Gateway M250A, M250ES, M250G, M250GS, M250B User Manual

Gateway Noteboo

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Contents

1Getting Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Using eSupport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Help and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Searching for a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

BigFix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Using Your Computer guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2 Checking Out Your Gateway Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Keyboard area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Gateway model and serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Finding your specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

3Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Installing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Connecting the dial-up modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to an Ethe rnet network . . . . . . 2 4

Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Restarting (rebooting) your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Key types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Turning your wireless radio on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

4 Using Drives and Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Using the DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Identifying drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Playing a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Creating CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Using the memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Memory card types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Inserting a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Using a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Removing a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Adding and removing a PC Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Viewing the display on a projector or monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Connecting a video camera to your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

5 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Replacing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

6 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Adding or replacing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Replacing the hard drive kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

7 Using the Optional Port Replicator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Connecting to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Attaching to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

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Disconnecting from the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

8 Maintaining Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Caring for your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Cleaning your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Cleaning the notebook screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Cleaning CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Protecting your notebook from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Updating Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Restoring your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

9 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

CD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Modem (dial-up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Before calling Gateway Customer Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

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Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

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Chapter 1

Getting Help

• Using the Gatew ay W eb site

• Using Help and Supp ort

•Using BigFix

• Using Your Comput er guide

• Using online help

1

Chapter 1: Gettin g Help

Thank y ou for purchasing our
notebook!

You have made an excellent decision choosing Gateway . W e are sure t hat
you will be pleased with the outstanding quality, reliability, and
performance of your new notebook. Each and every Gateway notebook
uses the latest technology and pas ses through the m ost strin gent quality
control tests to ensure that you are provided with the best product
possible.

Your new Gateway notebook is designed to provide an exceptional
balance of performance and portability. Your notebook uses the latest
chipset and mobile processor technologies to manage the processor speed
and power consumption for a greater battery life experience. This design
provides you with maximum performance when plugged into AC power
balanced with optimized battery life when on battery power.

Please read this manual carefully to familiarize yourself with our range
of services and support. We have highlighted some basic care and safety
information to help you keep your notebook in good operating
condition.

Gateway stands behind our v alue proposition to our customers — to
provide best-of-class service and support in addition to high-quality,
brand-name components at affordable prices. If you ever have a problem,
our knowledgeable, dedicated customer service depar tment will provide
you with fast, considerate service.

We sincerely hope that you will receive the utmost satisfaction and
enjoyment from your new Gateway notebook for years to come.

Thank you again, from all of us at Gateway.

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Gateway Web s ite

Gate way W eb sit e

Gateway's online support is available 24 hours per d ay, 7 days per week
and provides the most current drivers, product specifications, tutorials,
and personalized information about your notebook. Visit the Gateway
eSupport Web site at support.gateway.com

.

Using eSupport

The eSupport site is divided into seven major areas:

■ Support Hom e

■ Product Support

■ Downloads

■ Customer Service

■ Upgrade Center

■ Resources

■ Contact Us

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Chapter 1: Gettin g Help

Support Home

Click Support Home, then click Computers. T o view support documents for
your notebook, type your serial number in the
click

Submit.

Serial Number box, then

Click the arrow button to open the
click
specifications, and guides for all Gateway notebooks.

Notebook Computers to access product documentation,

Select Y our Com puter Product box, then

Product Support

Click Product Support to view a list of all the products that Gateway
supports.

Downloads

Click Downloads, then click My Downloads to get the latest software
updates for BIOS and driver upgrades. By entering your serial number you
get drivers specific to your notebook. Click
through a step-by-step wizard to locate your drivers.

Browse All Downloads to walk

Customer Service

Click Customer Service to view information about your account and
general information about warranties and special offers.

Upgrade Cen ter

Click Upgrade Center to view and purchase upgrades for your notebook.

Resources

Click Resources to access utilities to help you manage your notebook.

Contact Us

Click Contact Us to access links to customer care with a live technician,
including chat and e-mail. Clic k
numbers for both sales and support. For more information, see

“Telephone support” on pa ge 112.

Call Us to get a list of Gateway telephone

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Help and Suppor t

Help and Support

Your notebook includes Help and Support, an easily accessible collection
of help information, troubleshoote rs, and automa ted support. Use Help
and Support to answer questions a bout Windows an d to help you quickly
discover and use the many features of your Gateway notebook.

To start Help and Support:

■ Click Start, then click Help and Support. Help and Supp ort opens.

You can find help informatio n by clicking a link, performing a search,
or browsing the index.

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Chapter 1: Gettin g Help

Searching for a topic

To search for a topic in Help and Support, type a word or phrase (keyword)
in the
click the arrow button.

For each search, you receive the following search result types:

■ Suggested T o pics - These topics are located in Help and Support and

■ Full-text Search Matches - These topics are located in Help and

■ Microsoft Knowledge Base - These topics are located on the Microsoft

Search box located at the top of any Help and Support screen, then

are relevant to yo ur search topic.

Support and contain the words you entered in the

Web site and contain the words you entered in the
must be connected to the Internet to search for and access these
topics.

Search box.

Search box. You

To view a list of your search results, click the results header for the type
of results you want to view.

To view a topi c, click the topic n ame in the

Search Resu lts list.

BigFix

Your notebook may include BigFix. BigFix monitors your notebook for
problems and conflicts. 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 flashing the blue
taskbar icon. To fix the problem, click on that icon to open BigFix.

To start BigFix:

■ Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then cli ck BigFix.

To learn more about using BigFix:

■ From the BigFix program, click Help, then click Tutorial.

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Using Your Comp uter guide

Using Your C omputer guide

In addition to this guide, the Using Y our Computer guide has been included
on your hard drive. The Using Your Computer guide includes information
on using Windows, using the Internet, sending a fax, and changing
power-saving settings as well as other topics.

To access the Using Your Computer guide:

■ Click Start, All Programs, then click Gateway Documentation.

Online help

Many programs provide information online so you can research a topic
or learn how to perform a task while you are using the program. You can
access most online help information by selecting a topic from a
menu or by clicking a

Help button.

Help

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Chapter 1: Gettin g Help

You can search for information by viewing the help contents, checking
the index, searching for a topic or keyword, or browsing through the
online help.

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Chapter 2

Checking Out Your
Gateway Notebook

• Identifying f eatures

• Locating y our notebook’ s mod el and serial
number

• Locating the Microsoft Certificate of
Authenticity

• Locating the specifica tions for y our
notebook

• Purchasing accessories

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Chapter 2: Checki ng Out Your Gateway No tebook

Front

Volume control

Microphone jack

Headphone jack

Memory
card
reader

LCD panel
release latch

Component Icon Description

Vo l u m e con tro l

Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack.

Headphone jack Plug ampli fied speake rs or headphone s into this jack .

Memory card
reader

■

Press the b u tton to th e right to increase the volume .

■

Press the button to the left to decrease the volume.

■

Press the button in to mute the volume.

The buil t-in spea kers a re turned off when spe akers or
headphones are plugged into this jack.

Insert a memory card from a digital camera, MP3
player, PDA, or cellular telephone into the memory
card reader. For more information, see “Using the

memory card reader” on page 43. The memory card

®

reader supports Memory Stick

, Memory Stic k Pr o®,

MultiMediaCard™, and Secure Digital™.

LCD panel release
latch

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Open the LCD panel by sliding the release latch.

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Left side

Left side

Modem jack

Docking port

Ventilation fan PC Card

Monitor

port

slot

Component Icon Description

Modem jac k Plug a modem c able into this jack. For more information, s ee

“Connecting the dial -up modem” on page 23.

Docking port Connect the port replicator to this port.

Warning: Power is passed through this por t. This docking
connection is certified to UL 1950 for use only with port
replicators designed for your Gateway notebook.

Ventilation fan Helps cool internal components.

Warning: Do not work for long periods with the notebook
resting on your lap. If the air vents are blocked, the notebook
may become hot enough to harm your skin.

Caution: Do not block or in ser t objects i nto these slots. If
these slots are b lock ed, your notebook may ov erheat resultin g
in unexpected shutdown or permanent damage to the
notebook.

Monitor port Plug an analog VGA monitor or projector into this port.

PC Card slot Insert one Type II PC Card into this slot. F or more information ,

Caution: Provide adequate space around your notebook so
air vents ar e not obs tructed . Do not us e the not ebook on a
bed, sofa, r ug, or other similar surface.

see “Adding and removing a PC Card” on page 44.

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Chapter 2: Checki ng Out Your Gateway No tebook

Righ t sid e

IEEE 1394

port

USB

ports

DV D d r i ve Po w er

connector

Component Icon Description

IEEE 1394 port Plug an IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire® or i.Link®)

device (such as a digital camcorder or external hard drive)
into this 4-pin IEEE 1394 port.

USB por ts Plug USB devices (such as a diskette d rive, flash dr ive,

printer, scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse) into these
ports.

DVD/CD-RW or
record able DVD
drive

Insert CDs or DVDs into this drive. For more information,
see “Using the DVD drive” on page 40. This drive may be
a combina tion DVD/CD-RW or recordable DVD drive. To
determine the type of drive in the notebook, examine the
drive tray’s plastic cover and compare the logo to those
listed in “Identifying drive types” on page 40.

Power connector Plug the AC adapter cable into this connector.

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Back

Component Icon Description

Back

Ethernet jackKensington lo ck slot Power/batt ery

charge indicator

Kensington™
lock slot

Power/
battery
charge
indicator

Secure your no tebook to an object b y connecting a K ensington
cable lock to this slot.

■

LED soli d blue - note book is on, and if th e notebook is
connected to AC power, the battery is fully charged.

■

LED blinking blue - notebook is in Standby mode.

■

LED solid purple - battery is charging.

■

LED blinking pu rple - bat tery is charg i ng an d not eb o ok is in
Standby mode.

■

LED blinking red - battery charge is very low and has
insufficient power to turn on the notebook.

■

LED off - notebook is off.

Ethernet jack Plug a 10/100/1000 Eth ernet network cab l e i nto this jack. The

other end of the cable can be plugged into a cable modem,
DSL modem, router , access point, or an Ethernet netwo rk jack.
For more information, see “Connecting to a cable or DSL

modem or to an Ether net network” on page 24.

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Chapter 2: Checki ng Out Your Gateway No tebook

Bottom

Battery
Battery

latch

emory

bay

Hard
drive

bay

Website:
Online Support:
Tech Support Phone:
Hours:

Battery
lock

System

label

Component Description

Battery Provides power when the notebook is not plugged into AC power.
Battery latch Slide to release the battery. For more information, see “Changing

batteries” on page 53.

Memory bay Install a memory module into this bay. For more information, see

“Adding or replacing memory” on page 61.

Hard dr ive bay The hard drive is loca ted in th is bay. For more i nformatio n, see

“Replacing the hard drive kit ” on page 65.

System label Includes the product model number. For more information, see

“Identi fying your mod el” on page 1 6.

Battery lock Slide to unlock the battery. For more information, see “Changing

batteries” on page 53.

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Ke yboard area

Keyboard are a

Power
button

Keyboard

Status

indicators

Touchpad

Component Icon Description

Power button Press to turn the power on or off. You can also configure the

power button for Standby/Resume mode. For more
information on configuring the power button mode, see
“Changing Power-Saving Settings” in
which has been included on your hard drive. To access this
guide, click Start, All Programs, then click Gateway
Documentation.

Keyboard Provides all the features of a full-sized keyboard. For more

information, see “Using the keyboard” on page 29.

Touchpad Provides all the functionality of a mouse . For more i nformation,

see “Using the EZ Pad touchpad” on page 33.

Status
indicators

Inform you when a drive is in use or when a button has been
pressed that affects how the keyboard is used. For more
information, see “Status indicators” on page 28.

Using Your Computer

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Chapter 2: Checki ng Out Your Gateway No tebook

Identifying your model

Important The la bels shown in this sec tion are for i nformatio nal

purposes only. Label in formation v aries b y model, f eat ures
ordered, and location.

Gatew ay model and serial number

The label on the bottom of your notebook contains informat ion that
identifies your notebook model and its features. Gateway Customer Care
will need this information if you call for assistance.

Online Support: support.gateway.com

Tech Support Phone:
Hours:
Model:

S/No:

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

The Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity label found on the bottom of
your notebook includes the product key code for your operating system.

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Finding your s pecifications

F inding your specifications

For more information about your notebook, such as memory size,
memory type, and hard drive size, visit Gateway’s eSupport page at

support.gateway.com

Gateway documentation and detailed specifications. For more
information, see “Gateway Web site” on page 3.

. The eSupport page also has links to additional

Accessories

To order accessories, visit the Accessory Store at accessories.gateway.com.

Batteries

If you run your notebook on battery power for extended periods, you
may want to buy an additional battery so you can swap batteries when
necessary. See “Changing batteries” on page 53 for more information
about using an additional battery.

Carrying cases

Gateway has large-cap acity carrying cases if you need additional space
for accessories or supplies.

Memory

Large programs, such as multimedia game s or graphics programs, use a
lot of memory . If your programs are running more slowly than you think
they should, try adding more memory. See “Adding or repl acing

memory” on page 61 for more information.

Port replicators

Although you can attach devices directly to your notebook, a port
replicator lets you make all of those connections at one time. When you
travel with your notebook, you merely disconnect from the port
replicator instead of unplugging all the devices.

A port replicator also provide s additional ports and other expansion
features not included with your notebook. See “Using the Optional Port

Replicator” on pa ge 71 for more information about using a port replicator

with your notebook.

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Chapter 2: Checki ng Out Your Gateway No tebook

Printers

You can attach almost any type of printer to your notebook. The most
common types are inkjet and laser printers, which print in color or black
and white.

Inkjet printers and cartridges are relatively inexpensive, but they are
slower than laser printers. Using an inkjet color printer, you can print
pictures, banners, and greeting cards, as well as documents.

Laser printers and cartridges are more expensive, but they print much
faster than inkjet printers. Laser printers are better than inkjet printers
when you are printing large document s.

USB flash drive

Use a USB flash drive for storing files or transferring files to another
computer.

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Chapter 3

Getting Started

• Installing the ba ttery

• Connecting the AC adapter

• Connecting the di al-up modem

• Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to
an Ethernet network

• Turning y our notebook on and off

• Using the status indicator s

• Using the ke yboard and the EZ P ad
touchpad

• Adjusting the v olume

• Connecting to a wireless network

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Chapter 3: Gettin g Started

Installing the battery

To install the battery:

1 Close the LCD panel.
2 Turn your notebook over so the bottom is facing up.
3 Hold the battery label-side down and slide it into the open battery

slot until the battery clicks into place.

4 Slide the battery lock to the locked position.

Co nnecting the A C adapter

You can run your notebook using an AC adapter or your notebook’s
battery . The battery was shipped to you partially charged. Y o u should use
the AC adapter right away to fully charge the battery. Allow three hours
for the battery to fully charge.

Important If the battery is not fully charged before you use your

notebook on ba ttery power f or the first time, the battery lif e
may be much shorter than you expect. If the battery life
seems short even after being charged for three hours, the
battery may need to be recalibrated. For information on
recalibrating th e battery , see “Recalibr ating the battery” on

page 51.

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To connect the AC adapter:

1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.

Caution Make sure that y ou use the AC adapter that came with y our

notebook or one of the same type purchased from
Gateway.

Replace the power cord if it becomes damaged. The
replacement cord must be of the same type and voltage
rating as the original cord or your notebook may be
damaged.

Connecting the AC adapter

2 Connect the AC adapter to your notebook’s power connector.

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Chapter 3: Gettin g Started

3 Plug the power cord into a wall outlet. The power/battery charge

indicator turns on (see “Back” on page 13 for the location of the
power/battery charge indicator). If the power/battery charge
indicator does not turn on, complete the following steps until it
turns on:

a Unplug the adapter from your notebook, then plug it back in.
b Press FN+F1 to toggle the status lights on and off.

4 When you finish using your no tebook for the first time, turn off your

notebook and leave your notebook connected to AC power until the
power/battery charge indicator turns blue.

Warning Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The

AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable
parts inside. The A C adapter has dangerous vo ltages that
can cause seriou s injury or death. C ontact Ga tew a y about
returning defective AC adapters.

Important If the power/battery charge indicator does not tur n blue

after three hours, contact Gateway Customer Care at

support.gateway.com

.

Prot ecting from power sourc e problems

During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your
notebook can increase to levels far above normal levels and cause data
loss or system damage. Protect your notebook and peripheral devices by
connecting them to a surge prot ector, which absorbs voltage surges and
prevents them from reaching your notebook.

Warning High voltages can enter your notebook through both the

power cord and the modem connection. To protect your
notebook and a void electrica l shock, use a surg e protector .
If you ha ve a tel ephone modem, u se a surge prot ector that
has a modem jac k. If you ha ve a cab le modem, use a surg e
protector that has an antenna/cable TV jack. During an
electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the
modem.

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Connecting the dial-up modem

Co nnecting the dial-up modem

Your notebook has a built-in 56K modem that you can use to connect
to a standard telep hone line.

Warning To reduce the risk of fire, use only No. 26 AWG or larger

telecommunications line cord.

To connect the modem:

1 Insert one end of the modem cable into the modem jack on the

left side of your notebook.

2 Insert the other end of the modem cable into a telephone wall jack.

The modem will not work with digital or PBX telephone lines.

3 Start your notebook, then start your communications program.

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Chapter 3: Gettin g Started

Co nnecting to a cable or DSL
modem or to an Ethernet network

Your notebook has a network jack that you can use to c onnect to a cable
or DSL modem or to an Ethernet net work.

To connect to a cable or DSL modem or to an Ethernet network:

1 Insert one end of the network cable into th e network jack on

the back of your notebook.

2 Insert the other end of the network cable into a cable modem , DSL

modem, or Ethernet network jack.

3 Start your notebook.

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