Page 1
®
Versa
Notebook Computer
L320
User’s
Guide
Page 2
Proprietary Notice and Liability Disclaimer
The information disclosed in this document, including all designs and related
materi al s, is the valuable pr oper t y of NEC C omp uter s Inc. (h er ein a fter “N EC C”) and /or it s li cen sor s.
NEC C an d/or it s lic en s or s, as appr op r i at e, res er ve al l p at en t , copyri gh t an d oth er propri et ar y r igh t s to
this document, including all design, manufacturing, reproduction, use, and sales rights thereto, except
to the ex tent said ri ghts are expres sly granted to others .
The NE CC produ ct(s) d iscuss ed in thi s docum ent ar e warran ted in accor dan ce with the terms of th e
Warran ty Sta t emen t accom pa n yin g each pr oduct. Howev er , a ctua l perfor m an ce of each su ch pr oduct
is depen dent upon factor s such as system con figurati on, customer data, and opera tor 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.
As an E
NERGY STAR
partner, NECC has determined that this product meets the ENERGY star
guidelines for energy efficiency.
NEC is a registered trademark; Versa is a U.S. registered trademark; and PortBar, VersaBay, and VersaGlide are
trademarks of NEC Corporation an d/or one or more of its subsidiaries. All are us ed under licens e. E
S
is a U.S. regi stere d tradem ark of t he U.S. gove rnment. Microsoft , Window s, and Windows N T are
TAR
registered trade m arks of Microsoft C orpora tion. In tel and Pentium are registered trademarks and Sp eedSte p i s a
trademark of Intel Corporation.
All other product, brand, or trade names used in this publication are the trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective trademark owners.
NERGY
First Printing — September 2001
Copyright 2001
NEC Computers Inc.
15 Business Park Way
Sacramento, CA 95828
All Rights Reserved
Page 3
Conte nts iii
Contents
Using This Guide
Text Conventions............................................................................................................. x
Related Documents..........................................................................................................x
1 Introducing the NEC Versa
Before You Begin.........................................................................................................1-2
About Your NEC Versa L320 Notebook........................................................................1-3
Around the Front of the System..................................................................................... 1-4
Opening Your System ............................................................................................1-4
Base Unit...............................................................................................................1-4
Control Panel.........................................................................................................1-5
Security and Per sonal Code Buttons.................................................................1-6
Power Button ..................................................................................................1-6
Shortcut Buttons..............................................................................................1-7
Status LEDs...........................................................................................................1-7
Power Status LEDs..........................................................................................1-8
Operating Status LEDs....................................................................................1-8
Keyboard Panel......................................................................................................1-9
Front Features...................................................................................................... 1-12
Around the Back of th e System ...................................................................................1-13
Around the Left Side of the System.............................................................................1-14
Around the Right Side of the System...........................................................................1-15
Around the Bottom of the System................................................................................1-16
About the NEC Cable PortBar..................................................................................... 1-17
About NEC Wireless LAN..........................................................................................1-18
2 Getting Started
NEC VersaGlide Touchpad...........................................................................................2-2
VersaGlide Adjustments.........................................................................................2-3
VersaGlide Tips.....................................................................................................2-3
Power Sources for Your NEC Versa..............................................................................2-3
AC Adapter...................................................................................................................2-4
Connecting the AC Adapter....................................................................................2-4
Powering On Your System .....................................................................................2-5
System Batteries............................................................................................................2-6
Primary Battery......................................................................................................2-6
Secondary Battery..................................................................................................2-6
CMOS Batter y........................................................................................................2-6
Using the Primary Battery.............................................................................................2-7
Determining Battery Status.....................................................................................2-7
Low Battery Status .................................................................................................2-8
Returning the Battery to its Normal State................................................................2-8
Extending Battery Life...........................................................................................2-8
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iv Contents
Battery Han dling.................................................................................................... 2-9
Replacing the Battery............................................................................................. 2-9
Charging the Battery............................................................................................ 2-11
Battery Precautions .............................................................................................. 2-12
Precautions for Recharging the Battery................................................................. 2-12
Using a Secondary Battery.......................................................................................... 2-13
Secondary Battery Precautions............................................................................. 2-13
Replacing the Secondary Battery.......................................................................... 2-13
System Care................................................................................................................2-14
Precautions for System Use.................................................................................. 2-14
Storage Requirements .......................................................................................... 2-15
Routine Cleaning ................................................................................................. 2-15
3 Using the BIOS Setup Utility
Introducing BIOS Setup................................................................................................3-2
Entering BIOS Setup.....................................................................................................3-2
BIOS Setup Main Men u ......................................................................................... 3-3
Looking at Scree ns.................................................................................................3-4
Using Keys ............................................................................................................ 3-5
Checking/Setting System Parameters.............................................................................3-5
Resetting System Parameters.................................................................................. 3-6
Main Menu............................................................................................................ 3-6
Advanced Menu..................................................................................................... 3-7
Security Menu........................................................................................................3-8
Password Pr otection............................................................................................... 3-9
Establishing Passwor ds ..........................................................................................3-9
FingerPrint Protection.......................................................................................... 3-10
Hard Disk Drive Passwords .................................................................................. 3-10
Establishing Hard Disk Drive Passwords ....................................................... 3-11
Changing Hard Disk Drive Passwords........................................................... 3-11
Using Hard Disk Drive Password Protection.................................................. 3-12
Moving the Hard Disk Drive.......................................................................... 3-12
Power Menu......................................................................................................... 3-13
Boot Menu........................................................................................................... 3-15
Exit Menu............................................................................................................ 3-15
Managing System Power............................................................................................. 3-16
Windows 2000 Power Options Properties............................................................. 3-16
Windows 2000 Power Schemes..................................................................... 3-17
Windows 2000 Alarms.................................................................................. 3-18
Windows 2000 Power Meter.......................................................................... 3-19
Windows 2000 Advanced .............................................................................. 3-19
Windows 2000 Hibernate.............................................................................. 3-19
Windows 2000 and Intel SpeedStep Technology............................................ 3-20
Windows 98 SE Power Management Properties.................................................... 3-20
Windows 98 SE Power Schemes.................................................................... 3-21
Windows 98 SE Alarms ................................................................................ 3-22
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Conte nts v
Windows 98 SE Power Meter........................................................................ 3-22
Windows 98 SE Advanced.............................................................................3-23
Windows 98 SE Hibernate.............................................................................3-23
Windows 98 SE and Intel SpeedStep Technology...........................................3-24
Windows Power Management States....................................................................3-24
Recognizing the Windows Power Management States...........................................3-25
Checking Switch Settings............................................................................................3-26
Accessing Switch es..............................................................................................3-26
Looking at Switch Settings................................................................................... 3-27
Updating the BIOS......................................................................................................3-28
Obtaining the BIOS Update..................................................................................3-28
Preparing the BIOS Update Diskette.....................................................................3-29
Performing the BIOS Update ................................................................................ 3-29
4 Using th e Operati ng System an d Util ities
Windows Introduction...................................................................................................4-2
Windows 2000.......................................................................................................4-2
Desktop Icons..................................................................................................4-2
Taskb ar Icons..................................................................................................4-3
Windows 98 Second Edition...................................................................................4-3
Desktop Icons..................................................................................................4-3
Taskb ar Icons..................................................................................................4-5
NEC Utilities................................................................................................................4-6
NEC Customize Utility...........................................................................................4-6
NEC Customize Utility Screen.........................................................................4-6
Using the NEC Customize Utility....................................................................4-6
PHDISK Utility for Windows 98 SE.......................................................................4-7
Preparing Your System for the PHDISK Utility................................................4-7
Running the PHDISK Utility ...........................................................................4-7
Applet for Intel SpeedStep2 Technology........................................................................ 4-9
SoftDVD Player C D......................................................................................................4-9
NEC CD-RW CD..........................................................................................................4-9
Application and Driver CD..........................................................................................4-10
Launching the A&D CD with Windows 2000.......................................................4-10
Launching the A&D CD with Windows 98 SE......................................................4-10
Application and Driver CD Dialog Box ................................................................ 4-11
Installing the A&D CD Software.......................................................................... 4-11
Person al Code Setting Utility.......................................................................................4-11
Identifying Personal Code Setting Buttons............................................................4-12
Establishing Personal Codes................................................................................. 4-12
Clearing a Personal Co d e......................................................................................4-13
Using the Personal Code to Access the System......................................................4-14
Bringing the System Out of a Power-Saving Mode................................................4-14
NEC Info Center.........................................................................................................4-14
Installing the NEC Info Center .............................................................................4-14
Uninstalling the NEC Info Center.........................................................................4-15
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vi Contents
PartitionMagic Special Edition.................................................................................... 4-15
Product Recovery CD ................................................................................................. 4-16
Guidelines for Using the Product Recovery CD .................................................... 4-16
Product Recovery CD Options..............................................................................4-17
Full Disk Drive Restore........................................................................................ 4-17
Partition Only Restore.......................................................................................... 4-19
One-Touch Start Button Settings Utility...................................................................... 4-20
5 Using th e System Dri ves and Bays
NEC Modular Bay Slot................................................................................................. 5-2
NEC VersaBay IV Slot .................................................................................................5-2
Phoenix BaySwap Utility .............................................................................................. 5-3
Installing the Ph oenix BaySwap Utility...................................................................5-3
Using the Phoenix BaySwap Utility........................................................................5-3
Removing a Device from the NEC Modular Bay Slot..............................................5-4
Installing a Device in the NEC Modular Bay Slot ................................................... 5-5
Removing a Device from the NEC VersaBay IV Slot.............................................. 5-5
Installing a Device in the NEC VersaBay IV Slot.................................................... 5-6
Variable-Speed CD-ROM Drive....................................................................................5-7
CD Loading........................................................................................................... 5-8
CD Care.................................................................................................................5-8
Changing the Auto Play Setting .............................................................................. 5-9
Variable-Speed CD-RW Drive.................................................................................... 5-10
Variable-Sp eed DVD-ROM Dr ive............................................................................... 5-10
Combinati on CD- RW and DVD-ROM Drive............................................................... 5-11
Memory Modules........................................................................................................ 5-12
6 Communicat in g wit h You r NE C Versa
MDC Modem................................................................................................................6-2
Connecting the Modem.......................................................................................... 6-2
Mini PCI LAN.............................................................................................................. 6-3
PC Cards ...................................................................................................................... 6-3
Type II Cards.........................................................................................................6-3
Type II Extended Cards..........................................................................................6-3
Type III Cards ........................................................................................................ 6-3
Communication Cards............................................................................................ 6-4
Sto rage Cards.........................................................................................................6-4
Interface Cards.......................................................................................................6-4
Other Cards............................................................................................................6-5
PC Card Slots......................................................................................................... 6-5
Inserting a PC Card................................................................................................ 6-5
Re mo ving a Card ................................................................................................... 6-6
Internet Connections..................................................................................................... 6-7
Internet Connection Wizard in Windows 98/2000................................................... 6-7
Accessing the Interne t............................................................................................ 6-7
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Conte nts vii
Sending and Receiving E-mail................................................................................6-8
Modifying the Internet and E-mail Shortcut Buttons................................................6-8
IR Port..........................................................................................................................6-8
Enabling the IR Port...............................................................................................6-9
Enabling Infrared Communications.........................................................................6-9
Using the IR Port..................................................................................................6-10
Mini PCI Wireless LAN.............................................................................................. 6-11
Enabling Wireless LAN in BIOS Setup.................................................................6-11
Checking Your Wireless Connection ....................................................................6-11
Viewin g/Changing Con figuration Settings............................................................6-12
7 Traveling Tips
Preparing for Travel......................................................................................................7-2
Packing for Travel.........................................................................................................7-2
Using Power Connections .............................................................................................7-3
Getting Through Customs.............................................................................................7-3
Connecting to the In ternet .............................................................................................7-4
Connecting Using a Modem ...................................................................................7-4
Connecting Using a LAN.......................................................................................7-4
8 Using External Devices
Keyboard/Mouse...........................................................................................................8-2
USB Device..................................................................................................................8-3
Serial Devices...............................................................................................................8-4
NEC Cable PortBar.......................................................................................................8-5
Monitor.........................................................................................................................8-6
S-Video Supported Device............................................................................................8-7
IEEE 1394 Devices.......................................................................................................8-8
Parallel Devices............................................................................................................8-9
Audio Options............................................................................................................. 8-10
9 Using Multimedia
Audio............................................................................................................................9-2
Recording ..............................................................................................................9-2
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM Inpu t...................................................................................9-3
Microphone............................................................................................................9-3
Playing Back ..........................................................................................................9-3
Using Headphones..................................................................................................9-4
Using the Built-In Speakers....................................................................................9-4
Using External Stereo Speakers..............................................................................9-4
Video ............................................................................................................................9-4
Using Digital Video Files.......................................................................................9-5
Using Animation Files............................................................................................9-5
Multimedia Applications...............................................................................................9-5
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viii Content s
10 Solving System Problems
Problem Checklist....................................................................................................... 10-2
Startup Problems......................................................................................................... 10-3
POST Error Messages.......................................................................................... 10-4
If You Need Assistance............................................................................................... 10-5
11 G et t in g Service and Support
Service and Support Contact Information .................................................................... 11-2
Web Site..................................................................................................................... 11-3
Support Services......................................................................................................... 11-4
E-mail to Support Services.......................................................................................... 11-4
A Setting Up a Health y Work En vironment
Making Your Computer Work for You......................................................................... A-2
Arrange Your Equipment............................................................................................. A-3
Adjust Your Chair........................................................................................................ A-3
Adjust Your Input Devices........................................................................................... A-4
Adjust Your Screen or Monitor .................................................................................... A-4
Vary Your Workday.....................................................................................................A-5
Pre-existing Con ditions and Psychosocial Factors......................................................... A-5
B Specifications
System Components......................................................................................................B-2
Interrupt Controllers....................................................................................................B-10
Memory Map..............................................................................................................B-11
C Frequently Asked Questions
External Mouse.............................................................................................................C-2
Display........................................................................................................................ .C-2
PC Cards ......................................................................................................................C-2
Diskette Drive...............................................................................................................C-3
Booting.........................................................................................................................C-4
Power Management ......................................................................................................C-5
Miscellaneous...............................................................................................................C-7
Glossary
Index
Page 9
Using This Guide ix
Using This Guide
The NEC Versa® L320 User’s Guide give s you the information you nee d to ma ximize
the us e of your NEC Ver sa notebook computer . Read this gu i de to familiarize your s el f
with the NEC Versa an d its features. For specific in formation see
Chapter 1, “In troducing the NEC Ver sa ,” to acquaint yourself with the system
hardware.
Chap ter 2, “Gett in g Started,” for instru ctions on how to connect, p ower on, and care
for your system. This chapter includes information about using battery power.
Chapter 3, “Using the BIOS Setup Utility,” for details about modifying system
parameters and power management.
Chapter 4, “Using the Operating System and Utilities,” for an understanding of your
Microsoft
®
Windows® operating system. You’ll also l ear n how to use th e system
utilities and CDs for loading applications, drivers, and the NEC Info Center.
Chapter 5, “Using the System Drives and Bays,” to master procedures for using the
NEC VersaBay™ IV slot, using the NEC Modular Bay slot, and installing a
memory module.
Chapter 6, “Communicating with Your NEC Versa,” for essential information about
using PC Cards, the built-in MDC modem, the option al Mini PCI LAN, and the
optional Mini PCI Wireless LAN.
Chapter 7, “Tra vel ing Tip s, ” for a variet y of checklis ts to help you t o prepare the
notebook computer for travel, getting through customs and using your modem or
LAN connection when you are on the road.
Chapter 8, “Using External Devices,” for proced u res for connecting external
devices like an external monitor, headphones, a printer, or speakers.
Chapter 9, “Using Multim ed ia,” for steps on int egrating video and sound clips into
impressive presentations.
Chapter 10, “Solving Syst e m Problems,” for simple solutions t o common probl e ms
that may arise while operat in g your notebo ok.
Chapter 11, “Getting Service and Support,” for information about getting help wh en
you need i t from NEC Computers In c .
Appendix A, “Set ting Up a Healthy Work En vironment,” for guid elines th at help
promote a healthy work setting.
Appendix B, “Speci fi cations,” to r evi ew NE C V ersa system sp ecifica t ions.
Appendix C, “Frequently Asked Questions,” (FAQs) for a look at questions that
user s com monly ask and the answers to those qu estions .
Page 10
x Using This Guide
Text Conventions
To make this guide as easy as possible to use, text is set up as follows.
Warnings, ca ut ions, and notes have th e fol lowing m eanings:
Warnings alert you to situations that could result in serious
personal injury or loss of life.
Cautions indicate situations that can damage the hardware or
software.
Note
Notes give impor tant information, et c.
Names of keys are printed a s they ap pear on the ke yboard, for example,
Ctrl, Alt
, or
Enter
.
Tex t that you mus t type or keys that you mus t press a re pre s e nted in bold type. For
example, type
dir
and press
Enter
.
Related Documen ts
See the following documents for additional information on your NEC Versa notebook
computer:
The NEC Versa L320 Quick Setup sheet helps get your s ystem up and running.
The NEC Versa L320 Quick Reference car d provides an easy-to-carry reference to
LED meanings, controls, function key combinations, and NECC help numbers.
(The quick reference card does not ship with some systems purchased outside the
Unit ed S tates and Canada.)
The NEC Info Center is a fully navigational PDF document containing multimedia
elements, a full search capability, and important information about your NEC Versa.
Page 11
1
Introducing the NEC Versa
Before You Begin
About Your NEC Versa L320 Notebook
Around the Front of the System
Around the Back of the System
Around the Left Side of the System
Around the Right Side of the System
Around the Bottom of the System
About the NEC Cable PortBar
About NEC Wireless LAN
Page 12
1-2 Introducing the NEC Versa
Before You Begin
Prolonged or improper use of a computer workstation may pose a risk
of serious injury. To reduce your risk of injury, set up and use your computer in the
manner described in Appendix A, Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment.
After com pleting the steps in the qui ck setup sheet that comes with your computer,
your NEC Versa L320 system is ready t o go! To get started, do the following:
Read App endix A, “S etting Up a Healthy Work Environm ent,” for gui delines th at
help you use your computer producti ve ly and safely. Information inc ludes how to
set up and use your computer to reduce your risk of developing nerve, muscle, or
tendon disord ers.
Read through this guide to familiarize yourself with the NEC Versa.
Page 13
Introducing the NEC Versa 1-3
About Your NEC Versa L320 Notebook
The NEC Versa L320 notebook computer offers you a portable system filled with
exciting resources for business users. Standard features include a powerful Mobile
Intel
®
Pentium® III Processor-M running at 933 MHz, 1 GHz, 1.13 GHz, or higher.
This processor is designed to work together with the latest Peripheral Component
Interconnect (PCI) architecture.
Your notebook computer supports up to 1 GB of system memory. In addition, your
system comes with a high-performance hard disk drive, diskette drive, PC Card support
and one of the following variable-sp eed opti ca l dri ves: CD- ROM, DVD-ROM,
CD-RW, or combination CD- RW and DVD-ROM. Mi crosoft
®
Windows® 98 Second
Edition (SE) or Windows 2000 Professional is preinstalled. To optimize your
connectivity options, all systems ship with a built-in MDC modem and some models
come wit h a Mini PCI LAN or Mini PCI wireless LAN (wh en available) . As a
multimedia system, your NEC Versa L320 supports the AGP x4 standard and provides
the t ool s needed t o cr eate and pres ent impr es sive images u s ing video cli p s an d sound.
NEC Versa L320 notebook comp uter
To get comfortable with your notebook, read the following sections and take a tour
around your system!
Page 14
1-4 Introducing the NEC Versa
Around the Front of the System
The NEC Versa is com p act with features on every side. First, look at the front of the
system.
Opening Your System
Open your NEC Versa L320 notebook computer by sliding the LCD panel latch to the
right. Lift the cover to revea l the LCD panel and the ba s e unit feat ures. See the section ,
“Front Features,” to locate the latch.
Base Unit
The base unit of your NE C V e rsa n otebook offers the feat ures shown in the following
figure. Feature descriptions are provided after the figure.
After extended use, the surface of the base unit, below the
keyboard, may become hot to the touch.
LCD panel and base unit
A
– LCD Panel
E
– Personal Code Buttons
B
– Operating Status LEDs
F
– NEC VersaGlide Touchpad
C
– Power Button
G
– Keyboard
D
– Shortcut Buttons
H
– Power Status LEDs
Page 15
Introducing the NEC Versa 1-5
LCD Panel — Provi des a high-resolution dis play for sharp, e ffective visuals on
your NEC V ersa notebook .
Oper ating Status LEDs — Keep you infor med of your NEC Versa noteb ook’s
current operating sta tus (see the s ection, “Statu s LE Ds”).
Power Button — Powers on an d off t he system (s ee the sect ion, “Control Panel”).
Sh ortcu t Butt ons — Launch your br ows er or your e-mai l appli cation with thes e
buttons (see the section, “Control Panel”).
Personal Code Buttons — Sets a personal code for s ecu rit y. Ava ilable on s om e
systems ( s ee the sect ion, “Control Panel”).
NEC VersaGlide™ Touchpad — Work s li k e a s tandard com puter mous e. Simply
move your fingertip over the VersaGlide to control the position of the cursor. Use
the selection button s below the VersaGlide to select menu items. See “NEC
VersaGlide Touchpad” in Chapter 2 for information about using the VersaGlide and
for cu s tomizing VersaGlide sett in gs.
Keyboard — Pr ovides 87 keys with t he sta ndar d QWERT Y -key layout. (M odels
purchased out side of th e U.S. and Canada ship with country-specific ke yb oa rd
layouts.)
Power Stat us LEDs — Indicate whether the system is running on AC power or
batt ery power, an d indicate battery status (see the section , “Status LEDs”).
Control Panel
The NEC Versa L320 control panel provides the features shown in the following
figure. The control panel featur es are described after th e figur e.
Page 16
1-6 Introducing the NEC Versa
Control panel
A
– Personal Code Button 1
E
– Personal Code Enter Button
B
– Personal Code Button 2
F
– Shortcut Button
C
– Personal Code Button 3
G
– Power Button
D
– Personal Code Button 4
H
– Shortcut Button
Security and Personal Code Buttons
Some systems have Personal Code Setting buttons. Use the buttons to set, enter,
change, or can cel a persona l security code. See “Personal Code Setting Utility” in
Chapter 4 for more information.
Power Button
Note
If you are unable to power off the system, use the power override. Press the
Power button and hold it in place approximately 4 to 5 seconds until the system powers
off.
The Power button is a “smart” swit ch . It recognizes when th e system is in a
Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Standby mode, if the BIOS parameter “Power Switch”
is set to “Sleep.” If the system is in Standby mode, you cannot power off until you
press the Power button to resume operation.
Put the unit in Standby mode when you need to be away from your system for a short
period of time and want to return to where you left off. Standby mode shuts down all
devices in the system whil e r etaining da ta and system s tatus.
In Windows 98 and Windows 2000, go to Start, Shutdown, Standby t o put your
system into Standby mode.
Page 17
Introducing the NEC Versa 1-7
Use the Power button in the following ways:
— Press the Power button to power on.
— Press the Power button to resume from a Windows 98 or Windows 2000
Standby mode and proceed with normal operation.
— Hold the Power button in place for 4 or more seconds to initiate power override
(powers off the system). Only use t his option if you cann ot power off you r
system using Start, Shutdown.
Shortcut Buttons
Some systems have shortcut buttons that you can configure to launch your default
Internet br ows er and your defau lt e-mail applic ation . See “One-Touch S tart Butt on
Settings Utility” in Chapter 4 for information about configuring the buttons.
Status LEDs
The NEC Versa L320 system uses status lights marked with icons to communicate
power s tatus and operating status. M ost of these LEDs are on the con trol panel ( s ee the
followin g figure). See the following sections for information about each LED.
Control panel LEDs
A
– Power LED
F
– Caps Lock LED
B
– Battery Stat us LED
G
– Scroll Lock LED
C
– E-mail Notification LED
H
– Num Lock LED
D
– Drive Activi ty L ED
I
– Security Indicator LED
E
– NEC Modular Bay Drive Activity LED
Page 18
1-8 Introducing the NEC Versa
Note
The Radio Wave Status LED (available on some models) is on the right side
of t he uni t . See “Around the Right Side of the System” to locate the LED and for a
description of the LED.
Power Status LEDs
Power Status LE D s indicate your NEC Vers a L3 2 0 ’s current power status.
Power Stat us LED — Lights to indicate the following status:
— Lights green when the system power is on.
— Blinks green when the system is in Standby mode.
— Lights yellow (blinks when in Standby mode) to indicate that battery power is at
8% capacity or less.
— Lights amber (bl inks when in S tandby mode) to indica te that batt ery power i s at
3% capacity or less.
Battery Charging LED — Lights to indicate ba t ter y chargi ng ac tivit y.
— Lights amber wh en the primary battery is charging. Blinks amber to indicate an
error. The primary battery is installed in the battery bay.
— Lights green when the secon d ary battery is charging. Blin k s green to indicate an
error . The second ary (optional) battery is hous ed in the NEC Modu lar Bay.
Note
The system also has a Power Status LED and a Battery Charging LED on the
back of the LCD panel. You can see these LEDs when you are behind your notebook
computer or when the LCD panel is closed.
Operating Status LEDs
Oper ating status LEDs keep you inform ed of your NEC Vers a L3 20’s curr en t op erating
status.
E-mail Notification LED — Some systems have an LED that lights when new
e-mail is received.
Note
The system also has an E-mail Notification LED on the back of the LCD panel.
You can see this LED when you are behind your notebook computer or when the LCD
panel is closed.
Page 19
Introducing the NEC Versa 1-9
Drive Activity LED — Lights when the NEC Ver sa L320 accesses t he hard disk or
an NEC VersaBay™ IV drive (second hard disk , C D- ROM, DVD- ROM, CD-RW,
or combinati on CD- RW and DVD-ROM drive).
NEC Modular Bay Drive Activity LED — Lights when the NEC Versa L 320 writes
data to or retrieves data from the diskette drive in the NEC Modular Bay.
Caps Lock LED — Lights wh en caps lock is in ef fe ct.
Scrol l Lock LED — Lights when scroll lock is in effect (not supported in the U.S.
or Canada).
Num Lock LED — Lights when num lock mode is active.
Secur ity Indicator LED — Ligh ts green when the system i s in security mode (not
supported on all systems).
Radio Wave L ED (on the right side of t he syst e m) — Li ghts green when a
Bluetooth™ (when available) or Wireless LA N d evice is on. The LED goes out
when th e d evice is in a Sl eep mode. To l oca te this LED, see the figure “Right-side
features” later in this chapter.
Keyboard Panel
The NEC Versa L320 keyboard has a standard QWERTY-key layout. (Models shipped
outside t he U.S . are e quipped with country-s pecific keyboa rd layouts.) K e yboard
features are described after the figure.
Keyboard
A
– Function Keys
D
– Windows Keys
B
– Numeric Keypad
E
– Control Keys
C
– Cursor Control Keys
Page 20
1-10 Introducing the NEC Versa
Function Keys — Twelve function keys, F1 through
F12
, are available on the NEC
Versa L320 keyboard. These keys work together with the
Fn
key to act ivate sp ecial
preprogrammed functions.
Function keys can also be used within applications. Most are application-driven, so
their functi on varies accor d ing to th e ap pl ication in u s e. S ee t he specific
application’s user guide for information about how each function key works within
the application you are using.
The following function key combinations are pre-programmed for the NEC Versa
L320.
Fn-Left Ctrl
— Simulates pressing the right control key to support IBM 327X
connections (not supported in U.S./Canada).
Fn-F2
—
Toggles a wireless device on and off (supported in some systems).
Fn-F3
—
Toggles the video mode between LCD only, CRT only, Simultaneous
mode , an d T V out.
Fn-F4
— Supported for Windows NT® Workstation 4.0. Sets standby power
management mode on in Windows NT.
— In Windows NT, press any key to resume from Stan d by mode.
— No function when Windows 98 or Windows 2000 is configured for Advanced
Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). In Windows 98 or Windows 2000,
Standby is equivalent to the Windows NT Suspend mode. To resume fr om the
Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Standby mode, press the Power button.
Fn-F5
— Zooms th e s creen in or out s lightl y.
Fn-F6
—
Toggles the system s p eakers /beep off an d on .
Fn-F7
— Toggles between various power management levels in Windows NT.
Beeps i n d icate th e level chosen as follows:
1 beep Off
2 beeps Custom
3 beeps Highest Performance
4 beeps Longest Life
Fn-F7 has no function when Windows 98 or Windows 2000 is configured for
Advanced Con fi g ur ation an d Power Interface (ACPI).
Fn-F8
— Increases LCD brightn ess (ei ght set tin g s) .
Fn-F9
— Reduces LCD brightness (eight settings).
Scroll Lock
— Toggles the scroll lock fea ture on an d off.
Page 21
Introducing the NEC Versa 1-11
Windows Keys — Use the following two keys to facilitate your work.
Shortcut/Application key – provides quick access to shortcut menus.
(This key acts like a right mouse button.)
Floating Window key – di s p lays the St art menu.
Numeric Keypad — Pressing
Num Lock
on the k eyboard act ivates th e numeric
keypad numbers and funct ions printe d in yellow on top of t he keys.
The keypad lets you type numbers and mathematical operands (+, –) as y ou would
on a calculator. The keypad is ideal for entering long lists of numbers.
When you press
Num Lock
again, the keys revert to their normal functions as
typewriter keys.
Typewriter Keys — Typewriter keys (also called alphanumeric keys) are used to
enter text and characters. Keys with yellow print on them behave differently when
combined with control keys, the
Fn
key, or when
Num Lock
is active.
Control Keys —
Ctrl, Alt, Fn
, and
Shift
are controls used in conjuncti on with oth er
keys to change their funct ions. To use control ke ys, p ress and hold the control key
while pressing another key. For example, “Press
Ctrl C
” means to ho ld do wn the
Ctrl
key and type the letter C. Key combinations work specific to the application
you are running.
Cursor Control Keys — Cursor control keys let you position the cursor on the
screen where you want. On the screen, th e cursor is a blinking und er line, block , or
vertical bar d epending on the appli cation. Th e cursor indicates where the next text
typed is inser ted.
Page 22
1-12 Introducing the NEC Versa
Front Featur es
The features on the front edg e of the system are descr ibed after th e fi g ure.
Front features
A
– LCD Panel Latch
E
– Microphone In Port
B
– Speakers
F
– Headphone In Port
C
– IR Port
G
– Volume Control
D
– Built-In Microphone
LCD Panel Latch — Sli d e the latch to the right to open the NEC Versa L320
system.
Stereo Speakers — Provide stereo sound for your multimedia presentations or
listening pleasure. The built-in sound system also supports 3D sound, which
simulates the latest surround-sound technology.
IR Port — Allows you to tran s fer files bet ween your NEC Versa an d an infrar ed
(IR)-equipped desktop or notebook computer.
Microphone — Allows you to record monophonic sound directly into your
notebook computer. See Chapter 9, “Using Multimedia,” for details about
recording.
Microphone In Port— Allows you to connect an ex ternal microphon e for
monophon ic recording or amplification through the unit. Plugging in an external
microphone disables the built-in microphone.
Headphone In Port — Lets you plug in stereo headphones or powered speakers.
Volume Control — All ows you to control the sp eaker volume th rough th e th umb
wheel.
Page 23
Introducing the NEC Versa 1-13
Around the Back of the System
You’ll find system ports for connecting your NEC Versa L320 to optional devices (like
a pri nter or exte rnal monit or) on the bac k of your NEC Versa L320. The ports are
described after the figure.
Back features
A
– PS/2 Port
E
– VGA Port
B
– USB Ports
F
– S-Video Out
C
– Serial Port
G
– IEEE 1394 Ports
D
– NEC Cable PortBar Connector
H
– Parallel Port
PS/2® Port — Use the stan d ard PS/2 por t t o connect an ex ternal PS/ 2-style mou se,
PS/2- s tyle keyboard, or P S /2 - s tyle Numer ic Keypad to the system. With an opti onal
Y-ad apter cabl e, you can connect up to two of these device s at the sam e tim e.
USB Por ts — Each Un iversal Ser ial Bus (USB) port allows you to connect up to
127 USB-equipped peripheral devices (for example, printers, monitors, and
scanners) to your NEC Versa L320.
Serial Port — Use th is port to connect a digi tal camera or other serial device.
NEC Cable P ortBa r™ Connector — Plug your op tion al NEC Cable P ortBa r (por t
replicator) into this con nector. Y ou can connect many of your per ipheral d evi ces to
the NEC Cable PortBar instead of to the connector s on the back of th e system.
VGA Port — Use this 15-pin port to attach an external monitor to your NEC Versa
L320.
S-Video Out Port — Use this port to connect a camcorder, V C R, or a game
mach ine for a connection th at provides i ncreased clarity and sharpness of imag ery.
IEEE 1394 Ports — Use each port to daisy chain up to 63 IEEE 1394 devices to
your system. IEEE 1394 devices support Plug and Play c onnectivity for transfer
rates of up to 400 Mbps. The Windows NT operating system does not support the
IEEE 1394 ports.
Page 24
1-14 Introducing the NEC Versa
Parallel Port — Connects a parallel printer or other parallel device. The parallel port
default supports the Enhanced Capabilities Port (ECP) standard. The port also
supports bi-directional and output only protocols.
Around the Left Side of the System
The left side of your NEC Versa L320 provides the features shown in the following
figure. The left-side features ar e described a ft er the fig ure.
Left-side features
A
– AC Power Port
D
– Modem Port
B
– Fan
E
– PC Card Slots
C
– LAN Port
F
– Kensington Lock Slot
AC Power Port — Lets you attach the NEC Versa L320 to the AC power source
usin g the AC adapt er th at comes with your system . Keep th e system conn ected to
AC power whenever possible to k eep the battery pack and internal CMOS battery
charged.
Fan — Allows your s ystem t o c ool pr operly and m ai nta in a safe opera ting
environment.
Do not block the fan while the NEC Versa L320 is in use.
Modem/LAN Ports — Some systems include a V.90 fax/data modem or a Mini PCI
LAN por t for network or In ternet access.
PC Card Slots — Two PC Card s lots allow you to insert two T ype II PC Ca rds or
one Type III PC Card in the bottom slot.
Kensington® Lock Slot— This slot allows you to attach a Kensington security lock
or other compatible lock to secure the notebook from theft.
Page 25
Introducing the NEC Versa 1-15
Around the Right Side of the System
The right s ide of the NE C V ersa L 320 offers the feature s shown i n the fol lowing figur e .
The right side features are described after the figure.
Right side features
A
– Radio Wav e Stat us LED
C
– Modular Bay Latch
B
– NEC Modular Bay Slot
D
– NEC VersaBay IV Slot
Radio Wave Status LED — Provid e s th e opera ti ng st a tus of a Bluetooth ™ or
Wir eless LAN device. The LE D li ghts green when the Bluetooth or Wireless LAN
device is on. The LED goes out when the device i s in a Sleep mode.
NEC Modular Bay Slot — Houses a d iskett e drive or an opti onal secon d ary battery.
Devices can be s wapped without the system being disas s e mbled or turned ove r.
Modular Bay Latch — Slide the latch to the left before removing a Modular Bay
devi ce fr om the s ystem.
NEC VersaBay IV Slot — Houses a CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD- ROM, combination
CD-RW and DVD-ROM dri ve, or a second har d dri ve. On e of these dri ves comes
with the notebook. This slot accommodates an optional hard disk drive that has
been pl aced in a specially desig ned cra dle.
Page 26
1-16 Introducing the NEC Versa
Around the Bottom of the System
The bottom of the NEC Versa L320 offers the features shown in the following figure.
The features are descri bed after the figure.
Bottom features
A
– Battery Release Latch
E
– VersaBay IV Latch
B
– Primary Battery Bay
F
– Memory Module Bay Cover
C
– Mini PCI and MDC Bay Cover
G
– Tilt Foot
D
– NEC VersaBay IV Slot
Battery Release Latch — Press the latch t oward the ed g e of t he system and hold it.
Lift the battery up slightly by its edge and pull the battery toward the edge of the
system to free the battery connectors and remove the battery. Do not lift the battery
straight up.
Pr i mary Ba ttery Bay — Equipped with a lithium ion (Li-Ion) battery.
Mini PCI and MDC Bay Cover — Remove the screw to find the Mini PCI or MDC
card.
NEC VersaBay IV Slot — Houses a CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD- ROM, combination
CD-RW and DVD-ROM dri ve, or a second hard di sk drive.
Memory Module Bay Cover — Remove the screw to find two SO-DIMM slots.
One slot contains an SDRAM mem ory board configur ed b y the factor y. The other
slot is empty for upgrade use.
Ti l t Foot — Ad just each foot to provid e a flex ible k e yboard angle.
Page 27
Introducing the NEC Versa 1-17
About the NEC Cable PortBar
The NEC Cable PortBar is an accessory th at duplicates some of the ports on th e ba ck of
your NE C Versa L320 system, including a p ower con nector . Ports include a LAN port
for a n etwork connection. Keep the NEC Cabl e P ortBar in your office connect ed to
peripherals while you take your NEC Versa L320 on the road.
The por ts on the NEC Ca bl e P ortBar are described after th e fol lowing fi g ure.
NEC Cable PortBa r
A
– PS/2 Keyboard Port
E
– VGA Port
B
– PS/2 Mouse Port
F
– LAN Port
C
– Parallel Port
G
– USB Port
D
– Serial Port
PS/2 Keyboard Port — Connects to a 6-pin standard PS/2-style keyboard.
PS/2 Mouse Port — Connects to a PS/ 2 - s tyle mouse.
Parallel Port — Conn ects to a printer. You can ch ange the LPT Mod e in the Setu p
program.
Serial Port — Connects to a serial device, su ch as a digit al camera.
VGA Port — Connects to an external VGA/SVGA mon itor.
USB Por t — Connects up to 127 peripheral devices to your notebook computer.
LAN Port — Connect s via an RJ-45 connector to the system ’s built-in LAN card
(available on some models).
Power Connector — Connects t o an AC adapter. Th e NE C Ca bl e P ortBar has two
power connect ors on the left s ide of the P ortBar (see the following figure). Use th e
19-volt DC power connector for the NEC Versa L320 notebook computer.
Page 28
1-18 Introducing the NEC Versa
NEC Cable PortBar power connectors
A
– 19-volt DC Power Connector for the NEC Versa L320 system
B
– 15-volt DC Power Connector (for future use)
About NEC Wireless LAN
Some NEC Ver sa L320 notebook computers come with built-in wireless LAN
capabilities featuring the Wi-Fi™ (wireless fidelity) IEEE 802.11b High Rate (HR)
standard for bus iness users. Wirel ess LA N elimin ates the need for connect ing cables
between your computer and your local area network, facilitating mobility, minimizing
downtime, and improving your prod ucti vity. With a wirele s s L A N solu tion, you h ave
the flexibility of accessing e-mail, the Intern et, corpora te intran ets, and res ource
planning applications on the network from your notebook computer.
The Wi - F i com p liant radio technology provides hi gh-speed (1 1 M bps ) wireless
net wor k ing with th e performance capabi lities of a wi red 10BaseT LAN conn ection.
Wi-Fi products ar e tested by an industry group, WECA (Wireless E thernet
Compatibility Alliance), to meet the international IEEE 802.11b standard for wireless
radio technology and guaranteed to work with all other Wi-Fi certified products.
Page 29
2
Getting Started
NEC VersaGlide Touchpad
Power Sources for Your NEC Versa
AC Adapter
System Batteries
Using the Prim ar y Batt er y
Using a Secondary Battery
System Care
Page 30
2-2 Getting Started
NEC VersaGlide Touchpad
The NEC VersaGlide touchpad is an easy way to control the cursor with your finger.
Lightly glid e your fing er a cross the NE C VersaGlide and the cur s or follows. Use the
VersaGlide touchpad as follows.
Single tap the touchpad
— equivalent to a single click of the primary mouse
button.
Double tap the touchpad
— equivalent to a double click of the primary mouse
button.
Click
and
hold,
then
drag
your finger across the VersaGlide touchpad —
equivalent to a click and drag of the primary mouse button.
Press
the scroll button up or down to scroll your document or screen.
VersaGlide features
A
– NEC VersaGlide touchpad
C
– Scroll Button
B
– Left Button
D
– Right Button
Try all of the VersaGlide fea tures an d d ecide whi ch you prefer. If you find the double
tap or any of the other features difficult to use, go to the next section for general
directions about adjusting the VersaGlid e properti es .
Note
If you in stall another mo use dr i ver o ver th e ship ping d efault, the doub le-t ap
capability may be lost.
Page 31
Getting Started 2-3
VersaGlide Adjustments
The N EC VersaGlide offe rs a number of options that l e t you customi ze how it
functions. The options let you control the cursor speed, select button orientation, enable
or disable tapping, define auto jumps, enable easy-scrolling, and configure gestures to
initiate selected functions by tapping in a designated area of the touchpad.
To access these options, locate the Windows Control Panel and double click the mouse
icon. Use the con text-sensitive help to learn more about each opti on. Select th e option,
and then press
F1
to access the context sensitive help.
VersaGlide Tips
Follo w these basic tips wh ile workin g :
Use a light touch on the VersaGlide surface.
Set up the NEC Versa notebook with your keyboard and VersaGlide at a
comfortable height. Keep your forearms parallel to the floor. Your wrists should be
relaxed and straight.
Whil e u s in g the keyboar d and VersaGlide, keep your shoulders and ar m s as r elaxed
as possible.
Take regular breaks from the computer to rest your eyes. Perform stretching
exercises to relax your fingers, hands, wrists, forearms, and shoulders.
See Appendix A, “Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment,” for more information.
Power Sources for Your NEC Versa
The NEC Versa notebook can be powered using three different sources, making it a
truly portable system.
Operate your N EC Vers a just about anywhere us i ng on e of the fol lowing pow er
sources:
the AC ada p ter conn ected to an elect r ical wall outlet (using AC power )
battery power:
— the 8-cell prim ary battery
— with or without the optional 8-cell s econdary bat tery tha t install s in the Modular
Bay slot.
the optional auto adapter. (Not available for all locations. For availability, consult
your NEC Computers vendor. For details about using an auto adapter, refer to the
access ory sheet th at ship s with the opti on .)
Page 32
2-4 Getting Started
Read the following sections for specific information about using the NEC power
sources.
AC Adapter
Use the AC adapter an d p ower cable th at came with your N EC Versa notebook to run
your comp u ter on alt er nating current (AC) power or to recharge the battery.
Keep the adapt er con nected wh enever possi ble. The A C ad apter charges the battery
when it is connected , whether the NEC Vers a n ot eb ook is powered on or off.
AC adapter
A
– AC Adapter
C
– Power Cable
B
– AC Adapter Cable
Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The AC
adapter has no user-replaceable or serviceable parts inside. Dangerous voltage in the
AC adapter can cause serious personal injury or death. The AC adapter is intended for
use with a computer and must meet EN609050 standards.
Connecting the AC Adapter
Note
The A C power ca ble type that your system uses depend s on t he cou ntry
where you are using it. C ontact the local d ealer to purchase th e correc t po w er cabl e.
Conn ect the AC adap ter as follows.
1.
Conn ect the AC adap ter cable t o the power por t on the left si d e of your NEC Ver sa
notebook.
Page 33
Getting Started 2-5
2.
Plug one end of the AC power cable into the AC ada pter and the other end in to a
properly grounded 120- or 240-volt, 50- or 60-Hz wall outlet.
Connecting the AC adapter
Do not cover or place objects on the AC adapter. Keeping the
adapter clear of objects lets the adapter cool properly during use.
Only use the AC adapter that comes with your NEC Versa L320. Although other
adapters look similar, using them can damage your system.
Powering On Your System
Power on the system as follows.
1.
Locat e the latch on the front of t he LCD pan el, slide it to th e r ight, and raise the
panel.
2.
Locate the Power button and press it to turn on system power. For additional
information about Power control buttons and power LEDs, refer to Chapter 1,
“Introducin g the NEC Versa .”
Page 34
2-6 Getting Started
System Batteries
Your NEC Versa notebook is equipped with a primary lithium ion batter y that helps to
prevent data loss. In addition, you can insert an optional secondary lithium ion battery
in the NEC M odular Bay sl ot to give you more on-the-go power.
Primary Battery
The standard lithium ion (Li-Ion) battery provides the main power source in your NEC
Versa L320 computer. Your system comes with an 8-cell lithium ion battery that fits
into th e battery bay on t he bot tom of your s ystem. See Appendix B for battery
specifications. In addition to this battery, the CMOS battery also provides system
power.
For information about installing or removing the primary battery, see the section,
“Replacing the Battery ” later in this chapter. For more information about the primary
battery see the section, “Using the Primary Battery.”
Secondary Battery
You can install an optional secondary lithium ion battery in the NEC Modular Bay slot
on the ri ght side of your NEC V ersa notebook . Attach i ng a second fully charg ed bat tery
allows you to work longer while you are away from an AC power source. For more
infor mation about the secon dary bat tery, see the section, “Using the Secondary
Battery.” For information about installing a secondary battery, see “Installing a Device
in the M odular Bay Slot” in Chapter 5 or see the installa tion instr uctions that are
packaged with the battery.
CMOS Battery
This lithium battery provides battery backup and prevents data loss in the system’s
complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) RAM. This memory area contains
infor mation on the system’s configuration, for example, date, time, drives, and
memory. The CMO S battery charges when your N EC Versa not ebo ok is connected to
AC power. The CMOS battery may discharge completely if the NEC Ver sa notebook
rem ain s unused for approx i mately two m onth s.
Page 35
Getting Started 2-7
Using the Primary Battery
The NEC Versa notebook comes with a rechargeable 8-cell lithium ion (Li-Ion) battery
that’s easy to in st all and rem ove.
Primary battery
A
– Primary Battery
C
– Connector
B
– Battery Latch (hidden)
To prevent accidental battery ignition or explosion, adhere to
the following:
Keep the b attery awa y from extreme heat.
Keep metal objects away from the battery connectors to prevent a short circuit.
Make sure the battery is properly installed in the battery bay.
Read the precautions printed on the battery.
Determining Battery Status
Your NEC Ver sa system provides tools to help you keep track of the main (and an
optional) battery’s power level. If your system is configured (default setting) to display
the Power icon on the taskbar, an electrical plug appears when the system is connect ed
to an AC p ower s ou rce or a battery icon ap p ears when the system is n ot connected to an
AC power source.
Page 36
2-8 Getting Started
Use the system’s power meter to determine batter y status. Access the system’s power
meter in the following ways:
Move the c ursor over the Power icon on the tas kbar to display th e remaining batt ery
power for the system ’s primary battery.
Right click the Power icon on the taskbar to open the power meter or to adjust
power properties.
Double click the Power icon on the task bar to disp lay the rema in ing power for both
the primary an d optional secondary battery (if installed).
Go to Start, Settings, Control Panel, and double click the Power Management icon.
Select the Power Meter tab.
Low Battery Status
When battery power is low (8% or less), the power LED lights yellow (blinks in
Standby mode). When battery power is very low (3% or less), the power LED lights
amber (blinks in Standby mode). When your system is in a low battery status, do one of
the following:
Power off the system , remove the spent ba ttery, and r eplace it with a fully char ged
battery.
Leave t he spent ba ttery in the s ystem and connect your N EC Versa not ebo ok t o the
AC adapter and a wall outlet.
Returning the Battery to its Normal State
To retur n the batt ery to its nor mal state, try the followi ng:
Remove and then reinstall the battery.
Reinstall the battery in your NEC Versa notebook and fully recharge the battery (to
100%).
Refresh the battery using the Refresh Battery function in the Exit menu of the BIOS
Setup utility (see “Exit Menu” in Chapter 3).
Extending Battery Life
While on the road, it is important to be aware of the simple things you can do to extend
the li fe o f t he system’s main battery. One way is to keep the brightness setting low. Use
the
Fn-F8
and
Fn-F9
function keys to control the brightness.
In add ition, NE C Com puters recom mends th at you always op erate your s ystem on AC
power when using any external device and when playi ng DVD movies.
Page 37
Getting Started 2-9
Battery Handling
Keep the following in mind when removing or replacing a battery.
Use only the battery designed for your NEC Versa notebook. Mixing other
manufacturers’ batteri e s , or using a combina tion of ve ry old and new batter ies can
det e riorate ba tter y a nd equipment perfor ma nce.
Turn off p o wer to the system after use. Keepin g system power on can degra d e
battery performance and shorten battery life.
Clean the battery connectors with a dry cloth when they get dirty.
Keep the batter y out of the reach of children.
Replacing the Ba tter y
The following symptoms indicate that battery life is nearing an end. Replace batteries
that display th ese symptoms.
Shorter work times.
Dis c olorati on, warping.
Hot to the touch.
Strange odor.
Replace the battery installed in your NEC Vers a system as fol lows.
Note
Only use batteries that are designed for your NEC Versa computer. Installing
another manufacturer’s battery or using a combination of very old and new batteries can
deteriorate battery and equipment performance.
1.
Save your files, exit Wind ows, and turn of f system power.
2.
Close t he LCD pan el an d turn over the system.
Page 38
2-10 G etting Started
3.
Slide the battery r elease latch toward the edge of the system and hold firmly.
Locating the battery bay release latch
A
– Battery Release Latch
C
– Primary Battery
B
– Indentation
4.
Grasp the edge of the battery at the ind entation in the system ca se. Lift the batter y
up slightly. Once the edge is free, pull the battery out at an angle. Do not lift the
battery straight up.
Removing th e battery
Page 39
Getting Start ed 2-11
5.
Insert the new battery as follows:
Locat e the connector on the ed ge of the battery.
Locat e the connector inside the batt ery bay.
Place the battery in the battery bay at an angle so the connectors line u p.
Lower the battery into the bay, making sure that the battery r elease latch
secur es the batt ery in place.
Inserting the battery
6.
Turn the system over.
Charging the Battery
Charge the primary battery and optional secondary (Modular Bay) battery by simply
connecting your NEC Versa L320 system to an AC power source. To monitor the
charging acti vity, obser ve t he battery char ging LED on th e fr on t of the system. The
battery charging LED lights as follows:
Lights amber wh en the primary battery is charging.
Blinks amber if the primary batter y encou nters an error while charging.
Lights green when the secon d ary battery is charging.
Blinks green i f the secondary batter y encou nter s an er ror whil e charging.
Page 40
2-12 G etting Started
Battery Precautions
To prevent acciden tal battery ignition, rupture, or explosion, adhere to the following
precautions.
There is a danger of explosion if the battery is
in correctly replaced . Replac e only wi th the same or equival ent type recomm ended
by the manufacturer. Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
To avoid personal injury and property damage, read these battery precautions on
handling, charging, and disposing of Li-Ion batteries.
Keep the battery away from heat sources including direct sunlight, open fires,
microwave ovens, and high-voltage containers. Temperatures over 140º F
(60ºC) may cause damage.
Do not drop or bump the battery.
Do not disassemble the battery.
Do not solder the battery.
Do not puncture the battery.
Do not use a battery that appears damaged or deformed, has any rust on its
casing , is discolo red, o verh eats, or emits a foul odor.
Keep the battery dry and away from water.
Keep metal objects away from battery connectors. Metal objects in contact
with the connectors can cause a short circuit and damage.
If the batter y leak s:
If the bat tery leak s onto skin o r clothing, wash t he area immediately with
clean water. Battery fluid can cause a skin rash and damage fabric.
If battery fluid g ets into ey es, DO NOT rub; rinse with clear water immedi ately
and consult a doctor.
Take extr a precaut ions t o keep a leaking ba t tery away f r om fi re. Th ere is a
danger of ignition or explosion.
Precautions for Recharging the Battery
Adh er e to the following precau tions when rechar ging the primary or second ary battery.
Charge the batt ery for th e speci fied charge time only.
During charg in g , k eep the envir onmental t emperature between 3 2°F and 104°F
(0°C to 40°C).
Page 41
Getting Start ed 2-13
Using a Secondary Battery
An optional secondary 8-cell battery is available for your NEC Versa notebook. This
batt ery installs in the M odu lar Bay slot on the right s ide of your comp u ter.
Use the secondary battery in addition to the primary battery to extend the amount of
time you can run your system on batter y power.
Secondary Battery Precautions
Use these preca u tions when u sing the secon d ary battery in the Mod u lar Bay slot.
Do not attempt to run the system on secondary battery power if the primary battery
is not installed .
The connector s in the primary batter y bay sh ou ld not be exp osed. Connector s can
cause a danger if they are accidentally touched or if they connect with a metal
object durin g system oper ation.
Alwa ys instal l the weight-saving module that ships with your syst em in the
Modular Bay slot i f no Modular Bay device is instal led in the slot .
Do not run the system on secondary battery power without the
primary battery in place. The connectors in the primary battery bay can cause a danger
if they are accidentally touched, or if they connect with a metal object.
If the Modular Bay slot is empty, always install the weight-saving module to protect the
bay and the connectors within it.
Also see t he preca u tions in th e s ection, “Using the Primary Battery” for inform ation
that ap plies to the safe use of th e secondar y battery.
Replacing the Secondary Battery
See “Removing a D evi ce from the N EC M odular Bay Slot ” and “Installing a Device
in the N EC M odular Bay Slot” in Chapter 5 for instructions on installing or removing
the optional 8 - cell secondary batt ery from th e M odular Bay.
See the previous section, “Secondary Batter y Pr ecauti ons” for i nf ormation abo u t the
safe use o f t he second ary battery. Also see the secti on , “Using the Primary Battery”
earlier in this chapter for general information about handling system batter ies.
Page 42
2-14 G etting Started
System Care
The NEC Versa L320 notebook computer is designed to be a durable, dependable
system built for extensive use and travel. Follow these guidelines to maintain the
condition and performance of your computer .
Immediately turn off and unplug the NEC Versa notebook
under the following conditions:
The power cord is damaged or frayed.
Liquid spills on or into the NEC Versa notebook.
The system is dropped or the casing is damaged.
Precautions for System Use
Follow these precautions when using your NEC Versa L320 computer and AC adapter.
Avoid dr opping or bu m ping the computer or the AC ada pter.
Do not s tack heavy obj ects on the comput er, the AC adapter, or the batteries .
Avoid moving the NEC V e rsa n otebook during system op e ration, e s peciall y wh ile
the har d disk, disk ette drive, or other drive is being accessed.
When using the AC ad apter, mak e s ure the power source fa lls within the system’s
compatible range of 100-240 volts and 50 or 60-Hz, AC. Never use the AC adapter
if the voltage falls outside of this range. (Watch for this when traveling to other
countries.)
Turn computer power off before attaching or removing non-plug and play devices
that are not warm- or hot-swappable.
Do not push any foreign objects into the NEC Versa bays, connectors, and slots.
Do not s et the computer on top of a magnetized ar ea. Doing so can d es troy the da ta
on your hard disk dri ve. (Some airline tray tabl e s a re magnetic.)
Avoid using the computer or AC adapter for extended periods in direct sunlight.
Do not use the system in humid or dusty environments.
Turn com p uter power off b efore cl eaning it .
Avoid ex posing the NEC Versa notebook or A C ad apter to extreme changes in
temperature or hum idit y. If it i s unavoidable, allow your NE C Vers a notebook to
adj ust to room temperature before use .
When cleaning the system, use a soft, cl ean, dry cloth. Avoid wip i ng the di splay
surface with abrasive material, including rough fabric. Do not use a cleaning
solution; this may damage the notebook’s magnesium case.
If the AC adapter becomes extremely hot, unplug the adapter and let it cool.
Page 43
Getting Start ed 2-15
Storage Requirements
Stor e the computer and AC ada pt er in an environ m ent that meets the following
condition s:
If the temperature of the NEC Versa notebook suddenly rises
or f alls ( for exampl e, when you move th e syst em fr om a cold place to a war m place)
vapor condenses inside the system. Turning on the system under this condition can
damage the internal system components.
Before turning on the system, wait until the system’s internal temperature equalizes with
the new environment and any internal moisture evaporates.
Maintain st or age temper atures between -4°F and 104°F (-20°C and 40°C).
Keep the storag e area free fr om vibrati on and magn eti c fields.
Keep the system and its components away from organ ic solvents or corrosive gases.
Avoid leaving th e s ystem and it s componen ts in direct sunlight or n ear h eat sources .
Routine Cleaning
Clean or dust your system as follows:
Never use harsh solutions, household cleaners, or spray
cleaners that contain caustic materials on the NEC Versa computer.
These cleaners are usually high in alkalinity, which is measured in pH. Using these
cleaners can harm the magne sium surface .
LCD screen — Careful ly wipe the LC D s cr een with a soft cloth or a screen wipe
desig ned for tha t p urpose. Special screen wipes are available thr ou gh your local
comput er dealer.
System case — NEC Computers recommends that you carefully wipe the case with
a slightly damp, almost dry cloth.
Page 44
3
Using the BIOS Setup Utility
Introducing BIOS Setup
Entering BIOS Setup
Checking/Setting System Parameters
Managing System Power
Checking Switch Settings
Updating the BIOS
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3-2 Usin g the BIOS Setup Utility
Introducing BIOS Setup
Your NEC Versa L320 computer comes with a hardware program called the BIOS
Setup utility that allows you to view and set system parameters. BIOS Setup also
al lows you to set pass word features th a t prot ec t your syste m from unaut hor i zed u s e .
Use BIOS Setup to:
set the current time and date
custom ize your op erating system to refl ect your comp u ter hardwa re
secur e your system with a password
balance your performance needs wit h p ower conser vation.
Entering BIOS Setup
Access the BIOS utili t y at power-on . Ju st pr ess F2 when the fol lowing prompt appea rs.
Press <F2> to Enter BIOS Setup.
When you press F2 to enter BIOS Setup, the system interrupts the Power-On Self-Test
(POST) and displays the current CMOS RAM settings.
If the system detects an error durin g PO ST, it promp t s you wit h a double beep and a
message: “Press <F1> to resume.” If you press
F1
, the system continu es past the error
and attempts to load Windows normally. If you want to fix the error, carefully read the
error me s sage that appears above the prompt (tak ing notes if you wan t), and pres s
F2
.
You will see this message if your CMOS battery becomes fully discharged.
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Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-3
BIOS Setup Main Menu
After you pres s F2, the system displa ys th e BIOS Setup Main Menu screen, si mi lar to
the following menu.
BIOS Setup Main Menu
Use the up and down ar row keys (located on the lower righ t corner of the keyboard) to
toggle through the BIOS Setup menu items.
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3-4 Usin g the BIOS Setup Utility
Looking at Screens
BIOS setu p screens have thr ee areas as shown next.
Advanc ed BI OS Setup
Parameters — The left s ide of the s cr een . This ar ea lists para meters and their
current settings.
Availa ble Opt ions and Help — The right side of the screen. This area lists alternate
settings and Help text for each parameter.
Key Legend — The bottom r ight corner of the screen. These lines di splay the ke ys
that move the cursor and select parameters.
Options that are grayed out are not available for the current selecti on.
Page 48
Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-5
Using Keys
The following table lists the BIOS Setup keys and their functions.
BIOS Setup Key Functions
Key Function
F1 Displays help.
Esc Exits the current screen and returns to the Main Menu screen. From
the Main Menu screen, displays the prompt, “Quit without saving.”
↑↓
Moves the cursor between the displayed parameters.
←→
Moves the cursor between menu items.
F5/F6 Changes the value for the selected item.
Tab Moves t he cur sor between the subfields or moves the curs or to the
next line or selection. For example, for System Tim e, Tab moves th e
cursor from hour to minute to second.
Enter Brings up a parameter sub-menu.
F9 Reapplies the factory-shipped defaults.
F10 Saves and exits the BIOS Setup utility.
Checking/Setting System Parameters
The BIOS Setup con sists of a number of screens, each representing a specifi c area of
the BIOS. The following tables list the BIOS parameters, their factory default settings,
alternate settings, and a descri pt ion of each s etting. See the item-specific h elp that
appears on each Setup screen for more det ails.
The BIOS Setup utility has a menu for each of the following areas:
Main BIOS Setup
Advanced CMOS Setu p
Security Setup
Power Setup
Boot Setup
Exit.
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3-6 Usin g the BIOS Setup Utility
Resetting Syst em Parameters
To reset all parameters to the default settings, press F9, press the arrow keys to select
Yes
, and press
Enter
.
Main Menu
Use the Main menu to view the System Time, System Date and to modify drive
parameters and related settings.
Main Men u
Parameter Default Setting Alternate Setting(s)
System Time hh:/mm:/ss
System Date mm / dd / yyyy
Language English Japanese
Diskette Drive A 1.44/1.25 MB, 3 ½” Disabled
Internal HDD Auto User Defined, CD/DVD,
None
VersaBay CD/DVD
System Memor y (a utom at ically detected)
Ext ended M emor y (a utom at ically detected)
CPU Type (a utom at ically detected)
CPU Speed (a utom at ically detected)
BIOS Ver sion (a utom at ically detected)
System Time — Sets the tim e; enter th e cur rent hour , minute, an d second in
hr:/min:/sec, 24-hour format.
To set the time, use the
Tab
or arrow keys to move from field to field. Use the
F5/F6
keys to change th e numbers with in each field .
Date — Sets your NEC Versa’s calen dar month, da y and year. Th e calendar cl ock is
year 2000-compliant. These settings remain in memor y even after you turn off
system p ower.
To set the date use the
Tab
or arrow keys to move from field to field. Use the
F5/F6
keys to change the numbers wi thin each fi eld.
Language — Designates the language displayed by the BIOS Setup utility.
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Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-7
Diskette Drive — Design ates the drive type for you r dis kette drive .
Internal Drives — Assigns devices to the internal drives in your system.
VersaBay — Assigns th e device to the Versa Bay dri ve in your system.
System Memory / Extended Memory — D i s p lays the am ount of system memory
and extended memor y currently installed in your system.
CPU Type, CPU Speed — Displays the t ype and speed of the installed processor.
BIOS version — Displays the version number of the current BIOS Setup utility.
Advanced Men u
Use the Advanced menu to set the following functions.
Advanced Menu
Parameter Default Setting Alternate Setting(s)
NumLock on Boot LockOff LockOn
PS/2 Mouse Auto Both, Disabled
LCD Panel View Expansion Enabled Disabled
BootUp Message Enabled Disabled
Save to Disk Warning Disabled Enabled
Summary Screen Disabled Enabled
Silent Boot Enabled Black, Disabled
Wireless Device Disabled Enabled
I/O Device Configuration [Enter]
NumLock on Boot — S p ecifies whet her NumLock is enabled when the system
boots.
PS/2 Mouse — Auto allows the PS/2 mouse to be active if it is detected. Both
allows the NEC VersaGlide touchpad and an external mouse to be active at the
same time. Disabled turns off the internal mouse and prevents an external mouse
from being active. (When set t o D isabl ed, I RQ 12 is freed up.)
LCD Panel View Expansion — Specifies wh ether the panel view is reduced/off or
expanded/on.
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3-8 Usin g the BIOS Setup Utility
BootUp Message — Enabled allows a boot message to be displayed wh ile the
system boots.
Save to Disk Warning — When set to Disable d, no Save-to-Disk wa rning is
displayed if the SAVE2DSK.BIN file does not exist.
Summary Screen — When set to Enabled, system configuration information is
displayed on the screen during boot.
Silent Boot — When set to Enabled, the NEC logo screen is displayed during
system boot. When set to Disabled, the Power-On Self-Test (POST) information is
displayed during system boot. When set to Black, the screen is black until the
system has booted.
Wir eless Device — Enabled allows a Wireless LAN device (if installed) to be used.
Dis abled prevents a wirele s s device fr om functi oning. (This setti ng only appears on
systems with a Wir eless LAN device inst al led.)
I/O Device Configuration — Pressing the Enter key brings up a sub-menu with
entries for ena bl ing the ser ial port, infrared port, parall el port, and the disket te drive
controller. The infrared (IR) port is di s abled by default. See “IR Port” in Chapter 6
for information about using the IR port.
Security Menu
Use the Securi ty menu to config u re your syst em for prot ection ag ainst unau thorized
access.
System Security Setup
Parameter Default Setting Alternate Setting(s)
Security Mode Password FingerPrint
Set Supervisor Password Press Enter
Set User Password Press Enter
Set Supervisor FingerPrint Press Enter
Set User FingerPrint Press Enter
Password on Boot Disabled Enabled
Fi xed Disk Boo t Sect or Normal Wr ite Protec t
Diskette Access Supervisor User
Assign HDD Password Press Enter
Internal HDD password Disabled Enabled
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Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-9
Secur ity Mode — Establish es the security method as password protection or
FingerPrint access.
Set Supervisor Password — Wh en Security Mode is set to Password, establishes
password protection for entering the BIOS Setup utility, booting the system, and
resuming from Suspend.
Set User Password — When Security Mode is set to Password, establishes a user
password once a sup ervisor password i s set. The u ser password a ll ows th e system to
boot and resume from S uspen d and Save-t o-File.
Assign Supervisor FingerPrint — Establishes access protection for entering the
BIOS Setup utility, booting the system, and resuming from Suspend.
Assig n User FingerPrint — Establishes u s er access once su p ervisor access is set.
The user pr ivileges allows the s ystem to boot a nd res ume from Sus pend and Save to-File.
Pas s word on Boot — E s t abli shes whethe r a pass word i s required t o boot the
system.
Assign HDD Password — Allows you to assign a password to allow or restric t
access t o t he hard disk drive con tents.
Internal HDD Password — Enables or disables the HDD pass w ord.
Password Protection
Your NEC Versa supports a password for system security on several levels. Keep in
mind that you must set the supervisor password before the BIOS Setup utility allows
you to set a user password.
On c e you set a supervisor passwor d, you must e nter i t before you can enter BIOS
Setup, access th e system at st art u p, or r esum e from Susp end or Save-to-File, depending
on your configuration selection.
Establishing Passwords
To establish password protection for entering the BIOS Setup utility or accessing the
system at startup, you must set the sup ervisor passwor d before setting a user password.
To enter a password simpl y select Set Supervisor Password, press
Enter
, enter th e
password, re-enter the password to confirm, and press any key to continue. Repeat
the procedure to set the us er pa s sw ord.
To initiate passwor d protection wh ile you s tep away from your system, simpl y press
Ctrl Alt Backspace
simultaneousl y or p lace the system into Sus p end or Save-toFile mode. The Ca p s Lock and Scrol l Lock LEDs alt er natel y flas h indicating that
you must enter a password to resume operation.
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3-10 U sing the BIOS Setup Utility
To establish password protection for res umin g from S ta ndby or Hibernat ion modes you
must do the following:
Set a Windows password in Contr ol Panel, Password Properti es, Chan ge
Passwords.
Enable the option “Prompt for password when the computer goes off standby” in
Control Panel, Power Management Properties, Advanced.
FingerPrint Protection
Your system also allows you to establish system protection using an external
fingerprint reader.
Your NEC Versa supports FingerPrint protection for system security on several levels.
Keep in mind that you must set up supervisor access before the BIOS Setup utility
allows you to set up user access.
Once you set up supervisor access, you must enter it before you can enter BIOS Setup,
access the system at start u p , or resum e fr om Suspend or Sa ve-to-Fi l e, d epend ing on
your configuration selection.
Hard Disk Drive Passwords
Your NEC Versa allows you to establish password protection for the internal hard disk
drive. Hard disk drive (HDD) password protection restricts access to the drive, only if
the drive is remove d fr om your NEC V ersa and install e d i n another sys tem. You are not
prompte d to en ter your hard disk drive p asswords while the dr ive remains in your
current system.
The HDD password s ar e written to the system BIOS and to the hard disk dri ve t o
ensure that the password protecti on tr avels with the drive when moved from system to
system.
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Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-11
Establishing Hard Disk Drive Passwords
To establish password protection for your system’s hard disk drive you must establish a
master password, establish a user password, and enable the established passwords for
the internal HDD. Follow these steps to establish HDD passwords and to enable HDD
password pr otection.
If you set the master and user password on a ha rd drive,
password security can never be disabled. Passwords can be changed. If the master
password is forgotten and the drive is installed in another system, you cannot access
th e data on the h ard dr ive.
If the hard drive is installed in another NEC Versa system with hard disk drive security
enabled, the password must be entered to allow access to the hard drive.
If this NEC
Versa system does not support hard disk drive security, you cannot access the
data on the hard drive.
1.
Ent er the BIOS setu p , hi ghlight an d select the S ecu rity men u.
2.
Highlight Assi gn HDD Password and press
Enter
.
The s ystem prompts you to enter a master password.
3.
Enter a master HDD password an d press
Enter
.
The s ystem prompts you to enter th e password ag a i n to verify.
4.
Enter the mast er password and press
Enter
.
The syst em confir ms the creation of the master pas swor d and prom pts you to enter
a user password.
5.
Enter a user password and press
Enter
.
The s ystem prompts you to enter th e password ag a i n to verify.
6.
Enter the user password and pr ess
Enter
.
7.
High light and s elect Inter n al HDD Password and use the
F5/F6
keys to enable the
selection. (This enables password protection for the internal HDD.)
Changing Hard Disk Drive Passwords
To change hard disk drive passwords, enter the Security Setup, highlight Assign HDD
Password, press
Enter
, and ent er the curren t pa s sw ord that you wis h to chang e. I f you
ent er the current master pa ss wor d, you are prompt ed t o en ter a new mast er password . I f
you enter the current user pass w ord, you are prom pted to e nter t he new us e r pas sword.
If you do n ot wish t o e s tabl ish a new ma ster or user password, press
Esc
instead of
entering a new passwo rd.
Page 55
3-12 U sing the BIOS Setup Utility
Using Hard Disk Drive Password Protection
To facilitate the transfer of one or more HDDs between systems, establish a single
ma s ter passwor d (and stor e the pa s sword i n a secu re place). F orgettin g your master
passw ord results in the inability to a ccess the d ata on your har d drive. Establish
different u ser passwords t o l imit access to specific systems.
If you set the master and user password on a ha rd drive,
password security can never be disabled. Passwords can be changed. If the master
password is forgotten and the drive is installed in another system, you cannot access
th e data on the h ard dr ive.
If the hard drive is installed in another NEC Versa system with hard disk drive security
enabled, the password must be entered to allow access to the hard drive.
If this NEC
Versa system does not support hard disk drive security, you cannot access the
data on the hard drive.
With hard disk dri ve secu rit y enabled on the original NEC Versa s ystem , the system
boots normally.
If the hard drive is installed in another NEC Versa system with security enabled, you
must enter the master password to access the hard disk drive. If the hard drive is
installed in another NEC Versa system with secu r ity disabled, the system boots with no
password required.
Moving the Hard Disk Drive
When a pas s word protected HDD is moved from it s origi nal system and in s t alled in
another system , error mes s ages appear indicating that the drive is locked . Next, the
Security Setup screen appears requiring the user to enter the master password to unlock
the drive. Highlight the HDD password line and enter the master password when
prompted.
To t ake ad va nta ge of HDD password protection in an ot her s ystem, the system must be
equipped with the same HDD password protection feature. To determine if that system
has HDD p assword, check the Security Setu p in the BIOS Setup to see if there are
provisions for establishing HDD passwords.
Page 56
Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-13
Power Menu
Use the Power menu to control some power saving function s in your system.
Note that the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) controls most
power management functions of Versa L320 systems running the Windows 98 SE or
Windows 2000 operating system. In Windows 98 SE, ACPI is configured through the
Power Management Properties dialog box. In Windows 2000, ACPI is controlled
through the Power Options Properties dialog box.
For details about ACPI power management, see the section, “Managing System
Power,” later in this chapter .
See the following information on using the Power menu to balance high performance
and energy conservation in your syst em.
Power Menu
Parameter Default Setting Alternate Setting(s)
Power Switch On/Off Suspend/Resume
Power Management
Function
Alway s On Battery On ly
Power Savings Level Customized Disabled,
Maximum Power Savings,
Maximum Performance
Suspend Timeout 20 minutes 5, 10, 15, 30, 40, 60 minutes, Off
Suspend Mode Suspend Save-to-Disk
Auto Save-to-Disk Off After 1 Hour
Suspend Warning Tone Enabled Disabled
Intel® Speed Step2™
technology
Enabled Disabled
Lid Switch Backlight Suspend
Remote Power On Disabled AC Only, AC/Battery
Resume On Modem Ring Off On
Re su me On Time Off On
Resume Time [HH:MM:SS]
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3-14 U sing the BIOS Setup Utility
Power Switch — Sets the Power button as a power switch (with the On/Off setting)
or a sleep button (with the Suspend/Resume setting).
Power Management Function — Select Always On to enable power managemen t
while the system is running under either AC power or battery power. Select Battery
Only for power management only while running on battery power.
Power Savin gs Level — Specifies one of four levels of power management.
— Maximum Performance — Provides good battery life and best performance with
only minimal power conservation. Use while on the road or traveling short
distances.
— Maximum Power Sa ving s — Provides best battery life, the maximum amount of
power s avings, an d good per formance. Use wh ile traveling long distances.
— Disabled — Disables power management and all device timeouts. Works well in
an office envi ron men t while po we ri ng your NEC V ersa with AC p o we r.
— Customized — Lets you define power management levels and specific device
timeouts according to your own needs and present environment. Custom lets
you set timeouts for CPU speed, hard disk timeout, video timeout, audio device
timeout, Standby timeout, and Auto Suspend timeout.
Suspend Timeout — Sets the amount of time the system needs to be in Standby
mode before entering Suspend mode.
Suspend Mode — Specifies e ither Su spend or Save- to-File as the d e faul t power
management mode. For details about using this parameter, see the section,
“Managing System Power,” later in this chapter .
Auto Save-to-D isk — Ena bles th e system, a fter one hour in Suspend mode, to save
the current wor k ing envir on ment to a special file on the hard dis k and to power
down the system.
Suspend Warning Tone — Specifies whether th e s ystem wa rnin g tone sound s wh en
Suspend mode starts. It is best to keep this option enabled.
Intel® SpeedSt ep2™ technology — Optimizes CPU per formance when the system
is powered under AC and regulates CPU performance when the system is powered
by battery.
Lid Switch — Selects whether the system goes into a video timeout, or just turns
off the LCD backlight under power management.
Rem ote Pow e r On — Select A C Only to preven t the system from bein g powered on
by a LAN board signal when the system is on battery power. AC/Battery allows
remote power on under battery power.
Resume On Modem Ring — Determ ines whether the system can be brought out of
a power-saving state wh en an incoming call is det ected on the mod em.
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Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-15
Resume On Time — When Enabled, bring s the system out of a power-sa ving stat e
at a specified time.
Resume Time — Specifies the time at which the system resumes from a powersaving state (if Resume On Time is set to Enabled).
Boot Menu
Boot men u a llows you to define the boot or der of system devices or to specify a b oot
remotely.
Boot Devic es — Boot devi ces are lis ted by name, an d the order of the names represent s
the boot order:
ATAPI CD-ROM
Diskette Drive
Hard Drive .
Network Boot Control — Specifies whether the system can be booted remotely b y a
signal to the LAN board.
Exit Menu
The E xit menu pr ovides the fol lowing op t ions :
Exit Saving Changes — Saves the chang e s you may have made t o t he BIOS
settings, an d ex its the BIOS Setup util ity.
Exit D iscardin g Changes — Clear s an y ch anges just made to BIOS settings an d
exits the BIOS Setup utility.
Load Setup Defaults — Resets all BIOS sett ings to what they were when the system
was shipped fr om the factory.
Discard Chang es — Dis car d s any changes made to BIOS settings during th e current
BIOS Setup utility session.
Save Changes — Saves an y changes ma d e to BIOS s etting s during the current
BIOS Setup util ity session , but does n ot exit the BIO S S etup util ity.
Refresh Batt e ry — Launches the Refresh Battery utility. Once launched, the utility
fully discharges your battery to eliminate any residual memory effect. Once
refreshed, your battery is condition ed to rech arge to its full capacity. To recharge
the battery, con nect your N E C Versa to AC power.
Page 59
3-16 U sing the BIOS Setup Utility
Managing System Power
In the Windows® 2000 and Windows® 98 Second Editi on ( 9 8 SE) operat in g s ystem
environments, your NEC Versa notebook manages its power resources using the
Advanced Con fi g ur ation an d Power Interface (ACP I ) wh ile the system is powered on
using AC or battery (DC) power. ACPI enables the operating system to manage the
power given to ea ch attached d evi ce and to turn of f a d evi ce when not in u s e.
Take advantage of the opportunity to manage power on your system to:
Minimize battery dr ain.
Preserve the li fe o f your NEC Ver s a.
Save time. When you return from that urgent call or meeting, you don’t have to
reboot, j ust press the Power button to resu me syste m operation.
Windows 2000 Power Options Properties
In Windows 2000, most ACPI power management settings are controlled through
Win d ows Po wer Opti ons Properties, not through the BI OS S etup util it y. To access
Windows 2000 Power Options Properties, go to Start, Settings, Control Panel, and
double click Power Options.
Power Option s Pr operties includes th e fol lowing power man ag ement areas:
Power Schemes
Alarms
Power Meter
Advanced
Hibernate
Intel SpeedStep technology.
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Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-17
Windows 2000 Power Schemes
Use the Power Schemes options to define the appropriate Power scheme for your
system, and to set timeouts for standby, LCD panel, and hard disk. Define parameters
for your system when running under AC (plugged in) or DC (running on batteries)
power.
Power Schemes
Parameter Default Setting Alternate Setting(s)
Power Schemes Port able/Laptop Home/Office Desk,
Presentation, Always On,
Minimal Power
Management, Max.
Battery
Turn off monitor
(Plugg ed in)
After 15 Minutes 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,
30, 45 minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4,
5 hours; Never
Turn off monitor
(Running on batteries)
After 5 Minutes 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,
30, 45 minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4,
5 hours; Never
Turn off hard disks
(Plugg ed in)
After 30 Minutes 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45
minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
hours; Never
Turn off hard disks
(Running on batteries)
After 5 Minutes 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45
minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
hours; Never
System standby
(Plugg ed in)
After 20 Minutes 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,
30, 45 minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4,
5 hours; Never
System standby
(Running on batteries)
After 5 Minutes 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,
30, 45 minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4,
5 hours; Never
System hibernates
(Plugg ed in )
After 1 Hour 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45
minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
hours; Never
System hibernates
(Running on batteries)
After 10 minutes
10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45
minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
hours; Never
Page 61
3-18 U sing the BIOS Setup Utility
Power Schemes — Defines the most ap propriate power scheme for your comput er .
Turn off monitor — Selects the time delay before your LCD panel turns off.
Turn off hard disks — Selects the time delay before your hard disk(s) power down.
System standb y — Selects the system standby timeout period for your system when
running under AC or DC power.
System hibernates — Select s the system hibernat e timeout p eriod for your s ystem
when running on AC or DC power.
Windows 2000 Alarms
Use the Alarms s cr een to defin e th e p oint at which the batter y alarm activates. Defi ne
the alarm to either sound, display a warning message, or invoke Standby, Hibernate, or
Shutdown.
Alarms
Parameter Default Setting Alternate Setting(s)
Low battery alarm 10% 0-100%
Alarm Action Notification Display message Sound alarm
Alarm Action Power Level None Standby, Power Off,
Hibernate
Critical battery alarm 3% 0-100%
Alarm Action Notification Display message Sound alarm
Alarm Action Power Level Standby
Power Off, Standby,
Hibernate
Run a program None When the alarm occurs,
run this program.
Low battery alarm — Allows you to define a low battery alarm percen tage,
notification, and system action .
Critical batter y alarm — Allows you t o define a critical ba ttery alar m percentage,
notification, and system action .
Run a program — Allows you to run a specific progr am when an alar m occurs.
Page 62
Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-19
Windows 2000 Power Meter
The Power Meter screen displays the remaining battery power and charging status for
the primary an d secondary batteri es. Choose to disp lay either a percentage progress bar
or a battery icon with per ce nta ge indi c ator for your batter y status informat ion.
Windows 2000 Advanced
The Advanced window allows you to select behaviors for the taskbar icon, standby
password, LC D pa nel, when closed, and the Power but ton.
Advanced
Parameter Default Setting Alternate Setting(s)
Always show icon on
taskbar
Unchecked Checked
Prompt for password
when com puter goes of f
standby
Checked Unchecked
When I close the lid on my
computer
None* Standby, Power Off,
Hibernate
When I pr ess th e Power
button on my computer
Power Off Standby, Hibernate
*When None is selected, LCD panel turns off when closed.
Always show icon on the ta s kbar — Determines wh ether or not the Power Met er
icon displays on the taskbar.
Prompt for password when computer goes off standby — Determ ines wheth er or
not the system prompts for your Windows password when resuming from Standby.
When I close the lid of m y comp uter — Defin es the system a ction when th e LC D
panel is closed .
When I press the P ower bu tton on my compu ter — Defines the system action when
the Power button is used.
Windows 2000 Hibernate
Use the Hibernate window to enable hibernate support, see the amount of free disk
space, and the am ount of disk s pa ce r equired to hibernat e. When your system
hibe rnates i t performs a s ave-to-disk. Y our current work ing environmen t is saved to the
hard disk. Use the Power button to resume from hibernation and your system returns to
its previous state.
Page 63
3-20 U sing the BIOS Setup Utility
Windows 2000 and Intel SpeedStep Technology
Use the Intel SpeedStep technology (available in systems with Intel Pentium III
processors) to optimiz e processing speed an d conserve battery life.
Ena bl e In tel SpeedS tep technology through the Power menu ( In tel SpeedSt ep 2 ) in the
BIOS Setu p utility. The available s ettings ar e D isabled and Enabled. Use Disabled to
turn off Intel Sp eedStep2 technol ogy.
If Intel SpeedStep2 technology is enabled in your system, an icon appears on your
ta s kbar a l lowing you t o adju s t processing pr opert ies. Ho wever, th e d e fault s e ttings are
recommended for optimal performance and battery conservation.
For information about accessing the BIOS Setup utility and the Intel SpeedStep2
technology parameter, see “Entering BIOS Setup” and “Power Menu ” earlier in t his
chapter.
Windows 98 SE Power Management Properties
In Windows 98 SE, most ACPI power management settings are controlled through
Windows Power Management Properties, not through the BIOS Setup utility, unless
otherwise not ed . To access Windows 98 SE Po wer Manag ement Properties, g o t o Start,
Settings, Control Panel, and double click Power Management.
The Power Manag ement Properties include th e following p ower management area s :
Power Schemes
Alarms
Power Meter
Advanced
Hibernate
Intel SpeedStep technology.
Page 64
Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-21
Windows 98 SE Power Schemes
Use the Power Schemes options to define the appropriate Power scheme for your
system, and to set timeouts for standby, LCD panel, and hard disk. Define parameters
for your system when running under AC (plugged in) or DC (running on batteries)
power.
Power Schemes
Parameter Default Setting Alternate Setting(s)
Power Schemes Port able/Laptop Home/Office Desk,
Always On
Turn off monitor
(Plugg ed in)
After 15 Minutes 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,
30, 45 minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4,
5 hours; Never
Turn off monitor
(Running on batteries)
After 2 Minutes 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,
30, 45 minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4,
5 hours; Never
Turn off hard disks
(Plugg ed in)
After 30 Minutes 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45
minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
hours; Never
Turn off hard disks
(Running on batteries)
After 3 Minutes 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45
minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
hours; Never
System standby
(Plugg ed in)
After 20 Minutes 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,
30, 45 minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4,
5 hours; Never
System standby
(Running on batteries)
After 5 Minutes 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,
30, 45 minutes; 1, 2, 3, 4,
5 hours; Never
Power Schemes — Defines the most ap propriate power scheme for your comput er .
Turn off monitor — Selects the time delay before your LCD panel turns off.
Turn off hard disks — Selects the time delay before your hard disk(s) power down.
System standb y — Selects the system standby timeout period for your system when
running under AC or DC power.
Page 65
3-22 U sing the BIOS Setup Utility
Windows 98 SE Alarms
Use the Alarms s cr een to defin e th e p oint at which the batter y alarm activates. Defi ne
the alarm to either sound, display a warning message, or invoke Standby, Hibernate or
Shutdown.
Alarms
Parameter Default Setting Alternate Setting(s)
Low battery alarm 10% 0- 100%
Alarm Action Notification Display message Sound alarm
Alarm Action Power Level No action Standby, Hibernate, Shutdown
Critical battery alarm 3% 0-100%
Alarm Action Notification Display message Sound alarm
Alarm Action Power Level Hybernate Standby, Shutdown, No Action
Low battery alarm — Allows you to define a low battery alarm percen tage,
notification, and system action .
Critical batter y alarm — Allows you t o define a critical ba ttery alar m percentage,
notification, and system action .
Windows 98 SE Power Meter
The Power Meter screen displays the remaining battery power and charging status for
the primary an d secondary batteri es. Choose to disp lay either a percentage progress bar
or a battery icon with per ce nta ge indi c ator for your batter y status informat ion.
Page 66
Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-23
Windows 98 SE Advanced
The Advanced window allows you to select behaviors for the taskbar icon, standby
password, LC D pa nel, when closed, and the Power but ton.
Advanced Windows
Parameter Default Setting Alternate Setting(s)
Always show icon on
taskbar
Checked Unchecked
Prompt for password
when com puter goes of f
standby
Unchecked Checked
When I close the lid on my
computer
None Hibernate, Standby,
Shutdown
When I pr ess th e Power
button on my computer
Shutdown Standby, Hibernate
Always show icon on the ta s kbar — Determines wh ether or not the Power Met er
icon displays on the taskbar.
Prompt for password when computer goes off standby — Determ ines wheth er or
not the system prompts for your Windows password when resuming from Standby.
When I close the lid of m y comp uter — Defin es the system a ction when th e LC D
panel is closed .
When I press the P ower bu tton on my compu ter — Defines the system action when
the Power button is used.
Windows 98 SE Hibernate
Use the Hibernate window to enable hibernate support. When your system hibernates,
it pe rfor ms a save -to-disk . Your c urrent work i ng environment is saved to the har d disk.
Use the Power button to resume from hibernation and your system returns to its
previous state.
Page 67
3-24 U sing the BIOS Setup Utility
Windows 98 SE and Intel SpeedStep Technology
Use the Intel SpeedStep technology (available in systems with Intel Pentium III
processors) to optimiz e processing speed an d conserve battery life.
Ena bl e In tel SpeedS tep technology through the Power menu ( In tel SpeedSt ep 2 ) in the
BIOS Setu p utility. The available s ettings ar e D isabled and Enabled. Use Disabled to
turn off Intel Sp eedStep2 technol ogy.
If Intel SpeedStep2 technology is enabled in your system, an icon appears on your
ta s kbar a l lowing you t o adju s t processing pr opert ies. Ho wever, th e d e fault s e ttings are
recommended for optimal performance and battery conservation.
For information about accessing the BIOS Setup utility and the Intel SpeedStep2
technology parameter, see “Entering BIOS Setup” and “Power Menu ” earlier in t his
chapter.
Windows Power Management States
ACPI uses different levels or states of power management. These power management
states occur au tomatically, based on the system’s default settings, or manually, when
invoked. Settings are configur able to occur while on batt ery power or AC power.
The ACPI power management states in the Windows 2000 and Windows 98 SE
environmen ts include:
LCD timeout — manages power at the lowest level by shutting down the LCD.
Standby — also known as Save-to-RAM (STR), Standby manages power by saving
your current working environment to memory and shutting down most system
devices. Conserves more power than an LCD timeout.
Hibernate — also known a s save-to-disk, Hibernate ma nages power by saving t he
current working en vi ronment t o a n area on your ha rd disk, then powering off you r
system. Conserves the most battery power.
Page 68
Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-25
Recognizing the Windows Power Management States
It is im portant t o recog nize your s yst em’s beha vi or when in each of these power
mana g ement stat es . The follo wing table d escribes the system behavior for each power
management state.
Windows Power Management Behavior
LCD Timeout Standby (STR) Hiber nate (STF)
Default
Setting
2 Minutes, DC power.
15 Minutes, AC power.
5 Minutes, DC power.
20 minutes, AC power.
On DC power:
15 min u tes for
Windows 98SE;
10 min u tes for
Windows 2000.
On AC power:
60 min u tes for
Windows 2000 and
Windows 98SE
Manually
Invoke
Close LCD panel. G o to Start, Shutdown,
Standby.
Close LCD panel.*
Close LCD panel.*
Press Power button.*
System
behavior
LCD panel is blank.
Status LED lights
green.
LCD panel is blank.
Status LED bli nks green.
LCD panel is blank.
Status LED turns off.
Progress bar indicates that
current workin g
environment is saved to
hard disk.
Resume
Press any key. Press Power button. Press Power button.
Progress bar appears
during process.
*Only when set in Advanced Windows Power Management Properties.
Page 69
3-26 U sing the BIOS Setup Utility
Checking Switch Settings
System switches (an eight-position dip switch) are located on the bottom of the system
in the M in i PCI/MDC bay. To access the switches, follow t he procedu re in “Accessing
Switches.” For a description of switch settings, see “Looking at Switch Settings.”
Accessing Switches
Follo w these steps to access the switches und er the Mini PCI /MDC bay.
1.
Make sure the system is powered off and that no peripheral devices are attached.
2.
Turn over the system and locat e the Mini PC I /MDC bay cover.
3.
Remove the screw and bay c over.
Before handling any internal components, discharge static
electricity from yourself and your clothing by touching a nearby unpainted metal surface.
Locating the Mini PCI/MDC bay cover
A
– Screw
B
–Mini PCI/MDC Bay Cover
Page 70
Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-27
Looking at Switch Settings
The following figure shows the default switch settings. Switch setting descriptions
follow the figure.
Default switch settings
Never use a pencil to change switch settings. Residue from
th e pencil can damage the syst em.
Using a fine-tipped object to gently change a switch setting between “ON” or “OFF.”
Switch 1, Keyboard S e lect — The default setting is “ON” for U.S . keyboard.
Switch 2, Keyboard S e lect — The default setting is “OFF” for U. S. keyboard.
Switch 3, Reserved f or Factory Use — The default setting is “OFF.”
Switch 4, Password Override Switch — The default setting is “OFF.” If you forget
your password and cannot acces s the data on your NEC Versa, chan ge the setting to
“ON” to erase your curr en t password.
Switch 5, Reserved f or Factory Use — The default setting is “OFF.”
Page 71
3-28 U sing the BIOS Setup Utility
Switch 6, PIN Security mode — The default setting is “OFF.” The system ships
without a Personal Security code, but with the PIN security option enabled. This
means you c an boot the system without a PIN if a P IN has yet to be se t, or boot the
system with a PIN if the password has been set .
Note
If you set a Personal Security code and forget the code, call NEC Computers
Support Services at
1-800-632-4525
for information about how to reset the code.
Switch 7, Reserved f or Factory Use — The default setting is “OFF.” (For U.S.)
Switch 8, RTC Res et — The default setting is “OFF.”
Updating the BIOS
The BIOS is code transmitt ed on to your system’s m icropr ocessor, or cen tral proces s ing
unit (CPU). As indicated in this chapter, you use the BIOS Setup utility to configure
your syste m’s software and hardware features. Only use the BIOS Update Diskette for
your specific model to update your NEC Versa system BIOS.
Note
You only need to update the BIOS if NEC Computers makes significant
improvemen t s or fi xes to the current system BIO S. Your aut horized NEC C omputers
dealer or support representative can help you determine this.
To update the system BIOS you must:
Obtain the BIOS Update
Prep are the BIOS Upd ate Diskette
Perform the BIOS Update.
Obtaining the BIOS Update
If you ar e inform ed that the defau lt BIOS need s an u pdate, con tact NEC Computers
Support Services at
1-800-632-4525
or access the NEC Computers web site,
www.neccomp.com
, to obtain a copy of the BIOS update.
Note
If you purchased and are using this computer outside the U.S. or Canada,
please contact a local NEC office or dealer in your country.
Page 72
Using the BIOS Setup Utility 3-29
Preparing the BIOS Update Diskette
Before using the BIOS update diskette, you must make the diskette BIOS flash ready.
Refe r to the
readme.txt
file on the diskette before using the diskette.
Follow these instructions to prepare the BIOS Update Diskette.
1.
Scan your hard drive for any computer viruses.
2.
Unlock the write protect not ch on the diskette, if n eces sary.
3.
Inse rt the d is k ette into the diskette d r ive.
4.
Type
a:\install
(where a: is the diskette drive) at the DOS prompt and follow the
on-screen in s tr uction s.
Install.bat copies the DOS system files from your hard drive onto the BIOS Update
Diskette to make it BIOS flash ready.
The syst em promp ts you when the process is comp lete.
5.
Scan the BIOS Update Diskette for computer viruses.
The diskette i s ready for use.
Performing the BIOS Update
Make the following preparations before performing the BIOS update. Before you
begi n, be sure to:
Conn ect the comp u ter to AC power an d power off the com puter.
Configure Boot Devices i n the BIOS Set up for booti ng fr om a floppy disk e tte ( see
“Boot Menu” earlie r in t his chapter).
Remove any bootable CDs from the VersaBay IV drive.
Writ e d own what you’ve done to customize your BIOS settings.
Once you have prep ared the system for a BIOS u p date, perfor m the follo wing steps:
1.
Insert the BIOS Update diskette into the diskette drive.
2.
Power on the computer with the diskette in the disk ette drive. The comp ut er bo ot s
and automatically loads the utility. Read the message that displays and follow the
instructions.
3.
Press
Enter
to continue.
The utility check s the currently installed BIO S version an d th e diskett e’s BIOS
versi on. The Main menu appear s .
Page 73
3-30 U sing the BIOS Setup Utility
4.
Use the arrow keys to highli gh t the “Display BIOS Version” opt ion on t he Main
Menu. Use this option to check the currently installed BIOS version and the
version of the new repla c ement BIOS.
Press any key to return to the Main men u.
5.
High light th e “Install New BIOS” option a nd pr e s s
Enter
.
6.
Press Y and then press
Enter
. After a brief pause, a message appears telling you to
remove the diskette from the file bay dr ive.
7.
Remove the diskette and press any key to continue. The utility updates the BIOS.
Power off your computer. The next time you power on your computer, you will
have the latest NEC Versa L320 computer BIOS revision level.
8.
Powe r on you r com puter . A CMOS Check s um mes s age ap pear s and pr ompts you
to press
F2
to enter Setup.
9.
Press
F2
to enter Setup and restore the default parameter settings.
10.
Reconfigure Setup with the custom settings you documented for yourself before
begi nning this procedure.
11.
Press
F10
to save changes and exit Setu p.
Page 74
4
Using the Operating System and Utilities
W indows Introdu ctio n
NEC Utilities
SpeedStep Applet
SoftDVD Player
NEC CD-RW CD
Application and Driver CD
Personal Code Setting Utility
NEC Info Center
PartitionMagic
Product Recovery CD
One-Touch Start Button Settings Utility
Page 75
4-2 Usin g the Operating System and Utilities
Windows Introduction
Your system comes preloaded with the Microsoft® Windows® 98 Second Edition (SE)
operating system or the Windows 2000
operating system configuration .
These Microsoft
®
operating systems pr ovide a means of running applications,
navigating through your file structure, and using your notebook computer. Each
operat i ng syste m offe rs i ts own l ook and e mploys its own tools through an easy-to-use
graph ical int erface.
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 gives you the newest features offered by Microsoft, including a
Desktop with room to maneuver, taskbar icons for quick access to installed
applications, a system performance and monitoring manager, enhanced entertainment
features, an d a fully integrated Int er net exper ience.
Desktop Icons
With Windows 2000, the following icons are installed on your desktop:
My Computer — Provides access to drives, printers, the control panel, network
features, and scheduled tasks.
Rec yc le Bin — Give s you a trash c onta iner in which to put a nd dis c a rd un wante d
files or allows you to restore those same files back to their original location.
My Network Places — When on a networ k, pr ovides acces s to ne twork printers and
other computers on your network. Use my network places to browse through the
computers in your workgroup and the computers in the entire network.
My Docum ents — Provi d es you with a con venient place to store documents,
graphics, and other files for quick access.
Conn ect to the Internet — Run s the Intern et Connection wizard that hel p s you to set
up your computer to access th e In ternet.
Note
Before connecting to the Internet, you must either have a modem and a
working phone line connected to your system or have an optional LAN card installed for
network access.
Your NEC Versa comes with all the software you need to get started on the most
popul ar services avail able toda y. For a fee, online services g ive you acce ss to the
Internet, e-mail, the world wide web, travel information, news reports, and more.
Page 76
Using the Operati ng System and Ut il ities 4-3
Note
Before choosing and registering for an online service, you must connect your
system to a local area network or to a working phone line. The phone line must be
analog. If you are unsure what type of line you have, call your local phone company.
If you are using this product outside the United States or Canada, some online services
may require a long-distance or international call.
NEC Customize — Gives you the option to launch the Application and Driver CD.
Internet Explorer — Provide s your default Internet program. Al s o access Internet
Explore r und er S tart , Progr a ms, Internet Explor er.
Taskbar Icons
With Windows 2000, three icons appear on the taskbar. Use the cursor to hover over
the icon and display its function, right click the icon to display its menu options, or
double click the icon to launch it.
The following icons normally appear on the left side of the Windows 2000 taskbar.
Internet Explorer — Allows you to browse the Internet or view local HTML files.
Also access Int er net Expl or er under Start, Program s , Internet Explorer.
Outlook Expr e ss — Provides you r defaul t e -mai l progr a m with s e cure a nd
pers onalized fea tures for e- mail and n ewsg roup comm un ication. Also access
Outlook Expr e ss under Sta rt, Programs, Ou tlook Express.
Show Desktop — Minimizes all active screen s to display your desktop.
Windows 98 Second Edition
Windows 98 Second Edition gives you features offered by Microsoft, including a
Desktop wi t h room to maneuver, a ta s k bar for quick acces s to a vari ety of system
functions, state-of-the-art plug and play support, powerful system utilities, enhanced
ent er tainment fea tures, and a fully in tegrated In t ernet exp er ience.
Desktop Icons
With Win d ows 98 SE, th e following icons are in stalled on your deskt op:
My Computer — Provides access to drives, printers, the control panel, network
features, and scheduled tasks.
Recycle Bi n — Gives you a trash container in which to put and discard unwanted
files or allows you to restore those same files back to their original location.
Page 77
4-4 Usin g the Operating System and Utilities
Setup MS N Internet A ccess — Provid e s a set up pr ogram th at allows you to sign- up
for the Microsoft Network. If you alr eady have an accou nt, us e th is interface to
sign-on to the Micros oft Net w ork.
Network N e ighborhood — A p p ears when your comput er is connected to a network.
Use the network neighborhood t o browse through the computers in your workgroup
and the computers in the entire network.
My Briefcase — Provides a mech anism for file synchronization between the NEC
Versa and another system.
My Documents — Provides you wi t h a convenient place to store d ocuments,
graphics, and other files for quick access.
Conn ect to the Internet — Runs the Internet Connection wizard that helps you to set
up your computer to access th e In ternet.
Note
Before connecting to the Internet, you must either have a modem and a
working phone line connected to your system or have an optional LAN card installed for
network access.
Online Services — Includes setup icons for a va riet y of online se rvice s .
Your NEC Versa comes with all the software you need to get started on the most
popul ar services avail able toda y. For a fee, online services g ive you acce ss to the
Internet, e-mail, the world wide web, travel information, news reports, and more.
Note
Before choosing and registering for an online service, you must connect your
system to a local area network or to a working phone line. The phone line must be
analog. If you are unsure what type of line you have, call your local phone company.
If you are using this product outside of the United States or Canada, some online
services may require a long-distance or international call.
NEC Customize — Gives you the option to launch the Application and Driver CD.
Outlook Expr e ss — Provides you r defaul t e -mai l progr a m with s e cure a nd
pers onalized fea tures for e- mail and n ewsg roup comm un ication. Also access
Outlook Expr e ss under Sta rt, Programs, Ou tlook Express.
Internet Explorer — Provide s your default Internet program. Al s o access Internet
Explore r und er S tart , Progr a ms, Internet Explor er.
Page 78
Using the Operati ng System and Ut il ities 4-5
Taskbar Icons
With Win d ows 98 S E, a number of i cons app ear on the taskbar . Use the cur sor to hover
over the icon and display its function, right click the icon to display its menu options,
or double click the icon to launch it.
The following icons nor mally appear on the left side of the Windows 98 SE taskbar.
Internet Explorer — Allows you to browse the Internet or view local HTML files.
Also access Int er net Expl or er under Start, Program s , Internet Explorer.
Outlook Expr e ss — Provides you r defaul t e -mai l progr a m with s e cure a nd
pers onalized fea tures for e- mail and n ewsg roup comm un ication. Also access
Outlook Expr e ss under Sta rt, Programs, Ou tlook Express.
Show Desktop — Minimizes all active screen s to display your desktop.
The following icons nor mally appear on the right side of the Windows 98 SE taskbar.
Task Scheduler — Enables you to schedule task s, su ch as Disk Defrag m ent er , t o
run r eg ularly. Als o a ccess Tas k Schedul er under Start, Progr ams, Accessories,
System Tools, Sch eduled Tasks.
Power Management Pr operties — Displays your current power sour ce and total
rema in ing batt ery power. Access Power Man agement Properties under Start,
Settings, Control Panel, Power Management.
NEC VersaGlide — Allows you to ad just your Ve rsaGlide (mous e ) prop e rtie s . Also
access NEC Vers aGlide und er Start, Sett ings, Con trol Panel, Mouse.
Volume Control — Adjusts the volum e and speak er balance when you play au d io
files. Also access V ol u me Control under S tart, Programs, Accessories ,
Entertainment, Volume Control.
Time/Clock — Allows you to ad just the time and d ate, re arrange a c tive windows on
your desk top, c reat e a new tool bar or customize your e xist i ng tool bar.
For more information about the desktop and taskbar icons, refer to the Windows 98 SE
onl ine hel p.
Page 79
4-6 Usin g the Operating System and Utilities
NEC Utiliti e s
NEC Computers provides several program s and routin es designed t o m ake your NEC
Versa no tebook run more efficiently .
The NEC utiliti es include:
NEC Customize utility
PHDISK utility (Windows 98 SE).
NEC Customize Utility
The N EC Customi ze utility gives you the opti on to instal l or launch th e:
Application and Driver CD — Use this option to install a variety of software
applications, drivers, utilities, internet browsers, and the NEC Info Center.
Phoenix® BaySwap utility — Use this utility to configure your system so you can
hot or warm swap your VersaBay IV devices or Modular Bay devices. If the
Phoenix BaySwap utility is not already installed on your system, install it using the
NEC Customize utility.
NEC Customize Utility Screen
The NEC Customize utilit y scr een has the followin g features:
A window at the top hal f of the screen lists th e available op tions.
The window below the options list displays a description of each option wh en the
option is highlighted.
The La unch button initia tes a selected op tion when clicked.
The M ore Info button provide s an overvie w of the NEC Cu stomi ze utilit y.
The Exit button closes the NEC Customize utility.
Using the NEC Customize Utility
Follow th ese steps to use the NEC Customize utility.
1.
Double click the NEC Customize icon.
2.
Fr om the displ ay window, select the de s i red option.
3.
Click Launch or Install to initiate the selected option.
4.
Follow the on -screen instructions to process the selected option.
For s ome of the selected options you are prompted t o reboot your system .
5.
If necess ary, click Exit to close the NEC Customi ze dialog box.
Page 80
Using the Operati ng System and Ut il ities 4-7
PHDISK Utility for Windows 98 SE
The PHDIS K utili ty for Wind ows 98 S E configur es your NEC Ver sa system’s save-tofile (S TF) area on the hard dis k dr ive. This al lows you to use your system’s power
management features to automatically save open files when your system hibernates.
To set up PHDISK, use the information in the following sections.
Note
For more details about the PHDISK utility, see the ReadMe.txt file in the
necutils\phdisk directory.
Preparing Your System for the PHDISK Utility
Before running the PHDISK utility, verify that:
All appropria te drivers have been installed from the NEC Applicati on and
Driver CD.
(For information about installing all appropriate drivers displayed in the Drivers
Tabl e Interface on the NEC Appl ication an d Dr iver CD, see “Application and
Driver CD” in this chapter.)
No devices listed under Device Manager are flagged with a yellow exclamation
point.
(To check the Device Manager , click Start and cli ck Control Panel. Double click the
System icon and click the Device M anager tab. Check each device li s ting,
expanding the sub-items if necessary, to be sure no devices are tagged with yellow
excla mation p oints.)
If these two conditions are not met before you install the PHDISK utility, Hibernate
will not work correctly, and your hard drive may become corrupted.
Before running the PHDISK utility, verify that all appropriate
drivers have been installed, and that no device listed in Device Manager is flagged with
a yellow exclamation point.
If not, Hibernate does not work correctly, and your hard drive may become corrupted.
Running the PHDISK Utility
Follow th ese steps to run the PHDISK utility.
1.
With s ystem power on, in s er t the NEC Applicati on an d Driver CD in th e C D - ROM
or DVD-ROM drive. For more informa tion on using the Application and Driver
CD, s ee “Application and D riv er CD” in this chap ter.
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4-8 Usin g the Operating System and Utilities
2.
Select the PHDISK utility for installation . Follow th e prompts to install the
appropriat e files on your ha rd dr ive.
3.
Once the files have been installed, exit the Application and Driver CD interface
and remove the CD.
4.
Restart your system in MS-DOS mode by clicking Start and clicking Shut Down.
Select ‘Restart in MS- DO S mode’ and click
OK
.
5.
At the MS-DOS prompt, t ype
cd \necutils\phdisk
and press
Enter
to c hange to the
\necutils\phdisk directory.
6.
Type
phdisk
and press
Enter
. The PHDI SK u tility interface appear s with the
following valid options:
1. Create Partition
2. Create File
3. Reboot
4. Exit
7.
Enter 2 and press
Enter
. (Be car efu l not to select Create Partition.) A prompt
similar to the following appears:
Please input size (Minimal: 74179) KB:
(The minimal si ze varies a ccording t o th e amount of system memory installed in
your syste m.)
8.
Press
Enter
to accept the minimal size. A file large enough to a ccom modate your
system’s memory is created on the hard disk drive, and the PHDISK utility
int er face appears again.
9.
Enter
3
(for Reboot) and press
Enter
.
10.
If necessary, pres s any keyb oard key wh e n prompted to reboot th e system.
11.
When Windows 98 SE has restarted, click St art, click Settings, and click Control
Panel. Double click the Power Management icon.
12.
Cli ck th e Hi bernat e tab. Put a check in the box next t o
Enable hibernate suppor
t
and click
Apply
.
13.
Select the Advanced Tab. The followin g s ettings n ow provide Hiber nate as a
choice in their pul l -down menus.
When I close the lid of m y por table comp u ter
When I press the power button on my computer
14.
Select Hibernate for either or both of these settings (if des ired). Click OK to clo se
the Power Management Prop erties window.
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Using the Operati ng System and Ut il ities 4-9
Applet for Intel SpeedStep2 Technology
The processors that ship with the NEC Versa L320 notebook computer include the Intel
SpeedStep2 technology. Intel SpeedStep2 technology allows you to customize
performance of your NEC Versa notebook, optimizing performance when your system
is runn ing under AC power, and con s erving bat tery life when your system is runnin g on
battery power.
If your processor is equi p ped with Int el SpeedSt ep 2 tech nolog y, an icon appears on
your taskbar allowi ng you to adjust process ing prop e rtie s . However, the default sett ings
are recommend ed for optimal perfor mance and ba ttery conservati on.
For more information about configuring settings for Intel SpeedStep2 technology, see
the sections in Ch apter 3 that are speci fi c to the operating system you use. F or
information about accessing the BIOS Setup utility and the Intel SpeedStep2
technology parameter, see “Entering BIOS Setup” and “Power Menu ” in Chapter 3.
SoftDVD Player CD
If your system comes with a DVD-ROM drive prein st al l ed, you have the SoftDVD
Player CD. The SoftDVD Pla yer is softwar e th at allows you to play DVD videos on
your computer , and l ets you control the DVD-ROM drive with onscreen con trols.
The ma terial s that come with the CD describe how to ins tall and u s e your s o ft wa re.
On-screen prompts provide guidelines during the installation. Once the software is
install ed, access the on-screen SoftDVD help for mor e inform at i on about usin g an d
configuring your DVD-ROM dri ve.
NEC CD-RW CD
If your NE C V er s a s yst em comes with a CD-RW dri ve p reinstalled, you have the
NEC C D-RW CD . The CD-RW drive lets you load and start programs from a CD an d
write information to a CD. The NEC CD-RW CD provides a driver, CDINIT, and two
applications, Easy CD Creator and DirectCD.
The ma terial s that come with the CD describe how to ins tall and u s e your s o ft wa re.
On-screen prompts provide guidelines during the installation. Once the software is
installed, access the on-screen help for more information about using and configuring
your CD - RW d r ive.
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4-10 Using the Operating System and Utilities
Application and Driver CD
A variety of software applications, drivers, utilities, Internet browsers and the NEC Info
Center are provided on the Application and Driver (A & D ) CD that ships with your
NEC Versa L320 system. Some of the drivers are already installed as part of your
operat i ng syste m envi ron ment. The ad dition al software on the A&D CD lets you take
full ad va ntage of your syst em resource s .
Use the Applica t ion and Dri ver CD to insta ll the software of your choice. Some
software applicatio ns instal l their ow n des k top icon allow ing quick access to the
application. You can also access some applications through the Start, Programs menu.
Launching the A&D CD with Windows 2000
Follow these procedures to launch the Application and Driver CD using NEC
Customize with Windows 2000.
1.
Insert the Application and Driver CD into the CD-ROM drive.
2.
Double click the NEC Customize icon.
3.
Select Application and Driver CD.
4.
Cli ck Install t o la unch the CD.
The Application and Driver CD dialog box appears.
Note
If the NE C C ustom ize icon is not available, double click My Comput er on th e
desktop and then click the CD icon. The Application and Driver CD dialog box appears.
Launching the A&D CD with Windows 98 SE
Follow these procedures to launch the Application and Driver CD using NEC
Cust om ize with Windows 98 SE.
1.
Ins er t the Application an d Dr iver CD int o the C D - ROM drive. If th e C D does not
auto-run, perform steps 2 through 4.
2.
Double click the NEC Customize icon, if necessary.
3.
Highlight La unch Applic ation and Driver CD.
4.
Cli ck Install t o la unch the CD.
The Application and Driver CD dialog box appears.
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Using the Operati ng System and Ut il ities 4-11
Note
If the NE C C ustom ize icon is not available, double click My Comput er on th e
desktop and then click the CD icon. The Application and Driver CD dialog box appears.
Application and Driver CD Dialog Box
The Application and Driver CD dialog box consists of the following components.
Selection Tabs — Located just below th e title bar, each tab represents a software
category. The selection tabs include applications, drivers, utilities, internet
browsers, and the NEC Online Documentation.
Description — Located in the bottom portion of the dialog box, the text describes
the sel ected or highlighted software category or application, driver, etc.
Install — Clicking the Install button in st alls the sel ected software.
View — Clicking the View button displays installation instructions for those
utilities that are not installed using the A&D CD utility.
Exit — Clicking the Exit button closes the Application and Driver CD dialog box.
Installing the A&D CD Software
Once the Appli cation and Dr iver CD dial og box appear s , fol low thes e steps to install
the desired software.
1.
Click the selection tab of your choice.
2.
Click t he desired applicat ion, driv er, or util ity.
3.
Click the Install button to install your selection.
Follow th e on-screen instructions to install your selection.
4.
Click Exit to close the Application and Driver CD dialog box.
5.
Remove the CD from the CD-ROM drive when the installation is complete.
Personal Code Setting Utility
Use the Personal Code Setting utility along with the personal code buttons on the
NEC Versa L320 (available on some systems) to set a personal code and secure the
system. Once the personal code is set, the system will not boot until you enter the
personal code.
The personal code must also be entered if the system g oes into a p ower - s aving state.
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4-12 Using the Operating System and Utilities
See the following sections for proced u res on est ablishin g personal codes , clearing a
personal code, using a personal code to access the system, and using a personal code to
bring the system out of a power-savin g state .
Identifying Personal Code Setting Buttons
The following figure shows the locations of the Per sonal Code Setting buttons on the
system. (Not al l s ystems come wit h Personal Code Setting buttons. )
Locating Personal Code Setting buttons
A
– Personal Code Button 1
E
– Personal Code Enter Button
B
– Personal Code Button 2
F
– Shortcut Button
C
– Personal Code Button 3
G
– Power Button
D
– Personal Code Button 4
H
– Shortcut Button
Establishing Personal Codes
The Personal Code Setting utility can store a Supervisor personal code, and up to two
User personal cod es. Follow these step s to establ i sh a person al cod e.
1.
Prep are to set the persona l code:
To set a User pers onal code for the first time, pres s the 1 button and the
Enter
button
at the same time and hold both down for at least 5 seconds.
To set a Supervisor person al code for th e first tim e, press the 2 button and the
Enter
button the same time and hold both down for at least 5 seconds.
When th e s ystem is in Personal Cod e Input mode, the LED flashes.
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Using the Operati ng System and Ut il ities 4-13
2.
Enter up to 5 button strokes for the password. Multiple buttons held down at the
same time represent a unique entry, independent of individual button strokes.
3.
Press the
Enter
button to set the password.
Note
The personal code can be up to 5 button strokes. Multiple buttons held down
at the same time represent a unique entry (independent of individual button strokes) —
allowing close to 800,000 personal code comb ination s.
Clearing a Personal Code
Follo w these step s to clear a pers onal code.
To clea r a User personal code:
— Log on a s the User with the personal cod e you want to change.
— Press the
3
button and the
Enter
button at the same time and hold both down
for at least 5 seconds.
— Enter the personal code to be cleared and pre s s t he
Enter
button.
Note
A User personal code can be cleared by the Supervisor, without the
Supervisor knowing the User personal code.
To clea r a S u p ervisor p er s onal code:
— Log on as the Supervisor.
— Press the
4
button and the
Enter
button at the same time and hold both down
for at least 5 seconds.
— Enter the personal code to be cleared and pre s s t he
Enter
button.
To set a n ew personal cod e, see “Establishing a Personal Code.”
When the Supervis or or User personal cod e i s bei ng clear ed or reset, the Securi ty LED
flashes.
Note
If you forget your password (personal code), contact NEC Computers Support
Services for information about clearing it. See Chapter 11, “Getting Service and
Support,” for contact information.
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4-14 Using the Operating System and Utilities
Using the Personal Code to Access the System
On c e you set one or more pe rsonal codes on the syst em, you must ent er one of these
personal codes before the system can finish booting up.
After the system has been turned on, but before it boots, the Pers onal Code Security
LED ligh ts. En ter th e person al code and press the
Enter
button.
When a valid per son al code is ent ered, the LED goes out and the system finishes
booting up.
An alar m sounds for one minute if there are three un successful a ttempts at en tering the
pers onal code. It is still possi bl e to enter the correct persona l code while the alarm i s
sounding, but after the alarm stops, the system goes into a Su s p end stat e.
You can attempt personal code entry again. See “Bringing the S ystem Out of a PowerSaving Mode.”
Bringing the System Out of a Power-Saving Mode
If the system goes into a power-saving state after bootup, the Security LED remains
off. In this state, the Personal Security Code utility goes into security mode. The utility
requires the entry of a valid personal code before the system can come out of the
power-saving state.
Note
If you forget your password (personal code), contact NEC Computers Support
Services for information about clearing it. See Chapter 11, “Getting Service and
Support,” for contact information.
NEC Info Center
The Ap p lication an d Driver CD contains the NE C In fo Center, a fully navigational
online document that provides information for the traveling professional and an online
version of portions of the printed user’s guide.
Installing the NEC Info Center
To install the NEC Info Center simply follow th e instructions, presented earlier in this
cha pt er, for launching the Applica tion and Driver CD and installin g the software. For
the most current version of the NEC Versa L320 User’s Guide, periodically check the
NEC Computers web site at
www.neccomp.com
.
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Using the Operati ng System and Ut il ities 4-15
Uninstalling the NEC Info Center
Use the Windows Add/Remove Programs or the Wis e un install fea ture to uninstall the
NEC Info C e n ter.
To uninstall the NEC Info Center using the Windows Add/Remove Programs feature,
follo w t hese step s :
1.
Go to Start, Settings, Control Panel, and double click Add/Remove Programs.
2.
Use the scroll bar , if necessary, to display the NEC Info Center item.
3.
Highlight NEC Info Center and click the Add/Remove button.
4.
Select Automatic as the uninstall method and click Next.
5.
Click Finish to complete the uninstall.
6.
When the uninst all is compl ete, click O K an d cl ose the Control Panel wi ndow.
To uninstall th e NE C Info Center using the Wi s e un install fea ture, acces s the C:\N EC
INFO directory on your hard dis k drive . Double click the
unwise.exe
file or icon to
rem ove a ll files and direct or ies associated with the NEC Info Center.
PartitionMagic Spe c ia l Edition
Dividing the hard disk drive into several partitions lets you efficiently organize
operating systems, programs, and data. PartitionMagic
®
Special Edition, included on
the Application and Driver CD that ships with your system, allows you to optimize
hard d isk drive space with an eas y cli ck o f t he mouse. V i s ua lly create, format, shr ink,
expand, and move hard disk partitions in minutes.
Note
PartitionMagic Special Edition is for use with Windows 98 and Windows NT
operating systems. Windows 2000 operating systems do not support PartitionMagic.
Your NEC Versa notebook ships with an internal hard disk drive consisting of a single
FAT 32 partition, drive C:. Use PartitionMagic Special Edition if you want to create
multiple partitions and convert your hard disk drive to FAT 16 partitions.
Note
Partit ion M agic Speci al Edit ion s oftw are differs from the full- featured vers i on
and does not include all program functionality or user manuals.
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4-16 Using the Operating System and Utilities
Before using PartitionMagic Special Edition, refer to the
associated cautionary notes on the Application and Driver CD. The cautionary notes
contain important information about designating the partitions on the hard disk drive.
The partitions must be properly designated before using the Product Recovery CD to
reinstall your operating system. If the partitions on the hard disk drive are not properly
designated, it will appear as though data loss has occurred after using the Product
Recovery CD.
Product Recovery CD
The Product Recovery CD contains the NEC Product Recovery utility that allows you
to restore your system t o its initi al installation state.
If you determine that you need to restore your system to its initial installation state, use
the instruct ions that fol l ow.
Note
Only use the Product Recovery utility to restore your system to its initial
installation state as a last resort. Check the problem checklist in Chapter 10 for
information about solving problems before using the CD. The Product Recovery utility
provides options that either remove or replace existing files, a process that may result in
data loss.
Before using the Product Recovery CD, enter the BIOS Setup
utility, record any customized settings, and restore the BIOS default settings. Save the
default settings before exiting the BIOS Setup utility.
Guidelines for Using the Product Recovery CD
Follow these guidelines when using the Product Recovery CD.
Use AC power.
Remove all optional hardware such as PC Cards, USB devices, printers, and
monitors.
Carefully review th e Product Recovery CD options in the next section before
proceeding.
Choose your restore option carefully to prevent losing data and
applications installed on your system.
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Using the Operati ng System and Ut il ities 4-17
Product Recovery CD Options
The Produ ct Recovery CD an d utility provides you with a number of c hoice s . Move the
cursor over each selection on the NEC Product Recovery utility screen to display a
descr iption of the selection in the window at the ri ght side of the screen .
Restore System — Select t his op t ion if you wish to r e s tore your hard disk drive to
its initial in sta ll ation state. Restore System all ows you to restore your system in on e
of the following ways.
— Full Disk Drive
Completely rebuilds your hard disk drive, destroying all existing data in the
process.
Note
Use the Full Disk Drive restore option if your hard disk consists of one
partition (drive).
— Partition Only
Lets you p reser ve your exist ing hard di s k drive parti tion stru cture and format
only the primary partition without affecting the exten ded partition(s). Partition
Only formats drive C: (of a multiple partitioned drive) and restores drive C: to
its initial installation state. To use the Partition Only option, drive C: must be
equal to or greater than 1 GB. Additional partitions, for example, drives D:, E:,
etc., remain in tact. For imp ortant informati on about partitioni ng your h ard disk
drive, see the section, “PartitionMagic Special Edition,” earlier in this ch apter.
Note
Use the Partition Only restore option if your hard disk is partitioned into two or
more partitions (drives).
Exit — Exits the NEC Product Recovery utility.
Full Disk Drive Restore
If your preinstalled software becomes unusable an d you can not boot from the hard disk,
use the Product Recovery utility to restore your system to its initial shipping
configuration. The Full Disk Drive restore option erases the hard disk completely
before reinstalling the files.
The Full Disk Drive restore option deletes
all
files on the hard
drive and replaces them with the original factory installed files.
Only use the Full Di sk Drive restore opti on if t he pr einstalled softwar e is un usabl e.
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4-18 Using the Operating System and Utilities
Use the Product Recovery utility to perform a Full Disk Drive restore as follows.
1.
Check the Product Recover y CD t it le and make sure that it is th e cor rect CD for
your NE C Versa compu ter and oper ating system.
2.
Put the CD into the C D - ROM dr ive tray, cl ose the dri ve d o or, and reboot your
system.
3.
Read the Licens e Agreement s cr een that ap pears. Use the VersaGlide touchpad to
position the cursor on the Accept button. Left click to accept the agreem en t.
You have the opti on of a ccep tin g or decl ining the agreement. If you decl ine the
agreement, the recovery utility exits.
4.
In the NEC Pr oduct Recovery utility screen, use the VersaGlide touchpad to
choose Full Disk Drive to restore your hard disk drive to its original factory
installed st ate.
Choose your restore option carefully to prevent losing data and
applications installed on your system.
5.
Read the Warnin g screen.
A war ning displays indicating that your hard disk is a bout to be e ras e d.
6.
Select C ontinu e to proceed to perform a Ful l D isk Drive restore.
If you sel ect Back, the recovery utili ty return s t o the prior scr een, which h as an exit
option.
If you selec t Continue, a s creen with progr e s s bars displ ays and lets you know th e
progres s of the recovery.
Do n ot turn off or disturb t he system du r ing the recovery
process.
7.
When th e recover y process is complete, you a re prompted to remove the CD from
the CD-ROM drive a nd reboot your system.
8.
Press
Enter
, click Rebo ot, or pr ess
Alt-R
to reboot your system.
A series of hard ware detection screens display, the system reboots and the
Win d ows Set up screen appear s. Fol low the on -screen instructions to set up
Windows.
You are required to reenter your Micr osoft license number.
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Using the Operati ng System and Ut il ities 4-19
Partition Only Restore
If your preinstalled software on drive C: of your multiple partitioned drive becomes
unusable and you cannot boot from the hard disk, use the Product Recovery utility to
restore your primary partition to its initial shipping configuration.
Use the Pa r tition O nly restore option on ly if y our ha rd disk
drive consists of multiple partitions
and
if drive C: contains the operating system and
related drivers. Move all other data and applications to other partitions (drives) or the
Partiti o n Only rest ore pr oc ess will era s e them complet ely.
The P artiti on Only rest ore op t ion d eletes
all
files on drive C: and replaces them w ith th e
original factory installed files. Only use the Partition Only restore option if the
preinstalled software on drive C: is unusable.
For important information about partitioning your hard disk drive, see the section,
“PartitionMagic Special Edition,” earlier in this chapter.
Use the Product Recovery utility to perform a Partition Only restore as follows:
1.
Check the Product Recover y CD t it le and make sure that it is th e cor rect CD for
your NE C Versa compu ter and oper ating system.
2.
Put the CD into the C D - ROM dr ive tray, cl ose the dri ve d o or, and reboot your
computer.
3.
Read the Licens e Agreement s cr een that ap pears. Use the VersaGlide touchpad to
position the cursor on the Accept button. Left click to accept the agreem en t.
You have the opti on of a ccep tin g or decl ining the agreement. If you decl ine the
agreement, the recovery utility exits.
4.
In the NEC Pr oduct Recovery utility screen, use the VersaGlide touchpad to
choose Partition Only to restore drive C: of a multiple partitioned drive to its
original factory installed state.
Choose your restore option carefully to prevent losing data and
applications installed on your system.
If the hard disk is configured with multiple or extended partitions you may have to
reinstall some software to resto re configuration settings and share d file s.
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4-20 Using the Operating System and Utilities
5.
Read the Warnin g screen.
A warning displays indicating that drive C: (the primary drive/partition) is about to
be eras ed and formatted. It may be necessary to reinstall software to the other
drives (partitions) to reestablish Start Menu links and other configuration
requirements stored on drive C:.
6.
Select Contin u e to proceed, to perfor m a P ar tition Only restore.
If you sel ect Back, the recovery utili ty return s t o the prior scr een, which h as an exit
option.
If you selec t Continue, a s creen with progr e s s bars displ ays and lets you know th e
progres s of the recovery.
Do n ot turn off or disturb t he system du r ing the recovery
process.
7.
When th e recover y process is complete, you a re prompted to remove the CD from
the CD-ROM drive a nd reboot your system.
8.
Press
Enter
, click Rebo ot, or pr ess
Alt-R
to reboot your system.
A series of hard ware detection screens display, the system reboots, and th e
Win d ows Set up screen appear s. Fol low the on -screen instructions to set up
Windows.
You are required to reenter your Micr osoft license number.
One-Touch Start Button Settings Utility
The One-Touch Start Button Settings utility lets you configure shortcut buttons I and II
on the Versa L320 control panel to launch your default Internet browser and default
e-mail ap p lication.
Note
You can use the One-Touch S tart Butt on Sett ings utili ty to configure shortcut
buttons I and II to launch programs other than your Internet browser and e-mail. Use the
utility to configure the buttons to launch your favorite progra ms .
Use the followin g procedure to run th e One-Touch S tart Butt on Settings ut ility.
1.
Install the One-Touch Start Button Settings utility from the Application and Driver
CD. S ee “Application and D riv er CD” earlier in th is chapt er for informa tion about
installing software from this CD .
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Using the Operati ng System and Ut il ities 4-21
2.
To run the utility, click Start, highlight Programs, and highlight One-Touch Start
Button Settings Utility. Click One-Tou ch S tart Butt on Settings Ut ility. The u tility
launches.
3.
For ea ch bu tton, brows e and select the default program you wish to launch. You
can rename the pr ogram (for example, “My browser”).
Note
The name of the program displays on your screen by default. Uncheck the box
for “Display on screen to display name on screen” if you do not want to display the
name.
4.
Click OK. Select “Yes” to save the setup and exi t the utility.
Page 95
5
Using the System Drives and Bays
NEC Modular Bay Slot
NEC VersaBay IV Slot
Phoenix BaySwap Utility
Variable-Speed CD-ROM Drive
Variable-Speed CD-RW Drive
Variable-Speed DVD-ROM Drive
Combination CD-RW and DVD-ROM Drive
Memor y Mod ules
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5-2 Usin g the System Drives and Bays
NEC Modular Bay Slot
The NEC Modular Ba y slot is locat ed on the righ t side of the syst em. Your NE C V er s a
notebook ships with a diskette drive installed in the bay.
The NEC Modular Ba y slot lets you m aximiz e your com puter ’s capabilities an d is
designed for ease-of-use. It allows you to:
Inst all an opti on al secondary battery in the slot instead of the disk ette drive.
Hot swap and warm swa p the diskette drive or the second ary battery.
Remove a Modular Bay device simply by sliding the Modular Bay device latch and
pulling the d evi ce ou t, with ou t having to tur n th e s ystem over.
Inst all the weig h t-saving module that ships with the system . Using th e module in
the Modular Bay slot , you lighten your NEC Versa notebook for travel, and protect
the bay wh en no device is instal led.
For details about using hot and warm swapping, refer to the section, “Phoenix
BaySwap™ Utility,” later in this chapter , or access the Ph oenix BaySwap utility online
help.
Read the instru ctions that come with your Modul ar Ba y device for sp ecific informati on
about in s tallation and configuration. Contact your NEC Computers d e a ler t o purchase a
battery.
NEC VersaBay IV Slot
The NEC VersaBay IV slot is located on the right side of the system. Your NEC Ver sa
notebook ships with an optical drive installed in the bay (CD-ROM, CD-RW,
DVD-ROM, or combinat ion CD-RW and DVD-ROM). The VersaBay IV slot can also
house an op tional h ar d di s k dr ive that’ s been placed in a speciall y desi g ned cradle.
The NEC VersaBay IV slot lets you maximize your computer’s capabilities and is
designed for ease-of-use. It allows you to:
Hot swap and warm swa p s torage devices.
Change VersaBay IV devices without having to disassemble the system.
Inst all the weig h t-saving module that ships with the system . Using th e module in
the V e rsaBay IV slot, you lighten your NEC Versa note book f or travel, and protect
the bay wh en no device is instal led.
For details about using hot and warm swapping, refer to the section, “Phoenix
BaySwap Utility,” later in this chapter, or access the Phoenix BaySwap utility online
help.
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Using the System Drives and Bays 5-3
Read the instruction s that come with your Versa Ba y IV d evi ce for sp ecific informati on
about in s tallation and configuration. Contact your NEC Computers d e a ler t o purchase
additional VersaBay IV devices.
Phoenix BaySwap Utility
The NEC VersaBay IV slot supports hot swapping (switching devices while the system
is powered on) and warm swapping (switching devices while the system is in a sleep
state) for many bay devices, through the Phoenix BaySwap Utility. Using hot swapping
and warm swapping extends the power of plug and play technology to your NEC
VersaBay IV devices and NEC Modular Bay devices. This dynamic solution further
increases the flexibility of your already versatile notebook computer.
Installing the Phoenix BaySwap Utility
If the Phoenix BaySwap utility is not already in stalled, use the NEC Customize utility
to ins tall it. For details about using th e NE C Cu s tomize uti lity, see Chapter 4 “Using
the Operating System and Utilities.”
When the swap uti li ty is insta lled on your system, a small icon appears in the lower
right-hand c orner of the W i ndows taskbar. M oving your cursor over t he icon displays
informa tion about t he devi c e in the NEC Versa Bay IV or NEC Modular Bay sl ot.
Using the Phoenix BaySwap Utility
With the Phoenix BayS wap utili ty running on your notebo ok com puter, you can h ot or
warm swap a CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, or combination CD-RW and
DVD-ROM drive in the NEC VersaBa y IV slot. In addit i on, you can swap the disket t e
drive or secondary battery in the NEC Modular Bay slot . Please n ote the foll o wi ng
when using the swap utility:
Windows 98 SE Power Management must be enabled to use the swap utility.
Windows 2000 suppor t s hot swapping without use of the Phoenix BaySwap utility.
Swap devices in the NEC VersaBay IV slot or the NEC Modular Bay slot as follows:
1.
If you have files open on the device you are planning to remove, close them.
2.
Click on the swap utility taskbar icon to display the menu.
A box app ears identifyin g the device (if a ny) in the NEC VersaBa y IV slot or the
NEC Mod u lar Bay slot that can be ejected.
3.
Cli ck the name of the d evice to pr epare it for bei n g ejected.
When the device can be safel y removed, a mess age box app ears.
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5-4 Usin g the System Drives and Bays
4.
Remove t he device (se e the secti on, “Removing a Device fr om the NEC Modu lar
Bay Slot” or “Removing a D e vice fr om th e NEC VersaBay IV Slot). Click O K
after the device i s r emoved.
5.
Ins er t a different device in the NEC Versa Bay IV slot or the NEC Modul ar Ba y
slot ( see “Installing a Device i n the NEC M odular Bay Slot ” or “Installing a
Device in the NEC VersaBa y IV Slot”).
References to the drive letter listed under My Computer and the Windows Explorer
change automatically when the device is swapped or removed. The balloon message
that ap p ears when you m ove your cur s or over the ta sk bar icon al so ch anges to r efl ect
the new VersaBay IV or Modular Bay status.
Removing a Device from the NEC Modular Bay Slot
Use the followin g s teps to remove a d evi ce from the NEC Modular Bay slot.
1.
Use the Phoenix BaySwap utility or power off the system.
2.
Locat e the NEC Modu lar Bay rele ase latch to the left of th e Mod u lar Bay slot.
Locating NEC Modular Bay features
A
– NEC Modular Bay Device
C
– Pull tab
B
– Modular Bay Release Latch
3.
Slide the latch to the left and hold it. Grasp the pull tab on the device and remove
the device from the system.
Always install the weight-saving module that ships with your
system in the Modular Bay slot if no Modular Bay device is installed in the slot. See
“Installing a Device in the NEC Modular Bay Slot” for instructions on installing the
module.
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Using the System Drives and Bays 5-5
Installing a Device in the NEC Modular Bay Slot
Use the followin g s teps to install a device in the NEC Mod u lar Bay slot.
1.
Use the Phoenix BaySwap utility or power off the system.
2.
Remove the Modular Bay device or weight-saving module from the Modular Bay
slot.
3.
Align the device in the NEC Modu lar Bay slot an d p u sh it in until i t fi ts secur ely
int o the bay. Mak e sure the lat ch secures the device.
4.
Press the Power button to power on or resume operation.
Removing a Device from the NEC VersaBay IV Slot
Use the followin g s teps to remove a d evi ce from the NEC VersaBay IV slot.
1.
Use the Phoenix BaySwap utility or power off the system.
2.
Close t he LCD pan el an d turn the syst em over.
3.
Locat e the NEC Vers aBay IV rel ease latch (see the following fi g ure).
Locating the NEC VersaBay IV release latch
A
– NEC VersaBay IV Release Latch
B
– NEC VersaBay IV Device
4.
Slide the latch toward the back of the system and hold it.
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5-6 Usin g the System Drives and Bays
5.
Grasp the edge of the NEC Vers aBay IV device and pull the device out of t he
system.
Removing a device from the VersaBay IV slot
Always install the weight-saving module that ships with your
system in the VersaBay IV slot if no VersaBay IV device is installed in the slot. See
“Installing a D evice in th e NEC VersaB ay IV Sl ot” for instructions on installing the
module.
Installing a Device in the NEC VersaBay IV Slot
Use the following steps to install a device in the NEC VersaBay IV slot.
1.
Use the Phoenix BaySwap utility or power off the system.
2.
Remove the VersaBay IV device or weight-saving module from VersaBay IV slot.
3.
Align the device in the NEC VersaBay IV slot and push it in until it fits securely
int o the bay.
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