Gateway FX542X User Manual
REFERENCE GUIDE
®
Contents
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 Up and Getting Started . . 13
Working safely and comfortably . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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
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Contents
Creating discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Using the memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Memory card types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Using a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Configuring the audio jacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Installing a printer, scanner, or other device . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Chapter 4: Advanced Hardware Setup . . . . . . 35
Setting up dual video cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Setting up multiple monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Setting up RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
About RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
RAID 0 for performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
RAID 1 for security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
RAID 5 and 10 for both performance and security . . . . 41
Preparing your computer for RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Configuring RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Getting help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Chapter 5: Upgrading Your Computer. . . . . . . 45
Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Opening the case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Removing the side panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Removing the front bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Closing the case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Replacing the front bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Replacing the side panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Adding or replacing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Adding or replacing an optical disc drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Replacing the memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Adding or replacing a hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Replacing the front fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Replacing the rear fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Replacing the power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Replacing the heat sink and processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Replacing the I/O board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
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Adding or replacing an expansion card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Replacing the system battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Replacing the system board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Chapter 6: Maintaining Your Computer . . . . . 81
Setting up a maintenance schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Cleaning the monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Cleaning optical discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Updating Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Using BigFix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Deleting unnecessary files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Checking the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Scheduling maintenance tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Moving from your old computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Transferring files and settings automatically . . . . . . . . . .95
Transferring files and settings manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Chapter 7: Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
Try these steps first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Internet and networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Modem (cable or DSL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Modem (dial-up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Printing 108
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Contents
Optical discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Expansion cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Checking for device problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Recovering your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Creating recovery discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Recovering pre-installed software and drivers . . . . . . . 121
Returning to a previous system condition . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Returning your system to its factory condition . . . . . . 123
Technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Before calling Gateway Customer Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Calling Customer Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Appendix A: Legal Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
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CHAPTER1
About This Reference
• About this guide
• Accessing your online User Guide
• Gateway contact information
• Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity
• For more information
1
CHAPTER 1: About This Reference
About this guide
This guide includes information and maintenance instructions
that are specific to your model of Gateway computer. Some
illustrations in this guide may look different than your
computer because hardware options and port locations may
vary. For all other computer information, see your online User
Guide.
For more information
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 Gateway documentation and detailed specifications.
or the Web address shown
Accessing your online User
Guide
In addition to this guide, your User Guide has been included on
your hard drive. Your User Guide is an in-depth, easy-to-read
manual that includes information on the following topics:
• Using and customizing Windows and other software
• Controlling audio and video settings
• Using the Internet
• Protecting your files
• Playing and recording media
• Networking
To access your User Guide:
• Click (Start), All Programs, then click Gateway
Documentation.
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www.gateway.com
Gateway contact information
See your setup poster for Customer Care contact information.
The label on the top of your computer contains information
that identifies your computer model and serial number.
Customer Care will need this information if you call for
assistance.
Microsoft Certificate 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.
3
CHAPTER 1: About This Reference
4
• Front
• Back
CHAPTER2
Checking Out Your
Computer
5
Front
CHAPTER 2: Checking Out Your Computer
Optical disc drive
Additional drive bay
Memory card reader and
USB port (optional)
Power button/
power indicator
Hard drive indicator
IEEE 1394 ports
USB ports
Headphone jack
Microphone jack
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 files onto recordable discs (depending on
drive type). This drive may be a CD, recordable
CD, DVD, recordable DVD, or Blu-ray drive. For
more information about your drive, see
“Identifying optical drive types” on page 27.
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 memory card from a digital camera,
MP3 player, PDA, cellular telephone, or other
devices into the memory card reader. For more
information, see “Using the memory card
reader” on page 30.
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Component Icon Description
Power
button/power
indicator
Hard drive
indicator
IEEE 1394 ports Plug IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire®)
USB ports Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as
Headphone jack Plug powered, analog front speakers, an
Microphone jack 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.
devices (such as a digital camcorder) into these
6-pin IEEE 1394 ports. For more information,
see “Installing a printer, scanner, or other
device” on page 34.
a USB external drive, printer, scanner, camera,
keyboard, or mouse) into these ports. For mo re
information, see “Installing a printer, scanner,
or other device” on page 34.
external amplifier, or headphones into this
jack. This jack is color-coded green.
color-coded pink.
7
Back
CHAPTER 2: Checking Out Your Computer
Important
Your computer’s hardware options and port locations may vary from this
illustration.
Cover release lever
Case cover thumbscrew
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 ports
IEEE 1394 port
PS/2 keyboard port
Video card (number and
type vary)
Modem jack (optional)
Component Icon Description
Cover release lever Lift this lever to open the computer cover.
Case cover
thumbscrew
Cable lock slot Attach a cable lock to this slot, then attach
Remove this screw before opening the case.
the cable to a solid object like a desk 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. This jack is disabled when an audio
expansion card is installed.
For more information, see “Configuring the
audio jacks” on page 33.
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 record sound on your computer
(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 page 33.
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 information, see “Learning
about the Internet” in your online User
Guide and “Connecting to a broadband
modem or network” on page 17.
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 e phon e jack
(optional)
Plug the cord from your telephone into this
jack.
Power connector Plug the power cord into this connector.
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 page 33.
S/PDIF output jack
(optional)
Plug an optical cable from an amplifier or
entertainment system into this jack for
digital sound.
Microphone jack
(pink)
Plug a microphone into this jack. This jack is
disabled when an audio expansion card is
installed.
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CHAPTER 2: Checking Out Your Computer
Component Icon Description
Headphone/analog
speakers jack (green)
-ORFront speakers 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 page 33.
USB ports Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such
as a USB printer, scanner, camera, keyboard,
or mouse) into these ports. For more
information, see “Installing a printer,
scanner, or other device” on page 34.
IEEE 1394 port Plug IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire
®
)
devices (such as a digital camcorder) into
this 6-pin IEEE 1394 port. For more
information, see “Installing a printer,
scanner, or other device” on page 34.
PS/2 keyboard port Plug a PS/2 keyboard into this port.
Video card Plug a monitor into a port on this card. If the
card is a high-performance video card, the
expansion slot opening above the card may
be occupied by the card’s ventilation fan.
Modem jack
(optional)
Plug a modem cable into this jack. For more
information, see “Connecting a dial-up
modem” on page 17.
10
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-screen 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 page 36.
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CHAPTER 2: Checking Out Your Computer
12
CHAPTER3
Setting Up and Getting
Started
• Working safely and comfortably
• Preparing power connections
• Connecting to a broadband modem or
network
• Connecting a dial-up modem
• Starting your computer
• Turning off your computer
• Restarting (rebooting) your computer
• Using the keyboard
• Using the mouse
• Using optical drives
• Using the memory card reader
• Adjusting the volume
• Configuring the audio jacks
• Installing a printer, scanner, or other device
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CHAPTER 3: Setting Up and Getting Started
Working safely 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 screen is perpendicular to your
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 sight
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Feet are flat on the floor
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Reducing eye 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 your screen and light shining directly into
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. Every 10 or 15 minutes, look around
the room, and try to focus on distant objects.
Setting up your computer desk and chair
When you are setting up your computer desk and chair, make
sure that the desk is the appropriate 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 your chair so the keyboard is at or slightly below
the level of your elbow. This position lets your shoulders
relax while you type.
• Adjust the chair height, adjust the forward tilt of the seat,
or use a footrest to 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.
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CHAPTER 3: Setting Up and Getting Started
Sitting at your computer
• 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.
Avoiding discomfort and injury from repetitive 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 power connections
Protecting from power source problems
Warning
High voltages can enter your computer through both the power cord and
the modem connection. Protect your computer by using a surge protector. 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 antenna/cableTV 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 increase to far above normal levels and
cause data loss or system damage. Protect your computer 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 computer during a power failure. Although you cannot
run your computer for an extended period of time with 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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Connecting to a broadband modem or network
Important
Your computer has a built-in Ethernet (network) jack. For information
about setting up a wired or wireless Ethernet network, see your online User
Guide.
You 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 Ethernet
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.
Connecting a dial-up modem
Warning
To reduce the risk of fire, use only No. 26 AWG or larger
telecommunications line 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.
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CHAPTER 3: Setting Up and Getting Started
Starting your 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
Your 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 increase in the fan noise when 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 your 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 peripheral devices,
such as printers, scanners, and speakers. 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 Guide.
Waking up your computer
Tip
For more information about changing the power button mode, see the
“Customizing” chapter in your online User Gu ide.
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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Turning off your 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 reason you cannot use the Shut Down option in Windows to
turn off your computer, press and hold the power button for about five seconds,
then release 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 faster than turning on your computer after
it has been turned completely off.
To put your computer to sleep:
1 Click (Start), then click (power). The computer
saves your session and partially 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), click the arrow next to the lock icon, then
click Shut Down.
The computer turns off.
2 To completely disconnect all power (such as for servicing
internal components), also disconnect the power cord.
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CHAPTER 3: Setting Up and Getting Started
Restarting (rebooting) your computer
If your computer does not respond to keyboard or mouse
input, you may need to restart (reboot) your computer.
To restart yo ur compu te r:
1 Click (Start), click the arrow next to the lock icon, then
click Restart. Your computer turns off, then turns 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 the keyboard
Premium multimedia keyboard features
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
Editing buttons Internet buttons Audio playback buttons Internet buttons
Windows keys
Application key Directional keys Numeric keypad
Navigation keys
Indicators
Feature Icon Description
Editing buttons Press these buttons to copy, cut, and paste.
Function keys Press these keys to start program actions. Each
Internet buttons Press these buttons to launch your Internet home
program uses different function keys for different
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 the cursor to the
Press these buttons to play your audio files and
to adjust the volume.
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.
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CHAPTER 3: Setting Up and Getting Started
Feature Icon Description
Indicators Show if your NUM LOCK, CAPS LOCK, or
Windows keys Press one of these keys to open the Windows
Application key Press this key to access shortcut menus and help
Directional keys Press these keys to move the cursor up, down,
Numeric keypad Press these keys to type numbers when the
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/Search), R (Run), and E (Computer).
assistants in Windows.
right, or left.
numeric keypad (N
UM LOCK) is turned on.
Elite multimedia keyboard features
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
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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 keys Press these keys to start program actions. Each
Application buttons Press these buttons to launch your Internet
Audio playback
buttons
Indicators Show if your NUM LOCK, CAPS LOCK, or
Windows keys Press one of these keys to open the Windows
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 thes e buttons to pl ay your audio files and
to adjust the volume.
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/Search), R (Run), and E (Computer).
help assistants in Windows.
Navigation keys Press these keys to move the cursor to the
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 the cursor.
numeric keypad (N
UM LOCK) is turned on.
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CHAPTER 3: Setting Up and Getting Started
Using the mouse
Scroll wheel
Left button
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.
Right button
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You can use the left and right buttons on the mouse to select
objects on the screen.
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