Gateway 450 User Manual
Gateway 450 Notebook
user'sguide
Customizing
Troubleshooting
Contents
1 Checking Out Your Gateway 450 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Keyboard area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Gateway model number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Gateway serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Internal wireless label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Finding your specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Restarting (rebooting) your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Key types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Connecting the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Connecting to a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Broadband Internet connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
HelpSpot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Searching for a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
HelpSpot videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
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Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Using eSupport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
4 Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Using the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Adding icons to the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Identifying window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Viewing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Creating folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Using the Windows Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
5 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
6 Using Multimedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Using the diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Using the CD or DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Identifying drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Adjusting the volume in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
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Adjusting the volume in Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Listening to CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Listening to CDs in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Listening to CDs in Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Playing audio and video files with the Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Creating MP3 music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Changing the music library display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Listening to Internet radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Using advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Using a recordable drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Creating data CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Creating music CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Copying CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Viewing the display on a television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Capturing video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
7 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Installing and configuring Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Installing Fax in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Configuring Fax in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Configuring Fax in Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Sending a simple fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Setting up your cover page template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Faxing a scanned document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Canceling a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Automatically retry sending a fax in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Automatically cancelling a fax in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
8 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Replacing the main battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Installing a secondary battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
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Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
Changing power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
Changing the power scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
Changing alarm options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
Changing advanced settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Activating and using Hibernate mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Changing SpeedStep settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
9 Travel Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Radio frequency wireless connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Additional tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
10 Customizing Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Adjusting the screen resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
Changing the colors on your Windows desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Changing the touchpad settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Programming the multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
Adding and modifying user accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
11 Networking Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Benefits of networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Sharing a single Internet connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Sharing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Sharing peripheral devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Streaming audio and video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Playing multi-player games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Selecting a network connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
Wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
Wireless Ethernet (IEEE 802.11a or IEEE 802.11b) network . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
Using a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, or Gigabit Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
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Example wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Equipment you need for a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Using a wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Example access point wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Equipment you need fo r an access point wireles s Ethernet network . . . . . . 194
Example peer-to-peer wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Equipment you need fo r a peer-to-peer wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . 196
For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Using your notebook on a network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Installing and configu ring your notebook fo r Ethernet networking . . . . . . . . . 197
Turning your wireless Ethernet on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
12 Moving from Your Old Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Using the Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Transferring files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Finding your files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Transferring Internet settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Setting up your ISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Transferring your e-mail and address book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Transferring your Internet shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Installing your old printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Installing a USB printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Installing a parallel port printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Installing your old programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
13 Maintaining Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Creating an emergency startup diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Using Disk Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Checking the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Using the Scheduled Task Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Cleaning the computer screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
v
14 Restoring Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227
Using the Restoration CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228
Reinstalling device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
Updating device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231
Reinstalling programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233
Reinstalling Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236
15 Upgrading Your Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
Adding and removing a PC Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240
Changing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242
Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
Adding or replacing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248
Replacing the main hard drive kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252
16 Using the Gateway 450 Port Replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256
Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257
Connecting to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259
Attaching to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259
Disconnecting from the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260
Securing your port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262
17 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263
Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264
First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265
Software support tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266
CD or DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266
Cleaning CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .268
Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .268
Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270
File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271
Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .272
Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .273
Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .274
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275
Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275
Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .280
Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .281
Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .281
PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .282
vi
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Before calling Gateway Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Tutoring and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
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viii
Checking Out
Your Gatewa y 450
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 ava ilable for your notebook
Tips & Tricks T o access the c ontents of this guide while y ou
are trav eling, clic k 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 Yo ur Gateway 450
Front
Speaker Speaker
Battery
charge
Power
indicator
LCD panel
release latch
indicator
Component Icon Description
Speakers Provide audio output when headphones or amplified
speakers are not plugged in.
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 l ights up whe n the not ebook is plug ged 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
Microphone jack
Line in jack
Headphone jack
IEEE 1394 port
USB ports
PC Card
slots
PC Card
eject
buttons
Component Icon Description
Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack.
Line in jack Connect an external audio input source (such as a stereo) to this
jack so that y ou can rec ord so und on y o ur noteb ook or p lay sound
through the notebook speakers.
Headphone jack Plug amplified speakers or headphones into this jack. The built-in
speakers are turned off when speakers or headphones are
plugged into this jack.
The headphone jack on the port replicator is turned off when
headphones are plugged into this jack.
®
IEEE 1394 port Plug an IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire
(such as a digital camcorder) into this 4-pin IEEE 1394 port.
USB ports Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a USB
Iomega™ Zip™ drive, printer, scanner, camera, keyboard, or
mouse) into these po rts.
or i.Link®) device
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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway 450
Component Icon Description
PC Card slots Insert one or two Type II, or one Type III PC Card into these slots.
For more information, see “Adding and removing a PC Card” on
page 240.
PC Card eject
buttons
Press one of the eject buttons to remove a PC Card from a
PC Card slot. For more information, see “Adding and removing a
PC Card” on page 240.
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Right side
Right side
Modular bay Kensington
Component Icon Description
Modular bay Use this bay for a secondary battery, a CD, DVD,
CD-RW, or combination DVD/CD-RW drive, a diskette
drive, or a sec on d ha rd d riv e. For more information, see
“Changing drives” on page 242.
To determine the type of drive in the modular bay,
examine the drive tray’s plastic cover and compare the
logo to those listed in “Identifying drive types” on
page 84.
Kensington™ lock slot Secure your computer to an object by connecting a
Kensington cable lock to this slot.
lock slot
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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway 450
Back
Power connector
TV out jack
Ethern et jack
Modem jack
PS/2 port Ventilation
Parallel
port
Serial port
Monitor
port
fan
Component Icon Description
Power connector Plug the AC adapter cable into this connector.
TV out jack Plug a television into this jack so that you can view your display
on a television using NTSC/PAL composite video. For more
information, see “Viewing the display on a television” on page 120.
Modem jack Plug a modem cable into this jack. For more information, see
“Connecting the modem” on page 35.
Ethernet jack Plug a 10/100 Ethernet network cable into this jack. For more
information , see “C onnectin g to a wire d Ether net netwo rk” on
page 36 and “Networking Your Computer” on page 185.
PS/2 por t Plug a PS/2 device (such as a keyboard or mouse) into this port.
Attaching a PS/2 mouse or keyboard to your notebook may
deactivate the touchpad or built-in keyboard.
Parallel por t Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this por t.
Serial port Plug a serial device (such as a digital camera) into this por t.
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Component Icon Description
Monitor port Plug an analog VGA monitor into this port.
V entilation fan Helps cool inte rnal components . Do not b loc k or insert objects into
these slots.
Back
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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway 450
Bottom
Modular bay
latch
System
label
Modular bay
latch
Battery
bay
Docking port
Memory
bay
Reset
hole
Mini PCI
bay
Battery latch
Hard dr ive bay
Component Icon Description
Docking port Connect the port replicator to this por t.
Warning! Power is passed through this port. This docking
connection is certified to UL 1950 f or use only with port replicators
designed for your Gateway notebook.
Memory bay Install as many a s two memo ry modul es int o this bay. For more
information, see “Adding or replacing memory” on page 248.
Reset hole Insert a straightened paper clip into this hole to manually restart
the notebook.
Mini PCI bay The optional wireless Ethernet mini PCI card is located in this bay .
Hard drive bay The main hard drive is located in this bay. For more information,
see “Replacing the main hard drive kit” on page 252.
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Component Icon Description
Battery latch Slide to release the battery.
Battery bay Insert the main battery into this bay. For more information, see
“Changing batteries” on page 143.
Modular bay latch Slide and hold the modular bay latch closest to the back of the
notebook, then slide the other modular bay latch to release the
bay module.
System label Includes the product model number. For more information, see
“Identifying your model” on page 12.
Bottom
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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway 450
Ke yboard area
For information on using your keyboard, see “Using the keyboard” on page 27.
Status
indicators
Power
button
Keyboard
Multi-function buttons
Touchpad
Component Icon Description
Multi-function buttons Press these b uttons to open pr ograms ass igned 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 31.
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Keyboard area
Component Icon Description
Touchpad Provides all the functionality of a mouse. For more
information, see “Using the EZ Pad touchpad” on
page 32.
Keyb oard Provides all the featu res of a f ull -size d 86-k e y k e y board.
For more information, see “Using the keyboard” on
page 27.
Pow er button Press to turn the pow er o n or o ff . You can also conf igure
the power button for Standby/Resume mode. For more
information on configuring the power button mode, see
“Changing power settings” on page 151.
Status indicators Inform you when a drive is in use or when a button has
been pressed that aff ects ho w the ke yboa rd is used. F or
more information, see “Status indicators” on page 26.
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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway 450
Identifying your model
Important The label s shown in thi s sectio n are for inform ational
purposes only. Label inf ormation va ries by mo del, f eatures
ordered, and location.
Gateway model number
The label on the bottom of your notebook conta ins informa tion that identifies
your notebook model and its features. Gateway T echnical 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 in Windows XP. Click Start, Help and Support, then
click
View product serial number.
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Identifying your mo del
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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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway 450
Finding your specifications
For more information about your computer , such as memory size, memory type ,
and hard drive size, go to the
eSupport page at www.gateway.com/support
additional Gateway do cumentation and detai led specifications.
My Computer Info link in HelpSpot or visit Gateway’ s
. The eSupport page also has links to
View your computer’s serial number by clicking
clicking
Help and Support, then clicking See your PC’s configuration.
View system serial number. Check your specifications by clicking Start,
Start, Help and Support, then
14
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Finding your sp ecifications
You can also find out more about your computer at the Gateway eSupport site.
Visit www.gateway.com/support
.
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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway 450
Accessories
Gateway offers accessories that can help you make the most of using your
notebook. To order ac cessories, visit the Accessories Superstore at
www.gateway.com
Batteries and automobile/airplane power adapt ers
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 batteries” on page 143 for more information about using an
additional main battery and “Installing a secondary battery” on page 145 for
more information about using a secondary battery 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.
.
Port replicator s
Although you can attach devices directly to your notebook, a port replicator
lets you make all of those conn ections at o ne t ime. Wh en yo u trav el with y our
notebook, you merely disconnect from the port replicator instead of
unplugging all the devices.
A port replicator also provides addition al ports and other expansion features
not included with your notebook. See “Using the Gateway 450 Port Re plicator”
on page 255 for more information about using a port replicator with your
notebook.
Peripheral de vices
Y ou c an attach devices ( such as a keyboard, m ouse, printer , or monitor) to your
notebook or port replicator.
Memory
Large programs, such as multimedia games or graphics programs, use a lot of
memory . If your programs a re running more slo wly than you think they sho uld,
try adding more memory. See “Adding or replacing memory” on page 248 for
more information.
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Accessories
Printers
Y ou ca n attach almost an y type of printer to your notebook. The mo st common
types are inkjet and laser printers, which print in color or black an d white. See
“Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device” on page 37 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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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway 450
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Getting Started
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 A C 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 pow er f or the first tim e, the battery lif e
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 142.
To connect the AC adapter:
1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.
20
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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