NEC T3212 User Manual

The Space-Saving Office PC

POWERMATE®ES SLIMLINE SERIES

USER’S GUIDE

Proprietary Not ice and Liability Disclaimer

The information disclosed in this document, including all designs and related materials, is the valuable property of NEC Computers Inc. (hereinafter “NECC”) and/or its licensors. NECC and/or its licensors, as appropriate, reserve all patent, copyright and other proprietary rights to this document, including all design, manu fact urin g, repr odu cti on, u se, and sa l es right s th er et o, excep t to the ex t ent sai d righ ts are expressly granted to others.

The NE CC product(s) discussed in this document ar e warranted in accordance with the ter m s of the War ran ty Sta t emen t a ccomp an yin g ea ch pr odu ct. However , a ctua l performance of each such product is dependent upon factors such as system configuration, customer data, and operator control. Since implementation by customers of each product may vary, the suitability of specific product configurations and applications must be determined by the customer and is not warranted by NECC.

To allow for design and specification improvements, the information in this document is subject to change at any time, without notice. Reproduction of this document or portions thereof without prior written approval of NECC is prohibited.

NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation. PowerMate an d MultiSync are registered trademarks and VistaS can is a trademark of NEC

Corporation or one of its subsidiaries. All are used under license by NEC Corporation and /or one or more of its s u bsidiaries.

All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective

trademark own ers.

First Printing — May 2000

NEC Computers Inc.

15 Business Park Way

Sacramento, CA 95828

Using This Guide

Text Conventions.................................................................................... viii

Related Documents................................................................................... ix

1 Reviewing System Features

Front Features ......................................................................................... 1-2

System Controls and Lamps ............................................................ 1-4

Diskette Drive................................................................................. 1-5

Universal Serial Bus Port................................................................ 1-5

CD-ROM Drive.............................................................................. 1-6

DVD-ROM Drive........................................................................... 1-6

Audio Connectors........................................................................... 1-6

Rear Features.......................................................................................... 1-7

Exter na l C onnectors........................................................................ 1-8

Power Supply Features.................................................................... 1-9

Interior Features.................................................................................... 1-10

System Board ............................................................................... 1-11

Riser Board..................................................................................1-11

Local Area Network...................................................................... 1-11

Storage Device Support ................................................................ 1-11

Chassis ................................................................................................. 1-12

Optional Speakers................................................................................. 1-12

System Overview.................................................................................. 1-12

Hardware...................................................................................... 1-12

Software....................................................................................... 1-13

Preloaded Software............................................................... 1-13

NEC OS Restore CD ............................................................ 1-14

NEC Application and Driver CD........................................... 1-15

Security........................................................................................ 1-15

2 Setting Up the System

Slimtower Setup ..................................................................................... 2-2

Cable Connections.................................................................................. 2-3

Startup.................................................................................................... 2-4

Shutdown................................................................................................2-4

Power-Saving Operation......................................................................... 2-5

Content s iii

System Care ............................................................................................2-6

Protecting Your System From Damage............................................2-6

Keeping Your System in Good Condition ........................................2-7

Moving or Shipping Your System....................................................2-8

More Information ....................................................................................2-9

3 Configuring the System

Configuration Tools and Utilities.............................................................3-2

BIOS Setup Utility...................................................................................3-4

How to Start BIOS Setup.................................................................3-4

How to Use Setup............................................................................3-5

Main Menu......................................................................................3-6

Advanced Menu ............................................................................3-10

Security Menu...............................................................................3-19

Exit Menu .....................................................................................3-20

FLASH Utility.......................................................................................3-20

NEC INFO Center.................................................................................3-21

NEC Application and Driver CD............................................................3-23

NEC OS Restore CD..............................................................................3-24

System Board Jumper Settings...............................................................3-25

Intel Processor Serial Number Control Utility.........................................3-29

System Requirements ....................................................................3-29

Installation ....................................................................................3-29

Processor Serial Number................................................................ 3-30

Frequently Asked Questions ..........................................................3-30

Technical Support..........................................................................3-31

4 Installing System Upgrad es

General Rules..........................................................................................4-2

Safety Precautions...................................................................................4-2

System Cover ..........................................................................................4-3

Removing the Cover........................................................................4-4

Replacing the Cover ........................................................................4-5

System Board Upgrades...........................................................................4-6

Memory Upgrade ............................................................................4-7

Checking System Memory .......................................................4-8

Removing a DIMM.................................................................4-9

Instal ling a DIMM.................................................................4-10

Processor Upgrade.........................................................................4-11

Removing the Processor ........................................................ 4-12

Installing an Upgrade Processor .............................................4-14

iv Contents

Expansion Boards................................................................................. 4-15

Instal ling an Expansion Board....................................................... 4-16

Remo ving an Exp ansion B oard..................................................... 4-18

Data Storage Devices............................................................................ 4-18

Connecting Device Cables ............................................................ 4-19

Replaci ng the 5 1/4-Inch Accessible D evice.................................. 4-19

Removing the 5 1/4- Inch Accessible Device.......................... 4-19

Installing a 5 1/4-Inch Accessible Device.............................. 4-22

Replacing the 3 1/2-Inch Diskette Drive........................................ 4-23

Removing the 3 1/2-Inch Diskette Drive ............................... 4-23

Installing the 3 1/2-Inch Diskette Drive................................. 4-25

Replacing the 3 1/2-Inch Hard Drive ............................................. 4-26

Removing the 3 1/2-Inch Hard Drive..................................... 4-26

Installing the 3 1/2-Inch Hard Drive...................................... 4-27

5 Solving System Problems

Solutions to Common Problems.............................................................. 5-2

System Problems............................................................................ 5-2

Diskette Drive Problems................................................................. 5-4

Monitor Problems ........................................................................... 5-5

Keyboard/Mouse Problems............................................................. 5-6

CD-ROM Drive Problems............................................................... 5-6

Speaker Problems........................................................................... 5-7

How to Clean the Mouse......................................................................... 5-8

How to Replace the CMOS Battery....................................................... 5-10

6 Getting Services and Support

NECC Website ....................................................................................... 6-2

NECC FTP Site ...................................................................................... 6-3

Email/Fax Technical Support Service ...................................................... 6-3

NECC Technical Support Services .......................................................... 6-4

A Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment

Making Your Computer Work for You....................................................A-2

Arrange Your Equipment........................................................................A-3

Adjust Your Chair...................................................................................A-4

Adjust Your Input Devices......................................................................A-6

Adjust Your Monitor...............................................................................A-8

Vary Your Workday..............................................................................A-10

Pre-existing Conditions and Psychosocial Factors..................................A-11

Content s v

Checking Your Comfort: How Do You Measure Up? ............................A-11

Checking Your Chair....................................................................A-11

Checking Your Keyboard.............................................................A-12

Checking Your Mouse..................................................................A-12

Checking Your Monitor................................................................A-12

Checking You...............................................................................A-12

B System Specification s

System Board .........................................................................................B-2

System Processor............................................................................B-2

Random Access Memory (RAM)....................................................B-2

Cache Memory...............................................................................B-2

Read Only Memory (ROM)............................................................B-2

Calendar Clock...............................................................................B-3

Input/Output (I/O) Features.............................................................B-3

Video Memory ...............................................................................B-4

Sound Controller............................................................................B-4

Local Area Network .......................................................................B-4

Graphics Controller ........................................................................B-4

System Peripherals..................................................................................B-5

Keyboard........................................................................................B-5

Mouse ............................................................................................B-5

Diskette Drive ................................................................................B-5

Hard Drive.....................................................................................B-6

CD-ROM Drive..............................................................................B-6

DVD Drive .....................................................................................B-6

Optional Speaker Set ......................................................................B-6

Dimensions.............................................................................................B-6

System ...........................................................................................B-6

Keyboard........................................................................................B-6

Power.....................................................................................................B-7

Opera t ing Env ironment...........................................................................B-7

Compliance............................................................................................B-7

Index Regulatory St at ements

vi Contents

Using This Guide

The PowerMate® ES Sli m Line Series User’s Guide provides a comprehensive reference to information about your system.

The gui d e contains th e following in formation:

Chapter 1, Reviewing System Features, provides a look at the front,

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back, and inside features of the system. It also gives a summar y of the system’s hardware, software, and secu r ity features.

Chapter 2, Setting Up the System, briefly describes how to set up, start

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up, and shut down the system. The chapter also provides information on in st al ling applications and ti p s on caring for the system.

Chapter 3, Configuring the System, describes how to use the software

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utilities shipped with your system, including the BIOS Setup Utility, FLASH Utility, NEC INFO Center, NEC Application and Driver CD, NEC OS Restore CD, and In tel Processor Serial Number C on trol Utility. The chapter also includes information for setting system jumpers.

Chapter 4, Installing System Upgrades, provides installation

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procedures for processor, memory, expansion board, and storage device upgrades.

Chapter 5, S olving S ystem Problems, cont a ins trou bleshooting tips for

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solving simple problems. The chapter also includes procedures for cleaning the mouse an d replacing the system batt er y.

Chapter 6, Getting Services and Support, describes the services

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available to you for informati on an d h elp, and describes how to access the services.

Appendix A, Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment, contains

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guidelines to help you use your computer productively and safely. This appendix also instructs you on how to set up and use your computer to reduce your risk of developing nerve, muscle, or tendon disorders.

Appen dix B, System Speci fi cations, provides technical speci fi cations

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for your system and its components.

Using This Guide vii

wor kstation may pose a risk of serious inju ry. To red uce you r risk of i njury, set up and us e your com puter in the ma nner described in Appendix A, Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment.

Text Conventions

This guide uses the following text conventions.

Warnings, cauti ons , and notes have the followin g m ean ings:

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in serious personal injury or loss of life.

hardware or software.

Prolonged or improper use of a computer

Warnings alert you to situations that could result

Cautions indicate situations that can damage the

Note

described.



Notes give important information about the material being

Names of keyb oard keys are printed as they ap pear on the keyboa rd, for example,

Text or keystrokes that you enter appear in boldface type. For



example, type File names are printed in uppercase letters. For example,



AUTOEXEC.BAT.

viii Using This Guide

Ctrl, Alt

abc123

Enter

, or

and press

Enter

Reviewing System Features

Front Features

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Rear Features

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Interior Features

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Chassis

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Optional Speakers

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System Overview

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wor kstation may pose a risk of serious inju ry. To red uce you r risk of i njury, set up and use the computer in the manner described in Appendix A, Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment.

This chapter highlights system hardware and software, and describes the security features of the system.

Front Features

Your PowerMate ES SlimLine Series system can be used as a slimtower or as a desktop system. The following figures show the features on the front of the system for both configurations. Brief descriptions follow the figures.

Prolonged or improper use of a computer

1-2 Reviewing S ystem Feat ures

PowerMat e ES Slim Li n e Ser ies slimtower fr on t features

– CD-ROM Tray Open/Close Button

– CD-ROM Drive

– CD-ROM Drive Activity Lamp

– Diskette Drive Disk Eject Button

– Diskette Drive

– Diskette Drive Activity Lamp

– Po w er/Sleep Lamp

– Power/Sleep Button

– Hard Drive Activity Lamp

– Volume Control

– Headphone Jack

– Microphone Jack

– USB Po r t

Reviewing Sys tem Features 1-3

PowerMat e ES Slim Li n e Ser ies desktop front features

– Diskette Drive

– Diskette Drive Act ivity Lamp

– Diskette Drive Di sk Eject Button

– CD-ROM Drive

– CD-ROM Drive Activity Lamp

– CD-ROM Tray Open/Close Button

– USB Port

System Controls and Lamps

System controls an d la mps are identi cal for both set u p s. Th e controls and lamps include a power/sleep button, power/sleep lamp, and hard drive activity lamp.

Power/Sleep but t on

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Press this button to turn on system power. To turn off power, close all applications and shut down Windows. If you have Windows 98 or Windows 2000, the system automatically powers down. If you have Wind ows NT , close all appl ications, sh ut down Windows NT, and press in th e power button un til the system po wers down (approximately four seconds).

Press and immediat ely release th e p ower/sleep but ton to suspend syste m operation and go int o the power savin g mode. If you ha ve a VESA-compliant monitor, your monitor also goes into a power-saving mode.

An amber s ystem unit power/sleep lamp indicates that the system is in a power-saving mode.

– Microphone Jack

– Headphone Jack

– Volume Co n trol

– Hard Drive Activity Lamp

– Power/Sleep Button

– Power/Sleep Lamp

Move th e mou se or press a key on th e k eyb oa rd to exit th e power saving mode and resume system operation.

1-4 Reviewing S ystem Feat ures

Power/Sleep lamp

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The power /sleep lamp indicates wh ether system po wer is on or off. It also lets you know if the system is operating in a power-saving mode.

A steady green lamp indicates that the power is on to all system components. An amber lamp indicates that the system is in sleep mode with full-power reduction.

Hard drive lamp

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A lit lamp ind icates tha t the hard driv e is active . The green lam p tells you that the ha rd dri ve is readi ng or wri ting dat a.

necessary while the hard drive lamp is lit. To do so can damage your hard drive or data.

Diskette Drive

Use the diskette drive to copy data files to and from a diskette. You can also use it as a boota ble drive for loading and start ing programs from a diskette.

data, do not turn off the system or remove a diskette while the diskette drive busy lam p is lit.

Do not turn off the system unless absolutely

To p revent damage t o your di skette d rive and

Universal Serial Bus Port

The universal serial bus (USB) por t on the front of the system allows you to easily and conveniently add plug-and-play USB devices without opening up the system. You simply plug the USB device into the port. You can connect up to 127 devices including a mouse, monitor, keyboard, printer, scanner, speakers, and more. A second USB port is on the rear of the syst em.

Reviewing Sys tem Features 1-5

CD-ROM Drive

Systems come with a 40X Max or higher variable speed CD-ROM drive. Use th e CD-ROM drive to loa d and start programs from a compact disc (CD). You can also use th e CD- ROM drive to play your audio CDs.

The CD-ROM drive oper ates at different speeds dep ending on whether the CD you are using cont ains data or music. This allows you t o get your data faster and to see smoother animation and video.

DVD-ROM Drive

Some system s might come with an 8X or hi gher digital video disc (DVD)-ROM drive. The drive offers many improvements over the standard CD-ROM technology, including superior video and audio playba ck , faster dat a acces s, and gr eater storage cap acities.

The DVD-ROM drive uses DVD technolog y to read DVD discs as well as standard a udio and video CDs .

Audio Connectors

Your system has the following audio connectors an d a volu me control on the fr on t of the system.

Micr ophone jack

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Use thi s jack to connect a mi crophone for r ecording audio informati on in your data files.

Headphone jack

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Use thi s jack to connect an op tional headphone set. Pl ugging in the headphone set disables the speak ers.

Volume control

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Use this control to adjust the volume of the optional headphone set.

You can also use the Windows sound software. To bring up the Windows volume control, double click the speaker icon in the taskbar (nex t to the system clock) . Use the software to balance the sound between the left and right s peaker s .

1-6 Reviewing S ystem Feat ures

Rear Features

On the rear of your compu ter, you’ll find external con nectors, the power supply socket, a voltage switch, and expansion board slots. The following figures show the features.

PowerMate ES SlimLine Series slimtower rear features

– Serial Port

– Line Out Jack

– Line In Jack

– Keyboard Port

– Mouse Port

– Parallel Port

– USB Port

– LAN Port

– VGA Port

– Voltage Switch

– AC Power Connector

– Power Supply

– Kensington Lock Slot

– Keyboard/Mouse Anti-theft Bracket

– Anti-Theft Rin g

– Expansion Slots

Reviewing Sys tem Features 1-7

PowerMate ES SlimLine Series desktop rear features

– AC Power Connector

– Power Supply

– Kensington Lock Slot

– Keyboard/Mouse Anti-theft Bracket

– Anti-Theft Ri n g

– Expansion Slots

– Voltage Switch

– VGA P ort

External Connectors

External connect ors let you attach peripheral d evi ces , such as a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and printer to you r system . Your system has the follo wing external connector s.

Mouse port

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Attach the mouse that comes with your computer to this port. The mouse port supports a PS/2-compatible mouse.

Keyb oard port

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Attach the PS/2 to the keyboard port.

VGA monitor connector

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The syst em comes with an a ccelerated graphics port ( AG P ) in tegrated on th e system board and por ted to the exter n al video graphics array (VGA) connector on th e board. The VGA connector su ppor t s an NEC MultiSync VGA-compatible moni t or with a 15-pin connector. Attach your monitor’s signal cable to the V G A connector.

monitor, NEC VistaScan™ monitor, or other

– Line Out Jack

– Line In Jack

– Keyboard Port

– Mous e Port

– Parallel Port

– USB Port

– LAN Port

– Serial Port

-compatible keyboa rd that comes wi th your c omputer

1-8 Reviewing S ystem Feat ures

Printer port

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Use thi s p or t to connect a par allel printer with a 25-pin connector to the syst em.

Se ri al port (COM1 )

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Atta ch a serial device wit h a 9-pin connector to this serial port. Serial devices include a pointing device, s erial print er, or a modem.

Universal Seria l Bus port

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This port adds a USB capability at the rear of the system (see “Universal Serial Bus Port” ear lier in this ch apter).

Audio connector s

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The syst em comes with s oun d integrated on the system board. The follo wing connectors come integrated on th e board (see the preceding figures for jack locations).

— Line in jack

The lin e in jack lets you con nect a stereo a u di o d evi ce such as a ster eo a mplifier or a ca s sette or minidisc player for playback or recording.

— Line ou t jack

The line out jack allows you to connect optional spea kers, an amplified output device such as powered speakers, a stereo tape recor d er , or an externa l am pl ifier for audio output.

LAN port

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All systems come with local area network (LAN) int egrated on th e system b oa rd. Use the RJ-4 5 compatible LAN port on the board for conn ecting the system to an Ethernet LA N .

Power Supply Features

The system has the following power supply features:

Power sock et

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Connect your power ca bl e to this socket. Voltage switch

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Sets the voltage for your system to 115 volts or 230 volts.

area. Most wall outlets in the Uni ted States and Canada are 115 volts. Outlets in Europe are 230 volts.

Set the switch correctly for the voltage in your

Reviewing Sys tem Features 1-9

Power connectors

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The power supply has four power connectors that connect to the dis kette dr ive, system board, and two stor age devices.

Power supply fan

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The power supply fan cools the power supply and other system components to keep them from overh eating. Keep th e area near the fan cl ear for proper ventilation .

Interior Features

See the following figure for the location of features within the system. Feature descriptions follow.

Inside the system

– Power Supply

– System Board

– Expansion Slots

– Riser Board Bracket

1-10 Reviewing S ystem Feat ures

– Hard D r ive (under support plate)

– CD-ROM Drive (not shown)

– DIMM Memory Socket s

– Diskette Drive

System Board

The syst em processor, memory, system battery, internal connectors, and external connect ors are on the system b oard. For information on the external connect ors, see “External Connectors” earlier in this chapter.

The syst em board supports a diskett e drive, an IDE hard drive, and an IDE CD-ROM drive (or IDE DVD-ROM drive on some systems).

Inter n al connector s on th e s ystem board in clude:

primary and secondary IDE connect ors

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diskette drive connector

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front panel connectors for system lamps and USB

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power connector s

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AGP graphics connector ( VGA)

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riser boa rd connect or

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additional connectors include Wake-On LAN and fan.

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Riser Board

All systems come with a riser board attached to a removable riser board brack et. The riser board has three PC I connectors for ad ding up to three optional e xpansion boar ds. The r iser board plug s into the riser board conn ector on the system board.

Local Area Network

All systems come with a 3COM local area n etwork (LAN) ch i p in tegrated on th e system board. Connect your network cable to th e LA N connector on th e rear of the system.

Storage Device Support

Three storage device bays accommoda te up to two accessible devices (diskette drive and CD-ROM drive or DVD drive) and one internal hard drive.

Reviewing Sys tem Features 1-11

Chassis

The chassis is an NEC prop r ietary desig n wi th the following features:

stan dardized cha ss is size and dimen sions

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stan dardized system b oa rd size and dimensions

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standardized ATX 106-watt power supply

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convertible to slimtower or desktop orientation.

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The syst em can be placed in the slimtower or desktop p osition. Choose the position that best suits your space.

Optional Speakers

When ord ered, two high-quality stereo speakers come with the system. One sp eaker connects to the line out ja ck at the rear of th e system unit.

An AC adap ter and connect ing cables come with the speak ers. Install the AC adap ter and cables al ong with the speakers.

Adjust the speaker volume by using th e vol u me control on th e s p eaker. You can also use the Windows sound software. To bring up the Windows volume control, double click the speaker icon on the taskbar (next to the system cl ock). Use the software to balance the sound between th e left and right speakers.

System Overview

See the following sections for a quick overview of system hardware, software, and security features.

Hardware

The syst em includes the followin g hardware feat ures.

PC99 Compliance

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All th e hardware in th e s ystem has been cert ified by Microsoft PC99 compliant.

1-12 Reviewing S ystem Feat ures

to be

Processor

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The syst em comes with an Intel pr oc essor with a 66-MHz or hi gher fr ont side bus (FSB) or a Pentium

III 5 33-MHz or higher process or with a 100-M Hz or high e r

Celeron™ 500-MHz or higher

FSB. Processor speed and FSB depend on s ystem model. Audio features

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The syst em comes with s oun d integrated on the system board. The audio chipset gives you a surround sound system for three-dimensi onal sound effect s . It also provi des wavetable synthes is. (Wavetable synthesis uses actual recordings of real sound effects and musical instruments for a dynamic audio experience.)

Flashabl e RO M BIOS

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The system’s ROM BIOS features system setup configuration, plug-and-play support, and flash support for easy and economical BIOS upgrades.

System memory

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The system comes with at least 64 MB of ECC synchronous dynamic rand om access memory (SDRAM) and suppor t s up t o 5 1 2 MB.

AGP graphics

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All models ship with 4X AGP graphics integrated on the system board. AGP enhances graphics performance, particularly for 3-D applications.

Power ma n agement op tions

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Power man agement options conserve energy and red u ce p ower costs.

Software

NECC provides a variety of applications and hardware utilities with your syste m to let you take advan t age of your hard ware cap abilities.

Preloaded Software

Your system comes preloaded with the Microsoft® Windows® 98 operating system or the Windows 2000/Windows NT configuration.

If you have a Windows 2000/Windows NT configuration, you must choose t he operatin g system you want to l oad. The operat in g s ystem you choose is your only operat ing syste m and i s the one th at the NE C OS Restore pr ogram re s tores.

operating system

Reviewing Sys tem Features 1-13

NECC-provided applications, drivers, and utilities come loaded on the hard drive. You can i nstall some of your applications from icons on the Windows desktop. Software available on your system includes the following applications:

Microsoft® Internet E xplorer

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Internet Explorer provides a top-notch browser with preloaded links for ea sy access to the worl d wi d e we b. A lso use Intern et Explorer to acces s one of t he many new browse r-bas ed util ities.

Norton AntiVirus™ 2000 Software

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Protect your system from viruses by running Norton’s virus scan software.

Adobe® Acr obat® Reade r

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Use th e Adob e Acrobat Reader to read and print portable docu ment format (PDF) files found on the Internet and PDF documents included with various software applications.

NEC INFO Center

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Get quick access to information about your system in the online NEC INFO Center. NEC INFO Center modules include Tour, User’s Guide, Questi ons, Soluti ons, and Services. See “NEC INFO Center” in Chapter 3 for a description of the modules and how to use the INFO Center.

Intel LANDesk® Client Manager

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Use LANDesk software to track system information such as serial number, BIOS version, memory capacity, disk capacity, expansion board setting s, and applications. Use LANDesk softwar e for r em ote star ts from a server comp uter using Wak e- On LAN and remote rebo ot .

NEC OS Restore CD

Your system comes with an N EC OS Restore CD and boot able disket te. Shoul d a problem occur th at causes data loss or corrup tion, you can us e the NE C OS Restore CD to restore your system t o i ts original fa ctory state or you can r es tore just the op er ating system and drivers. A ful l system restore loads th e operating system and al l the factory-suppl ied software that com es on your hard dri ve. S ee “NEC OS Restor e CD” in Chapter 3 for information about using the restore options.

1-14 Reviewing S ystem Feat ures

NEC Application and Driver CD

Use the NEC Application and Driver CD to install drivers for NEC system options tha t are not part of the factory config u ration. Also use the NEC Application and Driver CD to reinstall NECC-supplied software. See “NEC Application and Driver CD” in Chapter 3 for information about inst alling software from the CD.

Security

The system has hardware, software, an d mechanical secu r ity features th at offer prot e c tion against unauthorized a c c ess to your syste m and da t a. The follo wing securit y features are available with the system.

Password security

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The BIOS Setup Utility includes a feature that lets you set up either a user or sup ervisor password, or both.

The user password con trols bootin g of the system and con trols access to the Setup Utility and the keyboar d. (User a cces s to the BIOS S etup Utility is limited to a subset of all BIOS Setup parameters when a supervisor password has been set.)

The sup ervisor password allows full access to the s ystem and the BIOS.

Wind ows network secur ity features

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To learn more about the network security features available through the Windows operating system, refer to your Win dows documentation or consult your syste m admin istrator.

Keyb oard/mouse anti-theft bracket

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Secure the mouse and k eyb oa rd cables with in the anti-theft bracket to make it difficult to remove them from your system. Remove the screw that h olds the bracket to the chassis, position th e cables under th e brack et, and secur e th e bracket to the chassis with the screw. (You need t o r emove the cover to access the scr ew. See Chapter 4 for co ver removal procedures.)

Security Lock Slot

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The security lock slot on the rear of th e s ystem accepts a Kensington Security Standar d connector or other locking d evi ce. Secure th e locking device to the lock slot and to an immovable object to protect your system from th e ft.

Reviewing Sys tem Features 1-15

Anti-Theft Ring

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The syst em has an anti-theft ring on the r ear of t he chassis. At taching a padlock (not supp lied) to the ring prohibits removal of t he screw fastening the system cover to th e cha s s is. With the pa dlock attached and locked , the cover cannot be removed and the system i s p hysically prot ected from cha s s is intrusion.

1-16 Reviewing S ystem Feat ures

Setting Up the System

Slimtower Setup

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Cable Connections



Startup



Shutdown



Power-Savi ng Op era tion



Syste m Care



More Informatio n



This chapter provides the basic information you need to set up and use your s ystem (refer to th e Quick Setup poster for detail s). Included are procedures for converting the desktop to a slimtower (if required), making cable connection s, s ystem s tartup, s ystem s h u tdown, and system care. The chapter also includes a table showing where to find additional information about the computer.

Slimtower Setup

Your system shipped as a desktop. You can configure it as a slimtower by attaching stabilizers to the system and standing it upright.

Configure the desktop as a slimtower as follows. To reconfigure the slimtower to a desktop, reverse the following procedure.

Set the desktop system on the edge of a table, with the left edge of the desk top pr ot ruding beyond t he edge of the table.

Note

intend to place the system against a wall or use it as a standalone.

You can attach one or both stabilizers, depending on whether you

If attaching only one stabilizer, determine which side of the system you want to attach the stabilizer.

If attaching both s tabilizers, fi rst join them by sliding them tog ether to form one piece.

Position the stabilizer(s) over the feet on the side of the system and fasten in place with t wo screws (see th e fol lowing figure).

2-2 Setting Up the System

Attaching the slimtower stabilizer(s)

– Foot (4)

– Screw (2)

Cable Connections

After unpacking the system and positioning it in your work area, connect the syst em componen ts using your Qui ck Setup poster and the following tips.

Use the icons on the rear of t he system uni t to identify the keyboard,



mouse, printer, USB, LAN, power, audio, and monitor connectors. See your network a dministrator for guid e lines on configuring the



system for LAN.

Set th e voltage switch correctly for your area. The cor rect setting for



the U.S. and Canada is 115V and 230V for Europe. Connect system power cables to a surg e protector (recommended) or a



properly grounded wall outlet.

NECC recommends connecting the power ca ble

to a surge pr otector.

– Stabili zer (1 of 2)

Set the voltage switch correctly for your area.

Setting Up the System 2-3

Startup

Press the power button to start your s ystem. The power lamp lights green to ind icate that th e system is on. The system perform s it s P ower-On SelfTest ( P OS T) and several messages app ear indicatin g th at the system is checkin g its subsys tems.

Note

appears: Uti l ity, im media tely press F2 while the startup screen displays. (See Chapter 3, “Co nfigur ing the S ystem,” for information on using the BIOS Setup.)

After a short delay, Wi ndows starts up. If a problem occ urs, a s eries of be e ps might sound. If this happens

repeatedly after powering on, power off the system and turn to Chapter 5, “Solving S ystem Problems.” The chapter provides helpful hints for solving system problems.

Note

have changed, run the BIOS Setup Utility (see Chapter 3, “Config uring th e System”).

On systems with Windows 2000, enter your password at the log-on box. On systems with the Windows NT

Ctrl Alt Del

for entering a password.

Shutdown

At t he bott om of the NE C startup screen, the following message

If the system displays a message indicating that system settings

. If you want to enter the BIOS Setup

4.0 operating system, pr ess

when prompte d on-screen to do so. The log-on box appears

Follow t hese steps t o power off the system.

If the system is in sleep mode (power lamp is amber), press a key or move th e mouse to take it out of sl eep mode (see “Po w er Saving Operation” in the next section ).

Save and exit all your open applications .

Make sure that the hard dr ive, diskett e dr ive, and any other drives are not in us e. A lit device lamp indicat es that the device is in u s e.

2-4 Setting Up the System

Wait until all applications are saved and closed

before using the Windows shut down procedure in step 4. Unless absolutely necessary, never power off the system if the system

power lamp is amber (sleep mode), if the ha rd drive lamp, diskette drive, or other dev ice lamp is fla shing, or if any applicatio ns are open. Information on the device might be lost or damaged.

Click

Start

on the task bar, then point to and click Selecting Shut Down gives you several choices in the pop-up submen u. Select

Enter

for shut down.

If the system is configured with Windows 98 or Windows 2000,



Shut down the computer

the syst em shuts down a utomatically after a shor t in terval. If th e s ystem is configured with Windows NT, and after you



perform a Windows shutdown, power off the system by pressing and holding in the power button for four seconds or longer before releasing.

Turn off power to the monitor.

Power-Saving Operation

If the system is running Windows 98 or Windows 2000, you can put it in sleep mode (a power-saving state) by pressing and immediately releasing the power/sleep button on the front of the system unit. The sleep mod e is a convenient way of conserving en ergy when you are g oing to be away from the system for a short period of time.

Tak e care to press and immediately release the power/sleep button to en ter the sleep mo de. Avoid pres sing and holding in the power button longer than three seconds. If you do so, you might turn off power and lose data from any open applications.

Shut Down

, then clic k OK or pr e s s

The syst em also goes int o sleep mode when it ha s been inacti ve, if the power management has been enabled in BIOS, and an inactivity timeout has been enabled. (See Chapter 3, “Configur i ng Your S ys tem” for information on setting power management functions.)

Setting Up the System 2-5

When th e system goes int o sleep mode, it sa ves d ata and system s t atus and then shuts off power to all possible components. Sleep mode lets you save power without first s aving your work.

An amber power lamp indicates that the system is in sl eep mode. Press a key or move the mouse to resume system operation where you left off.

System Care

Your system is a durable system built for heavy use. With protective mea s ures and proper c a re, you can prevent pr oblems an d promote the successful opera tion and long life span of the system .

Protecting Your System From Damage

There are s eve ral ways that you can protect your syste m from possibl e damage. NECC strongly recommends the following protective measures.

Connect a surge sup pressor between your computer an d a grounded



wall outlet. A surge suppressor protects your system from sudden transient increases and decreases in electrical power.

Be sure t o connect all per ipherals, su ch as a monitor an d printer, to the surge suppressor . The surge prot e ctor sh ould be the only device th at you plug into the wall outlet.

Avoid r ep eated power-on cycles. Th ese s u bj ect the system



components to temperature variations and stress. Discon nect your system from teleph one and power lin es when an



electrical storm threaten s. If you h ave a fax/modem , lightning can travel in on t he phon e l ine and da m age both the fax / modem and the system u n it. Lightning can also travel in on power lines and damage the mon itor and system unit.

Be sure that system power i s off befor e you connect or disconnect a



cable. Never make ca bl e changes when the system power is on. Doing so can dam age the system an d its peripherals. However, n ot e that USB devices do not require powering down the system to connect them.

Use BIOS Setup Utility options to protect against viruses (see



“Security Menu” in Chapter 3). Use appropriate virus detection softwa re regularl y to protect the s ystem from computer viruses.

2-6 Setting Up the System

If you plan t o use soft ware pr ograms other than NECC-suppl ied softwa re, NECC stron g ly recommends th at you take the necessary steps, such as virus checks, to prot ect the system.

Position the system away from direct sunlight and extreme hot and



cold temperatures. The recom mended oper ating envir onment is from 50°F to 95°F (10°C

to 35°C). The recom mended non-operating en vironment ( shi pping or storag e) is

from 14°F to 158°F (-10°C to 70°C). After turning off power, wait about five seconds for the hard drive to



spin down before you p ower on a gain. Be sure th at nothing i s placed on top of th e system power cables .



Keeping Your System in Good Condition

Maintain the condition of your system by periodically using the following procedures.

For safety, power off and unplug your system,

monitor, and any external devices before cleaning them.

Prevent dust from entering the system by covering it when it is not in



use. Clean the outside of th e system with a soft cl ean cloth.

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Remove stubborn st ains with a cloth s lightly damp en ed with a mild detergent. Never u s e a strong cleaner or sol vent on any part of the system.

Keep food an d liqui ds away fr om your system.

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Peri odically clean the keyboard with a vacuum cleaner brush



atta ch ment. Do not use any liquid cleaners on the keyboa rd as they can damage the keyboard.

If an object , such as a paper clip, falls in to the keyboard , tur n the keyboard ov e r and gently sh a ke it.

Setting Up the System 2-7

Clean the monitor scr een wi th a glass clean er and wipe it with a clean,



lint- free cloth. Y ou can u s e wet/dry cleaning pads manu fa ctured for monitor screens.

Moving or Shipping Your System

Use th es e s teps to prepar e your system for movi ng or shippin g.

Back up the files on the hard drive to disk ettes, C D-ROM discs, server hard drives, or other backup devices.

Take precautions for storing and transporting storage media so that the media is not exposed t o m agnetic fiel d s or electrical impulses.

Remove any disket te from the diske tte drive. If you have a disc in the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, rem ove the disc.

Wake up a s ystem in sleep mode, s ave and close any open appli cations, shu t d own Windows, and turn off the system and any external option s con nected to it.

Unplu g the system power cable from th e wal l outlet or sur ge suppressor, then from the system itself.

Unplug any ex terna l options from the wall ou tlets or surge suppressor, then disconnect them from the system.

If installed, remove the stabilizer(s) from the system.

Pack the system compon ents in the ori ginal shippin g materials and cartons. If these are not availa bl e, be su re to use adequ ate packing materials to protect the components.

To set up the system, foll o w t he steps on the PowerMate ES SlimLine Series Quick Setup poster that comes with the system.

2-8 Setting Up the System

More Information

Once you have your system up and running, we suggest you do the following.

Install applications provided by NECC.



See “Setting Up a Healthy Work Environmen t ” in Appendix A.

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Install any of your own applications. See the documentation that



comes with the application.

See th e following quick reference chart to find mor e in formation about using the system.

Quick Reference to Information About Your System

Information Where to Find It

Accessing the world wide web Chapter 6 Adding system upgrades Chapter 4 Configuring your system Chapter 3 Setting up the system as a desktop Chapter 2 Setting up the system as a slimtower Chapter 2 Reinstalling the applications provided

by NECC Installing the NEC INFO Center online

documentation Pro tecti ng the system from viruses Chapter 1, C hapter 3 Setting a password Chapter 3 Setting up your system Chapter 2 Taking care of the system “System Care” in Chapter 2 Troubleshooting tips Chapter 5 Using support services Chapter 6

“NEC Application and Driver CD” in Chapter 3

“NEC INFO Center” in Chapter 3

Setting Up the System 2-9

Configuring the System

Configuration Tools and Utilities



BIOS Setup Utility



FLASH Utility



NEC INFO Center



NEC Application and Driver CD



NEC OS Restore CD



System Board Jumper Settings



Intel Processor Serial Number Control Utility



This chapter provi des in formation on configuri ng your s ystem. The chapter includes the following topics:

American Megatrends Inc. (AMI) BIOS Setup Utility for configuring



your system FLASH Utility for BIOS updates



NEC IN FO Center for quick acces s to informa tion about your s yst em

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NEC Applications and Driver CD for reinstalling the NEC-supplied



applications and installing optional drivers NEC OS Restore CD for rest oring the operating system



jumper settings for setting various system configurations



Intel Processor Serial Number Control Utility for controlling the



reading of the proc essor s erial number.

See th e following tabl e for a quick gui d e to the utilities , tools, or procedures required for configuring the system. For detailed information about these and oth er tool s, see the sections following the table.

Configuration Tools and Utilities

The foll o wi ng table lis ts ways you can configure the system , and the utility, tool, or procedure to use for the configuration.

Configuration Tools and Utilities

Configuration Method, Tool, or Utility

BIOS, updating FLASH Utility Boot devices, determining BIOS Setup (Advanced Menu) Boot order, changing BIOS Setup (Advanced Menu) Clearing CMOS Jumper settings Configuring jumpers on system board Jumper settings Diskette drive, enabling BIOS Setup (Main Menu)

3-2 Configuring the System

Configuration Tools and Utilities

Configuration Method, Tool, or Utility

Drivers for NECC hardware, inst a lling NEC Application and Driver CD Har d drive, setting a pre-dela y BIOS Setup (Advan ced Menu) Inactivity timeout, setting BIOS Setup (Advanced Menu) Keyboard options BIOS Setup (Advanced Menu) NEC INFO Center, installing NEC Application and Driv er CD (s ee

“NEC IN F O Cente r”) NEC INFO Center, uninstalling See “NEC INFO Center” Operating system, restoring NEC OS Restore CD Parallel port, enabling, configuring BIOS Setup (Advanced Menu) Pas sword, setting or clea ring (user,

supervisor, or both) Plug and Play, enabling BIOS Setup (Advanced Menu) Power management, enabling,

configuring Serial port, enabling BIOS Setup (Advanced Menu) Software, reinstalling (NECC-provided) NEC A pplication a nd Driver CD Sound, enabling BIOS Setup (Advanced Menu) Time and date, setting BIOS Setup (Main Menu) USB functions BIOS Setup (Advanced Menu)

Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, restoring

BIOS Setup (Security Menu)

Jumper settings

BIOS Setup (Advanced Menu)

NEC OS Restore CD

Config ur in g t he Sy stem 3-3

BIOS Setup Utility

The AMI BIOS Setup Utility program lets you configure the main components of your system.

Your system ships fr om th e factory with th e cor rect system parameter s for your c onfigu rati on. Unless you ad d optional hardware, you do not n e e d to run the BIOS Setup Utility to operate the system. However, you might wish t o r un th e S etup Utility to set f eatures tha t customize the system, such as secu rity featur es .

System configuration information is stored in nonvolatile memory. A nonvolatile memory device retains its data when system power is turned off. Nonvolatile memory in your system is stored in a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) memory chip backed up by a battery on the system board. The battery supplies continuous power to CMOS memory and maintains configuration information when system power is off (see “How to Replace the CMOS Battery” in Chapter 5).

NECC recommends that you print out or write down your current BIOS Setup parameters and store the information in a safe place. This lets you rest ore your system t o the current par am eters if you ever n eed to replace the battery.

How to Start BIOS Setup

To start the BIOS Setup Utility, follow these steps.

Turn on or re boot the s ystem.

Press F2 as soon as you see the following message at the bottom of the NE C startup screen.

You have about five seconds to press F2 before the system boot continues.

Setup’s Main Menu appears.

3-4 Configuring the System

How to Use Setup

The Setup Utility has a Main Menu window and four top-level menus with submenus. The menu bar at the top of the Main Menu window lists the following top-level menus.

Main  Use the Main M en u for basic system configuration. For



examp le, select Main to set the system d ate, set disk ette and hard dis k parameters, or set the hard drive au to-detect feature.

Advanced  Use the Ad vanced Menu to set up the system for



advan ced C M OS , advanced chi p s et , p ower management, Plug and Play, serial and parallel peripherals, and hardware monitor.

Security  Use this menu to set User and Supervisor Passwords and



keyboard wake-up password. Exit  Exits the Setup Utility with various save or discard options.



Use the keys listed in the legend bar on the bottom of the menu screen to make the selections or exit the current menu. Help Setup information dis plays on t he right s ide of th e menu screen.

The following table describes the legend keys.

Navigation Keys

Key Function

Esc Exits th e menu . Enter Executes Command or brings up a

submenu.

F5 Loa ds the Default C onfig uration values for

this men u. F6 Selects the Original Values for the field. F10 Saves changes and Exits the BIOS Setup

Utility. Up or down arrow keys Moves cursor up and down in the menu. Left or right arrow keys Selects next menu.

Config ur in g t he Sy stem 3-5

To select one of the four men u s from the menu bar, use the left and ri gh t arrow ke ys. Use the up or down ar row keys to select an item under the menu.

Menu items preceded by a > contain a submenu of selecta ble fields for setting system parameters. Display a submenu by using the up or down arrow keys to move the cursor to the desired submenu, then press

Enter

An Item S p ecific Help window on the right si d e of ea ch menu displays the help text for the cur rently select ed S etup option. It updates a s the cursor moves to each new fiel d .

Pressing describes the legend keys and their functions.

Press The following subsections describe the four top level menus and their

submenus.

Main Menu

Choose t he Main Menu by selecting Main in the legend bar on th e M ain Menu s cr een . Other Main Menu options are available by selecting submenus.

Use th e arrow keys to select one of the Main Men u options and press

Enter

Explan ations of each Main Menu item are in the following table.

can cause your syste m to malfunction.

Note

system configurations. You should record your system’s BIOS settings and save them in a safe place in t he event you need to restore or u pdate the BIOS.

on any menu brings up the General Help window that

Esc

to exit th e current window.

to select a submenu. Items with grayed-out text are not available.

Setting items on this menu to incorrect values

The following BIOS settings ar e typical and c an vary between

3-6 Configuring the System

Main Menu Item s

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

System Date Set system date in this field. Press

to move between month, date, and year fields. Example: 04/28/2000

System Time Set system time in this field. Press

to move between hour, minute, and second fields.

Example: 09:30:50

Floppy Drive A Not Installed

360 KB 5 1/4"

1.2 MB 5 1/4" 720 KB 3 1/2"

1.44 MB 3 1/2"

2.88 MB 3 1/2"

Tab

Enter

Floppy Drive B

Not Installed

360 KB 5 1/4"

1.2 MB 5 1/4" 720 KB 3 1/2"

1.44 MB 3 1/2"

2.88 MB 3 1/2"

Config ur in g t he Sy stem 3-7

Main Menu Item s

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

Primary IDE Master Primary IDE Slave Secondary IDE Master Secondary IDE Slave

IDE Device Configuration

Auto Auto Auto Auto

Each device menu item displays the hard drive or CD-ROM identifier if a device is installed.

If you inst all a hard driv e that does not feature auto IDE type detection or your IDE hard drive was formatted on another system with paramet ers diff erent from those repor ted by t he dri ve, enter a parameter for each of the fields in the devic e submenu.

Bring up a device s ubmenu by pressing The s ubmenus include IDE D evice Co nfiguratio n and, depending on device selection, Fast Programmed I/O Mode, 32 Bit Transfer Mode, LBA Mode, and Block Mode. Each is briefly des c rib ed in the following .

Auto

, User, CD-ROM, Floptical, Not Installed,

1-46 When set to Auto, the BIOS sets the correct

values fo r t he devi ce. Sel ecting U ser all ows you to configure the BIOS for the device selected. The Not Installed settin g indicates th at there is no IDE device present in the system.

Enter

Depending on the option selected, one of the fol lowin g submenus displays.

LBA Mode

, Off

When On is selected, it causes logical block addressing to be used in place of cylinders, heads, and sectors.

3-8 Configuring the System

Main Menu Item s

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

Block Mode

Fast Programmed I/O Modes

32 Bit Transfer Mode

Auto Detect Hard Drives Press

CPU Speed xxx MHz

Fro nt Side Bus Speed xxx MHz

Memory Size xx MHz

, Off

When On is selected, it allows block mode data transfers.

Auto

, 0 -5

Use these settings to configure the Advanced PIO Mode.

, Off

When On, allows 32 bit IDE data transfers. Should only be On if supported by a chipset controller.

Enter

Auto detects all hard drive parameters.

Not selectable, displays information only.

BIOS Version A6303P2 V1.0

Not selectable, displays information only.

Config ur in g t he Sy stem 3-9

Advanced Menu

Choose t he Advanced Menu by selecting Advanced in the legend bar on the Main Menu screen. Ad va nced Menu opti ons include:

Advanced CMOS Setup



Advanced Chipset Setup



Power Management Setup



Plug and Play Setup



Peripheral Set up



Hardware Monitor Setup.



Use th e arrow keys to select an Advanced Menu option. Pr es s display the submenu . Items with grayed-out text are not available. Explan ations of each A d vanced Menu opti on are in the following tables.

Setting items on this menu to incorrect values

can cause your syste m to malfunction.

Advanced Menu - Advanced CMOS Setup

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

View DMI Event Log Status onl y. Pres s Clear all DMI Events

, Yes

Logs

Selectin g No prevents cl earin g out the D M I events logs.

Event Logging

Enabled

, Di sabled

Selectin g Enabled permi ts event loggi ng.

Mark DMI Events as

Press

Enter

Read

Press Enter to mark DMI event log as read.

Enter

(Yes/No)

to view .

Enter

3-10 Configuring the System

Advanced Menu - Advanced CMOS Setup

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

Quick Boot

Delay for Hard Drive (seconds)

1st Boot Device

2nd Boot Device

3rd Boot Device

Try Other Boot Devices

Enabled

When Enabled, the BIOS does not test system memory above 1 MB or wait for ready signals, allowing a quick boot.

3, Selects the amount of time for hard drive delay.

Floppy

LS-120/Zip, ATAPI Zip, CDROM, SCSI, Network Sets the diskette drive as the first boot device.

IDE-0

Sets the second boot device.

CD-ROM

Sets the third boot device.

Yes

Select Yes to cause the system to try to boot from other boot devices if there is a boot failure. Selecting No causes the boot to be carried out from selected devices.

, Di sabled

Disabled

, No

, 1 -10

, Disabled, IDE-0, IDE-1, IDE-2, IDE-3,

Floppy Access Control

S.M.A.R.T. for Hard Disks

Read-write

Select Read-write to allow the diskette drive to have read-wri te capa bilities.

Disabled

Select Enabled t o use the Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) for reporting a possible problem with an IDE device. After receiving the warni ng, the BIOS aler ts you to the pr oblem.

, Read-only

, Enabled

Configuring the System 3-11

Advanced Menu - Advanced CMOS Setup

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

Boot-up Num-Lock

Pas sword C heck

Boot to OS/2>6 4 M B

CPU Serial Number Disabled,

System BIOS Cacheable

, Off

Select Off to lock the numeric keypad on boot up.

Setup

, Always

Allows th e user to d etermine at wh at moment a password check is needed.

, Yes

Select Yes to enable a boot to OS/2 if RAM is greater than 64 MB.

Enabled

Control s detect ion of t he processor s er ial number. Disabled,

Select Enabled to allow storing of system BIOS in RAM.

Enabled

Advanced Menu - Advanced Chipset Setup

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

USB Function Enabled,

Select Enabled t o enable use of USB functions for USB devices.

USB Keyboard Legacy Support

Enabled,

Select Enabled to enable the legacy keyboard functions.

3-12 Configuring the System

Disabled

Advanced Menu - Advanced Chipset Setup

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

Memory H ole En a b led,

Select Enabled t o reserv e a space in the memory, between 15 and 16 MB, for certain ISA boards.

ClkGen Spread Spectrum

Enabled

Select Enabled to enable the Clock Generator Spec trum and limit the ri sk of electromagnetic emissions.

Disabled

, Di sabled

Advanced Menu - Power Management Setup

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

ACPI Standby State

USB Keyboard Wakeup From S3

Power Management/APM

, S3

Select S1 for a low wake-up latency sleeping state. In the S2 mode, the CPU, cache, and chipset contexts are lost.

Disabled

Select Enabled to allow the system to wake up from a keyboard input.

Enabled

Select Enabled t o enable Power Management and Advanced Power Management (APM).

, Enabled

, Di sabled

Gr een PC LED Status

Video Power Down Mode

Dual Color

Select Dual-Color to show a green LED for normal use and an orange LED for standby use.

Standby

Select St andby or Suspen d to power down th e video display as a power saving feature.

, Single Color, Blinking

, Di sabled, Suspend

Configuring the System 3-13

Advanced Menu - Power Management Setup

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

Hard Disk Power Down Mode

Standby Time Out (Minutes)

Suspend Time Out (Minutes)

Power Button Function

Restore on AC/Power Loss

Suspend

Select Suspend or Standby to power down the hard disk as a power saving feature.

Disabled

Specifies the length of time of system inactivity while in ful l power on state b efore en tering Stand by stat e.

Disabled

Specifies the length of time of system inactivity while in Standby st ate befo re entering Su spend po wer state.

Suspend

Suspend sets the power switch for Suspend (Sleep) mode. Wit h power on , pressing the switch o nce pla ces the system in sleep mode. Pressing and holding the switch in for 4 seconds turns power off.

Last State

The Power On setting automatically turns power on after a power loss. The Power Off setting requires the user to restart the system with the power button. The Las t State s ettin g restores the system to the state where it was on power loss.

, Standby, Disabled

, 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60

, On/Off

, Power Off, Power On

Resume on Ring Enabled,

Enabled allows the system to boot up on an incoming telephone call. Disabled causes the system to ignore any incoming call from a modem.

Resume on LAN

Enabled

Enabled allows the system to boot up on an incoming LAN signal . Disabled causes the s ystem to ignore a ny incoming signal from LAN.

3-14 Configuring the System

Disabled

, Di sabled

Advanced Menu - Power Management Setup

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

PME Function

Resume on RTC Alarm

RTC Alarm Date

RTC Alarm Hour

RTC Alarm Minute

RTC Alarm Second

Enabled

Select Enabled to allow the system to react to PCI Power Management Enabled wake up events.

Disabled

When Enabled, you can choose the time the system boots up (see the following time settings).

Sets the day that the sys tem boo ts u p (when Resume on RTC Alarm is Enabled).

Sets real time clock alarm hour (when Resume on RTC Alarm is Enabled).

Sets real time clock alarm minute (when Resume on RTC Alarm is Enabled).

Sets real time clock alarm second (when Resume on RTC Alarm is Enabled).

, Di sabled

, Enabled

, Every Date

, 1-00

, 0-59

Configuring the System 3-15

Advanced Menu - Plug and Play Setup

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

Plug and Play Aware O/S

Clear NVRam

Primary Graphics Adapter

PCI VGA Palette Snoop

DMA Channel 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 7

IRQ 3, 4, 5, ,7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15

Yes

No, Select No to allow the BIOS to initialize any add-on

boards (Windows NT only). Select Yes to allow the operating system to initialize any add-on boards (Windows 98 and Windows 2000).

, Yes

Select No to prohibit clearing of NV Ram.

Add-on VGA

Select Onboard VGA if VGA is integrated on the system board.

Disabled

Set to Enabled to enable PCI VGA palette snooping.

PnP

, ISA

Permits configu r ing th e DMA chan nels either by Plug and Play or by ISA.

PCI/PnP

Permits configu r ing th e interrupt requests either by PCI /Plug a nd Play or by ISA.

, Onboa r d VGA

, Enabled

, ISA

Reserved Memory Size

Reserved Memory Address

Disabled

Select Enabled t o reserv e a non-w r iteable zone i n memory.

D0000 Defines the non-writeable zone in memory.

3-16 Configuring the System

, Enabled

Advanced Menu - Peripheral Setup

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

Onboard AC ’97 Audio

Onboard AC ’97 Modem Enabled,

Onboard LAN

Onboard Serial Port A

Onboard Serial Port B 3F8/COM1, Auto,

Serial Port B Mode

IR D uplex Mod e

Enabled,

The Enabl ed setting allows use o f onboard sound .

Onboard mo dem not a vailable.

Enabled

Select Enabled t o allow u se of onboard local ar ea network.

3F8/COM1

2E8/COM4 Defines serial port A base I/O address.

2E8/COM4 Defines serial port B base I/O address.

Normal

Select Normal to set the port for normal use.

Half Duplex

This option allo ws the In f ra red Duplex mo de to function in one di recti on at a time (Half D uplex) o r both directions (Full Duplex).

Disabled,

Disabled

, Di sabled

, Auto, Disabled, 2F8/COM2, 3E8/COM3,

, 1.6us, 3/16 baud, ASKIR

, Ful l Duplex

Disabled

, 2F8/COM2, 3E8/COM3,

Onboard Parallel Port

Parallel Port Mode

378

, Auto, Disabled, 278, 3BC

Select Auto to allow the BIOS to automatically assign the parallel port to an available parallel port IRQ.

ECP

, Normal, Bi-Directional, EPP

Use this mo d e to choo s e the operating mode of the onboard parallel port.

Configuring the System 3-17

Advanced Menu - Peripheral Setup

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

EPP Version

Parallel Port IRQ

Parallel Port DMA Channel

Keyboard/Mouse Power On Function

N/A

, 1.9, 1.7

Use this setting (1.7 or 1.9) to select the EPP version.

, 5

Allows setting of the interrupt request (IRQ) for the parallel port.

0, 1, Allows you to choose a DMA channel for the onboard

parallel port in ECP mode. Displays only when parallel port is enabled and in ECP mode.

Disabled

Right This option, when enabled, allows system to be turned

on b y pressing a spec ific key or mov ing the mouse.

, Pow erkey, Specif ic Key, M ouse Lef t, Mouse

Advanced Menu - Hardware Monitor Setup

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

ACPI Shut Down Temperature

C/176°F

80 ACPI gives the operating system direct control over

the power management and Plug and Play functions of a computer . The system shuts down at the tem perat ure indicated .

Chassis Intrusion

Temperat ure, Fan Speeds, Voltages

Disabled

When Enabled, the chassis cover must be in place before the system can start up. When Disabled, the system can be started without the cover in place.

Not selectable, information only.

3-18 Configuring the System

, Enabled

Security Menu

Choose the Security Menu by selecting Security in the legend bar on the Main Menu screen. Other Security Menu options are ava ilable by selecting submenus.

Use th e arrow keys to select one of the Secur ity Menu opti on s and press

Enter

to select a submenu. Items with grayed-out text are not available.

Explanations of each Security Menu item are in the following table.

Security M en u It ems

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

Set Supervisor Password

Set User Password [Enter]

Set Keyboard Wake Up Password Change

[Enter] Use this field to set or change the supervisor

password. Press the passw ord can be entered and con f irmed.

Use this field to set or change the user password. Press pas sword ca n be entered and confirmed.

[Enter] Use this field to change the keyboard wa keup

password.

Enter

to bring up a dialog b ox where

Enter

to bring up a di alog box where the

Configuring the System 3-19

Exit Menu

Choose t he Exit Menu by selecting Exit in the legend bar on the Main Menu. Other Exit Menu options are available by selecting submenus.

Use th e arrow keys to select one of the Exit M en u options and pr es s to disp lay the submenu . Ex p lanations of each Exit Menu item are in the following table.

Exit Menu Items

Menu Item Settings (default is bold)

Exit Saving Changes Implements the changes just made, and exits BIOS. Exit Discarding

Changes Load Optimal Settings Reverts to the factory set optimal settings. Load Fail Safe Settings Reverts to the factory set fail safe settings. Load Original Valu es Re verts to the fa ctory- shipp ed sett in g s.

Reverts to the settings from before the BIOS session.

FLASH Utility

The system BIOS resid es on a flash read only memor y (ROM) chi p in your system. The FLASH ROM can be updated using the following procedu re. Before starting the BI OS u p date, we recommend that you fir st contact NECC for ass istance (see Ch apter 6 for conta ct information).

Update the FLASH ROM with a BIOS flash diskette. The diskette contains the latest version of th e BIO S code. You can get the diskette from NECC or download the BIO S from the NECC webs ite. S ee Chapter 6 for download and website information.

Enter

Update the BIOS from the BIOS flash diskette as follows.

Write down the BIOS Setup parameters currently set on your system.

Turn off t he system.

Put the flash diskette in the diskette drive, and turn on the system.

3-20 Configuring the System

When th e fl ash upgrade m en u ap p ears, choose

Memory Area from a file

When the menu asks you to enter a path/filename, use the arrow keys to select the “.bio” file a nd pres s

The utility asks for confirmation to load the new flash into memory.

Continue with Programming

Select

After the upgrade completes, remove the diskette.

Reboot the system and s tar t the Setup program. Press F5 to reset the BIOS defaults. Use the recorded Setup selections you made at the beginning of this procedure to set the parameters.

NEC INFO Center

The online NEC INFO C enter pr ovides qu ick acc ess to in format ion about your s ystem. The NEC INF O Center includ es the followin g modules:

Tour



Use Tour to find information about easy-to-use NECC printed and online documentation, software installation tools, and many support services.

User’s Guide



Use this module to get quick access to basic information about your system.

Update Flash

Enter

Questions



Look in this module to get answers to frequently asked questions about you r syst em .

Solutions



Go to this module to find solutions to common system problems. Services



Check th is module for a qui ck reference t o th e many NECC suppor t services available to you.

To install the NEC INFO Center, double click the NEC OnLine Docs icon on th e Win d ows des k top. Once the NEC INFO Cent er i s in s talled, an NEC INFO Center icon appears on the Windows desktop. Double click on thi s icon to start the NEC INFO Center. Th e INF O C enter openin g screen appears (see the followin g figure).

Configuring the System 3-21

Click on an NEC INFO Center module of your choice, depending on the information you want to see. We suggest you start with the Tour module.

NEC INFO Center opening screen

To uninstall the NEC INFO Center, use these steps:

Access the C:\NEC INFO direc tory on your system.

Double click the

Unwise.exe

NEC INFO Center and the Alter n ately, you can cl ick

Panel

. At the Control Panel, double click

Double click

NEC INFO Center

To reinstall the NEC I N FO C enter, use the NEC A p pl ication and Driver CD (see the followin g section, “NEC Application and Driver CD”).

3-22 Configuring the System

icon to remove all files related to the

C:\NEC INFO

Start

, point t o

direct ory.

Settings

Add/Remove Programs

, and click

and follow the prompts.

Control

NEC Application and Driver CD

Use the NEC Application and Driver CD to reinstall NECC-provided softwa re, including

applications



utilities and device drivers



the NE C IN F O Cen ter (onlin e documentation).



You can also use the NEC Application and Driver CD at any time to restore an application, driver, or utility.

Note

CD, t he full r estor e process loads al l the fa ctory-insta lled softwar e that came with your system.

If you perform a full system restore usi ng the NE C OS Restore

If you add NEC C ha rdware options specified for your s ystem, you c an us e the NEC Application and Driver CD to install the drivers for the options.

Install the software from the NEC Application and Driver CD as follows.

Power on your system .

Insert the auto-start Application and Driver CD into the CD-ROM drive. The Selecti ve Restore screen appears, prompting you to sel ect an application or driver from the list.

Click on an application, driver, or utility in the “Applications/Drivers:” windo w.

Read th e information g iven in the “Important Setup Information:” window.

Click

Install

to install your selection. Follow any on-screen

instructions to install your selection.

Exit

Click

to close th e A p pl ication and Driver program.

Remove t he CD from the CD- ROM drive when the installation is complete.

Configuring the System 3-23

NEC OS Restore CD

Use t he NEC OS Re s tore CD to restore your system to its origina l factor y stat e if a problem occur s th at causes data loss or corruption. The NEC OS Restore CD provide s options for a fu ll system restore with factoryinst alled softwar e or for a restore wi th only the oper ating system and drivers. A full rest ore loads all the factory-installed software.

If you select to restore only the operating system and drivers, you can use the NE C Ap pl ication and Driver CD to select the software you want to load on your system. See the previous section, “NEC Application and Driver CD,” for information on using the Application and Driver CD.

Before s t arting, we recommend that you first contact NECC for assi stance (see Ch apter 6 for contact information).

Use t he foll owing steps to pe rform the OS Rest ore with the boot able Master Restore disk ette and the OS Restore CD.

The NEC OS Restore program deletes all the data on your hard drive. If possible, back up your data before performing an OS restore.

If possible, back up all your critical data files onto storage media (such as diskettes, Zip disks, or CD-ROM discs) or to an external storage device such as a ser ver hard drive.

Remove any disket te or CD- RO M disc fr om your s ystem.

Power down your syst em. In s ert the bootable Master Restore disk e t te into the diskett e drive and the NEC OS Rest ore CD into th e CD-ROM dr ive. Power on the system.

The syst em boots and th e NE C Computers Inc. Rest ore screen appears.

At th e Restore screen, cl ick Y to continue (or N to exit the program). A warning screen appears, with a prom p t th at continuing the restor e

will destroy all data on your primary drive.

3-24 Configuring the System

At th e warn ing screen, click C to continue (or X to exit the program). A restore selection s cr een appears, with a prompt askin g if you wa nt

a full r estore or an opera ting system an d driver restor e.

At th e restore selection screen, click F for fu l l restore or O for an

opera ting system and driver restore. (Or click

to exit the program.)

A seri es of restoring screens appear, advising you th at the restor e process is contin uin g. The rest or e process takes a few minut es t o do.

At the completion of the restore, a Restore Complete screen is displayed, with a prompt to either do system updates (see step 8) or reboot the system (see st ep 9).

If you are updating your system, do the following procedure at the system update prompt.

Remove the Master Restore bootabl e diskette and restor e CD



from their drives. Insert the NEC Application and Driver CD or other CD into the



drive(s). If you are using the NEC Application and Driver CD, go to

“NEC Application and Driver CD” earlier in this chapter to complete the update.

If you a re not updating your s ystem, r e move the M aster Res tore bootable d iskette and restore CD fr om th eir drives. Pr es s any key to reboot your system and open the Win dows desktop.

System Board Jumper Settings

Syste m board jumpers enable you to configu re your system for a particular system requirement. Conditions that might require changing jumper settings include the following situations.

You a re adding a sound board to your system.



You need to restore the C M OS settings to th e fact ory state.



Your BIO S is corrupted an d you need to recover the BIOS.



Before s t arting, we recommend that you first contact NECC for assi stance (see Ch apter 6 for contact information).

Use th e fol lowing figure to locate th e ju mp ers on the system board.

Configuring the System 3-25

Locating the system board jumpers

– Keyboard Wakeup (JKBV1)

– Onbo ard Audio (JP3)

– BIOS Recovery (J4)

Jumpers are set correctly at the factory for your con figur ation. Only change the appropriate jumper setting for your app l icati on. Otherwis e, keep the jumpers at t heir factory setting s .

– CPU Type (J23)

– Save to RAM (JP4)

– CMOS Clear (JBAT1)

Set the jumpers as follows.

Power off and unplug the s ystem and any external option s. Remove the syst em cover (see “Removing the Cover”).

Locate the appropriate jumper bl ock on the system board (see the previous figure “Locat ing the system boa rd jumpers ”).

3-26 Configuring the System

Move the appropriate jumpers for your application as shown on the following figure, “Setting system board jumpers.”

Note

NECC for ass istance (see Chapter 6 for contact information).

a jumper setting.

Befo re setting jumpers , we recommend th at you f ir s t contac t

The system power must be off before changing

Check your setting s to be su re that they ar e cor rect for your application.

Replace t he system cover (see “Replacing t he Cover”). Connect system p o wer cables and ex ternal options.

Power on the system and launch the BIOS Setup Utility before POST and r ecu s tomize your BIOS s ettings as necess ary.

Configuring the System 3-27

Setting system board jumpers

3-28 Configuring the System

Intel Processor Serial Number Control Utility

The Intel Processor Serial Number Control Utility is a Windows program that enables or disa bl es the reading of the Pentium II I processor serial number by software. This function lets you control which software pr ograms or we bs ites have per missi on to rea d t he processor serial number. When installed, the utility runs automatically each time the system p o wers on.

This utility places an icon in the Wind ows system tray. The icon provides a visual status of the processor serial n umber. Y ou have the opti on of hidin g th e s ystem tray icon. You can enable or disable the processor serial number at any time. However, enabling the serial number requires restarting the system.

The following information describes:

system requirements



installation procedures



processor serial number features



FAQs



technical suppor t.



System Requirements

The Intel Processor Serial Number Control Utility requires:

a Pentium III processor-based s ystem



Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 (or later), or Windows 2000



2 megabytes of hard drive space.



Installation

The Intel Processor Serial Number Control Utility (version 1.0) comes already install ed on your system. Th e s ystem ships with the processor serial number turned off.

Configuring the System 3-29

Processor Serial Number

The Int el processor s er ial number, a fea ture of the Pent ium III processor, is an iden tifier for the processor. Th e processor ser i al number is uni qu e, and when u s ed in conjunction wi th ot her identification methods, can be used to i d entify the system or user. This n um ber can be used in a wide variety of applications which benefit from stronger forms of system and user iden tification.

The pr ocessor serial n umber is analogous to a conventi on al serial number, with these importan t differen ces :

A software applicat ion can read th e processor serial number.



You can enable or disable the reading of the serial number via utility



progr ams such as this on e, or vi a the BIOS, depending on the system configuration.

For additional informa tion about the Pentium III processor and the processor serial nu m ber , visit

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of the pro cessor serial number?

You can use the processor serial number in applications which benefit from stronger forms of system and user identification.

www.intel.com/pentiumiii

Why would I want to turn off my processor seri al n umb er?

Intel believes the processor serial number can provide compelling benefits to user s . They are developing features in conjun ction with the processor ser ial num be r to allow responsibl e s e rvice providers to provide services whi c h maint a in your pr ivacy. H owever, if you a re concerned that a given application/service using your processor number might impact your privacy, you can turn off the processor serial number using the utility.

What is the default stat e of the pro cessor serial number?

The defa u lt state of th e pr ocessor serial number is on, un ti l the Processor Serial Number Control Utility is installed. Once the Processor Serial Number Control Utility is installed, it turns the processor serial number off by defau lt. You can u s e th e u tility to turn on the processor serial number.

3-30 Configuring the System

Can a website read my serial number without my knowledge?

No, generally not. Websites cannot read serial numbers unless you allow them to d own load a program which can read th e pr ocessor seria l n umber. Almost all browsers ar e configured to warn users wh en ever they downl oad executabl e s oftware. Unl ess you d isable the warning in the browser , you should recei ve a notifica tion.

Does Intel track serial numbers?

Generally not, other than related to the manufacturing process. Intel does not, in th e absences of advance and expres s consent of a user, collect serial number data which is otherwise identified with a user.

Which programs and/or websites currently use the processor serial number?

You can find a complete list of programs which can take advantage of the processor serial nu mber and other n ew capabiliti es of the Pentium III processor at

http://www.intel.com/pentiumiii/utility.htm

How can I tell if my processor serial number is turned on?

The vast majority of Penti um III processor-based systems ship with the processor serial nu mber enabled. Th e control utili ty allows you to ch eck the st atus by:

Viewin g the icon itsel f. The disabled icon shows a red cir cle with a



white “x.” Click ing the task tray icon and selecting the “Status” menu item. Or



you can select the menu from the tool tip shown when you position the mouse over the task tray icon.

Technical Support

For world wide 7 days a week, 24 hours a day technical support, please visit the Intel support website at

support@intel.com

Email: In th e United States, call

Pacifi c Standard Tim e. For world wide phone contacts, please see

http://support.intel.com/support/feedback.htm

http://support.intel.com

800-628-8686

from 5:00 a.m . to 5:00 p. m .

Configuring the System 3-31

Installing System Upgrades

General Rules



Safety Precautions



System Cover



System Board Upgrades



Expansion Boards



Data Storage Devices



This chapter provides installation instructions for a variety of industrystandard and NECC upgrades t hat you ca n add to your syst em.

Included in the chapter are procedures for

memory module upgrade



processor upgrade



expansion board installation



data s torage device installation.



Most procedures req u ire the removal of the system cover . Procedures for removi ng the cover are included in th is chapter.

General Ru le s

Follow these general rules when installing system upgrades.

Turn off system power and unplug the power cable.



Turn off an d disconnect all peripherals from the front and rear of the



system. When handling boards or chips, touch the system metal frame to



discharge static. Do not di sassemble parts other than those specified in the procedure.



All screws are Phillips-head unless otherwise specified.



Label any cable conn ectors before d i s con necting. Note where the



connector goes and in what position it was installed.

Safety Precautions

Obser ve safety rules when working inside the system and when hand ling comput er components. Avoid electric shock or p er s onal injury by observing the following warning.

Before removing the system cover, turn off the power and unplug the system power cable. Power is removed only when the power cable is unplugged.

4-2 Installing System Upgrades

Stati c electricity and improper installation procedures can damag e s ystem components. Protect system compon ents by following these sa fet y instructions.

Electros tatic dischar ge can damage sy stem components. Dis charge static electr icity by touching a metal object bef ore removing the system cover.

Avoid carpets in cool, dry areas. Leave boards and chips in their



anti-static packaging until ready to be installed. Dissi p ate static el ectricity before handling an y system components



(boards, chips, memory modules) by touching a grounded metal object, such as the system’s unpa in ted metal cha s sis.

If possi ble, use antistatic devices, such as wri s t straps and floor mats. Always hold a chip or board by its edges. Avoid touching the



components on the chip or boa rd. Take care when connect ing or disconnecting cabl es . A damaged cable



can cause a short in the electrical circuit. When in stalling a cabl e, route the cabl e s o i t is not pinched by other



components and is out of t he path of the system cover. Preven t damage to the con nectors by ali gning connector pins before



you connect the cable. Misaligned conn ect or pins can cause d amage to system com p onents at

power-on. When di scon necting a cable, always pul l on the cable connector or



strain-relief loop, not on the cable itself.

System Cover

You need to remove the system cover to access the interior for instal ling system upgrades.

The following sections describe how to remove and replace the system cover.

Installing System Upgrades 4-3

Removing the Cover

Remove the cover as follows.

power and unplug the system power cable. Power is removed only when the power cable is unplugged.

Turn off th e s ystem an d a ny peripherals and un plug th e system pow e r cord.

Disconnect any external options ( such as a keyboard, mouse, and monit or) from the fr ont or r ear of the system.

If th e mous e and keyboard cables are installed in the anti-theft brack et, remove the screw fastenin g the bracket t o th e ch assis and release the cables. The screw is access ible from in s i de the chassis , after the cover is removed.

If the system is configured as a slimtower, remove the stabilizer(s).

Position the system unit on its side on a table, with the stabilizers



over the edge of the tabl e. Remove t he screws atta ch ing the stabi lizers to the chassis and



remove the stabilizers (see Chapter 2 for screw locations).

Befo re removin g th e cove r, turn off sy stem

If you have a padlock in the anti-the ft ring on the rear of the s ystem, remove it.

Remove t he screw and anti-theft rin g secu ring the cover to the rear of the system.

Removing the cover screw

– Cover Screw

4-4 Installing System Upgrades

– Cover

Pre s s in on the sides of the cover and slide th e cove r about one inch towards the front of the chassi s.

Note

cover unit includes the top panel, left and right side panels, and front panel. Do not attempt to separate the panels from the cover unit.

The c over is a one piece unit that fits tightly to the chassis. The

Lift the cover off the system and set as ide.

Replacing the Cover

Remo ving the cover

– Cover

Replace t he cover as foll ows.

Ens ure tha t all cables are positioned to prevent crimping, abras ion, or cutting while installing the cover. Check that the ribbon cables are folded along their fold lines and out of the direct path of the cover.

If rem oved, reinstall the mouse an d keyboard anti - theft bracket, with the mou se and keyboard cables insid e the bracket.

Position the cover over the chassis so that the front edge of the cover is about on e inch beyond the front ed ge of the ch assis (see the preced ing figur e).

Installing System Upgrades 4-5

Align the tabs on the sides of the cover with t he corre s ponding slot s on the bottom edges of the chassis si des.

Firm ly press the cover ag ainst the chassis and slid e the cover towar d s the back of the chassi s unt il it locks in place.

Note

check that the cover tabs on the sides of the cover are properly inserted into their slots in the chassis. Also check that the tab on the riser board is positioned inside the chassis (see “Installing an Expansion Board” later in this chapter for tab location).

If the cover does not slide all the way to the rear of the chassis,

Secure the cover with the previously removed cover screw and antitheft r ing.

If you have a padlock for the anti-theft ring on the rear of th e chassi s , inst all it.

If you are using the system as a slimtower, reinstall the stabilizers.

Reconnect all exter nal peripher als.

Plug in your power cables.

System Board Upgrades

This section describes how to install upgrades on the system board. Procedures described in this section include:

adding memory modules



upgradin g t he processor.



The following figure shows the locations of the memory module sockets and th e processor socket on the system boa rd.

4-6 Installing System Upgrades

Locating the memory module and processor sockets

– Memory Sockets 1 and 2

– Processor Socket

Memory Upgrade

Memory upgrades are installed into two memory module sockets on the system board. The sockets support up to 512 MB of high-speed memory. The system supports 168-pin, 100-MHz non-ECC SDRAM modules in 64-, 128-, and 256-MB unbuffered memory configurations.

Use the following guidelines in selecting DIMM types:

memory can be installed in one or two sockets



the si ze of the DIMMs can var y betw een sockets



the speed of t he DIMMs must match or exceed the processor bus



speed single- and double-sided DIMMs are supported.



To deter mine what configuration of DI MM s to use, see the table “Supported DIMMs.”

For sample memory configurations, see the table “Sample DIMM Upgrade Paths.”

– Fan C onnector (und er CD-ROM drive)

Installing System Upgrades 4-7

To locat e memory module s ockets on the system board, see the previous figure, “System board sockets and connector s .”

To determine the memory you need to purchase for a memory upgrade, see “Ch eck ing System Mem ory.”

Supported DIMMs

DIMM Size Configuratio n

64 MB 8 Mbit x 72 128 MB 16 Mbit x 72 256 MB 32 Mbit x 72

Sample DIMM Upgrade Paths*

Total Memory DIMM 1 DIMM 2

64 MB 64 MB 128 MB 64 MB 64 MB 128 MB 128 MB 256 MB 128 MB 128 MB 256 MB 256 MB 512 MB 256 MB 256 MB

*The information in this table shows sample DIMM upgrade paths. It does not represent every combination of DIMMs supported in the system.

Checking System Memory

If you do not know how much memory is installed in your system, check the amou n t by using the following proced u re.

On the Windows desktop, point to mouse button.

4-8 Installing System Upgrades

My Computer

, an d click the right

With the left mouse button, click

Properties

. The

General

tab shows the ran d om a ccess memory (RAM). This is th e amount of system memory in your computer.

In Windows 98 or Windows 2000, you can also find the amount of memory by pointing to and selecting th e

Performance

My Computer

, clicking the right mouse button,

tab.

Note

the Power-On Self-Test or in Win dows with the am ount of memory that you installed, check that you instal le d the memor y modu le s correct ly .

If you fin d a discrepancy in the amount of memory displa yed at

Removing a DIMM

If your memory configuration requires the removal of a DIMM module, use the fol lowing step s .

boards or memory modules, reduce static discharge by touching the chassis.

Remove t he cover (see “Removin g t he Cover” earlier in th is chapter).

Locate the memory upgrade sockets on the system board (see the figure “Locatin g th e memory module and processor sock ets” earlier in this chapter).

Eject a DIMM by pressing th e pl astic clip s at th e ou ter edges of th e socket away from the memory module (s ee the following figure).

Before opening the system and before handling

Installing System Upgrades 4-9

If you ar e installing a D I M M, see “Installing a DIMM” in the next section.

If you ar e n ot installing a DIMM, repla ce th e cover (see “Replacing the Cover” earlier in this chapter) .

Installing a DIMM

Use the following steps to install a memory module.

Removing a DIMM

– Plastic Clip s

Remove t he cover (see “Removin g t he Cover” earlier in th is chapter).

If you need to remove a curr en tly install ed DIMM, see “Removing a DIMM” earlier i n t his chapter .

Before you install a DIMM, reduce static

discharge by touching the chassis.

Align the notches on the new DIMM with the keys in an empty memor y sock et (see the following figure).

Press the DIMM firmly into the socket.

Ensure that the locking clip at each end of the DIMM cli ck s closed.

4-10 Installing System Upgrades

Install ing a DIM M

– Plastic Clip s

Replace t he cover (see “Replaci ng the Cove r” earlier in this chapter).

Processor Upgrade

The system board has a Socket 370 for mounting a Celeron processor or a Pent iu m III processor .

To remove the processor from the Socket 370, see “Removing the Processor” in the following sections. To instal l the upgrade processor, see “Insta lling an Upgra de Processor” in the follow ing se ctions.

service center for assistance in upgrading your processor. Incorrect installation of the processor, fan, and heat sink can damage the

processor, system board, or both. Carefully follow the installation instructions provided with the upgrade pro cessor and the procedures in the following sections.

– Notches

NECC recommends that you contact your NEC

Installing System Upgrades 4-11

Removing the Processor

Remove t he processor from its socket on the system board as follows.

discharge by touching the chassis.

Remove t he cover (see “Removin g t he Cover” earlier in th is chapter).

Remove t he diskette dr ive and bracket ( s ee “Removin g the 3 1/ 2-inch Diskette Drive” later in th is chapter) .

Locate the processor assembly (fan, heat sink, pr ocessor) on th e system b oa rd (see the fig ure “Locating the memory module and processor sockets” earlier in this chapter).

Remove a ny expansion boa rds that might be in the way of the processor (see “Removing a n Expans ion Board” later in this chapter).

and heat sink on the system board are hot. To avoid a burn, let the components cool before c ontinuing th e upgrade.

Before handling components, reduce static

If the system was just runni ng, the p r ocesso r

Carefully cut the ca bl e tie retaining the fan cable and front panel cables.

Tag and unp lug the coolin g fan cable from its connector (CPU Fan) on the system board .

If in the way, tag and unplug the front panel cable from the fr ont panel con nector.

Remove t he fan and heat sink from the processor as follows.

Carefully press down on the flange on the right end of the



retention c lip an d unhook the clip from the tab on the processor socket ( s ee the following figure for fl ange locati on).

Unhook the retention cli p from the t ab on the opposite side of t he



processor socket. Remove the fan, heat sink, and retention clip from the processor.



4-12 Installing System Upgrades

Remove t he processor as follows.

Carefully pull out on th e processor socket lock lever ju st enough



to release the lever from the socket, then pivot the lever up to release the processor.

Carefully lift up on the processor and remove it from the socket.



Store the processor in a static-free bag.

10.

Install the upgra de processor (see “Installing the Upgra d e Processor” in the next section).

Removin g the fan, he at si nk , a nd pr oc es sor

– Heat Sink

– Retention Clip

– Lock Lever

– Processor

– Flange

Installing System Upgrades 4-13

Installing an Upgrade Processor

In stall th e upgrade process or as follows.

Remove t he processor cu r rently in your s ystem (see “Rem oving the Processor” in the previous section).

Before picking up the processor, reduce static

discharge by touching the metal chassis.

Deter mine the manufa cturer (Int el or Cyrix) of the processor and set jumper J23 accordin g ly (see “System Board Jumper Settings” in Chapter 3).

Align the white triangle (or notch) on the corner of the processor with the corresponding white trian g le on the socket.

Carefully align the processor pins with the socket p in holes an d set the pr ocessor into the socket.

If aligned correctly and the pin s are not bent, the processor sea ts



in the sock et without forcing. If th e processor does n ot s eat, check for correct align ment and



bent pins.

Pivot the lever down and press it in towards the socket until it locks in place.

Using the wrong heat sink or fan or no heat si nk and fan can damage the processor, system board, or both. Ensure that the upgrade processor has the correct heat sink and fan (refer to the doc ument at ion th at comes wi th the upgrade ki t).

Add i tional infor mati on can be o btained from NE CC (see Chapter 6 , “Getting Services and Support” for information on contacting NECC).

4-14 Installing System Upgrades

Install the replacement heat sink and fan as follows and in accordance with the procedur es contained in the upgrade kit.

If the kit includes a thermal pad, center it on top of the processor.



Align the heat sink, fan, and retention clip assembly with the



processor and set it d own on the processor (see the fig ure “Removing the fan, heat sink, and processor” for alignment).

Atta ch the heat sink ret ention clip to the processor s ocket by



hook ing the non-flange en d of the cl ip over the socket tab. Press d own on the flange on the opposite en d of the clip and



hook th e clip over the sock et tab.

Plug th e cool ing fan cabl e into its connector (CPU Fan ) on the system board. If unplugged, plug in the front panel cable.

Replace any expansion boards you might have remove d (see “Installing an Expansion Board” later in this ch apter).

Install the diskette drive, bracket, and cover.

10.

Connect any periph er als and power cor d s , and power up the s ystem.

Expansion Boards

Your system supports 32-bit PCI Plug and Play expansion boards. With Plu g and Play expansion boards, you c an install a board without changing the har d wa re setting s. Th ere are no system resource confl icts to resolve. Plug an d Play automat ically configures the boar d for the system.

The PCI connectors support bus mastering and accept PCI expansion boards that run at half the system board’s bus speed. Th e P C I bu s han dles 32 bits of data at a time, boosting system performance.

The foll o wi ng sections include proced u res for ins talling and r emovi ng expansion boards.

Installing System Upgrades 4-15

Installing an Expansion Board

Install an expansion board in the system as follows.

Remove t he cover (see “Removin g t he Cover” earlier in th is chapter).

Remove t he riser boar d bracket to access the expansion board connectors on th e r iser board.

Label and remove any cabl e(s) connected to the expansion



board. Remove the upper screw securing the bracket to the side of the



chas s is (see the followi ng figure). Carefully pull up on the bracket to release it from the chassis and



the ri s er boa rd connector on the system board. As the brack et fits tightly, you might need to rock the bracket slightly to release it from the chassis.

If you need t o remove an e xpansion boar d from the slot de s ignat e d for the new boa rd, see “Removing an Expansion Board” late r in this section.

Follow any preinstallation instructions that come with the expansion board (such as setting jumpers on the board).

If the slot is empty, remove and save the screw s ecuri ng the expansion board slot cover to the riser board bracket.

Remove and save the slot cover.

Hold the expansion board by its edges or its bracket and insert the board into the expansion s lot on th e riser board.

4-16 Installing System Upgrades

Remo ving the riser board b racket

– Upper Side Screw

– Riser Board

– Expansion Board Co nnectors

Press the board firmly into the expansion slot connector on the riser

– Slot Cover Screw

– Expansion Slots

– Tab

board.

Secure the expansi on boa rd bracket in p lace with the pr evi ou sly removed slot screw.

10.

Attach any cables required by the expansion board.

11.

Align the riser board bracket with the chassis an d the riser boar d with its connector on the s ystem board.

12.

Carefully push th e riser board bracket down until the ris er board and

bracke t seat. Ensu re that the tab (

on the pr eceding figure) at the

bottom of the bracket is inside the chassis.

13.

Secure the riser boar d bracket in pla ce with the previously removed screw.

14.

Replace t he cover (see “Replaci ng the Cove r” earlier in this chapter).

Installing System Upgrades 4-17

Removing an Expansion Board

Remove an expansion board as follows.

Remove t he cover (see “Removin g t he Cover” earlier in th is chapter).

Remove the riser board bracket (see “Installing an Expansion Board” earlier in this sec tion).

Remove t he screw securing the expan si on boa rd to the riser board bracket.

Pul l the exp a nsion board out of its connector and exp a nsion s lot. Place the board in an an tistatic bag.

Install a new board or in stall the slot cover if you are n ot installin g a board. Secure the board or s lot cover with the previou sly removed screw (see “Installing an Expansion Board” ear lier in this se ction).

Install the riser board bracket (see “Installing an Expansion Board” earlier in this sec tion).

Replace t he cover (see “Replaci ng the Cove r” earlier in this chapter).

Data Storage Devices

The syst em board supports the following stora g e devi ces:

one 3 1/2-inch 1.44-MB diskette drive



one 3 1/2-inch IDE hard drive



one 5 1/4-inch IDE CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive.



Before replacin g a storage device, follow any preinstall ation instr u ctions that com e wi th the device. F or example, ch eck the following informati on .

IDE hard drive — check the jumper settin gs on the device befor e



inst alling it. See th e d ocu mentation th at comes with th e d evi ce for jumper setting infor mation. Connect the drive as the master device on the pr imary IDE chann el.

CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive — check the jumper settings on



the device before installing it. See the documentation that comes with the devi ce f or jumper setting infor mation. Conn ect the drive as the master device on the s econdary IDE channel.

4-18 Installing System Upgrades

Connecting Device Cables

The cabl es u s ed for install ing replacemen t storage devices includ e:

flat ribbon cable for the diskette drive



Ultr a ATA/66 cable for the hard drive



IDE ca bl e for the CD-ROM dr ive



system p o wer cables.



A two-con nector diskette drive sign al cable comes connected to the system board and to the s tandard 1.44- MB d iskette drive. The cable combines s ignal and power l i nes in one flat ribbon ca ble.

The syst em comes with a two-c onnector Ul tr a ATA/66 inter fa ce cable conn ected to the prim ary IDE channel connector on the system board an d the har d dr ive. A two-connector IDE int erface cable is connected to the secondary IDE channel and the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM. The connectors are keyed to fit only in the correct position.

Power cables come from the power supply and are connected to the hard drive and CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. Power cable connectors are keyed to fit only in the correct position.

Note

dri ve. The short p ower cable must be used for the 5 1/4-in ch accessible device.

Ens ure tha t you use t he long power ca ble to connect t o the har d

Replacing the 5 1/4-Inch Accessible Device

The following sections describe how to remove and install a 5 1/4-inch accessible device i n the system.

Removing the 5 1/4-Inch Accessible Device

Remove t he 5 1/4-inch accessible devi ce as follows.

Remove t he system cover ( s ee “Removing the Cover” earlier in this chapter).

Installing System Upgrades 4-19

While pressing th e lock on the device bracket, raise the bracket up just enough to access the cables (see the following figure).

Unplugging the 5 1/4-inch device cables

– Audio Cable

– Power Cable

Tag and unplug the power and signal cables connected t o th e d evi ce.

– Signal Cable

– Device Bracket Lock

If the device is a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, ta g and unpl ug the audio cabl e .

4-20 Installing System Upgrades

Raise up the device bracket until it is vertical to the chassis.

Remove the top screw (B) securing the device t o the bracket.

Remove the two bottom screws (D) securing the devi ce to the bracket.

Releasi ng th e 5 1/ 4-i nch device

– Device Bracket

– Top Screw

Lower the device brack et until it latches in pla ce.

Slide the device out of the bracket.

Install a replacem ent device in the bracket (see “In s talling a

– Device

– Bottom Screws

5 1/4-inch Accessibl e Device” in the following section).

Installing System Upgrades 4-21

Installing a 5 1/4-Inch Accessible Device

Install a 5 1/4-inch acces sible devic e as follows.

With th e empty device br acket latch ed in p lace (see “Removing a 5 1/4-inch Accessibl e Device” earlier in this section),

slid e the connector end of the device through the fr on t panel and



into the device bracket align the front of th e d evice flush to the bracket.



Attach the device to the bracket with the previously removed top

screw ( this section).

Press the bracket lock on the side of the d evice bracket and raise the device bracket up to its perpendicular position.

Attach the bottom of the device to the bracket with the two previously removed bottom screws ( 5 1/4-inch device”).

Lower the device brack et halfway. Plu g the signal an d power cables into their connect ors on the device. A s appropria te, plug the audio cable in to the device.

on the figure “Releasin g t he 5 1/4-inch de vice” earlier in

on the figure “Rele as ing t he

Note

device. The long power cable must be used f or the ha r d drive.

Ens ure that you us e t he short power ca ble to connect to the

Lower the device bracket all the way down until it locks in place on the chassis.

As you lower the device bracket, ensure that all cab les are out of the way, are not pi nched, and are f olded correctly.

Replace t he system cover (see “Replacing t he Cover”).

4-22 Installing System Upgrades

Replacing the 3 1/2-Inch Diskette Drive

The following sections describe how to remove and install the 3 1/2-inch diskette drive.

Removing the 3 1/2-Inch Diskette Drive

The 3 1/2-inch diskette drive is secured to a bracket which is attached to the rear p anel of the chass is.

Remove the diskette drive as follows.

Remove t he system cover ( s ee “Removing the Cover”).

Unplu g the diskett e dr ive cable from the drive as follo ws ( see the following figure).

Releas e the brown cabl e r etainer conn ector on the drive b y



gently pulling up each end of the retainer until the cable rel eases. Remove t he cable from the drive conn ector.



Remove the screw (A on the following figure) securing the drive bracket to the chassis.

Lift th e br acket up slightly to clear the tabs on the fr on t p anel, then slide the bracket a nd drive toward s the ba ck of the ch assis and out of the chassis.

Remove t he two screws fast ening the dr ive to the brack et and set the drive aside.

Installing System Upgrades 4-23

Removin g the 3 1/2-Inch di sk et te dr i v e

– Bracket Screw

– Bracket

– Diskette Drive

– Dis kette Dr ive Cable

– Brown Cabl e Retain er

4-24 Installing System Upgrades

Installing the 3 1/2-Inch Diskette Drive

Attach the diskette drive to the bracket and install the bracket in the chassis as follows.

Attach the diskette drive to the bracket with the two previously removed screws.

Til t the bra c ket and slide into the ba c k of the front panel until it stops.

Installing the 3 1/2-inch diskette drive

– Bracket Screw Hole

– Bracket

Lift the back of the drive slightly and slide it forward to engage the

– Drive Fastening S c rews (2)

– Front Panel

two tabs on the bracket with their slot s in th e front panel.

Align the screw hole at th e end of the bracket with its corr esponding hole in the chassis.

Install the previously removed screw through the bracket and into the chas s is to fasten th e br acket in place.

Lift up the cable retainer on the drive connector and insert the drive cable in to the connector. Push down on the retainer to lock the cabl e in pla ce. Check that the cable is secured.

Replace t he system unit cover (see “Replacing the C ove r”).

Installing System Upgrades 4-25

Replacing the 3 1/2-Inch Hard Drive

The internal hard drive is located under the CD-ROM drive. Remove and inst all the hard dri ve a s follows.

Removing the 3 1/2-Inch Hard Drive

Remove the hard drive as follows.

Remove t he system cover ( s ee “Removing the Cover”).

While pressing th e d evice bracket lock on the side of th e bracket, rais e the bracket up enough to access an d unplug the CD- ROM dr ive cables. ( S ee the figur e “Unplugging the 5 1/4-inch device cables ” earlier in this chap ter.)

Raise the device bracket up to its vertical position (see the following figure).

Remove the hard drive screw (B). Loosen but do not remove the

shoulder screw (

Removing the 3 1/2-inch hard drive

– Device Bracket Lock

– Hard Drive Screw

4-26 Installing System Upgrades

– Shoulder Screw (1 of 3)

– Shoulder Screw Slot

Remove the hard drive as follows.

Tilt the device bracket slightly from its vertical position, enough



to allow access to the front of the drive. Slide the drive towards the rear of the chassis until the shoulder



screw is aligned with the vertical shoulder screw slot. Lift th e dr ive straigh t up, followin g the path of the shoulder



scr e w slots on each side of th e drive ba y.

Unplu g the power and signal cables fr om the hard drive.

Remove t he hard drive from the chassis.

Installing the 3 1/2-Inch Hard Drive

Install the 3 1/2-inch hard drive as follows.

If n ot already remove d, rem ove the hard drive be ing replaced (see “Remo ving the 3 1/2-Inch Hard Drive” ea r lier in this section).

Remove t he three shoul der screws from the old drive and install them in the same position on the new drive.

Leave enough of the screws exposed so that each fits into the shoulder screw slots.

Hold th e hard drive above t he drive bay, wit h the drive connectors facin g the rear of the chassis.

Plug th e hard drive signal and power cabl es into their r es p ective conn ectors on the har d drive.

Note

dri ve. The short p ower cable must be used for the 5 1/4-in ch accessible device.

Ens ure tha t you use t he long power ca ble to connect t o the har d

Align the three shoul der screws with the shoulder s cr ew slots and lower the drive int o th e ba y. C heck that the s crews are in th eir s lots.

Slide the hard drive towards the front of the chassis, following the path of the should er s c rew slot s.

Installing System Upgrades 4-27

Align the fastener hole in the hard drive with its corresponding hole in the ch assis. Secure the drive in place with the pr evi ous ly removed screw.

Tight en the accessible s houlder screw.

Lower the device bracket halfway, and plug in the CD-ROM drive signal cable, power cabl e, and au dio cable (if ins t alled) .

10.

Lower the device brack et into the chassis until it locks in place.

As you lower the device bracket, ensure that all cab les are folded correc t ly, ar e out of the way, an d are not p inched.

11.

Replace t he system cover (see “Replacing t he Cover”).

12.

Set the hard drive parameters using autotype in the BIOS (see Chapter 3).

4-28 Installing System Upgrades

Solving System Problems

Solutions to Common Problems



How to Clean the Mouse



How to Replace the CMOS Battery



You may occa sionally encounter a pr oblem with the s ystem. In most cases, the problem i s on e th at you can solve yourself.

The syst em has a built-in program that automatical ly checks its components when th e s ystem is powered on. I f there is a problem , the system displays an error message. If this happens, follow any instructions on th e screen.

If screen messages do not help or an err or mess age does not ap p ear , refer to the information in this chapter to help determine and solve the problem. If information in this chapter doesn’t solve the problem, see Chapter 6 for Techn ical Support C en ter help.

Solutions to Common Problems

See th e following secti ons to match your problem area and vi ew the possible causes an d s ol u tions.

When tr ying to solve pr oblems, you shoul d n ot e what the system was doin g wh en the problem occurred and what you attempted to do to correct the problem. This information is useful if you request assistance.

System Problems

Check th e following li s t to m atch your problem and see the possi bl e cause and solution.



No power and power lamp not lit.

Check th at system power i s on . Check th at the AC power cor d i s plugged into the system power

sock e t on the system unit an d into a live, prope rly gr ounded A C power outlet or surge pr otector.

Check the outlet or surge protector by plugging in a lamp.



Non-System Disk error message displays when the system is started.

You have a d iskette in th e di s k ette drive, and the diskett e drive is set before the hard drive in boot order. Remove t he dis kette fr om the drive and restart the system.

5-2 Solving System Problems



Operating system not found error message displays when the system is starte d.

If you left a CD in the CD-ROM drive, your system might not be able to boot. Tr y removing the CD and reboot ing.



System does not boot and error messag e displayed on screen.

Run the BIOS Setup Utility (see Chapter 3). Check that the parameters are set correctly, particularly if you just installed an option.



System emits continuous beeps.

Turn the system off, wait at lea st five secon ds, and turn the system on. If the beeps continue, call the NECC Technical Support Center (see Chapter 6 for Technical Support Center help).



System does not maintain da t e, ti me, sy st e m configurat i on information.

The CMO S battery is rea ch in g end of life. Replace the batt ery (see “How to Replace the CMOS Battery” in this chapter). Or have the battery checked an d r eplaced by an NEC authorized ser vi ce center.



System does not boot from hard dri ve.

The system usually tries to start from the diskette drive before it starts from the hard drive. Remove the diskette from the diskette drive.

Run the Setup Utility (see Chapter 3) and set the initial Boot parameter to a hard disk device instead of floppy disk device.



System performanc e appe ars sluggish.

Check th at your system i s s et for optimal operation. See your opera ting system documentati on .

You might have too many applications open. Close any applications that you are not using.

Check your Internet br owser and Windows f or excessive Internet cache fi les. Delete the cache files a s n eces s ary (see the br owser and Windows online documentation for further information).

Check the memory requirements of your software applications. If required, install additional DIMM memory (see Chapter 4).

If you added optional memory, check that you correctly installed the DIMM memory.

Solving System Problems 5-3



System shuts off instead of going into sleep mode.

You pressed and held in the power/sleep button for more than four second s . For sleep mode, press in the button and immedi ately release.



System does not shut off after pressing the power/sleep button.

You might not have pressed and held in the power/sleep button long enough. Press in the button and hold for four seconds or more before releasing.



System password forgotten.

Clear the password an d res et it. To clear and reset the pas sword, see “Security Menu” in Chapter 3.

Diskette Drive Problems

Check th e fol l owing problem s to see the possible cause an d sol u tion.



Diskette won’t load.

Ensure th at a diskette is not in the drive. Check th at the diskett e is being loaded correctly. Check th at the system power lamp is on and tha t the power-on s cr een

appears. Check th at the diskett e i s for matted. If not , format it. See your

opera ting system documentati on . Check th at the diskett e size is 1.44 MB. If the diskette drive busy lamp does not light when you load the

diskette, try a different diskette. If this loads, the problem is in the software.



Non-System Disk or Di sk Error message di spl aye d.

If you a re tryi ng to boot from the disk e t te drive , insert a disk ette with system files into the diskette drive.

If a bootable diskette does not boot, use the BIOS Setup Utility to verify that the initial boot para meter is set to diskette drive A a nd not a hard drive.

5-4 Solving System Problems

Monitor Problems

Check th e fol l owing problem s to see the possible cause an d sol u tion.



Monitor screen is dark or the display is hard to read.

Check that the monitor is on. Check th at the monitor power cable is connected to the mon itor and a

power outlet, the mon itor signal cable is connect ed to the system, and the br ightness and con trast controls are adjust ed.

Press a k ey or move the mouse to take the system ou t of the power management mode.



Screen is hard to read, it’s very dark, or the contrast is low.

Adjust the monitor’s brightness or contrast controls.



Distorted image appears on your monitor screen.

Adjust the monitor’s video contr ols. If this does n ot h elp, turn the monitor off for several seconds, then back on.



There is constant movement on the screen.

A magnetic field is affecting your monitor. Move an y devices (fan, motor, another monitor) that generate magnetic fields away from your monitor.



The screen display is fuzzy or flickering; graphics characters or “garbage” appears on the screen.

Check that your monitor is set up correctly and that all connections are made.

Check th at the video refresh rate and video d river are correct. Check di s p lay properti es . Click the right mouse button anywhere on

the Windows desktop and a menu appears. Click

Properties

and th e

Displ ay Properties wi ndow appear s .

Solving System Problems 5-5

Keyboard/Mouse Problems

Check th e following probl em to see the possibl e cause and sol u tion.



Mouse or keyboard does not respond.

You m ight ha ve c onnected th e m ouse and keyboard after turning on your s ystem. Turn the system off, mak e sure the mouse an d k eyboard are connected, and tur n the system back on.

Using the mouse results in erratic or no movement of the cursor on the monit or s creen, even aft er cleaning. Mous e may need to be replaced.



Image appears on scree n but nothing happens whe n y ou use the mouse or keyboard.

Make sure the keyboar d cable and mouse cabl e are firml y connected to the r ear of t he system.

If this does not help, turn off the system, wait five or more seconds, and turn on the system.

CD-ROM Drive Problems

Check th e fol l owing problem s to see the possible cause an d sol u tion.



The system does not see the drive.

The drive designation is wrong and should be changed. The drive designation depends upon the storage device configuration in your system. To find out what drive designation letter is assigned to your drive, double click or Windows 2000 desktop. The drive designation is below the drive icon.

My Computer

on the Wind ows 98 , Windows NT,

You can al s o open Windows Explorer and scroll down th e list of folders until you locate the drive icon. The drive designation is beside the icon .

5-6 Solving System Problems



The drive is not reading a disc.

Check th at the disc is inserted in the di s c tr ay with the printed label side up.

Check that the disc is a data disc, not a music disc. Clean the non-label si d e of t he disc with a soft lint-free cloth. Gentl y

brush from the center of the disc to the outer edge of the disc. Or use a commercial CD disc cleaner.

Try a different disc to see if the problem is limited to one disc.



The CD does not eject due to a power failure or software error.

Remove t he system cover ( s ee S ection 4, “Removing the Cover”) to access the emergency eject hole on th e C D - ROM drive. Inser t th e en d of a paper cl i p into the hole and press i nward un til th e drive door opens. Remove the CD.



The drive plays music CDs but the sound is not heard.

If in stalled, check that the speaker power is on (see “Speaker Problems”).

Adjust the volume control on the spea ker. Adjust the volume con trol in the system tray along the taskbar. Check th at the cable conn ecting the CD - ROM drive to the system

board CD audio connector is plugg e d in and secure.

Speaker Problems

Check th e fol l owing problem s to see the possible cause an d sol u tion.



Speaker volume is t oo low.

Adjust the volume control on the spea ker. If the volume is still too low, adjust the volume through the system

software. See your Windows Multimedia online help.

Solving System Problems 5-7

NEC T3212 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Proprietary Not ice and Liability Disclaimer

Contents

Using This Guide

Text Conventions

Related Documents

Reviewing System Features

Front Features

System Controls and Lamps

Diskette Drive

Universal Serial Bus Port

CD-ROM Drive

DVD-ROM Drive

Audio Connectors

Rear Features

External Connectors

Power Supply Features

Interior Features

System Board

Riser Board

Local Area Network

Storage Device Support

Chassis

Optional Speakers

System Overview

Hardware

Software

Preloaded Software

NEC OS Restore CD

NEC Application and Driver CD

Security

Setting Up the System

Slimtower Setup

Cable Connections

Startup

Shutdown

Power-Saving Operation

System Care

Protecting Your System From Damage

Keeping Your System in Good Condition

Moving or Shipping Your System

More Information

Configuring the System

Configuration Tools and Utilities

BIOS Setup Utility

How to Start BIOS Setup

How to Use Setup

Main Menu

Advanced Menu

Security Menu

Exit Menu

FLASH Utility

NEC INFO Center

NEC Application and Driver CD

NEC OS Restore CD

System Board Jumper Settings

Intel Processor Serial Number Control Utility

system requirements

Installation

Processor Serial Number

Frequently Asked Questions

Technical Support

Installing System Upgrades

General Ru le s

Safety Precautions

System Cover

Removing the Cover

Replacing the Cover

System Board Upgrades

Memory Upgrade

Checking System Memory

Removing a DIMM

Installing a DIMM

Processor Upgrade

Removing the Processor

Installing an Upgrade Processor

Expansion Boards