Gateway E3400 User Manual

E3400 Mid Tower

System Manual

Contents

Preface..............................................................v

Conventionsusedinthismanual ....................................... v

Getting additional information . . . .......................................vi

1 System Features ................................................1

Easytoservicechassis...............................................1

Standardfeatures ...................................................1

Front panel ........................................................3

Back panel ........................................................5

Insidethecomputer..................................................7

Systemboard ......................................................8

Risercard ........................................................10

Front .........................................................10

Back .........................................................11

2 System Setup ..................................................13

Setting up your system . . ............................................13

Starting your system ................................................14

Understanding the P ower-On Self-Test ..............................15

Setting up the operating system ....................................15

Turningoffyoursystem..............................................16

Resettingyoursystem...............................................16

3 Case Access ...................................................17

Staticelectricityprecautions ..........................................17

Openingthecase ..................................................19

Removing the side panels . . ......................................19

Closingthecase ...................................................23

Replacing the side panels . . ......................................23

4 Replacing and Adding System Components ...................25

Replacing or adding drives ...........................................25

Preparingtoreplaceoraddadrive .................................25

Thedrivecage .................................................26

3.5-inchdisketteorCDdrives .....................................30

Harddrive .....................................................37

Addingorreplacingmemory .........................................43

Adding an expansion card ............................................46

ReplacingtheAGPcard..............................................49

Replacingthebattery ................................................50

Replacing the power s upply ...........................................52

Replacing the system board ...........................................54

Replacingoraddingaprocessor .......................................59

5 Using the BIOS Setup Utility ....................................63

AbouttheBIOSSetuputility...........................................63

UpdatingtheBIOS ..................................................65

Settingthesystemboardjumpers ......................................66

Recoverymode .................................................66

6 Managing Your System .........................................69

Protectingagainstpowersourceproblems ...............................69

Surge suppressors ...............................................69

Line conditioners ................................................70

Uninterruptiblepowersupplies......................................70

Maintainingandmanagingyourharddrive ...............................71

Hard drive maintenance utilities .....................................71

Hard drive management practices ...................................72

Systemintegrity ....................................................75

Protectingagainstviruses .........................................75

Checking system health with LANDesk . ..............................76

Systemrecovery ....................................................77

Creatingastartupdiskette.........................................77

Keepingarecordofsystemconfiguration .............................77

UsingyourSystemRestorationCD..................................77

Systempowermanagement...........................................78

7 Cleaning Your System ..........................................79

Cleaning the mouse .................................................79

Cleaning the k eyboard ...............................................80

Cleaning the monitor screen ..........................................80

Cleaning the computer and monitor cases . ..............................80

8 Troubleshooting ................................................81

Introduction ........................................................81

Troubleshooting checklist . . ...........................................82

Verifyingyourconfiguration ........................................82

Troubleshooting guidelines . . . .....................................82

CDdriveproblems ..................................................83

Harddriveproblems .................................................85

Memory/processorproblems ..........................................86

Modemproblems...................................................87

Peripheral/adapter problems ..........................................88

Printerproblems ...................................................90

Systemproblems...................................................92

Videoproblems ....................................................94

Errormessages ....................................................97

9 Safety, Regulatory, and Notices ...............................101

A Specifications .................................................113

Index..............................................................115

iii

Preface

Conventions used in this manual

Throughout this manual, you will see the following conventions:

Convention Description

ENTER Keyboard key names are printed in small capitals.

TRL+ALT+DEL A plus sign means to press the keys at the same time.

Setup Commands to be entered, options to select, and messages that

appear on your monitor are printed in bold.

User’s Guide Names of publications are printed in italic.

Important A note labeled impor tant informs you of special

circumstances.

Caution A caution warns you of possible damage t o equipment or

loss of data.

Warning A warning indicates the possibility of personal injury.

Conventions used in this manual v

Getting additionalinformation

Log on to the technical support area at www.gatewayatwork.com to find

information about your system or other Gateway products. Some types of

information you can access are:

■ Hardware driver and program updates

■ Technical tips

■ Service agreement information

■ Technical documents and component information

■ Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

■ Documentation for peripherals or optional components

■ Online access to technical support

System Features

Easy to service chassis

This chassis has many features that let you easily access the inside of your

system to add and remove components, such as hard drives, memory, and

processors.

Standard features

The following features are standard in the E3400 Mid Tower system:

■ Intel

■ Two DIMM sockets that support up to 512 megabytes (MB) of

■ Intel i815 chipset

■ AGP 4X expansion slot with ATI Rage video card, or integrated graphics

■ 3Com Tornado LAN card

Pentium III™ (FC-PGA 370) i256K processors

Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM)

■ Five PCI slots

■ Support for Ultra DMA/66 hard drives

■ Integrated audio using AC’97 compliant audio Codec chip

■ One 1.44 MB 3.5-inch diskette drive, one CD drive, and one hard drive

Easy to service chassis 1

■ PS/2 Keyboard port, PS/2 mouse port, 2 serial ports, parallel port, two

Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, video port, and audio line-out, microphone-in, and audio line-in ports

■ 200-watt power supply

2 System Features

Frontpanel

The front panel contains following features:

Audio-out port

CD volume control

Diskette drive

Hard drive LED

Power button

CD drive CD eject button

Diskette eject button Reset button

Power LED

Right panel release button

Audio-out port connects headphones or powered speakers that let you listen to an audio CD (directly from the CD drive).

CD drive plays data or audio CDs.

CD eject button ejects a CD from the CD drive.

CD volume control controls the volume of an audio CD.

Diskette drive writes to and reads from 3.5-inch, 1.44 MB diskettes.

Diskette eject button ejects diskettes from the diskette drive.

Hard drive LED lights when the hard drive is active.

Power button turns the computer on and off.

Front panel 3

Power LED lights when the computer is turned on. The green light indicates

your computer is using full power. The amber light indicates your computer

is in power conservation mode.

Reset button restarts a system that becomes non-responsive.

Right panel release button lets you easily remove the right panel to access

the internal components of your system.

4 System Features

Backpanel

The mid tower back panel includes the following Input/Output (I/O) ports, connectors, and switches:

AGP video card

connector (optional)

Kensington lock slot

RJ-45 LAN connector

Video port Parallel por t Serial port B

Serial port A Mouse port

Keyboard por t USB por ts

Audio line-out Microphone-in Audio line-in

Voltage selector Power connector

AGP video card connector (optional) connects to the monitor interface cable if not using the integrated video.

Audio Line-out, Microphone-in, and Line-in jacks connect audio devices such as speakers, tape players, and microphones.

Kensington lock slot permits the use of a cable lock to secure the system.

Keyboard port connects a Personal System/2

(PS/2) compatible keyboard.

Mouse port connects a PS/2 compatible mouse.

Parallel port connects a printer or other parallel device.

Back panel 5

Power Connector connects the computer power cord. The other end of the

power cord plugs into an AC outlet or power strip.

RJ-45 LAN connector (LAN card) connects a network cable.

Serial ports connect serial devices, such as a musical instrument digital

interface (MIDI) device.

USB ports connect external Plug-and-Play devices, such as keyboards and

pointing devices, that are automatically configured when they are plugged

into the computer through one of these ports.

Video port connects to the monitor interface cable if not using the AGP video

card output.

Voltage selector sets the voltage for your area, either 115V (US standard) or

230V.

6 System Features

Inside the computer

The following illustration shows locations of various system components:

BB C

A System board B Riser card C Power supply release lever D Power supply E Hard drive (hard drive shown here in top bay: bay location may

vary)

F Diskette drive G CD drive

Inside the computer 7

System board

A DIMM slots (2) B AGP slot C Configuration jumper (JP6) D Video connector E Parallel port F Serial port B G Serial port A

8 System Features

PS/2 mouse port

H I PS/2 keyboard port J USB ports (2) K Audio line-out connector L Microphone-in connector M Audio line-in connector N Battery O Processor socket (PGA370) P CPU fan connector

System board 9

Riser card

The riser card is mounted to the chassis by three screws at the top. The riser

card includes a chassis intrusion switch to alert you if the computer cover is

removed. It also includes five PCI connectors for add-on cards.

Front

P O N M

B C DE

A Secondary IDE connector B CD/diskette drive power connector C Wake-on LAN connector (WOL) D Net Alert connector E Ring-in connector F System board connectors G System chassis fan connector

10 System Features

HIJ

Back

PCI slots (5)

H I Chassis intrusion switch J Hard drive power connector K Primary IDE connector L Remote lock/unlock M Chassis fan connector N Front panel connector O SCSI LED connector P CD audio connector Q Diskette drive connector

A Power supply connector

Riser card 11

12 System Features

System Setup

Setting up your system

Follow the instructions on the poster that came with your system for assembly instructions. You can prepare a safer working environment before assembling your system by following the guidelines listed below.

■ Provide a clean, flat, stable surface for your system. Allow at least

12 inches at the back of the computer for cabling and air circulation.

■ Obtain a grounded (three-prong) AC surge-protected power strip. A

surge-protected power strip helps protect against AC line spikes.

■ Protect your system from extreme temperature and humidity. Do not

expose your system to direct sunlight, heater ducts, or other heat-generating objects.

■ Keep your computer away from equipment that generates magnetic

fields, such as unshielded stereo speakers. Even a telephone placed too close to the computer may cause interference.

■ Plug the computer into a wall outlet or power strip that is easily

accessible. When you turn off the computer with the power button, some electricity still flows through the computer. To remove all power from the computer, you need to unplug it.

Important Keepthe productcarton and packing material, in caseyou

need to send the system out for repair. If you return your system to the factory in different packaging, your warranty may be void.

Settingupyoursystem 13

Starting your system

Before you start your system for the first time:

■ Refer to the safety information beginning on page 101.

■ Make sure the voltage selector switch on the back of the computer is set

to the correct voltage for your area. This switch is set at the factory to the correct voltage (see “Back panel” on page 5 for voltage selector switch location).

■ Make sure all cables are firmly connected to the proper ports on the back

panel of the computer.

Caution Make sure your computer and peripherals are turned off

and unplugged from the power outlet when you connect peripherals to the computer.

■ Make sure the computer and monitor are plugged into an AC outlet or

power strip.

To start the system:

1 If you have connected the system components to a power strip, make

sure all the system components are turned off, then turn on the power strip.

2 Turn on the monitor by pressing the power button. 3 Turn on the computer by pressing the power button. The power

light-emitting diode (LED) on the front panel is lit when the power is on.

4 Turn on any other components connected to the computer, such as

speakers, a printer, or a scanner.

If nothing happens when you turn on the system:

■ Recheck the power cables to see that they are securely plugged in

and that your power strip (if you are using one) is plugged in and turned on.

■ Make sure the monitor is connected to the computer, plugged into

the power strip or AC outlet, and turned on. You may also need to adjust the brightness and contrast controls on the monitor.

14 System Setup

Wait until the startup procedure is finished before loading a diskette in the diskette drive, or the computer may search the diskette for startup information.

Understandingthe Power-OnSelf-Test

When you turn on your computer, the Power-On Self-Test (POST) routine checks the system memory and components. To see this information on the screen, press T count.

The system displays an error message if POST finds any problems. Write down the error message that appears.

AB during POST. Press ESC to bypass the remaining memory

Setting up the operating system

The first time you start your computer, the operating system takes a few minutes to set up.

Refer to your software documentation for specific questions.

To complete the operating system setup:

1 After the computer starts, the start-up wizard opens. Continue by clicking

Next.

2 Type the requested information in the appropriate text boxes. When you

have finished entering the information, continue by clicking

Next.

3 Continue following the instructions and selecting options in the start-up

wizard dialog boxes, clicking the wizard tells you to restart your computer.

If you need to return to the previous dialog box to change any of your entries, click

Back.

Next to move through the dialog boxes until

4 Restart your system. The setup is complete.

Starting your system 15

Turning off your system

Every time you turn off your system, shut down the operating system first. You may lose data if you do not follow the proper procedure. Refer to the software documentation or visit the online help system of your specific operating system for proper shut down procedures.

Warning When you turn the computer off by pressing the power

button, some electric current still flows through the computer. Before opening the computer case or connecting or removing any peripherals, turn off the computer and then unplug the power cord and modem cord (if installed).

Resetting your system

If your computer does not respond to keyboard or mouse input, you may have to close any programs that are not responding. If closing unresponsive programs does not restore your computer to normal operation, you may have to reset the system.

Refer to the software documentation of your specific operating system for proper procedures on resetting your system.

16 System Setup

Case Access

Static electricity precautions

Static electricity can permanently damage electronic components in your computer. When opening your computer case, always perform the following procedure.

Caution Prevent electrostatic damage to your computer by

following static electricity precautions every time you open your computer case.

To avoid static electricity discharge:

1 Wear a grounding wrist strap (available at most electronics stores). 2 Turn off the computer power. 3 Discharge any static electricity by touching a bare metal surface on the

back of the case.

4 Unplug all power cords from AC outlets and disconnect the modem cable

(if installed).

Static electricity precautions 17

Follow these precautions to avoid electrostatic damage to your system components:

■ Avoid static-causing surfaces such as plastic and packing foam in your

work area.

■ Remove the parts from their antistatic bags only when you are ready to

use them. Do not lay parts on the outside of antistatic bags since only the inside of the bags provides antistatic protection.

■ Always hold cards by their edges and their metal mounting brackets.

Avoid touching components on the cards and the edge connectors that connect to expansion slots.

■ Never slide cards or other parts over any surface.

Warning Avoid exposure to dangerous electrical voltages and

moving parts by turning off your computer. Unplug the power cord and modem cord before r emoving the computer cover.

18 Case Access

Opening the case

The case has two removable side panels. Both panels are screwless, meaning you do not have to remove any screws to take off the panels.

The right panel is removed by pressing a button located on the front panel. The L-shaped panel covers both the right side and top of the chassis and provides access to most of the internal components of the system. The left panel is removed by sliding a tab located on the top of the chassis.

Removingthesidepanels

To remove the right panel:

1 Because the components inside your computer are extremely sensitive to

static electricity, make sure to observe the “Static electricity precautions” on page 17.

2 Turn off the computer, disconnect the power cord, modem cord (if

installed), and all external peripheral devices.

Opening the case 19

3 Push the release button located in the lower right-hand corner of the

front bezel. The bottom portion of the right panel unlatches from the chassis.

Rightpanel

20 Case Access

Right panel release button

Lift up on the right panel, then lift the panel up and away from the

chassis.

Right panel

Opening the case 21

To remove the left panel:

1 Remove the right panel. (See “Removing the side panels” on page 19 for

instructions.)

2 Slide the left panel release tab toward the rear of the chassis. This

unlatches the left panel from the chassis.

Left panel release tab

3 Grasp the left panel, then lift the panel up away from the chassis.

22 Case Access

Left panel

Closing the case

Replace the cover as soon as you finish installing or removing components so that dust and dirt (which can damage the computer) do not collect inside the computer.

Replacingthe side panels

To replace the left panel:

1 Align the tabs at the bottom of the panel with the tab holes at the base

of the chassis.

2 Insert the tabs into the tab holes. 3 Push the panel towards the chassis until it locks into place.

Closing the case 23

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