Gateway ML6227, ML6230, ML6710, ML6720, ML6730 Quick Reference Guide

NOTEBOOK

REFERENCEGUIDE

®

Contents

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

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

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

Gateway contact information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Gateway model and serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

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

For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Chapter 2: Checking Out Your Note book. . . . . 5

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

Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Keyboard area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

LCD panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

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

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

Reducing eye strain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

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

Sitting at your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Avoiding discomfort and injury from repetitive strain . . 15

Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Connecting the dial-up modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Connecting to a broadband modem or network . . . . . . . . . .19

Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Restarting (rebooting) your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Using the status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Key types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

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Contents

System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Using the optional multimedia panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Using the optional webcam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Adjusting the brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

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

Turning your wireless radio on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

IEEE 802.11 wireless network radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Bluetooth radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Chapter 4: Using Drives and Accessories . . . . 41

Using the CD or DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Identifying drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Using a CD or DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Using the memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Memory card types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Inserting a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Using a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Removing a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Adding and removing a PC Card or Express Card . . . . . . . . . 45

Installing a printer or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Connecting a USB device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Connecting an IEEE 1394 device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Viewing the display on a projec tor or monitor . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Adjusting the display properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Using the projector or monitor fo r a presentation . . . . 53

Viewing the display on a television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Adjusting the television display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Ordering accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Chapter 5: Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Changing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Maximizing battery performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

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Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Changing notebook power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Changing the power plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Changing advanced settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Chapter 6: Traveling with Your Notebook. . . 69

Packing your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Traveling by air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Dial-up modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Radio frequency wireless connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Additional tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Chapter 7: Main taining Your Notebook . . . . . 75

Caring for your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Cleaning your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Cleaning the notebook screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Maintaining the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

Storing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

Cleaning CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Recovering your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Recovering pre-installed software and drivers . . . . . . . .80

Using Microsoft System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Recovering your system to its f actory condition . . . . . . .89

Recovering your system using the WindowsDVD . . . . . .90

Chapter 8: Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . 93

Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

Adding or replacing memory modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Replacing the hard drive kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

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Contents

Chapter 9: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

CD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Diskette drive (external) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Express Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Modem (cable or DSL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Modem (dial-up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Networks (wired) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Networks (wireless) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Before calling Gateway Customer Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Appendix A: Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . 131

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

iv

CHAPTER1

About This R eference

• About this guide

• Accessing your online Us er Guide

• Gateway contact information

• Micro soft C ertificat e of Aut henticity

• For more information

1

CHAPTER 1: About This Reference

About this guide

This guide includes information and maintenance instructions
that are specific to your model of Gateway notebook. For all
other notebook information, see your online User Gui de.

Acces sing your online Us er Guide

In addition to this guide, your online User Guide has been
included on your hard drive. Your User Guide is an in-depth,
easy-to-read manual that includes information on the
foll o wi ng to pi c s:

• Help and technical support

• Using and customizing Windows and other software

• Using the Internet

• Protecting your files

• Playing and rec ording media

• Networking

To access your online User G uide:

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

Documentation.

Gate wa y contac t infor mation

Important

The labels shown in this sec tion ar e for informational purposes onl y. Label

information varies by model, features ordered, and location.

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Gate w ay mo del and ser ial number

The label on the bot tom of y our notebook contains inf ormation
that identifies your notebook model and its featur es. Gateway
Customer Care will need this information if you call for
assistance.

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

Micr osof t Cer tificate of Authenticity

The Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity label found on the
bottom of your notebook includes the product key code for
you r op er at in g sys tem .

For more information

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

or the Web addre ss sho wn

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CHAPTER 1: About This Reference

4

CHAPTER2

Checking Out Y our Not ebook

• Front

• Left

• Right

• Back

• Bottom

• Keyboard area

• LC D panel

5

Front

CHAPTER2: Checking Out Your Notebook

LCD panel release latch

Speaker

Batter y ch arg e i nd i c ato r

Powe r i nd i c ato r

Headphone jack

Microphone jack

Speaker

Component Icon Description

LCD panel release
latch

Speakers Provide audio output when headphones or

Battery charge
indicator

Powe r in d i ca to r

Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack. The optional

Headphone jack Plug amplified s peak ers or he adphones int o this

Slide to open the LCD panel.

amplified speakers are not plugged in.

■

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.
Important: This LED only lights up when your
notebook is connected to AC power or the
battery charge is very low.

■

LED on - Notebo ok is on.

■

LED blinking - Notebook is in Sleep or Hybrid

Sleep mode.

■

LED off - Notebook is off.

built-in microphone is turned off while an
external microphone is connected.

jack. The built-in speakers are turned off when
speakers or headphones are plugged into this
jack.

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Kensington lock

slot

S-Video out
jack

Ventilation fan

CD or DVD drive

Component Icon Description

Kensington™
lock slot

S-Video out jack
(optional)

Ventilation fan Helps cool internal components.

CD or DVD drive Insert CDs or DVDs into this drive. For more

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

Plug an S-V i deo device, such as a t e levision, into
this optional jack. For more information, see

“Viewin g the displa y on a t ele v ision ” on page54.

Warning: Do not work with the notebook
resting on your lap. If the air vents are blocked,
the notebook may become hot enough to harm
your s ki n.
Caution: Do not block or insert objects into
these slots. If these slots are blocked, your
notebook ma y ov erheat re sulting in unex pect ed
shutdown or permanent damage to the
notebook.
Caution: Provide adequate space around your
notebook s o air v ent s are not ob struc t ed. D o not
use the notebook on a bed, sofa, rug, or other
similar surface.

information, see “Using the CD or DVD dri v e ” on

page 42. To determine the type of drive in your

notebook, e x amine th e dri v e tray’s plastic co v er
and compare the logo to those listed in

“Identifying drive types” on page 42.

7

Right

CHAPTER2: Checking Out Your Notebook

Important

Port or jack location may vary by notebook model.

USB port s

Modem jack

PCCard or
Express C ard slot

IEEE 1394
port

USB port s

Memo ry ca rd rea de r

Ethernet jack

Component Icon Description

USB p ort s Plug USB devices (such as a diskette drive, flash

PCCard o r
Express C ard slot

IEEE 1394 port
(optional)

Memory card
reader

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

Insert one Type II PC Card or Type 54
Express Card into this slot. For more information,
see “Adding and removing a PC Card or

ExpressCard” on page 45.

Plug an IEEE1394 (also known as Firewire® or
i.Link®) device (such as a digital camcorder or
MP3 player) into this optional 4-pin IEEE 1394
port.

Insert a memo ry ca rd from a digi tal ca mera,
MP3 player, PDA, or cellular tele phon e into the
memory card reader. For more information, see

“Using the memory card read er” on page 44.

The memory card reader supports Memory

®

, Memory Stick Pr o®, Mini Secure Digital®,

Stick
MultiMediaCard™, RS-MultiMediaCard™, and
Secure Digit al™ cards .

Ethernet jack Plug an Ethernet network cable into this jack.

Modem jack Plug a dial-up modem cable into this jack. For

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 broadband modem or
network” on pag e 19 .

more information , see “Connecting the dial-up

modem” on page 18.

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Power connector

Component Icon Description

Powe r co n n e cto r Plug the AC adapter cabl e in to this conn ector.
Monitor port Plug an analog VGA mo nitor or projec tor int o this

port. For mo re informat ion, see “Viewing the

display on a projector or monitor” on page50.

Monitor port

9

Bottom

CHAPTER2: Checking Out Your Notebook

Batter y la tch

Customer
care lab el

Hard drive

bay

Battery

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

Batter y l ock

Component Icon Description

Hard drive
bay

Customer
Care label

Memory bay Memory modules are located in this bay. For more

The hard drive is located in this bay. For more
information, see “Replacing the hard drive kit” on

page 100.

Includes the Customer Care contact information. For
more information, see “Gateway contact information”

on page2.

information, see “Adding or replacing memory

modules” on page95.

Memory
bay

Battery latch Slide to release the battery. For more information, see

“Changing the battery” on page 61.

Battery Provide s powe r when the not ebook is not plugged int o

AC power.

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

“Changing the battery” on page 61.

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Keyboard area

Multimedia

panel

Keyboard

Status indicators

Touchpad

Power
button

Microphone

Component Icon Description

Keyboard Provides all the features of a full-sized, computer

Multimedia
panel
(optional)

Power bu tton Press t o turn t he powe r on or off . Y o u can also conf igure

keyboard. For more information, see “Using the

keybo ard ” on pa ge 24.

Use to control playback of CDs and DVDs. The panel
includes v olume con trol bu tt ons. For more inf ormation,
see “Using the optional multimedia panel” on page 31.

the power button for Sleep/Resume mode. For more
information on configuring the power button mode,
see “Changing advanced settings” on page67.

Microphone
(optional)

Touchpad Provides all the functionality of a mouse. For more

Status
indicators

Record audio through this microphone or use it to talk
through when making Voice over Internet Protocol
(VoIP) calls. The built-in microphone is tur ne d off while
an external microphone is connected. For the location
of your microphone jack, see “Front” on page6.

information, see “Using the EZ Pad touchpad” on

page 28.

Inform you when a driv e is in use or when a butt on has
been press ed that af f ects ho w the k e ybo ard is us ed. Fo r
more information, see “Using the status indicators” on

page 23.

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CHAPTER2: Checking Out Your Notebook

L CD panel

Component Icon Description

Webcam

Webcam
(optional)

Use to le t othe rs see w ho the y ar e communic ating w ith
when making VoIP calls. The Webcam status indicator
turns on when the Webcam is turned on. For more
information, see “Using the optional webcam” on

page 32.

12

CHAPTER3

Setting Up and Getting Star ted

• Working saf ely and comf ort ably

• Connecting t he AC adapter

• Connecting the dial-up modem

• Connecting to a br oadband modem or

network

• Starting your not ebook

• T urning of f yo ur notebook

• Rest arting (rebooting) y our notebook

• Using the status indicators

• Using the keyboard

• Using the EZPad t ouchpad

• Using the optional multimedia panel

• Using the optional webcam

• Adjusting the brightness

• Adjusting the volume

• T urning y our wirele ss radio on or of f

13

CHAPTER3 : Setting Up and Getting Started

Wo rking safel y and comfortably

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

• Keep hands and arms parallel to the floor.

• Adjust the screen so it is perpendicular to your line of

sight.

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

• Although notebooks are so meti mes c alled “l aptop s,” do

not use your note book while it rests on your unprotected
lap. Notebook operating temperature s can become quite
high, increasing the risk of burns to your legs. Instead,
use a laptop desk to protect your legs.

• Do not use the notebook on any soft, conforming

surface, such as your lap, a blanket, carpet, or a sofa. Soft
surfaces ca n block your not ebook’s v entilation openings,
leading to overheating, permanent damage to your
notebook, and fire danger. Instead, place your notebook
on a rigid, hard surface, and make sure that you keep the
ventilation openings on the sides clear.

Warning

Do not use your notebook on a soft surface, such as your lap, a
blanket, carpet, or a sofa. You must keep your notebook’s ventilation
openings clear of obstructions, or your notebook may overheat,
increasing the risk of fire and personal injury.

Reduc ing e y e strain

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

• Position the comput er desk and screen so you can avoid

glare on your screen and light shining directly into your
eyes. Reduce glare by installing shades or curtains on
windows, and by installing a glare screen filte r.

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

your notebook in a dark room.

• Avoid f ocusing y our eye s on your screen f or long periods

of time. Every 10 or 15 minutes, look around the room,
and try to focus on distant objects.

• Where feasible, keep your head vertical while looking at

the screen. If you use an external keyboard, raise the
notebook so the top of its screen is no higher than eye
level.

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Setting up your comp uter de sk and chair

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

• Select a flat surface for your computer desk.

• Adjust the height of the computer desk so your hands

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

• Use an adjustable chair that is comfortable, distributes

your weight evenly, and keeps your body relaxed.

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

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

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

or use a footrest to distribute your weight evenl y on the
chair and relieve pressure on the back of your thighs.

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

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

Sitting a t your not ebook

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

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

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

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

• Take breaks to stand and stretch your legs.

• Avoid twisting your torso or neck.

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

• Vary your activities to avoid excessive repetition.

• Take breaks to change your position, stretch your

muscles, and relieve your eyes.

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

variety of tasks.

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CHAPTER3 : Setting Up and Getting Started

Connec ting the A C adapter

You can run your notebook using an AC adapter or your
noteb oo k’s batte ry. Th e batte ry was sh ipp ed to yo u pa rtia lly
charged. You should use the ACadapter right away to fully
charge the battery. Allow three hours for the battery to fully
charge.

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 t hat can cau se seriou s injury or deat h. C ontac t Gat ew a y about retu rning
defective AC adapters.

Caution

Make su re th a t you use th e AC ad ap te r th a t c a me w ith yo ur n ote bo o k o r
one of the same type purchased from Gateway. Replace the power cord if it
becomes damaged. T h e r eplac eme nt cor d must be of the same type and v ol tag e
rating as the original cord or your notebook may be damaged.

Important

If the bat t ery is n ot fu ll y c har ged before yo u u se y our n ot eb ook on bat t e ry
powe r for the fir s t ti me, the ba ttery li fe may be mu ch s ho rte r tha n yo u e xp ect .
If the battery life seems short even after being charged fo r threehours, the

battery may need to be recali brate d. For inf orma tion on r ecali brating t he battery,

see “Recalibrating the battery” on page62.

To connect the AC adapter:

1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.

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2 Conn ect the AC adap ter to yo ur no tebo ok’s pow er

connector.

3 Plug the powe r c ord in to a wal l ou tl et. The ba tter y

charge ind icator turn s on (see “Front” on page 6 for the
location of the b attery charge indica tor) . If the battery
charge indicator does not turn on, complete the
following steps until it turns on:

• Unpl ug the adapter from your notebook, then plug

it back in.

• Press FN+F1 to tog gle th e s ta tus li gh ts on a nd o ff.

• Ma ke sure the p ower cord i s firmly att ached to the

ACadapter.

• P lug th e po wer cord i nto a di ffere nt wa ll ou tle t.

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

turn off your notebook and leave your notebook
connected to ACpower until the battery charge indicator
turns blue.

Important

If the bat tery c har ge indica tor does n ot turn blue a ft er thr ee hours,
contact Gateway Customer Care at the location shown on the Customer
Care label. For more information, see “Gateway contact information” on

page2.

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CHAPTER3 : Setting Up and Getting Started

Prot ecting f rom po wer s ource pr oblems

During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming
into you r no teb oo k c an in crease to level s fa r a bove no rma l
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 a nd prevents
them from reaching your notebook.

Warning

High voltages can enter your notebook through both the power cord and
the modem conne ction. To protect your notebook and avoid electrical sh ock, use
a surge protector. If you ha ve 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 mode m.

Connec ting the dial-up modem

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

Warning

To reduce the risk of fire, use only No. 26 AWG or larger (for example, No.
24 AWG) UL-listed or CSA-certified telecommunication line cord fo r your dial-up
modem connection.

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To connect the modem:

1 Insert one end of the modem cable into the modem

jack on your notebook.

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

wall jack.

Important

The modem will not work with digital or PBX telephone lines.

Connec ting to a br oadband modem or netw ork

Y our notebook has a network jac k that you can use t o connect
to a cable or DSL modem or to a wired Ethernet network.

To connect to a cable or DSL modem or to a wir ed

Ethernet network:

1 Insert one end of the network cable into the network

jack on your notebook.

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

modem, DSL modem, or Ethernet network jack.

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CHAPTER3 : Setting Up and Getting Started

Starting y our notebook

Warning

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

Caution

Provide adequate space around your notebook so air vents are not
obstructed. Do not use the notebook on a bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface.

To start your notebook:

1 Slide the latch on the fr ont of your notebook, t hen lift the

LCD panel.

2 Press the powe r b utto n l oc ated ab ove t he keybo ard .

20

Tip

For more information about changing the power button mode,

see “Changing advanced settings” on page67.

3 If you are starting your not ebook for the f irst time, f ollow

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

4 Attach and turn on any peripheral devices, such as

printers, scanners, and speakers.

Tip

For more information about connecting peripheral devices, see

“Installing a printer or other peripheral device” on page 48.

Tip

See the documentation that came with each device for its setup

instructions.

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5 To open the main menu, click (Start). From that

menu, you can run programs and search for files. For
more information on using Windows, see “Using
Windows” and “Customizing Windows” in your online
User Gu ide.

Waking up y our not ebook

When you hav e not us ed y our not ebook for sev er al minute s or
if you close the LCD panel without turning off your notebook,
it may enter a power-saving mode called Sleep. While in Sleep
mode, the power i ndicator f la shes. If y our not ebook is in Sleep
mode, press the power button to “wake” it up.

Tip

For more information about Sleep mode, see “Changing power modes” on

page64.

T ur ning off y our notebook

Putti ng you r no teb ook into S lee p mo de i s the easi est way to
power down your notebook. Although it does not turn your
notebook completely off, it turns off or slows down most
system operations to save power. Sleep mode saves your
desktop layout so the next time you restore power, the
programs are laid out just as you left them. Waking your
noteb oo k fro m a Sl ee p s ta te is mu ch fa ster th an t ur nin g o n
your n oteb ook after it has be en tu rne d co mpl etely o ff.

Hibernate mode is an alternative to Sleep mode. In Hibernate
mode, your not ebook is turned completely of f . When y ou wak e
your notebook from Hibernate mode, however, the programs
that were running when your notebook entered Hibernate
mode are running just as you left them.

To put your notebook to sleep:

• Click (Start), t hen c lic k (pow er). The not eboo k

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

-OR­Press F

N+F3.

Tip

You can change the Sleep mode from the standard Sleep mode (default)
to Hybrid Sleep. For more information about Sleep mode, see “Changing power

modes” on page64.

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CHAPTER3 : Setting Up and Getting Started

To put your notebook into hibernation:

• Click (Start), click t he arro w nex t to t he lock icon , then

click Hibernate. The notebo ok saves your session and
shuts down to save power.

To turn off your notebook:

• Click (Start), click t he arro w nex t to t he lock icon , then

click Shut Down. The notebook turns off.

Important

If for some reason you cannot use the Shut Down option in
Windows t o turn of f y our not e book, press and hold the powe r but t on for
about five seconds, then release it.

Re starting (rebooting) y our notebook

If your notebook does not respond to keyboard, touchpad, or
mouse input, you may have to close programs that are not
responding. If closing unre sponsive pr ograms does not r est ore
your notebook to normal operation, you may have to restart
(reboot) your notebook.

To close unresponsive programs on your notebook:

1 Press CTRL+ALT+DEL.
2 Click Start Task Manager. The Windows Task Manager

dialog box opens.

3 Click the program that is not responding.
4 Click End Task.
5 Click X in the top-right corner of the Windows Task

Manager dialog box.

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To restart your notebook:

• Click (Start), click the arro w next t o the lock icon, the n

click Restart. The notebook turns off, then turns on
again.

Important

If your notebook d oes no t turn off immed iately, complete the
following steps until the notebook turns off:

1. Pr es s an d h old t he power button f or about fi v e se cond s, t hen re lea se it.

2. Unplug the power cord and remove the battery for more than 10
seconds.

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A

1

Using t he status indicators

Important

If none of the indicators are on, you may need to press FN+F1 to toggle

the status indicators on.

Status indicators inform you when a drive is being used or
when a button has been pres sed that aff ects how t he ke yboard
is used. The status indicators are located below the touchpad.

Wireless
network

Caps lock

Disc drive

Num lock

Indicator Icon Description

Wireless
network

Caps lock

Num lock

Disc drive

Hard drive

■

LED on - Optional wireless IEEE

802.11 radio is turn ed on.

■

LED off - Optional wireless IEEE

802.11 radio is turned off.

■

LED on - Capslock is turned on.

■

LED off - Capslock is turned off.

■

LED on - Numeric keypad is turned
on.

■

LED off - Numeric keypad is turned
off.

■

LED on - Drive is in use.

■

LED off - Drive is not in use.

■

LED blinking - Hard drive is being
accessed.

■

LED off - Hard drive is not being
accessed.

Hard drive

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CHAPTER3 : Setting Up and Getting Started

1

Using t he ke yboar d

Y our notebook features a full-si ze ke yboard that functions the
same as a desktop computer keyboard. Many of the keys have
been assigned alternate functions, including shortcut keys for
Windows, function k e ys f or specif ic syst em operations, and the
Nu m Lo c k key s fo r t h e n um e ri c key pa d .

Function keys/

System keys

Numeric

keypad

FN

key

Navigation
keys

Key types

Windows key

Application key

Arrow keys

Tip

Y ou can at tac h an ex t ernal keyboard to the not ebook u sing a U SB port. You

do not need to shut down the notebook to connect a USB keyboard.

The keyboard has several different types of keys. Some keys
perform spec ific ac tions when pr es sed alone and other ac tions
when pressed in combination with another key.

Key t yp e Icon Description

Numeric keypad Use these keys to type numbers

Function keys Press these keys labeled F1 to F12

when the numeric keypad is turned
on. Press FN+ to turn on the
numeric keypad.

to perform actions in programs. For
example, pressing F1 may open
help.
Each program uses different
function keys for different
purposes. See the program
documentation to find out more
about the function key actions.

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