Gateway 8510GH, 8550GB, 8515GZ User Manual
Gateway Notebook
User Guide
Contents
1Getting Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Using Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Help and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Searching for a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
BigFix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Using Your Computer guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2 Checking Out Your Gateway Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Keyboard area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Gateway model and serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Finding your specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Installing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Connecting the dial-up modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to an Ethernet ne twork . . . . . . 24
Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Restarting (rebooting) your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Key types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
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Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Turning your wireless radio on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
4 Using Drives and Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Using the DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Identifying drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Playing a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Creating CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Using the memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Memory card types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Inserting a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Using a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Removing a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Adding and removing a PC Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Viewing the display on a projector or monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Viewing the display on a television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Modifying television settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Connecting a video camera to your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
5 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
6 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Adding or replacing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Replacing the hard drive kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
7 Using the Optional Port Replicator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Connecting to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Attaching to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
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Disconnecting from the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Securing your port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
8 Maintaining Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Caring for your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Cleaning your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Cleaning the notebook screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Cleaning CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Protecting your notebook from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Updating Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Restoring your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Microsoft System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Reinstalling programs and drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Restoring your notebook to the original configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
9 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
CD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Modem (dial-up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
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Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Before calling Gateway Customer Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
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Chapter 1
Getting Help
• Using the Gatewa y We b site
• Using Help and Support
•Using BigFix
• Using Your Co mputer guide
• Using online help
1
Chapter 1: Getting Help
Thank y ou for purchasing our
notebook!
Y ou have made an excellent decision choosing Gateway. We are sure that
you will be pleased with the outstanding quality, reliability, and
performance of your new notebook. Each and every Gateway notebook
uses the latest technology and passes through the m ost strin gent qual ity
control tests to ensure that you are provided with the best product
possible.
Your new Gateway notebook is designed to provide an exceptional
balance of performance and portability. Your notebook uses the latest
chipset and mobile processor technologies to manage the processor speed
and power consumption for a greater battery life experience. This design
provides you with maximum performance when plugged into AC power
balanced with optimized battery life when on battery power.
Please read this manual carefully to familiarize yourself with our range
of services and support. We have highlighted some basic care and safety
information to help you keep your notebook in good operating
condition.
Gateway stands behind our value propo sition to our customers — to
provide best-of-class service and support in addition to high-quality,
brand-name components at affordable prices. If you ever have a problem,
our knowledgeable, dedicated customer service department will provide
you with fast, considerate service.
We sincerely hope that you will receive the utmost satisfaction and
enjoyment from your new Gateway notebook for years to come.
Thank you again, from all of us at Gateway.
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Gateway Web site
Gatewa y W eb site
Gateway's online support is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week
and provides the most current drivers, product specifications, tutorials,
and personalized information about your notebook. Visit the Gateway
Support Web site at support.gateway.com
.
Using Support
The Support site is divided into seven major areas:
■ Support Home
■ Product Support
■ Downloads
■ Customer Ser vice
■ Upgrade Center
■ Resources
■ Contact Us
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Chapter 1: Getting Help
Support Home
Click Su pport Home, then click Computers. T o view support documents for
your notebook, type your serial number in the
click
Submit.
Serial Number box, then
Click the arrow button to open the
click
Notebook Computers to access product documentation,
specifications, and guides for all Gateway notebooks.
Select Y our Compute r Product box, then
Product Support
Click Product Support to view a list of all the products that Gateway
supports.
Downloads
Click Downloads to ge t the lat est softw are upda tes for BI OS and dr iver
upgrades. By entering your serial number you get drivers specific to your
notebook. Click
wizard to locate your drive rs.
Browse All Downloads to walk through a step-by-step
Customer Service
Click Customer Service to view information about your account and
general information about warranties and special offers.
Upgrade Cent er
Click Upgrade Center to view and purchase upgrades for your notebook.
Resources
Click Resources to access utilities to help you manage your notebook.
Contact Us
Click Contact Us to access links to customer care with a live technician,
including chat and e-mail. Click
numbers for both sales and support. For more information, see
“Telephone support” on page 114.
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Call Us to get a list of Gateway telephone
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Help and Support
Help and Support
Your notebook includes Help and Support , an easily accessible collection
of help information, troubleshooters, and aut omated supp ort. Use He lp
and Support to answer questions about W indows and to help you quickly
discover and use the many features of your Gateway notebook.
To start Help and Support:
■ Click Start, then click Help and Support. Help and Support opens.
You can find help information by clicking a link, performing a search,
or browsing the index.
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Chapter 1: Getting Help
Searching for a topic
To search for a topic in Help and Support, type a word or phrase (keyword)
in the
Search box located at the top of any Help and Support screen, then
click the arrow button.
For each search, you receive the following search result types:
■ Suggested Topics - These topics are located in Help and Support and
are relevant to your search to pic.
■ Full-text Search Matches - These topics are located in Help and
Support and contain the words you entered in the
■ Microsoft Knowledge Base - These topics are located on the Microsoft
We b site and contain the words you entered in the
must be connected to the Internet to search for and access these
topics.
To view a list of your search results, click the results header for the type
of results you want to view.
Search box.
Search box. You
To view a topic, clic k the top ic name in the
Search Result s list.
BigFix
Your notebook may include BigFix. BigFix monitors your notebook for
problems and conflicts. It automatically gathers information about the
latest bugs, security alerts, and updates from BigFix sites on the Internet.
Whenever BigFix detects a problem, it alerts you by flashing the blue
taskbar icon. To fix the problem, click on that icon to open BigFix.
To start BigFix:
■ Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then cli c k BigFix.
To learn more about using BigFix:
■ From the BigFix program, click Help, then click Tutorial.
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Using Your Computer gu ide
Using Your Comput er guide
In addition to this guide, the Using Y our Comp uter guide has been included
on your hard drive. The Using Your Computer guide includes information
on using Windows, using the Internet, sending a fax, and changing
power-saving settings as well as other topics.
To acces s the Using Your Computer guide:
■ Click Start, All Programs, then click Gateway Documentation.
Online help
Many programs provide information online so you can research a topic
or learn how to perform a task while you are using the program. You can
access most online help information by selecting a topic from a
menu or by clicking a
Help button.
Help
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Chapter 1: Getting Help
You can search for information by viewing the help contents, checking
the index, searching for a topic or keyword, or browsing through the
online help.
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Chapter 2
Checking Out Your
Gateway Notebook
• Identifying f eatures
• Locating your notebook’ s model an d serial
number
• Locating the Microsoft Certificate of
Authenticity
• Locating the specifications f or yo ur
notebook
• Purchasing accessories
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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook
Front
Speaker
Microphone
Headphone jack
jack
Memory
card
reader
Battery
charge
indicator
LCD panel r elease la tch
Speaker
Power
indicator
Component Icon Description
Speakers Provide audio output when headphones or amplified speak ers
are not plugged in.
Microphone
jack
Headphone
jack
Memory
card reader
Battery
charge
indicator
Plug a microphone into this jack.
Plug ampli fied spea kers or headp hones int o this jack . The
built-in speakers are turned off when speakers or headphones
are plugged into this jack.
Insert a memory card from a digital camera, MP3 play e r, PDA,
or cellular telephone into the memory card reader. For more
information, see “Using the memory card reader” on page 43.
The memory card reader supports Memory Stick
Stick Pro
■
■
■
■
®
, MultiMediaCard™, and Secure Digital™.
LED blue - battery is fully charged.
LED purple - battery is charging.
LED blinking red - battery charge is very low.
LED solid red - battery is malfunctioning.
®
, Memory
Power
indicator
LCD panel
release
latch
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■
LED on - notebook is on.
■
LED blinking - notebook is in Standby mode.
■
LED off - notebook is off.
Open the LCD panel by sliding the release latch.
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Left
USB ports
Kensington
lock slot
S-Video
out jack
Component Icon Description
Ventilation
fan
Left
IEEE 1394 port PC Card slot
Kensington™
lock slot
USB ports Plug USB devices (such as a diskette drive, flash drive,
S-Video out
jack
Ventilation fan Helps cool internal components.
Secure your notebook to an object by connecting a
Kensington cable lock to this slot.
printer, scann er, camera, keyboard, or mouse) int o these
ports.
Plug an S-Video device, such as a television, into this jack.
For more inf ormation, see “Vie wing the displa y on a television”
on page 49.
Warning: Do not work for long periods with the notebook
resting on your lap. If the air vents are blocked, the notebook
may become hot enough to harm your skin.
Caution: Do not block or inse rt ob jects int o these sl ots. If
these slots are b locked, y our notebook ma y ove rheat resulting
in unexpected shutdown or permanent damage to the
notebook.
Caution: Provide adequate space around your notebook so
air vents are not obstr ucted. Do not use t he noteb ook on a
bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface.
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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook
Component Icon Description
IEEE 1394 por t Plug an IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire® or i.Link®)
device (s uch as a dig ital camc order) into th is 4-pin I EEE 1394
port.
PC Card slot Insert one T ype II PC Card into this slot. F or more information,
see “Adding and removing a PC Card” on page 44.
Right
DVD d ri v e
USB ports
Component Icon Description
DVD/CD-RW or
multi-format
DV D ± R W d r iv e
USB por ts Plug USB devices ( such as a d iskette dr ive, flash dr ive,
12
Insert CDs or DVDs into this drive. For more information,
see “Using the DVD drive” on page 40. This drive may be
a combination DVD/CD-R W or multi-format D VD±RW drive .
T o determine the type of d rive in the no tebook, e xamine th e
drive tray’s plastic cover and compare the logo to those
listed in “Identifying drive types” on page 40.
printer, scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse) into these
ports.
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Back
Back
Ethernet jack
Modem jack
Monitor port
Power connector
Component Icon Description
Ethernet jack Plug a 10/100/1000 Eth ernet netw ork cable into this ja ck. The
other end of the cable can be plugged into a cable modem,
DSL modem, or an Ethernet network jack. For more
information, see “Connecti ng to a cable or DSL mo dem or t o
an Ethernet network” on page 24.
Modem jack Plug a modem cable into this jack. For more information, see
“Connecting the dial-up modem” on page 23.
Monitor port Plug an analog VGA monitor or projector into this port. For
more information, see “Viewing the display on a projector or
monitor” on page47.
Power
connector
Plug the AC adapter cable into this connector.
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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook
B
k
Bottom
attery loc
Battery
latch
System
label
Hard
drive
bay
Docking port
Battery
Component Icon Description
Docking port Connect the port replicator to this port.
Warning: Power is passed through this port. This
docking conn ect ion is c ertified to UL 1950 for use only
with port replicators designed for your Gateway
notebook.
Battery Provides pow er wh en the notebook is not plugg ed into
AC power.
Memory
bay
Battery lock Slide to unlock the battery. For more information, see
“Changing batteries” on page 54.
Memory bay Install a memory module into this bay. For more
information, see “Adding or replacing memory” on
page 65.
Hard drive bay The hard drive is located in this bay. For more
information, see “Replacing the hard drive kit” on
page 68.
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Keyboard area
Component Icon Description
System label Includes the product model number. For more
information, see “Identifying your model” on page 16.
Battery latch Slide to release the battery. For more information, see
“Changing batteries” on page 54.
Ke yboard area
Power
button
Keyboard
Touchpad
Status
indicators
Component Icon Description
Power button Press to turn the power on or off. You can also configure the
power button for Standby/Resume mode. For more
information on configuring the power button mode, see
“Changing Power-Saving Settings” in
which has been included on your hard drive. To access this
guide, click Start, All Programs, then click Gateway
Documentation.
www.gateway.com
Using Your Computer
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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook
Component Icon Description
Keyboard Provides all the features of a full-sized computer keyboard. For
more information, see “Using the keyboard” on page 29.
T ouchp ad Provides all the f unctionality of a m ouse. F or more inf ormation,
see “Using the EZ Pad touchpad” on page34.
Status
indicators
Inform you when a drive is in use or when a button has been
pressed that affects how the keyboard is used. For more
information, see “Status indicators” on page 28.
Identifying your model
Important The label s shown in t his sectio n are for infor mationa l
purposes only. Label information v aries by model, f eatures
ordered, and location.
Gatewa y model and serial number
The label on the bottom of your notebook contains information that
identifies your notebook model and its features. Gateway Customer Care
will need this information if you call for assistance.
Online Support: support.gateway.com
Tech Support Phone:
Hours:
Model:
S/No:
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www.gateway.com
Finding your specif ications
Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity
The Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity label found on the bottom of
your notebook includes the product key code for your operating system.
Finding y our specifications
For more information about your notebook, such as memory size,
memory type, and hard drive size, visit Gateway’s Support site at
support.gateway.com
Gateway documentation and detailed specifications. For more
information, see “Gateway Web site” on page 3.
. The Support site also has links to additional
Accessories
T o order accessories, visit the Accessory Store at accessories.gateway.com.
Batteries
If you run your notebook on battery power for extended periods, you
may want to buy an additional battery so you can swap batteries when
necessary. See “Changing batteries” on page 58 for m ore information
about using an additional battery.
Carrying cases
Gateway has large-capacity c arrying cases if you need ad ditional space
for accessories or supplies.
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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook
Memory
Large programs, such as multimedia games or graphic s programs, use a
lot of memory . If your programs are running more slowly than you think
they should, try adding more memory. See “Adding or replacing
memory” on page 65 for more information.
Port replicators
Although you can attach devices directly to your notebook, a port
replicator lets you make all of those connections at one time. When you
travel with your notebook, you merely disconnect from the port
replicator instead of unplugging all the devices.
A port replicator also provides addition al ports and other expansion
features not included with your notebook. See “Using the Optional Port
Replicator” on page 73 for more information about using a port replicator
with your notebook.
Printers
You can attach almost any type of printer to your notebo ok. The most
common types are inkjet and laser printers, which print in color or black
and white.
Inkjet printers and cartridges are relatively inexpensive, but they are
slower than laser printers. Using an inkjet color printer, you can print
pictures, banners, and greeting cards, as well as documents.
Laser printers and cartridges are more expensive, but they print much
faster than inkjet printers. Laser printers are better than inkjet printers
when you are printing large documents.
USB flash drive
Use a USB flash drive for storing files or transferring files to another
computer.
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Chapter 3
Getting Started
• Installing the battery
• Connecting the AC adapter
• Connecting the dial- up modem
• Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to
an Ethernet network
• Turning your notebook on and off
• Using the status indicators
• Using the keyboard and the EZ Pad
touchpad
• Adjusting the v olume
• Connecting to a wireless network
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Chapter 3: Getting St arted
Installing the battery
To install the battery:
1 Close the LCD panel.
2 Turn your notebook over so the bottom is facing up.
3 Hold the battery label-side down and slide it into the open battery
slot until the battery clicks into place.
4 Slide the battery lock to the locked position.
Connecting the A Cadapter
You can run your notebook using an AC adapter or your notebook’s
battery . The battery was shipped to you partially charged. You should use
the AC adapter right away to fully charge the battery. Allow three hours
for the battery to fully charge.
Important If the battery is not fully charged before you use your
notebook on battery pow er f or the first time , the ba ttery life
may be much shorter than you expect. If the battery life
seems short even after being charged for three hours, the
battery may need to be recalibrated. For information on
recalibrating the ba ttery , see “Recalibrati ng the battery” on
page 57.
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Connecting the AC a dapter
To connect the AC adapter:
1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.
Caution Make sure that you us e the AC adapter tha t came with your
notebook or one of the same type purchased from
Gateway.
Replace the power cord if it becomes damaged. The
replacement cord must be of the same type and voltage
rating as the original cord or your notebook may be
damaged.
2 Connect the AC adapter to your notebook’s power connector.
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Chapter 3: Getting St arted
3 Plug the power cord into a wall outlet. The battery charge indicator
turns on (see “Front” on page 10 for the location of the battery
charge indicator). If the battery charge indicator does not turn on,
unplug the adapter from your notebook, then plug it back in.
4 When you finish using your notebook for the first time, turn off your
notebook and leave your notebook connected to AC power until the
battery charge indicator turns blue.
Warning Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The
AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable
parts inside. The ACadapter has dangerous v olta ges th at
can cause serious inju ry or death. Contact Gate wa y abo ut
returning defective AC adapters.
Important If the battery charge indicator does not turn blue after
three hours, contact Gateway Customer Care at
support.gateway.com
.
Protecting from pow er source pr oblems
During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your
notebook can increase to levels far above normal levels and cause data
loss or system damage. Protect your n ot ebook and peripheral devices by
connecting them to a surge prote ctor, which absorbs voltage surges and
prevents them from reaching your notebook.
Warning High voltages can enter your notebook through both the
power cord and the modem connection. To protect your
notebook and av oid electrical shoc k, use a surge pro tector.
If you hav e a telephon e modem, use a s urge protector th at
has a modem jack . If you hav e a cable m odem, 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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Connecting the dial -up modem
Connecting the dial-up modem
Your notebook has a built-in 56K modem that you can use to connect
to a standard telephon e line.
Warning To reduce the risk of fire, use only No. 26 AWG or larger
telecommunications line cord.
To connect the modem:
1 Insert one end of the modem cable into the modem jack on the
back of your notebook.
2 Insert the other end of the modem cable into a telephone wall jack.
The modem will not work with digital or PBX telephone lines.
3 Start your notebook, then start your communications program.
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Chapter 3: Getting St arted
Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to an Ethernet network
Your notebook has a network jack that you can use to connect to a cable
or DSL modem or to an Ethernet network.
To connect to a c able or DSL modem or to an Ethernet network:
1 Insert one end of the network cable into the network ja ck on
the back of your notebook.
2 Insert the other end of the network cable into a cable modem, DSL
modem, or Ethernet network jack.
3 Start your notebook.
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