Gateway 9300, SOLO 9300 schematic

Contents

1	About Your Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. 1
	Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. 2
	Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	3
	Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	4
	Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	5
	Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	7
2	Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	9
	Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	10
	Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	12
	Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	13
	Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	14
	Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	15
	System status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	16
	Power and battery indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	17
	Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	18
	Adjusting the keyboard angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	18
	Function keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	19
	Multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	21
	Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	22
3	Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	25
	About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	26
	Desktop components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	27
	Window components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	29
	Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	31
	Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	32
	About drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	32
	About folders and files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	33
	Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	34
	Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	35
	Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	37
	Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	38
	Using the Windows Me Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	39
	Using the Windows 98 Find utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	41
	Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	43
4	Customizing Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	45
	Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	46

i

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Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Adjusting the screen area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Changing the font size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Applying a color scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Customizing the multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

5 Working with Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

6 Using Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Using diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Using the CD/DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Inserting a CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Playing CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Listening to music CDs in Windows Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Listening to music CDs in Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Using the Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Creating music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Changing the music library display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Listening to Internet Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Using composite video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Using MGI VideoWave III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Changing the audio source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

7 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

ii

Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

8 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Creating a cover page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Receiving a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

9 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Maintaining battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Checking battery status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Installing a second battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Charging batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Changing power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Changing settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Disabling the backlight dimmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Changing SpeedStep settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

10 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Connecting the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Adding PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Changing bay modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Installing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Replacing the main hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

11 Travel Tips and Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Travel tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

12 Using the Solo Port Replicator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

iii

Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133 Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134 Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 Attaching to the replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 Using composite video or S-Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139

13 Using the Solo Docking Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144 Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 Docking your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 Adjusting audio settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Using composite video or S-Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 Installing a PCI card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155

14 Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 HelpSpot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 QuickANSWERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

Before calling for technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164 Technical support resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

iv

About Your	1
Notebook

This chapter provides basic information about your Gateway notebook. Read this chapter to find out where components and connections are located.

1

Front

A

		B						C
Component			Icon					Description
A	Speakers							Provide sound output.
B	Lock switch for							Slide the switch to lock or unlock the CD/DVD
	CD/DVD player							player control buttons.
	control buttons
C	CD/DVD player							Control the CD/DVD player software when
	control buttons							playing an audio CD or a DVD. Icons from top
								to bottom: Rewind, Play/Pause, Stop, Forward.

2 About Your Notebook

Left side

A	B		C
Component		Icon	Description
A	Kensington™ lock slot		Secure your notebook to an object by
			connecting a Kensington cable lock to this
			slot.
B	CD/DVD drive bay		Use this bay for a DVD, CD, CD-R, or CD-RW
			drive.
C	Modular bay		Use this bay for a 3.5-inch diskette drive,
			LS-120 SuperDisk drive, second hard drive,
			or second battery.

Left side

3

Right side

A

B

C

D

E F G

H

Component

Icon

Description

A

Speaker Out/

Plug external speakers or headphones into

Headphone

this connection.

connection

B

External audio

Connect an external audio source (such as a

connection (Line

stereo) to this connection so you can record

In)

sound on your notebook or play sound

through the notebook speakers.

C

External

Plug a microphone into this connection. While

microphone

the external microphone is connected, the

connection

built-in microphone is disabled.

D

Modem connection

Plug a modem cable into this connection.

(optional)

E

USB connections

Plug a USB device (such as a USB scanner)

into this connection.

F

IEEE1394 serial

Plug an IEEE1394-equipped device into this

connection

connection.

(optional)

G

PC Card eject

Press one of the eject buttons to remove a

buttons

PC Card from a PC Card slot.

H

PC Card slots

Insert Type I, II, and III PC Cards into these

slots.

4 About Your Notebook

Back

Flip each back panel door down to view the connections. The icons identifying the connections are located on the inside of the panel doors.

A

B

C

D

E

F G

H

I

Component

Icon

Description

A

PS/2 device

Plug a PS/2 device (such as a keyboard or

connection

mouse) into this connection.

B

Parallel device

Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into

connection

this connection.

C

Serial device

Plug a serial device (such as a digital camera)

connection

into this connection.

D

Docking

Connect the optional port replicator or

connection

docking station to this connection.

Warning! Power passes through this

connection. This docking connection is UL

certified for use only with Solo 9300 docking

station devices.

E

Composite Video

Plug a standard RCA cable into this

Out (TV Out)

connection and the Video In connection on a

connection

TV or VCR so you can view your notebook

screen on a TV.

F

Composite Video In

Plug a standard RCA cable into this

(TV In) connection

connection and the Video Out connection on

(optional)

a TV, VCR, or camcorder so you can record

video or capture an image on your notebook.

G

VGA (Monitor)

Plug an external monitor into this connection.

connection

Back 5

Component		Icon					Description
H	S/PDIF digital						Plug a standard RCA cable into this
	audio output						connection and the connection on a digital
	connection						audio device.
	(optional)
I	Power connection						Plug the AC power adapter into this
							connection.

6 About Your Notebook

Bottom

A B A

I

H

G

F

C D E

Bottom 7

Component		Icon				Description
A	Elevating feet					Extend these feet to tilt the
						notebook forward and to provide
						a more natural typing position.
B	Memory bay					Install up to two SO-DIMM
						memory modules in the slots
						held within this bay.
C	Main battery bay					Insert the main battery into this
						bay.
D	Battery release latch					Slide to release the battery.
E	Modular bay					Insert either a diskette drive,
						LS-120 SuperDisk drive, second
						hard drive, or second battery into
						this bay.
F	Modular bay release latch					Slide to release the module.
G	System identification label					Find the product model number
						and serial number on this label.
						For more information on the
						label, see “Identifying your
						model” in the Maintaining and
						Troubleshooting guide.
H	CD/DVD drive bay					Insert either a DVD, CD, CD-R, or
						CD-RW drive into this bay.
I	Release latch for CD/DVD					Slide to release the drive.
	disc drive bay

8 About Your Notebook

Getting Started

2

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

■What the status indicator lights and icons mean

■How to use the keyboard and touchpad

9

Connecting the AC adapter

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

Important If the battery is not fully charged before you use your notebook on battery power for the first time, the battery life may be much shorter than you expect. If the battery life seems short even after being charged for 24 hours, the battery may need to be recalibrated. For information on recalibrating the battery, see “Recalibrating the battery” on page 99.

To connect the AC adapter:

1Connect the power cord to the AC adapter, then plug it in to a wall power outlet.

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.

10 Getting Started

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

The battery charging indicator light turns on. If the battery charging indicator light does not turn on, disconnect the adapter from your notebook and repeat Step 2.

Battery charging indicator

You can use the notebook while the adapter is connected to AC power.

3When you finish using your notebook, turn the notebook off and leave the notebook connected to AC power for at least 24 hours. The battery charge meters may not show a charge for several hours. For the location of the battery meters, see “Checking battery status” on page 94.

Connecting the AC adapter

11

4If the battery meters do not show a full charge after 24 hours, recalibrate the battery. For information on recalibrating the battery, see “Recalibrating the battery” on page 99.

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

Protecting from power source problems

During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your notebook can increase to far above normal levels and cause data loss or system damage. Protect your notebook and peripherals by connecting them to a surge protector, which will absorb voltage surges and prevent them from reaching your notebook.

Warning High voltages can enter your notebook through the power cable and the telephone line that is connected to the modem. Protect your notebook by using a surge protector with a telephone connection. During an electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the telephone line.

12 Getting Started

Starting your notebook

To start the notebook:

1Open your notebook by sliding the latch on the front of your notebook to the right and lifting the LCD panel.

2Press the power button located above the keyboard.

Power button

The power button is preset to On/Off mode. However, you can also set it to function in Standby/Resume mode. For instructions on changing the power button mode, see “To change advanced power management settings:” on page 103.

3To adjust the viewing angle of the display, tilt the display panel forward or backward.

4To control display brightness, press the FN key together with the up arrow or down arrow key.

This notebook is shipped with the backlight dimmer feature enabled. The dimmer cuts display power 50% when your notebook is operating on battery power. To learn how to disable this feature, see “Disabling the backlight dimmer” on page 105.

5If you are starting your notebook for the first time, follow the on-screen instructions to set up your notebook.

Starting your notebook

13

Waking up your notebook

When you have not used your notebook for several minutes, it will go into a power-saving mode called Standby. While in Standby, the notebook screen darkens and the power indicator light changes to orange. When you are ready to use your notebook, “wake” it up by pressing a button or key on the keyboard. For more information on changing power-saving settings, see “Changing power settings” on page 100.

14 Getting Started

Turning off your notebook

To turn off your notebook:

1Click Start, then select Shut Down. The Shut Down Windows dialog box opens.

2Select Shut Down.

3Click OK. Windows shuts down and turns off your notebook.

Important If for some reason you cannot use the Shut Down option in Windows to turn off your notebook, press and hold the power button for about five seconds.

Turning off your notebook

15

System status indicators

A C E

B D F

This light turns on... When...

A						The notebook is accessing the hard drive.
B						The notebook is accessing the CD/ DVD drive
						or LS-120 SuperDisk drive.
C						The notebook is accessing the diskette drive.
D						Caps Lock is enabled.
		A
E	1					Pad Lock is enabled.
F						Scroll Lock is enabled.

16 Getting Started

Power and battery indicators

A B

					C	D
Component		Icon		Description
A	Battery LED			Indicates the battery status mode:
				■	Green light indicates that the battery is fully charged.
				■	Yellow light indicates that the battery is charging.
				■	Red light indicates that the battery is malfunctioning.
				■ No light indicates that the system is running on the
					battery.
B	Power LED			Indicates the power status mode:
				■	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.
				■	Yellow light indicates that the notebook is in a power
					saving mode.
				■ No light indicates that the notebook is off.
C	Reset switch			Insert a paper clip to press the switch and reset the
				notebook when you need to shut down your system and
				you cannot use the operating system shut down
				procedure. Use this method only if you have first tried
				pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL or holding down the power
				button for 4-5 seconds.
D	Power			Press to turn the power on or off. You can also configure
	button			the button to operate in Standby/Resume mode or
				Hibernate mode. For more information on configuring
				the power button mode, see “To change advanced
				power management settings:” on page 103.

Power and battery indicators

17

Using the keyboard

Your notebook features a keyboard that has the same functionality as a desktop computer keyboard. Many of the keys have been assigned alternate functions, including shortcut keys for Windows, function keys for system operations, and a Pad Lock key that enables the embedded numeric keypad.

Adjusting the keyboard angle

The two elevating feet under your notebook give the notebook a comfortable angle for typing.

To extend the elevating feet:

1Close the LCD panel and turn your notebook over.

2Slide each foot toward the side of the notebook until the foot opens.

3Turn the notebook over. The keyboard is now angled toward you.

4To close the feet, press them down until they click into place.

18 Getting Started

Function keys

A

B C

AFN keys

BNumeric keypad

CFunction keys

Using the keyboard

19

Function key combinations

By pressing an FN key and a Function key, the notebook performs the action identified by the green text on the key.

Press FN and this Function To...

key...

Display the power status box in the upper left corner of your screen. The menu shows the battery charge level, the BIOS version, and whether the AC power adapter is being used.

Press the key combination again to close this box.

Toggle the notebook screen between the LCD, an external monitor, both displays at the same time, or TV display (NTSC or PAL format).

Enable Standby mode on your notebook. Press the power button to exit Standby mode.

Enable Pad Lock so you can use the numeric keypad. Press this key combination again to disable Pad Lock. The Pad Lock status indicator appears while this function is enabled.

Pause the text scrolling in a DOS screen. (This function is only available in some programs.) The Scroll Lock status indicator appears when this function is enabled. Press the key combination again to continue scrolling.

Pause text scrolling. Press any key to continue scrolling. (This function is only available in some programs.)

Stop the currently running DOS program. (This function is only available in some programs.)

Increase the brightness of the display.

Decrease the brightness of the display.

20 Getting Started

Multi-function buttons

A	B C D E
Component	Icon Description

AVolume control buttons

Left button decreases volume.

Middle button increases volume.

Right button mutes sound. Press again to hear sound.

B	E-mail button	Opens your e-mail program.
C	Web browser	Opens your Web browser.
	button
D	Help button	Opens an online help file.
E	Shortcut button	Opens a program you assign to this key. For
		information on customizing the multi-function
		buttons, see “Customizing the multi-function
		buttons” on page 54.

Multi-function buttons

21

Using the EZ Pad touchpad

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

A B

AEZ Pad™ buttons (mouse buttons)

BEZ Pad touchpad

When you move your finger on the touchpad, the pointer (arrow) on the screen moves in the same direction. You can use the EZ-Pad left and right buttons below the touchpad to select objects.

Important The touchpad is disabled when an external mouse is connected.

22 Getting Started

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

Select an object	Position the pointer over the
on the screen.	object. Quickly tap your finger on
	the touchpad once. This action is
	called clicking.

Start a program or open a file or folder.

Position the pointer over the object. Quickly tap your finger on the touchpad twice. This action is called double-clicking.

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

Using the EZ Pad touchpad

23

To...	Do this...
Move an object	Position the pointer over the
on the screen.	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.

24 Getting Started

Windows	3
Basics

Read this chapter to get basic information on how to:

■Work on the Windows desktop

■Work with document and program windows

■Manage files and folders

■Use shortcuts

For more detailed information about Windows, see your Microsoft Windows documentation and online help.

25

About the Windows environment

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.

Your desktop may be different from the example shown below, depending on how your computer is set up.

My

Documents

My

Computer

Recycle

Bin

Internet

Explorer

MSN

Signup

HelpSpot or

QuickAnswers

Gateway.net

America

Online

Start button

Taskbar

26 Windows Basics

Desktop components

Icons are graphic representations of objects on the desktop that you select and open, such as a drive, disk, folder, document, or program. Buttons are graphic representations of controls that you use to change the state of desktop elements such as the window size.

Desktop icons, buttons, Description and elements

The My Computer icon provides access to drives and other computer controls. Double-click the My Computer icon to view the drives and folders on your computer.

My Documents is a folder where you store your personal files. You can create other folders to save files in, but My Documents is easy to find because it is on the desktop. Double-click My Documents to view your personal files and folders.

The Recycle Bin is where files, folders, and programs that you discarded are stored. You must empty the Recycle Bin to permanently delete them from your computer. For instructions on how to use the Recycle Bin, see “Deleting files and folders” on page 35.

Drive icons represent the various drives on your computer, such as the diskette drive, hard drive, and CD drive. Double-click a drive icon to view files and folders located in the drive.

Microsoft Internet Explorer is a program called a browser that lets you view Web sites and Web pages on the Internet. Double-click this icon to open the browser.

Gateway has provided an easily accessible interactive guide called HelpSpot for use with Windows Me, or QuickANSWERS for use with Windows 98. These guides are designed to provide help information and let you quickly discover and use the features of your computer. Double-click either the HelpSpot or QuickAnswers icon to begin.

The Gateway.net and AOL icons let you connect to the Gateway.net and America Online ISP (Internet Service Provider).

Double-click either the Gateway.net or AOL icon to dial one of the services.

About the Windows environment

27

Desktop icons, buttons, Description and elements

The Start button provides access to programs, files, help for WIndows and other programs, and computer tools and utilities.

Click the Start button, then open a file or program by clicking (selecting) an item on the menu that opens.

The taskbar is the bar at the bottom of the screen containing the Start button on the left and a clock on the right. Other buttons on the taskbar represent programs that are running.

Click a program taskbar button to activate its window.

28 Windows Basics

Window components

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

Close Title bar button

Menu bar

Maximize button

Minimize

About the Windows environment

29

Every program window looks a little different because each has its own menus, icons, and controls.

Window element	Description
	The title bar is the horizontal bar at the top of a
	window that shows the name of the program.
	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.
	Clicking an item on the menu bar starts an action
	such as Print or Save.

To find out more about window controls, see your Microsoft Windows online Help.

30 Windows Basics

Using the Start menu

You can start programs, open documents, customize your system, get help, search for files and folders, and more using the Start menu.

To open the Start menu:

■Click the Start button on the lower left of the Windows desktop. The Start menu opens showing you the first level of menu items.

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. Click a file or program to open it.

Using the Start menu

31

Working with files and folders

You can organize your documents 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.

About drives

Drives are like file cabinets because they hold many files and folders. A computer almost always has more than one drive. Each drive has a letter, usually Local Disk (C:) for the main drive and 3½ Floppy (A:) for the diskette drive. Depending on your system, you may also have more drives such as CD/DVD or Zip drives. Each drive has its own letter.

To view the drives on your computer:

■ Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.

Drives

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 the drive icon, click View the entire contents of this drive.

32 Windows Basics

About folders and files

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

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

Folders

Files

To create a folder:

1Double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop. The My Computer dialog box opens.

2Double-click the drive or folder, for example 3½ Floppy (A:) or 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 View the entire contents of this drive or this folder.

3Select File, then New, then Folder. The new folder is created.

4Type a name for the folder, then press ENTER. The new folder name appears under the folder.

Working with files and folders

33

Copying and moving files and folders

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

When you copy and paste a selection, you place a copy of the file you selected 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 selection, you remove the file from its folder and place the file on the Windows clipboard. When you decide where you want the file to go, you paste it there.

The clipboard stores whatever you cut or copy until you cut or copy again. Then the clipboard contains the new information only. Therefore, you can paste copies of a file into more than one place, but as soon as you copy or cut a file again, the old file is deleted from the clipboard.

To copy a file or folder to another folder:

1Right-click the file or folder that you want to copy. A menu opens on the desktop.

2Select Copy from the menu.

3Open the destination folder.

4With the pointer inside the folder, right-click the mouse button.

5Select Paste. A copy of the file or folder appears in the new location.

To move a file or folder to another folder:

1Right-click the file or folder that you want to move. A menu opens on the desktop.

2Select Cut from the menu.

3Open the destination folder.

4With the pointer inside the destination folder, right-click the mouse button.

5Select Paste. The file or folder you moved appears in its new location and is removed from its old location.

34 Windows Basics

Deleting files and folders

When you throw away paper files and folders, you take them out of your file cabinet and put them in a trash can. Eventually a trash collector empties the can and takes the trash away.

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

You can recover any file in the Recycle Bin as long as the bin has not been emptied.

To delete files or folders:

1Select the files or folders that you want to delete. For instructions on how to select multiple files and folders, see “Shortcuts” on page 43.

2Right-click, then select Delete from the pop-up menu. Windows moves the files and folders to the Recycle Bin.

To recover files or folders from the Recycle Bin:

1Double-click the Recycle Bin icon. The Recycle Bin window opens listing the files and folders you have deleted since the last time you emptied it.

2If you want to recover all the files and folders in the bin, click Restore All (Windows Me) or select all the files, then right-click and select Restore (Windows 98).

- OR -

If you want to recover individual files and folders, select them from the list, then click Restore (Windows Me) or right-click and select Restore (Windows 98). For instructions on how to select multiple files and folders, see “Shortcuts” on page 43.

Windows returns the deleted files and folders to their original locations.

Deleting files and folders

35

To empty the Recycle Bin:

Caution Emptying the Recycle Bin permanently erases any files or folders in the bin. These files cannot be restored.

1Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop, then select Empty Recycle Bin from the pop-up menu.

Windows asks you if you are sure that you want to empty the bin.

2Click Yes. Windows permanently deletes all the files in the Recycle Bin.

36 Windows Basics

Browsing for files and folders

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—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:

1Double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop.

2Double-click the drive or folder that you think contains the file or folder that you want to find.

3Continue 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

View the entire contents of this folder.)

Browsing for files and folders

37

Searching 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 Me, 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 combine 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.

38 Windows Basics

Using the Windows Me Search utility

To find files and folders using the Search utility:

1Click Start, then select Search, then For Files or Folders. The search dialog box opens.

2If you want to search by file or folder name, type in all or part of the file or folder name in the Search for files or folders named 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 in part of the name, Search will list all of the file and folder names containing the letters you typed.

Searching for files

39

3Click Search Now. When the search is completed, Windows lists the files and folders whose names contain the text that you searched for.

You can 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 select options to narrow your search by clicking Search Options and selecting the options that 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.

■Advanced Options give you access to further search options.

40 Windows Basics

Using the Windows 98 Find utility

To find files and folders using the Find utility:

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

2If you want to search by file or folder name, type in all or part of the file or folder name in the Named text box in of the window.

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

■If you type in part of the name, Find will list all of the file and folder names containing the letters you typed.

Searching for files

41

3Click Find Now. When the search is completed, Windows lists the files and folders whose names contain the text that you searched for.

You can 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 select options to narrow your search by clicking the Date or Advanced tabs and selecting the options that 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.

42 Windows Basics

Shortcuts

The following table shows a few shortcuts that you can use in Windows and almost all programs that run in Windows. For more information on Windows shortcuts, see your Windows or program documentation.

To...	Do this...
Copy a file, folder, text, or graphic	Select the item, then press
	CTRL + C.
Cut a file, folder, text, or graphic	Select the item, then press
	CTRL + X.
Paste a file, folder, text, or graphic	Select the item, then press
	CTRL + V.
Select multiple icons on the desktop	Click the first icon, press and
	hold down the CTRL key, then
	click each of the remaining icons
	that you want to select.
Select multiple items in a list or in an Explorer	Click the first item, press and
window	hold down the CTRL key, then
	click each of the remaining items.
Select multiple adjacent items in a list	Click the first item in the list,
	press and hold down the SHIFT
	key, then click the last item in the
	list.
Permanently delete a file or folder	Click the file or folder, then press
	SHIFT + DELETE.
Rename a file or folder	Select the file or folder, press F2,
	type the new name, then press
	ENTER.
Close the active window or program	Press ALT + F4.
Switch to a different file, folder, or running	Press ALT + TAB.
program

Shortcuts 43

44 Windows Basics

Customizing	4
Your Notebook

This chapter provides information about customizing your computer by adding new hardware devices and changing settings in Windows.

You can:

■Change screen and display settings

■Change the background and screen saver

■Customize the multi-function buttons

45