Gateway ALR 8000 User Manual

Gateway
ALR 8000
User’s Guide

Part #8503430 A MAN SYS US 8000 USR GDE R3 7/98

In our effort t o u se na tur e’s resources e f fici entl y a nd wi sely, we print all man uals on r ecy cled paper s t hat me et the

minimum requirements established by the Federal EP A in it s guidelines for rec ycled paper products.

Notices

Copyright © 1998 Gateway 2000, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
610 Gateway Drive
N. Sioux City, SD 57049 USA

All Rights Reserved

This publication is protected by copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of it may be reproduced or
transmitted by any means or in any form, without prior consent in writing from Gateway 2000.

The information in this manual has been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate. However,
changes are made periodically. These changes are incorporated in newer publication editions. Gateway
2000 may improve and/or change products described in this publication at any time. Due to continuing
system improvements, Gateway 2000 is not responsible for inaccurate information which may appear in
this manual. For the latest product updates, consult the Gateway 2000 web site at www.gateway .com. In
no event will Gateway 2000 be liable for direct, indirect, special, exemplary, incidental, or consequential
damages resulting from any defect or omission in this manual, even if advised of the possibility of such
damages.

In the interest of continued product development, Gateway 2000 reserves the right to make
improvements in this manual and the products it describes at any time, without notices or obligation.

T rademark Acknowledgments

AnyKey, black-and-white spot design, CrystalScan, Destination, EZ Pad, EZ Point, Field Mouse, Solo,
T elePath, Vivitron, stylized “G” design, and “You’ve got a friend in the business” slogan are registered
trademarks and GATEWA Y, Gateway Solo, green stylized GATEWAY , gr een stylized Gateway logo, and
the black-and-white spotted box logo are trademarks of Gateway 2000, Inc. Intel, Intel Inside logo, and
Pentium are registered trademarks and MMX is a trademark of Intel Corporation. Microsoft, MS, MS-DOS,
and Windows are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other product names
mentioned herein are used for identification purposes only, and may be the trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.

Copyright © 1998 Advanced Logic Research, Inc. (ALR)
All Rights Reserved
9401 Jeronimo
Irvine, CA 92618 USA

All Rights Reserved

This publication is protected by copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of it may be reproduced or
transmitted by any means or in any form, without prior consent in writing from ALR.

The information in this manual has been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate. However,
changes are made periodically. These changes are incorporated in newer publication editions. ALR may
improve and/or change products described in this publication at any time. Due to continuing system
improvements, ALR is not responsible for inaccurate information which may appear in this manual. For the
latest product updates, consult the A LR web site at www.alr.com. In no e vent will AL R be li able fo r dir ect ,
indirect, special, exemplary, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from any defect or omission in
this manual, even if advised of the possibility o f such damages.

In the interest of continued product development, ALR reserves the right to make improvements in this
manual and the products it describes at any time, without notices or obligation.

T rademark Acknowledgments

ALR is a registered trademark of Advanced Logic Research, Inc. All other product names mentioned
herein are used for identification purposes only, and may be the trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective companies.

ii Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Contents

Regulatory Compliance Statements....................................................... v

Computer Virus Notice........................................................................ vii

Important Safety Instructions.................................................................. x

Preface .................................. ................... .............. ................xiii

About This Guide................................................................................ xiv

Conventions Used in this Guide........................................................... xv

Chapter 1: Getting Started ...................................... ......... ..... ...1

Before You Begin.................................................................................... 2

Assembling Your System ....................................................................... 3

Inspecting the Contents.................................................................... 3

Connecting Peripherals.................................................................... 4

Powering Up the System......................................................................... 5

Quick Check............................................................................................ 6

Looking Things Over....................................................................... 6

Verifying Your Configuration......................................................... 6

Troubleshooting Guidelines............................................................. 6

Chapter 2: System Feat ures ...................... ..... ......... ......... ........9

Basic Architecture................................................................................. 10

Front Panel............................................................................................. 11

Bezel Doors and Keylock.............................................................. 12

Switches.......................................................................................... 12

3.5-inch Floppy Disk Drive........................................................... 12

Storage Bays................................................................................... 12

LED Indicators............................................................................... 13

Rear Panel.............................................................................................. 14

I/O Ports.......................................................................................... 15

Power Supplies (2)......................................................................... 15

Voltage Selector Switches (2 - AC Only)..................................... 15

Power-In Connectors (2)................................................................ 15

Expansion Slot Cover Plates.......................................................... 16

Chassis Keylock............................................................................. 16

System Board......................................................................................... 17

CPUs and CPU Slots...................................................................... 17

iii

Voltage Regulator Module............................................................ 18

Memory ..................................................................................... .... 18

Expansion Slots.............................................................................. 18

InforManager™............................................................................. 18

Floppy Controller and Connector ................................................. 18

Hard Drive Controller and Connector........................................... 19

SCSI Controller and Connectors................................................... 19

Operating Systems................................................................................ 20

Chapter 3: Maintaining and Cleaning Your System .................21

Maintaining Your System..................................................................... 22

Maintaining Your Hard Drive....................................................... 22

Cleaning Your System.......................................................................... 25

Cleaning the Mouse....................................................................... 25

Cleaning the Keyboard.................................................................. 25

Cleaning the Monitor Screen......................................................... 26

Cleaning the Computer and Monitor Cases.................................. 26

Index .......................................................................................27

iv Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Regulatory Compliance Statements

This device has been teste d and found to compl y with the limits for a Cl ass
A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are
designed to pro vide reasonab le protection ag ainst harmful interfere nce in a
residential installat ion. This equipment generates, us es, and can radiate
radio frequency ener gy a nd , if not installed and used in ac cordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful inter ference to radio or te lev ision
reception. How e ver , t here is no guarant ee that interfere nce will not occur in
a particular installation. If this equi pment does cause inter ference to radio
and television recep tion, which can be determined by turning the equipment
off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference b y one or
more of the follo wing measures :

•

Reorient or relocate the rece iving ante nna

•

Increase the separation betw een the e quipment and recei ver

•

Connect the equipment into an outlet on a cir cuit dif ferent from

that to which the rece iv er is connected

•

Consult the dealer or an ex perienced radio/TV technic ian for help

Accessories: This equipment has been tested and found to compl y with the
limits of a Class B digital de vice. The accessor ies associated with t his
equipment are as follo ws:

American Users

Caution!

The Federal
Communications
Commission warns users
that changes or
modifications to the unit not
expressly approved by the
party responsible for
compliance cou ld v oid th e
user’s authority to operate
the equipment.

•

Shielded video cable

•

Shielded power cord

These accessories are required to be used in order to ensur e compliance
with FCC rules.

Regulatory Complianc e Stat eme nts v

Canadian Users:

This digital apparatus does not e xceed the Class A li mits for radio noise
emissions from digital appar atus as set out in the r adio interference
regulations of Industry Canada.

Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pa s de bruits radioélectriques
dépassant les limites applica bles aux appare ils numériques de Clas se A
prescrites dans le règlement s ur le brouillage radi oélectrique édicté p ar
Industrie Canada.

This Information Technology Equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the follo wing Eur opean directiv es:

European User s:

Japanese Users:

Australian and New Zealand
Users:

[i]EMC Directiv e 89/336/EEC amending direct iv e 92/31/EEC & 93/68/
EEC as per

- EN 50081-1:1992 according to
EN 55022:1995 Class B
EN 61000-3-2:1995 or EN 60555-2:1986
EN 61000-3-3: 1995

- EN50082-1:1992 according to
EN 61000-4-2:1995 or IEC 801-2:1984
ENV 50140:1994 or IEC 801-3:1984
EN 61000-4-4:1988 or IEC 801-4:1998

[ii]Lo w Voltage Directi ve (Safety) 73/23/EEC as per EN 60950: 1992
This is a Class A product based on the st andard of the Voluntary Control

Council for Interference b y Information T echnol og y Equipment (VCCI). If
this equipment is used in a domestic en vironment, r adio disturbance ma y
arise. When such troub le occurs, the user ma y be required to tak e
corrective action.

Caution!

Disconnect power before
servicing.

This device has been teste d and found to compl y with the limits for a Cl ass
A digital device, pursuant to the Australia n/New Zealand standard AS/NZS
3548 set out by the Spectrum Management Agency.

vi Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Computer Virus Notice

What is a virus?
A virus is a program written with malicious int ent for the sole purpose of

creating hav oc in a comput er system. It attaches i tself to ex ecutab le files or
boot sectors, so it can replicate an d spread. Some viruses may onl y cause
your system to beep or displa y mess ages or images on the screen. Other
viruses are highly destructi ve and corrupt or erase the contents of your files
or disks. To be safe, never assume any virus is harmless.

What types of viruses are kno wn?
Viruses are identified by ho w the y infect computer syste ms.

•

Program V iruses infect ex ecutab le program files such as.COM,
.EXE, .O VL, .DRV, .SYS, and .BIN.

•

Boot Viruses attach themselv es to a Boot Record, Master Boot,
FAT, or Partition T ab le.

•

Multipartite Vi ruses are both program and boot infec tors.
How does a virus spread and cont aminate?
There are many w a ys a virus can spread and infect your syst em. Ho we v er , a

virus is inactive until the infected pr ogram is e xecute d , or a boot r ecord is
read. Thereafter , the virus loads itself into system memory and begi ns to
copy and spread it self. Disket tes used in a contaminated s ystem can get
infected and , in turn, transfer the virus w hen used in another syste m. A
virus can also spread via programs do wnloaded f rom bulletin boards or the
Internet. Remember that viruses cannot appear all by themselv es. They
have t o be written, then sp read through direct cont act with ex ecutab le
programs or boot sectors.

Computer Virus Notice vii

What can users do to protect their s ystems?
A w areness is t he key. Users need to learn about the existence of viruses,

how the y perpetuate, and what to do to prot ect their systems by reducing the
likelihood of virus contamination. The follo wing ma y help:

•

Obtain an anti-virus program and make i t a habit to scan the
system regularly. These programs may be purchased from a local
software store or obtained via share w are on the Internet or on-line
service providers such a s CompuServe, Prodigy, AOL, or
DeltaNet.

•

Make backup copies of all files and write-protect the disks.

•

Obtain all softwar e from reputab le sources and al w a ys scan ne w
software for an y viruses prior to inst alling files.

If you suspect y our system has been i nfected, you must find and remove t he
viruses immediately using an anti-virus pro gram. Next, reboot y our system
as follo ws: shut the system do wn, then po w er it off f or at least 15 seconds
before pow ering it back on. This is the onl y wa y to ensure the virus does not
remain in your system RAM.

What do we do to pre vent vi rus contamination?
We stand by the inte grity of our products. Our staf f tak es ev ery precaution

to ensure our files are free from viruses. These precautions include the
following:

viii Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

•

We use McAfee VirusScan, a leading ant i-virus softw are that
detects and remo ves o v er 95% of kno wn viruses and pro vides
comprehensive protec tion including local a nd netw ork dri ves, CD­ROMs, floppies, boot se ctors, and partition tab les. V irusScan also
provides advanced prot ection agains t unkno wn viruses. We
continuously update and use t he most current version of McAfee
VirusScan on all of our pr oducts.

•

All master diskettes are wr ite-protected and sca nned at least twic e
prior to manufacturing release.

•

Sample production diskettes ar e periodicall y scanned as an
additional quality check.

•

All incoming products such as systems to repair , v endor disket tes,
hard drive s, and trade-sho w units a re scanned for viruses.

•

All systems are giv en a final boot test prior to shipping.
Unfortunately, today’s technology makes the creation of new er viruses

possible, some of w hich can elud e ev en the best scanners a v ailab le. Hence,
there is no absolute guarantee of virus immunity on any p roduct. If you
believe y ou ha ve recei v ed an infected produc t from us, please contact
T ec hnical Support. Our staf f will assist y ou in correcting the problem
immediately.

Computer Virus Notice ix

Important Safety Instructions

Observe the following gui delines w hen performing any w ork on y our
system:

•

Foll ow all instructions marked on t his product and in the
documentation.

•

Unplug this product from the w all outlet be fore cleaning. Do not
use liquid or aerosol cleaners . Use a damp cloth for cle aning.

•

Do not use this product near water . Do not spill liquid on or int o the
product.

•

Do not place this product on an unstab le surface.

•

Openings in the system cabinet are provi ded for ventilat ion. Do not
block or co ver these openings. Do not pl ace this product near or
upon a radiator or heat re gister .

•

Use only the po w er source i ndicated on the po w er suppl y. If you
are not certain about y our pow er s ource, consult y our reseller or the
local pow er compan y.

•

This product is equipped with a 3-wire grounding plug (a plu g
with a grounding pin). This plug will only fit into a grounded
pow er outle t. This is a safety feat ure. If you ar e unable to i nsert the
plug into the outlet, contact y our electri cian to replace the out let.

x Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

•

Do not walk on the po w er cord or allow anything to rest on it.

•

If you use an extensi on cord with this system, make sure the total
ampere ratings on the products plugged into the extens ion cord do
not exceed the extensi on cord ampere rating. Also, the total ampere
requirements for all products pl ugged into the w all outlet must not
exceed 15 amperes.

•

Never insert objects of any kind i nto the system vent ilation slot s.

•

Do not attempt to service the system y ourself exc ept as explaine d
elsewher e in the manual. Adjust onl y those controls co v ered in the
instructions. Opening or remo ving co vers marked “Do Not
Remove ” may e xpose y ou to dangerous v oltages or other risks.
Refer all servicing of those compartments to qualified service
personnel.

•

Under any of the follo wing conditions, unplug the system from the

wall outlet and re fer servicing to qualified personnel:

• The po wer cord or plug is damaged.

• Liquid has been spill ed into the system.

• The system does not operate properly w hen the oper ating
instructions are follo w ed.

• The system was dropped , or the cabi net is damaged.

• The product exhi bits a distinct chang e in performance.

Important!

The system power cord
serves as the mai n
disconnect for the
computer. The wall outlet
must be easily accessible by
the operator.

Wichtig!

Der Netzstecker dient zur
Hauptunterbrechung des
Computers. Die
Wandst eckdo se muB fu r
den Techniker gut
zuganglich sein.

Important Safety Instructions xi

xii Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Preface

Contents

About This Guide ................................................. xiv

Conventions Used in this Guide............................xv

About This Guide

The purpose of this User’s Guide is to help you unpack, assemble, and
install the system. This guide provides step-by-step se tup and operating
instructions along with detailed illu strations throughout t he document.
Below is a summary of the sections to f ollo w:

Chapter 1: Getting Started co vers inf ormation about the internal and
external features as w ell as the syst em architecture and supported operat ing
systems.

Chapter 2: System Features explains the main features of y our system,
including ho w to assembl e it, identifying connec tors and arranging your
workspace.

Chapter 3: Maintaining and Cleaning Your System explains how to
perform routine maintenance and cleaning on y our system.

We recommend you take time to read through the man ual before using the
system. If you encounter a prob lem, refer to the h andy troublesho oting
section in this guide.

xiv Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Conventions Used in this Guide

Throughout this booklet, you will see the fol lo wing con ventions :

Convention Description

NTER

<E

<C

Setup Commands to be entered as well as

System User's Guide

>

TRL

> + <ALT> + <DEL>

1.

2.

•

•

[RRUN] Options to select are boldfaced and

Sidebars
(note example shown on the
right)

A key name corresponds to a key on
the keyboard.

A plus sign indicates that the keys on
either side of it must be pressed
simultaneously.

messages that appear on your
monitor are printed in "ARIAL" font.

Names of publications and files are
italicized.

Numbered text lists step-by-step
instructions.

Bulleted text lists items of no particular
order.

enclosed in square brackets.
Sidebars denote critical information

such as warnings, information, and
important notes.

Note:

This is an ex ampl e of an
important note that may
appear in the manual.

Conventions Used in this Gui de xv

xvi Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Chapter 1:

Getting Started

Contents

Before You Begin.................................................... 2

Assembling Your System........................................ 3

Inspecting the Contents.................................... 3

Connecting Peripherals.................................... 4

Powering Up the System......................................... 5

Quick Check............................................................ 6

Looking Things Over....................................... 6

Verifying Your Configuration......................... 6

Troubleshooting Guidelines............................. 6

Before You Begin

Congratulations on your purchase. With the arri val of y our ne w system,
you are probab ly eager t o assemble the computer and ha ve it operating.
This section will help you acc omplish the follo wing:

•

Assembling the system

•

Connecting the monitor and keyboar d

•

Po w ering up the s ystem

Carefully read and f ollo w these instructions to e nsure your syst em operates
correctly.

2 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Assembling Y our System

Prepare a clean, flat, and firm surface for your computer . Allo w at

1.

least three inches at the r ear of the chassis for cabling and ai r
circulation.

Protect your computer from e xtreme temperature and humidi ty. Do

2.

not expose your co mputer to direct sunlight , heater ducts, and other
heat-generating objects.

Keep your sys tem a wa y fr om equipment that generates magnet ic

3.

fields. Even a telephone placed too closely to the system ma y cause
interference.

Protect your system against AC line spikes b y using a 3-pron g, 115-V

4.

or 230-V (depending on the voltage s upplied in your locality), and an
AC sur ge control outlet station. The syste m requires tw o separate wall
outlets (one per po w er suppl y).

Inspecting the Conten ts

Unpack the carton and inspect the contents. Standard syst ems include the
following items:

•

System Unit

•

Power Cables

•

User’s Guide

•

T ec hnical Reference

•

Utilities

•

Enhanced Keyboard

Check the packing list to ensure al l equipment and associated manuals are
included in your shi pment. Inspect e verything caref ully. If you suspect any
damage from shipping, contact technical support immediatel y

.

Important!

Keep the product carton
and foam packi ng, in ca se
you have to ship the system.

If you return the system in
different packaging, your
warranty may be voided.

Assembling Your System 3

Note:

Shielded cables ar e r equir ed
by the FCC.

Connecting Peripherals

Refer to the follo wing illustrat ion and procedures w hen connecting optional
peripherals to your s ystem.

Figur e 1: Connecti ng P er ipher als

4 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Connect the keyboard and mouse to thei r respecti ve ports, using the

1.

pictures embossed on the system’s rear co ve r as a guide.
Connect the monitor video cab le to the video port.

2.

Connect the monitor po w er cable to an A C outlet or , pr eferabl y, a

3.

surge control outlet station.
If your system is configured for AC po w er , v erify that the v oltage

4.

selector switches on the po w er supplies are set for the proper v oltage
(115V or 230V).

Connect the system po w er cables to the socket (s) on the rear of th e

5.

system.
Connect the other end of the system po w er cab les to the ap propriate

6.

pow er source (A C or DC, depending on your syst em’s configuration).

Powering Up the System

Press the On/Off switch on the front panel, and the green LED on the fr ont
panel will illuminate ON.

If you turn off y our system, y ou must w ait at least ten se conds before y ou
turn the system back on.

The system self-checks the memory even i f the monitor is not connected. I f
the monitor is connected and po w ered ON , the screen wil l displa y the
pow er- up sequence.

•

If more than one CPU is installed, the system will display which
CPU it is currently testing.

•

If any errors are encountered , y our system will di spla y them on the
monitor.

•

If a monitor is not connected or th e system is unab le to displa y an
error, an error beep code will sound.

•

If the system encounters an error , it will most lik el y be a nonfatal
one, meaning the system will function unti l the error can be
corrected (usually through the BIOS Setup). In the ra re case of a
fatal error, contact y our Gate wa y resell er for field service support.

Warning!

For safety reasons, both
upper and lower bezel doors
must be closed and locked
while the syst em i s runn in g.

Powering Up the System 5

Note:

Under no circumstances
return any equipment
without obtaining a Return
Material Authorizati on (RMA)
number .

Quick Check

If your system does not oper ate correctly, re-read the instructions for the
procedure(s) you ha v e performed. If an error occurs within an application,
consult the documentation supplied with the software.

This section identifies solutions to common problems. If the suggestions i n
this section are not helpful , try calling Technical Support. In the event of a
problem, the follo wing c hecks should be performed:

Looking Things Over

Sometimes, the simplest things can cause troub le. Before po w ering up the
system, perform the following checks :

•

Is the pow er cord connected to the syst em and an appropriate
pow er source?

•

Is the pow er source suppl ying po w er?

•

If a pow er stri p is used, is it switched on? Is the circuit breaker set?

•

Does the voltage select ion switch on t he system’s pow er s upply
(AC) refle ct the proper v oltage?

V erifying Y our Configuration

If your system is not operati ng correctly, the BIOS may contain an inv alid
configuration parameter. Enter the BIOS pro gram and check your
configuration settings.

T roubleshooting Guidelines

As you troubleshoot y our system, k eep the follo wing guidel ines in mind:

6 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

•

Never remo v e the system’s cov ers whi le the system is po w ered up.

•

Do not attempt to open the monitor , it is extremel y dangerous .
Even if the monitor’s pow er is d isconnected , st ored energ y within
the monitor’s components can offer a painful or harmful
experience.

•

If a peripheral such as the k eyboard, mouse, drive , or printer does
not appear to w ork, ensure that all con nections are secur e.

•

If an error message displays on the scr een, write it do wn, w ord-for ­word. You ma y be asked about i t when calli ng Technical Support.

•

Only qualified personnel should open the system for maintenanc e.

•

If you feel you ar e qualified to maintain the system yourself, make
certain you are properl y grounded before opening the syste m’s
chassis.

Quick Check 7

8 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Chapter 2:

System Features

Contents

Basic Architecture ..........................................................10

Front Panel......................................................................11

Bezel Doors and Keylock.......................................12

Switches ..................................................................12

3.5-inch Floppy Disk Drive....................................12

Storage Bays............................................................12

LED Indicators........................................................13

Rear Panel.......................................................................14

System Board..................................................................17

I/O Ports ..................................................................15

Power Supplies (2)..................................................15

Voltage Selector Switches (2 - AC Only)..............15

Power-In Connectors (2) ........................................15

Expansion Slot Cover Plates ..................................16

Chassis Keylock......................................................16

CPUs and CPU Slots ..............................................17

Voltage Regulator Module.....................................18

Memory...................................................................18

Expansion Slots.......................................................18

InforManager™......................................................18

Floppy Controller and Connector...........................18

Hard Drive Controller and Connector....................19

SCSI Controller and Connectors............................19

Operating Systems..........................................................20

Basic Architectur e

•

Intel Pentium® II processor(s)

•

SMP design supporting up to tw o processor modules; Inte l MP
Specification V1.1 and 1.4 compliant

•

32-bit PCI and ISA bus master; 64-bit data path processor and
memory data path; extended PCI-to-PCI bridge s upport

•

32-MB SDRAM, 66MHz Error Checking and Correcting (ECC)
72-bit DIMMs or unbuffered EDO DIMMs

•

Integrated 2-MB DRAM PCI Graphics (Cirrus Logic GD54M30)

•

InforManager™ with Activ eCPR - server management functions
including client softw are for continuous monitoring and reporting
of system devices and environments

•

Eight expansion slots: s ix PCI, one ISA, and one shared PCI/ISA

•

Integrated PCI Dual Channel UltraSCSI (Adaptec 7895) with one
50-pin and two 68-pi n connectors, dual-channel PCI IDE interface,
and floppy control ler supporting 1.44-MB and 2.88-MB formats

•

Dual-redundant (opional) 400-Watt power suppli es with hot sw ap
capability

•

Phoenix upgradable Flash BIOS, Year 2000 Ready

10 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Front Panel

Figur e 2: Front P anel

Front Panel 11

Warning!

For safety reasons, both
upper and lower bezel doors
must be closed and locked
while the syst em i s runn in g.

Bezel Doors and Keylock

The top bezel door offers a ccess to the P o w er , Reset, and K e yboard Inhibit
switches, as w ell as t he 3.5-inch flopp y disk dri ve and the 5.25-inch dri ve
bays. The lo w er bezel door of fers ac cess to the 3.5-inch SCA dri v e bays .
Both doors can be locked to pre vent una uthorized access.

Switches

Switch Function

Power toggles the system ON or OFF.
Reset allows you to reset the system without having to

power it off and then on again

Keyboard Inhibit enables/disables the keyboard functions

3.5-inch Floppy Disk Drive

The standard system is equipped with one half-height 1.44-MB 3.5-inch
floppy disk.

Storage Bays

The system can support up to thirteen devices i n the follo wing ba ys:

12 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

•

Two 3.5-inch: one external bay wit h a factory-installed , 1.44-MB

3.5-Inch floppy disk dri ve a nd one internal ba y

•

Fiv e 5.25-inch front accessib le ba ys that support an y 5.25-inch
device or an y 3.5-inch de vice with a spec ial mounting bracket

•

RAID bay whic h supports up to six 3.5-inch Single Connector
Attachment (SCA) dri ves

LED Indicators

LED Meaning When Lit

Power The system is on.
Hard Disk Controller Activity The hard disk is being accessed.
P1 Activity The first CPU is active.
P2 Activity The second CPU is active.
ECC Fault A memory error has been detected.
Power Supply Fault One of the power supplies has failed.
Hard Disk Activity (6) The corresponding SCA drive is being accessed.

Front Panel 13

Rear Panel

The rear panel of the system is equipped with I /O P orts, connectors, and
switches.

14 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Figur e 3: Rear Panel

I/O Ports

Port Definition

Serial Ports 1
and 2

Parallel Port Parallel devices such as parallel printers and scanners can be

Mouse Port This port supports any mouse with a minature circular DIN

Keyboard Port This port supports any keyboard with a minature ci r cula r DIN

Video Port Connects your monitor to the video interface card.
Dual USB

Ports
Ethernet Port

(optional)

These are high speed serial ports which use the First-In-First­Out (FIFO) protocol. If you have a serial mo use, connect it to
Serial Port 1 (COM1). Other serial devices such as serial
printers or modems can also be connected these ports.

connected to this port.

(mini-DIN) connector.

(mini-DIN) connector.

Provide connection points for USB-compliant peripheral
devices, such as modems, keyboards, joysticks, etc.

Allows the system to be connected to a network with 10Base
T cable.

Power Supplies (2)

The system is equipped with tw o 400-Watt (AC or DC) redundant pow er
supply modules.

Note:

If your mouse has a mini­DIN connector, you must
connect it to the Mouse
Port.

V oltage Selector Switches (2 - AC Only)

Located on the back of each po w er suppl y module, these swi tches must be
set to the proper A C line v oltage used in y our locality ( 115VAC or
230VAC).

Power -In Connectors (2)

These are connectors into the po w er supp lies whi ch pro vide the electr ical
current to the system and its peripherals. Using t he po w er cables sup plied
with the system, connect each of the po wer supplies to an appropria te pow er
source.

Rear Panel 15

Expansion Slot Cover Plates

These are temporary co ver plates f or their corresponding e xpansion slots on
the system board: five PCI slots, one shared PCI/ISA slot, one PCI /RAID
port, and one ISA slot.

Chassis Keylock

The chassis keylo ck allo ws you to s ecure the panels to t he chassis to pre vent
unauthorized access to the syste m and its peripherals.

16 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

System Board

The system board functions as the main int erface betw een the processor ,
memory , and peripherals.

Figur e 4: System Boar d

CPUs and CPU Slots

The system is equipped with one Intel P enti um® II processor with 512-KB
ECC L2 cache, integrated into a Single Edge Contac t (SEC) cartridge

The system’s SMP design supports up to two processors and i s Intel MP
Specification v1.1 and 1.4 compliant.

System Board 17

Voltage Regulator Module

Each CPU must have a dedicated vol tage regulato r module (VRM) which
adjusts the voltage suppli ed to the CPU. The VRM for the first CPU (CPU

1) is embedded on the system board.

Memory

The system comes standard with 32-MB of Error Checking and Correcting
(ECC) RAM. System RAM is expandable up to 512-MB ECC using 60-ns
72-bit DIMM (4 DIMM socke ts).

Note:

If your mouse has a mini­DIN connector, you must
connect it to the Mouse
Port.

Expansion Slots

The system features eight expansi on slots: five PCI slots, one ISA slot, one
PCI/RAID port, and one shared PCI/ISA slot.

The PCI bus provide s peripheral transac tions at a system cl ock speed of up
to 33 MHz.

InforManager™

The system is equipped with InforManage r™ (IFM), a special f eature
consisting of both hardw are and softw are designed to monitor a nd report
the operation status of the system and i ts device s: CPUs, po w er supplies,
RAM, ambient temperatures, volt ages, and fan operation. F or fu rther
information about the InforManager™, refer to the InforManager™ Us er’s
Guide.

Floppy Controller and Connector

The floppy dri ve controll er and connector on the syst em board can support
up to two flop py dri ves of 1.44-MB and 2.88-MB formats.

18 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Hard Drive Controller and Connector

This is an integrated dual-channel PCI/IDE in terface with one IDE port
capable of controlling up t o four IDE devi ces and supporting PIO
Modes 0-4.

SCSI Controller and Connectors

This integrated Adaptec® AIC™-7895 SCSI controller is a high­performance, dual-channel, PnP compliant, single-chip PCI local bus-to­UltraSCSI master host adapter . Its a dvanced SCSI I/O ce ll technolo gy
ensures data integrity for higher I/O bandwidth requirements with data rates
of 20-MB/sec in the 8-bit mode and 40-M B/sec in the 16-bit mode.

Additional features:

•

One 8-bit (50-pin) PCI-to-UltraSCSI connector

•

Two 16-bit (68-pin) PCI-to-W ide UltraSCSI connector

•

Full 32-bit PCI bus master implementation maximizing dat a
transfer on PCI local bus at 133-MB/sec dat a bursts

•

SCAM (SCSI Configured Automatically) Level 1 for W i ndows

®

enabling automatic configuration of new de vices without

95
having to reboot the system.

•

Wide SCSI configuration supporting up to 30 connected SCSI
peripherals (15 on each of tw o channels )

•

Multithreading support for up to 255 simultaneous I/O tas ks

•

Advanced SCSI I/O cell ensuring dat a integrity b y automaticall y
and continuously adjus ting sle w rate to compensate f or SCSI bus
loading

•

Driver support for al l major operating syste ms.

System Board 19

Note:

SCO UNIX versions 3.2.4.2
and ODT 3.0 require both
MPX 3.X and APIC Driver

1.X to support more than
one processor.

Important!

The Pentium® processor in
this system is designed to
support 32-bit operating
systems and applications.
To ensure optimum system
performance, use only 32­bit programs on the system.

Operating Systems

The System is 100% Intel MP Specification V1.1 or V1.4, BIOS-selectable
compliant. The follo wing operating syste ms support SMP:

•

Nov ell NetWare SMP 4.1 and 4.11

•

SCO UNIX 3.2.4.2

•

SCO UNIX ODT 3.0

•

SCO UNIX Open Server 5.X

•

UnixW are 2.01 and 2.1

•

Solaris®2.1

•

Microsoft Windo ws NT™Server 3.51 and 4.0

•

Microsoft Windo ws NT™W o rkstation 3.51 and 4.0

Since each Operating System operates di fferent ly, it is best to reference
your softw are documentation for specific instructions on what to do after
the system boots.

The following operating systems will run on the system but do not support
the system’s multiprocessing capabilities:

•

Microsoft Windo ws®95

If you are unsure w hether or not y our application sup ports SMP, contact the
product manufacturer .

20 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

•

NeXTStep OS 3.3

•

Nov ell NetWare 3.1x and 4.x

Chapter 3:

Maintaining and Cleaning Y our System

Contents

Maintaining Your System..................................... 22

Maintaining Your Hard Drive........................ 22

Cleaning Your System .......................................... 25

Cleaning the Mouse........................................ 25

Cleaning the Keyboard................................... 25

Cleaning the Monitor Screen.........................26

Cleaning the Computer and Monitor Cases..26

Maintaining Y our System

Fortunatel y, most electronic components require little or no maintenance.
Your hard drives are t he primary exception to this and maint aining them
properly can significantly impro ve the performance of your system. Some
programs that help maintain the inte grity of the hard dri ves in y our system
come as part of the Windo ws 95 and W indo ws NT opera ting systems. The
following s ection contains information about ca ring for y our hard dri ves.

Maintaining Y our H ard Drive

Hard drives need regular mai ntenance because running the system sof twar e
divides files, creates spaces betw een data, and otherw ise decreases the hard
drive’s performance. Wind ow s 95 and W indo ws NT pro vide maintenance
tools that help pre vent possib le hard dri v e problems. Th e tw o most
important tools for hard dri ve maintenance are t he programs ScanDisk and
Disk Defragmenter .

Using ScanDisk

ScanDisk is a program that lets y ou check your hard dis k for damaged areas
and then repairs them. We suggest you scan your hard dri v e from at least
once a week to once a month, depending on ho w often and ho w much y ou
use your computer .

1.

2.

3.

22 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

T o St art ScanDisk

Click on the

Accessories

The ScanDisk window opens.
In the ScanDisk windo w, click on the drive you w ant to scan.

If you onl y want to chec k your files and folders for errors, select the

Standard

errors, select the

option button. If you w ant to do a more thorough scan for

button. Then click on

Start

, then

System Tools

Thorough

option.

Programs

, and then

, then

ScanDisk

.

Because the

Thorough

Standard

Thorough

option takes more time than the Standard option,

we recommend y ou normally use the

check at least once a month.

option and do a

If you selected

4.

Standard

and you w ant to change the setti ngs

ScanDisk uses when it c hecks files and folders, click on the

Advanced

Options window, then click on the
If you selected

uses when it checks the di sk’s surface, click on the

button, select the options in the ScanDisk Adv anced

button to close the windo w.

OK

Thorough

and want to change the s ettings ScanDisk

Options

select the options from the Surface Scan Options wi ndow, then click
on the

If you wa nt ScanDisk to automatic ally fix any errors it finds, select the

5.

Automatically f ix err ors

Click on the

6.

button to close the windo w.

OK

option in the ScanDisk windo w.

button in the ScanDisk windo w.

Start

When the scan is complete, the ScanDisk Results wi ndo w opens
giving you details of the scanni ng operation.

If you want to scan another dri ve, click on t he

7.

button to return

Close

to the ScanDisk windo w, select another drive, then go to Step 6.
When you are finished using ScanDisk, click on

8.

Close

.

Using Disk Defragmenter

button,

The Disk Defragmenter pro gram helps maintain the i ntegrity of y our hard
drive b y rearranging files so that unused space on your hard dri v e is not
scattered around the dri ve, but is con tained in one conti guous area on the
disk. You may notice, after running Disk Defragme nter , that your programs
run a little faster and more efficiently. That is because the hard drive head
can go directly t o the data it needs inst ead of skipping around to di fferent
places on the disk to find pieces of data.

We suggest you run Disk Defragmenter at least once a w eek t o once a
month, depending on how much y ou use y our system.

Maintaining Your System 23

To Run Disk Defr agm ent er

Click on the

1.

Programs
Disk Defragme nter

A dialog box opens asking y ou to select a dri ve t o defragment
Select the driv e from the pull-do wn menu, then c lick OK.

2.

A dialog box o pens sho wing the pro gress of the defragmentation.
When defragmentation is complete, a dia log bo x opens and asks you i f
you want to qu it the Disk Defragmenter pro gram.

button, then follo w the popup menus through

Start

, then

Accessories

, and then

System T o ols

.

. Then select

If you are finished defragmenting the drives in your syst em, click

3.

If you hav e more dri ves to defr agment, click

and return to Step 2.

No

Yes

.

24 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Cleaning Y our System

Your system and its components need to be cleaned occasionall y. The
following s ections contain information about ca ring for the v arious parts of
your system.

Cleaning the Mouse

If the mouse pointer on the screen mo v es erratically w hen you mo v e the
mouse, dirt is probably on the rollers inside the mouse .

To Clean the Mouse

Shut down the system.

1.

T urn yo ur mouse upside do wn and remo v e the mouse ball co v er .

2.

Cup your hand under the mouse, then turn your mouse right-side up.

3.

The gray mouse-ball should drop into y our hand. If it doesn’t, gently
shake the mouse until the ball drops out of the soc ket.

Once the mouse ball is free, use adhesi ve tape to pick up any dus t or

4.

lint on its surface and wipe a w a y dirt or lint inside the mouse -ball
socket. You can also blo w int o the socket t o remo ve dirt and lint. If
foreign matter is trapped insi de the socket or on t he rollers, use a
cotton swa b dipped in isoprop yl alcohol to loosen i t. Allo w surfaces to
dry completely after cleaning.

Return the mouse ball to the socket and replace the co v er , then restart

5.

the system.

Cleaning the Keyboard

Occasionally y ou should clean the k eyboard to free it of dust and l int
particles trapped under the ke ys. The easiest w a y to do this is to blo w
trapped dirt from under the keys using an aerosol can of ai r with a narro w,
straw-li ke extensi on.

Cleaning Your System 25

If you spill liquid on the keyboard, shut down the c omputer and disconnect
the keyboard. Turn the keyboard upside do wn to allo w the liquid to drain
out ov ernight before trying to use it agai n. If it fails to w ork a fter draining,
contact ALR Technical Support. Sticky liquids ma y cause residual
problems ev en after drying and ma y require the replacement of the
keyboard.

Cleaning the Monitor Screen

Use a soft cloth and windo w cleaner to clean the monitor screen. Squirt a
little cleaner on the cloth (ne v er directl y on the screen), an d wipe the screen
with the cloth.

Cleaning the Computer and Monitor Cases

Alw ays sh ut do wn the system and ot her peripherals befor e cleaning an y
components.

Use a damp, lint-free cloth to clean the c omputer case, monitor case,
keyboard , spea kers, and other parts of y our system. Avoid abrasive or
solvent cleaners becaus e they can damage the finish on your components.

26 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide

Index

A

About this guide xiv
Assembling the system 3

B

Bezel doors 12
Bezel keylock 12

C

Chassis keylock 16
Chassis, cleaning 26
Cleaning

computer case 26

keyboard 25

monitor case 26

monitor screen 26

mouse 25

system 25
Configuration, verifying 6
Connecting

keyboard 4

monitor 4

mouse 4

peripherals 4

power 4

video 4
Connectors, power 15
Controller

diskette 18

diskette drive 10

floppy 10

hard drive 19

IDE 19

SCSI 19

UltraSCSI 19
Conventions used in this guide xv
CPU

supported 17

VRM 18

,

18

D

DIMMs, supported 18
Disk Defragmenter, using 23
Diskette

controller 18
drive 12

Drive

diskette 12
floppy 12
IDE controller 19
maintaining 22
storage bays 12

E

Expansion slots 16,18

F

Features

front panel 11
rear panel 14
system 10
system board 17

Floppy

controller 18
drive 12

Front panel

features 11
LEDs 13
switches 12

H

Hard drive, controller 19

I

I/O ports 15
IDE, controller 19
InforManager 18

K

Keyboard

cleaning 25

Index 27

connecting 4

Keylock

bezel 12
chassis 16

L

LEDs, front panel 13
Light emitting diode

see LED

M

Maintaining

hard drives 22

system 22
Memory, supported 18
Monitor

cleaning case 26

cleaning screen 26

connecting 4
Mouse

cleaning 25

connecting 4

N

NeXTStep, versions supported 20
Novell NetWare SMP, versions

supported 20

Novell NetWare, versions supported 20

O

Operating systems supported 20

P

Peripherals, connecting 4
Power

connecting 4

connectors 15

turning the system on 5
Power supplies 15
Processor

supported 17

VRM 18

R

Rear panel, features 14

S

ScanDisk, using 22
SCO UNIX, versions supported 20
SCSI, controller 19
Solaris, versions supported 20
Switches

front panel 12
voltage selection 15

System

assembly 3
cleaning 25
features 10
unpacking 3

System board features 17

T

Troubleshooting

guidelines 6
quick check 6

Turning the system on 5

U

UnixWare, versions supported 20
Unpacking the system 3
Using

Disk Defragmenter 23
ScanDisk 22

Utilities

Disk Defragmenter 23
ScanDisk 22

V

Video, connecting 4
Voltage Regulator Module

see VRM
Voltage selection switches 15
VRMs 18

W

Windows 95, versions supported 20
Windows NT, versions supported 20

28 Gateway ALR 8000 User’s Guide