Gateway M250B, M250GS, M250ES, M250E, M250G User Manual

Gateway Noteboo

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Contents

1Getting Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Using eSupport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Help and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Searching for a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

BigFix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Using Your Computer guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2 Checking Out Your Gateway Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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

Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Keyboard area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Gateway model and serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Finding your specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

3Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Installing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Connecting the dial-up modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to an Ethernet ne twork . . . . . . 24

Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Restarting (rebooting) your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Key types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Turning your wireless radio on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

4 Using Drives and Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Using the DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Identifying drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Playing a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Creating CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Using the memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Memory card types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Inserting a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Using a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Removing a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Adding and removing a PC Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Viewing the display on a projector or monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Connecting a video camera to your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

5 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Replacing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

6 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Adding or replacing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Replacing the hard drive kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

7 Using the Optional Port Replicator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Connecting to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Attaching to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

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Disconnecting from the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

8 Maintaining Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Caring for your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Cleaning your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Cleaning the notebook screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Cleaning CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Protecting your notebook from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Updating Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Restoring your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

9 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

CD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Modem (dial-up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Before calling Gateway Customer Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

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Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

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Chapter 1

Getting Help

• Using the Gatewa y We b site

• Using Help and Support

•Using BigFix

• Using Your Co mputer guide

• Using online help

1

Chapter 1: Getting Help

Thank y ou for purchasing our
notebook!

Y ou have made an excellent decision choosing Gateway. We are sure that
you will be pleased with the outstanding quality, reliability, and
performance of your new notebook. Each and every Gateway notebook
uses the latest technology and passes through the m ost strin gent qual ity
control tests to ensure that you are provided with the best product
possible.

Your new Gateway notebook is designed to provide an exceptional
balance of performance and portability. Your notebook uses the latest
chipset and mobile processor technologies to manage the processor speed
and power consumption for a greater battery life experience. This design
provides you with maximum performance when plugged into AC power
balanced with optimized battery life when on battery power.

Please read this manual carefully to familiarize yourself with our range
of services and support. We have highlighted some basic care and safety
information to help you keep your notebook in good operating
condition.

Gateway stands behind our value propo sition to our customers — to
provide best-of-class service and support in addition to high-quality,
brand-name components at affordable prices. If you ever have a problem,
our knowledgeable, dedicated customer service department will provide
you with fast, considerate service.

We sincerely hope that you will receive the utmost satisfaction and
enjoyment from your new Gateway notebook for years to come.

Thank you again, from all of us at Gateway.

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Gateway Web site

Gatewa y W eb site

Gateway's online support is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week
and provides the most current drivers, product specifications, tutorials,
and personalized information about your notebook. Visit the Gateway
eSupport Web site at support.gateway.com

.

Using eSupport

The eSupport site is divided into seven major areas:

■ Support Home

■ Product Support

■ Downloads

■ Customer Ser vice

■ Upgrade Center

■ Resources

■ Contact Us

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Chapter 1: Getting Help

Support Home

Click Su pport Home, then click Computers. T o view support documents for
your notebook, type your serial number in the
click

Submit.

Serial Number box, then

Click the arrow button to open the
click

Notebook Computers to access product documentation,

specifications, and guides for all Gateway notebooks.

Select Y our Compute r Product box, then

Product Support

Click Product Support to view a list of all the products that Gateway
supports.

Downloads

Click Downloads, then click My Downloads to get the latest software
updates for BIOS and driver upgrades. By entering your serial number you
get drivers specific to your notebook. Click
through a step-by-step wizard to locate your drivers.

Browse All Downloads to walk

Customer Service

Click Customer Service to view information about your account and
general information about warranties and special offers.

Upgrade Cent er

Click Upgrade Center to view and purchase upgrades for your notebook.

Resources

Click Resources to access utilities to help you manage your notebook.

Contact Us

Click Contact Us to access links to customer care with a live technician,
including chat and e-mail. Click
numbers for both sales and support. For more information, see

“Telephone support” on page 112.

4

Call Us to get a list of Gateway telephone

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Help and Support

Help and Support

Your notebook includes Help and Support , an easily accessible collection
of help information, troubleshooters, and aut omated supp ort. Use He lp
and Support to answer questions about W indows and to help you quickly
discover and use the many features of your Gateway notebook.

To start Help and Support:

■ Click Start, then click Help and Support. Help and Support opens.

You can find help information by clicking a link, performing a search,
or browsing the index.

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Chapter 1: Getting Help

Searching for a topic

To search for a topic in Help and Support, type a word or phrase (keyword)
in the

Search box located at the top of any Help and Support screen, then

click the arrow button.
For each search, you receive the following search result types:

■ Suggested Topics - These topics are located in Help and Support and

are relevant to your search to pic.

■ Full-text Search Matches - These topics are located in Help and

Support and contain the words you entered in the

■ Microsoft Knowledge Base - These topics are located on the Microsoft

We b site and contain the words you entered in the
must be connected to the Internet to search for and access these
topics.

To view a list of your search results, click the results header for the type
of results you want to view.

Search box.

Search box. You

To view a topic, clic k the top ic name in the

Search Result s list.

BigFix

Your notebook may include BigFix. BigFix monitors your notebook for
problems and conflicts. It automatically gathers information about the
latest bugs, security alerts, and updates from BigFix sites on the Internet.
Whenever BigFix detects a problem, it alerts you by flashing the blue
taskbar icon. To fix the problem, click on that icon to open BigFix.

To start BigFix:

■ Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then cli c k BigFix.

To learn more about using BigFix:

■ From the BigFix program, click Help, then click Tutorial.

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Using Your Computer gu ide

Using Your Comput er guide

In addition to this guide, the Using Y our Comp uter guide has been included
on your hard drive. The Using Your Computer guide includes information
on using Windows, using the Internet, sending a fax, and changing
power-saving settings as well as other topics.

To acces s the Using Your Computer guide:

■ Click Start, All Programs, then click Gateway Documentation.

Online help

Many programs provide information online so you can research a topic
or learn how to perform a task while you are using the program. You can
access most online help information by selecting a topic from a
menu or by clicking a

Help button.

Help

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Chapter 1: Getting Help

You can search for information by viewing the help contents, checking
the index, searching for a topic or keyword, or browsing through the
online help.

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Chapter 2

Checking Out Your
Gateway Notebook

• Identifying f eatures

• Locating your notebook’ s model an d serial
number

• Locating the Microsoft Certificate of
Authenticity

• Locating the specifications f or yo ur
notebook

• Purchasing accessories

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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook

Front

Volume control

Microphone jack

Headphone jack

Memory
card
reader

LCD panel
release latch

Component Icon Description

Vo l u m e c ont ro l

Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack.

Headphone jack Plug amplified speake rs or headphones in to this jack .

Memory card
reader

LCD panel release
latch

■

Press the button to th e ri ght to in cre as e t he volume.

■

Press the button to the left to decrease the volume.

■

Press the button in to mute the volume.

The built-in s peak ers are turned off when speak ers or
headphones are plugged into this jack.

Insert a memory card from a digital camera, MP3
player, PDA, or cellular telephone into the memory
card reader. For more infor mation, see “Using the

memory card reader” on page 43. The memory card

reader supports Memory Stick
MultiMediaCard™, and Secure Digital™.

Open the LCD panel by sliding the release latch.

®

, Memory Stick Pro®,

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Left side

Left side

Modem jack

Docking port

Ventilation fan PC Card

Monitor

port

slot

Component Icon Description

Modem jack Plug a modem cab le into this jack. For more information, see

“Connecting the dial-up modem” on page 23.

Docking port Connect the port replicator to this port.

Warning: Power is passed through this port. This docking
connection is certified to UL 1950 for use only with port
replicators designed for your Gateway notebook.

Ventilation fan Helps cool internal components.

Warning: Do not work for long periods with the notebook
resting on your lap. If the air vents are blocked, the notebook
may become hot enough to harm your skin.

Caution: Do not block or inse rt ob jects int o these sl ots. If
these slots are b locked, y our notebook ma y ove rheat resulting
in unexpected shutdown or permanent damage to the
notebook.

Caution: Provide adequate space around your notebook so
air vents are not obstr ucted. Do not use t he noteb ook on a
bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface.

Monitor port Plug an analog VGA monitor or projector into this port.

PC Card slot Insert one T ype II PC Card into this slot. For more information,

see “Adding and removing a PC Card” on page 44.

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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook

Right side

IEEE 1394

port

USB

ports

DVD d ri v e Pow e r

connector

Component Icon Description

IEEE 1394 port Plug an IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire® or i.Link®)

device (such as a digital camcorder or external hard drive)
into this 4-pin IEEE 1394 port.

USB por ts Plug USB devices ( such as a d iskette dr ive, flash dr ive,

printer, scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse) into these
ports.

DVD/CD-RW or
recordable DVD
drive

Power connector Plug the AC adapter cable into this connector.

Insert CDs or DVDs into this drive. For more information,
see “Using the DVD drive” on page 40. This drive may be
a combinatio n DVD/CD-RW or recordable DVD drive. To
determine the type of drive in the notebook, examine the
drive tray’s plastic cover and compare the logo to those
listed in “Identifying drive types” on page 40.

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Back

Back

charge indicator

Ethernet jackKensington lock sl ot Power/batter y

Component Icon Description

Kensington™
lock slot

Power/
battery
charge
indicator

Ethernet jack Plug a 10/100/1000 Ethernet netw ork cable into this ja ck. The

Secure your notebook to an object by c onnecting a K ensington
cable lock to this slot.

■

LED solid blue - notebook is on, and if the no tebook i s
connected to AC power, the battery is fully charged.

■

LED blinking bl ue - notebook is in Standby mode.

■

LED solid purple - battery is charging.

■

LED blinking pu rple - batt ery is charg i ng an d no t eb o ok is in
Standby mode.

■

LED blinking red - battery charge is very low and has
insufficient power to tur n on the notebook.

■

LED off - notebook is off.

other end of the cable can be plugged into a cable modem,
DSL modem, router , access point, or an Ethernet network jac k.
For more information, see “Connecting to a cable or DSL

modem or to an Ethernet network” on page 24.

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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook

Bottom

Battery
Battery

latch

Battery
lock

emory

bay

Hard
drive

bay

Website:
Online Support:
Tech Support Phone:
Hours:

System

label

Component Description

Battery Provides power when the notebook is not plugged into AC power.
Battery latch Slide to release the battery. For more infor mation, see “Changing

batteries” on page 53.

Memory bay Install a memory module into this bay. For more information, see

“Adding or replacing memory” on page 61.

Hard drive bay The hard drive is l ocated i n this bay. For more in formation, see

“Replacing the hard drive kit” on page 65.

System label Includes the product model number. For more information, see

“Identifyi ng your mode l” on page 16.

Battery lock Slide to unlock the battery. For more information, see “Changing

batteries” on page 53.

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Ke yboard area

Keyboard area

Power
button

Keyboard

Status

indicators

Touchpad

Component Icon Description

Power button Press to turn the power on or off. You can also configure the

power button for Standby/Resume mode. For more
information on configuring the power button mode, see
“Changing Power-Saving Settings” in
which has been included on your hard drive. To access this
guide, click Start, All Programs, then click Gateway
Documentation.

Keyboard Provides all the features of a full-sized keyboard. For more

information, see “Using the keyboard” on page 29.

T ouchp ad Provides all th e functionality o f a mouse. F or more inf ormation,

see “Using the EZ Pad touchpad” on page 33.

Status
indicators

Inform you when a drive is in use or when a button has been
pressed that affects how the keyboard is used. For more
information, see “Status indicators” on page 28.

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Using Your Computer

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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook

Identifying your model

Important The label s shown in t his sectio n are for infor mationa l

purposes only. Label information v aries by model, f eatures
ordered, and location.

Gatewa y model and serial number

The label on the bottom of your notebook contains information that
identifies your notebook model and its features. Gateway Customer Care
will need this information if you call for assistance.

Online Support: support.gateway.com

Tech Support Phone:
Hours:
Model:

S/No:

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

The Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity label found on the bottom of
your notebook includes the product key code for your operating system.

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Finding your specif ications

Finding y our specifications

For more information about your notebook, such as memory size,
memory type, and hard drive size, visit Gateway’s eSupport page at

support.gateway.com

Gateway documentation and detailed specifications. For more
information, see “Gateway Web site” on page 3.

. The eSupport page also has links to additional

Accessories

T o order accessories, visit the Accessory Store at accessories.gateway.com.

Batteries

If you run your notebook on battery power for extended periods, you
may want to buy an additional battery so you can swap batteries when
necessary. See “Changing batteries” on page 53 for m ore information
about using an additional battery.

Carrying cases

Gateway has large-capacity c arrying cases if you need ad ditional space
for accessories or supplies.

Memory

Large programs, such as multimedia games or graphic s programs, use a
lot of memory . If your programs are running more slowly than you think
they should, try adding more memory. See “Adding or replacing

memory” on page 61 for more information.

Port replicators

Although you can attach devices directly to your notebook, a port
replicator lets you make all of those connections at one time. When you
travel with your notebook, you merely disconnect from the port
replicator instead of unplugging all the devices.

A port replicator also provides addition al ports and other expansion
features not included with your notebook. See “Using the Optional Port

Replicator” on page 71 for more information about using a port replicator

with your notebook.

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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook

Printers

You can attach almost any type of printer to your notebo ok. The most
common types are inkjet and laser printers, which print in color or black
and white.

Inkjet printers and cartridges are relatively inexpensive, but they are
slower than laser printers. Using an inkjet color printer, you can print
pictures, banners, and greeting cards, as well as documents.

Laser printers and cartridges are more expensive, but they print much
faster than inkjet printers. Laser printers are better than inkjet printers
when you are printing large documents.

USB flash drive

Use a USB flash drive for storing files or transferring files to another
computer.

18

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Chapter 3

Getting Started

• Installing the battery

• Connecting the AC adapter

• Connecting the dial- up modem

• Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to
an Ethernet network

• Turning your notebook on and off

• Using the status indicators

• Using the keyboard and the EZ Pad
touchpad

• Adjusting the v olume

• Connecting to a wireless network

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Chapter 3: Getting St arted

Installing the battery

To install the battery:

1 Close the LCD panel.
2 Turn your notebook over so the bottom is facing up.
3 Hold the battery label-side down and slide it into the open battery

slot until the battery clicks into place.

4 Slide the battery lock to the locked position.

Connecting the A Cadapter

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

Important If the battery is not fully charged before you use your

notebook on battery pow er f or the first time , the ba ttery life
may be much shorter than you expect. If the battery life
seems short even after being charged for three hours, the
battery may need to be recalibrated. For information on
recalibrating the ba ttery , see “Recalibrati ng the battery” on

page 51.

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Connecting the AC a dapter

To connect the AC adapter:

1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.

Caution Make sure that you us e the AC adapter tha t came with your

notebook or one of the same type purchased from
Gateway.

Replace the power cord if it becomes damaged. The
replacement cord must be of the same type and voltage
rating as the original cord or your notebook may be
damaged.

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

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Chapter 3: Getting St arted

3 Plug the power cord into a wall outlet. The power/battery charge

indicator turns on (see “Back” on page 13 for the location of the
power/battery charge indicator). If the power/battery charge
indicator does not turn on, complete the following steps until it
turns on:

a Unplug the adapter from your notebook, then plug it back in.
b Press FN+F1 to toggle the status lights on and off.

4 When you finish using your notebook for the first time, turn off your

notebook and leave your notebook connected to AC power until the
power/battery charge indicator turns blue.

Warning Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The

AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable
parts inside. The ACadapter has dangerous v olta ges th at
can cause serious inju ry or death. Contact Gate wa y abo ut
returning defective AC adapters.

Important If the power/battery charge indicator does not turn blue

after three hours, contact Gateway Customer Care at

support.gateway.com

.

Protecting from pow er source pr oblems

During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your
notebook can increase to levels far above normal levels and cause data
loss or system damage. Protect your n ot ebook and peripheral devices by
connecting them to a surge prote ctor, which absorbs voltage surges and
prevents them from reaching your notebook.

Warning High voltages can enter your notebook through both the

power cord and the modem connection. To protect your
notebook and av oid electrical shoc k, use a surge pro tector.
If you hav e a telephon e modem, use a s urge protector th at
has a modem jack . If you hav e a cable m odem, use a surge
protector that has an antenna/cable TV jack. During an
electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the
modem.

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Connecting the dial -up modem

Connecting the dial-up modem

Your notebook has a built-in 56K modem that you can use to connect
to a standard telephon e line.

Warning To reduce the risk of fire, use only No. 26 AWG or larger

telecommunications line cord.

To connect the modem:

1 Insert one end of the modem cable into the modem jack on the

left side of your notebook.

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 Start your notebook, then start your communications program.

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Chapter 3: Getting St arted

Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to an Ethernet network

Your notebook has a network jack that you can use to connect to a cable
or DSL modem or to an Ethernet network.

To connect to a c able or DSL modem or to an Ethernet network:

1 Insert one end of the network cable into the network ja ck on

the back of your notebook.

2 Insert the other end of the network cable into a cable modem, DSL

modem, or Ethernet network jack.

3 Start your notebook.

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