (Start), All Programs, then click BigFix. Click
Help, then click Tutorial to learn more about it.

*May not be available in all regions

Check your online user
guide for easy-to-understand
information on a variety of
topics

9

surfi ng the ’net

Explore the World Wide Web with an Internet connection. Just connect your computer to
a telephone line, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), or cable TV line and sign up with an Internet
Service Provider (ISP).

To get to the Internet, click (Start), then click Internet or the ISP you’ve connected with. Type
in an Internet address, such as www.emachines.com, click Go, and you’re on your way.

The address bar is

where you type in

the Internet address

or URL (Universal

Resource Locator)

This is a

Web page

This is a linked Web page

If your pointer arrow turns into a hand

when you move over something, it’s a link.

Click on it and see where it takes you!

10

To learn more about the Internet, see “Using the Internet” in your online user guide.

welcome to e-mail!

Staying in touch with family and friends is easy with e-mail and is usually free with your Internet
account.

To send e-mail, connect to your ISP, click (Start), then click E-mail. When your default e-mail
program opens, complete any setup required, then click Create Mail and type the e-mail
address of the person that you want to send a message to in the To box. Add a description in
the Subject box, type the e-mail message, then click Send. Your message will arrive at most
e-mail addresses in seconds.

Type the e-mail

address of the person

you want to send a

message to here

Include others in your

message by typing

their e-mail addresses

here or in the To box

For more information about e-mail, see “Using the Internet” in your online user guide.

This is the user name

part of an e-mail address

[e-mail]

Type a short description
of your message here

This is the Internet domain name
part of an e-mail address

11

for your listening and viewing pleasure...

Enjoy listening to favorite music CDs or watching DVDs with software already installed on your
new eMachines computer.

To listen to a music CD or watch a movie on DVD, click

Windows Media Player. Put the disc into the CD or DVD drive on your computer, then click the
Play button ( ). You can control how the music CD or video DVD plays from Windows Media

Player.

Note: You must

have a DVD drive

to play a DVD

Click these buttons to play, pause, or stop disc
playback. You can also control the volume here.

(Start), All Programs, then click

Songs
or scene
selections
from the CD
or DVD you
are playing
are listed here

12

For more information about using media, see “Using Multimedia” in your online user guide.

rip, burn, play

Create a custom music CD with MP3s you rip yourself, or create a video DVD of home movies
or special videos. If your computer came with a DVD burner, you can do it all with easy-to-use
software already installed on your eMachines computer.

Create an MP3 music  le

To create an MP3, click (Start), All Programs,
then click Windows Media Player. Put a music
CD in the disc drive on your computer, then
click Rip. Make sure that the songs you want to
create MP3s of are checked, then click Start Rip.
Windows Media Player will create MP3s and save
them to the Music folder.

Create a DVD

To save content such as data or movies to DVD,
open Windows Media Player and put a blank,
writable DVD into the DVD burner on your
computer. Click Burn , then select the items you
want to save by right-clicking on the item and
selecting Add to Burn List. When your selections
are complete, click Start Burn.

Note: you
must have a
DVD burner to
create a DVD

For more information about using media, see “Using Multimedia” in your online user guide.

13

keeping your computer safe

Your eMachines computer comes with hardware and software features that can help you keep
your computer secure and up-to-date. Use these tools regularly to improve the security of
personal information stored on your computer:

• Windows Security—Provides access to security features such as Windows Security
Center, Windows Firewall, Windows Update, and Windows Defender—all built into
Windows Vista

• Norton 360—Reduces the chances of a virus a ecting your computer

• BigFix—Monitors your computer for problems, and alerts you if something is detected

14

For more information on security, see “Protecting Your Computer” in your online user guide.

securing the perimeter

Windows Vista provides built-in security features designed to protect you, your family, and your
computers. To view or change Windows Vista security settings, click (Start), Control Panel,
Security, then click Security Center.

Guard against

spyware, pop-ups,

and other unwanted

software

Select and
control the
type and level
of protection
you want for
your computer

For more information on security, “Protecting Your Computer” in your online user guide.

15

up-to-date security

Windows Update

If a hacker  nds a way to bypass the security features built into Windows Vista, Microsoft creates
a high-priority Windows update to  x the problem. You should update Windows regularly to
keep your computer secure.

To run Windows Update, click (Start), All Programs, then click Windows Update and
download high-priority updates.

You can

schedule

automatic

updates with

Windows

Update

16

virus-free with Norton 360

Norton 360

Norton 360 helps protect your computer from viruses, hackers, and privacy threats. To run
Norton 360, click (Start), All Programs, Norton 360, then click Norton 360.

Your computer came with virus,

spyware,  rewall, and phishing

protection turned on. Keep

virus de nitions current to

ensure up-to-date protection.

You need to extend your subscription

to update Norton 360 after the

complimentary trial period ends.

For more information on security, see “Protecting Your Computer” in your online user guide.

17

secure with Big Fix

BigFix

Your computer may include BigFix. BigFix monitors your computer for problems and con icts.
It automatically gathers information about the latest bugs, security alerts, and updates from
BigFix sites on the Internet. Whenever BigFix detects a problem, it alerts you by  ashing the blue
taskbar icon ( ). To  x the problem, click that icon and BigFix will open.

Click here,
then click
Tutorial to
learn more
about BigFix

Click here for

information about

updates speci c

to your computer

Click here to go

directly to the

eMachines Web

support site

Details and
information
about updates
are provided here

18

For more information on safety, see “Protecting Your Computer” in your online user guide.

improving performance

Keep your computer in top running condition with regular maintenance. Click (Start),
Control Panel, System and Maintenance, then click Performance Information and Tools.

Select a task and follow the instructions. Do this regularly and you’ll have a smoother running
system.

Click here to return your

computer to a previous state

when it was working better

Click here to see details

about the components

of your system

Click here to adjust

how quickly your

computer goes into

power-saving modes

Click here to do maintenance, such as Disk Cleanup,
or to defragment your hard drive (click Advanced
Tools, then click Open Disk Defragmenter)

For more information on system recovery, see “Recovering Your System” in your online user guide.

19

backing up a bit - restoring your computer

In the unlikely event that you experience software problems, the Windows Vista Backup and
Restore Center let you roll back your computer to a previous state when everything worked
right. Windows Vista takes regular snapshots of your system, called Restore Points. You can return
to one of these Restore Points to get your computer running again. To take advantage of the
restore features in Windows, click
click Backup and Restore Center.

(Start), Control Panel, System and Maintenance, then

20

prepare to recover

When you  rst get your computer, it is a good idea to make a backup of the software that came
with your system. Before you create these “recovery discs,” make sure that your computer has
a recordable drive and that you have blank discs ready. Depending on the type of recordable
drive you use, you’ll need either several CD-R discs or one DVD-R or DVD+R disc. CD-RW,
DVD-RW, and DVD+RW discs will not work.
To create the disc, click
Recovery Center, then click Application and Drivers External Media and follow the on-
screen instructions. When prompted, choose either Create Application and Driver Recovery
Disc (makes a backup of applications and drivers) or Create an ISO image (creates complete
system backup). Make your selection, then continue with the on-screen instructions.

(Start), All Programs, eMachines Recovery Center, click eMachines

21

reinstalling the operating system

A backup copy of your hard drive’s original factory-installed contents is saved on a hidden area
of your hard drive. This lets you restore your computer to its original factory settings.

1 Turn on or restart your computer, then press the F8 key on your keyboard repeatedly while

your computer is starting. When the Advanced Boot Options screen appears, click Repair
Your Computer, then click Next.

2 Pick your country and keyboard layout, then click Next.

3 Log on, then click Next.

4 On the System Recovery Options screen, click Recovery Manager (last option). The System

Recovery wizard opens.

5 Follow the on-screen instructions.

6 Click one of the following system recovery options when prompted:

• Recovery with automatic data backup (recommended)— This moves the contents
of the hard drive to the C:\My Backup folder and installs a new copy of Windows. This
option saves your existing data  les, but all programs must be re-installed and the
program settings recon gured. You need at least 4 GB of hard drive space to use this
restore option

• Full factory recovery—Reformats and restores the system software as it was when
you purchased your computer. This process deletes your data  les, so they must be
saved on an external disc prior to reformatting.

22

7 Click Next, then click Ye s . Recovery starts.

8 When recovery is complete, click Finish. Your computer will restart and Windows will  nish

its setup and installation.

IMPORTANT

• If your hard drive has failed and you can’t restore the software from the hard drive,
contact eMachines Customer Care for help.

• After you restore your computer, it will appear with the same  les and programs it
had when it shipped from the factory. You still need to download Windows updates
and antivirus updates to bring your computer’s software up to date.

23

MAN EM DT/PTB STARTER GDE V R3 4/08