Gateway FX540, FX541, FX542 Quick Reference Guide

REFERENCE GUIDE

Chapter 1: About This Reference . . . . . . . . . . . 1

About this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Accessing your online User Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Gateway contact information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Chapter 2: Checking Out Your Computer . . . . . 5

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Video card ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Chapter 3: Setting U p and Getting Started . . 13

Working safely and comf ortably . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Reducing eye strain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Setting up your computer desk and chair . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Sitting at your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Avoiding discomfort and injury from repetitive strain . . 16

Preparing power connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Connecting to a broadband modem or network . . . . . . . . . .17

Connecting a dial-up modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Starting your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Waking up your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Turning off your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Restarting (rebooting) your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Premium multimedia keyboard features . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Elite multimedia keyboard features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Using the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Using optical drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Loading an optical disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Identifying optical drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Playing discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Contents

Creating discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Using the memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Memory card types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Using a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Configuring the audio jacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Installing a printer, scanner, or other device . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Chapter 4: Advanced Hardware Setup . . . . . . 37

Setting up dual video cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Setting up multiple monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Setting up RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

About RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

RAID 0 for performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

RAID 1 for security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

RAID 5 and 10 for both performance and security . . . . 43

Preparing your computer for RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Configuring RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Getting help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Chapter 5: Upgrading Your Computer. . . . . . . 47

Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Opening the case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Removing the side panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Removing the front bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Closing the case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Replacing the front bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Replacing the side panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Adding or replacing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Adding or replacing an optical disc drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Replacing the memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Adding or replacing a hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Replacing the front fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Replacing the rear fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Replacing the power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Replacing the heat sink and processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Replacing the I/O board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

www.gateway.com

Adding or replacing an expansion card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Replacing the system battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Replacing the system board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Chapter 6: Maintaining Your Computer . . . . . 83

Setting up a maintenance schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Cleaning the monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Cleaning optical discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Updating Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Using BigFix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Deleting unnecessary files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

Checking the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

Scheduling maintenance tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96

Moving from your old computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

Transferring files and settings automatically . . . . . . . . . .97

Transferring files and settings manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

Chapter 7: Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Add-in cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

CD or DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

Expansion cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

File management 106

iii

Contents

Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Modem (cable or DSL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Modem (dial-up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Restoring your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Recovering your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Recovering pre-installed softw are and drivers . . . . . . . 123

Using Microsoft System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Recovering your system to its factory condition . . . . . 131

Recovering your system using the Windows DVD . . . . 132

Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Before calling Gateway Customer Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Appendix A: Legal Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

CHAPTER1

About This R eference

• About this guide

• Accessing your online Us er Guide

• Gateway contact information

• Micro soft C ertificat e of Aut henticity

• For more information

CHAPTER 1: About This Reference

About this guide

This guide incl udes information and mainte nance instructions that are specific to your model of Gateway computer. Some illustration s in th is guid e may look different tha n your computer because hardware options and port locations may vary. For all other computer information, see your online User Guide.

For more inf ormation

For more information about your computer, visit Gateway’s Support page at www.gateway.com on your computer’s label. The Support page also has links to additional Gatew a y documentation and de tailed specifications.

or the Web addre ss show n

Acces sing your online User

Guide

In addition to this guide, your User Guide has been included on your hard drive. Your User Gu id e is an in-depth, easy-to-read manual that includes information on the following topics:

• Help and technical support

• Using and customizing Windows and other software

• Controlling audio and video settings

• Using the Internet

• Protecting your files

• Playing and rec ording media

• Networking

To a c c es s yo u r User Gu ide:

• Click (Start), All Programs, then click Gateway

Documentation.

www.gateway.com

Gate wa y contac t infor mation

The label on the side of your computer contains information that identifies your computer model and serial number. Gateway Customer Care will need this information if you call for assistance.

Serial number

Technical Support telephone number

Micr osof t Cer tificate of Authenticity

The Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity label found on the back or side of your computer includes the product key code for your operating system. If you ever reinstall Windows from the installation DVD, you will need to enter these numbers to activate Windows.

CHAPTER 1: About This Reference

• Front

• Back

CHAPTER2

Checking Out Y our

Computer

Front

CHAPTER2: Checking Out Your Computer

Optical disc drive

Additional drive bay

Memo ry ca rd rea de r a nd USB port (optional)

Power b u tton/ power indicator

Hard drive indicator

IEEE 1394 ports USB po rt s

Headphone jack Micr op h on e j a ck

Component Icon Description

Optical disc drive Use this drive to listen to audio CDs, install

Additional drive bay

Memory card reader (optional)

games and programs, watch DVDs, and store large file s onto r ecordable di scs (depen ding on drive ty pe). This dri v e may be a CD , recor dable CD, DVD, recordable DVD, Blu-ray, or HD DVD drive. For more information about your drive, see “Using optical drives” on page26.

Install any 5.25-inch device into this bay, such as an additional optical drive, a removable hard drive, or a system monitor display.

Insert a me mory card from a digita l came ra, MP3 player, PDA, cellular telephone, or other devices into t he memory card reader. F or more information, see “Using the memory ca rd

reader” on page30.

www.gateway.com

Component Icon Description

Power button/power indicator

Hard drive indicator

IEEE 1394 ports Plug IEEE 1394 (also k nown as Firewire®)

USB ports Plug USB (Uni versalSerialBus) devices (s uch as

Headphone jack Plug powered, analog front speakers, an

Microph one j ack Plug a microphone into this jack. This jack is

Press this button to turn the power on or off. You can also configure the power button to operate in Standby/Resume mode or Hibernate mode. The power indicator lights when the computer is turned on.

Lights when the hard drive is active.

device s (such as a di gital camcorder) int o the se 6-pin IEEE1394 ports. For more information, see “Installing a printer, scanner, or other

device” on page 35.

a USB external dri ve, printer, scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse) into these ports. For more information, see “Installing a printer, scanner,

or other device ” on page 35.

external amplifier, or headphones into this jack. This jack is color-coded green.

color-coded pink.

Back

CHAPTER2: Checking Out Your Computer

Important

Your computer’s hardware options and port locations may vary from this

illustration.

Cover rele ase lever

Case cover t humbscrew

Cable lock slot

Surround left/right jack

Audio in/side speaker jack

Ethernet (network) jacks

PS/2 mouse port

Expansion slot cover

thumbscrew

Telephone jack (optional)

Power connector

Center/Subwoofer jack S/PDIF (optical audio) jack

Microphone jack Headphone/Front speaker jack

USB port s IEEE 1394 port

PS/2 keyboard port

Video card (number and type vary)

Modem jack (optional)

Component Icon Description

Cover rele ase leve r Lift this lever to open the computer cover Case cover

thumbscrew Cable lock slot Attach a ca ble lo ck to th is s lo t, th en atta ch

Remove this screw before opening the case.

the cable to a solid object like a de sk or table to prevent your computer from being stolen.

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Component Icon Description

Surround left/right jack (black)

Plug your rear right and left speakers into this jack. T his jack is disabled w hen an audi o expansion card is installed. For more information, see “Configuring the

audio jacks” on page34.

Audio in (Line in) jack (blue)

-ORSide speaker jack

This jack is user configurable for one of the following:

■

Stereo in: Plug an external audio input source (such as a stereo) into this jack so you can recor d sound on your comp uter (Default).

■

Stereo out: Plug your side left and right

speakers into this jack. This jack is disabled when an audio expansion card is installed. For more information, see “Configuring the audio

jacks” on page34.

Ethernet (network) jack

Plug an Ethernet network cable or a device (such as a DSL or cable modem for a broadband Internet connection) into this jack. For more in formation, see “Learni ng about the Internet” in your online User Guide and “Connecting to a broadband

modem or network” on page17.

PS/2 mouse port Plug a PS/2 mouse into this port.

Expansion slot cover thumbscrew

Remove this screw and open the expansion slot cover to unlock the expansion cards.

Tel ep h on e j a c k (optional)

Plug the cord from your telephone into this jack.

Power conne ctor Plug the p ower co rd into this c onne ctor. Center/subwoofer

jack (orange)

Plug your center speaker and subwoofer into this jack. This jack is disabled when an audio expansion card is installed. For more information, see “Configuring the

audio jacks” on page34.

S/PDIF output jack (optional)

Plug an optical cable from an amplifier or entertainment system into this jack for digital sound.

Microph one j ack (pink)

Plug a micr ophone int o t his jac k. Thi s jack is disabled when an audio expansion card is installed.

CHAPTER2: Checking Out Your Computer

Component Icon Description

Headphone/analog speakers jack (green)

-ORFront sp eakers jack

This jack is user configurable for one of the following:

■

Headphone: Plug headphones or amplified speakers into this jack (Default).

■

Stereo out : Plug your front left and right

speakers into this jack. This jack is disabled when an audio expansion card is installed. For more information, see “Configuring the audio

jacks” on page34.

USB ports Plug USB (Unive rsalSerialBus) device s (such

as a USB Iomega™ Zip™ drive, printer, scan ne r, came ra, keyboa rd, or mo use) int o these ports . For mo re in formation , see

“Installing a printer, scanner, or other device” on page 35.

IEEE 1394 port Plug IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire

) devices (such as a digital camcorder) into this 6-pin IEEE1394 port. For more information, see “Installing a printer,

scanner, or other device” on page35.

PS/2 keyboard port Plug a PS/2 keyboard into this port.

Video card Plug a monit or int o a port on this c ard. If t he

card is a high -pe rformance video c ard, the expansion slot opening abo v e the ca rd ma y be occupied by the card’s ventilation fan.

Modem jack (optional)

Plug a modem cable into this jack. For more information, see “Connecting a dia l-up

modem” on page 17.

Video card ports

S-Video out jack DVI ports

If your computer came with high-end video cards installed (number and type may vary), you can connect multiple monitors for a multi-s c reen panel array, or you can enable the SLI connection between the two cards so that both cards work as a single card, delivering ultra-high frame rates for your single gaming monitor. For more information on configuring your cards, see “Setting up dual video cards” on page38.

www.gateway.com

CHAPTER2: Checking Out Your Computer

CHAPTER3

Setting Up and Getting

Started

• Working saf ely and comf ort ably

• Preparing po wer connec tions

• Connecting to a br oadband modem or

network

• Connecting a dial-up modem

• Starting your comput er

• T urning of f y our computer

• Rest arting (rebooting) y our computer

• Using the keyboard

• Using the mouse

• Using optical driv es

• Using the memory card reader

• Adjusting the volume

• Configuring t he audio jacks

• Installing a printer, scanner , or ot her de vice

CHAPTER3 : Setting Up and Getting Started

Wo rking safel y and comfortably

Before using your computer, follow these general guidelines for setting up a safe and comfortable work area and avoiding discomfort and strain:

• Keep hands and arms parallel to the floor.

• Adjust the monitor so the sc reen is perpendicular to y our

line of sight, and the top of the screen is no higher than eye level.

• Place your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest.

• Keep ventilation openings clear of obstructions.

Top of screen is not higher than eye level

Hands and arms are

parallel to the floor

Screen is perpendicular to your line of si ght

Feet are flat on the floor

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Reduc ing e y e strain

Sunlight or bright indoor lighting should not reflect on the screen or shine directly into your eyes.

• Position the computer desk and monitor so you can

avoid glare on yo ur s cr een and li ght shining direc tl y int o your eyes. Reduce glare by installing shades or curtains on windows and by installing a glare screen filter.

• Use soft, indirect lighting in your work area. Do not use

your computer in a dark room.

• Set paper holders at the same height and distance as the

monitor.

• Avoid focusing your eyes on your computer screen for

long periods of time. Ev ery 10 or 1 5 minute s, look around the room, and try to focus on distant objects.

Setting up your comp uter de sk and chair

When you are setting up your computer desk and chair, make sure that the desk is the appropriat e height and the chair helps you maintain good posture.

• Select a flat surface for your computer desk.

• Adjust the height of the computer desk so your hands

and arms are positioned parallel to the floor when you use the keyboard and touchpad. If the desk is not adjustable or is too tall, consider using an adjustable chair to control your arm’s height above the keyboard.

• Use an adjustable chair that is comfortable, distributes

your weight evenly, and keeps your body relaxed.

• Position y our chair s o the k ey board is at or slig htly below

the lev el of y our elbow . Thi s position lets y our s houlders relax while you type.

• Adjust the chair height, adjust the f orward tilt of the s eat,

or use a footrest t o distribute your weight evenly on the chair and relieve pressure on the back of your thighs.

• Adjust the back of the chair so it supports the lower

curve of your spine. You can use a pillow or cushion to provide extra back support.

CHAPTER3 : Setting Up and Getting Started

Sitting at y our comput er

• Avoid bending, arching, or angling your wrists. Make

sure that they are in a relaxed position when you type.

• Do not slouch forward or lean far back. Sit with your back

straight so your knees, hips, and elbows form right angles when you work.

• Take breaks to stand and stretch your legs.

• Avoid twisting your torso or neck.

Av oiding discomf or t and injury fr om r epetitiv e strain

• Vary your activities to avoid excessive repetition.

• Take breaks to change your position, stretch your

muscles, and relieve your eyes.

• Find ways to break up the work day, and schedule a

variety of tasks.

Preparing po wer connec tions

Prot ecting f rom po wer s ource pr oblems

Warning

High voltages c a n e nter your co mputer through both t he power c ord and the modem conne ction. Pro tect y ou r com puter by using a surge protec tor. If you have a telephone modem, use a surge protector that has a modem jack. If you have a cable modem, use a surge protector that has an ante nna/cable TV jack. During an electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the modem.

During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your computer can incr ease to f ar above normal levels and cause data loss or s y stem damage. Protec t y our comput er and peripheral devices by connecting them to a surge protector, which absorbs voltage surges and prevents them from reaching your computer.

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) supplies battery power to your comput er during a pow er f ailure . Although y ou cannot run your computer for an extended period of time wi t h a UPS, a UPS lets you run your computer long enough to save your work and shut down your computer normally.

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Connec ting to a br oadband modem or netw ork

Important

Your computer may be equipped with a built-in Ethernet (network) jack. For information about setting up a wired or wireless Ethernet network, see your online Us er G ui d e.

Y ou can connect your computer to a broadband (cable or DSL) modem or to a wired Ethernet network.

To connect to a broadband modem or to an Eth ernet

network:

1 Insert one end of the network cable into the network

jack on the back of your computer.

2 Insert the other end of the network cable into a cable

modem, DSL modem, or network jack.

Connec ting a dial-up modem

Warning

To reduce the ri sk of fire, use only N o. 26 AWG or l arger telecommunications l ine cord.

Your computer may have a 56K modem that you can use with a standard telephone line to connect to the Internet or to fax documents.

To connect the modem:

1 Insert one end of the modem cable into the modem

jack on the modem at the back of your computer.

2 Insert the other end of the modem cable into a telephone

wall jack. (The modem will not work with digital or PBX telephone lines.)

3 If you want, connect a telephone to the PHONE jack on

the modem at the back of your computer.

CHAPTER3 : Setting Up and Getting Started

Starting y our computer

To start your computer:

1 Connect the power, network, mouse, and keyboard

cables to your computer according to the setup poster.

2 Press the power button on the front of your computer.

If your computer does not turn on, check the power cable connections.

Important

Yo ur computer has a built-in, variable-speed fan. In addition, your computer uses a powerful processor which produces heat and has its own cooling fan. Both the system fan and processor fan can run at different speeds at times to ensure correct system cooling. You may notice an increas e i n the fan no i se wh en the fan is running at high speed and a decrease in the fan noise when it switches to normal speed.

3 If you are starting you r computer for the first time,

follow the on-screen instructions to select the language and time zone and to create your first user account.

4 Attach and turn on any USB or audio periphera l devices,

such as printers, scanners, and speake rs. See the documentation that came with each device for its setup instructions.

5 To open your computer’s Start menu, click (Start).

From that menu, you can run programs and search for files. For more information on using your computer’s menus, see “Using Windows” and “Customizing Windows” in your online User G ui d e.

Waking up y our comput er

Tip

For more information about changing the power button mode, see the

“Customizing” chapter in your online User Gu i de.

When you have not used your computer for several minutes, it may enter a power-saving mode called Sleep. While in Sleep mode, the power indicator on the power button flashes.

If your computer is in Sleep mode, move the mouse, press a key on the keyboard, or press the power button to “wake” it up. If the computer remains in Sleep mode, press the power button.

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T ur ning off y our computer

Warning

When you turn off your computer, certain components in the power supply and system board remain energized. In order to remove all electrical power from your computer, unplug the power cord and modem cable from the wall outlets. We recommend disconnecting the power cord and modem cable when your computer will not be used for long periods.

Important

If for some re ason you cannot use the Shut Down option in Windows to turn off y our c ompu ter, press an d hold the power button for about five seconds, then re le ase it .

Putting your computer into Sleep mode is the easiest way to power down your computer. Although it does not turn your computer completely off, it does turn off or slow down most system operations to save power, and saves your desktop layout so the next time you restore power, the programs are laid out just as you left them. Waking your computer from a Sleep state is much fas ter t han turning on your computer af t er it has been turned completely off.

To put your computer to sleep:

1 Click (Start), then click (power). The computer

saves your session and partial ly shuts down to save power.

2 To “wake” your computer, press a key on the keyboard

or press the power button. If the computer remains in Sleep mode, press the power button.

To turn off your computer:

1 Click (Start), clic k the ar row n ext to th e lock ic on, then

click Shut Down.

The computer turns off.

2 To comp let ely dis connect a ll pow er (such a s f or serv icing

internal components), also disconnect the power cord.

CHAPTER3 : Setting Up and Getting Started

Re starting (rebooting) y our computer

If your computer does not respond to keyboard or mouse input, you may need to restart (reboot) your computer.

To r e s ta r t yo u r co m p u te r :

1 Click (Start), clic k the ar row n ext to th e lock ic on, then

click Restart. Your computer t urns off, then tu rns on again.

2 If your computer does not turn off, press and hold the

power button until the computer turns off (about five seconds), then press it again to turn the computer back on.

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Using t he ke yboar d

Premium multimedia k e yboard featur es

The keyboard has several different types of keys and buttons. Your keyboard also has status indicators that show which keyboard feature is active.

Function keys

Editi ng b u ttons Internet bu tton s Audi o p layb ac k bu tton s Inter ne t b utto ns

Windows keys

Application key Directional keys Numeric keypad

Navigation keys

Indicators

Feature Icon Description

Editing bu ttons Press these buttons to copy, cut, and paste. Function keys Press these keys to start program actions. Each

Internet b uttons Press these buttons to launch your Internet home

program u ses diff erent func tion k eys f or diff erent purposes. See the program documentation to find out more about the function key actions.

page, search for files, or launch your e-mail program.

Audio playback buttons

Navigation keys Press these keys to move th e curso r to the

Press these buttons to play your audio files and to ad jus t the vol um e.

beginning of a line, to the end of a line, up the page, down the page, to the beginning of a document, or to the end of a document.

CHAPTER3 : Setting Up and Getting Started

Feature Icon Description

Indicators Show if your NUMLOCK, CAPS LOCK, or SCROLL LOCK

Windows keys Press one of these keys to open the Windows

Application key Press t his key to access s hor tcut menus and help

Directional keys Press these keys to move th e curs or up, down,

Numeric keypad Press these keys to type numbers when the

keys are activated. Press the corresponding key to activate the function.

Start menu. These keys can also be used in combination wit h ot her keys to open utilities like F (Find/Search), R (Run), and E (Computer).

assistants in Windows.

right, o r left.

numeric keypad (N

UM LOCK) is turned on.

Elite multimedia k e yboard f eature s

The keyboard has several different types of keys and buttons. Your keyboard also has status indicators that show which keyboard feature is active.

Sleep button Application buttons

Function keys

Audio playback

buttons

Indicators

Windows keys Application key Numeric keypad

Navigation keys

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Feature Icon Description

Sleep button Press this button to activate your computer’s

Function key s Press these ke ys to start pr ogram actions. Each

Application buttons Press these b utton s to lau nch you r In ternet

Audio playback buttons

Indicators Show if yo ur NUM LOCK, CAPS LOCK, or

Windows keys Press on e of th ese keys to op en th e Wi ndo ws

Application key Press this key to access shortcut menus and

Editing buttons Press these buttons to copy, cut, and paste.

Sleep (power-saving) mode.

program uses different function keys for different purposes. See the program documentation to find out more about the function key actions.

home page, search for files, or launch the calculator program.

Press these buttons to play your audio files and to ad jus t the vol um e.

SCROLL LOCK keys are activated. Press the corresponding key to activate the function.

Start menu. These keys can also be used in combination with other keys to open utilities like F(Find/Searc h), R(Run), and E (Computer).

help assistants in Windows.

Navigation keys Press these keys to move the cur sor to th e

Numeric keypad Press these keys to type numbers when the

beginning of a line , to the end of a line, up the page, down the page, to the beginning of a document, or to the end of a document. Press the arrow keys to move th e curs or.

numeric keypad (N

UM LOCK) is turned on.

CHAPTER3 : Setting Up and Getting Started

Using t he mouse

Scroll wheel

Left bu tton

The mouse is a device that controls the pointer movement on the screen. This illustration shows the standard mouse.

As you move the mouse, the pointer (arrow) on the screen moves in the same direction.

Righ t b utto n

You can use the left and right button s on the mouse to select objects on the screen.

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