Gateway Tower, Mid Tower, Micro Tower, New Micro Tower User Manual

Your Gateway Computer

user'sguide

Customizing

Troubleshooting

1 Checking Out Your Gateway Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Identifying your computer case style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Gateway Tower Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Gateway Tower Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Gateway Mid Tower Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Gateway Mid Tower Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Gateway Micro Tower Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Gateway Micro Tower Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Desktop to tower conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Gateway New Micro Tower Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Gateway New Micro Tower Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Desktop to tower conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Gateway model number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Gateway serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Finding your specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

2 Setting Up Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Working safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Reducing eye strain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Setting up your computer desk and chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Setting up your computer and computer accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Sitting at your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Avoiding discomfort and injury from repetitive strain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Starting your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Turning off your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Restarting (rebooting) your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Multifunction keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Special-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Using the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

3Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

HelpSpot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Searching for a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

HelpSpot videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Do More With Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Using eSupport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

4 Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Using the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Adding icons to the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Identifying window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Viewing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Creating folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Using the Windows Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

5 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

6 Using Drives and Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Using the diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Using the CD or DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Identifying drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Listening to CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Playing audio and video files with the Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Creating MP3 music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Changing the music library display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Listening to Internet radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Using advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Creating CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Copying a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Creating a data CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Copying music tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Creating a music CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

7 Using PhoneTools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Using telephone features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Making a telephone call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Using Quick Dial memory keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Using telephone book entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Using voice mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Recording a greeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Sending and receiving faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Setting up your cover page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

8 Customizing Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Adjusting the screen resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Changing the colors on your Windows desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Changing the mouse settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Adding and modifying user accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

iii

Power management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

Using power saving modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

Changing power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

Changing the power scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161

Changing advanced power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162

Activating and using Hibernate mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164

Setting up an uninterruptible power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

9 Networking Your Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167

Benefits of networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

Sharing a single Internet connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

Sharing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

Sharing peripheral devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

Streaming audio and video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

Playing multi-player games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

Selecting a network connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170

Wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170

Wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170

Using a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171

Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, or Gigabit Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171

Example wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172

Equipment you need for a wired Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

Using a wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174

Example access point wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175

Equipment you need fo r an access point wireles s Ethernet network . . . . . . .176

Example peer-to-peer wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177

Equipment you need fo r a peer-to-peer wireless Ethernet network . . . . . . . . 178

For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178

10 Moving from Your Old Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Using the Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

Transferring files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

Finding your files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

Transferring Internet settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183

Setting up your ISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183

Transferring your e-mail and address book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184

Transferring your Internet shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184

Installing your old printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185

Installing a USB printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185

Installing a parallel port printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185

Installing your old programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187

11 Maintaining Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Using Disk Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Checking the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

Using the Scheduled Task Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Cleaning the monitor screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

12 Restoring Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Using the Restoration CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

Reinstalling device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

Updating device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Reinstalling programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

Reinstalling Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

13 Upgrading Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Selecting a place to work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

Gathering the tools you need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Identifying your computer case style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220

Upgrading the Gateway Tower and Mid Tower Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Opening the case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Closing the case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Adding or replacing a CD, DVD, or diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225

Adding or replacing a hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Adding or replacing add-in cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

Replacing the power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Replacing the system board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Upgrading the Gateway Micro Tower Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Opening the case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Closing the case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Adding or replacing a diskette, CD, or DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

Replacing a hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

Adding or replacing add-in cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Replacing the power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258

Replacing the system board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261

Upgrading the Gateway New Micro Tower Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263

Opening the case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263

Closing the case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266

Adding or replacing a CD, DVD, or diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267

Replacing the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .272

Adding or replacing add-in cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275

Replacing the power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277

Replacing the system board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .279

Installing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .283

Replacing the system battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .287

14 Using the BIOS Setup Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .289

Opening the BIOS Setup utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .290

Updating the BIOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292

Setting the BIOS configuration jumper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292

15 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293

Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294

First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295

Software support tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .296

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .297

Add-in cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .297

CD or DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .297

Cleaning CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .299

Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .299

Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .300

File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301

Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .302

Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .304

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305

Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .306

Modem (dial-up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .306

Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .312

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313

Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313

Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315

Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .316

Before calling Gateway Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .316

Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .317

Tutoring and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .318

Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318

Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318

Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319

A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331

vii

viii

Checking Out

Your Gateway

Computer

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

■ How to identify the features of your Gateway

computer

■ How to locate your computer’s model and serial

number

■ How to locate the Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

■ How to locate the specifications for your computer

■ What accessories are available for your computer

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Computer

Identifying your computer case style

Use the following descriptions to identify your computer case style.

Gateway Tower Gateway Mid Tower Gateway Micro Tower Gateway New Micro

Tow er

The Gat eway Tower does not have an access door on the front.

For inf ormation on the Gateway Tower case, see “Gateway Tower

Front” on page 3.

The Gateway Mid Tower case has an access door on the front that covers the drive bays and other components.

For inf ormation on the Gateway Mid Tower case, see “Gateway

Mid Tower Front” on page 8.

www.gateway.com

The Gateway Micro Tower can be set vertically into its removable base, or set horizontally on its rubber feet.

For inf ormation on the Gateway Micro Tower case, see “Gateway

New Micro Tower Front” on page 19.

The Gateway New Micro Tower has a rotating base and does not have an access door.

For inf ormation on the Gatewa y Mi cro Tow er case, see “Gateway

New Micro Tower Front” on page 19.

Gatewa y T ower Fr ont

Your computer may contain any of the following components.

CD/DVD/recordable drive

5.25-inch drive bay cover

Diskette drive (optional)

Gateway Tower Front

CD/DVD eject button

5.25-inch drive bay cover Diskette eject button

IEEE 1394 port (optional)

Power button

USB ports

3.5-inch drive bay cover

www.gateway.com

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Computer

Component Icon Description

CD/DVD/recordable drive

5.25-inch drive bay cover

Diskette dri ve (optional)

IEEE 1394 port (optional)

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

CD/DVD eject button Press this button to open the CD or DVD drive tray. Diskette eject button Press this button to eject an inserted diskette.

Use this drive to listen to audio CDs, install games and programs, watch DVDs, and store large files onto recordable CDs and DVDs (depending on drive type). For more information , see “U sing the CD o r DVD drive” on page 95.

This drive may be a CD, CD-RW, DVD/CD-RW, DVD, DVD+RW, or DVD-RAM/-RW/CD-RW drive. To identify your drive type and for more information about your drive, see

“Identifying drive types” on page 95.

Remove this cover to install an additional 5.25-inch drive.

Use this drive to store smaller files on diskettes. For more information , see “U sing the dis kette dri ve” on page 93.

Plug an IEE E 1394 (also known as F irewire device (such as a digital video camera) into this 4-pin IEEE 1394 port.

configure the power button to operate in Standby/Resume mode or Hibernate mode. For more information on changing the power button setting, see “Setting up an uninterruptible

power supply” on page 165.

or i.Link®)

USB ports USB 2.0 Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a digital

camera) into these por ts.

3.5-inch drive bay cover

Remove this cover to install an additional 3.5-inch drive.

www.gateway.com

Gatewa y T ower Bac k

Your computer may contain any of the following components.

Product label

Power connector

Voltage switch

Microsoft Cer tificat e

of Authenticity

PS/2 mouse port

PS/2 keyboard por t

USB ports Serial port

Para l le l p ort

Gateway Tow er Back

Kensington lock slot

Case cover shipping scr ew

USB ports

TV jack

Modem jack

(optional)

Headphone/analog

speakers (Line out 1) jack

(optional)

IEEE 1394 port

(optional)

Rear out

(Line out 2) jack

(optional)

www.gateway.com

Ethernet (network) jack

Monitor port

Add-in card retention thumbscrew

Microphone jac k (optional) Digital speakers (Digital out)

jack (optional)

Audio input (Line in) jack (optional)

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Computer

Component Icon Description

Product label Your computer’s serial and model number. Power connector Plug the power cable into this connector. Voltage switch Before turning on your computer, make sure that this

switch is in th e correct po sition f or the co rrect v oltage . The switch is prese t at th e factor y wit h the correc t voltage for your area.

In the United States, the utility power is supplied at a nominal 115 volts at 60 Hz. The power supply should always be set to this when your computer is operating in the United States. In other areas of the world, such as Europe, the utility power is supplied at 230 volts at 50 Hz. If your computer is operating in an environment such as this, the voltage switch should be moved to 230.

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

PS/2 mouse port Plug a Personal System/2

PS/2 keyboard por t Plug a PS/2 keyboard into this port.

USB ports USB 2.0 Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a

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

Parallel por t Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this por t.

TV jack Plug a television into this port. Modem jack

(optional) Headphone/analog

speakers (Line out 1) jack (optional)

The Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity (COA) contains your Windows p roduct key.

(PS/2) mouse into this por t.

mouse, keyboard, or printer) into these ports.

port.

Plug a modem c able into th is jack.

Plug powered, analog front speakers, an external amplifier, or headphones into this jack. This jack is color-coded green.

www.gateway.com

Component Icon Description

Gateway Tow er Back

IEEE 1394 port (optional)

Rear out (Line out 2) jack (optional)

Kensington™ lock slot Secure your computer to an object by connecting a

Case cover shipping screw

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

Monitor port Plug a monitor into this port.

Add-in card retention thumbscrew

Microphone jack (optional)

Digital speakers (Digital ou t) jack (optional)

Plug an IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire or i.Link) device (such as a scanner or hard drive) into this 6-pin IEEE 1394 port.

Plug powered, analog rear speakers or an external amplifier into this jack. This jack is color-coded black.

Kensington cable lock to this slot.

Remove this screw be fore opening t he case.

as a DSL or cable modem) into this jack.

Remove th is scre w when addi ng or replac ing add-i n cards .

Plug a microphone into this jack. This jack is color-coded red or pink.

Plug digital speakers into this jack. You can also use this jack for an analog center speaker or analog subwoofer. This jack is color-coded orange.

Audio input (Line in) jack (optional)

Plug an external audi o input source (such as a stere o) into this jack so you can record sound on your computer. This jack is color-coded blue.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Computer

Gatewa y Mid T ower Fr ont

Your computer may contain any of the following components.

Access door

5.25-inch drive b ay cover

CD/DVD/R ecordable drive

CD/DVD eject button

3.5-inch drive bay cover

IEEE 1394 port (optional)

Diskette dri ve (optiona l)

Diskette ej ect button

Pow er b u tt o n

USB ports

www.gateway.com

Gateway Mid Tower Front

Component Icon Description

Access door Open this door to acce ss y our driv es and othe r comp onents.

5.25-inch drive bay cover

CD/DVD/Recordable drive

CD/D VD eject bu tton Press this button to open the CD or DVD drive tra y. For more

3.5-inch drive bay cover

IEEE 1394 port (optional)

Diskette dri ve (optional)

Diskette eject button Press this button to eject an inserted diskette. For more

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

Remove this cover to install an additional 5.25-inch drive.

Use this drive to listen to audio CDs, install games and programs, w atch D VDs, and store large files onto recordable CDs and DVDs (depending on drive type). For more information, see “Using the CD or DVD dr ive” on page 95.

This dri ve may be a CD, CD-RW, DVD/CD-RW, DVD, DVD+RW, or DVD-RAM/-RW/CD-RW drive. To identify your drive type and for more information about your dr ive, see

“Identifying drive types” on page 95.

information, see “Using the CD or DVD dr ive” on page 95. Remove this cover to install an additional 3.5-inch drive.

Plug an IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire® or i.Link®) device (such as a digital video came ra) into t his 4-pin IEEE 1394 port.

Use this drive to store smaller files on diskettes. For more information, see “Using the diskette drive” on page 93.

information, see “Using the diskette drive” on page 93.

configure the power button to operate in Standby/Resume mode or Hibernate m ode. F or more information on changi ng the power button setting, see “Changing power settings” on

page 160.

USB ports USB v2.0 Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a digital

camera) into these por ts.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Computer

Gatewa y Mid T ower Bac k

Your computer may contain any of the following components.

Power connector

Voltage switch

PS/2 mouse port

PS/2 keyboard por t

USB ports Serial port

Para l le l p ort

Monitor port

USB ports

Microphone jack

Headphone/speakers (Line out) jack

Audio input (Line in) jack

Telephone jack (optional)

Kensington lock slot

Case cover shipping screw

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

Ethernet (Network) jack

Add-in card retention thumbscrew

Modem jack (optional)

www.gateway.com

Gateway Mid Tower Back

Component Icon Description

Power connector Plug the power cable into this connector. Voltage switch Before turning on your computer, make sure that this

switch is in the correct position f or the correct voltage. Th e switch is preset at the factory with the correct voltage for your area.

In the United States, the utility power is supplied at a nominal 115 volts at 60 Hz. The power supply should always be set to this when your computer is operating in the United States. In other areas of the world, such as Europe, the uti lity p ower is suppl ied at 230 v olts a t 50 Hz . If your computer is operating in an environment such as this, the voltage switch should be moved to 230.

PS/2 mouse port Plug a Personal System/2

PS/2 keyboard por t Plug a PS/2 keyboard into this port.

USB ports USB v2.0 Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a

mouse, keyboard, or printer) into these ports.

(PS/2) mous e into th is por t.

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

port.

Parallel por t Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this port.

Monitor port Plug a monitor into this port.

Microphone jack Plug a microphone into thi s jac k . This j ac k is col or-code d

red or pink.

Headphone/speakers (Line out) jack

Audio input (Line in) jack

Telephone jack (optional)

Plug powered, analog front speakers, an external amplifier, or head phones in to this jack. This jack is color-coded green.

Plug an exter nal audio input source (such as a stereo) into this jack so you can record sound on your com pu ter. This jack is color-coded blue.

If your modem has a telephone jack, plug the cable for a telephone into this jack.

www.gateway.com

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Computer

Component Icon Description

Modem jack (optional) Plug a modem cable into this jack.

Kensington™ lock slot Secure your computer to an object by connecting a

Kensington cable lock to this slot.

Case cover shipping screw

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

Ethernet (Network) jack Plug an Ethernet network cable or a device (such as a

Add-in card retention thumbscrew

Remove this screw before opening the case.

The Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity (COA) contains your Windows product key.

DSL or cable modem) into this jack. Remove this screw when adding or replacing add-in

cards.

www.gateway.com

Gateway Micro Tower Front

Gatewa y Micro T o wer Front

Your computer may contain any of the following components.

CD/DVD eject

button

CD/DVD/Recordable

drive

Cover release

handle

IEEE 1394 port

(optional)

Power button

Diskette eject button

Diskette drive (optional)

USB ports

Removable base

www.gateway.com

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Computer

Component Icon Description

CD/DVD eject button Press this button to open the CD or DVD drive tray. For

more information, see “Using the CD or DVD drive” on

page 95.

CD/DVD/Recordable drive

Cover release handle Press this handle to open the computer cover. IEEE 1394 port (optional) Plug an IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire

Removable base Install this base when using your computer ver tically.

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

Diskette eject button Press this button to eject an inserted diskette. For more

page 95.

This drive may be a CD, CD-RW, DVD/CD-RW, DVD, D VD+RW, or D VD-RAM/-RW/CD-R W drive . To identify your drive type and for more information about your drive, see

“Identifying drive types” on page 95.

or i.Link®) device (such as a digital video camera) into this 4-pin IEEE 1394 port. For more information, see “Installing a

printer, scanner, or other peripheral device” on page 44.

Remove this base when using your computer horizontally or when accessing components inside the case.

configure the power button to operate in Standby/Resume mode or Hibernate mode. For more information on changing the power button setting, see “Power

management” on page 159.

information, see “Using the diskette drive” on page 93.

Diskette dr ive (o pti ona l) Use thi s dr ive to sto re sm alle r f iles on d iskett es. For mor e

information, see “Using the diskette drive” on page 93.

USB ports USB

2.0

Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a USB Iomega™ Zip™ drive, printer, scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse) into these por ts. For more information, see

“Installing a printer, scanner, or oth er peripheral device” on page 44.

www.gateway.com

Gatewa y Micro T o wer Back

Your computer may contain any of the following components.

Voltage switch

Power connector

Gateway Micro Tower Back

PS/2 mouse port

PS/2 keyboard por t

USB ports

Serial port

Monitor port

USB ports

Microphone jack

Headphone/analog speakers (Line out) jack

Audio input (Line in) jack

Modem jack

Telephone jack

(optional)

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

System label

Parallel port

Ethernet (network) jack

Kensing ton lock slot

Case cover shipping screw

Add-in card retention thumbscrew

www.gateway.com

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Computer

Component Icon Description

V oltage switch Before turning on your computer , m ake su re that this s witch

is in the correct po sition f or the corre ct powe r av ailabl e. The switch is prese t at the factor y wit h the corre ct voltage for your area.

Power connector Plug t he power cable i nto this co nnector. PS/2 mouse port Plug a Personal System/2

PS/2 keyboard por t Plug a PS/2 keyboard into this port.

(PS/2) mous e into th is por t.

USB ports USB

2.0

Serial port Plug a serial de vice (su ch as a d igital camer a) into t his port.

Monitor port Plug a monitor into this por t.

Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack. This jack is color-coded

Headphone/analog speakers (Line out) jack

Audio input (Line in) jack Plug an external audio input sour ce (su ch as a ste r eo ) int o

Modem jack Plug a modem cable into this jack.

Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a USB Iomega™ Zip™ drive, printer, scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse) into these por ts. For more information, see

“Installing a printer, scanner, or oth er peripheral device” on page 44.

For more information, see “Installing a printer, scanner, or

other peripheral device” on page 44.

red or pink. Plug powered, an alog front spea kers , an e xternal amplifi er ,

or headphones into this jack. This jack is color-coded lime green.

this jack so you can record sound on your computer. This jack is color-coded blue.

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Gateway Micro Tower Back

Component Icon Description

Telephone jack (optional) If your modem has a telephone jack, plug the cable for a

telephone into this jack.

Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity

System label Includes your computer’s model and serial number. For

Parallel port Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this port. For

Ethernet (network) jack Plug a 10/100 Ethe rnet netwo rk cable or a device (such as

Kensington™ lock slot Secure your computer to an object by connecting a

Case cover shipping screw

Add-in card retention thumbscrew

Contains yo ur W in do ws p r odu ct key . For more information, see “Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity” on page 26.

more information, see “Identifying your model” on page 25.

more informatio n, see “Installing a printer , scanner, or other

peripheral device” on p age 44.

a DSL or cable modem for a broadband Internet connection) into this jack. For more information, see

“Learning about the Internet” on page 80.

Kensington cable lo ck to this sl ot.

Remove this screw before opening the case.

Remove this screw when adding or replacing add-in cards.

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Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Computer

Desktop to to wer con version

You can convert your Gateway Micro Tower case from desktop to tower configuration using the accessory base included with your system. For more information, see “Upgrading the Gateway Micro Tower Case” on page 243.

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Gateway New Micro Tower Front

Gatewa y New Micro Tower Fr ont

Your computer may contain any of the following components.

Power button

CD/DVD eject button

CD/DVD/Recordable dr ive

Zip drive eject button

Zip drive

Diskette drive (optional)

Diskette eject button

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IEEE 1394 port (optional)

USB ports

Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Computer

Component Icon Description

CD/DVD eject button Press this button to open the CD or DVD drive tray. For

more information, see “Using the CD or DVD dr ive” on

page 95.

CD/DVD/Recordable drive

Zip drive eject button Press this button to eject an inserted Zip disk. Zip drive Use this drive to store larger files on Zip disks. Diskette dr ive

(optional) Diskette eject button Press this button to eject an inserted diskette. For more

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

IEEE 1394 port (optional)

page 95.

This drive may be a CD, CD-RW, DVD/CD-RW, DVD, DVD+RW, or DVD-RAM/-RW/CD-RW drive. To identify your drive type and for more information about your drive, see “Identifying drive types” on page 95.

Use this drive to store smaller files on diskettes. For more information, see “Using the diskette drive” on page 93.

information, see “Using the diskette drive” on page 93.

configure the pow er b utt on to op erate in Stand by /Resum e mode or Hibernate mode. For more information on changing the power button setting, see “Power

management” on page159.

Plug an IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire device (such as a digital video camera) into this 4-pin IEEE 1394 port. For more information, see “Installing a

printer, scanner, or other peripheral device” on page 44.

or i.Link®)

USB ports USB v2.0 Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a digital

camera) into these por ts.

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+ 326 hidden pages

Gateway Tower, Mid Tower, Micro Tower, New Micro Tower User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Identifying your computer case style

Gatewa y T ower Fr ont

Gatewa y T ower Bac k

Gatewa y Mid T ower Fr ont

Gatewa y Mid T ower Bac k

Gateway Micro Tower Front

Gatewa y Micro T o wer Back

Desktop to to wer con version

Gateway New Micro Tower Front