Gateway SOLO 1400 User Manual
Contents
1 Checking Out Your Gateway Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Left Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Right Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Keyboard area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Switching user accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Connecting the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Connecting to an Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Broadband Internet connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
HelpSpot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
HelpSpot Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
4 Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Using the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
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Identifying Window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Viewing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Creating folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Using the Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
5 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
6 Using Multimedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Using diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Using the CD/DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Listening to CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Playing audio and video files with the Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Creating music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Listening to Internet radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Using advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
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7 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Setting up your cover page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
8 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Changing power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Changing the power scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Changing alarm options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Changing advanced power management settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Using Hibernate mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
9 Travel Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Radio frequency wireless connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
10 Customizing Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Adjusting the screen resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Applying a color scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Changing the touchpad settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Programming the multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Allocating system memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
11 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Adding PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
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Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Installing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Replacing the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
12 Networking Your Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
The benefits of using a network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Sharing a single Internet connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Sharing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Sharing peripheral devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Streaming audio and video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Playing multi-player games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Example network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Selecting a network connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Wired connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Wireless Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Assessing your connection needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Comparing data transfer speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
Using a wireless network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
Using wireless Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
Purchasing additional network equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
HPNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Wireless Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
13 Moving from Your Old Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Transferring software and hardware from your old computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Using the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Transferring files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Transferring Internet settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Reinstalling your old printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
Reinstalling your old programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
14 Maintaining Your Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
Creating an emergency startup diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Using Disk Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Checking the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181
Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
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Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Using the Scheduled Task Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Cleaning the screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
15 Restoring Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Reinstalling device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Updating device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Reinstalling Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Reinstalling Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Reinstalling programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
16 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Software support tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
CD/DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Error-checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
LCD panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Before calling Gateway Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Tutoring and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
v
Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220
A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
vi
Checking Out Your Gateway Notebook
Tips & Tricks T o acce ss the contents of this guide while you a re trav eling,
download an electronic copy from
www.gateway.com/support/manlib/.
1
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1
Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Notebook
Front
Wireless Ethernet
indicator/button
Speaker
Battery
Release
latch
charge
indicator
Power
indicator
Component Icon Description
Wireless Ethernet
indicator/button
Lights up when the optional wirel ess Ethernet is turned on.
The button in the center of the indicator may be used for
turning the wireless Ethernet on and off. For more
information, se e “Turning your wirele ss Ethe rnet on or o f f”
on page 149.
Speaker
Release latch Open the noteboo k cov er b y sliding the re lease latch to the
right.
Speakers Provide audio output. Speakers are disabled while
headphones are connected.
Battery charge indicator The LED shows the battery activity and status.
■
Green – battery is fully charged.
■
Orange – battery is being charged.
■
Red – battery is low.
■
Blinking and red – battery is very low.
■
Blinking and orange – battery is malfunctioning.
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Component Icon Description
Power indicator Lights up when the notebook is turned on and shows
notebook power status:
■
LED on – notebook is ON.
■
LED off – notebook is OFF or in Hibernate mode.
■
LED flashing – notebook is in Standby mode.
Warning Radio frequency wireless communication can interfere
with equipment on commercial aircraft. Current aviation
regulations require w irel ess devices to be turned off while
traveling in an airplane. IEEE 802.11b (also known as
wireless Ethernet or WiFi) communication devices is an
example of devices that provide wireless communication.
Important If your system came equipped with an internal radio
frequency wireless device, see “Safety, Regulatory, and
Legal Information” on page 221 for general wireless
regulatory and safety guidelin es. To find out if you r system
has an internal wireless device, check the label (see
“Identifying your model” on page 9).
Front
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3
Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Notebook
Left Side
Modem jack
Ethernet jack
Speake r ja ck
PC Card
eject button
Microphone
jack
PC Card
slot
Diskette
drive
Diskette drive
eject button
Component Icon Description
Modem jack Plug a modem cable into this jack. For more information, see
“Connecting the modem” on page 28.
Ethernet jack Plug an Ethernet 10/100 network cable into this jack. For more
information, see “Connecting to an Ethernet network” on page 29.
Speaker jack Plug external speakers or headphones into this jack.
Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack.
PC Card eject
button
PC Card slot Insert one Type II or Type III PC Card into this slot. For more
Diskette drive Insert a standard 3.5-inch diskette into this drive. For more
Press the eject button to remove a PC Card from a PC Card slot.
For more information, see “Adding PC Cards” on page 122.
information, see “Adding PC Cards” on page 122.
information, see “Using diskettes” on page 68.
Diskette drive
eject button
4
Press the eject button to remove a diskette from the drive.
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Right Side
Right Side
Battery
CD/DVD
drive
CD/DVD
drive
indicator
Manual eject
hole
CD/DVD drive
eject button
Component Icon Description
Battery bay Insert the battery into this bay . F or more information, see
“Changing batteries” on page 96.
CD/DVD drive Insert CDs or DVDs into this drive . For more information,
see “Using the CD/DVD drive” on page 69.
CD/DVD drive indicator Lights up when the computer is accessing the
CD/DVDdrive.
CD/DVD d rive eject
button
Manual eject hole Insert a straightened papercl ip into this h ole to open the
Press the eject button to open the disc tray.
CD/DVDdrive if the CD/DVD drive eject button fails to
open it.
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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Notebook
Back
Kensington
lock slot
Power
connector
USB
ports
Monitor
port
Parallel
port
Ventilation
fan
Component Icon Description
Kensington™ lock slot Secure your computer to an object by connecting a
Kensington cable lock to this slot.
Power connector Plug the AC power adapter cable into this connector.
USB por ts Plug USB (Un iversal Ser ial Bus) devices (such as a
USB Iomega™ Zip™ drive, scanner, or camera) into
these ports.
Monitor port Plug an external (VGA) monitor into this port.
Parallel port Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this port.
Ventilation fan Helps cool system components. Do not block.
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Bottom
Memory
bay
Ventilation
fan
Bottom
Hard drive
Battery
bay
Battery
latch
System
label
Component Icon Description
Hard drive The hard drive is stored here. For more information, see
“Replacing the hard drive” on page 129.
Battery bay Insert the battery into this bay. For more information, see
“Changing batteries” on page 96.
Battery latch Slide to release the battery.
System label Includes the product model number and serial number. For
more information, see “Identifying your model” on page 9.
Ventilation fan Helps cool system components. Do not block.
Memory bay Install as many as two SO-DIMM memory modules into the
slots in this bay. For more infor mation, see “Installing
memory” on page 125.
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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Notebook
Ke yboard area
Multi-function buttons
Power button
Keyboard
Touchpad
Status
indicators
Component Description
Po we r button Press to turn the power on or off. For more information on configuring
the power button mode, see “Changing power settings” on page 99.
Multi-function buttons See“Multi-function buttons” on page 24 for more information.
Status indicators See “Status indicators” on page 19 for more information.
Touchpad See “Using the EZ Pad touchpad” on page 25 for more information.
Keyboard See “Using the keyboard” on page 20 for more information.
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Identifying y our model
The label on the bottom of your computer contains informa tion that
identifies your notebook model. Gateway Technical Support will need this
information if you call for assistance.
Important The label shown below is for informational purposes only.
Label information var ies by model.
Identifying your mo del
Gatewa y model
number
Gateway serial
number
Revision code
and display
type/processor
size
Internal
wireless
devices
Gateway part
number
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9
Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Notebook
Accessories
Gateway offers accessories that can help you make the most of using your
notebook.
Batteries and automobile/airplane power adapt ers
If you run your notebook on battery power for extended periods, you may
want to buy an additional battery so that you can swap batteries when
necessary.
With an automobile/airplane power adapter, you can save battery power by
plugging your notebook into an automobile cigarette lighter or an airplane
in-flight power receptacle.
Carrying cases
Gateway has large-capacity carrying cases if you need additional space for
accessories or supplies.
External devices
Y ou can attach external devices suc h as a keyboard, mouse, printer, o r monitor
to your notebook.
10
Memory
Large programs, such as multimedia games or graphics programs, use a lot of
memory. If your programs are running more slowly than you think they
should, try adding more memory.
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.
Inkjet printers and cartridges are relatively inexpensive, but usually they are
slower than laser printers. Using an inkjet color printer, you ca n 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.
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Getting Started
This chapter provides basic information about your Gateway notebook. Read
this chapter to find out:
■ How to con nect the A C power ada pter
■ How to start and turn off your notebook
■ How to use the keyboard
■ How to use the EZ Pa d™ touch pad
■ How to connect the modem
■ How to connect to an Ethernet network
■ How to install peripheral devi ces
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11
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Connecting the A C adapter
Y ou can run y our notebook using an AC adapter or the notebook battery. The
battery was shipped to you partially charged. You should use the AC adapter
right away to fully charge the battery. Allow 24 hours for the battery to fully
charge.
Important If the battery is not fully charged before you use your
notebook on battery pow er f or the first tim e, the battery lif e
may be much shorter than you expect. If the battery life
seems short even after being charged for 24 hours, the
battery may need to be recalibr ated. F or more inf ormation,
see “Recalibrating the battery” on page 95.
To connect the AC adapter:
1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.
12
Warning Replace the power cord if it becomes damaged. The
replacement cord must be of the same type and voltage
rating as th e origi nal cord.
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Connecting the AC adapter
2 Connect the AC adapter to your notebook’s power connector.
3 Plug the power cord into a wall outlet.
The battery charge indicator turns on (see “Front” on page 2 for the
location of the indicator). If the battery charge indicator does not turn
on, disconnect the adapter from your n otebook and repeat Step 2.
4 When you finish using your notebook for the first time, turn the
notebook off and leave the notebook connected to AC power for at least
24 hours.
5 If the battery meters do not show a full charge after 24 hours, contact
Gateway Technical Support at www.gateway.com/support/contact.
Warning Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The
AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable
parts inside. The A C adapter has dangerous v o ltages that
can cause serious injury or dea th. Contact G ate wa y about
returning defective AC adapters.
www.gateway.com
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Chapter 2: Getting Started
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 surge protector. If you have a
telephone modem, use a surge protector that has a
modem jack. If you have a cable modem, use a surge
protector that has an antenna/cable TV jack. During an
electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the
modem.
14
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Starting your notebook
To start the notebook:
1 Open your notebook by sliding the latch on the front of your notebook
to the right and lifting the LCD panel.
2 Press the power button located above the keyboard.
Pow er b u tt o n
Starting your notebook
The power button is preset to On/Off mode. However, you can also set
it to function in Standby/Resume mode. For instructions on changing
the power button mode, see “Changing power settings” on page 99.
3 If you are starting your computer for the first time, follow the on-screen
instructions to set up your computer.
W aking up your notebook
When you have not used your notebook for several minutes, it enters a
power-saving mode called Standby. While in Standby, the power indicator
flashes.
If your notebook is in Standby mode, “wake” it up by pressing the power
button. For more information on changing power-saving settings, see
“Managing Power” on p age 9 3.
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Chapter 2: Getting Started
T urning off your notebook
To turn off your notebook:
■ Click Start, then click Turn Off Computer, then click Tu r n Off. Windows
shuts down and turns off your computer.
If for some reason you cannot use the Turn Off Computer option in
Windows to shut down your notebook, press and hold the p ower button
for about five seconds, then release.
16
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Switching user accounts
When you first turn on your notebook, you have the option to add different
user accounts. These user accounts can be customized for each person that
uses the notebook. Y ou can add, delete, or modify existin g user accounts. You
can also switch (change) user accounts without turning off your notebook.
Switching user accounts
Help and
Support
For more information about adding, deleting, and
modifying your user accounts, click Start, then select Help
and Support.
To add, delete, or modify user accounts:
1 Click Start, select Control Panel , then double-click Use r Accounts. The User
Accounts window opens.
2 Follow the on- screen prompts to add, delete, or modify a user accou nt.
To switc h user accounts:
1 Click Start, then select Log Off. The Log Off Windows dialog box opens.
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17
Chapter 2: Getting Started
2 Click Switch User to switch between your user accounts. The Windows
logon screen opens.
3 Select the user account that you want to activate. When you switch
between users, any programs that were running for the previous user
continue to run.
18
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Status indicators
Pad lo ck
Caps lock
Scroll lock
Status indicators
Diskette drive
Hard drive
Optical disc
drive
Indicator Icon D escription
Caps Lock Turns on when Caps Lock is activated.
Pad Lock Turns on when the embedded numeric keypad is
1
Scroll Lock Turns on when Scroll Lock is activated.
Diskette drive Tur ns on when the standard 1.44 MB diskette drive is in
Hard drive Turns on when the hard drive is in use.
Optical disc drive Turns on when the CD/DVD drive is in use.
activated.
use.
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19
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Using the keyboar d
Your notebook features a keyboard that has the same functionality as a
desktop computer keyboard. Many of the keys have been assign ed alternate
functions. The alternate function is printed on the key in green text.
You can attach an external keyboard to the notebook using a USB port. You
do not need to shut down the notebook to connect a keyboard.
FN key
Application
key
Function keys/System keys
Numeric
key
keypad
Volume keys/Navigation keys
Windows
key
N key
F
Arrow keysWindows
20
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Keys
Keys Icon Description
Function keys Press these keys labeled F1 to F12 to perfor m
actions in progr ams . For example, pressing F1 ma y
open help.
Each program uses different function keys for
different purposes. Refer to the program
documentation to find out more about the function
key act ions .
System keys Press these green-colored k eys in combin ation with
N key to perform specific actions.
the F
V olume keys Press these green-colored ke ys in combin ation with
the F
N key to increase or decrease the volume or
mute the sound.
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.
Using the keyboard
N key Press the FN key in combination with a
F
green-colored sys tem key (such as S
TATUS) to perform a specific action.
or S
Applicatio n key Press for quick access to shortc ut menu s an d help
assistants in Windows.
Windows key Press to open the Windows Start menu. This key
can also be used in combination with other keys to
open utilities like F (Search utility), R (Run utility),
and E (Explorer utility).
Numeric keypad Use these keys to type numbers when the numeric
keypad is turned on. Press
the numeric keypad.
Arrow keys Press these keys to mo ve the cu rsor up, do wn, right,
or left.
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FN+PAD LOCK to turn on
TANDBY, PAUSE,
21
Chapter 2: Getting Started
System key combinations
When you press an FN key and a system key at the same time, the notebook
performs the action identified by the green text or icon on the key.
L
Press FN and this
function key...
To...
Display the power status box in the upper left corner of your
screen. The bo x shows the battery charge l ev el, the BIOS ve rsion,
and whether the AC adapter is being used. Press the key
combination again to close this box.
Toggle the notebook screen between the LCD, an external
monitor, or both di splays at the s ame time. A mo nitor must be
plugged into the monitor port on the notebook.
Enter Standby mode. Press the power button to leave Standby
mode.
Turn on Pad Lock so you can use the numeric keypad. Press th is
key combination again to turn off Pad Lock. The Pad Lock status
indicator appears while this function is turned on.
22
Pause the text scrol lin g i n a D OS s creen . T he Scro ll Lo ck sta tus
indicator ap pears wh en this f unctio n is tur ned on. Press the key
combination again to continue scrolling. (This function is only
available in some programs.)
Pause e xecut ion of a DOS progra m. (This function is only avai lable
in some programs.)
Stop the cur rently r unning D OS program. (This func tion is on ly
available in some programs.)
Mute the sound. Press the key combination again to restore the
sound.
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Using the keyboard
Press FN and this
function key...
To...
Increase volume.
Decrease volume.
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23
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Multi-function buttons
Internet
E-mail
User-defined
shortcut
Help
Button Icon Press to...
E-mail Open your e-mail program.
Internet Open your Web browser.
Help Open online help.
User-defined shortcut Open the program you assign to this key.
For more information, see “Programming the multi-function buttons” on
page 118.
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