Gateway m305 User Manual
Gateway M305 Notebook
user'sguide
Customizing
Troubleshooting
Contents
1 Checking Out Your Gateway M305 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Keyboard area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Gateway model number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Gateway serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Internal wireless label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Finding your specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Restarting (rebooting) your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Key types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Connecting the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Connecting to a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Broadband Internet connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Help and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Searching for a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Do More With Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
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Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Using eSupport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
4 Windows Basics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Using the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Adding icons to the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Identifying window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Viewing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Creating folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Using the Windows Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
5 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
6 Using Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Adjusting the volume in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Adjusting the volume in Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Playing audio and video files with the Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Using the CD or DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
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Identifying drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Listening to CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Listening to CDs in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Listening to CDs in Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Using MUSICMATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Creating MP3 music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Changing the music library display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Listening to Internet radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Using advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Creating CDs using Roxio Easy CD Creator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Creating data CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Creating music CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Copying CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Creating CDs using Nero Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Creating a data CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Copying a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Copying music tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Creating a music CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Using the optional diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Using the optional memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Memory card types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Using a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Connecting a digital camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
7 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Installing and configuring Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Installing Fax in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Configuring Fax in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Configuring Fax in Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Sending a simple fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Setting up your cover page template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Faxing a scanned document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Canceling a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Automatically retry sending a fax in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Automatically cancelling a fax in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
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8 Managing Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
Replacing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
Changing power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Changing the power scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Changing alarm options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Changing advanced settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Activating and using Hibernate mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
Changing SpeedStep settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
9 Travel Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
Radio frequency wireless connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Additional tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
10 Customizing Your Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
Adjusting the screen resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Changing the colors on your Windows desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178
Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Changing the touchpad settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Adding and modifying user accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
11 Networking Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Benefits of networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
Sharing a single Internet connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
Sharing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Sharing peripheral devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
Streaming audio and video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
Playing multi-player games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
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Selecting a network connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Using a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, or Gigabit Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Example wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Equipment you need for a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Using a wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Wireless Ethernet speed and frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Example access point wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Equipment you need for an access point wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . 197
Example peer-to-peer wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Equipment you need for a peer-to-peer wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . 199
For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Using your notebook on a network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Installing and configuring your notebook for Ethernet networking . . . . . . . . . 200
Turning your wireless Ethernet emitter on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
12 Moving From Your Old Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Using the Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Transferring files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Finding your files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Transferring Internet settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Setting up your ISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Transferring your e-mail and address book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Transferring your Internet shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Installing your old printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Installing a USB printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Installing a parallel port printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Installing your old programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
13 Maintaining Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Caring for your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Protecting your notebook from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Using Disk Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Checking the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Using the Scheduled Task Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Cleaning your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
v
Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225
Cleaning the computer screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226
Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226
14 Restoring Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Using the Restoration CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230
Reinstalling device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Updating device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233
Reinstalling programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234
Reinstalling Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236
15 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
Adding and removing a PC Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240
Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242
Adding or replacing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Replacing the hard drive kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
16 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254
First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Software support tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256
CD or DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256
Cleaning CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258
Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258
Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260
File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261
Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262
Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265
Memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265
Modem (dial-up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270
Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271
Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271
PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .272
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .273
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275
Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
vi
Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Before calling Gateway Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Tutoring and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
vii
viii
Checking Out
Your
Gateway M305
This chapter introduces you to the basic features of your
notebook. Read this chapter to learn:
■ How to identify the features of your Gateway
notebook
■ How to locate your notebook’s model and serial
number
■ How to locate the Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity
■ How to locate the specifications for your notebook
■ What accessories are available for your notebook
Tips & Tricks You can download an electronic copy of this
guide from
support.gateway.com/support/manlib/
.
1
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Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway M305
Front
Speaker
Battery
charge
Power
indicator
LCD panel
release latch
Speaker
indicator
Component Icon Description
Speakers Provide audio output when headphones or amplified
speakers are not plugged in.
Battery charge indicator The LED shows the battery activity and status.
■
LED green - battery is fully charged.
■
LED orange - battery is charging.
■
LED blinking red - battery charge is very low.
■
LED solid red - battery is malfunctioning.
This LED only lights up when your notebook is connected
to AC power or the battery charge is very low.
Power indicator The LED shows your notebook’s power status.
■
LED on - notebook is on.
■
LED blinking - notebook is in Standby mode.
■
LED off - notebook is off.
LCD panel release latch Open the LCD panel by pressing the release latch.
2
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Left side
Left side
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
USB ports
PC Card slot
Diskette drive
or memory
card reader
Component Icon Description
Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack.
Headphone jack Plug amplified speakers or headphones into this jack.
The built-in speakers are turned off when speakers or
headphones are plugged into this jack.
USB ports Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a
diskette drive, flash drive, Iomega™ Zip™ drive, printer,
scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse) into these ports.
PC Card slot Insert one Type II or one Type III PC Card into this slot.
For more information, see “Adding and removing a
PC Card” on page 240.
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3
Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway M305
Component Icon Description
Diskette drive or memory
card reader
Insert a standard 3.5-inch diskette into the optional
diskette drive. For more information, see “Using the
optional diskette drive” on page 129.
Insert a memory card from a digital camera, MP3 player,
PDA, or cellular telephone into the optional memory card
reader. For more information, see “Using the optional
memory card reader” on page 130.
Important: Your notebook comes with either a built-in
diskette drive or a built-in memory card reader. If your
notebook has a built-in memory card reader and you
need to use a diskette drive, Gateway recommends
purchasing a USB diskette drive. To order a USB diskette
drive, visit the Accessory Store at
accessories.gateway.com
.
4
www.gateway.com
Right side
Right side
CD, DVD, or
DVD/CD-RW drive
Kensington
lock slot
Component Icon Description
CD, DVD, or DVD/CD-RW
drive
Kensington™ lock slot Secure your notebook to an object by connecting a
Insert CDs or DVDs into this drive. For more information,
see “Using the CD or DVD drive” on page 85.
This drive may be a CD, DVD, or combination
DVD/CD-RW 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 85.
Kensington cable lock to this slot.
www.gateway.com
5
Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway M305
Back
Modem jack
Ethernet jack
Parallel
port
Power
connector
Monitor
port
Ventilation
fan
Component Icon Description
Modem jack Plug a modem cable into this jack. For more information,
see “Connecting the modem” on page 32.
Ethernet jack Plug a 10/100 Ethernet network cable into this jack. For
more information, see “Connecting to a wired Ethernet
network” on page 33 and “Networking Your Notebook”
on page 187.
Power connector Plug the AC adapter cable into this connector.
Parallel port Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this port.
Monitor port Plug an analog VGA monitor into this port.
Ventilation fan Helps cool internal components. Do not block or insert
objects into these slots.
6
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Bottom
System
label
Battery
bay
Bottom
Memory
bay cover
Reset hole
Battery latch
Hard drive bay
Component Icon Description
Memory bay Install as many as two memory modules into this bay. For more
information, see “Adding or replacing memory” on page 243.
Reset hole Insert a straightened paper clip into this hole to manually restart
the notebook.
Hard drive bay The hard drive is located in this bay. For more information, see
“Replacing the hard drive kit” on page 247.
Battery latch Slide to release the battery.
Battery bay Insert the battery into this bay. For more information, see
“Changing batteries” on page 153.
System label Includes the product model number. For more information, see
“Identifying your model” on page 10.
www.gateway.com
7
Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway M305
Keyboard area
For information on using your keyboard, see “Using the keyboard” on page 24.
Status
indicators
Power
button
Keyboard
Multi-function buttons
Touchpad
Component Icon Description
Multi-function buttons Press these buttons to open programs assigned to them.
These buttons are set to open your default e-mail
program, your default Web browser, online help, and the
My Computer window. For more information, see
“Multi-function buttons” on page 28.
Touchpad Provides all the functionality of a mouse. For more
information, see “Using the EZ Pad touchpad” on
page 29.
8
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Keyboard area
Component Icon Description
Keyboard Provides all the features of a full-sized, 86-key keyboard.
For more information, see “Using the keyboard” on
page 24.
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 settings” on page 157.
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 22.
www.gateway.com
9
Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway M305
Identifying your model
Important The labels shown in this section are for informational
purposes only. Label information varies by model, features
ordered, and location.
Gateway model number
The label on the bottom of your notebook contains information that identifies
your notebook model and its features. Gateway Technical Support will need this
information if you call for assistance.
Gateway
model
number
10
www.gateway.com
Identifying your model
Gateway serial number
You can locate the Gateway serial number:
■ Printed on a white sticker on the bottom or back of your notebook.
■ Printed on the customer invoice that came with your notebook. The
invoice also contains your customer ID number.
■ Displayed in Help and Support in Windows XP. Click Start, Help and
Support
, then click View product serial number.
Internal wireless label
A label similar to the following indicates your notebook contains a wireless
communications device. The label is located on the bottom of your notebook.
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.
www.gateway.com
11
Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway M305
Finding your specifications
For more information about your notebook, such as memory size, memory type,
and hard drive size, go to the
in Windows XP or visit Gateway’s eSupport page at support.gateway.com
eSupport page also has links to additional Gateway documentation and detailed
specifications.
See your PC’s configuration link in Help and Support
. The
In Windows XP, view your notebook’s serial number by clicking
Support
clicking
You can also find out more about your notebook at the Gateway eSupport site.
Visit support.gateway.com
page 40.
, then clicking View system serial number. Check your specifications by
Start, Help and Support, then clicking See your PC’s configuration.
. For more information, see “Using eSupport” on
Start, Help and
12
www.gateway.com
Accessories
Gateway offers accessories that can help you make the most of using your
notebook. To order accessories, visit the Accessory Store at
accessories.gateway.com
Batteries and automobile/airplane power adapters
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 153 for more information.
With an automobile/airplane power adapter, you can save battery power by
plugging your notebook into an automobile cigarette lighter or an airplane
in-flight power receptacle.
Carrying cases
Gateway has large-capacity carrying cases if you need additional space for
accessories or supplies.
Memory
Large programs, such as multimedia games or graphics 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 243 for
more information.
.
Accessories
Printers
You can attach almost any type of printer to your notebook. The most common
types are inkjet and laser printers, which print in color or black and white. See
“Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device” on page 34 for more
information about attaching a printer to your notebook.
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.
www.gateway.com
13
Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Gateway M305
14
www.gateway.com
Getting Started
This chapter provides basic information about your
Gateway notebook. Read this chapter to find out how to:
■ Connect the AC adapter
■ Start and turn off your notebook
■ Identify the status indicators
■ Use the keyboard
■ Use the EZ Pad touchpad
■ Connect the modem
■ Connect to an Ethernet network
■ Install peripheral devices
2
15
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Connecting the AC adapter
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 24 hours for the battery
to fully charge.
Important If the battery is not fully charged before you use your
notebook on battery power for the first time, the battery life
may be much shorter than you expect. If the battery life
seems short even after being charged for 24 hours, the
battery may need to be recalibrated. For more information,
see “Recalibrating the battery” on page 152.
To connect the AC adapter:
1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.
16
Warning Make sure that you use the AC adapter that 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.
www.gateway.com
Connecting the AC adapter
2 Connect the AC adapter to your notebook’s power connector.
3 Plug the power cord into a wall outlet.
The battery charge indicator turns on (see “Front” on page 2 for the
location of the battery charge indicator). If the battery charge indicator
does not turn on, unplug the adapter from your notebook, then plug it
back in.
4 When you finish using your notebook for the first time, turn your
notebook off and leave your notebook connected to AC power for at least
24 hours. The battery charge meter may not show a charge for several
hours. For more information about the battery charge meter on your
model, see “Monitoring the battery charge” on page 150.
5 If the battery charge meter does not show a full charge after 24 hours,
contact Gateway Technical Support at
support.gateway.com/support/ask_gateway.asp
Warning Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The
AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable
parts inside. The AC adapter has dangerous voltages that
can cause serious injury or death. Contact Gateway about
returning defective AC adapters.
www.gateway.com
.
17
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Protecting from power source problems
During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your notebook
can increase to far above normal levels and cause data loss or system damage.
Protect your notebook and peripheral devices by connecting them to a surge
protector, 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. Protect your
notebook 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/cable TV jack. During an
electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the
modem.
18
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Starting your notebook
To start your notebook:
1 Press the latch on the front of your notebook, then lift the LCD panel.
2 Press the power button located above the keyboard.
Power button
Starting your notebook
The power button is preset to On/Off mode. However, you can also set it
to function in Standby/Resume mode. For instructions on changing the
power button mode, see “Changing power settings” on page 157.
3 If you are starting your notebook for the first time, follow the on-screen
instructions to set up your notebook.
www.gateway.com
19
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Waking up your notebook
When you do not use your notebook for several minutes, or if you close the
LCD panel without turning your notebook off, it may enter a power-saving
mode called Standby. While in Standby, the power indicator flashes.
If your notebook is in Standby mode, pressing the power button to “wake” it
up. For more information on changing power-saving settings, see “Changing
power settings” on page 157.
Turning off your notebook
To turn off your notebook in Windows XP:
1 Click Start, then click Turn Off Computer. The Turn Off Computer dialog box
opens.
2 Click Turn Off. Windows shuts down and turns off your notebook.
To turn off your notebook in Windows 2000:
1 Click Start, then click Shut Down. The Shut Down Windows dialog box opens.
2 Click the arrow button to open the What do you want your computer to do
list, then click
Shut down.
3 Click OK. Windows shuts down and turns off your notebook.
Important If for some reason you cannot use the Turn Off Computer
or Shut Down Windows option in Windows to turn off your
notebook, press and hold the power button for about
five seconds, then release it.
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