Gigabyte W431U User Manual

Copyright ©2005

All Right Reserved

W431U Notebook User’s Manual

Original Issue: 2005/10

This manual guides you in setting up and using your new Notebook PC. Information in the manual has been carefully checked for accuracy and

is subject to change without notice.

No part of this manual may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without prior written consent.

Trademarks

Product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective companies.

Microsoft®, MS-DOS, Windows ®, and Windows ® Sound System are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Intel®, Centrino™, Pentium ® M, Banias, Calexico are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.

Sound Blaster, Sound Blaster Pro are trademarks of Creative Technology.

All other brands or product names mentioned in this manual are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

I

Safety Instructions

Use the following safety guidelines to help protect yourself and
your notebook.

When Using Your W431U Notebook Computer

CAUTION: Do not operate your portable computer for an
extended period of time with the base resting directly on
your body. With extended operation, heat can potentially
build up in the base.

Allowing sustained contact with the skin could cause dis-

comfort or, eventually, a burn.

• Do not attempt to service the notebook yourself. Always follow
installation instructions closely.

• Do not carry a battery in your pocket, purse, or other container
where metal objects (such as car keys) could short-circuit the
battery terminals. The resulting excessive current flow can cause
extremely high temperatures and may result in damage from
burns.

• Be sure that nothing rests on your AC adapter’s power cable
and that the cable is not located where it can be tripped over or
stepped on.

• Place the AC adapter in a ventilated area, such as a desktop or
on the floor, when you use it to run the computer or to charge the
battery. Do not cover the AC adapter with papers or other items
that will reduce cooling; also, do not use the AC adapter while it is
inside a carrying case.

• Do not push objects into air vents or openings of your notebook

computer. Doing so can cause fire or electric shock by shorting
out interior components.

• Use only the AC adapter and batteries that are approved for use
with your notebook. Use of another type of battery or AC adapter
may risk fire or explosion.

• Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced.

• Replace only with the same or equivalent type battery recom­mended by the manufacturer.

• Dispose of used batteries according to the manufacturer’s instruc­tions.

• Before you connect your notebook to a power source, ensure that
the voltage rating of the AC adapter matches that of the available
power source.

- 115 V/60 Hz in most of North and South America and some Far
Eastern countries such as South Korea and Taiwan.

- 100 V/50 Hz in eastern Japan and 100 V/60Hz in western Japan.

- 230 V/50 Hz in most of Europe, the Middle East, and the Far
East.

• If you use an extension cable with your AC adapter, ensure that
the total ampere rating of the products plugged in to the extension
cable does not exceed the ampere rating of the extension cable.

• To remove power from your notebook, turn it off, disconnect the
AC adapter from the electrical outlet, and remove the battery.

• To help avoid the potential hazard of electric shock, do not con­nect or disconnect any cables or perform maintenance or recon­figuration of this product during an electrical storm.

• Do not dispose of batteries in a fire. They may explode. Check
with local authorities for disposal instructions.

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W431U NOTEBOOK USER’S MANUAL

• When setting up your notebook for work, place it on a level
surface.

• When traveling, do not check your notebook as baggage. You can
put your notebook through an X-ray security machine, but never
put your notebook through a metal detector. If you have your
notebook checked by hand, be sure to have a charged battery
available in case you are asked to turn on your notebook.

• When traveling with the hard drive removed from your notebook,
wrap the drive in a non-conducting material, such as cloth or
paper. If you have the drive checked by hand, be ready to install
the drive in your notebook. Your can put the hard drive through an
X-ray security machine, but never put the drive through a metal
detector.

• When traveling, do not place your notebook in overhead storage
compartments where it could slide around. Do not drop your note­book or subject it to other mechanical shocks.

• Protect your notebook, battery, and hard drive from environmen­tal hazards such as dirt, dust, food, liquids, temperature extremes,
and overexposure to sunlight.

• When you move your notebook between environments with very
different temperature and/or humidity ranges, condensation may
form on or within your notebook. To avoid damaging your note­book, allow sufficient time for the moisture to evaporate before
using your notebook.

NOTICE: When taking your notebook from low-temperature condi­tions into a warmer environment or from high-temperature conditions
into a cooler environment, allow your notebook to acclimate to room
temperature before turning on power.

• When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its
strain relief loop, not on the cable itself. As you pull out the con­nector, keep it evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector
pins. Also, before you connect a cable make sure both connectors
are correctly oriented and aligned.

• Before you clean your notebook, turn it off, unplug it from its
power source, and remove the battery.

• Handle components with care. Hold a component such as a
memory module by its edges, not its pins.

CAUTION: When using your telephone equipment, basic

safety precautions should always be followed to reduce the
risk of fire, electric shock and injury to persons, including
the following:

• Do not use this product near water, for example, near a
bathtub, washing bowl, kitchen sink or laundry tub, in a wet
basement or near a swimming pool.

• Avoid using a telephone (other than a cordless type)
during an electrical storm. There may be a remote risk of
electric shock from lightning.

• Do not use the telephone to report a gas leak in the vicin­ity of the leak.

• Use only the power cord indicated in this manual.

III

WARNING: Possible voiding of Warranty

* If the battery is not properly handled, there may be a risk of
explosion; make sure you are using the same or equivalent
battery.
* Please dispose the used battery according to the instructions
given by the manufacturer.
* Please be aware that cracked, deeply scratched or other
poor quality disk used in this drive may cause damage to the
drive and data in the disk. Such discs may break at high-speed
rotation. If full care is not exercised in relation to this matter
you may void the warranty to this product.

Regulatory Notices

CE Notice (European Union)

Marking by the symbol indicates compliance of this W431U
computer to the EMC Directive and the Low Voltage Directive of
the European Union. Such marking indicates that this W431U
system meets the following technical standards:

• EN 55022 — “Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio
Interference Characteristics of Information Technology Equipment.”

• EN 55024 — “Information technology equipment - Immunity
characteristics - Limits and methods of measurement.”

• EN 61000-3-2 — “Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - Part 3:
Limits - Section 2: Limits for harmonic current emissions (Equip-

ment input current up to and including 16 A per phase).”

• EN 61000-3-3 — “Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - Part 3:

Limits - Section 3: Limitation of voltage fluctuations and flicker in
low-voltage supply systems for equipment with rated current up to
and including 16 A.”

• EN 60950 — “Safety of Information Technology Equipment.”

NOTE: EN 55022 emissions requirements provide for two
classifications:

• Class A is for typical commercial areas.

• Class B is for typical domestic areas.

BSMI Notice (Taiwan Only)
Most notebook computer computer products are classified by the
Bureau of Standards, Meteorology and Inspection (BSMI) as Class
B information technology equipment (ITE).

This symbol that must be marked on the product indicates the
product complies with BSMI standard.

IV

W431U NOTEBOOK USER’S MANUAL

Preface

Congratulations on your purchase of a Notebook computer! Your
new notebook features the most innovative advances in portable
computing technology. It combines state-of-the-art ergonomics with
sophisticated architecture to provide you with a personal computer
that is compact, powerful, and easy to use. Designed for a wide
range of general, business, and personal productivity applications,
this notebook is an ideal choice for use in the office, at home, and
on the road.

This Manual contains all the information you need to set up and
use your new notebook. It describes all the features of the note­book in an easy-to-read yet thorough manner.

V

Content

Safety Instructions .......................................................................... I

Regulatory Notices ........................................................................ III

Preface .......................................................................................... IV

Chapter 1 The Grand Tour

1.1 The Outside of W431U Notebook Computer ......................02

1.2 Status LED Indicator ............................................................04

Chapter 2 Operating Basics

2.1 Using the Battery Pack .........................................................07

2.2 Connecting the AC Power Source ........................................09

2.3 Turning Your Notebook On and Off ......................................09

2.4 Installing W431U Notebook Computer Device Drivers .........10

2.5 Using the Launch Keys ........................................................10

2.6 Using the Keyboard ..............................................................11

2.7 Using the TouchPad .............................................................12

2.8 Storage .................................................................................13

Chapter 3 Personalize Your W431U Notebook Computer

3.1 How to restore to the Factory Restore Point ........................15

3.2 BIOS Setup ..........................................................................17

3.3 BIOS Update ........................................................................20

3.4 System Upgrade ...................................................................22

3.5 Protecting Your W431U Notebook Computer .......................23

Appendix A Specifications ...........................................................24

Appendix B Service Center .........................................................26

1

W431U NOTEBOOK USER’S MANUAL

Chapter 1 The Grand Tour

This chapter will show you the basic components of the computer
and briefly explain how they function.

The Grand Tour

2

The Grand Tour

1.1 The Outside of W431U Notebook Computer

►Front View◄

1 LCD Display screen

Also called Liquid-Crystal Dislay(LCD), displaying computer
output.

2 Power Button

Turn the computer on and off, or resumes whenever it is in
suspend mode.

3 Keyboard

Inputs data into your computer.

4 Speaker

The built-in dual speakers allow for stereo sound.

5 Touchpad

Use it to move the pointer, select and activate items on the
screen.

6 Launch Keys

Buttons for launching frequently used programs.

►Rear View◄

1 USB Port

Connects to USB devices (eg., USB mouse, USB camera).

2 External Monitor Port

The external monitor port allows you to connect an external
monitor.

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2

3

4 4

6

5

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1

3

W431U NOTEBOOK USER’S MANUAL

►Left View◄

1 Kensington Lock Port

The Kensington lock slot allows you to secure your notebook to
an immovable object through an optional security cable.

2 Modem Port

The modem port is used to attach a telephone line to the internal
56K modem.

3 IEEE 1394 Port

Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.

4 USB Port

Connects to USB devices (eg., USB mouse, USB camera).

5 Headphone Jack

Connects to a headphones or external speaker and amplifiers.

6 Microphone Jack

Connects to an external mono microphone.

►Right View◄

1 Optical Drive

The Optical Drive allows you to play back a media discs, such as
CDs and DVDs.

2 Optical Drive Eject Button

The Optical Drive Enject Button allows you to open the Optical
Drive tray.

3 PC Card Slot

Accepts one Type II 16-bit PC card or 32-bit CardBus PC card.

4 4-in-1 Card Slot

Accepts SD/MMC/MS/MS Pro modules. (Only one card can
operate at any given time.)

5 USB Port

Connects to USB devices (eg., USB mouse, USB camera).

6 LAN Port

Connects to LAN module connects your computer to other
computer/ networks through a local area network (LAN).

7 Power Port

Connects to an AC adapter.

The Grand Tour

1 2 3 4 65

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4

►Bottom View◄

1 Battery Bay

Equipped with a choice of Litium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery pack.

2 Wireless Lan Card Compartment

This compartment contains the wireless LAN card.

3 Rating Label

The rating label shows the model number and other information
about W431U notebook computer.

4 Fan Outlets

These are open ports for the fan to dissipate heat from the
computer’s internal components. Do not block or place the
computer in such a position that you inadvertently allow the
outlets to become blocked.

5 Memory/ HDD Compartment

The memory portion of the compartment contains the system
RAM, while the HDD portion contains the hard disk drive.

1.2 Status LED Indicator

Power On/ Suspend

The power indicator lights con not whether your sytem is power on.
It has several different states, each one indicating your notebook’s
operating mode.

• Steady On: This means that there is power to your notebook and

that it is ready for use.

• Flashing: This means that your notebook is in Suspend mode.

• Off: This means that your system is either in Save-to-Disk mode,

or your notebook has been turned off with the power switch.

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2 3 4

5

The Grand Tour