Gateway ProfileTM 5 User Manual

Download

your Gateway Profile

™

user'sguide

Customizing

Troubleshooting

1 Checking Out Your Gateway Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Gateway model number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Gateway serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Finding your specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Working safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Reducing eye strain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Setting up your computer desk and chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Setting up your computer and computer accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Sitting at your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Avoiding discomfort and injury from repetitive strain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Starting your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Turning off your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Restarting (rebooting) your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Using the cord cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Locking your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Standard keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Multifunction keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Special-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Wireless keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Using the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Computer display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

External controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

OSD options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

3Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Help and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Searching for a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Using eSupport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

4 Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Using the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Adding icons to the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Identifying window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Viewing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Creating folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Using the Windows Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

5 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

6 Using Multimedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Using the diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Using the CD or DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Identifying drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Adjusting the volume in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Adjusting the volume in Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Listening to CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Listening to CDs in Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Listening to CDs in Windows 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Playing audio and video files with the Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Creating MP3 music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Changing the music library display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Listening to Internet radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Using advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Creating CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Copying a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Creating a data CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Copying music tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Creating a music CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Connecting a digital camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Connecting a digital video camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Creating video DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

7 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Installing and configuring Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Installing Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Configuring Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Sending a simple fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Setting up your cover page template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Faxing a scanned document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Canceling a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Automatically retry sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Automatically cancelling a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

8 Customizing Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Adjusting the screen resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Changing the colors on your Windows desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

iii

Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138

Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

Changing the mouse settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143

Adding and modifying user accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145

Power management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

Using power saving modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148

Changing power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148

Changing the power scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

Changing advanced power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150

Activating and using Hibernate mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152

Setting up an uninterruptible power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

9 Networking Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

Benefits of networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158

Sharing a single Internet connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158

Sharing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158

Sharing peripheral devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

Streaming audio and video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

Playing multi-player games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

Selecting a network connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

Wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

Wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

Using a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161

Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, or Gigabit Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161

Example wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162

Equipment you need for a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

Using a wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164

Example access point wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164

Equipment you need fo r an access point wireles s Ethernet network . . . . . . .165

Example peer-to-peer wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167

Equipment you need fo r a peer-to-peer wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . .168

Installing and configuring your notebook for Ethernet networking . . . . . . . . .168

Turning your wireless Ethernet emitter on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

10 Moving from Your Old Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171

Using the Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172

Transferring files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

Finding your files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

Transferring Internet settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175

Setting up your ISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175

Transferring your e-mail and address book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176

Transferring your Internet shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176

Installing your old printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Installing a USB printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Installing a parallel port printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Installing your old programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

11 Maintaining Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

Creating an emergency startup diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Using Disk Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Checking the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Using the Scheduled Task Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Cleaning the computer display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

12 Restoring Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Using the Restoration CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Reinstalling device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Updating device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Reinstalling programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Reinstalling Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

13 Upgrading Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Adding and removing PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

Adding a PC Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

Removing a PC Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Selecting a place to work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

Gathering the tools you need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

Opening the computer case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

Closing the computer case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

Replacing the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Installing or replacing DIMM memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Using the BIOS Setup utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

14 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227

Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228

First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229

Software support tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231

CD, DVD, or recordable drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231

Cleaning CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233

Computer display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234

Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235

File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236

Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237

Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239

Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240

Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247

Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248

Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250

Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251

Before calling Gateway Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251

Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252

Tutoring and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253

Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253

Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253

Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254

A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255

Checking Out

Your Gateway

Profile

This chapter introduces you to the basic features of your computer. Read this chapter to learn:

■ How to identify the features of your Gateway Profile

computer

■ How to locate your co mputer’s model and serial

number

■ How to locate the Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

■ How to locate the specifications for your computer

■ What accessories are ava ilable for your computer

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Profile

Front

Display controls

Speaker

Microphone jack

Headphone jack

Diskette drive

Vol u me c o n tr o l buttons

www.gateway.com

CD/DVD/ Recordable drive

Power button

Speaker

Component Icon Description

Speakers Provide stereo audio output when headphones or amplified

speakers are not plugged in.

Diskette drive Use this drive to store smaller files on diskettes. For more

information, see “Using the diskette drive” on page 74.

Headphone jack Plug headphones into this jack.

Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack to record sound.

Front

Volume control buttons

CD/DVD/Recordable drive

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

Display controls Use these controls t o enter th e OSD (on-s creen d isplay) a nd

Press these buttons to adjust speaker volume.

Use this drive to listen to audio CDs, install games and programs, watch DV Ds, and store la rge fil es onto record able CDs or DVDs. For more information, see “Using the CD or

DVD drive” on page 76 and “Creating CDs and DVDs” on page 100.

This drive may be a CD, DVD/CD-RW, or DVD-RW drive. To identify your drive type and for more information about your drive, see “Identifying drive types” on page 76.

configure the power button to operate in Standby/Resume mode or Hibernate mode. For mo re information on changing the power button setting, see “Changing the power scheme”

on page 149.

adjust the computer display settings. For more information about the computer d isplay and OSD , see “Computer display”

on page 27.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Profile

PS/2

Back

Monitor out port

Modem jack

Ethernet jack

USB ports

Audio input jack

Microphone jack

Audio output jack

mouse port

PS/2 keyboard port

Parallel port

Serial port

Monitor in port

Power connector

www.gateway.com

Component Icon Description

Back

Monitor (VGA) out port

Ethernet jack Plug a 10/100 Ethernet network cable or a device (such as a

Audio line in jack Plug an external a udio inpu t source (suc h as a stereo ) into this

PS/2 mouse port Plug a Personal System/2

Parallel port Plug a parallel device (s uch as a printer) into this port . For more

Modem jack Plug a modem cable into this jack.

USB ports Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a USB

Audio line out jack Line out. Plug an external audio output source (such as

Plug an additional monitor into this port.

DSL or cable modem for a broadba nd Internet co nnection) int o this jack. For more information, see “Using the Internet” on

page 63.

jack so you can record sound on your computer.

(PS/2) mou se into t his port.

information, see “Installing a printer, scanner, or other

peripheral device” on page 31.

Iomega™ Zip™ drive, printer, scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse) into these ports. For more information, see “Installing

a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device” on page31.

external sp eakers ) into thi s jack.

Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack to record sound.

PS/2 keyboard port Plug a Personal System/2

Serial port Plug a serial device (such as a digital camera) into this port.

For more information, see “Ins talling a printer , scanner , or other

peripheral device” on page 31.

Monitor (VGA) in port

Power connector Plug the power cable into this connector.

Plug an external video source into this port.

www.gateway.com

(PS/2) key board in to this po rt.

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Profile

Right side

PC Card slot

IEEE 1394 por (4-pin)

IEEE 1394 por (6-pin)

USB ports

Component Icon Description

PC C ard slot Insert a Type I or Type II PC Card into this slot. For more

information, see “Adding and removing PC Cards” on page 212

IEEE 1394 ports Plug IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire

(such as a digital video camera) into these 4-pin and 6-pin IEEE 1394 ports. For more information, see “Installing a printer ,

scanner, or other peripheral device” on page 31.

USB ports Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a USB

Iomega™ Zip™ drive, printer, scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse) into these ports. For more information, see “Installing

a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device” on page31.

www.gateway.com

or i.Link®) devices

Identifying your model

Important The labels shown in this section are for informational

purposes only . Label information varie s by model, featur es ordered, and location.

Gateway model number

The label located underneath the computer case contains information that identifies your computer model. Gateway Technical Support will need this information if you call for assistance.

Gateway serial number

You can locate the Gateway serial n umber:

■ Printed on the system label located underneath the computer case.

Identifying your mo del

■ Printed on the customer invoice that came with your computer. The

invoice will also contain your customer ID number.

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

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

www.gateway.com

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Profile

Finding your specifications

For more information about your computer , such as memory size, memory type , and hard drive size, go to the Gateway’s eSupport page at support.gateway.com links to additional Gateway documentation and detailed specifications. For more information, see “Using eSupport” on page 36.

My Computer Info link in Help and Support or visit

. The eSupport page also has

www.gateway.com

Accessories

Gateway offers accessories that can help you make the most of using your computer. To order accessories, visit the Accessory Superstore at

accessories.gateway.com

Home networking kit

With a home networking kit, you can network, or “link”, two or more computers in your home. After you have set up a home network, you can access the files, drives, and printers on linked computers, play multiplayer games, and even share one Internet connection.

Two types of home networking kits are available. Wireless home networking kits use radio frequency to link your computers wirelessly. Ethernet home networking kits use network cabling to link your computers.

Imaging equipment

A digital camera lets you take pictures that you can view and edit on your computer.

A digital video camera lets you take movies that you can view and edit on your computer and save to a CD- RW disc.

Accessories

A scanner copies an image, such as a graphic or document, then stores the copy in a file.

You can attach your digital photographs or scanned images to e-mail messages or post them on a Web site.

Printers

You can attach many types of printers to your computer. 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 31 for more

information about attaching a printer to your computer. Inkjet printers and cartridges are relatively inexpensive, but usually they are

slower than laser printers. Using an inkj et color print er, you can print pictures, banners, and greeting cards, as well as documents.

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

www.gateway.com

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Profile

Storage Devices

If you need additional storage space or you want to back up your files, you can add storage devices to you comput er.

With a CD-ReWritable (CD-RW) drive, you can free up hard drive space by backing up files, then removing them from your h ard drive. The inexpe nsive discs for CD-RW drives can hold as much as 700 MB of data. CD-RW drives can write to either CD-R or CD-RW discs. You can write to CD-R discs just one time. You can write to and erase CD-RW discs multiple times. For more information, see “Creatin g CDs and DVDs” on page 100 .

Iomega Zip drives, like diskette drives, use disks to store data. Zip disks can store 100 MB, 250 MB, or 750 MB of data. You can use a Zip drive to back up files you do not use so you can remove them from your hard drive. Zip drives also provide an easy way to transfer files between computers.

If you need to back up your entire system, you probably need a tape backup (TBU) drive. TBU drives, like tape recorders, use magnetic tape cartridges to store data. Tape drive cartridges can store 2 GB, 20 GB, 40 GB , or even 130 GB or more of data.

If you want to increase your internal storage space, replace your existing hard drive with a larger drive. For more information, see “Replacing the hard drive”

on page 219 .

Memory

Large programs, such as multimedia games or graphics programs, use a lot of memory . If your programs a re running more slo wly than you think they sho uld, try adding more memory. For more information, see “Installing or replacing

DIMM memor y” on page 223.

Uninterruptible power supplies

A standby, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) protects your computer from data loss during a total power failure. A UPS uses a battery to keep your computer running temporarily during a power failure so you can save your work and shut down your compute r correctly. A UPS also provides protection from power surges. For more information, see “Setting up an uninterruptible power

supply” on page 154.

www.gateway.com

Getting Started

Read this chapter to find out how to:

■ Use your computer safely

■ Protect your computer from power source problems

■ Start and turn off your computer

■ Use the keyboard

■ Use the mouse

■ Use the computer display

■ Install peripheral devices

Chapter 2: Getting Started

Top of display is not

Working safely

Before using your computer, read the following recommendations for setting up a safe and comfortable work area and avoiding disco mfort and strain.

Hands and

arms are

parallel to the

floor

higher than eye level

Screen is perpendicular to your line of sight

Feet are flat on the floor

Reducing eye strain

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

■ Position the computer desk and compute r so you can avoid glare on your

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

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

in a dark room.

■ Avoid focusing your eyes on your computer display for long periods of

time. Look away from your display occasionally, and try to focus on distant objects.

www.gateway.com

Setting up your compu ter desk and chair

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

■ Select a flat surface for your computer desk.

■ Adjust the height of the computer desk so your hands and arms are

positioned parallel to the floor when you use the keyboard and mouse. If the desk is not adjustable or is too tall, consider using a keyboard drawer.

■ Use an adjustable chair that is comfortable, distributes your weight evenly ,

and keeps your body relaxed.

■ Position your chair so the keyboard is at or slightl y below the level o f your

elbow. This position lets your shoulders relax while you type.

■ Adjust the chair height, adjust the forward tilt of the seat, or use a footrest

to distribute your weight evenly on the chair and relieve pressure on the back of your thighs.

■ Adjust the back of the chair so it supports the lower cur ve of your spine.

You can use a pillow or cushion to provide extra back support.

Working safely

Setting up your computer and computer accessories

■ Set up your computer so the display is no higher than eye level, the display

controls are within reach, and the display is tilted to be perpendicular to your line of sight.

■ Place your keybo ard and mou se at a comfort able di stance . You should be

able to reach them without stretching.

■ Set paper holders at the same height and distance as the computer display.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 2: Getting Started

Sitting at your computer

■ Avoid bending, arching, or angling your wrists. Make sure that they are

in a relaxed position when you type.

■ Do not slouch forward or lean far back. Sit with your back straight so your

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

■ Take breaks to stand and stretch your legs.

■ Avoid twisting your torso or neck.

A voiding discomfort and injury from repetitive strain

■ Vary your activities to avoid excessive repetition.

■ T ake 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.

www.gateway.com

Protecting from power source problems

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

Warning High voltages can enter your computer through both the

power cord and the modem connection. Protect your computer by using a s urge prot ector. 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.

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) supplies battery power to your computer during a power failure. Although you cannot run your computer for an extended period of time with a UPS, a UPS lets you run your computer long enough to save your work and shut down your computer normally. For more information, see “Setting up an uninterruptible power supply” on page 154.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 2: Getting Started

Starting your computer

To start your computer:

1 Connect the cables to your computer using the setup poster. 2 Turn on your computer.

Power button

3 If you are starting your computer for the first time, follow the on-screen

instructions to set up your computer.

4 Turn on any peripheral devices, such as printers or scanners, and see the

documentation that came with the device for setup instructions.

www.gateway.com

T urning off your computer

Tips & Tricks When you tur n off your co mputer, certai n compone nts in

the power supply and sy stem board remain energized. In order to remove all electrical power from your computer, unplug the power cord and modem cable from the wall outlets. We recom mend disc onnecting the power cord and modem cable when your co mputer will not be used fo r long periods.

To turn off your computer in Windows XP:

1 Click Start, then click Tur n Off Computer. The Turn Off Computer dialog box

opens.

2 Click Tu r n O f f . Windows shuts down and turns off your computer.

Important If for some reason you cannot use the Turn Off Computer

option in Windows to turn off your computer, press and hold the power button for about five seconds, then release it.

Turning off your com puter

To turn off your computer in Windows 2000:

1 Click Start, then click Shut Down . The Shut Down Windo ws 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 computer.

Important If for some reason you cannot use the Shut Down option

in Windows to turn off your computer, press and hold the power button for about five seconds, then release it.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 2: Getting Started

Restarting (rebooting) your computer

If your computer does not respond to keyboard or mouse input, you may have to close programs that are not responding. If clos ing unresponsive programs does not restore your computer to normal operation, you may have to restart (reboot) your computer.

To close unresponsive programs and restart your computer:

1 Press CTRL+ALT+DEL, then click Task Manager. The Ta s k M an ager windo w

opens.

2 Click the Applications tab, then click the program that is not responding. 3 Click End Task. 4 If your computer does not respond, turn it off, wait ten seconds and turn

it on again.

Important If your computer does not turn off, press and hold the

power button for about five seconds, then release it.

www.gateway.com

Using the cord cover

After you have the power and peripheral device cords connected to your computer, install the cord cover to make your computer look less cluttered.

To install the cord cover:

■ Align the tabs on the top of the cover with the slots above the back ports,

then swing the cord cover’s bottom tabs into the slots on the bottom of the computer (view shown from below for clarity).

Using the cord cover

Tips & Tricks If you have diffic ulty sliding the cover’s bottom tabs into

the computer slots, press the bottom corners of the cord cover inward while pressing the cord cover into place.

To remove t he cord cover:

■ Press the cord cover’s bottom tabs inward, then rotate the cord cover away

from the computer.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 2: Getting Started

Locking your computer

Y ou can install a Kensington™ c able lock to prevent the theft of your computer or its internal components. While the cable lock is installed, the computer’s back panel cannot be removed.

To lock your c omputer:

■ Install a cable lock into the Kensington lock slot on the back of your

computer.

Kensington lock slot

www.gateway.com

Standard keyboard

This keyboard is the basic model of keyboard available with your computer.

Function keys Navigation keys Indicators

Standard keyboard

Windows keys Application

key

Directional keys

Numeric keypad

Press these keys... To...

Function keys Start program actions. Each program uses different function keys for

different purposes. See the program documentation to find out more about the function key actions.

Navigation keys Press these keys to move the cursor to the beginning of a li ne, to the

end of a line, up the page, down the page, to the beginning of a document, or to the end of a document.

Indicators Show if your

activated. Press the corresponding key to activate the function.

Windows keys Press one of these keys to open the Windows Start menu. These keys

can also be used in combination with other keys to open utilities like

NUM LOCK, CAPS LOCK, or SCROLL LOCK keys are

F (Search utility), R(Run utility), and E (Explorer utility).

Application key Access shortcut menus and help assistants in Windows. Directional keys Move the cursor up, down, right, or left. Numeric keypad Use these keys to type numbers whe n the numeric keypa d (

is turned o n.

NUM LOCK)

www.gateway.com

Chapter 2: Getting Started

Multifunction keyboard

This keyboard is the full-featured model available with your computer.

Function keys Navigation keys Indicators

Press these

Windows keys Application

key

To...

Directional keys

Numeric keypad

keys...

Function keys Start program actions. Each program uses different function keys for different

purposes. See the program’s help to learn more about function key actions.

Navigation keys Press these keys to move the cursor to the beginning of a line, to the end

of a line, up the page, down the page, to the beginning of a document, or to the end of a document.

Indicators Show if your

Press the corresponding key to activate the function.

Windows keys Press this key to open the Windows Start menu. This key can also be used

in combination w it h o ther keys to open utilities like

utility), and Application key Access shortcut menus and help assistants in Windows. Directional keys Move the cursor up, down, right, or left. Numeric keypad Use these keys to type numbers when the numeric keypad (

turned on.

NUM LOCK, CAPS LOCK, or SCROLL LOCK keys are activated.

F (Search utility), R (Run

E (Explorer utility).

NUM LOCK) is

www.gateway.com

Special-function buttons

Stop

Multifunction keyboa rd

Help

InternetE-mail

Play/Pause

Volume down

Vol u m e u p

Special-function buttons

Previous Return to the previous CD track or DVD chapter.

Play/Pause Start or pause the play of the CD or DVD.

Stop Stop the pla y of CD or DVD.

Next Move to the next CD track or D VD chapter.

Mute

My Documents

Icons Press to...

Volume down Decrease the volume.

Volume up Increase th e volume.

Mute Turn off all sound.

My Documents Opens the My Documents folder . You can customize this

Help Open online help. You can customize thi s button to ope n

button to open another program.

another program.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 2: Getting Started

Special-function buttons

E-mail Open your e-mail program. You can customize this

Search Open online search. You can customize this button to

Internet Open your Web b row s er. You ca n cu st omize this button

Icons Press to...

button to open another program.

open another program.

to open another program.

Wireless keyboard

If a wireless keyboard and mouse came with your computer , use the instructions included in the box to set them up and use them.

www.gateway.com

Mouse

Right button

The mouse is a device that controls the pointer movement on the computer display. This illustration shows the standard mouse.

Mouse

Left button

As you move the mouse, the pointer (arrow) on the display moves in the same direction.

Yo u c an u s e the left and right buttons on the mouse to select objects on the display.

Yo u can use the scroll wheel on the mouse to move through a document. This feature is not available in all programs.

Scroll wheel

www.gateway.com

Chapter 2: Getting Started

click

Using the mouse

To... Do this...

Move the pointer on the compu ter display

Select an object o n the computer display

Start a program or open a file or folder

Access a shortcut menu or find more information about an object on the computer display.

Move an object on the computer display.

click

click,

click

and drag

Move the mouse around on the mouse pad. If you run out of space on your mouse pad and ne ed to move the pointer farther, pick up the mouse, set it down in the middle of the mouse pad, then continue moving the mouse.

Position the pointer over the object. Quickly press and release th e left mou se button onc e. This ac tion is ca lled clicking.

Position the pointer over the object. Quickly press and release th e left mou se button twic e. This ac tion is call ed double-clicking.

Position the pointer over the object. Quickly press and release the right mouse button once. This ac tion is called right-clicking.

Position the pointer over the object. Press the left mouse button and hold it down. Move (drag) the object to the appropriate part of t he computer dis play . Release the button to drop the object where you want it.

For instructions on how to adjust the double-click speed, pointer speed, right-hand or left-hand configura tion, and other mouse settings, see “Changing

the mouse settings” on page 143.

For instructions on how to clean the mouse, see “Cleaning the mouse” on

page 199.

www.gateway.com

Computer display

Y ou can adjust your computer display image by using external controls (located near the display itself) and software controls (accessible in Windows). For more information about software controls, see “Adjusting the screen and desktop

settings” on page 132.

External cont rols

The computer display features an on-screen display (OSD) that lets you adjust and save contrast, brightness, and other settings for the display. Your c omputer saves changes you make to the settings, even if you turn off the display.

Computer display

AUTO button

■ Auto.

Press the

■ Menu/Select.

Press to view the OSD. Press again to select OSD options.

■ – and +.

OSD active: Press to move through menu screens and adjust OSD options. OSD inactive: Press to adjust the brightness.

AUTO button to automatically optimize the display’s settings.

MENU SELECT button

– adjust button

+ adjust button

EXIT SOURCE button

■ Exit/Source.

Press to deselect a menu screen. Press again to exit the OSD.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 2: Getting Started

OSD options

To adjust the OSD settings:

1 Press the MENU/SELECT button. The OSD menu opens. 2 Use the – and + buttons to highlight a control, then press the

MENU/SELECT button.

3 Use the – and + buttons to adjust the control to the desired level. 4 When you have finished making adjustments, press the EXIT button to

return to the main menu screen.

5 If you want to adjust additional ODS options, repeat Step 2 through Step 4

until all adjustments are made.

6 Press the EXIT button again to exit the OSD.

OSD menus

You can access any of these menu s in the OSD:

OSD menu Description

Brightness. Adjusts the brightness of the computer display. Use the lowest brightness setting you are comfortable with to maximiz e the life of the display backlights.

You may need to readjust brightness after the computer display has warmed up.

Contrast. Adjusts the contrast of the computer display.

www.gateway.com

OSD menu Description

Preset. Adjusts the co lor temperature. 9300K is bluish white. 6500K is reddish white (default).

Red, Green, Blue. Customize the color levels.

(This menu is unavailable on some models)

Vertical position. Moves t he image up and down.

Horizontal position. Moves the image left and right.

You can also use the Auto function to configure the vertical and horizontal position automatically. For more information on the Auto fu nction, see “External controls” on

page 27.

Computer display

www.gateway.com

(This menu is unavailable on some models)

Clock. Minimizes any vertical bars or stripes visible on the computer display background. The horizontal display size will also change.

Phase. Removes any horizontal distortion and clears or sharpens the image of characters.

Chapter 2: Getting Started

OSD menu Description

Language. Changes the OSD language setting.

OSD Position. Adjusts the OSD window position on the display.

1280 x 1024

USER

To adjust the color depth an d screen resolution using software controls, see

“Adjusting the screen and desktop settings” on page 132.

www.gateway.com

Installing a printer, scanner, or other peri pheral device

Installing a printer , scanner , or other peripheral device

Important Before you install a printer, scanner, or other peripheral

device, see the device documentation and installation instructions.

Your computer has one or more of the following ports: IEEE 1394, Universal Serial Bus (USB), serial, and parallel. You use these ports to connect peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, and digital cameras to your computer. For more information about port locations, see “Checking Out Your Gateway

Profile” on page 1.

IEEE 1394 and USB ports support plug-and-play and hot-swapping, which means that your computer will usually recognize such a device whenever you plug it into the appropriate port. When you use an IEEE 1394 or USB device for the first time, your computer will prompt you to install any software the device needs. After doing this, you can disconnect and reconnect the device at any time.

Parallel and serial por t devices are not plug-an d-play. See the device documentation for detailed information and installation instructions.

Help and

Support

For more information about in stalling perip heral devices in Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword installing devices in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 2: Getting Started

www.gateway.com

Getting Help

This chapter tells you about additional information resources available to help you use your computer. Read this chapter to learn how to access:

■ Help and Support

■ Online help

■ Gateway Web site

Chapter 3: Getting Help

Help and Support

Your computer includes Help and Support, an easily accessible collection of help information, troubleshooters, and automated support. Use Help and Support to answer questions about Windows and to help you quickly discover and use the many features of your Gateway computer.

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.

Searching for a topic

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

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

the 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 topic.

■ 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 Web

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

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

To view a topic, click the topic name in the

www.gateway.com

Search box.

Search box. You must be

Search Results list.

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

Help button.

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 menu or by clicking

Online help

www.gateway.com

Chapter 3: Getting Help

Gateway Web site

Gateway’s online support is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and provides the most current drivers, product specifications, tutorials, and personalized information about your system. Visit the Gateway eSupport We b s i t e a t support.gateway.com the Internet, see “Using the Internet” on page 55.

. For more information about connecting to

Using eSupport

The eSupport site is divided into five major areas:

■ Support Home

■ Downloads

■ Contact Us

■ Account Info

■ PC Tools

Each of these areas is represented by a menu across the top of the We b page.

www.gateway.com

Support Home

T o get spec ific informa tion about y our computer, type your serial numb er int o the My Suppo rt box, then click

. For more information, see “Finding your specifications” on page 7.

Click

Support Home, then click All Support Documents to access product

documentation, specifications, and guides. By entering your serial number, you get specific documents related to your system. You can also browse through the reference area to locate an article specific to the question you have.

Support Home, then click General Tutorials to access an extensive library

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

Continue, or click Look up my serial number for

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 system. Click wizard to locate your driv ers.

All Downloads to walk through a step-by-step

Contact Us

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

numbers” on page 241.

Call Us to get a list of Gateway telephone

Gateway Web site

Account Info

Click Account Info to access support for non-technical issues, like the status of your order or changing your account address.

PC T ools

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

www.gateway.com

Chapter 3: Getting Help

www.gateway.com

Windows Basics

Read this chapter to learn how to:

■ Use the Windows desktop

■ Manage files and folders

■ Wo r k w i t h d ocu men t s

■ Use shortcuts

Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

About the Windows environment

After your computer starts, the first screen you see is the Windows desktop. The desktop is like the top of a real desk. Thi nk of th e desktop as your pe rsonalized work space where you open programs and p erform other tasks.

Your desktop may be different from this example, depending on how your computer is set up.

Help and

Support

For more information abo ut the Windows XP desktop, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword Windows desktop in th e Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Using the desktop

The desktop contains the taskbar, the Start button, and the Recycle Bin icon.

Desktop elements Description

The taskbar is the bar at the bottom of the computer display containing the Start button on the left and a clock o n the right. Oth er buttons on th e taskbar represent programs that are running.

Click a program’s button on the taskbar to open the program’s window. The Start button provides access to programs, files, help for Windows and

other programs, and computer tools and utilities. Click the Start button, then open a file or program by clicking an item on

the menu that opens. The Recycl e Bin is where files, folders, and programs that you discarded

are stored. Y ou must empt y the Recycle Bin to permanen tly delete them from your computer . Fo r instructio ns on how to use th e Recycle Bin, see “Deleting

files and folders” on page 51.

Using the desktop

www.gateway.com

Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

Using the Start menu

You can s tart prog ram s, ope n file s, customize your system, get help, search for files and folders, and more using the Start menu.

To use the Start menu:

1 Click the Start button on the lower left of the Windows desktop. The Start

menu opens showing you the first level of menu items.

2 Click All Programs to see all programs and files in the St art menu. When

you move the mouse pointer over any m enu item that has an arrow n ext to it, anothe r menu, cal led a submenu, opens and reveals related files, programs, or commands.

3 Click a file or program to open it.

Help and

Support

For more information about the Windows XP Start menu, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword Windows Start menu in the Search box , then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Adding icons to the desktop

You may want to add an icon (shortcut) to the desktop for a program that you use frequently.

To add icons to the desktop:

1 Click Start, then click All Programs. 2 Right-click (press the right mouse button) the program that you want to

add to the desktop.

3 Click Send To, then click Desktop (create shortcut). A shortcut icon for that

program appea rs on the deskto p.

Using the desktop

Help and

Support

For more information about desktop icons, click Start, th en click Help and Support.

Type the keyword desktop icons in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

Identifying window items

When you double-click the icon for a drive, folder, file, or program, a window opens on the desktop. This example shows the Local Disk (C:) window, which opens after you double-click the

Local Disk (C:) icon in the My Computer window .

Titl e ba r

enu bar

Close Maximize Minimize

www.gateway.com

Identifying window ite ms

Every program window looks a little different because each has its own menus, icons, and controls. Most windows include these items:

Window item Description

The title bar is the horizontal bar at the top of a window that shows the window title.

Clicking the minimize button reduces the active window to a button on the taskbar. Clicking the program button in the taskbar opens the window again.

Clicking the maximize button expands the active window to fit the entire computer display. Clicking the maximize button again restores the window to its former size.

Clicking the close button closes the active window or p rogram.

Clicking a n item on th e menu bar starts an action such as Print or Save.

Help and

Support

For more information about wind ows, click Start, then cli ck Help and Support.

Type the keyword window in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

Working with files and folders

You can organize your files and program s to suit your preference s much like you would store information in a file cabinet. Y ou can store these files in folders and copy, move , and delete the information just as you would reorganize and throw away information in a file cabinet.

Viewing drives

Drives are like file cabinets because they hold files and folders. A computer almost always has more than one drive. Each drive has a letter, for example, Local Disk (C:) for the hard drive. You may also have more drives such as a CD or DVD drive.

To view the drives on your computer:

■ Click Start, then click My Computer on the Start menu.

Drives

www.gateway.com

Working with files and folders

To see the files and folders on a drive:

■ Double-click the drive icon. If you do not see the contents of a drive after

you double-click its icon, click

Show the contents of this drive.

Help and

Support

For more information about files and folders, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword files and folders in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

Creating folders

Folders are much like the folders in a file cabinet. They can contain files and other folders.

Files are much like paper documents—letters, spreadsheets, and pictures—that you keep on your computer. In fact, all information on a computer is stored in files.

Folders

Files

www.gateway.com

Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

To create a folder:

1 Click Start, then click My Computer on the Start menu. 2 Double-click the drive where you want to put the new folder. Typically,

Local Disk (C:) is your hard drive. If you do not see the contents of the drive, click

3 If you want to create a new folder inside an existing folder, double-click

the existing folder. If you do not see the contents of the drive or folder, click

Show the contents of this drive or Show the contents of this folder.

4 Click File, New, then click Folder . The new folder is created. 5 Type a name for the folder , then press ENTER. The new folder name appears

by the folder icon.

Show the contents of this drive.

Help and

Support

For information about renaming folders, see “Shortcuts” on page 61.

For more information abo ut creatin g files an d folders , click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword creating files and folders in the

Search box , then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Working with files and folders

Copying and moving files and folders

The skills you need to copy and move files are called copying, cutting, and pasting. When you copy and paste a file or folder, you place a copy of the file or folder

on the Windows clipboard, which temporarily stores it. Then, when you decide what folder you want the copy to go in (the destination folder), you paste it there.

When you cut and paste a file or folder, you remove the file or folder from its original location and place the file or folder on the Windows clipboard. When you decide where you want the file or folder to go, you paste it there.

Important The clipbo ard store s whatever you cut o r copy unti l you

cut or copy again. Then the clipboard contains the new information only. Therefore, you can paste copies of a file or folder into more than one place, but as soon as you co py or cut a different file or folder, the original file or folder is deleted from the clipboard.

To copy a file or folder to another folder:

1 Locate the file or folder you want to copy. For more information, see

“Viewing drives” on page 46 and “Searching for files” on page 54.

2 Right-click (press the right mouse button) the file or folder that you want

to copy. A pop-up menu opens on th e desktop.

3 Click Copy on the pop-up menu. 4 Open the destination folder. 5 With the pointer inside the destination folder, right-click. 6 Click Paste. A copy of the file or folder appears in the new location.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

To move a file or folder to another folder:

1 Locate the file or folder you want to move. For more information, see

“Viewing drives” on page 46 and “Searching for files” on page 54.

2 Right-click (press the right mouse button) the file or folder that you want

to move. A pop-up menu opens on the desktop.

3 Click Cut on th e pop-up menu. 4 Open the destination folder. 5 With the pointer inside the destination folder, right-click. 6 Click Paste. The file or folder you moved appears in its new location and

is removed from its old location.

Help and

Support

For more information about copying files and folders or moving files and folders, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword copying files and folders or moving files and folders in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Working with files and folders

Deleting files and folders

When you throw away paper files and folders, you take them from the file cabinet and put them in a trash can. Eventually the trash can is emptied.

In Windows, you throw away files and folders by first moving them to the Windows trash can, called the Recycle Bin, where they remain until you decide to empty the bin.

You can recover any file in the Recycle Bin as long as the bin has not been emptied.

To delete files or folders:

1 In My Computer or Windows Explorer, click the files or folders that you

want to delete. For instructions on h ow to select multiple files and folders, see “Shortcuts” on page 61.

If you cannot find the file you want to delete, see “Searching for files” on

page 54.

2 Click File, then click Delete. Windows moves the files and folders to the

Recycle Bin.

Help and

Support

For more information about del eting files and folders, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword deleting file s and folders in the Search box , then click the arrow.

To recover files or folders from the Recycle Bin:

1 Double-click the Recycle Bin icon. The Recycle Bin window opens and list s

the files and folders you have thrown away since you last emptied it.

2 Click the files or folders that you want to restore. For instructions on how

to select multiple files and folders, see “Shortcuts” on page 61.

3 Click File, then click Restore. Windows returns the deleted files or folders

to their original locations.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

To empty the Recycle Bin:

Caution Emptying the Recycle Bin permanently erases any files or

1 Double-click the Recycl e Bin icon on the desktop. T he Recycle Bin window

opens.

2 Click File, then click Empty Recycle Bin. Windows asks you if you are sure

that you want to empty the bin.

3 Click Yes. Windows permanently deletes all files in the Recycle Bin.

folders in the bin. These files cannot be restored.

Help and

Support

For more information about e mptying the Recycle Bin, clic k Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword emptying Re c yc le Bin in the Search box , then click the arrow.

Browsing for files and folders

A file or folder that you need is rarely right on top of your Windows desktop. It is usually on a drive inside a folder that may be inside yet another folder, and so on.

Windows drives, folders, and files are organized in the same way as a real file cabinet in that they may have many levels (usually many more levels than a file cabinet, in fact). So you usually will have to search th rough levels of folders to find the file or folder that you need. This is called browsing.

www.gateway.com

Working with files and folders

To browse for a file:

1 Click Start, then click My Computer. The My Computer win dow opens. 2 Double-click the drive or folder that you think co ntains the file or folder

that you want to find. If you do not see the contents of a f older , click

the contents of this drive

or Show the contents of this folder.

Show

3 Continue double-clicking folders and their subfolders until you find the

file or folder you want.

Help and

Support

For more information about browsing for files and folders, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword files and folders in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

Searching for files

If you are looking for a particular file or folder or a set of files or folders that have characteristics in common, but you do not remember where they are stored on your hard drive, you can use the Search utility to search by:

■ Name or part of a name

■ Creation date

■ Modification date

■ File type

■ Text contained in the file

■ Time period in which it was created or modified

You ca n also combine sea rch criteria to refine searches. Files and folders found using this utility can be opened, copied, cut, renamed,

or deleted directly from the list in the results window.

www.gateway.com

Using the Windows Search utility

To find files and folders using the Search utility:

1 Click Start, then click Search. The Search Results window opens. Click All

files and folders

Searching for files

2 If you want to search by file or folder name, type in all or part of the file

or folder name in the name box in the left pane of the window.

■ If you type all of the name, Search will list all files and folders of that

name.

■ If you type part of the name, Search will list all of the file and folder

names containing the letters you typed.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

3 Click Search. When the search is completed, Windows lists the files and

folders whose names contain the text that you searched for.

4 Open a file, folder, or program by double-clicking the name in the list.

Help and

Support

For more information abo ut search ing for fil es and fol ders, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword searching in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

Using advanced search opt ions

Search can find files meeting more criteria than file name. You can narrow your search by selecting the search options that you want. You can search by the:

■ Date the file was created or modified.

■ Size of the file.

■ Type of file, such as a program or a text document.

www.gateway.com

Working with documents

Computer documents include word processing files, spreadsheet files, or other similar files. The basic methods of creating, saving, opening, and printing a document apply to most of these types of files.

The follo wi ng exam pl es sho w ho w t o c re ate, sa ve, op en, an d p ri nt a doc ume nt using Microsoft as WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel.

For more information about using a program, click

WordPad. Similar procedures apply to other programs such

Help on its menu bar.

Creating a new document

To create a new document:

1 Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, then click WordPad. Microsoft

Wo rdPad starts and a blank document opens.

2 Begin composing your doc ument. Use the me nus and toolbar buttons at

the top of the window to format the document.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

Saving a document

After you create a document, you need to save it if you want to use it later.

To save a document:

1 Click File, then click Save. The Save As dialog box opens.

Save in

list

File

name

2 Click the arrow button to open the Save in list, then click the folder where

you want to save the file. If you do not see the folder you want, browse through the folders listed below the Save in list.

3 Type a new file name in the File name box. 4 Click Save.

Help and

Support

For more information abou t saving doc uments, cli ck Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword saving in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Working with documents

Opening a document

To view, revise, or print an existing document, first you need to open it. Open the document in the program that it was created in.

To open a document:

1 Start the program. 2 Click File, then click Open. 3 Click the arrow button to open the Look in list, the n click the folder you

want to open. If you do not see the folder you want, browse through the folders listed below the Look in list.

Look in

list

4 Double-click the document file name. The document opens.

Help and

Support

For more information about opening documents, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword opening files in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

Printing a document

To print a document, you must have a printer connected to your computer or have access to a network printer. For more information about installing or using your printer, see the printer documentation.

To print a document:

1 Make sure that the printer is turned on and loaded with paper. 2 Start the program and open the document. 3 Click File, then click Print. The Print dialog box opens. 4 Set the print options, then click OK. The document prints.

Help and

Support

For more information about printing documents, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword printing in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Shortcuts

The following table shows a few shortcuts that you can use in Windows and almost all programs that run in Windows. For more information about shortcuts, see your Windows or program documentation.

To... Do this...

Copy a file, folder, text, or graphic Click the item, then press CTRL + C.

Shortcuts

Cut a file, folder, text, or graphic Click the item, then press Paste a file, folder, text, or graphic Click inside the folder or window where you want to paste

the object, then press

Select multiple items in a list or window Click the first item, press and hold down the

then click each of the remaining items.

Select multiple adja cen t item s in a lis t or window

Permanently delete a file or folder Click the file or folder, then press

Rename a file or folder Click the file or folder, press F2, type the new name, then

Close the active window or program Press Switch to a differe nt file, fo lder, or

running pro gram

Help and

Support

For more information abou t Wi ndo w s key boa rd s hort cut s, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword Windows keyboard shortcuts in the Search box , then click the arrow.

Click the first item in the list, press and hold down the

SHIFT key, then click the last item in the list.

file or folder is permanently deleted. The file or folder is not stored in the Recycle Bin.

press

ENTER.

ALT + F4. ALT +TAB.

Press

CTRL + X.

CTRL + V.

CTRL key,

SHIFT + DELETE. The

www.gateway.com

Chapter 4: Windows Bas ics

www.gateway.com

Using the

Internet

This chapter provides information about the Internet and the World Wide Web. Read this chapter to learn how to:

■ Set up and access an Internet account using

America Online

■

Connect to a Web site using a browser

■ Download files from the Internet

■ Send and receive e-mail using America Online

Chapter 5: Using the Inter net

Learning about the Internet

The Internet is a worldwide network of computers linked together to provide information to people everywhere. The two most popular services on the Internet are e-mail and the Wo rld Wide Web. You can access this network by connecting your computer to a telephone, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), or cable line and signing up with an Internet service provider (ISP).

Cable and DSL modems, a connection known as broadband, use your TV cable or special telephone lines to connect to your ISP and access the Internet. Cable and DSL modems connect to your computer through an Ethernet jack and provide a faster connection speed than a standard telephone mode m.

Internet Servers

store information so other computers can access it from the Internet.

Your computer connects to the Internet through an ISP.

ISP Servers

let you connect to the Internet and access your e-m ail messages.

www.gateway.com

Setting up an Internet acc ount

If you want to access the Internet you need:

■ A modem – a device that connects your computer to other computers or

servers using a telephone, DSL, or cable line.

■ An I nternet service provider – a company that provides access to the

Internet through an ISP ser ver. When you connect to an ISP, the ISP ser ver lets you access the Internet and yo ur e-mail messages.

■ A Web browser – a pr ogra m that displays information from the World Wide

Web.

■ An e-mail program – a program that lets you create, send, and receive

e-mail messages over the Internet.

Setting up an Internet account

Before you can view the information on the World Wide Web, you need to set up an Internet account with an Internet service provider (ISP). If you have chosen America Online as an ISP , follow these instructions to set up and connect to your account. To set up a different ISP service or to transfer an existing account to this comp uter, contact the ISP directly.

If you set up an account with America Online, an Internet e-mail address is created for you. After completing the setup, you are ready to access the Internet.

To set up an Internet account with America Online:

1 Click Start, All Programs, then click America Online. 2 Follow the on-screen instructions. After setting up your account, you can

connect to the Internet and access your e-mail services.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 5: Using the Inter net

Accessing your Internet account

To connect to your America Online Internet account:

1 Click Start, All Programs, then click America Online. 2 Complete the member name and password information, then click

Connect. Y our computer dials the Internet account telephone number . After

connecting, the Welcome window opens.

If you are using a service other than America Online, chec k with your ISP for the correct procedure for conn ecting.

To disconnect from your America Online Internet account:

■ Click X in the top-right corner of the America Online window. Your

computer disconnects from the Internet.

Important Make sure that your computer disconnects correctly from

your Internet account. If you do not have an “unlimited hours” ISP account, you may have to pay for the time that you are connected, even if you are not at your computer.

If you are using a service other than America Online, chec k with your ISP for the correct procedure for disconnecting.

Help and

Support

For general information about using Internet accounts in Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword ISP in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Using the World Wi de Web

Link

Using the World Wide Web

The World Wide Web is a multimedia window to the Internet that gives you access to millions of information sources.

Information on the Web comes to you on We b p ages, wh ich are electronic documents that you view us ing a Web page display program called a browser. You can use any of the commercially available Web browser s, like Microsoft Internet Explorer (which comes installed on your new computer), Netscape Navigator, or the browser built into America Online.

W eb page s can c ontain text , animat ions, mus ic, an d other multimedia featur es. A group of related Web pages is called a Web site. You can access Web sites to shop, track investments, read the news, dow nload programs, and much mo re.

You can explore a Web site or visit other Web sites by clicking areas on a Web page called links or hyperlinks. A link may be colored or underlined text, a picture, or an animated image. You can identify a link by moving the mouse pointer over it. If the pointer changes to a hand, the item is a link.

T o learn more about using th e Web browser features, click

Web

page

Linked Web

page

Help in the menu bar.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 5: Using the Inter net

Connecting to a Web site

After you set up an account with an Internet service provider (ISP) such as America Online, you can access the many information sources on the World Wide Web .

To connect to a Web site:

1 Connect to your Internet account. After your computer connects, a default

opening page or welcome screen opens.

2 To go to a different Web site, type the address (called a URL for “Universal

Resource Locator”) in the browser address bar (for example www.gateway.com), then click

- OR On the current Web page, click a link to a Web site. The Web browser locates the server computer on the Internet, downloads

(transfers) data to your computer, and displays the page on the site that you requested.

GO on the bro wser address bar.

Help and

Support

Sometimes Web pages display slowly. The speed that a Web page displays on your screen depends on the complexity of the Web page and other Internet conditions. Additionally , the speed of your connection will determine how fast Web pages display.

For more information about connecting to a Web site in Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type t he keyword connecting to Web site in the Search box , then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Using the World Wi de Web

Downloading files

Downloading is the process of transferring files from a computer on the Internet to your computer.

T o protect your comput er against viruses, m ake sure that y ou scan the files you download. For more information, see “Protecting your computer from viruses”

on page 186 .

To download files or programs from a Web site:

1 Connect to your Internet account. 2 In the address bar, type the address of the Web site that contains the file

or program you want to download, then click bar.

- OR Click a link on a Web page to navigate to the Web site containing the file

that you want to download.

3 Create or locate the folder where you want to store the file on your

computer. For more information, see “Working with files and folders” on

page 46.

GO on the browser address

4 Click the link on the Web page for the file that you want to download. 5 Follow the on-screen instructions for saving the file in the folder that you

want. A copy of the file is downloaded to your computer. The time that it takes to transfer the file to your computer depends on file size and Internet conditions.

6 Open the folder that you created. 7 Install or view the downloaded file by double-clicking it. If applicable,

follow the instructions provided on the Web site to run or install the program.

Help and

Support

For more information about downloading files in Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword downloading files in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 5: Using the Inter net

Using e-mail

E-mail (electronic mail) lets you send messages to anyone who has an Internet connection and e-mail address. E-mail is usually a free service of your Internet account.

The Internet never closes, so you can send e-mail messages at any time. Your e-mail messages arrive at most e-mail addresses in minutes.

An e-mail address consists of a user name, the @ symbol, and the Internet domain name of the Internet service provider (ISP) or company that “hosts” that user. Your e-mail address is assigned when you sign up for an account with an ISP. For example, a person with an account with America Online might have an e-mail address that is similar to this one:

jdoe@aol.com

User name Internet domai n name

Sending e-mail

To send e-mail using America Online:

1 Connect to your America Online account. 2 Click Write. 3 Type the e-mail address of the recipient you want to send e-mail to in the

Send To box.

4 Type the subject of your e-mail in the Subject box. 5 Type the e-mail message. 6 When finished, click Send Now. Your e-mail is sent over the Internet to the

e-mail address you specified.

www.gateway.com

Checking your e-mail

To check y our e-mail using America Online:

1 Connect to you r America Online acc ount. 2 Click Read. 3 Double-click the message you want to read.

For more information about managing and organizing your e-mail messages, see the online help in your e-mail program.

Using e-mail

Help and

Support

For general information a bout using e-mail in Win dows XP , click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword e-mail in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 5: Using the Inter net

www.gateway.com

Using Multimedia

This chapter provides information on using the multimedia features of your computer. Read this chapter to learn how to:

■ Use the diskette drive

■ Use the CD or DVD drive

■ Adjust the volume

■ Play CDs and DVDs

■ Record and play audio files

■ Use Windows Media Player

■ Use MusicMatch

■ Use a recordable drive to create CDs o r DVDs

Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Using the diskette drive

The diskette drive uses 3.5-inch diskettes (sometimes called floppy disks). Diskettes are useful for storing files or transferring files to another computer.

Warning Do not expose diskettes to water or magnetic fields.

Exposure could damage the data on the diskette.

Diskette drive

activity light

Diskette slot

Diskette eject button

www.gateway.com

Using the diskette drive

To use a diskette:

1 Insert the diskette into the diskette drive with the label facing up.

2 To access a file on the diskette in Windows XP, cl ick Start, then click My

Computer

double-click the file name.

- OR To access a file on the diskette in Windows 2000, double-click the

Computer

the file name.

. Double-click the drive letter (for example, the A: drive), then

icon, the drive letter (for example, the A: drive), then double-click

3 To remove the diskette, make sure that the drive activity light is off, then

press the diskette eject button.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Using the CD or DVD drive

You can use your computer to enjoy a wide variety of multimedia features.

Identifying drive types

Your Gateway computer may contain one of the following drive types. Look on the front of the drive for one of the following logos:

CD drive

Combination DVD/CD-RW drive

DVD-RW

RECORDER

Use a CD drive for installi ng programs, playing audio CDs, and accessing data.

Use a combination DVD/CD-RW drive for installing programs, playing audio CDs, playing DVDs, accessing data, and recording music and data to CD-R or CD-RW discs. For more information, see

“Creating CDs and DVDs” on page 100.

Use a combination DVD-RW drive for installing programs, playing audio CDs, playing DVDs, accessing data, and recording video and data DVD-R, or DVD-RW discs. For more information, see “Creating CDs and DVDs” on

page 100.

www.gateway.com

Inserting a CD or DVD

Important Some music CDs have copy protec tion software. You may

not be able to play these CDs on your computer.

Using the CD or DVD drive

Activity light Eject button

Manual eject hole

www.gateway.com

Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

To insert a CD or DVD:

1 Press the eject button on the CD or DVD drive. Aft er the tray opens slightly ,

pull the disc tray completely open.

2 Place the disc in the tray with the label facing up , then press down carefully

on the disc until it snaps into place. You can place your other hand underneath the disc tray to support it while you press the disc into place.

Important When you place a s ing le-s id ed disc in the tray, mak e sure

that the label side is facing up. If th e disc has two pla yable sides, place the disc so the name of the side you want to play is facing up.

3 Gently push the tray in until it is closed.

www.gateway.com

Adjusting the volume

Adjusting the volume in Windows XP

You can use the vo lume cont rols to adjust the o verall volume and the volum e of specific sound devices in your computer. Depending on the sound hardware installed in your computer , you may have a dditional volume controls availa ble through the Start menu.

To adjust the overall volume level using hardware controls:

■ If you are using external speakers, turn the knob on the front of the

speakers.

-ORUse the volume control buttons on the keyboard. See “Special-function

buttons” on page 23 for more information.

To adjust the overall volume level from W indows:

1 Click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. If your

control panel is in Category View, click

Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices.

2 Click/Double-click the Adjust the system vo lume or Sounds and Audio

Devices

. The Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box opens.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

3 Click the Volume tab.

4 Drag the Device Volume slider to change the volume o r click to select the

Mute check box, then click OK.

Help and

Support

For more information about adjusting volume in Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword adjusting volume in the Search box

To adjust specific volume levels:

1 Click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. If your

control panel is in Category View, click

2 Click/Double-click the Adjust the system vo lume or Sounds and Audio

Devices

. The Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box opens.

, then click the arrow.

Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices.

www.gateway.com

3 Click the Volume tab.

4 Click Advanced in the Device volume area.

Adjusting the volume

If the device you want to adjust does not appear in the window, click

Options, Properties, the check box next to the audio device you want to

adjust, then click

OK.

5 Drag the volume level and balance sliders for the device you want to adjust.

For more information about the volume controls, click

Help in the window .

6 Click X in the top-right corner of the window to close it.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Adjusting the volume in Windows 2000

You can use the vo lume cont rols to adjust the o verall volume and the volum e of specific sound devices in your computer. Depending on the sound hardware installed in your computer , you may have addi tional volume controls available through the Start menu.

To adjust overall volume level using hardware controls:

■ If you are using external speakers, turn the knob on the front of the

speakers.

-ORUse the volume control buttons on the keyboard. See “Special-function

buttons” on page 23 for more information.

To adjust overall volume level from Windows:

■ Click the speaker icon on the taskbar, the n drag the slider to change

the volume or click to select the

Mute check box.

www.gateway.com

Adjusting the volume

To adjust specific volume levels:

1 Double-click the speaker icon on the taskbar. The Vol u me C on t rol

window opens.

If the device you want to adjust does not appear in the Vo lu m e Co n t r ol window , click

OK.

click

Options, Properties, the audio device you want to adjust, then

2 Drag the volume level and balance sliders for the device you want to adjust.

For more information about the volume controls, click Control window.

Help in the Volume

3 Click X in the top-right corner of the window to close it.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Listening to CDs

You can use the CD or DVD drive on your computer to listen to music CDs.

Important Some music CDs have copy protec tion software. You may

not be able to play these CDs on your computer.

Listening to CDs in Windows XP

Use the Windows Media Player to listen to CDs in Windows XP. For more information about the using the Windows Media Player, c lick use MusicMatch to listen to CDs. For more information, see “Using

MusicMatch” on page 92.

You can use the special-function buttons on the Multifunction keyboard to control how you play your CDs. For more information, see “Special-function

buttons” on page 23.

Help. Y ou can also

To play a CD:

1 Insert a CD into the CD or DVD drive. 2 If a dialog box opens with a list of CD players, click Windows Media Player.

The Windows Media Player opens.

- OR If a dialog box does no t open with a list of CD playe rs, click

Programs

opens.

, then click Windows Media Player. The Windows Media Player

www.gateway.com

Start, All

3 When the media player opens, click (play).

Play

Listening to CDs

Stop

Volume

Mute

If you do not hear sound or you want to change the volume, see “Adjusting

the volume in Windows XP” on page 79.

Help and

Support

For more information about playing CDs in Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword playing CDs in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Listening to CDs in Windows 2000

Use the Windows CD Player to play an audio CD. You can also use MusicMatch to listen to CDs. For more information, see “Using MusicMatch” on page 92.

You can use the special-function buttons on the Multifunction keyboard to control how you play your CDs. For more information, see “Special-function

buttons” on page 23.

To play a CD:

■ Insert a CD into the CD or DVD drive. The CD Player opens and the CD

plays.

- OR If the CD does not start playing automatically, click Start, Programs,

Accessories, Entertainment, then click CD Player. When the CD Player opens,

click (play).

Stop

Play

Eject CD

Rewind

If you do not hear sound or you want to change the volume, see “Adjusting

the volume in Windows 2000” on page 82.

Skip Forward

www.gateway.com

Recording and playin g audio

Recording and playing audio

Use the following instructions to make an audio record ing by s peakin g into a microphone.

To make an audio recording:

1 Plug a microphone into one of th e Microphone jack s on your comput er.

For the location of the Microphone jacks, see “Front” on page 2, and

“Back” on page 4.

2 Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, then click Sound

Recorder

. The Sound Recorder opens.

Rewind

Fast Forward

Play

Record

Stop

3 Click (record), th en speak into the microphon e. 4 When you finish recording, click (stop). 5 Click File, then click Save As. The Save As dialog box opens. 6 Name the recording, specify the location where you want to save the

recording, then click

Save. The recording is saved.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

To play an audio recording in Sound Recorder:

1 Open the Sound Recorder. 2 Click File, then click Open. The Open dialog box opens. 3 Click the file you want to play, then click Open. 4 Play the file by clicking (play), then stop playing the file by

clicking (stop).

Help and

Support

For more information about making or playing an audio recording in Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword recording audio or playing audio in the Search box , then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Playing audio and vide o files with the Windows Media Player

Playing audio and video files with the Windows Media Player

The Windows Media Player ca n play several types of audio and video files, including W AV, MIDI, MP3, AU, A VI, and MPEG formats. For more information about the using the Windows Media Player, click

To play a file using the Windows Media Player:

1 In Windows XP, click Start, All Programs, then click Windows Media Player.

The Windows Media Player opens.

- OR -

Help.

In Windows 2000, click

Windows Media Player. The Windows Media Player opens.

click

Play

Stop

Start, Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, then

Video file information

Video screen

www.gateway.com

Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

2 Click File, then click Open. The Open dialog box opens.

Important If the menu bar does not appear, click the show menu

3 Click the file you want to play, then click Open. 4 Play the file by clicking (play), then stop playing the file by

clicking (stop).

bar button.

Help and

Support

For more information abo ut play ing audi o and vi deo us ing the Windows Media Player in Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword Media Player in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

Playing a DVD

A Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) is similar to a standard CD but has greater data capacity. Because of this increas ed capacity, full-length movies, s e veral albums of music, or several gigabytes of data can fit on a single disc. If y our co mput er has a DVD drive, you can play DVDs with the InterVideo DVD Player program or Windows Media Player. For more information about playing DVDs, click in the DVD player program.

To play a DVD:

1 Make sure that the speakers are turned on or headphones are plugged in

and that the volume is turned up.

2 Turn off your screen saver and standby timers.

Help

www.gateway.com

Playing a DVD

3 To play a DVD using InterVideo DVD, click Start, All Programs, DVD, then

DVD Player. The InterVideo DVD Player video screen and control panel

click open.

-ORTo play a DVD using Windows Media Player in Window s XP, click

All Programs, then click Windows Media Player. The Windows Media Player

Start,

opens.

- OR T o pl ay a DV D usin g Windows Media Player in Windows 2000, click

Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, then click Windows Media Player. The

Start,

Windows Media Player opens.

Important If the InterVideo DVD play er is not on the Start menu, or

if Windows Media Player cannot play a DVD , you will need to install the InterVideo DVD program. To install the InterVideo program, insert the InterVideo DVD Software disc into the DVD drive and follow the on-screen instructions.

4 Insert a DVD into the DVD drive, then click (play). The DVD plays. Use

the volume controls in the DVD player to adjust the volume.

Help and

Support

For more information about playing DVDs in Windows XP , click Start, then click Help and Support.

Type the keyword playing DVDs in the Search box

, then click the arrow.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 6: Using Multim edia

Using MusicMatch

Using MusicMatch™, you can:

■ Play music CDs

■ Create MP3 music files from your music CDs

■ Edit music track information

■ Use your music files to b uild a music librar y

■ Listen to Internet Radio

For more information on using MusicMatch, see its online help.

Playing CDs

You ca n use the MusicMatch pr ogram to play musi c CDs.

Important Some music CDs have copy protec tion software. You may

not be able to play these CDs on your computer.

To play a music CD in Windows XP:

1 To have MusicMatch automaticall y list the album, a rtist, and track names

of your CD, connect to the Internet before inserting your CD.

2 Insert the music CD into the CD or DVD drive on your computer. 3 If an Audio CD dialog box opens, click Play Audio CD using MUSICMATCH

Jukebox

- OR If a dialog box does no t open, click

click

, then click OK. The MusicMatch window opens.

MusicMatch Jukebox. Th e MusicMatch window opens.

Start, All Programs , MusicMatch, then

www.gateway.com

Gateway ProfileTM 5 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Front

Back

Right side

Identifying your model

Gateway model number

Gateway serial number

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

Finding your specifications

Accessories

Home networking kit

Imaging equipment

Printers

Storage Devices

Memory

Uninterruptible power supplies

Getting Started

Working safely

Reducing eye strain

Setting up your compu ter desk and chair

Setting up your computer and computer accessories

Sitting at your computer

A voiding discomfort and injury from repetitive strain

Protecting from power source problems

Starting your computer

To start your computer:

T urning off your computer

Restarting (rebooting) your computer

To close unresponsive programs and restart your computer:

Using the cord cover

To install the cord cover:

To remove t he cord cover:

Locking your computer

To lock your c omputer:

Standard keyboard

Multifunction keyboard

Special-function buttons

Wireless keyboard

Mouse

Using the mouse

Computer display

External cont rols

OSD options

To adjust the OSD settings:

OSD menus

Installing a printer, scanner, or other peri pheral device

Getting Help

Help and Support

To start Help and Support:

Searching for a topic

Online help

Gateway Web site

Using eSupport

Support Home

Downloads

Contact Us

Account Info

PC T ools

Windows Basics

About the Windows environment

Using the desktop

Using the Start menu

To use the Start menu:

Adding icons to the desktop

To add icons to the desktop:

Identifying window items

Working with files and folders

Viewing drives

To view the drives on your computer:

To see the files and folders on a drive:

Creating folders

To create a folder:

Copying and moving files and folders

To copy a file or folder to another folder:

To move a file or folder to another folder:

Deleting files and folders