Panasonic 9TGCF-743 Users Manual

Reference Manual

Personal Computer

Model No. CF-74 Series

We recommend that this Reference Manual be printed.

Key Combinations

NOTE

z Do not repeatedly press the keys in quick succession. z Do not use the key combinations together with touch pad (external mouse), touchscreen (only for model with touch-

screen) or other key operations.

z Do not use the key combinations before you log on to Windows. Wait until the hard disk drive indicator turns off.

On the Setup Utility screen, you can use the key combinations of binations of

z The key combinations may not work with some applications. z The popup menu icon appears after logging on to Windows. It may not appear in some application conditions (e.g.,

when [Command Prompt] is set to “Full Screen”).

Key Function Popup menu icon

Fn+F3

, the display is switched between the internal LCD and the external display.

Fn+F1, Fn+F2

and Fn+F3. By using the key com-

Fn+F1

Fn+F2

Fn+F3

Fn+F4

LCD brightness

(

Fn+F1

Display switching (Î page 47) (When an external display is connected) Internal LCD Simultaneous display External display

Speaker on/off

= down / Fn+F2= up)

CAUTION

z Do not press any keys until the display has finished switching. z Do not use this function:

• When an external display is not connected.

• When playing motion video such as DVD or MPEG.

• When using the Extended Desktop.

• When showing a game screen such as pinball.

NOTE

z Beeps do not sound if you turn off the speaker sound.

OFF

(MUTE)

Key Combinations

Key Function Popup menu icon

Fn+F5

Fn+F6

Fn+F7

Fn+F9

Fn+F10

Volume

(

Fn+F5

Activate standby (Î page 7)

Remaining battery level

(When the battery pack is inserted in the computer)

Activate hibernation (Î page 7)

= down / Fn+F6= up)

NOTE

z When fine-tuning the sound volume, press and hold

intermittently.

z This does not work on beeps or speakers connected to the USB port.

, and press F5 or

(Î page 13)

Key Combinations

Hotkey Settings

You can make two settings:

• Fn key lock

is locked (pressed-down) until you press another key. Use this when pressing difficult key combinations.

• Popup menu icon on/off

1 Start up the Hotkey Settings.

Click [start] - [All Programs] - [Panasonic] - [Hotkey Settings].

2 Make the settings.

[Use Fn key lock]

z When using an

A Press B Press another key. (Lock released)

z When using successive

A Press B Press another key.

Fn key remains locked until you press

key combination

once. (Locked)

twice. (Locked)

key combinations

again.

[Notification]

[Make sounds when Fn key is pressed] [Show status on screen]: Displays the Fn key status on the notification area.

•:

[Disable popup]

The popup menu icon will not be displayed.

is locked.

is not locked.

3 Click [OK].

NOTE

z You can have different settings for each user.

If the speakers are muted, beeps do not sound.

Touchscreen

You can use the touchscreen function to perform the same operation as the touch pad and mouse. Touch the screen surface with the stylus (included).

z To right-click

A Click on the notification area.

changes to .

B Click the object you want to right-click.

returns to .

NOTE

z You need to make the following setting for each user.

A Click [start] - [All Programs] - [Fujitsu Touch Panel (USB)] - [Touch Panel Configuration]. B Select the settings, and then click [OK].

z Do not add a check mark to [Delete Cursor] since the display may be distorted.

z The touchscreen function does not work in the Setup Utility, in the full screen of [Command Prompt] or in Recover Pro

(Î page 75).

Touchscreen Calibration

1 Run [Touch Screen Calibration Utility].

Click [start] - [All programs] - [Fujitsu Touch Panel (USB)] - [Touch Screen Calibration Utility].

2 Using the stylus, touch each of the 12 “+” target marks one by one until it blinks, and then

click [Calibration].

3 Click [Save & Exit].

NOTE

z Perform the touchscreen calibration for each user.

Standby or Hibernation Functions

The standby or hibernation functions allow you to shut off the computer without closing programs and documents. You can quickly return to the programs and documents that you were working on before standby or hibernation.

Function Data is saved to Recovery time Power supply

Standby Memory Short Required. (If power is not supplied, all data will be lost.)

Hibernation Hard disk Rather long Not required. (However power is slightly consumed to

keep the hibernation.)

Setting Standby or Hibernation

1 Click [start] - [Control Panel] - [Performance and Maintenance] - [Power Options] -

[Advanced].

2 Select [Stand by] or [Hibernate] for [When I close the lid of my portable computer:] /

[When I press the power button on my computer:], and then click [OK].

NOTE

z You do not need to make the setting if you use the Windows menu to enter standby or hibernation.

Precautions

z Connect the AC adaptor if the computer will be in standby mode for a long period of time. If you cannot use the AC adap-

tor, use hibernation instead.

z Using standby or hibernation repeatedly may cause malfunction of the computer. To stabilize computer operation, restart

Windows regularly (about once a week) without using standby or hibernation.

z Save the necessary data. z Close files you have opened from removable disk and network drive. z The password you set in the Setup Utility is not requested at resuming. You can use the Windows password for security in

standby or hibernation.

A Click [start] - [Control Panel] - [User Accounts], and select the account. B Click [Create a password] and set the password. C Click [start] - [Control Panel] - [Performance and Maintenance] - [Power Options] - [Advanced], and add the

check mark in [Prompt for password when computer resumes from standby].

z Do not enter standby or hibernation in the following condition, otherwise the data or file may be corrupted, standby/hiber-

nation may not work, or malfunction may occur in the computer or the peripheral devices.

Standby or Hibernation Functions

• When any of the multimedia pocket device indicator , the hard disk drive indicator and the SD Memory Card indi-

cator is on.

• When playing/recording audio files or displaying motion video such as MPEG files.

• When playing a DVD-Video.

• When writing to a disk.

• When using communication software or network function.

• When using a PC Card. (If the card fails to work normally, restart the computer.)

• When an external mouse is connected to the serial port.

z If a disc formatted with B’s CLiP is inserted into the DVD drive (while is displayed on the notification area), the com-

puter cannot enter standby or hibernation. Eject the disc beforehand.

z The computer does not enter standby or hibernation immediately after resuming. Wait approximately one minute.

Entering/Resuming from Standby or Hibernation

 To enter standby or hibernation

1 Close the display, or press the power switch (A) until a beep

sounds.

Standby: The power indicator (B) blinks green. Hibernation: The power indicator (B) goes off. z You can alternatively use the Windows menu to enter standby or hibernation. To

enter standby, click [start] - [Turn Off Computer] - [Stand By]. To enter hibernation, click [start] - [Turn Off Computer], then press and hold [Hibernate].

CAUTION

While the computer is entering standby or hibernation

z Do not:

• Touch the keyboard, touch pad, touchscreen (only for model with touchscreen), or power switch.

• Use an external mouse or other peripheral device.

• Connect or disconnect the AC adaptor.

• Close or open the display. Wait until the power indicator blinks green (standby) or goes off (hibernation).

z It may take one or two minutes to enter standby or hibernation. z At the beep

onds, the computer will forcibly shut down and unsaved data will be lost even if you have set [Shut down] in [When I press the power button on my computer:] (Î page 6 “Setting Standby or Hibernation”).

, immediately release the power switch. If you press and hold the power switch for longer than four sec-

Shift

and click

Standby or Hibernation Functions

If the speakers are muted, beeps do not sound.

In standby or hibernation

z Do not attach or remove a multimedia pocket device and peripheral device. Doing so may cause malfunction. z Power is consumed in standby mode. Power consumption may increase when a PC Card is inserted. When power is

exhausted, the data retained in memory will be lost. Connect the AC adaptor when using the standby function.

z Do not turn on/off the wireless switch.

 To resume from standby or hibernation

1 Open the display, or press the power switch (A).

z When [Stand by] or [Hibernation] is selected as the setting for [When I close the

lid of my portable computer] (Î page 6), you can resume operation opening the display.

CAUTION

z Do not perform the following operations until resuming is complete. After the display has resumed, wait approximately

30 seconds (normally) or 60 seconds (when the computer is on a network).

• Touch the keyboard (except for password input), touch pad, touchscreen (only for model with touchscreen), or power

switch.

• Use an external mouse or other peripheral device.

• Connect or disconnect the AC adaptor.

• Close or open the display.

• Shut down or restart Windows.

• Enter standby or hibernation.

• Turn on/off the wireless switch.

Security Measures

Use these features to protect your data. z Other security measures

• SD Security (

• Embedded Security (TPM) ( Module (TPM)”.

Setting the Supervisor Password/User Password

Set the Supervisor Password before setting the User Password.

1 Start up the Setup Utility (Î page 64). 2 Select [Security].

Î page 38)

Î page 68): For further information, refer to the Installation Manual of “Trusted Platform

3 Select [Set Supervisor Password] or [Set User Password], and press

4 Enter your password in [Enter New Password] and press

z When the password has been set, you need to enter your password in [Enter Current Password] and press

Enter

z To disable the password, leave the input field empty and press

Enter

5 Enter your password again in [Confirm New Password] and press 6 In [Setup Notice], press

7 Press

CAUTION

z Do not forget your password. If you forget your Supervisor Password, you will not be able to use your computer. Con-

tact Panasonic Technical Support.

z When running the Setup Utility, do not leave and go away from your computer even for a short time, since other people

may set or change the password.

NOTE

z The password will not be displayed on the screen. z You can use up to 32 alphanumeric characters (including spaces).

• The case (upper/lower) is ignored.

• To input numbers for the password, you can use the numbered keys on the keyboard.

• You cannot use

z Disabling the Supervisor Password also disables the User Password.

F10

, and then select [Yes] and press

Shift

and

Enter

Ctrl

to input a password.

Enter

Security Measures

Preventing Your Computer from Unauthorized Use

You can set a start-up password to protect your computer from unauthorized use.

1 Set the password (Î page 9), and select [Enable] in [Password on boot] in the [Security]

menu of the Setup Utility (Î page 68).

NOTE

z If the Supervisor Password or User Password has been set, the password input screen will be displayed on starting-up

of the Setup Utility even though [Password on boot] is set to [Disable].

Preventing Your Hard Disk Data from Being Read or Written

The hard disk lock function protects the hard disk data from being read or written when the hard disk is attached to another computer. The data can be read/written when the hard disk is returned to the original computer.

1 Select [Enable] in [Hard Disk Lock] in the [Security] menu of the Setup Utility (Î page 68).

CAUTION

z For the data being read/written on the original computer, the Setup Utility settings must be the same as when the hard

disk was removed.

z You cannot use the hard disk lock function without setting the Supervisor Password. Set the Supervisor Password

beforehand (Î page 9).

z When you have your hard disk drive repaired

• Contact Panasonic Technical Support.

• Before sending back the hard disk drive, be sure to set the [Hard Disk Lock] to [Disable].

NOTE

z The hard disk lock function works with the built-in hard disk. It does not work with the external hard disk. z We recommend you to set [Password on boot] to [Enable] to ensure security though it is not required to enable the

hard disk lock. (Note that the hard disk lock does not guarantee complete protection of the data.)

Security Measures

Disabling DVD Drive

Disable DVD drive operation to prevent the drive from being read/written and from being used to start the computer. You can protect your data from unauthorized access or accidental overwriting.

1 Select [Disable] in [DVD Operation] in the [Security] menu of the Setup Utility (Î page

68).

NOTE

z This does not work for USB DVD drive.

Battery Power

Battery Indicator

Battery indicator Battery status

Not lit The battery pack is not inserted or not being charged.

Orange Charging is in progress.

Green The battery is fully-charged.

Blinking green

Red The remaining battery is approximately 9% or less.

Blinking red The battery pack or the charging circuit is not operating properly.

Blinking orange The battery cannot be charged temporarily due to the following reasons:

In high temperature mode, the 100% battery level is equivalent to 80% level of the normal temperature mode.

NOTE

z Once the battery is fully charged, the computer performs recharging only when the battery level becomes less than

approximately 95%, so overcharging is avoided.

In high temperature mode, the battery pack is discharging the power to 80% temperature mode (Î page 14). Do not remove the battery pack in this status.

• Its internal temperature is out of the acceptable range.

• The power supply is not enough because software applications or peripheral devices are consuming a large amount of power.

of normal

Battery Power

Checking the Remaining Battery Charge

You can check the remaining battery charge on the screen.

(After logging on to Windows)

1 Press

z When the battery pack is inserted (example)

z When the battery pack is not inserted

NOTE

z The battery display may not correspond to the actual remaining battery charge in the cases as below. To correct the

display, perform the Battery Recalibration (Î page 16).

• The battery indicator remains red.

• The indicator lights orange and the display shows 99% for a long time.

• Low battery warning appears soon after a short time of use. This can occur when the computer is in standby mode for a long time without power supply from the AC adaptor.

z The battery display may not be the same as that of notification area or of [Power Meter] in [Power Options Properties].

This is not a malfunction.

Fn+F9

: Normal temperature mode (Î page 14)

: High temperature mode (Î page 14)

Battery Power

High temperature mode

The high temperature mode can prevent the battery from deteriorating when the computer is used in high-temperature environment or used for a long time with its battery fully charged. Select [Auto] (default) or [High Temperature] in [Environment] of the [Main] menu of the Setup Utility (Î page 66).

NOTE

z Note that a level corresponding to a 100% charge for high temperature mode is approximately equivalent to an 80%

charge level for normal temperature mode.

z After switching from [Normal Temperature] to [High Temperature] or vice versa, the remaining battery capacity will not

be displayed correctly until the battery pack is completely discharged or fully charged.

z In the [Auto] mode:

Once the computer has automatically switched from the normal temperature mode to the high temperature mode, the computer will not switch back to the normal temperature mode until the battery has been used and recharged to a total charge level of about five times as much as that of the fully-charged state. This is to avoid battery deterioration.

Battery Power

Computer behavior with low battery

The default settings are as follows.

When the battery level becomes 10% [Low battery alarm]

z Displays a message that the battery level is low. z Displays a message that the battery level is low, and

↓↓

Charge the battery. Connect the AC adaptor or replace the battery to start up

z Connect the AC adaptor immediately. If you do not

have the AC adaptor, exit the running programs and Windows, then confirm that the power indicator is off.

z If you have a fully charged spare battery, turn off the

computer, replace the battery and turn the computer on again.

Do not replace the battery pack when the computer is in standby mode.

When the battery level becomes 5% [Critical battery alarm]

then the computer enters hibernation.

the computer.

z Connect the AC adaptor and charge the battery. z If you have a fully charged spare battery, replace the

battery and turn the computer on again. When the computer enters hibernation with the battery down and you resume the operation without charging the battery, Windows may not start up normally or the alarm function may not operate normally from then on.

Battery Power

Correcting the Battery Display (Battery Recalibration)

The “Battery Recalibration” function measures and memorizes the battery capacity. To correct the battery display, use this function to fill the battery and then discharge it completely. Perform the procedure at least once immediately after purchasing the computer. Normally the interval of battery recalibration is three months. The battery display may not be correct when the battery pack deteriorates after a long time use. In this case, perform the procedure again.

1 Connect the AC adaptor. 2 Close all the applications.

3 Perform “Battery Recalibration”.

A Click [start] - [All Programs] - [Panasonic] - [Battery Recalibration]. B When the confirmation message appears, click [Start].

z Frequent recalibration of the battery can degrade the battery. A caution message appears when the battery

recalibration is performed at the shorter interval than approximately a month. In this case, cancel the battery recalibration.

C When the message requests shut down of Windows, click [Yes].

The battery recalibration starts. After the battery pack is fully charged, discharging starts. When the discharging is completed, the power goes off automatically.

After the battery recalibration is finished, normal charging starts.

NOTE

z The temperature range should be 10 z The battery recalibration may take a long time due to the large battery capacity. This is not a malfunction.

• Full charge: Approximately 4.5 hours

• Complete discharge: Approximately 5 hours

z If the computer is turned off during the battery recalibration (e.g., due to power failure, or accidental removal of the AC

adaptor and battery pack), the battery recalibration will not be completed.

z You can also perform the battery recalibration with the following procedure.

A Restart the computer. B Press C When the remaining battery capacity is displayed, press D Follow the on-screen instructions.

while the [Panasonic] boot screen is displayed just after the computer starts the startup procedure.

°C to 30°C {50°F to 86°F}.

Enter

Battery Power

Replacing the Battery Pack

The battery pack (CF-VZSU43AU) is a consumable item so the replacement will be necessary. If the battery operation time becomes noticeably short and not recovered even after recalibrating the battery, replace with a new battery.

CAUTION

z The battery pack is not charged when you first purchase it. Be sure to charge it before using for the first time. Charging

starts automatically when the AC adaptor is connected to the computer.

z Use only the specified battery pack with your computer. z In the standby mode, do not remove/replace the battery pack. Otherwise your data will be lost and the computer may

be damaged.

1 Turn off the computer.

z Do not use the standby function.

2 Remove/Insert the battery pack.

z To r em ov e

A Slide the right latch (A) to the unlocked position ( ).

B Slide and hold the left latch (B) to the unlocked position ( ), and hold the cen-

ter of the battery pack and push out in parallel with the bottom surface of the computer.

z To i ns er t

A Slide the right latch (A) to the unlocked position ( ). B Insert the battery pack in the correct direction until it securely fits the connector.

C Slide the right latch (A) to the locked position ( ).

Battery Power

CAUTION

z Make sure the latch is securely locked, otherwise the battery pack may fall when you carry the computer. z Do not remove the battery pack forcibly when the latch is locked. Doing so may damage the battery pack.

Multimedia Pocket

You can attach the following devices. (refer to recent catalogs and other sources for information about the products available)

z DVD-ROM & CD-R/RW drive z DVD MULTI drive

CAUTION

z Do not insert/remove the multimedia pocket device in standby or hibernation, or when the multimedia pocket device

indicator or the hard disk drive indicator is on.

z Do not leave a disc formatted with B’s CLiP in the multimedia pocket device because the computer cannot enter

standby/hibernation even if you selected [Stand by] or [Hibernate] in [When I close the lid of my portable computer:] (Î page 6 “Setting Standby or Hibernation”).

NOTE

z Refer to the catalogs etc. for the latest information about optional devices. z Read the instruction manuals of the devices carefully.

Replacing the Multimedia Pocket Device

1 Disable the multimedia pocket device function.

A Double-click on the notification area. B Select the multimedia pocket device and then click [Stop]. C Follow the on-screen instructions.

D Confirm that the multimedia pocket device indicator and the hard disk drive indicator indicators are not lit.

z This step is not necessary when;

• Removing the device after turning off the computer.

• is not displayed.

• The device does not appear in the list in step B.

2 Press and hold the release button (A), and slide the device out

of the multimedia pocket.

Multimedia Pocket

3 Carefully insert the device into the multimedia pocket by push-

ing both corners until it surely fits in the slot.

z The computer must be on when inserting the device. z Insert the device with the label side up.

CAUTION

z Hold the device on its both sides. Otherwise the device may be damaged. z Do not apply excessive force when raising the slot side upward and inserting the

device.

NOTE

z The procedure to disable the multimedia pocket device is not necessary when you remove the device after turning off

the computer.

z You can see that the device is recognized or not by double-clicking

mation] menu in the Setup Utility (Î page 65). If the device is not recognized (or if the media cannot be accessed), turn off the computer and reinsert the device.

on the notification area, or checking the [Infor-

DVD Drive

Handling Precautions

DVD drive handling care

z Do not expose the DVD drive to excessive smoke that may leave a residue, e.g., oil smoke, or tobacco smoke. Doing so

can shorten the life of the drive lens.

z We recommend cleaning the drive lens with an air puffer used for camera lenses.

(Do not use any spray-type of lens cleaning products.)

When opening/closing the tray

z When the computer is on, use the eject button (Î page 26) or eject through Windows. z When is displayed on the notification area, right-click and click [Eject] to eject a disc.

Eject discs only as described above.

z When inserting or removing a disc, be careful not to touch the lens of the drive. z Do not leave the tray open and do not touch the lens.

The lens and disc can become dusty in some conditions. It may cause malfunction in reading or writing.

z Do not apply excessive force to the tray in the open position. z Never insert a foreign object such as a paper clip into the DVD drive.

Doing so may cause malfunction.

z Do not place items other than discs on the tray. z Do not access the drive until after the tray is closed and the multimedia pocket device indicator is off.

While the DVD drive is being accessed

z Do not open the DVD drive or move the computer while the DVD drive is being accessed.

Doing so could cause the disc to shift position and this may damage the disc, or cause the DVD drive to malfunction. In addition, after running an application involving access to a disc, close the application before opening the DVD drive.

DVD Drive

Disc handling care

z Do not use deformed, warped, or irregularly shaped discs.

Reading of disc may not be possible depending on the disc conditions (cracks, dirt, modification, data recording quality, copy protection, recording equipment/software that was used to create the disc, etc.)

z Before using a disc, carefully read the operating/handling instructions and package of the disc. z If the discs are not handled appropriately, they may become dirty or scratched. Furthermore the writing speed may get

slower and the data may not be correctly written on or read from the disc. Other damage may cause a drive failure.

z Note the following precautions.

• Do not touch the disc surface (the side with no printing).

• Keep the disc surface clean and free from dirt, dust, fingerprints and scratches.

• Do not write on the surface of the disc with a ballpoint pen or other writing instrument.

• Do not attach stickers to discs.

• Do not drop, bend, or place heavy objects on top of discs.

• Do not place or store discs in locations exposed to heat, direct sunlight, humidity or dust.

• If a disc is brought from a cold to a warm location, condensation may form on the disc. For read-only discs, wipe off the condensation using a soft, dry, lint-free cloth before using the disc. For recordable/rewritable discs, wait until the condensation dries.

• When not using discs, keep them in their protective cases or cartridges.

To clean discs

<For read-only discs> Wipe discs with a dry, soft cloth from the center toward the edge. If discs get very dirty, wipe with a moist, soft cloth from the center toward the edge, then wipe again with a dry cloth to take up remaining moisture. <For recordable/rewritable discs> Use the Panasonic disc cleaner to clean these discs. Do not use a cloth, CD cleaners or any other such cleaners under any circumstances.

How to hold a disc

DVD Drive

Disc Information

z You can read from/write to the following discs.

CD-R CD-RW

Recordable

z You can read from the following discs.

CD-ROM CD DIGITAL

CD TEXT CD-EXTRA Video CD Photo CD

AUDIO

*1*2

DVD-RAM

You can write to the disc using a DVD MULTI drive.

DVD-RAM: Only non-cartridge type or removable cartridge type can be used.

Does not support DVD-RW Ver.1.0.

DVD-R

+R DL

DVD-R DL DVD-RW

+RW

*1*3

VIDEO CD

DVD-ROM DVD-Video

DVD Drive

 Recommended discs for writing

• CD-R

HITACHI MAXELL, Ltd. MITSUBISHI KAGAKU MEDIA CO., Ltd. TAIYO YUDEN Co., Ltd.

• CD-RW/High-Speed CD-RW

MITSUBISHI KAGAKU MEDIA CO., Ltd. RICOH Co., Ltd.

• Ultra-Speed CD-RW

MITSUBISHI KAGAKU MEDIA CO., Ltd.

 DVD discs you can use for writing

• DVD-R for General

1X-SPEED (4.7 GB) 1–2X-SPEED (4.7 GB) 1–4X-SPEED (4.7 GB) 1–8X-SPEED (4.7 GB) 1–16X-SPEED (4.7 GB)

•DVD-RW

1X-SPEED (4.7 GB/9.4 GB) 1–2X-SPEED (4.7 GB/9.4 GB) 2–4X-SPEED (4.7 GB/9.4 GB) 2–6X-SPEED (4.7 GB/9.4 GB)

•DVD-R Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. MITSUBISHI KAGAKU MEDIA CO., Ltd. TAIYO YUDEN Co., Ltd.

•DVD-RW MITSUBISHI KAGAKU MEDIA CO., Ltd. Victor Company of Japan, Limited

• DVD-RAM Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. HITACHI MAXELL, Ltd.

•+R / +RW MITSUBISHI KAGAKU MEDIA CO., Ltd. RICOH Co., Ltd.

• +R DL MITSUBISHI KAGAKU MEDIA CO., Ltd.

• DVD-RAM 2X-SPEED (4.7 GB/9.4 GB) 2–3X-SPEED (4.7 GB/9.4 GB) 2–5X-SPEED (4.7 GB/9.4 GB)

•+R 1–2.4X-SPEED (4.7 GB) 1–4X-SPEED (4.7 GB) 1–8X-SPEED (4.7 GB) 1–16X-SPEED (4.7 GB)

• +R DL

2.4X-SPEED (8.5 GB)

•+RW 1–2.4X-SPEED (4.7 GB) 1–4X-SPEED (4.7 GB)

Use the 2.4X-SPEED discs for writing. The drive is not compatible with writing to the 8X-SPEED discs (including the 2.4-8X-SPEED discs).

DVD Drive

Using DVD Media

To play DVD-Video or MPEG2 files, you need to use DVD playback software such as WinDVD (Î page 28).

 Region code setting

DVD-Video are allocated to region codes according to where they are sold. To play a DVD-Video, the player’s software and the drive must have the corresponding region code.

e.g., For U.S.A. and Canada: “1” For Europe: “2”

z The region code of the drive is not set at purchase. The operation depends on the DVD-Video that is first played.

• DVD-Video with a specific region code: The drive will automatically be set at the same region code as the DVD-Video.

• DVD-Video with multiple region codes: [Confirm Region] appears. Select the region code and click [OK]. Play now begins.

CAUTION

z You can change the region code setting up to five times including the initial setting. Be extremely careful because you

cannot change the region code anymore after the fifth change, even if you reinstalled the operating system.

z Any problem resulting from illegal changing or altering of the region code is the user’s responsibility.

NOTE

z [Confirm Region] appears when the DVD-Video has only one region code and the drive is set for another region code.

([Confirm Region] may not appear with some DVD-Video discs. To check the current region code and the number of remaining times of changing the code, right-click on the WinDVD screen and click [Setup] - [Region].)

DVD Drive

Setting a Disc

1 Turn on the computer. 2 Press the eject button (A) and slowly pull out the tray. 3 Insert/Remove the disc.

z To i ns er t

Set the disc with the label side up and press the center of the disc until it clicks in place.

z To r em ov e

Press on the center spindle (B) and carefully lift up the edge of the disc.

4 Close the tray.

Do not press the eject button.

NOTE

z To remove a disc when the computer is powered off, insert a pointed object (e.g., the

bent-out tip of a paper clip, or the tip of a pencil or ballpoint pen) into the emergency hole (A). Pushing it to the end allows the tray to come out. (The position of the emergency hole depends on the drive.)

z If the vibration of the DVD drive is excessive, check the disc. If the disc is normal and

is inserted correctly, set [DVD Drive Speed] to [Low] in the [Main] menu of the Setup Utility (Î page 66). When using B’s Recorder, select writing speed [8x] or less to minimize vibration.

z For AutoPlay CD:

• If an AutoPlay CD does not start after the computer resumes from standby or hibernation, remove the disc from the

drive and then reinsert it after waiting 15 seconds.

• An AutoPlay CD may start during file access depending on the status of the disc.

z When playing back video from a disc, playback may not be smooth in some conditions.

Power-saving mode

If the DVD drive is not accessed for 30 seconds, the drive motor will automatically be shut down to reduce the power consumption. When the DVD drive is accessed again, the drive motor is turned on. In this case, reading of the disc data will take approximately 30 seconds.

DVD Drive

DVD-ROM & CD-R/RW Drive

z Connect the AC adaptor if writing operation takes a long time. If the battery level becomes low and the power is not sup-

plied, writing operation may not be completed.

z You need to use writing software to write to discs. (“B’s Recorder” and “B’s CLiP” Î page 30)

Ensure the disc is compatible with the selected writing speed.

z The quality of written data depends on the disc.

DVD MULTI Drive

z If a DVD MULTI drive has already been set at the time of initial startup of the computer, you do not need to install the DVD-

RAM Driver. You can write to a DVD-RAM disc without installation. If you purchase a DVD MULTI drive after the initial startup of the computer, install the DVD-RAM Driver according to the operating instructions supplied with the drive.

+ 60 hidden pages