Gateway 400 User Manual

Contents

1 Checking Out Your Gateway 400. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Keyboard area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Gateway model number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Gateway serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Internal wireless label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Finding your specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2 Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Restarting (rebooting) your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Key types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Connecting the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Connecting to a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Broadband Internet connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

3 Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

HelpSpot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Searching for a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 HelpSpot videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Using eSupport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

4 Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Using the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Adding icons to the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Identifying window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Viewing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Creating folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Using the Windows Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

5 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

6 Using Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Using the diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Using the CD or DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Identifying drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

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Listening to CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Listening to CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Playing audio and video files with the Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Creating MP3 music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Changing the music library display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Listening to Internet radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Using advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Using a recordable drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Creating data CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Creating music CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Copying CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Capturing video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

7 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Installing and configuring Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Installing Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Configuring Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Sending a simple fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Setting up your cover page template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Faxing a scanned document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Canceling a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Automatically retry sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Automatically cancelling a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

8 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Changing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Replacing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Changing power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

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Changing the power scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130 Changing alarm options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 Changing advanced settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132 Activating and using Hibernate mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

9 Travel Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 Radio frequency wireless connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 Additional tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139

10 Customizing Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 Adjusting the screen resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 Changing the colors on your Windows desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148

Changing the touchpad settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Programming the multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152 Adding and modifying user accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153

11 Networking Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155

Benefits of networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Sharing a single Internet connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Sharing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Sharing peripheral devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 Streaming audio and video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 Playing multi-player games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

Selecting a network connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 Wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 Wireless Ethernet (IEEE 802.11a or IEEE 802.11b) network . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 Using a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, or Gigabit Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 Example wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 Equipment you need for a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 Using a wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 Example access point wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163 Equipment you need for an access point wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . .164 Example peer-to-peer wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

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Equipment you need for a peer-to-peer wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . 166 For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Using your notebook on a network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Installing and configuring your notebook for Ethernet networking . . . . . . . . . 167 Turning your wireless Ethernet on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

12 Moving from Your Old Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	169
Using the Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	170
Transferring files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	171
Finding your files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	171
Transferring Internet settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	173
Setting up your ISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	173
Transferring your e-mail and address book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	174
Transferring your Internet shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	174
Installing your old printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	174
Installing a USB printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	174
Installing a parallel port printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	175
Installing your old programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	176

13 Maintaining Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Creating an emergency startup diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Using Disk Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Checking the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Using the Scheduled Task Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Cleaning the computer screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

14 Restoring Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Using the Restoration CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Reinstalling device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Updating device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Reinstalling programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Reinstalling Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

v

15 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207

Adding and removing a PC Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208 Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210 Adding or replacing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212 Replacing the hard drive kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215

16 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219

Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220 First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 Software support tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222 CD or DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222 Cleaning CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227 Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227 Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235 Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236 Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236 PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239 Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241 Before calling Gateway Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241 Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242 Tutoring and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244

A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

vi

Checking Out 1

Your Gateway 400

This chapter introduces you to the basic features of your notebook. Read this chapter to learn:

■How to identify the features of your Gateway notebook

■How to locate your notebook’s model and serial number

■How to locate the Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

■How to locate the specifications for your notebook

■What accessories are available for your notebook

Tips & Tricks	To access the contents of this guide while you
	are traveling, click Start, All Programs, then
	click Gateway Utilities. You can also
	download an electronic copy from
	www.gateway.com/support/manlib/.

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway 400

Front

Battery	Power	LCD panel
charge	indicator	release latch
indicator

Component	Icon										Description
Battery charge indicator											The LED shows the battery activity and status.
											■ LED green - battery is fully charged.
											■ LED orange - battery is charging.
											■ LED red - battery is malfunctioning.
											This LED only lights up when the notebook is plugged in.
Power indicator											Lights up when the notebook is turned on and shows
											notebook power status.
											■ LED on - power is on.
											■ LED blinking - power is in Standby mode.
											■ LED off - power is off.
LCD panel release latch											Open the LCD panel by pressing the release latch.

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Left side

Left side

Modem jack

PC Card

PC Card

Diskette drive

slot

eject

Ethernet jack

Headphone jack

button

USB ports

Microphone jack

IEEE 1394 port

Component	Icon										Description
Modem jack											Plug a modem cable into this jack. For more information, see
											“Connecting the modem” on page 34.
Ethernet jack											Plug a 10/100 Ethernet network cable into this jack. For more
											information, see “Connecting to a wired Ethernet network” on
											page 35 and “Networking Your Computer” on page 155.
USB ports											Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a USB
											Iomega™ Zip™ drive, printer, scanner, camera, keyboard, or
											mouse) into these ports.
IEEE 1394 port											Plug an IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire® or i.Link® ) device
											(such as a digital camcorder) into this 4-pin IEEE 1394 port.
PC Card slot											Insert one Type II or one Type III PC Card into this slot. For more
											information, see “Adding and removing a PC Card” on page 208.

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway 400

Component	Icon		Description
PC Card eject			Press the eject button to remove the PC Card from the PC Card
button			slot. For more information, see “Adding and removing a PC Card”
			on page 208.
Microphone jack			Plug a microphone into this jack.
Headphone jack			Plug headphones or amplified speakers into this jack. The built-in
			speakers are turned off when speakers or headphones are
			plugged into this jack.
Diskette drive			Insert a standard 3.5-inch diskette into this drive. For more
			information, see “Using the diskette drive” on page 78.

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Right side

Right side

		CD/DVD/Recordable drive
Component	Icon	Description
CD/DVD/Recordable drive		Insert CDs, CD-RWs, or DVDs into this drive. For more
		information, see “Using the CD or DVD drive” on
		page 79.
		This drive may be a CD, DVD, CD-RW, or combination
		DVD/CD-RW 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 79.

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway 400

Back

Monitor	Ventilation	Parallel	Power	Ventilation	Kensington
port	fan	port	connector	fan	lock slot

Component	Icon							Description
Monitor port								Plug an analog VGA monitor into this port.
Ventilation fan								Helps cool internal components. Do not block or insert objects into
								these slots.
Parallel port								Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this port.
Power connector								Plug the AC adapter cable into this connector.
Kensington™								Secure your computer to an object by connecting a Kensington
lock slot								cable lock to this slot.

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Bottom

Bottom

			Serial number label
									System
Memory									label
bay									Mini PCI
Battery									bay
									Reset
latch
									hole
Battery									Hard drive
bay
									bay

Component	Icon	Description
Serial number		Includes your notebook’s serial number. For more information, see
label		“Gateway serial number” on page 11.
System label		Includes the product model number. For more information, see
		“Identifying your model” on page 11.
Mini PCI bay		The optional wireless Ethernet mini PCI card is located in this bay.
Reset hole		Insert a straightened paper clip into this hole to manually restart the
		notebook.
Hard drive bay		The hard drive kit is located in this bay. For more information, see
		“Replacing the hard drive kit” on page 215.

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway 400

Component

Icon

Description

Battery bay

Insert the battery into this bay. For more information, see “Changing

the battery” on page 125.

Battery latch

Slide to release the battery.

Memory bay

Install as many as two memory modules into this bay. For more

information, see “Adding or replacing memory” on page 212.

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Keyboard area

Keyboard area

For information on using your keyboard, see “Using the keyboard” on page 26.

Status indicators

Power

Multi-function

button

buttons

Keyboard

Speaker Touchpad Speaker

Component	Icon	Description
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 24.
Multi-function buttons		Press these buttons to open programs assigned to them.
		By default, these buttons are set to open your e-mail
		program, your Web browser, online help, and another
		program that you assign. For more information, see
		“Multi-function buttons” on page 30.
Speakers		Provide audio output when headphones or amplified
		speakers are not plugged in.

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway 400

Component	Icon	Description
Touchpad		Provides all the functionality of a mouse. For more
		information, see “Using the EZ Pad touchpad” on
		page 31.
Keyboard		Provides all the features of a full-sized 86-key keyboard.
		For more information, see “Using the keyboard” on
		page 26.
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 settings” on page 129.

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Identifying your model

Identifying your model

Important The labels shown in this section are for informational purposes only. Label information varies by model, features ordered, and location.

Gateway model number

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

Gateway model number

Gateway serial number

You can locate the Gateway serial number:

■Printed on a white sticker on the bottom or back of your notebook.

■Printed on the customer invoice that came with your notebook. The invoice also contains your customer ID number.

■Displayed in HelpSpot. Click Start, Help and Support, then click View product serial number.

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway 400

Internal wireless label

A label similar to the following indicates your computer contains a wireless communications device. The label is located on the bottom of your notebook.

IEEE 802.11b RLAN Approvals:

FCC ID HFS9550015318

CANADA ID 1787104509A

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 specifications

Finding your specifications

For more information about your computer, such as memory size, memory type, and hard drive size, go to the My Computer Info link in HelpSpot or visit Gateway’s eSupport page at support.gateway.com. The eSupport page also has links to additional Gateway documentation and detailed specifications.

View your computer’s serial number by clicking Start, Help and Support, then clicking View system serial number. Check your specifications by clicking Start,

Help and Support, then clicking See your PC’s configuration.

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway 400

You can also find out more about your computer at the Gateway eSupport site. Visit support.gateway.com.

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Accessories

Accessories

Gateway offers accessories that can help you make the most of using your notebook. To order accessories, visit the Accessories Store at accessories.gateway.com.

Batteries and automobile/airplane power adapters

If you run your notebook on battery power for extended periods, you may want to buy an additional battery so that you can swap batteries when necessary. See “Changing the battery” on page 125 for more information in your notebook.

With an automobile/airplane power adapter, you can save battery power by plugging your notebook into an automobile cigarette lighter or an airplane in-flight power receptacle.

Carrying cases

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

Peripheral devices

You can attach devices (such as a keyboard, mouse, printer, or monitor) to your notebook.

Memory

Large programs, such as multimedia games 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 replacing memory” on page 212 for more information.

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway 400

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. See “Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device” on page 36 for more information about attaching a printer to your notebook.

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 documents.

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Getting Started 2

This chapter provides basic information about your Gateway notebook. Read this chapter to find out how to:

■Connect the AC adapter

■Start and turn off your notebook

■Identify the status indicators

■Use the keyboard

■Use the EZ Pad touchpad

■Connect the modem

■Connect to an Ethernet network

■Install peripheral devices

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

Connecting the AC adapter

You can run your notebook using an AC adapter or the notebook battery. The battery was shipped to you partially charged. You should use the AC adapter right away to fully charge the battery. Allow 24 hours for the battery to fully charge.

Important If the battery is not fully charged before you use your notebook on battery power for the first time, the battery life may be much shorter than you expect. If the battery life seems short even after being charged for 24 hours, the battery may need to be recalibrated. For information, see “Recalibrating the battery” on page 124.

To connect the AC adapter:

1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.

Warning	Make sure that you use the AC adapter that came with your
	notebook.

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.

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Connecting the AC adapter

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

3 Plug the power cord into a wall outlet.

The battery charge indicator turns on (see “Front” on page 2 for the location of the battery charge indicator). If the battery charge indicator does not turn on, unplug the adapter from your notebook, then plug it back in.

4 When you finish using your notebook for the first time, turn your notebook off and leave your notebook connected to AC power for at least 24 hours.

5 To check the battery charge with the notebook on, double-click the power cord icon or battery icon in the taskbar. The Power Meter dialog box opens. For more information about the power meter on your notebook, see “Monitoring the battery charge” on page 122. If the power meter does not show a full charge after 24 hours, contact Gateway Technical Support at www.gateway.com/support/contact.

Warning		Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The
		AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable
		parts inside. The AC adapter has dangerous voltages that
		can cause serious injury or death. Contact Gateway about
		returning defective AC adapters.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

Protecting from power source problems

During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your notebook can increase to far above normal levels and cause data loss or system damage. Protect your notebook and peripheral devices by connecting them to a surge protector, 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. Protect your notebook by using a surge protector. If you have a telephone modem, use a surge protector that has a modem jack. If you have a cable modem, use a surge protector that has an antenna/cable TV jack. During an electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the modem.

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Starting your notebook

Starting your notebook

To start your notebook:

1 Open your notebook by pressing the latch on the front of your notebook and lifting the LCD panel.

2 Press the power button located above the keyboard.

Power button

The power button is preset to On/Off mode. However, you can also set it to function in Standby/Resume mode. For instructions on changing the power button mode, see “Changing power settings” on page 129.

3 If you are starting your notebook for the first time, follow the on-screen instructions to set up your notebook.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

Waking up your notebook

When you have not used your notebook for several minutes, it may enter a power-saving mode called Standby. While in Standby, the power indicator flashes.

If your notebook is in Standby mode, “wake” it up by pressing the power button. For more information on changing power-saving settings, see “Changing power settings” on page 129.

Turning off your notebook

To turn off your notebook:

1 Click Start, then click Turn Off Computer. The Turn Off Computer dialog box opens.

2 Click Turn Off. Windows shuts down and turns off your notebook.

Important If for some reason you cannot use the Turn Off Computer option in Windows to turn off your notebook, press and hold the power button for about five seconds, then release it.

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Restarting (rebooting) your notebook

Restarting (rebooting) your notebook

If your notebook does not respond to keyboard or touchpad input, you may have to close programs that are not responding. If closing unresponsive programs does not restore your notebook to normal operation, you may have to restart (reboot) your notebook.

To close unresponsive programs and restart your notebook:

1 Press CTRL+ALT+DEL. A window opens that lets you close a program that is not responding.

2

3

4

Click the program that is not responding.

Close the program by clicking End Task.

If your notebook does not respond, turn it off, wait ten seconds and turn it on again.

Important If your notebook does not turn off immediately, complete the following steps until the notebook turns off:

1Press and hold the power button for about five seconds, then release it.

2Insert a straightened paper clip into the reset hole on the bottom of your notebook.

3Remove AC power and the battery for more than 10 seconds.

As a part of the regular startup process, a program to check the disk status runs automatically. When the checks are finished, Windows starts.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

Status indicators

Status indicators inform you when a drive is being used or when a button has been pressed that affects how the keyboard is used.

			Caps lock
		Diskette drive			Pad lock
	Disc drive					Scroll lock
Hard drive

Indicator	Icon	Description
Hard drive		The hard drive is in use.
Disc drive		The CD, DVD, or recordable drive is in use.
Diskette drive		The 1.44 MB diskette drive is in use.

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				Status indicators
Indicator	Icon			Description
Caps Lock				Caps Lock is turned on.
Pad Lock				Numeric keypad is turned on. For more information, see “System
	1			key combinations” on page 28.
Scroll Lock				Scroll Lock is turned on. For more information, see “System key
				combinations” on page 28.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

Using the keyboard

Your notebook features a full-size keyboard that functions the same as a desktop computer keyboard. Many of the keys have been assigned alternate functions, including shortcut keys for Windows, function keys for specific system operations, and the Pad Lock keys for the numeric keypad.

You can attach an external keyboard to the notebook using a USB port. You do not need to shut down the notebook to connect a USB keyboard.

Function keys/System keys

Navigation keys/Volume keys

FN key Windows	Numeric	Application	Arrowkeys/LCD
key	keypad	key	brightness keys

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Using the keyboard

Key types

The keyboard has several different types of keys. Some keys perform specific actions when pressed alone and other actions when pressed in combination with another key.

Key type	Icon			Description
Function keys				Press these keys labeled F1 to F12 to perform actions in
				programs. For example, pressing F1 may open help.
				Each program uses different function keys for different purposes.
				See the program documentation to find out more about the
				function key actions.
System keys				Press these colored keys in combination with the FN key to
				perform specific actions.
Navigation keys				Press these keys to move the cursor to the beginning of a line,
				to the end of a line, up the page, down the page, to the beginning
				of a document, or to the end of a document.
Volume keys				Press these colored keys in combination with the FN key to
				increase or decrease the volume or to turn off all sound.
FN key				Press the FN key in combination with a colored system key (such
				as STATUS, STANDBY, or PAUSE) to perform a specific action.
Windows key				Press this key to open the Windows Start menu. This key can
				also be used in combination with other keys to open utilities like
				F (Search utility), R (Run utility), and E (Explorer utility).
Numeric keypad				Use these keys to type numbers when the numeric keypad is
				turned on. Press FN+PAD LOCK to turn on the numeric keypad.
Application key				Press this key for quick access to shortcut menus and help
				assistants in Windows.
Arrow keys				Press these keys to move the cursor up, down, right, or left.
LCD brightness				Press these colored keys in combination with the FN key to
keys				control the screen brightness.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

System key combinations

When you press an FN key and a system key at the same time, your notebook performs the action identified by the colored text or icon on the key.

Press and hold FN while		To...
pressing this system key...
		Display the power status box in the upper-left corner of your
		display. The box shows the battery charge level, the BIOS version,
		and whether the AC adapter is being used. Press the key
		combination again to close this box.
		Toggle the notebook display between the LCD, an external
		monitor, or both displays at the same time. A monitor must be
		plugged into the monitor port on your notebook.
		Enter Standby mode. Press the power button to leave Standby
		mode. For more information, see “Changing power modes” on
		page 128.
		Turn on Pad Lock so you can use the numeric keypad. Press this
		key combination again to turn off Pad Lock. The Pad Lock status
		indicator appears when this function is turned on.
		Pause the text scrolling in a DOS screen. Press this key
		combination again to continue scrolling. The Scroll Lock status
		indicator appears when this function is turned on. (This function
		is only available in some programs.)
		Pause execution of a DOS program. (This function is only available
		in some programs.)
		Stop the currently running DOS program. (This function is only
		available in some programs.)
		Increase the brightness of the display.

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Using the keyboard

Press and hold FN while	To...
pressing this system key...
	Decrease the brightness of the display.

Mute the sound. Press the key combination again to restore the sound. For more information, see “Adjusting the volume” on page 81.

Increase volume. For more information, see “Adjusting the volume” on page 81.

Decrease volume. For more information, see “Adjusting the volume” on page 81.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

Multi-function buttons

Press the multi-function buttons to open programs you assign to them. For more information, see “Programming the multi-function buttons” on page 152.

Internet Help

E-mail			User-defined shortcut

Button	Icon	Press to...
E-mail		Open your e-mail program.
Internet		Open your Web browser.
Help		Open online help.
User-defined shortcut		Open the program you assign to this key.

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Using the EZ Pad touchpad

Using the EZ Pad touchpad

The EZ Pad™ consists of a touchpad, two buttons, and a rocker switch.

Touchpad

Left	Rocker	Right
touchpad	switch	touchpad
button		button

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

When you move your finger on the touchpad, the pointer (arrow) on the screen moves in the same direction.

You can use the EZ-Pad left and right buttons below the touchpad to select objects.

You can assign a function to the rocker switch between the touchpad buttons. This function can be to scroll up or down, maximize or minimize the active window, or open and close the Start menu. For more information about programming the rocker switch, see “Changing the touchpad settings” on page 150.

Using the touchpad

To...	Do this...
Move the pointer	Move your finger around on the
on the screen.	touchpad. If you run out of space
	and need to move the pointer
	farther, lift your finger, move it to the
	middle of the touchpad, then
	continue moving your finger.

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	Using the EZ Pad touchpad
To...	Do this...
Select an object	Position the pointer over the object.
on the screen.	Quickly press and release the left
	button once. This action is called
	clicking.

Start a program or open a file or folder.

Position the pointer over the object. Press the left button twice in rapid succession. This action is called double-clicking.

Access a shortcut	Position the pointer over the object.
menu or find	Quickly press and release the right
more information	button once. This action is called
about an object	right-clicking.
on the screen.

Move an object	Position the pointer over the object.
on the screen.	Press the left button and hold it
	down, then use the touchpad to
	move (drag) the object to the
	appropriate part of the screen.
	Release the button to drop the
	object where you want it.

For instructions on how to adjust the double-click speed, pointer speed, right-hand or left-hand configuration, and other touchpad settings, see “Changing the touchpad settings” on page 150.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

Connecting the modem

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

Caution 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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Connecting to a wired Ethernet network

Connecting to a wired Ethernet network

Your notebook has a network jack that you can use to connect to a 10/100 wired Ethernet network.

Important Your notebook may be equipped with built-in wireless Ethernet or you may have a wireless Ethernet PC Card. For information about connecting to a wired or wireless Ethernet network, see “Networking Your Computer” on page 155. For information about installing a wireless Ethernet PC Card, see “Adding and removing a PC Card” on page 208.

To connect to a wired Ethernet network:

1 Insert one end of the network cable into the network jack				on the left
side of your notebook.

2 Insert the other end of the network cable into a network jack. Ask your network administrator to help you select the correct network jack.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

Broadband Internet connections

You can use your notebook’s Ethernet jack for more than just networking. Many broadband Internet connections, such as cable modems and DSL modems, connect to your notebook’s Ethernet jack. For more information, see “Using the Internet” on page 67 and “Networking Your Computer” on page 155.

Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device

Important Before you install a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device, see the device documentation and installation instructions.

Your computer has one or more of the following ports: IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire® or i.Link®), Universal Serial Bus (USB), and parallel. You use these ports to connect peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, and digital cameras to your computer. For more information about port locations, see “Checking Out Your Gateway 400” on page 1.

IEEE 1394 and USB ports support plug-and-play and hot swapping, which means that your computer will usually recognize such a device whenever you plug it into the appropriate port. When you use an IEEE 1394 or USB device for the first time, your computer will prompt you to install any software the device needs. After doing this, you can disconnect and reconnect the device at any time.

Parallel port devices are not plug-and-play. See the device documentation for detailed information and installation instructions.

Help and For more information about installing peripheral devices in

Support Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword installing devices in the HelpSpot

Search box , then click the arrow.

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Getting Help 3

This chapter tells you about additional information resources available to help you use your computer. Read this chapter to learn how to access:

■HelpSpot™

■Online help

■Gateway Web site

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Chapter 3: Getting Help

HelpSpot

Your computer includes HelpSpot , an easily accessible collection of help information, troubleshooters, instructional videos, and automated support. Use HelpSpot to answer questions about Windows and to help you quickly discover and use the many features of your Gateway computer. HelpSpot also has an area called Contact Gateway that helps you find the right resource at Gateway to answer your questions or help solve your problems.

To start HelpSpot:

■ Click Start, then click Help and Support. HelpSpot opens.

If this is the first time you have started HelpSpot, you may experience a brief wait while HelpSpot builds the help database, then HelpSpot displays an introductory video.

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HelpSpot

You can find help information by clicking a link, performing a search, or browsing the index. To learn about using your Gateway computer, your touchpad, and other tasks, click the Using your computer link on the HelpSpot main page.

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Chapter 3: Getting Help

Searching for a topic

To search for a topic in HelpSpot, type a word or phrase (keyword) in the Search box located at the top of any HelpSpot screen, then click the arrow button.

Search box

Search results header

Search results headers

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

■Suggested Topics - These topics are located in HelpSpot and are relevant to your search topic.

■Full-text Search Matches - These topics are located in HelpSpot and contain the words you entered in the Search box.

■Microsoft Knowledge Base - These topics are located on the Microsoft Web site and contain the words you entered in the Search box. You must be connected to the Internet to search for and access these topics.

■Gateway.com Search - These topics are located on the Gateway Web site and contain the words you entered in the Search box. You must be connected to the Internet to search for and access these topics.

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

To view a topic, click the topic name in the Search Results list.

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HelpSpot

HelpSpot videos

HelpSpot contains several short videos to help introduce you to new concepts or show you how to perform various tasks.

To play a HelpSpot video:

■To watch a video in HelpSpot, click Video Tutorials on the HelpSpot home page, then click a video title. The video plays.

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Chapter 3: Getting Help

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 Help menu or by clicking a Help button.

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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