Gateway 5300 schematic

1 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 5300. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Left Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Right Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Keyboard area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Switching user accounts in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Connecting the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Connecting to an Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Broadband Internet connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

3Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

HelpSpot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

HelpSpot Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

4 Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Using the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Identifying Window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Please check out our eBay auctions for more great deals on Factory Service Manuals:

Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Viewing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Creating folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Using the Windows XP, Windows Me, o r Windows 2000 Search utility . . . . . .53

Using the Windows 98 Find utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

5 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

6 Using Multimedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Using diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Using the CD/DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Adjusting the volume in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Adjusting the volume i n Windows M e, Windows 20 00, and Windows 98 . . . . . . . .80

Listening to CDs in Windows XP, Windows Me, and Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . .82

Listening to CDs in Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Playing audio and video files with the Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Creating music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

Listening to Internet radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Using advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Viewing the display on a television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

7 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Setting up your cover page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

8 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Installing a second battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Changing power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Changing SpeedStep settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Changing power settings in Windows NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

9 Travel Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

10 Customizing Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Adjusting the screen resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Applying a color scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Changing the touchpad settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

11 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Adding PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Changing bay modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

iii

Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

Installing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148

Replacing the main hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152

Replacing the Mini PCI card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153

12 Using the Port Replicator and Docking Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

Checking out the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158

Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162

Connecting to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

Checking out the docking station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167

Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

Connecting to the docking station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171

Adjusting audio settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

Installing a PCI card in the docking station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174

13 Networking Your Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Using a network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

Sharing a single Internet connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

Sharing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

Sharing peripheral devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

Streaming audio and video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

Playing multi-player games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

Introducing the Gateway Connected Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182

Components of a Gateway Connected Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183

Selecting a network connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184

Wired connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184

Wireless Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185

Assessing your connection needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186

Comparing data transfer speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188

Network shopping list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190

HPNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190

Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191

Wireless Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192

Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192

For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193

14 Moving from Your Old Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Transferring software and hardware from your old computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Using the Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Transferring files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Transferring Internet settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Reinstalling your old printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Reinstalling your old programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

15 Maintaining Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Creating an emergency startup diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

Using Disk Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

Checking the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

Using the Scheduled Task Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

Cleaning the screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

16 Restoring Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Reinstalling device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Reinstalling devic e drivers in Windows 98, Windows Me , Windows 200 0, or

Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

Reinstalling device drivers in Windows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Reinstalling the Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Updating device dr ivers in Windows 98, Windows Me, Wi ndows 200 0, or

Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Reinstalling Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

Reinstalling Windows 98, Windows Me, Wi ndows 200 0, or Windows XP . . . 236

Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

Reinstalling programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

17 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241

Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Software support tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244

CD/DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245

Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247

Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248

Error-checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249

File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250

Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250

Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252

LCD panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253

Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253

Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258

Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258

Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259

PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259

Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260

ScanDisk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262

Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262

Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263

Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264

Before calling Gateway Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264

Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265

Tutoring and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266

Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266

Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266

Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267

A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 5300

Tips & Tricks T o acce ss the contents of this guide while you a re trav eling,

download an electronic copy from www.gateway.com/support/manlib/.

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Solo 5300

Front

Release latch

Power indicator

Battery charge indicator

Component Icon Description

Release latch Open the noteboo k cov er b y sliding the re lease latch to the

right.

Power indicator Lights up when the notebook is turned on and shows

notebook power status:

■

Steady green light indicates that power is on and the notebook is in operation.

■

Flashing green light indicates that the notebook is in Standby mode.

■

Flashing green light accompanied by beeping indicates the battery charge is low.

■

No light indicates that the notebook is off.

Battery charge indicator Indicates the battery status:

■

Green light indicate s that th e battery is fully cha rged and AC power is connected.

■

Orange light indicates that the battery is charging.

■

Red light indicates that the battery is low.

■

No light indicates that the system is running on the battery because the AC adapter is either not connected or is not providing power.

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Left Side

Kensington lock slot

Ventilation fan (do not block)

Speaker jack

Line in jack

Microphone jack

Modem jack

PC Card slots

Ethernet jack

PC Card eject buttons

Component Icon Description

Kensington™ lock slot Secure your computer to an object by connecting a

Kensington cable l ock to this s lot.

Ventilation fan Helps cool system components. Do not block. Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack. While the external

microphone is connected, the built-in microphone is disabled.

Line in jack Plug an external audio input source (such as a stereo) into

this jack so that you can record sound on your notebook or play sound through the notebook speakers.

Speaker jack Plug external speakers or headphones into this jack.

Modem jack (optional) Plug a modem cab le into thi s jack. F or more i nformation, see

“Connecting the modem” on page 30.

PC Card slots Insert Type I, II, or III PC Cards or Zoom Video cards into

these slots. For more information, see “Adding PC Cards” on page 142.

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Solo 5300

Component Icon Description

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 PC Cards” on page 142.

Ethernet jack (optional) Plug an Ethernet 10/100 network cable into this jack. For

more information, see “Connecting to an E the r net net wor k” on page 31.

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Right Side

Module bay Eject button

Component Description

Module bay Use this bay for a second battery, or a CD, CD-RW, DVD, diskette, LS-120, or

second hard drive. For more information, see “Changing bay modules” on page 144.

Eject button Press the eject button to open the module tray.

Right Side

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Solo 5300

Back

PS/2 port Parallel

port

TV out jack

Docking port

Serial port

Monitor port

USB port

Power connector

Component Icon Description

PS/2 port Plug a PS/2® (Personal System/2) device (such as a

keyboard or mouse) into this port. Important! You will not be able to use your touchpad

while a mouse is plugged into this port.

Parallel port Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this port.

TVout jack Plug one end of a standa rd RCA cable i nto this jac k and

the other end of the cable into the jac k on a TV or VCR so that you can view your computer screen on a TV. For more information, see “Viewing the display on a television” on page 96.

Docking port Connect an optional port replicator or docking station

to this port. Warning! Power is passed through this connection.

This docking connec tion is UL certified for use onl y with Solo 5300 docking station devices.

Serial port Plug a serial devi ce (s uc h a s a d igi tal cam era) into this

port.

Monitor port Plug an external (VGA) monitor into this port.

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Component Icon Description

USB port Plug a USB (UniversalSerial Bus) device (such as a

USB Iomega™ Zip™ drive, scanner, or camera) into this port.

Power connector Plug the AC power adapter cable into this connector.

Back

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Solo 5300

Bottom

Microsoft label

Module bay

Module bay latch

Battery latch

Main battery

Hard drive

Memory bay

Component Icon Description

Microsoft label Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity label includes the

product key code for your operating system.

Ventilation fan

System label

Module bay Use this bay for a second battery, or a CD, CD-RW, DVD,

diskette, LS-120, or second hard drive. F or more inf ormation, see “Changing bay modules” on page 144.

Module bay latch Slide to release the module.

Battery latch Slide to release the battery.

Main battery bay Insert the main battery into this bay. For more information,

see “Changi ng batte ries” on page 109.

Hard drive The hard drive is stored here. For more infor mation, see

“Replacing the main hard dri ve” on page 152.

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Component Icon Description

Memory bay Install as many as two SO-DIMM memory modules into the

slots in this bay. For more information, see “Installing memory” on page 148.

System label Includes the product model number and serial number. For

more information, see “Identifying your model” on page 11.

Ventilation fan Helps cool system components. Do not block.

Bottom

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Solo 5300

Ke yboard area

Status indicators

Keyboard

Touchpad

Pow er b u tt o n

Speaker

Microphone

Component Description

Po we r button Press to turn the pow er on or off. For more information on configuring

the power button mode, see “Changing power settings” on page 114. Status indicators See “Status indicators” on page 23 for more information. Keyboard See “Using the keyboard” on page 24 for more information. Touchpad See “Using the EZ Pad touchpad” on page 28 for more information. Speakers Provide audio output. Speakers are disabled while headphones are

connected. Microphone Record audio through this microphone. The built-in microphone is

disabled while an external microphone is connected.

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Identifying y our model

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

Important The label shown below is for informational purposes only.

Label information var ies by model.

Identifying your mo del

Revision co de and display type/ processor size

Gateway model number

Gateway serial number

00.0X/000XXX X 0.0/XX

Gateway part number

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Solo 5300

Accessories

Gateway offers accessories that can help you make the most of using your notebook.

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.

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.

Docking stations and port replicator s

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

A docking station or port replicator also provides additional ports and other expansion features not included with your notebook.

External devices

Y ou can attach external devices suc h as a keyboard, mouse, printer, o r monitor to your notebook, docking station, or port replicator.

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.

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Accessories

Printers

You can attach many types of printers to your computer. The most common types are inkjet and laser printers, which print in color or black and white.

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

Laser printers and cartridges are more expensive, but usually 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 Solo 5300

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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 power adapter

■ How to start and turn off your notebook

■ How to use the keyboard

■ How to use the EZ Pa d™ touch pad

■ How to connect the modem

■ How to connect to an Ethernet network

■ How to install peripheral devi ces

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

Connecting the A C adapter

Y ou can run y our 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 recalibr ated. F or more inf ormation, see “Recalibrating the battery” on page108.

To connect the AC adapter:

1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.

Warning 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 the 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. If the battery charge indicator does not turn on, disconnect the adapter from your notebook and repeat Step 2.

4 When you finish using your notebook for the first time, turn the

notebook off and leave the notebook connected to AC power for at least 24 hours.

5 If the battery meters do 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 A C adapter has dangerous vo ltages that can cause serious injury or dea th. Contact G ate wa y 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 computer can increase to far above normal levels and cause data loss or system damage. Protect your computer and peripheral devices by connecting them to a surge protector, which absorbs voltage surges and preven ts them from reaching your computer.

Warning High voltages can enter your computer through both the

power cord and the modem connection. Protect your computer 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

To start the notebook:

1 Open your notebook by sliding the latch on the front of your notebook

to the right and lifting the LCD panel.

2 Press the power button located above the keyboard.

Starting your notebook

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 114.

3 If you are starting your computer for the first time, follow the on-screen

instructions to set up your computer.

W aking up your notebook

When you have not used your notebook for several minutes, it enters 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 “Managing Power” on page 105.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

T urning off your notebook

To turn off your notebook:

■ In Windows XP, click Start, then click Turn Off Computer, then click Turn

Off

- OR In Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98, click

Shut Down. In the Shut Down Win dows dialog box, select Shut Down , then

click

OK.

If for some reason you cannot use the T urn Off Comp uter or Shut Down option in Windows to shut down your notebook, press and hold the power button for about five seconds.

Start, then select

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Switching user accounts in Windo ws XP

Switching user accounts in Windows XP

When you first turn on your notebook, you have the option to add different user accounts. These user accounts can be customized for each person that uses the notebook. Y ou can add, delete, or modify existin g user accounts. You can also switch (change) user accounts without turning off your notebook.

Help and

Support

For more information about adding, deleting, and modifying your user accounts, click Start, then select Help and Support.

To add, delete, or modify user accounts in Windows XP:

1 Click Start, select Control Panel , then double-click Use r Accounts. The User

Accounts window opens.

2 Follow the on- screen prompts to add, delete, or modify a user accou nt.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

To switch user accounts in Windows XP:

1 Click Start, then select Log Off. The Log Off Windows dialog box opens.

2 Click Switch User to switch between your user accounts. The Windows

logon screen opens.

3 Select the user account that you want to activate. When you switch

between users, any programs that were running for the previous user continue to run.

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Status indicators

Hard drive

Optical disc drive

Diskette drive

Pad lock

Caps lock

Scroll lock

Indicator Icon Description

Hard drive Turns on when the hard drive is in use.

Optical disc drive T urns on whe n the CD/D VD driv e or LS-120 driv e is in use.

Diskette drive Tur ns on when the standard 1.44 MB diskette drive is in

use.

Caps Lock Turns on when Caps Lock is activated.

Pad Lock Turns on when the embedded numeric keypad is

Scroll Lock Turns on when Scroll Lock is activated.

activated.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

Using the keyboar d

Your notebook features a keyboard that has the same functionality as a desktop computer keyboard. Many of the keys have been assign ed alternate functions. The alternate function is printed on the key in green text.

Function keys/Sy ste m keys

N key Application

Windows key

Numeric keypad

Volume keys/Navigation keys

key

Arrow keys/ Brightness controls

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Keys

Keys Icon Description

Function keys Press these keys labeled F1 to F12 to perform

actions in progr ams . For example, pressing F1 ma y open help.

Each program uses different function keys for different purposes. Refer to the program documentation to find out more about the function key act ions .

System keys Press these green-colored k eys in combin ation with

N key to perfor m specific actions.

the F

Volume keys Press these keys to increase or decrease the

volume or mute the sound.

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.

N key Press the FN key in combination with a

green-colored sys tem key (such as S or S

TATUS) to perform a specific action.

TANDBY, PAUSE,

Using the keyboard

Windows key Press 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 the numeric keypad.

Applicatio n key Press for quick access to shortcut menu s an d help

assistants in Windows.

Arrow keys/ Brightness controls

Press these ke ys to mov e the cursor up , down, right, or left. When used with the F control the screen brightness.

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FN+PAD LOCK to turn on

N key, t hese also

Chapter 2: Getting Started

System key combinations

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

Press FN and this function key...

To...

Display the power status box in the upper left corner of your screen. The bo x shows the battery charge l ev el, the BIOS ve rsion, and whether the AC adapter is being used. Press the key combination again to close this box.

Toggle the notebook screen between the LCD, an external monitor, or both di splays at the s ame time. A mo nitor must be plugged into the monitor port on the notebook, port replicator, or docking station.

Enter Standby mode. Press the power button to leave Standby mode.

Turn on Pad Lock so you ca n use the numeric keypad. Press this key combination again to turn off Pad Lock. The Pad Lock status indicator appears while this function is turned on.

Pause the text scrol lin g i n a D OS s creen . T he Scro ll Lock status indicator ap pears wh en this f unctio n is tur ned on. Press the key combination again to continue scrolling. (This function is only available in some programs.)

Pause e xecut ion of a DOS progra m. (This function is only avai lable in some programs.)

Stop the cur rently r unning D OS program. (This func tion is on ly available in some programs.)

Increase the brightness of the display.

Decrease the brightness of the display.

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Using the keyboard

Press FN and this function key...

To...

Mute the sound. Press the key combination again to restore the sound.

Increase volume.

Decrease volume.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

Using the EZ Pad touchpa d

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

Touchpad

When you move your finger on the touchpad, the pointer (arrow) on the screen moves in the sam e directi on.

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

Pad buttons

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Using the touchpad

To... Do this...

Using the EZ Pad touchpad

Move the pointer on the scre en.

Select an object on the scre en.

Start a program or open a file or folder.

Access a shortcut menu or find more information about an object on the scre en.

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

Position the pointer over the object. Press the left button below the touchpad once. This action is called clicking.

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

Position the pointer over the object. Quickly press and release the right button once. This actio n is called right-clicking.

Move an object on the scre en.

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Position the pointer over the object. 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 .

Chapter 2: Getting Started

Connecting the modem

If your notebook has a modem jack, the notebook has a built-in V.90 56K modem.

To connect the modem:

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

side of the notebook.

2 Insert the other en d 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 software.

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Connecting to an Ethernet ne twork

Connecting to an Ethernet netw ork

If your notebook has a network jack, the notebook can connect to an Ethernet 10/100 network.

To connect to a network:

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

left side of the notebook.

2 Insert the other end of the network cable into a network wall jack. Ask

your network administrator to help you select the correct network jack.

Your notebook is now physically connected to the network. Your network administrator can help you log on to your network.

Broadband Internet connections

You can use your computer’s Ethernet jack for more than just networking. Many broadband Internet connections, such as cable modems and DSL modems, connect to your computer’s Ethernet jack. For more information, see “Using the Internet” on page 63 and “Networking Your Notebook” on page 179.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started

Installing a printer , scanner , or other peripheral device

Your c omputer has one or more of the following p orts: Universal Serial Bus (USB), serial, and parallel. These ports are used for connecting periphera l devices such as printers, scanners, and digital cameras to your computer. For more information about port locations, see “Checking Out Y our Gateway Solo 5300” on page 1.

USB por ts 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 a 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 and serial port devices are not plug-and-play. Refer to the device documentation for detailed information and installation instructions.

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Getting Help

This chapter tells you about additional information resources ava ilable to help you use your computer, including:

■ HelpSpot

■

Online help

■ Gateway Web site

Tips & Tricks T o acce ss the contents of this guide while you a re trav eling,

™

download an electronic copy from www.gateway.com/support/manlib/.

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Chapter 3: Getting Help

HelpSpot

Y our computer may include 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.

To start HelpSpot:

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

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

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You can find help information by clicking a link, performing a search, or browsing the index. To learn about using your Gateway computer, your mouse, and other topics, click the

Getting Started link on the HelpSpot main

page.

HelpSpot

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Chapter 3: Getting Help

HelpSpot Videos

HelpSpot contains several short v ideos to help introduc e you to new concepts or show you how to perform various tasks.

To play a HelpSpot video:

■ T o 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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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. Most online help information can be accessed by selecting a topic from a by clicking a

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.

Help button.

Online help

Help menu or

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Chapter 3: Getting Help

Gatewa y Web site

Gateway provides a variety of information on its Web site to help you use your computer.

Visit the Gateway Web site at www.gateway.com for:

■ Technical documentation and product manuals

■ Technical tips and support, including online chat services

■ Hardware drivers

■ Order status

■ Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

For more information about connecting to the Internet, see “Using the Internet” on page 63.

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Windows Basics

Read this chapter to get basic information on how to:

■ Work on the Windows desktop

■ Manage files and folders

■ Wo r k w i t h d ocum e n t s

■ Use shortcuts

Help and

Support

For more information on Windows, click Start, then select Help and Support or Help.

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Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

About the Windows en viro nment

After your computer starts, the first screen you see is the Windows desktop. The desktop is like the top of a real desk. Think of the desktop as your personalized work space where you open programs and perform other tasks.

Y our deskto p may be different from the example shown below , depending on how your computer is set up.

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Using the desktop

The desktop contains the taskbar, the Start button, and the Recycle Bin icon.

Desktop elements Description

The taskbar is the bar at the bottom of the sc reen containing the Start butt on on the left a nd a cloc k on the right. Other buttons on the taskbar represent programs that are running.

Click a program’s button on the taskbar to open the program’s window.

The Star t button provides access t o programs, files, help for Windows and other programs, and computer tools and utilities.

Click the Start button, then op en a file or prog ram by cli cki ng ( selecting) an item on t he menu t hat opens.

Using the desktop

The Recycle Bin is where files, folders, and programs that you discarded are stored. Y o u must empty the Recycle Bin to permanently delete them from y our computer . Fo r instructions on ho w to use the Recycle Bin, see “Deleting files and folders” on page 49.

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Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

Using the Start menu

You can st art prog rams, ope n files, c ustomiz e your sy stem, ge t help, se arch for files and folders, and more using the Start menu.

To use the Start menu:

1 Click the Start button on the lower left of the Windows desk top. The Start

menu opens showing you the first level of menu items.

2 To see all programs and files in the Start menu, click All Programs.

When you move the mouse pointer over any menu item that has an arrow next to it, another menu, or submenu, opens and reveals related files, programs, or commands.

3 Click a file or program to open it.

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Identifying Window items

When you double-click the icon for a drive, folder, file, or program, a window opens on the desktop. This example shows the Local Disk (C:) window, which opens after double-clicking the window.

Local Disk (C:) icon in the My Computer

Identifying Window ite ms

Title bar

Menu bar

Maximize

Minimize

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Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

Every program window looks a little different because each has its own menus, icons, and controls. Most windows include these items:

Window item Description

The title bar is the horiz ontal bar at the top of a window th at shows the window tit le.

Clicking the minimize button reduces the active window to a button on the taskbar. Clicking the program button in the taskbar opens the window again.

Clicking the maximize button expands the active window to fit the entire screen. Clicking the maximize button again restores the window to its former size.

Clicking the close button closes the active window or program.

Selecting an item on the menu bar star ts an action such as Print or Save.

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Working with files and folders

W orking with files and f olders

You can organize your files and programs to suit your preferences much like you would store information in a file cabinet. You can store these files in folders and copy, move, and delete the information just as you would reorganize and throw away information in a file cabinet.

Viewing drives

Drives are like file cabinets because they hold files and folders. A computer almost always has more than one drive. Each drive has a letter, usually Local Disk (C:) for the hard drive and 3½ Floppy (A:) for the diskette drive. You may also have more drives such as a CD/DVD drive.

To view the drives on your computer:

■ In Windows XP, click Start, then select My Computer from the Start menu.

- OR In Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98, double-click the

Computer

Drives

icon on the desktop.

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Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

To see the files and folders on a drive:

■ Double-click the drive icon. If you do not see the contents of a drive after

you double-click its icon, click

entire contents of this drive

Creating folders

Folders are much like the folders in a file cabinet. They can contain files and other folders.

Files are much like pa per documents—letters, spreadsheets, and pictures—that you keep on your computer. In fact, all information on a computer is stored in files.

Folders

Files

Show the contents of this drive or View the

To create a folder:

1 In Windows XP, click Start, then select My Computer from the Start menu.

- OR In Windows Me or Windows 2000, double-click the

the desktop.

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My Computer icon on

Working with files and folders

2 Double-click the drive or folder, for example the Local Disk (C:), where you

want to put the new folder. The drive or folder window opens. If you do not see the contents of the

drive or folder, click

contents of this drive

Show the contents of this drive or View the en tire

(or this folder).

3 Select File, then New, then Folder. The new folder is created. 4 Type a name for the folder, then press ENTER. The new folder name

appears by the folder icon.

Copying and moving files and f olders

The skills you need to copy and move files are called copying, cutting, and pasting.

When you copy and paste a file or folder, you place a copy of the file o r folde r on the Windows clipboard, which stores it. Then, when you decide what folder you want the copy to go in (the destination folder), you paste it there.

When you cut and paste a file or folder, you remove the file or folder from its location and place the file or folder on the Windows clipboard. When you decide where you want the file or folder to go, you paste it there.

Important The clipboard stores whate ver y ou cut or cop y until you cut

or copy again. Then the clipboard contains the new information only. Therefore, you can paste copies of a file or folder into more than one pla ce, but as soon as y ou copy or cut a different file or folder, the original file or folder is deleted from the clipboard.

To copy a file or folder to another folder:

1 Right-click (press the right mouse button) the file or folder that you want

to copy. A pop-up menu opens on the desktop.

2 Select Copy from the pop-up menu. 3 Open the destination folder.

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Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

4 With the pointer inside the destination folder, right-click. 5 Select Paste. A copy of the file or folder appears in the new location.

To move a file or folder to another folder:

1 Right-click (press the right mouse button) the file or folder that you want

to move. A pop-up menu opens on the desktop.

2 Select Cut from the pop-up menu. 3 Open the destination folder. 4 With the pointer inside the destination folder, right-click. 5 Select Paste. The file or folder you moved appears in its new location and

is removed from its old location.

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Deleting files and f olders

When you throw away paper files and folders, you take them from the file cabinet and put them in a trash can. Eventually the trash can is emptied.

In Windows, you throw away files and folders by first moving them to Windows trash can, called the Recycle Bin, where they remain until you decide to empty the bin.

Yo u can recover any file in the R ecycle Bin as long as the bin has not been emptied.

To delete files or folders:

1 In My Computer or Windows Explorer, select the files or folders that you

want to delete. For instructions on how to select multiple files and folders, see “Shortcuts” on page 61.

2 Select File, then Delete. Windows moves the files and folders to the

Recycle Bin.

Working with files and folders

To recover files or folders from the Recycle Bin:

1 Doubl e-click the Recycle Bin icon. The Recycle Bin window opens and

lists the files and folders you have thrown away since you last emptied it.

2 Select the files or folders that you want to restore. For instructions on

how to select multiple files and folders, see “Shortcuts” on page 61.

3 Select File, then Restore. Windows returns the deleted files or folders to

their original locations.

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Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

To empty the Recycle Bin:

Caution Emptying the Recycle Bin permanently erases any files or

1 Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop. The Recycle Bin window

opens.

2 Select File, then Empty Recycle Bin. Windows asks you if you are sure that

you want to empty the bin.

3 Click Yes. Windows permanently deletes all files in the Recycle Bin.

folders in the bin. These files cannot be restored.

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Bro wsing for fil es and folder s

A file or folder that you need is rarely right on top of your Windows desktop. It is usually on a drive inside a folder that may be inside yet another folder, and so on.

Windows drives, folders, and files are organized in the same way as a real file cabinet in that they may have many levels (usually many more levels than a file cabinet, in fact). So you usually will have to search through levels of folders to find the file or folder that you need. This is called browsing.

To browse for a file:

1 In Windows XP, click Start, then select My Computer.

- OR -

Working with files and folders

In Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98, do uble-click the

Computer

icon on the desktop.

2 Double-click the drive or folder that you think contains the file or folder

that you want to find.

3 Continue double-clicking folders and their subfolders until you find the

file or folder you want. (If you do not see the contents of a folder, click

Show the contents of this folder or View the entire contents of this folder.)

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Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

Searc hing for files

If you are looking for a particular file or folder or a set of files or folders that have characteristics in common, but you do not remember where they are stored on your hard drive, you can use the Search utility in Windows XP, Windows Me, or Windows 2000, or the Find utility in Windows 98 to search by:

■ Name or part of a name

■ Creation date

■ Modification date

■ File type

■ Text contained in the file

■ Time period in which it was created or modified

You can also combin e search criteria to refine searches. Files and folders found using these utilities can be opened, copied, cut,

renamed, or deleted directly from the list in the results window.

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Using the Windows XP , Windows Me, or Windows 2000 Search utility

To find files and folders using the Search utility:

1 In Windows XP, click Start, then select Search. The search window opens.

Click

All files and folders.

- OR -

Searching for files

In Windows Me or Windows 2000, click

For Files or Folders. The search window opens.

Start, then select Search, then

2 If you want to search by file or folder name, type in all or part of the

file or folder name in the name box in the left pane of the window.

■ If you type all of the name, Search will list all files and folders of

that name.

■ If you type part of the name, Search will list all of the file and folder

names containing the letters you typed.

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Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

3 Click Search or Search Now . When the sear ch is completed, Win dows lists

the files and folders whose names contain the text that you searched for.

4 Open a file, folder, or program by double-clicking the name in the list.

Using advanced search options

Search can find files meeting more criteria than file name. You can narrow your search by selecting the search options that you want. You can search by the:

■ Date the file was created or modified.

■ Size of the file.

■ Type of file, such as a program or a text document.

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Using the Windows 98 Find utility

To find files and folders using the Find utility:

1 Click Start, then select Find, then Files or Folders. The Find: All Files dialog

box opens.

2 If you want to search by file or folder name, click the Name & Location

tab, then type in all or part of the file or folder name in the box.

Searching for files

Named text

■ If you type all of the name, Find will list all files and folders of

that name.

■ If you type part of the name, Find will list all of the file and folder

names containing the letters you typed.

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Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

3 Click Find Now. When the search is completed, Windows lists the files

and folders whose names contain the text that you searched for.

4 Open a file, folder, or program by double-clicking the name in the list.

Using advanced search options

You can find files meeting more criteria than file name. You can narrow your search by clicking the you want:

■ Date searches for files that were created or modified on a specific date or

during a specific period.

■ Size searches for files of a specific size.

■ Type searches for files of a specific type, such as a program or a text

document.

Date or Advanced tabs and selecting the options that

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W orking with documents

Documents are commonly word processing files, spreadsheet files, or other similar files. The basic methods of creating, saving, opening, and printing a document apply to most of these types of files.

Working with documents

The following examples illustrate the concepts for creating, saving, opening, and printing a document in Microsoft Microsoft W ord, similar procedures apply to other programs such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Works, and Microsoft Publisher.

For more information about using a program, select

Creating a ne w document

Help and

Support

To create a new document:

1 Click Start, then select All Programs, then Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word

starts and a blank docu ment opens.

2 Select File, then select New. The New Document pane opens.

For more information on creating a document, click Start, then select Help and Support or Help.

Word. Though these examples use

Help on the menu bar.

New Document pane

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Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

3 Click General Templates. The Templates dialog box opens.

4 Click a tab for the type of document you want to create, select a

documen t templ ate styl e, then click

OK. The document template opens.

5 Begin composing your document. Use the me nu s and toolbar buttons at

the top of the window to format the document.

Saving a document

After you create a document, you need to save it if you want to use it later.

Help and

Support

To save a document in Microsoft Word:

1 Select File, then Save. The Save As dialog box opens. 2 Select the folder in which you plan to save the file from the Save in list.

For more information on saving a document, click Start, then select Help and Support or Help.

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3 Type the new file name.

File

folder

File

name

4 Click Save.

Working with documents

Opening a document

To view, revise, or print an existing document, you need to open it. Open the document in the program it was created in.

Help and

Support

To open a document in Microsoft Word:

1 Click Start, then select All Programs, then Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word

starts and a blank docu ment opens.

2 Select File, then Open.

For more information on opening a document, click Start, then select Help and Support or Help.

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Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

3 Find the folder you wan t to open in the Look in list.

File

folder

File

name

4 Double-click the document file name. The document opens.

Printing a document

To print a document, you must have a printer connected to your computer or have access to a network printer. For more information about installing or using you r printe r, refer to the printer documen tation.

Help and

Support

To print a document in Microsoft Word:

1 Make sure that the printer is turned on and loaded with paper. 2 Star t Microsoft Word and open a document. 3 Select File, then Print. The Print dialog box opens. 4 Select the print options, then click OK. The document prints.

For more information on printing a document, click Start, then select Help and Support or Help.

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Shortcuts

The following table shows a fe w shortc uts tha t yo u ca n use in Windows and almost all programs that run in W indows. For more information on W indows shortcuts, see your Windows or program documentation.

To... Do this...

Copy a file, folder, text, or graphic Select the item, then press CTRL + C.

Shortcuts

Cut a file, folder, text, or graphic Select the item, then press C Paste a file, folder , text, or graphic Click inside the f older or window where you w ant to paste

the object, then press C

Select multiple items in a list or in a window

Select multiple adj ac ent it em s in a lis t or window

Permanently delete a file or folder Click the file or folder, then press S

Rename a file or folder Select the file or folder, press F2, type the new name,

Close the active window o r program Press A Switch to a different file, folder, or

running program

Click the first item, press and hold down the C then click each of the remaining items.

Click the first item in the list, press and hold down the

HIFT key, then click the last item in the list.

is permanently deleted. The file or folder is not stored in the Recycle Bin.

then press E

Press A

NTER. LT + F4. LT + TAB.

TRL + X.

TRL + V.

TRL key,

HIFT + DELETE. The file

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Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

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Using the Internet

This chapter provides information about the Internet and the World Wide W eb, and tells you how to set up the America Online you can send and receive e-mail and access other Internet resources.

Internet service so that

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Chapter 5: Using the Inter net

Learning about the Internet

The Internet is a worldwide network of computers linked together to provide information to people everywhere. The two most popular services on the Internet are e-mail and the World Wide Web. You can access this network by connecting your computer to a telephone, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), or cable line and signing up with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Internet Ser vers

store infor mation so other computers can access it from the Internet.

Yo u r com p u ter connects to the Internet through an ISP.

ISP Servers let you connect to the Internet and access your e-mail messages.

If you want to access the Internet you need:

■ A modem – a device that connects your computer, using a telephone,

DSL, or cable line, to other computers or servers.

■ An I nternet Service Provider – a company that provides access to the

Internet through an ISP server. When you connect to an ISP, the ISP server lets you access the Internet and yo ur e-mail messages.

■ A Web browser – a program that displays information from the Wo rld

Wide Web .

■ An e-mail program – a program that lets you create, send, and receive

e-mail messages over the Internet.

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Setting up an Internet acc ount

Setting up an Internet account

Before you can view the information on the World Wide Web, you need to set up an Internet account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). If you have chosen America Online as an ISP, follow these instructions to set up and connect to your account. To establish a different ISP service, or to transfer an existing account to this computer, contact the ISP directly.

If you set up an account with America Online, an Internet e-mail address is created for you. After completing the setup you are ready to access the Internet.

Help and

Support

For more information on setting up an Internet account, click Start, then select Help and Support or Help.

To set up an Internet account with America Online:

1 Select Start, then select All Programs, then America Online. 2 Follow the on-screen instructions. After setting up your account, you can

connect to the Internet and access your e-mail services.

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Chapter 5: Using the Inter net

Accessing your Internet account

Help and

Support

For more information on accessing your Internet account, click Start, then select Help and Support or Help.

To connect to your America Online Internet account:

1 Select Start, then select All Programs, then America Online. 2 Complete the member name and password information, then click

Connect. The computer dials the Internet account telephone number.

If you are using a service other than America Online, check with your ISP for the correct procedure for conn ecting.

After connecting, the W eb browser window opens. For information about the Web and the Web browser, see “Using the World Wide Web” on page 67.

To disconnect from your America Online Internet account:

■ Click X in the top right corner of the America Online program. Your

computer disconnects from the Internet.

Important Make sure that your computer disconnects correctly from

your Internet account. If you do not have an “unlimited hours” ISP account, you may have to pay for the time that you are connected, even if you are not at the computer.

If you are using a service other than America Online, check with your ISP for the correct procedure for disconnecting.

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Using the W orld Wide Web

The World Wide Web is a multimedia window to the Internet that gives you access to millions of information sources.

Information on the Web comes to you on We b pa g e s , which a re electronic documents that you view using a Web page display program called a browser. You can use any of the commercially available Web browsers, like Microsoft Internet Explorer, which comes installed on your new computer.

Web pages can contain text, animations, music, and other multimedia features.

A group of related Web p ages is called a Web s it e. You can access Web sites to shop, track investments, read the news, download programs, and much more.

You can explore a Web site or visit other Web sites by clicking areas on the W eb page called links, or hyperlinks. A link may be colored or underlined text, a picture, or an animated image. Y o u can identify a link by moving the mouse pointer over it. If the pointer changes to a hand, the item is a link.

Using the World Wide Web

To learn more about using the Web browser features, select bar.

Web

page

Link

Linked W eb pag e

Help in the menu

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Chapter 5: Using the Inter net

Connecting to a Web site

After you set up an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as America Online, you can access the many information sources on the World Wide Web .

Help and

Support

For more information on connecting to a Web site, click Start, then sele ct Help and Support or Help.

To connect to a Web site:

1 Connect to your Internet account. After the computer connects, a default

opening page or welcome screen opens.

2 To go to a different Web site, type the address (called a URL for “Universal

Resource Loca tor”) in the browser address bar (for example www.gateway.com) then click

- OR On the current Web page, click a link to a Web site. The Web browser locates the server computer on the Internet, downloads

(transfers) data to your computer, and displays the page on the site that you requested.

GO on the browser address bar.

Sometimes Web pages display slowly. The speed that a Web page displays on your screen depends on the complexity of the Web page and other Internet conditions. Additionally, the speed of your connection will determine how fast Web pages display.

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Downloading files

Downloading is the process of transferring files from a computer on the Internet to your computer.

To protect your computer against viruses, make sure that you scan the files you download. For more information, see “Protecting your computer from viruses” on page 207.

Using the World Wide Web

Help and

Support

For more inf ormation on downloading fi les, click Start, then select Help and Support or Help.

To download files or programs from a Web site:

1 Connect to your Internet account. 2 In the address bar, type the address of the Web site that contains the file

or program you want to download, then click bar.

- OR Click a link on a Web page to navigate to the Web site containing the

file that you want to download.

GO on the browser address

3 Create or locate the folder where you want to store the file on your

computer.

4 Click the link on the Web page for the file that you want to download. 5 Follow the on-screen instructions for saving the file in the folder that

you created. A copy of the file is downloaded to your comp uter. The time that it takes

to transfer the file to your computer depends on file size and Internet conditions.

6 Open the folder that you created. 7 Install or view the downloaded file by double-clicking it. If applicable,

follow the instructions provided on the Web site to run or install the program.

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Chapter 5: Using the Inter net

Using e-mail

E-mail (electronic mail) lets you send messages to anyone who has an Internet connection and e-mail address. E-mail is usually a free service of your Internet account.

The Internet never closes, so you can send e-mail messages at any time. Your e-mail messages arrive at most e-mail addresses in minutes.

An e-mail address consists of a user name, the @ symbol, and the Internet domain name of the Internet Service Provider (ISP) or company that “hosts” that user. Your e-mail address is assigned when you sign up for an account with an ISP. For example, a person with an account with America Online might have an e-mail address that is similar to this one:

jdoe@aol.com

User name Internet do main name

Sending e-mail

Help and

Support

To send e-mail using America Online:

1 Connect to your America Online account. 2 Click Write. 3 Type the e-mail address of the recipient you want to send e-mail to in

the

Send To box.

4 Type the subject of your e-mail in the Subject box.

For more information on sending e-mail, click Start, then select Help and Support or Help.

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5 Type the e-mail message. 6 When finished, click Send Now. Your e-mail is sent over the Internet to

the e-mail address you specified.

Checking y our e-mail

Using e-mail

Help and

Support

For more inf o rmation on c hecking your e-mail, c lick Start, then select Help and Support or Help.

To check your e-mail using America Online:

1 Connect to your America Online account. 2 Click Read.

For more information about managing and organizing your e-mail messag es, see the online help in your e-mail program.

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Chapter 5: Using the Inter net

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Using Multimedia

This chapter provides information on using the multimedia capabilities of your notebook. Read this chapter to learn how to:

■ Use the diskette drive

■ Use the CD/DVD drive

■ Play CDs and DVDs

■ Record and play audio files

■ Use Media Player

■ Use MusicMatch

■ View the display on a television

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Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Using diskettes

The diskette drive uses 3.5-inch diskettes (sometimes called floppy disks). Diskettes are useful for storing files or transferring files to another computer. If the diskette drive is not installed on your notebook, see “Changing bay modules” on page 144.

Warning Do not expose diskettes to water or magnetic fields.

Exposure could damage the data on the diskette.

To use a diskette:

1 Insert the diskette into the diskette drive with the label facing up. 2 To access a file on the diskette in Windows XP, click Start, then select My

3 To remove the diskette, make sure the drive activity indicator or diskette

Activity indicator

Computer

- OR To access a file on the diskette in Windows Me, Windows 2000, or

Windows 98, double-click the file.

drive indicator (see “Status ind ica tor s” on pa ge 23) is off, then press the diskette eject button.

, then the drive letter, then double-click the file.

My Computer icon, the drive letter , then the

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Diskette slot

Eject button

Using the CD/D VD drive

You can use your computer to enjoy a wide variety of multimedia features, such as making recordings, listening to audio CDs, and watching D VD movies. If the CD/DVD drive is not installed on your notebook, see “Changing bay modules” on page 144.

Inserting a CD or DVD

Using the CD/DVD drive

Activity indicator

Eject button

Manual eject hole

To ins ert a CD or DVD:

1 Press the eject button on the CD/DVD drive. After the disc tray opens

slightly, pull the tray completely open.

2 Place the disc in the tray with the label facing up, then press down

carefully on the disc until it snaps into place.

Important When you place a singl e-s ide d dis c in the tray, make sure

that the label side is f ac ing up. If the disc has two playab le sides, place the disc so that the n ame of th e side y ou w ant to play is facing up.

3 Push the tray in until it is closed.

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Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Adjusting the v olume in Windows XP

Y ou c an use the volume controls to adjust the overall volume and the volume of specific sound devices in your computer.

Help and

Support

For more inf ormation on adjusting volu me, click Start, then select Help and Support.

To adjust the overall volume level using hardware controls:

■ On the keyboard, press the volume system key combination FN+ or

N+ to change the volume, or press the mute system key combination

N+ to turn off a ll sound .

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Adjusting the volume in Windows XP

To adjust the overall volume level from Windows:

1 Click Start, then select Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. 2 Select Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices. 3 Select Adjust the system volu me. The Sounds and Audio Devices Properties

dialog box opens.

4 On the Volume tab, drag the Device Volume slider to change the volume

or click to select the

Mute check box, then click OK.

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Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

To adjust specific volume levels:

1 Click Start, then select Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. 2 Select Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices. 3 Select Adjust the system volu me. The Sounds and Audio Devices Properties

dialog box opens.

4 On the Volume tab, click Advanced in the Device volume area. The Master

Volume dialog box opens.

If the device you want to adjust does not appear in the Master Volume dialog box, select to adjust, then click

Options, Properties, select the audio device you want

OK.

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Adjusting the volume in Windows XP

5 Drag the volume level and balance sliders for the device you want to

adjust, then close the window. For more information about the volume controls, select Help in the Master Volume dialog box.

6 Click X in the top right corner of the Master Volume dialog box.

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Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Adjusting the v olume in Windows Me, Windows 2000, and Windows 98

Y ou c an use the volume controls to adjust the overall volume and the volume of specific sound devices in your computer.

HelpSpot F or more information on adjus ting volume , click Start, then

select Help.

To adjust overall volume level:

■ On the keyboard, press the volume system key combination FN+ or

N+ to change the volume, or press the mute system key combination

N+ to turn off a ll sound .

- OR Click the speaker icon on the taskbar, then drag the slider to change the

volume or click to select the

Mute check box.

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Adjusting the volume i n Windows Me , Windows 200 0, and Windows 98

To adjust specific volume levels:

1 Double-click the speaker icon on the taskbar . Th e Volume Control dialog

box opens.

If the device you want to adjust does not appear in the Volume Control dialog box, select to adjust, then click

Options, Properties, select the audio device you want

OK.

2 Drag the volume level and balance sliders for the device you want to

adjust, then close the window. For more information about the volume controls, select

Help in the Volume Con trol dial og box.

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Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Listening to CDs in Windows XP, Windows Me, and Windows 2000

Use the Windows Media Player to listen to CDs in W indows XP , Windows Me, and Windows 2000. For more informa tion about using the Windows Media Player, select

To play a CD:

1 In sert a CD i nto the C D/DVD dr ive. 2 If a message asks you to chose a CD player, select Windows Media Player .

The Windows Media Player opens.

3 When the med ia player opens, click (play).

Help.

Play

Stop

Volume

Mute

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Listening to CDs in Windows 98

Use the Windows CD Player to play an audio CD.

To play a CD:

■ Insert a CD into the CD/DVD drive. The CD Player opens and the CD

plays. If the CD Player do es not open automatically when you insert the CD,

open it from the Start menu by clicking

Accessories, Entertainment, then CD Player. When the CD Player opens,

click (play).

Play

Start, then selecting Programs,

Pause

Stop

Rewind

If you do not hear audio or you want to change the volume, see “Adjusting the volume in Windows Me, Windows 2000, and Windows 98” on page 80.

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Skip Forward

Eject CD

Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Recording and pla ying audio

Use the instructions below to make an audio recording by speaking into the microphone. Y our Solo notebook has a built-in micr ophone, however you can also plug an external microphone into the available microphone jack. See “Left Side” on page 3 for the loc ation of the jack.

Help and

Support

For more inf ormation on record ing and pla ying audio , clic k Start, then sele ct Help and Support or Help.

To make an audio recording:

1 Click Start, then select All Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, then

Sound Recorder. The Sound Recorder opens.

Rewind Fast

Forward

Play Stop Record

2 Click (record), then speak into the microphone. 3 When you finish recording, click (stop). 4 Select File, then Save As. The Save As dialog box opens. 5 Name the recording, specify the path, then click Save. The recording is

saved.

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Recording and playin g audio

To play an audio recording in Sound Recorder:

1 Open the S ound Recorder. 2 Select File, then Open. The Open dialog box open s. 3 Select the file you want to play back, then click Open. 4 Play the file by clicking (play), then stop playing the file by clicking

(stop).

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Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Playing audio and video files with the Windows Media Player

The Windows Media Player can play several types of audio and video files, including WAV, MIDI, MP3, AU, AVI, and MPEG formats. For more information about using the Windows Media Player, select

To play a file using the Windows Media Player:

1 In Windows XP or Wi ndows Me, click Start, then select All Programs, then

Windows Media Player.

- OR -

Help.

In Windows 98, click

Entertainment, then Windows Media Player.

The Windows Media Player opens.

Play

Stop

Start, then select Programs, Accessories,

Video file

information

Video

screen

2 Select File, then Open. The Open dialog box ope ns.

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3 Select the file you want to play, then click Open. 4 Play the file by clicking (play), then stop playing the file by clicking

(stop).

Playing a D VD

A Digital Versatile Di sc (DVD) is similar to a standard CD but has greater data capacity. Because of this increased capacity, full-length movies, several albums of music, or several gigabytes of data can fit on a single disc. If your computer has a DVD drive, you can play DVDs with the DVD Player program. For more information about playing DVDs, select the CD/DVD drive is not installed on your notebook, see “Changing bay modules” on page 144.

To play a DVD:

1 Make sure that the speakers are turned on or headphones are plugged in

and that the volume is turned up.

2 Turn off your system screen saver and standby timers.

Recording and playin g audio

Help in the DVD player program. If

3 Click Start, then select All Programs, DVD Player, then DVD Player. The

DVD Player v ideo screen and control panel open.

4 Insert a DVD into the DVD drive, then click ( play). The DVD plays. 5 To control the DVD or adjust the volume, use the controls in the

DVD player. For more information on using the DVD player, see its online help.

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Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Using MusicMatch

Using MusicMatch™, you can:

■ Play music CDs

■ Create MP3 music files from your music CDs

■ Use your music files to build a music library

■ Enter music track information

■ Listen to Internet Radio

For more information on using MusicMatch, see its online Help.

Playing CDs

You can use the MusicM atch program to play music CDs.

To play a music CD in Windows XP:

1 Insert the music CD into the CD/DVD drive on your computer. The first

time you insert a CD, the Audio CD dialog box opens.

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Using MusicMatch

2 Click Play Audio CD using mmjb, select Always do the selected action, then

click

OK. MusicMatch opens, the CD begins playing, and the names of

the music tracks appear in the playlist area.

The next time you insert an audio CD, MusicMatch plays the CD automatically.

To play a music CD in Windows Me, Windows 2000, and Windows 98:

1 Double-click the musicmatch JUKEBOX icon on your desktop. MusicMatch

opens.

2 Insert the music CD into the CD/DVD drive on your computer, then click

the

CD tab. The names of the music tracks appear in the playlist area.

3 Click (play).

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Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Creating music files

Using MusicMatch, you can copy the tracks from a music CD to your computer’s hard drive as MP3 files.

Here are some terms that you need to know before you get started:

■ Bit rate is the number of bits required to store one second of music.

CD quality is 128 kilobits per second. A high bit rate gives you better sound quality but the file size is also larger. For information about changing the sound quality settings, see the online help in MusicMatch.

■ MP3 (MPEG Layer 3) is a standard for digitally compressing high-fidelity

music into compact files without noticeably sacrif icing quality. MP3 files end in the file extension .mp3.

■ Ripping is t he process of copying a music track from a music CD and

storing it on your computer’s ha rd drive.

To create (rip) MP3 files:

1 Open MusicMatch by clicki ng Start, then selecting All Programs,

MusicMatch, then MusicMatch Jukebox.

2 Insert a CD into the CD/DVD drive, then click (record). The Recorder

window opens.

3 In the Reco rder window, select the tracks you want to record, then

click ( computer’s hard drive.

REC.). The tracks that you selected are copied as MP3 files to your

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Editing track in formation

After you add a CD track as an MP3 file to your music library, you can edit the track’s information.

To edit track information:

1 In MusicMatch, click My Library. The library window opens. 2 In the library window, right-click the file, then select Edit T rack Tag(s). The

Edit Track Tag dialog box opens.

Using MusicMatch

3 Enter information such as track title, lead artist, album, and genre. 4 Click OK. The new track information is displayed in the MusicMatch

playlist, music library, and recorder.

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Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Building a m usic library

Use MusicMatch to build a music library. You can organize your music tracks by categories, find a track quickly by using the sort features, and add information to a music file.

You can add music tracks to your music library by:

■ Creating MP3 files – When yo u create MP3 files from the tracks on your

music CD, MusicMatch automatically adds these files to your music library.

■ Dragging and Dro pping – Drag and drop files from Windows Explorer

or your desktop to the music library.

■ Downloading files from the Internet – When you are connected to the

Internet, MP3 files that you download are automatically added to your music library.

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Changing the music library display settings

To change the music library display settings:

1 In MusicMatch, select Options, then Settings. The Settings window opens. 2 Click the Music Library tab.

Using MusicMatch

3 Select the categories that you want to display in the columns, then

click

OK.

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Gateway 5300 schematic

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 5300

Front

Left Side

Right Side

Back

Bottom

Ke yboard area

Identifying y our model

Accessories

Getting Started

Protecting from power source problems

Starting your notebook

W aking up your notebook

T urning off your notebook

Status indicators

Using the keyboar d

Keys

System key combinations

Using the touchpad

Connecting the modem

Connecting to an Ethernet ne twork

Broadband Internet connections

Installing a printer , scanner , or other peripheral device

Getting Help

HelpSpot

HelpSpot Videos

Online help

Gatewa y Web site

Windows Basics

About the Windows en viro nment

Using the desktop

Using the Start menu

Identifying Window items

Working with files and folders

Viewing drives

Creating folders

Copying and moving files and f olders

Deleting files and f olders

Bro wsing for fil es and folder s

Searc hing for files

Using advanced search options

Using advanced search options

W orking with documents

Creating a ne w document

Saving a document

Opening a document

Printing a document

Shortcuts

Using the Internet

Learning about the Internet

Setting up an Internet acc ount

Accessing your Internet account

Downloading files

Using e-mail

Sending e-mail

Checking y our e-mail

Using Multimedia

Using diskettes

Using the CD/D VD drive

Inserting a CD or DVD

Recording and pla ying audio

Playing a D VD

Using MusicMatch

Playing CDs

Creating music files

Editing track in formation

Building a m usic library

Changing the music library display settings