HP OmniBook 5500 User Manual

HP OmniBook 5500
User’s Guide

(Windows for Workgroups)

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................5

Using This Online Manual ....................................................................................................5

Finding More Information ....................................................................................................5

Notice.....................................................................................................................................5

1. GETTING COMFORTABLE..................................................................7

Identifying Parts of the OmniBook.......................................................................................7

Adjusting the Display ............................................................................................................ 9

To locate the display controls ...............................................................................................9

To adjust the display............................................................................................................9

Using the Pointing Device ....................................................................................................10

To use the pointing device .................................................................................................10

To clean the pointing device .............................................................................................. 10

To customize the pointing device.......................................................................................11

Using Sound......................................................................................................................... 12

To adjust the speaker volume.............................................................................................12

To connect a microphone, speakers, or headphones............................................................ 13

To record sound.................................................................................................................14

To play sound....................................................................................................................14

Using the OmniBook Keyboard.......................................................................................... 15

To use special features of the OmniBook keyboard.............................................................15

Learning About Windows.................................................................................................... 16

To learn about Windows....................................................................................................16

2. OPERATING THE OMNIBOOK .......................................................... 18

Checking the Status of the OmniBook................................................................................18

To check keyboard status ................................................................................................... 18

To check data storage status...............................................................................................18

To check power status ........................................................................................................19

Turning the OmniBook On and Off....................................................................................19

To turn off the OmniBook (Instant On mode) ....................................................................19

To turn off the OmniBook (Save-To-Disk mode)................................................................ 20

1

To shut down the OmniBook .............................................................................................20

Restarting the OmniBook....................................................................................................20

To reboot from drive C ......................................................................................................21

To reboot from a floppy disk..............................................................................................21

To reset the OmniBook......................................................................................................21

Using Storage Devices..........................................................................................................22

To install the floppy drive..................................................................................................23

To remove the CD-ROM or floppy drive............................................................................23

To insert and eject a floppy disk.........................................................................................24

To install the CD-ROM drive............................................................................................. 24

To insert and remove a CD................................................................................................25

To insert a PC card............................................................................................................25

To remove a PC card .........................................................................................................26

Upgrading the OmniBook................................................................................................... 27

To find the system software version and memory size ........................................................ 27

To add memory to the OmniBook......................................................................................27

To remove the hard drive...................................................................................................29

To install the hard drive.....................................................................................................30

Restoring Files.....................................................................................................................30

To recover Windows 95.....................................................................................................30

To set up a PCMCIA or parallel port CD-ROM drive......................................................... 31

To recover Windows for Workgroups.................................................................................32

To make DOS 6.22 and Windows for Workgroups backup disks........................................33

To recover HP software programs ...................................................................................... 33

To read the online User’s Guide.........................................................................................34

To install device drivers for other operating systems..........................................................34

3. MANAGING BATTERY POWER.........................................................36

Recharging and Replacing Batteries ..................................................................................37

To recharge the battery or run on ac power ........................................................................ 37

To respond to a low-battery warning..................................................................................38

To replace the battery......................................................................................................... 38

To install a second battery.................................................................................................. 40

Monitoring Battery Power ..................................................................................................40

To get the battery status.....................................................................................................41

To save battery power ........................................................................................................ 41

To adjust the battery charging order...................................................................................41

To change how power is managed...................................................................................... 42

4. PROTECTING YOUR OMNIBOOK..................................................... 44

Attaching a Security Cable.................................................................................................. 44

To attach a security cable...................................................................................................44

Setting Up Password Protection..........................................................................................44

To record your name or other PC identification..................................................................45

2

To set up a user password ..................................................................................................45

To delete a password..........................................................................................................47

To set up an administrator password..................................................................................47

Protecting Your Data........................................................................................................... 48

To repair and clean up a disk.............................................................................................49

To delete a set of OmniBook files....................................................................................... 49

5. THE PERSONAL INFORMATION APPLICATIONS ........................... 51

Managing Your Time with Appointment Book.................................................................. 51

To start Appointment Book................................................................................................51

To view your appointments................................................................................................51

To add a new appointment.................................................................................................52

To add a new event............................................................................................................53

To delete an appointment or event .....................................................................................54

To exit Appointment Book.................................................................................................54

Finding People with the Phone Book................................................................................... 54

To start Phone Book ..........................................................................................................54

To add a name to the Phone Book......................................................................................55

To search for a name .........................................................................................................56

To exit Phone Book ...........................................................................................................56

Getting Answers from HP Financial Calculator.................................................................56

To start HP Calculator ....................................................................................................... 56

To perform a math function on one number.......................................................................56

To do simple arithmetic.....................................................................................................57

6. MAKING CONNECTIONS...................................................................59

Connecting a Printer........................................................................................................... 59

To install a printer.............................................................................................................59

To change the printer’s settings.........................................................................................60

Connecting an External Display..........................................................................................61

To connect an external monitor.......................................................................................... 61

To change the display type .................................................................................................62

To switch between external and built-in displays................................................................ 63

To connect a television or VCR.......................................................................................... 63

To change the television type (NTSC or PAL) ...................................................................63

To connect an SVHS device...............................................................................................64

Connect an External Mouse and Keyboard........................................................................64

To connect an external mouse or keyboard .........................................................................64

To enable external FN keys ................................................................................................65

To connect an external mouse and keyboard ......................................................................65

Making Serial Connections................................................................................................. 66

To connect a serial device..................................................................................................66

To view or change serial port assignments.........................................................................66

To specify serial port settings .............................................................................................67

3

Making Parallel Connections..............................................................................................67

To connect a parallel device ...............................................................................................68

To view or change parallel port assignments ......................................................................68

Making Infrared Connections.............................................................................................68

To make an infrared connection.........................................................................................69

To print on an infrared printer...........................................................................................69

7. USING THE DOCKING SYSTEM........................................................70

Setting Up Your Docking System........................................................................................70

To set up the docking system .............................................................................................71

To dock the OmniBook......................................................................................................72

To undock your OmniBook................................................................................................73

To install an ISA card........................................................................................................74

To install a PCI card..........................................................................................................76

8. TROUBLESHOOTING ........................................................................78

Solving Problems .................................................................................................................78

Printing Problems..............................................................................................................78

Memory Problems..............................................................................................................79

Pointing Device and Mouse Problems................................................................................79

File, Drive, and PC Card Problems .................................................................................... 81

Serial and Infrared Communications Problems ..................................................................81

Sound Problems.................................................................................................................83

Display Problems...............................................................................................................83

Power and Startup Problems .............................................................................................. 83

Lockup Problems...............................................................................................................85

INDEX...................................................................................................... 85

4

Introduction

Using This Online Manual

This online User’s Guide looks similar to a printed manual—and it works like a
printed manual in many ways, too. But you can do several handy things you can’t do
with a manual. For example, you can make the type larger or smaller. You can click
pictures to enlarge them. You can add electronic bookmarks for marking key
information. And you can print all or part of the manual on your printer.

• Press F1. You’ll quickly see how to use this manual.

Finding More Information

This OmniBook User’s Guide introduces the OmniBook and shows you how to
operate and maintain your OmniBook. For more information about using your
OmniBook, look in these additional places:

• The online Help for Windows applications provides information about those

applications—use the Help menu or Help button, or just press F1.

• The OmniBook Notes icon gives late-breaking information available after the

online manuals were completed—double-click the OmniBook Notes icon in
Program Manager (in the OmniBook Library group).

• Many bookstores have books about Windows and MS-DOS for people with

different levels of experience.

Notice

This manual and any examples contained herein are provided “as is” and are subject
to change without notice. Hewlett-Packard Company makes no warranty of any kind
with regard to this manual, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Hewlett-Packard Co. shall not be
liable for any errors or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with
the furnishing, performance, or use of this manual or the examples herein.

Consumer transactions in Australia and the United Kingdom: The above disclaimers
and limitations shall not apply to Consumer transactions in Australia and the United
Kingdom and shall not affect the statutory rights of Consumers.

© Copyright Hewlett-Packard Company 1995–1996. All rights reserved.
Reproduction, adaptation, or translation of this manual is prohibited without prior
written permission of Hewlett-Packard Company, except as allowed under the
copyright laws.

The programs that control this product are copyrighted and all rights are reserved.
Reproduction, adaptation, or translation of those programs without prior written
permission of Hewlett-Packard Co. is also prohibited.

5

Portions of the programs that control this product may also be copyrighted by
Microsoft Corporation, Adaptec, Inc., Microcom Systems, Inc., SystemSoft Corp.,
and Chips & Technologies, Inc. See the individual programs for additional copyright
notices.

Microsoft, MS, and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows is a trademark
of Microsoft Corporation (U.S. patent numbers 4955066 and 4974159). Carbon Copy
is a trademark of Microcom Systems, Inc. SystemSoft is a registered trademark and
CardWizard, CardView, CardSoft, and CardID are trademarks of SystemSoft
Corporation.

For warranty information, see the Support and Service booklet.
Hewlett-Packard Company

Mobile Computing Division
1000 N.E. Circle Blvd.
Corvallis, OR 97330, U.S.A.

Edition 1 March 1996
Edition 2 July 1996

6

1. Getting Comfortable

• Identifying Parts of the OmniBook.

• Adjusting the Display.

• Using the Pointing Device.

• Using Sound.

• Using the OmniBook Keyboard.

• Learning About Windows.

Congratulations! Your OmniBook sets a new standard in personal computing.
Although it’s compact and easy to carry, the OmniBook is equipped with a full-size
keyboard, and a built-in CD-ROM or floppy drive.

This chapter introduces the OmniBook and helps you get familiar with your new
computer.

Identifying Parts of the OmniBook

The illustrations below point out key parts of the OmniBook.

7

Depending on the accessories you purchased with your OmniBook, the center drive
bay can hold an internal CD-ROM drive, a floppy disk drive, or a high-capacity
battery for extra battery power. Alternatively, you can connect the floppy drive to the
OmniBook externally.

Note

To connect the floppy drive to the OmniBook externally, pull out the floppy drive
cable and connect it to the parallel port.

8

Adjusting the Display

• All OmniBooks are equipped with a brightness control.

• Some models also have a contrast control.

In this section you’ll learn how to

• Locate the display controls.

• Adjust the display.

To locate the display controls

Your OmniBook display controls are located either to the right of the display or under
the display. If you have two controls, the upper slider controls the brightness, and the
lower slider controls the contrast.

To adjust the display

• Slide the control up to increase the brightness or contrast, and slide the control

down to decrease it.

9

If your controls appear under the screen, slide right to increase brightness or

contrast, and slide left to decrease it.

Hint

Keep in mind that a higher brightness setting gives a shorter battery operating
time—because the internal light is using more power. (The contrast setting doesn’t
affect the operating time.)

Using the Pointing Device

The pointing device is positioned in the center of the keyboard and the two click
buttons are positioned below the keyboard.

The pointing device controls the motion of the cursor on the screen by detecting
pressure. The pointing device itself does not move. The cursor speed corresponds to
the amount of pressure. The click buttons work like those on a standard mouse—
what they do depends on the software that is used.

In this section you’ll learn how to

• Use the pointing device.

• Clean the pointing device cap.

• Customize the pointing device.

To use the pointing device

1. Place your hands in the typing position.

2. With your index finger, press the pointing device in the direction you want the
pointer to move.

3. Pressing the pointing device away from you moves the cursor up the screen and
pressing it toward you moves the cursor down the screen.

4. Click the buttons with your thumb to select and drag.

To clean the pointing device

10

The cap on the end of the pointing device is removable.

• To maintain a smooth pointing operation, occasionally remove the cap and clean

it with a soft moistened cloth. When the cap wears out, you can replace it with
one of the spares shipped with your OmniBook.

To customize the pointing device

The following changes apply to the built-in pointing device—or an external mouse, if
you’ve enabled one. If you connect an external PS/2 mouse, it disables the pointing
device.

1. Go to Program Manager.

2. From the Main group, double-click Control Panel.

3. Double-click the Mouse icon to open the Mouse Properties box.

The options in the Mouse Properties box let you

• Change the response speed of the pointing device.

• Change how fast you double-click.

• Swap the left and right buttons.

11

4. Select the settings you want, then click OK.

Using Sound

All OmniBook 5500 models support Sound Blaster compatible sound.
In this section you’ll learn how to

• Adjust the speaker volume.

• Connect a microphone, speakers, or headphones.

• Record sound.

• Play sound.

To adjust the speaker volume

• Hold down FN and press F8 or F9 as needed to gradually increase or decrease

the maximum volume.

–or–

1. Go to Program Manager.

2. From the Main group, double-click the OmniBook Tools icon.

3. Click Sound, then Volume and Mixer.

4. Use the mouse to drag the Master Volume slider bars. The volume responds as
you drag.

5. Click OK to close the window and keep the current settings. Cancel returns to
the previous settings.

12

To temporarily silence the speaker output without changing the volume setting, click
Mute in the Volume window. You can use the other controls in Volume-Mixer Control
to control the volumes of individual sound sources—see “To record sound” and “To

play sound”.

Important

When you adjust the volume using the Fn+F8 or Fn+F9 key combinations, you are
adjusting the current volume and you are also setting the maximum volume that can
be played in Windows. If the volume in Windows is too low, you may want to adjust
it with the FN keys.

To connect a microphone, speakers, or headphones

Your OmniBook has a built-in microphone above the keyboard and two stereo
speakers.

You can also plug in an external microphone, external speakers or headphones, and
a stereo input source—such as a CD player.

• Plug the microphone into the microphone jack—the built-in microphone turns off.

13

• Plug the stereo speakers or headphones into the output jack—the built-in

speakers turn off.

• Plug a stereo input source into the input jack.

To record sound

The OmniBook contains a built-in microphone for recording sound. You can also
connect an external microphone in the built-in microphone jack.

1. From Program Manager, click Accessories.

2. Double-click the Sound Recorder icon.

3. Press the Record button and speak into the microphone.

4. When finished, click Stop.

To play sound

• To play back the sound you recorded, simply press the rewind button, then press

the Play button.

14

If you cannot hear the recording, you can increase the volume from the Effects

menu.

• To play back an existing sound file, open the file, the press the Play button.

Using the OmniBook Keyboard

You can tilt the OmniBook keyboard to a more comfortable typing angle with the
built-in tilt feet located on the bottom of the OmniBook.

To use special features of the OmniBook keyboard

In addition to the standard typing keys, the OmniBook keyboard contains the
following special keys and features:

15

Fn combination keys

Use the gold FN key in combination with other keys to execute special functions—for
example, FN+F8 decreases the speaker volume. You press and hold the FN key,
then you press the other key.

Embedded numeric keypad

Press the NUM LOCK (number lock) key to use the numeric keypad. With the
keypad active, keys change to the designations shown on their slanted faces.

ALT GR key

If your keyboard has an ALT GR key to the right of the spacebar, you hold that key
to type the characters printed at the bottom-right corners of keys. For keys that have
four characters, hold SHIFT and ALT GR to type the upper-right characters.

Learning About Windows

To learn about Windows

The OmniBook User’s Guide introduces the OmniBook and shows you how to
operate and maintain your OmniBook. For information about Windows, see the
following sources.

• While the Program Manager window is shown, press ALT, then H, then W.

16

• Many bookstores have books about Windows for people with different levels of

experience.

17

2. Operating the OmniBook

• Checking the Status of the OmniBook.

• Turning the OmniBook On and Off.

• Restarting the OmniBook.

• Using Storage Devices.

• Upgrading the OmniBook.

• Restoring OmniBook Files.

Your OmniBook has been specifically designed for ease-of-use on the road. It
features “instant-on” power that immediately restores your last screen. Advanced
Power Management (APM) helps to minimize the amount of power you need to run
your programs. And the OmniBook supports a wide variety of storage devices—all
infused with the quality and the attention to detail that are the hallmarks of Hewlett­Packard.

Checking the Status of the OmniBook

The OmniBook status panel, located above the keyboard, contains indicators that
show the current status of the OmniBook. There are three groups of icons on the
status panel that indicate

• Keyboard status.

• Data storage status.

• Power status.

To check keyboard status

The icons on the right indicate Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock.

Caps Lock This icon appears when Caps Lock is

active.

Num Lock This icon appears when Num Lock is

active.

Scroll Lock This icon appears when Scroll Lock is

active.

To check data storage status

The center icons indicate data storage areas—CD-ROM activity, floppy disk activity,
hard disk activity, and PC card status.

CD-ROM This icon appears when the OmniBook

is reading from the built-in CD-ROM
drive.

18

Floppy disk This icon appears when the OmniBook

is reading or writing to the floppy disk
drive.

Hard disk This icon appears when the OmniBook

is reading or writing to drive C.

PC card This icon appears when you insert PC

cards into the card slots. The two
cards identify when one or two of the
slots are occupied.

Power off This icon appears when the OmniBook

is turned off; the “bookmark” icon
reminds you that the state of the
computer has been saved.

To check power status

The left icons indicate power conditions—ac adapter use, battery status, charging
status.

ac power This icon appears when the ac adapter

is plugged in.

Battery status The shading of the battery symbol

shows the approximate charge level of
the battery relative to a full charge.

Battery
charging

The lightning bolt symbol appears
when the battery is charging. The
battery symbol blinks when the battery
is low.

Turning the OmniBook On and Off

The OmniBook has several On/Off modes that save power when the ac adapter isn’t
connected. The most obvious of these is automatic shutdown—when your
OmniBook has been idle for 3 minutes with no ac power, it turns itself off
automatically.

In this section you’ll learn how to:

• Turn off the OmniBook (Instant On mode).

• Turn off the OmniBook (Save-To-Disk mode).

• Shut down the OmniBook.

To turn off the OmniBook (Instant On mode)

Use Instant On to temporarily turn off the OmniBook when you’re away from it for
short periods. In this mode, the OmniBook display turns off, but the computer saves
the state of the computer in memory, exactly where you were working.

• Press the blue On/Off button.

19

The bookmark icon appears in the status panel when the OmniBook is in
Instant On mode.

When you press On/Off again, the last screen displayed appears—there’s no

waiting through a lengthy reboot.

Caution

If you plan to leave the OmniBook in Instant On for a long period of time
without ac power, be sure to save your work first.

If you are connected to a local area network (LAN), be sure to connect the ac
adapter before you press the blue button. Without ac power, Instant On mode
disconnects you from the LAN.

To turn off the OmniBook (Save-To-Disk mode)

Use Save-To-Disk to turn off the OmniBook when you’re away from it for periods
longer than a week. This mode saves the state of the OmniBook to the hard disk
when you turn it off.

1. Unplug the ac adapter if it is connected and undock if docked.

2. Press FN+F12 to save to disk.

When you press On/Off to start the OmniBook again, the last screen displayed

appears—ready for you to resume working.

To shut down the OmniBook

In some situations, you may want to completely shut off the OmniBook so it reboots
when you turn it on. For example, if you are using the OmniBook on a network,
shutting down the OmniBook disconnects it from network resources.

1. Important

Save your work.

2. Exit windows.

3. Press CTRL+ALT+blue On/Off button.

When you restart the OmniBook by pressing the blue On/Off button, the

OmniBook reboots.

Restarting the OmniBook

If an application has trouble starting or seems slow, you may need to close some
documents or even exit some applications to make more memory available. If this
doesn’t fix the problem, you may need to reboot or reset the OmniBook.

In this section you’ll learn how to

• Reboot from the hard drive (drive C).

• Reboot from the floppy drive.

• Reset the OmniBook.

20

To reboot from drive C

Rebooting restarts the OmniBook software—your current work session is discarded
and the operating system rereads the system files to determine the proper
configuration.

1. If possible, exit Windows.

2. If the OmniBook floppy drive is installed, make sure there’s no disk in the drive.

3. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL.

4. When the OmniBook displays a list of configurations, press SPACEBAR to stop
the 5-second time-out—then press a number key and ENTER to select a
particular configuration. If you do nothing, the OmniBook uses its default
configuration, option 1.

If your system doesn’t reboot properly, you can reboot from the floppy drive using
the Support Utility disk that came with the OmniBook. See “To reboot from a floppy

disk.”

To reboot from a floppy disk

1. Install the OmniBook floppy drive. See “To install the floppy drive.”

2. Insert a boot disk—you can use your Support Utility disk.

3. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to reboot from the floppy disk.

To reset the OmniBook

If the OmniBook unexpectedly hangs up in a state where nothing seems to work, you
may need to reset it. When you reset the system, the OmniBook

• Discards your current work session.

• Resets and checks the hardware.

• Rereads the system files.

1. If the floppy drive is installed, make sure there’s no disk in the drive.

2. Insert a ball-point pen tip or other slender object into the small opening on the
left side of the computer below the ac adapter socket. Push in momentarily—the
system resets and reboots.

21

If the reset button has no effect, remove the battery and ac adapter and press

the reset button—then install the battery or plug in the ac adapter and try
pressing the reset button again.

Using Storage Devices

Your OmniBook can access information in the following four places:

• The floppy disk drive—drive A (if present).

• The internal hard disk drive—drive C.

• Two PC card slots—drives D and E.

• The CD-ROM drive—drive F (if present).

The PC card slots and the CD-ROM drive have higher drive letters when a SCSI
hard drive is present—as with a docking system.

In this section you’ll learn how to

• Install a floppy disk drive.

• Remove the CD-ROM or floppy drive.

• Insert and remove a floppy disk.

• Install a CD-ROM drive.

22

• Insert and remove a CD.

• Insert a PC card.

• Remove a PC card.

To install the floppy drive

You can install the floppy drive or attach it externally to the parallel port.

1. If necessary, remove the CD-ROM drive (or super battery) from the OmniBook.

2. Slide the floppy drive into the OmniBook until it clicks into place.

–or–

• To connect the floppy drive to the OmniBook externally, pull out the floppy drive

cable and connect it to the parallel port on the left side of the OmniBook.

To remove the CD-ROM or floppy drive

1. Slide the switch to the right. A pull-tab pops out.

23

2. Pull the pull-tab firmly to remove the CD-ROM or floppy drive from the
OmniBook.

3. Push the pull-tab back into the drive after you remove the drive from the
OmniBook.

To insert and eject a floppy disk

When the OmniBook is reading or writing data to the floppy drive,
the floppy disk icon appears on the Status panel.

Caution

Do not insert or remove a floppy disk while the OmniBook is actively reading
or writing data. Wait until the floppy drive is done—otherwise, you could lose
data or the OmniBook could stop responding.

1. Hold the disk with its face up, then slide it into the floppy drive slot until it clicks
into place.

2. To remove the floppy disk, press the eject button.

To install the CD-ROM drive

1. Important

Save your work—you’ll be resetting the OmniBook.

2. If necessary, remove the floppy drive or super battery from the OmniBook.

3. Slide the CD-ROM drive into the OmniBook until it clicks into place.

24

4. Press the reset button.

To insert and remove a CD

When the OmniBook is reading data from the CD-ROM drive, the
CD disk icon appears on the Status panel.

Caution

Do not insert or remove a CD while the OmniBook is actively reading data.
Wait until the CD-ROM drive is done—otherwise, the OmniBook could stop
responding.

1. Press the open button on the front of the CD-ROM drive .

2. Place the CD in the drive and gently press down to seat it on the spindle.

3. Close the door to the drive.

4. To remove the CD, press the open button on the front of the CD-ROM drive.

To insert a PC card

The OmniBook PC card slots are available for devices that store data and expand
the communication capabilities of the OmniBook. The OmniBook supports the
following two kinds of plug-in PC cards:

• Data storage cards—cards that function as disks for storing data.

• Input/Output (I/O) cards—cards that typically provide external connections, such

as modems and network cards.

The OmniBook works with type I, II, and III data storage cards such as Hewlett­Packard ATA-type hard disks and flash disks. You can use two thin cards or one
thick card. If you have one thick card inserted, it is drive E. If you have two cards
inserted, the upper card is drive E and the lower card is drive F.

For more information about compatible cards, contact Hewlett-Packard—see the
Support and Service booklet.

Caution

Do not install Card Services or Socket Services software if it comes with your
PC card. The OmniBook includes Card Services 2.1 and Socket Services 2.1,
which automatically detect and set up PC cards you install in the upper and
lower card slots. Different versions of this software will disrupt this support.

25

Never insert or remove a plug-in card while an OmniBook PC card drive is
actively reading or writing data. Wait until the PC card drive is done—
otherwise, you could lose data or the OmniBook could stop responding.

The OmniBook card slots support standard version 2.1 Type I, II, and III PC cards.
The computer automatically detects and sets up a card when you insert it in a card
slot. A new data storage card may already be formatted and contain preinstalled
software—check its instructions.

1. Hold the card with its face up and its connector holes toward the card slot, then
slide it into a PC card slot until it won’t go any further.

When the card is fully inserted, the PC card icon appears on the
Status panel. A double beep signals that the card has been
recognized and is successfully configured by your computer.

2. Inserting a card causes the slot’s eject button to protrude from the case. You can
rotate the button towards the front to make it flush with the case.

About RAM Cards

If you’re using a RAM card with the OmniBook, keep these suggestions in mind:

• For a new RAM card, install its battery before you insert the card.

• Replace the RAM card battery yearly.

When you want to replace a RAM card battery, plug the card into the OmniBook

and make sure the OmniBook stays turned on while you replace the battery—
you can plug in the ac adapter to keep it from turning off. Otherwise, the data on
the card will be lost.

To remove a PC card

Caution

Never remove an I/O card while an application is open that’s set up to use that
card—exit the application first. If you remove the card, the application (or the
OmniBook) might behave unpredictably or stop responding until you restart
the OmniBook.

Never insert or remove a plug-in card while the PC card drive is actively
reading or writing data. Wait until the PC card drive is done—otherwise, you
could lose data or the OmniBook could stop responding.

1. If necessary, rotate the ejector button so that it protrudes from the case.

26

2. Press the black ejector button until the card pops out, then pull out the card.

Upgrading the OmniBook

You can upgrade or add to the OmniBook system by changing or installing certain
components.

In this section you’ll learn how to

• Find your system software version and amount of memory.

• Add memory to the OmniBook.

• Remove the hard drive.

• Install a new hard drive.

To find the system software version and memory size

1. In Program Manager, double-click the OmniBook Tools icon (in the Main group).

2. In the window’s Control menu, click About.

The software version and amount of memory are displayed.

To add memory to the OmniBook

The OmniBook memory slots accommodate two memory-expansion boards. You
can install a memory-expansion board to increase the total amount of memory. To

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find out your OmniBook memory size, see “To find the system software version and

memory size.”

Caution

Take precautions against damage from static electricity: Gather all the parts
you need so you can complete the installation in one sitting. Don’t remove the
memory-expansion board from its packaging until you’ve removed the slot
cover from the OmniBook.

When you remove the board from its packaging, hold it only by its edges.
Don’t touch the electronic components or gold traces. Also, turn off the unit,
unplug the ac adapter, and remove the battery. Otherwise, the OmniBook or
memory-expansion board may be damaged.

1. Exit Windows—your current session and any data not saved will be lost.

• If you’re using Windows 95, use the shutdown option from the Start menu.

• If you’re using Windows for Workgroups, exit Windows, then press

CTRL+ALT+blue On/Off button simultaneously.

2. Unplug the adapter.

3. Remove all batteries from the OmniBook.

4. Use your fingernail or a flat-blade screwdriver to remove the cover from the
memory-expansion slot.

5. If a memory-expansion board is already present in both slots, pull out the board
you want to replace. Use the tape tab to loosen the card from its connectors,
then lift.

6. Position the memory-expansion board over the connectors and press in the
board until it seats fully. Carefully check the shapes of the connectors to be sure
the card is positioned properly.

Caution

Be careful not to press in the center of the board as this could crack it.

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