Quanta Computer 145015318 Users manual
Contents
1 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 1450. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Keyboard area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Key types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Using the touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Connecting the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Connecting to an Ethernet network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Broadband Internet connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
HelpSpot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
HelpSpot Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
4 Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Using the desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Identifying Window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
i
Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Viewing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Creating folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Using the Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
5 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
6 Using Multimedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Using diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Using a CD, CD-RW, or DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Inserting a CD, CD-RW, or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Creating CDs using your CD-RW or DVD/CD-RW drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Creating data CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Creating music CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Listening to CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Playing audio and video files with the Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Creating music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
ii
Listening to Internet radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Using advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
7 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Setting up your cover page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
8 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Changing power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Changing the power scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Changing alarm options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Changing advanced settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Activating and Using Hibernate Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Changing SpeedStep settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
9Travel tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Radio frequency wireless connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
10 Customizing Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Adjusting the screen resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Applying a color scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Changing the touchpad settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Programming the multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Adding and modifying user accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
iii
11 Upgrading Your Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Adding PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Installing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Replacing the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
12 Networking Your Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
The benefits of using a network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Sharing a single Internet connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Sharing drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Sharing peripheral devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Streaming audio and video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
Playing multi-player games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
Example network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Selecting a network connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Wired connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Wireless Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144
Assessing your connection needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Comparing data transfer speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Using a wireless network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
Using wireless Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
Purchasing additional network equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
HPNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Wireless Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
13 Moving From Your Old Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Transferring software and hardware from your old computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Using the Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Transferring files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178
Transferring Internet settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Reinstalling your old printer or scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Reinstalling your old programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181
14 Maintaining Your Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Creating an emergency startup diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
Using Disk Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
iv
Checking the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Using the Scheduled Task Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Cleaning the screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
15 Restoring Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Using the Restoration CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Reinstalling device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Updating device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Reinstalling programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Reinstalling Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
16 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Software support tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
CD, CD-RW, DVD, or DVD/CD-RW drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
LCD panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Before calling Gateway Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
v
Tutoring and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .232
Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .232
Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .232
Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .232
A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
vi
Checking Out
Your Gateway
Solo 1450
Tips & Tricks T o acce ss the contents of this guide while you a re trav eling,
download an electronic copy from
www.gateway.com/support/manlib/.
1
www.gateway.com
1
Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Solo 1450
Front
LCD panel
release
latch
Speaker
Battery
charge
indicator
Speaker
Power
indicator
Component Icon Description
LCD panel release latch Open the LCD panel by sliding the release latch to the
right.
Speakers Provide audio output. Speakers are disabled while
headphones are connected.
Battery charge indicator The LED shows the battery activity and status.
■
LED green – b atter y is fully charged.
■
LED orange – batter y is cha rging.
■
LED red – battery is low.
■
LED blinking and red – battery is very low.
NOTE: This LED only lights up when the notebook is
plugged in.
Pow er indicator Lights up when the note book is turned on an d shows the
notebook power status.
■
LED on – power is on.
■
LED flashing – notebook is in Standby mode.
■
LED off – power is off or notebook is in Hibernate
mode.
2
www.gateway.com
Left side
Left side
drive
Diskette drive
eject button
Modem jack
Ethernet jack
Microphone jack
PC Card
eject button
Headphone jack
PC Card
slot
Diskette
Component Icon Description
Modem jack Plug a modem cable into this jack. For more information, see
“Connecting the modem” on page 26.
Ethernet jack Plug a 10/100 Ethernet network cable into this jack. For more
information, see “Conn ecting to an Ethernet network” on page 27
and “Networking Your Notebook” on page 139.
Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack.
Headphone jack Plug amplified speakers or headphones into this jack.
PC Card eject bu tton Press this eject but ton to remo v e the PC Card from the PC Card
slot. For more information, see “Adding PC Cards” on page 130.
PC Card slot Insert one Type II or Type III PC Card into this slot. For more
information, see “Adding PC Cards” on page 130.
Diskette dr ive Inser t a standa rd 3.5-inch diskette in to this dr ive. For more
information, see “Using diskettes” on page 68.
Diskette drive eject
button
Press the ej ect button t o remove a diskett e from the drive. For
more information, see “Using diskettes” on page 68.
www.gateway.com
3
Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Solo 1450
Right side
Battery bay Manual eject hole
CD, CD-RW, DVD,
or DVD/CD-RW
drive
Drive
indicator
Drive eject button
Component Icon Description
Battery bay Insert the battery into this bay. For more inf ormation, s ee
“Changing batteries” on page 103.
CD, CD-RW, DVD, or
combination DVD/CD-RW
drive
Drive indicator Lights up when the computer is accessing the CD,
Drive eject button Press the eject button to open the disc tray. For more
Insert CDs, CD-RWs, or DVDs into this drive. For more
information, see “ U s ing a CD, CD-RW, or DVD drive” on
page 69.
T o det ermine the type of driv e in your noteb ook, exa mine
the drive tray’s plastic cover. A CD Compact Disc logo
indicates a CD dri ve, a CD-R/RW logo indicate s a
recordable/rewritable CD drive, a DVD logo indicates a
DVD drive, and a DVD/CD-R/RW logo indicates a
combination DVD and recordable/rewritable CD drive.
CD-RW, DVD, or combination DVD/CD-RW drive. For
more information, see “Using a CD, CD-RW, or DVD
drive” on page 69.
information, see “ U s ing a CD, CD-RW, or DVD drive” on
page 69.
Manual eject hole Insert a straightened paperclip into this h ole to open the
drive if the drive eject button fails to open it.
4
www.gateway.com
Back
Back
Kensington
lock slot
Power
connector
USB
ports
Monitor
port
Parallel
port
Ventilation
fan
Component Icon Description
Kensington™ lock slot Secure your computer to an object by connecting a
Kensington cable lock to this slot.
Power connector Plug the AC adapter cable into this connector.
USB ports Plug USB (Univers al Serial Bus) devices (s uch as a USB
Iomega™ Zip™ drive, printer, scanner, or camera) into
these ports.
Monitor port Plug an analog VGA monitor into this port.
Parallel port Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this port.
Ventilation fan Helps cool internal components. Do not block or insert
objects in to these slo ts.
www.gateway.com
5
Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Solo 1450
Bottom
Memory
bay
Reset
hole
Ventilation
fan
Hard drive
Battery
bay
Battery
latch
System
label
Component Icon Description
Hard drive Install the hard drive here. For more information, see “Replacing the
hard drive” on page 137.
Battery bay Insert the battery into this bay. For more information, see “Changing
batteries” on page 103.
Battery latch Slide to release the battery.
System labe l Includes th e produc t model numbe r and ser ial number. For more
information, see “Identifying your model” on page 9.
Ventilation
fan
Reset hole Insert a straightened paper clip into this hole to manually restart the
Memory bay Install as m any as two mem ory m odules in to this bay. For more
6
Helps cool internal components. Do not block or insert objects into these
slots.
system.
information, see “Installing memory” on page 133.
www.gateway.com
Ke yboard area
Keyboard
Touchpad
Keyboard area
Multi-function buttons
Power button
Status
indicators
Component Icon Description
Power button Press to turn the power on or off. For more information on
configuring the power button mode, see “Changing power
settings” on page 107.
Multi-function buttons Four multi-function buttons can be assigned to open
applications. By default, these buttons are set to open your
e-mail application, your Web browser, online help, and
another program that you assign. For more information, see
“Multi-function buttons” on page 22.
Status indicators Inf orm y ou wh en a d rive is in use o r whe n a b utt on has been
pressed that affects how the keybo ard is used . For more
information, see “Status indicators” on page 17.
Touchpad Provides all the functionality of a mouse. For more
information, see “Using the EZ Pad touchpad” on page 23.
www.gateway.com
7
Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Solo 1450
Component Icon Description
Keyboard A full-sized 86-key keyboard. For more information, see
“Using the keyboard” on page 18.
8
www.gateway.com
Identifying y our model
The labels on the bottom of your computer contain information that
identifies your notebook model and its features. Gateway Tec hnical Support
will need this information if you call for assistance.
Important The label shown below is for informational purposes only.
Label information var ies by model.
Insert Solo 1450 Label
The following label indicates your computer contains a wireless
communications dev ice.
Identifying your mo del
Insert Wireless Label
The Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity label includes the product key code
for your operating system.
Insert Microsoft XP Label
www.gateway.com
9
Chapter 1: Checking Out Yo ur Gateway Solo 1450
Accessories
Gateway offers accessories that can help you make the most of using your
notebook.
Batteries and automobile/airplane power adapt ers
If you run your notebook on battery power for extended periods, you may
want to buy an additional battery so that you can swap batteries when
necessary. See “Changing batteries” on page 103 for more information about
using a second battery on your notebook.
With an automobile/airplane power adapter, you can save battery power by
plugging your notebook into an automobile cigarette lighter or an airplane
in-flight power receptacle.
Carrying cases
Gateway has large-capacity carrying cases if you need additional space for
accessories or supplies.
Peripheral de vices
Y o u can attach devices s uch as a keyboa rd, mouse, printer, or monitor to your
notebook.
10
Memory
Large programs, such as multimedia games or graphics programs, use a lot of
memory. If your programs are running more slowly than you think they
should, try adding more memory.
Printers
You can attach many types of printers to your notebook. The most common
types are inkjet and laser printers, which print in color or black and white.
See “Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device” on page 28 for
more information about attaching a printer to your notebook.
Inkjet printers and cartridges are relatively inexpensive, but usually they are
slower than laser printers. Using an inkjet color printer, you ca n print pictures,
banners, and greeting cards, as well as documents.
Laser printers and cartridges are more expensive, but usually they print much
faster than inkjet printers. Laser printers are better than inkjet printers when
you are printing large documents.
www.gateway.com
Getting Started
This chapter provides basic information about your Gateway notebook. Read
this chapter to find out:
■ How to con nect th e AC adapter
■ How to start and turn off your notebook
■ How to use the key board
■ How to use the EZ Pad touchpad
■ How to con nect th e modem
■ How to connect to an Ethernet network
■ How to install peripheral devi ces
2
www.gateway.com
11
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Connecting the A C adapter
Y ou can run y our notebook using an AC adapter or the notebook battery . The
battery was shipped to you partially charged. You should use the AC adapter
right away to fully charge the battery. Allow 24 hours for the battery to fully
charge.
Important If the battery is not fully charged before you use your
notebook on battery pow er f or the first tim e, the battery lif e
may be much shorter than you expect. If the battery life
seems short even after being charged for 24 hours, the
battery may need to be recalibrated. For information on
recalibrating the b attery , se e “Recal ibrating the battery” on
page 102.
To connect the AC adapter:
1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.
12
Warning Replace the power cord if it becomes damaged. The
replacement cord must be of the same type and voltage
rating as the original cord or the notebook may be
damaged.
www.gateway.com
Connecting the AC adapter
2 Connect the AC adapter to your notebook’s power connector.
3 Plug the power cord into a wall outlet.
The battery charging indicator turns on (see “Front” on page 2 for the
location of the indicator). If the battery charging indicator does not turn
on, disconnect the adapter from your n otebook and repeat Step 2.
4 When you finish using your notebook for the first time, turn the
notebook off and leave the notebook connected to AC power for at least
24 hours. The battery charge meters may not show a charge for several
hours. For more information about battery meters on your model, see
“Monitoring the battery charge” on page 100.
5 If the battery meters do not show a full charge after 24 hours, contact
Gateway Technical Support at www.gateway.com/support/contact.
Warning Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The
AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable
parts inside. The A C adapter has dangerous vo ltages that
can cause serious injury or dea th. Contact G ate wa y about
returning defective AC adapters.
www.gateway.com
13
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Protecting from power source problems
During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your
computer can increase to far above normal levels and cause data loss or system
damage. Protect your computer and peripheral devices by connecting them
to a surge protector, which absorbs voltage surges and prevents them from
reaching your computer.
Warning High voltages can enter your computer through both the
power cord and the modem connection. Protect your
computer by using a surge protector. If you have a
telephone modem, use a surge protector that has a
modem jack. If you have a cable modem, use a surge
protector that has an antenna/cable TV jack. During an
electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the
modem.
14
www.gateway.com
Starting your notebook
To start the notebook:
1 Open your notebook by sliding the latch on the front of your notebook
to the right and lifting the LCD panel.
2 Press the power button located above the keyboard.
Pow er b u tt o n
Starting your notebook
The power button is preset to On/Off mode. However, you can also set
it to function in Standby/Resume mode. For instructions on changing
the power button mode, see “Changing power settings” on page 107.
3 If you are starting your notebook for the first time, follow the on-screen
instructions to set up your notebook.
W aking up your notebook
When you have not used your notebook for several minutes, it may enter a
power-saving mode called Standby. While in Standby, the power indicator
flashes.
If your notebook is in Standby mode, “wake” it up by pressing the power
button. For more information on changing power-saving settings, see
“Changing power settings” on page 107.
www.gateway.com
15
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Turning off y our notebook
To turn off your notebook:
1 Click Start, then click T urn Off Computer . The Turn Off Computer dialog box
opens.
2 Click Tu rn Off. Windows shuts down and turns off your notebook.
Important If for some reason you cannot use the Turn Off Computer
option in Windows to t urn off your noteboo k, press and
hold the power b utton f or about fiv e seconds, then release
it.
16
www.gateway.com
Status indicators
Status indicators inform you when a drive is being used or when a button
has been pressed that affects how the keyboard is used.
Pad lo ck
Caps lock
Scroll lock
Status indicators
Diskette drive
Hard drive
Disc drive
Indicator Icon Description
Caps Lock Caps Lo ck is tur ned on.
Pad Lock Pad Lock is turned on.
1
Scroll Lock Scroll Lock is turned on.
Diskette drive The standard 1.44 MB diskette drive is in use.
Hard drive The hard drive is in use.
Disc dr ive The CD, CD-RW, DVD, or combination DVD/CD-RW drive is in
use.
www.gateway.com
17
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Using the keyboar d
Your notebook features a full-size keyboard that functions the same as a
desktop computer keyboard. Many of the keys have been assign ed alternate
functions, including shortcut keys for Windows, function keys for specific
system operations, and the Pad Lock keys for the numeric keypad.
Y ou can attach an external keyboard to the notebook using a USB or PS/2 port.
You do not need to shut down the notebook to connect a keyboard.
Fn key
Application
key
Function/System keys
key
Numeric
keypad
Navigation/Volume keys
Windows
key
Arrow keysWindows
Fn key
18
www.gateway.com
Using the keyboard
Key types
Many different key types are located on t he keyboard. Some keys perform
specific actions when pressed by itself and another action when pressed in
combination with another key.
Key type Icon Description
Function keys Press these keys labeled F1 to F12 to perform actions
in programs. For example, pressing F1 may open help.
Each program uses different function keys for different
purposes. Refer to the program documentation to find
out more about the function key actions.
System keys Press these colored k ey s in combin ation wit h the F
to perform specific actions.
Navigation keys Press these ke y s to move the cursor t o th e be ginning of
a line, to the e nd of a li n e, up th e pa ge, dow n the pa ge,
to the beginning of a document, or to the end of a
document.
V olume keys Press these colored keys in c ombinati on with the F
to increase or decrease the volume, or mute the sound.
N key Press the FN key in combination with a colored system
F
key (such as
a specific action.
Application key Press for quick access to shortcut menus and help
assistants in Windows.
Windows key Press to open the Windows Start menu. This key can
also be used in combination with other keys to open
utilities like F (Search utility), R (Run utility), and
E (Explorer utility).
Numeric keypad Use these keys to type numbers when the numeric
keypad is turned on. Press
numeric keypad.
Arrow keys Press these keys to move the cursor up, down, right, or
left.
STATUS, STANDBY, or PAUSE) to perform
FN+PAD LOCK to turn on the
N key
N key
www.gateway.com
19
Chapter 2: Getting Started
System key combinations
When you press an FN key and a system key at the same time, the notebook
performs the action identified by the colored t ext or icon on the key.
Press and hold F
N while
pressing this system key...
Too...
Display the power statu s box in th e upper left corner of your screen.
The box shows the battery charge level, the BIOS version, and
whether the AC adapter is being us ed. Pres s the key combinati on
again to close this box.
T oggle the notebook screen betw een the LCD , an e xternal monitor ,
or both displays at the same tim e . A monitor m ust be pl ugged in to
the monitor port on the notebook.
Enter Standby mode. Press the power button to leave Standby
mode.
Turn on Pad Lock so you can use the numeric keypad. Press this
key combination again to turn off Pad Lock. The Pad Lock status
indicator appears while this function is turned on.
Pause the text scrolling in a DOS screen. The Scroll Lock status
indicator appears when this function is turned on. Press the key
combination again to continue scrolling. (This function is only
available in some programs.)
Pause e xe cution of a DOS prog ram. (This fu nction is only a vail able
in some programs.)
20
Stop the cur rently r unning D OS program. (This func tion is on ly
available in some programs.)
Mute the sound. Press the key combination again to restore the
sound.
Increase volume.
www.gateway.com
Using the keyboard
Press and hold FN while
pressing this system key...
Too...
Decrease volume.
www.gateway.com
21
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Multi-function buttons
User-defined
shortcut
Help
Internet
E-mail
Button Icon Press to...
E-mail Open your e-mail program.
Intern et Open your Web browser.
Help Open online help.
User-defined shortcut Open the program you assign to this key.
The multi-function buttons can be assigned different functions than those
listed. For more information, see “Programming the multi-function buttons”
on page 126.
22
www.gateway.com
Using the EZ P ad touchpad
The EZ Pad™ consists of a touchpad, two buttons, and a rocker switch.
Using the EZ Pad touchpad
Left
touchpad
button
When you move your finger on the touchpad, the pointer (arrow) on the screen
moves in the sam e directi on.
Rocker
switch
www.gateway.com
Right
touchpad
button
Touchpad
23
Chapter 2: Getting Started
You can use the EZ-Pad left and right buttons below the touchpad to select
objects.
You can assign a function to the rocker switch between the touchpad buttons.
This function can be to scroll up or down, maximize or minimize the active
window, or open and close the Start menu. For more information about
programming the rocker switch, see “Changing the touchpad settings” on
page 125.
Using the touchpad
To... Do this...
Move th e po inte r
on the screen.
Select an obj ect
on the screen.
Star t a program
or open a file or
folder.
Move your finger around on the
touchpad. If you run out of sp ac e
and need to move the pointer
farther, lift your f inger, move it to
the middle of the touchpad, then
continue moving your finger.
Position the poin ter over the
object. Press the le ft button below
the touchpad once. This action is
called clicking.
Position the poin ter over the
object. Press the le ft button below
the touchpad twice in rapid
succession. This action is called
double-clicking.
24
www.gateway.com
Loading...