Gateway M460 User Manual 2

Gateway Notebook

User Guide

Contents

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

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

Using eSupport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

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

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

Using Your Computer guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Gateway model and serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Finding your specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

3Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Installing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Connecting the dial-up modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to an Ethernet ne twork . . . . . . 26

Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Restarting (rebooting) your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Key types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Using the optional EZ Point pointing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

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Replacing the EZ Point pointing device cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Turning the touchpad or pointing device on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Turning your wireless radio on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

4 Using Drives and Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Changing modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Using the CD or DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Identifying drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Playing a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Creating CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Using the memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Memory card types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Inserting a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Adding and removing a PC Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Viewing the display on a projector or monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Viewing the display on a television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

5 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Recalibrating the batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Replacing the main battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Installing a secondary battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

6 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Adding or replacing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Replacing the hard drive kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

7 Using the Optional Port Replicator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Connecting to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

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Attaching to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Disconnecting from the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Securing your port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

8 Maintaining Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Caring for your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Cleaning your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Cleaning the notebook screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Cleaning CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Updating Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Restoring your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

9 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

CD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

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

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

Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Modem (dial-up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Pointing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Touchpad or pointing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

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Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Before calling Gateway Customer Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123

Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123

Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123

A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

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Chapter 1

Getting Help

• Using the Gatewa y We b site

• Using Help and Support

• 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 we ek
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

.

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Chapter 1: Getting Help

Using eSupport

The eSupport site is divided into five major areas:

■ Support H ome

■ Product Support

■ Downloads

■ Contact Us

■ PC Too ls

Support Home

Click Suppor t Home, then click All Support Documents to access product
documentation, specifications, and guides. You can also browse through
the reference area to locate an article specific to the question you have.

Click

Support Home, then click General Tutorials to access an extensive

library of how-to articles and videos on topics, such as making audio CDs
and installing a hard drive.

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
a step-by-step wizard to locate your drivers.

All Downloads to walk through

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 121.

Call Us to get a list of Gateway telephone

PC T ools

Click PC Tools to access utilities to help you manage your notebook.

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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.

Using Your Computer 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.

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Online help

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

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.

Help button.

Help

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Chapter 1: Getting 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

Speaker

LCD panel
release
latch

Battery
charge
indicator

Headphone jack

Microphone jack

Powe r i nd i ca to r

Speaker

Component Icon Description

Speakers Provide audio output when headphones or amplified

speakers are not plugged in.

LCD panel release
latch

Battery charge
indicator

Pow er i n d ic a t or

Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack. The built-in

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

Open the LCD panel by sliding the release latch.

■

LED blue - battery is fully charged.

■

LED purple - battery is charging.

■

LED blinking red - battery charge is very low.

■

LED solid red - battery is malfunctioning.

■

LED on - notebook is on.

■

LED blinking - notebook is in Standby mode.

■

LED off - notebook is off.

microphone is turned off when a microphone is
plugged into this jack. For the location of your built-in
microphone, see “Keyboard area” on page 15.

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

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Left side

Left side

Kensington lock sl ot

S-Video out jack

Ventilation fan

Modular bay

Component Icon Description

Kensington™
lock slot

S-Video out
jack

Ventilation fan Helps cool internal components.

Modular bay Use this bay f or a secondary battery , a CD drive , D VD/CD-RW

Secure your notebook to an object by connecting a
Kensington cable lock to this slot.

Plug a standard S-Video cable into this jack. For more
information, see “Viewing the display on a television” on

page 57.

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.

drive, recordable DVD drive, a diskette drive, or a second hard
drive. For more information, see “Changing modules” on

page 46. To determine the type of drive in the modular bay,

examine the drive tray’s plastic cover and compare the logo
to those listed in “Identifying drive types” on page 48.

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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook

Right side

PC C ard slot

Memory
card reader

IEEE 1394 port

USB ports

Ethernet jack

USB ports

Modem jack

Component Icon Description

PC Card slot Insert one Type II PC Card into this slot. For more

information, see “Adding and removing a PC Card” on

page 52.

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

device (such as a digital camcorder) into this 4-pin
IEEE 1394 por t.

Memory card
reader

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

Insert a memory card from a digital camera, MP3 player,
PDA, or cellular tel ephone into the memory card reader . For
more information, see “Using the memory card reader” on

page 51. The memory card reader supports Memory

®

, Memory Stick Pro®, MultiMediaCard™, and Secure

Stick
Digital™.

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

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Component Icon Description

Ethernet jack Plug a 10/100/1000 Ethernet network cable into this jack.

The other end of the cable can be plugged into a cable
modem, DSL modem, or an Ethernet network jack. For
more information, see “Connecting to a cable or DSL

modem or to an Ethernet network” on page 26.

Modem jack Plug a modem cable into this jack. For more information,

see “Connecting the dial-up modem” on page 25.

Back

Monitor portPower connector

Back

Component Icon Description

Power
connector

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

Plug the AC adapter cable into this connector.

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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook

Bottom

Docking port

Battery

Battery

Battery

lock

latch

Memory
bay

Website:
Online Support:
Tech Support Phone:
Hours:
Model:
S/No:

System
label

Hard
drive

bay

Modular
bay
latch

Component Description

Battery Provides power when the notebook is not plugged into AC power.
Docking port Connect the port replicator to this port.

Warning: Power is passed through this port. This dockin g connecti on
is certified to UL 1950 for use only with port replicators designed for
your Gateway notebook.

Battery latch Slide to release the battery. For more infor mation, see “Changing

batteries” on page 65.

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 77.

Modular bay

Slide this latch to release the bay module.

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

“Identifyi ng your mode l” on page 17.

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Keyboard area

Component Description

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

“Adding or replacing memory” on page 73.

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

batteries” on page 65.

Ke yboard area

Power
button

Optional

EZ Point

pointing

device

Status
indicators

Touchpad

Keyboard

Microphone

Optional
EZ Point
pointing
device
buttons

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.

Using Your Computer

Keyboard Provides all the features of a full-sized, 86-key keyboard. For

more information, see “Using the keyboard” on page 31.

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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook

Component Icon Description

Microphone Record audio through this microphone. The built-in

microphone is turned off while an external microphone is
connected. For the location of your microphone jack, see

“Front” on page 10 and “Back” on page 100.

TM

EZ Point
pointing
device
buttons
(optional)

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

Provides all the functionality of mouse buttons. For more
information, see “Using the opt ional E Z Point pointing de vi ce ”

on page 38.

see “Using the EZ Pad touchpad” on page 35.

Status
indicators

EZ Point
pointing
device
(optional)

TM

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 30.

Provides all th e functionality of a mouse. F or more inf ormation,
see “Using the optional EZ Point pointing device” on page 38.

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Identifying your model

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.

Website: www.gateway.com
Online Support: www.gateway.com/support
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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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook

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 65 for more information
about using an additional main battery and a secondary battery in your
notebook.

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 73 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 81 for more information about using a port replicator

with your notebook.

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Accessories

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.

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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook

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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, the EZ Pad touchpad,
and the optional EZ Point pointing device

• 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 battery, see “Recalibrating the batteries”

on page 63.

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Connecting the AC adap ter

To connect the AC adapter:

1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.

Caution Make sure that you us e 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.

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 indicator turns on (see “Front” on page 10 for the location
of the power indicator). If the power 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 off your

notebook and leave your notebook connected to AC power until the
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 o ltages that
can cause serious inju ry or death. Contact Gate wa y abo ut
returning defective AC adapters.

Important If the 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 far above normal levels and cause data loss or
system damage. Protect your notebook 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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