Sony PCG-505F, PCG-505FX User Guide

®

VAIO 505 SuperSlim
Notebook User Guide

PCG-505F/PCG-505FX

®

Notice to Users

Safety Information

© 1998 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights
reserved. This manual and the software
described herein, in whole or in part, may
not be reproduced, translated, or reduced
to any machine-readable form without
prior written approval.

SONY ELECTRONICS INC. PROVIDES
NO WARRANTY WITH REGARD TO
THIS MANUAL, THE SOFTWARE, OR
OTHER INFORMATION CONTAINED
HEREIN AND HEREBY EXPRESSLY
DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR
PURPOSE WITH REGARD TO THIS
MANUAL, THE SOFTWARE, OR SUCH
OTHER INFORMATION. IN NO EVENT
SHALL SONY ELECTRONICS INC. BE
LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL, OR SPECIAL
DAMAGES, WHETHER BASED ON
TORT, CONTRACT, OR OTHERWISE,
ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION
WITH THIS MANUAL, THE SOFTWARE,
OR OTHER INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN OR THE USE
THEREOF.

Sony Electronics Inc. reserves the right to
make any modification to this manual or
the information contained herein at any
time without notice. The software
described herein is governed by the terms
of a separate user license agreement.

Sony, DVgate, i.LINK, Mavica, PictureGear,
VAIO and the VAIO logo are trademarks of
Sony Corporation. ImageStation and Sony
VAIO Direct are service marks of Sony
Electronics Inc. Windows and the Windows
98 logo are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation. Intel, MMX, and
Pentium are trademarks of Intel
Corporation.

All other trademarks are trademarks of
their respective owners.

Owner’s Record

The model number and serial number are
located on the bottom of your Sony VAIO
505 SuperSlim Notebook. Record the serial
number in the space provided here. Refer
to the model and serial number when you
call your Sony Service Center.

Model Number: PCG-505F/PCG-505FX
Serial Number:________________________

WARNING

To prevent fire or shock hazard, do

❏

not expose your notebook computer
to rain or moisture.
To avoid electrical shock, do not open

❏

the cabinet. Refer servicing to
qualified personnel only.
Never install modem or telephone

❏

wiring during a lightning storm.
Never install telephone jacks in wet

❏

locations unless the jack is specifically
designed for wet locations
Never touch uninsulated telephone

❏

wire or terminals unless the telephone
line has been disconnected at the
network interface.
Use caution when installing or

❏

modifying telephone lines.
Avoid using the modem during an

❏

electrical storm.
Do not use the modem or a telephone

❏

to report a gas leak in the vicinity of
the leak.
A socket outlet should be as close as

❏

possible to the unit and easily
accessible.

AVERTISSEMENT

Pour prévenir tout risque d’incendie

❏

ou d’électrocution, garder cet appareil
à l’abri de la pluie et de l’humidité.
Pour prévenir tout risque

❏

d’électrocution, ne pas ouvrir le boîtier.
Confier l’entretien de cet appareil
exclusivement à un personnel qualifié.
L’appareil doit être le plus près

❏

possible d’une prise murale pour en
faciliter l’accès.

Regulatory Informat io n

Declaration of Conformity

Trade Name: SONY

Model No: PCG-505F/PCG-505FX

Responsible Party:

Sony Electronics Inc.

Address:

1 Sony Drive
Park Ridge, NJ 07656

Telephone No.: 201-930-6970

This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC rules. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions: (1)
This device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device
must accept any interference that
may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found
to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio
communications.

However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user
is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the
following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving

❏

antenna.
Increase the separation between the

❏

equipment and the receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet

❏

on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced

❏

radio/TV technician for help.

You are cautioned that any changes or
modifications not expressly approved in
this manual could void your authority to
operate this equipment.

Only peripherals (computer input/output
devices, terminals, printers, etc.) that
comply with FCC Class B limits may be
attached to this computer product.
Operation with non-compliant peripherals
is likely to result in interference to radio
and television reception.

All cables used to connect peripherals must
be shielded and grounded. Operation with
cables, connected to peripherals, that are
not shielded and grounded, may result in
interference to radio and television
reception.

FCC Part 68

This equipment complies with Part 68 of
the FCC rules. On the bottom of this
equipment is a label that contains among
other information, the FCC equivalence
number (REN) for this equipment. If
requested, this information must be
provided to the telephone company.

All applicable registration jack USCOs, any
facility interface codes and service order
codes associated with the services the
equipment is to be connected.

The REN is used to determine the quantity
of devices which may be connected to the
telephone line. Excessive RENs on the
telephone line may result in the devices not
ringing in response to an incoming call. In
most, but not all areas, the sum of the RENs
should not exceed five (5.0). To be certain
of the number of devices that may be
connected to the line, as determined by the
total RENs, contact the telephone company
to determine the maximum REN for the
calling area.

If the terminal equipment (Notebook
Computer PCG-505F/PCG-505FX) causes
harm to the telephone network, the
telephone company will notify you in
advance that temporary discontinuance of
service may be required. But if advance
notice isn’t practical, the telephone
company will notify the customer as soon
as possible. Also, you will be advised of
your right to file a complaint with the FCC
if you believe it is necessary.

The telephone company may make
changes in its facilities, equipment,
operations or procedures that could affect
the operations of the equipment. If this
happens, the telephone company will
provide advance notice in order for you to
make the necessary modifications in order
to maintain uninterrupted service.

If trouble is experienced with this
equipment (Notebook Computer PCG­505F/PCG-505FX), please contact 1-888-

4SONYPC (1-888-476-6972), or write to the
Sony Customer Information Center, One
Sony Drive, Park Ridge, NJ 07656 for repair
and (or) warranty information. If the
trouble is causing harm to the telephone
network, the telephone company may
request you remove the equipment from
the network until the problem is resolved.

Repair of this equipment should be made
only by a Sony Service Center or Sony
authorized agent. For the Sony Service
Center nearest you, call 1-888-4SONYPC
(1-888-476-6972).

This equipment cannot be used on public
coin service provided by the telephone
company. Connection to Party Line Service
is subject to state and possible provincial
tariffs. (Contact the state or provincial
utility service commission, public service
commission or corporation commission
for information.)

Telephone Consumer
Protection Act of 1991
(United States)

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of
1991 makes it unlawful for any person to
use a computer or other electronic device to
send any message via a telephone facsimile
machine unless such message clearly
contains, in a margin at the top or bottom
of each transmitted page or on the first
page of the transmission, the date and time
it is sent and an identification of the
business, other entity, or individual
sending the message, and the telephone
number of the sending machine or such
business, other entity, or individual.

In order to program this information into
your facsimile, see your fax software
documentation.

Telephone Consumer Guidelines (Canada)

Please refer to your telephone directory
under ‘Privacy Issues’ and/or ‘Terms of
Service’. For more detailed information
please contact.

CRTC
Terrasses de la Chaudiére, Tour centrale 1
promenade du Portage, 5 étage, Hull PQ
K1A 0N2.

This Class B digital apparatus complies
with Canadian ICES-003.

Cet appareil numérique de la class B est
conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

DISPOSAL OF LITHIUM ION BATTERY

You can return your unwanted lithium ion
batteries to your nearest Sony Service
Center or Factory Service Center.

In some areas the disposal of lithium

✍

ion batteries in household or
business trash may be prohibited.

For the Sony Service Center nearest you
call 1-888-476-6972 in the United States or
1-800-961-7669 in Canada.

!

Danger of explosion if battery is
incorrectly replaced. Replace only
with the same or equivalent type
recommended by the
manufacturer. Discard used
batteries according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.

!

Une batterie non conforme
présente un danger d’explosion.
La remplacer seulement par une
batterie identique ou de type
équivalent recommandé par le
fabricant. Évacuer les batteries
usées selon les directives du
fabricant.

!

The battery pack used in this
device may present a fire or
chemical burn hazard if
mistreated. Do not disassemble,
heat above 212° (100°C) or
incinerate. Dispose of used battery
promptly. Keep away from
children.

!

La manutention incorrecte du
module de batterie de cet appareil
présente un risque d’incendie ou
de brûlures chimiques. Ne pas
démonter, inci nérer ou exposer à
une température de plus de 100°C.
Évacuer promptement la batterie
usée. Garder hors de portée des
enfants.

!

Do not handle damaged or leaking
lithium ion batteries.

!

Ne pas manipuler les batteries au
lithium-ion qui fuient ou sont
endommagées.

INDUSTRY CANADA NOTICE

NOTICE: The Industry Canada label
identifies certified equipment. This
certification means that the equipment
meets certain telecommunications
network protective, operational and safety
requirements as prescribed in the
appropriate Terminal Equipment Technical
Requirements document(s). The
Department does not guarantee the
equipment will operate to the user’s
satisfaction.

Before installing this equipment, users
should ensure that it is permissible to be
connected to the facilities of the local
telecommunications company. The
equipment must also be installed using an
acceptable method of connection.

The customer should be aware that
compliance with the above conditions may
not prevent degradation of service in some
situations.

Repairs to certified equipment should be
coordinated by a representative designated
by the supplier. Any repairs or alterations
made by the user to this equipment, or
equipment malfunctions, may give the
telecommunications company cause to
request the user to disconnect the
equipment.

Users should ensure for their own
protection that the electrical ground
connections of the power utility, telephone
lines and internal metallic water pipe
system, if present, are connected together.
This precaution may be particularly
important in rural areas.

Caution: Users should not attempt to make
such connections themselves, but should
contact the appropriate electric inspection
authority, or electrician, as appropriate.

NOTICE: The Ringer Equivalence Number
(REN) assigned to each terminal device
provides an indication of the maximum
number of terminals allowed to be
connected to a telephone interface. The

termination on an interface may consist of
any combination of devices subject only to
the requirement that the sum of the Ringer
Equivalence Number of all the devices
does not exceed 5.

AVIS DE L’INDUSTRIE CANADA

AVIS: L’étiquette d’Industrie Canada
identifie le matériel homologué.

Cette étiquette certifie que le matériel est
conforme aux normes de protection,
d’exploitation et de sécurité des réseaux de
télécommunications, comme le prescrivent
les documents concernant les exigences
techniques relatives au matériel terminal.
Le Ministère n’assure toutefois pas que le
matériel fonctionnera à la satisfaction de
l’utilisateur.

Avant d’installer ce matériel, l’utilisateur
doit s’assurer qu’il est permis de le
raccorder aux installations de l’entreprise
locale de télécommunication. Le matériel
doit également être installé en suivant une
méthode acceptée de raccordement.
L’abonné ne doit pas oublier qu’il est
possible que la conformité aux conditions
énoncées ci-dessus n’empêche pas la
dégradation du service dans certaines
situations.

Les réparations de matériel homologué
doivent être coordonnées par un
représentant désigné par le fournisseur.
L’entreprise de télécommunications peut
demander à l’utilisateur de débrancher un
appareil à la suite de réparations ou de
modifications effectuées par l’utilisateur ou
à cause de mauvais fonctionnement.

Pour sa propre protection, l’utilisateur doit
s’assurer que tous les fils de mise à la terre
de la source d’énergie électrique, des lignes
téléphoniques et des canalisations d’eau
métalliques, s’il y en a, sont raccordés
ensemble. Cette précaution est
particulièrement importante dans les
régions rurales.

Avertissement: L’utilisateur ne doit pas
tenter de faire ces raccordements lui-même;
il doit avoir recours à un service
d’inspection des installations électriques,
ou à un électricien, selon le cas.

AVIS: L’indice d’équivalence de la sonnerie
(IES) assigné à chaque dispositif terminal
indique le nombre maximal de terminaux
qui peuvent être raccordés à une interface.

La terminaison d’une interface
téléphonique peut consister en une
combination de quelques dispositifs, à la
seule condition que la somme d’indices
d’équivalence de la sonnerie de tous les
dispositifs n‘excède pas 5.

Contents

Welcome

Ergonomic Considerations.............................................................2

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

Locating the Controls and Connectors.........................................5

Front.......................................................................................................5

Back........................................................................................................6

Left .........................................................................................................6

Right ......................................................................................................7

Bottom....................................................................................................7

Connecting a Power Source ...........................................................8

Using the AC Adapter.........................................................................8

Using Battery Power ...........................................................................9

Starting Your Computer ...............................................................12

Shutting Down Your Computer ..................................................13

®

Registering Windows

Registering Your Computer.........................................................15

Using the Keyboard.......................................................................16

Combinations and Functions with the Windows 98 Key ............18

Indicators.............................................................................................19

Combinations and Functions with the Fn Key .............................20

Using the Touchpad ...................................................................... 21

Using the Plastic Pen.....................................................................22

Using ScribblePad..............................................................................23

Using the Floppy Disk Drive .......................................................24

Using PC Cards..............................................................................26

Using Infrared Communication Devices....................................29

Using Power Saving Modes .........................................................31

Normal Mode .....................................................................................31

98............................................................. 14

ix

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

x

System Suspend Mode......................................................................31

System Hibernation Mode................................................................32

Connecting Peripheral Devices

Connecting a Phone Line ..............................................................34

Connecting the Port Replicator ....................................................35

Connecting a Printer..........................................................................37

Connecting an External Display .....................................................38

Connecting an External Mouse and Keyboard .............................40

Connecting a Desktop Computer or Serial Device ......................41

Connecting the CD-ROM Drive...................................................43

Connecting External Speakers......................................................46

Connecting a Digital Video Camera Recorder...........................48

Connecting a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Device......................49

Getting Started with VAIO Space

Starting VAIO Space......................................................................51

VAIO Space Centers.......................................................................52

Navigating through VAIO Space.................................................53

VAIO Space Controls.........................................................................54

Using the Software Center............................................................55

Using the Audio-Video Center.....................................................56

Using the Video Player .....................................................................56

Using the Music/Movie Player........................................................57

Music/Movie Player Functions.......................................................58

Using the Online Center................................................................59

Using the Tool Center....................................................................60

Using Tool Center Tools ...................................................................60

Using Tool Center Options...............................................................61

Using the Help Center...................................................................62

Exiting VAIO Space .......................................................................62

Customizing Your Notebook Computer

Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen.............................63

Notebook Setup Tabs .......................................................................64

Controlling Power Management..................................................65

x

i

Power Management Profiles ............................................................65

Power Management Commands.....................................................66

Displaying Battery Information...................................................68

Activating BatteryScope....................................................................68

Battery Icon Descriptions..................................................................68

Displaying Detailed Battery Information.......................................69

Starting Your Favorite Software With Programmable Power

Key (PPK) Setup.............................................................................70

Using the Programmable Power Key With Other Keys...............71

Selecting the Display Mode..........................................................72

Getting Help

Calling SOS.....................................................................................77

Troubleshooting.............................................................................79

Using the System and Application Recovery CDs....................85

Using the System Recovery CD.......................................................85

Using the Application Recovery CDs .............................................87

Notes on Use .....................................................................89

Limited Warranty Statement

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook Computer Warranty..................95

GARANTIE RESTREINTE................................................................97

Battery Limited Warranty.................................................................99

GARANTIE RESTREINTE................................................................99

Index ................................................................................101

xii

Welcome

Congratulations on your purchase of the Sony VAIO® 505 SuperSlim
Notebook. Sony has combined leading-edge technology in audio, video,
computing, and communications to provide you with state-of-the-art
personal computing.

This manual offers a quick introduction and reference to your Sony
computer.

❑ Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook shows you how to use the

standard components of your system.

❑ Connecting Peripheral Devices explains how you can add

functionality by connecting various peripherals.

❑ Getting Help explains the support options available to you, shows

you how to use the Sony Online Support service, and offers basic
troubleshooting tips.

❑ Notes on Use provides facts and advice about using your notebook

computer.

❑ Limited Warranty Statement provides your product warranty

statement and explains how to extend your warranty for an
additional nine months.

1

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

2

Ergonomic Considerations

You will be using your notebook computer as a portable device in a
variety of environments. Whenever possible, you should attempt to
apply the following ergonomic considerations to both stationary and
portable environments.

Computer positioned
directly in front of you

Arms
at desk
level

Wrists relaxed
and flat

❑ Position of your computer – Place the computer directly in front of

you as you work. Keep your forearms horizontal, with your wrists in
a neutral, comfortable position while using the keyboard, touchpad,
or external mouse. Let your upper arms hang naturally at your sides.
Take breaks during sessions with your computer. Excessive use of the
computer may strain muscles or tendons.

Welcome

❑ Furniture and posture – Sit in a chair with good back support and

3

armrests. Adjust the level of the chair so your feet are flat on the floor.
A footrest may make you more comfortable. Sit in a relaxed, upright
posture and avoid slouching forward or leaning far backward.

❑ Viewing angle of the computer’s display – Use the display’s tilting

feature to find the best position. You can reduce eye strain and muscle
fatigue by adjusting the tilt of the display to the proper position.
Adjust the brightness settings of the display also.

❑ Lighting – Choose a location where windows and lights do not create

glare and reflection on the display. Use indirect lighting to avoid
bright spots on the display. You can also purchase accessories for
your display that help reduce glare. Proper lighting adds to your
comfort and work effectiveness.

❑ Placement of an external display – When using an external display,

set the display at a comfortable viewing distance. Make sure the
display screen is at eye level or slightly lower when you are sitting in
front of the monitor.

4

Using Your 505 SuperSlim

Notebook

This section describes how to start using your computer and how to use
your computer’s internal and external devices, such as the touchpad and
floppy disk drive.

Locating the Controls and Connectors

Front

LCD screen (pages 20, 89) Hard disk drive indicator (page 19)

1

Microphone Num Lock indicator (page 19)

2

Keyboard (page 16) Caps Lock indicator (page 19)

3

Touchpad (page 21) Scroll Lock indicator (page 19)

4

Left/right button (page 21) Information indicator (page 19)

5

Speaker (page 46) Battery indicator (pages 10, 19, 68)

6

Modem indicator (page 19) Power indicator (pages 12, 19)

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

5

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

6

Back

Battery connector (page 9)

1

Left

Plastic pen compartment (page 22)

1 6

2

3

4

5

Phone line jack (page 34)

Port replicator connector (page 35)

Floppy disk drive connector (page 24)

External speaker connectors (page 46)

* Available on model PCG-505FX only.

DC In connector (page 8)

7

200

i.LINK (IEEE1394) (page 48)

8

9

10

USB connector (page 49)

Line In connector (page 45)

Headphone connector (page 47)

*

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

Right

Infrared port (page 29) Programmable power key (page 70)

1 3

Power switch (page 12) PC card slot (page 26)

2 4

7

Bottom

Battery release lever (pages 9, 11) Battery lock lever (pages 9, 11)

1 2

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

8

Connecting a Power Source

You can use either AC power or a rechargeable battery pack as a power
source.

Using the AC Adapter

Plug the cable attached to the AC adapter into the DC In connector on

1

the computer.
Pull the prong on the AC adapter upwards and plug it into an AC

2

outlet.

Notebook computer

AC adapter
(supplied)

DC in

To remove the AC adapter

Unplug the AC adapter from the AC outlet and the adapter cable

1

from the DC In connector on the computer.
Align the adapter cable with the groove on the AC adapter and wrap

2

the cable around the AC adapter.

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

9

Using Battery Power

You can use a battery pack as a source of power. The PCGA-BP51 battery
pack that comes with your computer is not fully charged at the time of
purchase. Follow the steps below to insert and charge the battery pack.

✍

You can also purchase the high-capacity PCGA-BP52 battery pack as a separate option.
See Using Power Saving Modes on page 31 for power management information.

To insert the battery pack

Move the lock lever on the bottom of the computer to the

1

UNLOCK

position.

Lock lever

Align the grooves and tabs on the battery with the tabs and notches

2

on the back of the computer, and then slide the battery towards the
computer until it clicks into place.

Tabs

Grooves

Slide the lock lever into the

3

computer.

LOCK

position to secure the battery on the

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

1

0

To charge the battery pack

Connect the AC adapter to the computer.

1

Insert the battery pack.

2

The computer automatically charges the battery (the battery indicator
light flashes in a double blink pattern as the battery charges). When the
battery is 85% full, the battery indicator light turns off. This process takes
approximately one and one half hours. To charge the battery completely,
continue charging for an additional hour.

A fully charged battery pack provides power for:

Model PCGA-BP51 PCGA-BP52

PCG-505FX Approx. 1.0 to 2.5 hours Approx. 2.5 to 5.5 hours
PCG-505F Approx. 1.0 to 2.5 hours Approx. 3.0 to 6.0 hours

The time varies based on your system configuration. See “Displaying
Detailed Battery Information” on page 69 for details on checking the
battery life.

The battery indicator light on the front of the computer

status of the battery pack

Battery pack
(supplied)

Battery Indicator
Light Status Meaning

On The computer is using battery power.
Single blink The battery is running out of power.
Double blink The battery is charging.
Off The computer is using AC power.

✍

Both the battery and power indicators blink when the battery is running out of power.

.

Battery indicator

indicates the

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

Keep the battery pack in the computer while it is directly connected to AC power. The
battery pack continues to charge while you are usi ng the computer.

If your battery level falls to less than 10%, you should either attach the AC adapter to
recharge the battery or shut down your computer and insert a fully charged battery.

You can extend battery life by changing the power management modes in the PowerPanel
utility. See Using Power Saving Modes on page 31.

The battery pack supplied with your computer is a lithium ion battery and can be recharged
at any time. Charging a partially discharged battery does not affect battery life.

The battery indicator light is on while you use the battery pack as a power source. When
battery life is nearly depleted, the battery indicator starts flashing.

For some software applications and some peripheral devices, your computer may not enter
system hibernation mode when the battery life is low. To avoid loss of data when using
battery power, you should save your data frequently and manually activate a power
management mode, such as system suspend or system hibernation.

To remove the battery pack

Turn off the computer.

1

11

Slide the lock lever to the

2

Slide the release lever to the

3

UNLOCK

UNLOCK

position.

position and slide the battery away

from the computer.

Battery release lever

Lock lever

✍

You may lose data if you remove the battery pack while the computer is on and not
connected to the AC adapter or if you remove the battery while the computer is in System
Suspend mode.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

1

2

Starting Your Computer

Slide the LCD lock lever in the direction of the arrow, and lift the

1

cover.

LCD lock lever

Slide the power switch on the right side toward the front of the

2

computer until the green power indicator light turns on.

Power indicator

Power switch

✍

If you hold the power switch in the on position for m ore than four seconds, the computer
turns off.

If necessary, adjust the brightness controls for the LCD display. To

3

decrease the brightness, press Fn+F5 and then the down or left arrow
key. To increase the brightness, press Fn+F5 and then the up or right
arrow key.

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

Shutting Down Your Computer

To avoid potential loss of data, follow these steps to shut down your computer.

!

Click the Start button on the Windows 98 taskbar.

1

Click Shut Down at the bottom of the Start menu to display the Shut

2

Down Windows dialog box.

Select Shut down.

3

Click OK.

4

1

3

✍

Respond to any prompts warning you to save documents.

Wait for your computer to turn off automatically. The power indicator

5

turns off.
Turn off any peripherals connected to your computer.

6

✍

If you are unable to shut down your computer using the steps described above, press the
Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys at the same time to restart the computer. If you are unable to restart
the computer in this way, you can slide the power switch forward and hold for four seconds.
This operation may result in data loss.

During a period of inactivity, you can conserve battery life by using System Suspend mode.

Controlling Power Management on page 65.

See

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

1

4

Registering Windows® 98

The first time you turn on your computer, you need to complete a few
steps to register and configure the Windows 98 software that is already
installed on your computer.

You must register Windows 98 before you can use the computer.

✍

The on-screen instructions guide you through the registration and
configuration process. The following is an overview of the process.

Gathering information:

1

❑ Enter your name.
❑ Read and accept the License Agreement.
❑ Enter your Certificate of Authenticity number located on the

cover of the Microsoft Windows 98

Windows 98 setup:

2

❑ Click the Finish button on the Windows 98 Setup Wizard screen.

Selecting your computer settings:

3

❑ If necessary, change the Time Zone, Date and Time on the Date/

Time Properties screen.

Getting Started

manual.

Learning about Windows 98:

4

❑ If you want, take the tour of Windows 98.

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

1

5

Registering Your Computer

You can take advantage of Sony’s commitment to quality customer
support and receive the following benefits by registering your computer
with Sony:

❑ Sony Online Support – Talk to a Support Representative to

troubleshoot problems you may be having with your computer.

❑ Extended Limited Warranty – Protect your investment. Extend your

Warranty nine months for a total of 12 months from the original date
of purchase when you register your computer.

❑ Express service – Provides convenient resolution of problems.
❑ Free Internet access – Use the Internet for up to 50 free hours when

you sign up with GTE (no credit card necessary). Limit of two hours
per day; free access expires 50 hours or 90 days after signing up,
whichever occurs first.

Follow these steps to use your notebook computer’s online registration
service.

You must connect your phone line before using a ny online services, including the online

✍

registration service. See Connecting a Phone Li ne on page 34.

Click the registration icon on the VAIO desktop.

1

Enter the information requested on the first online registration form.

2

Press the Tab key to move from box to box.
Click the Next button to advance to the next form.

3

Complete the remaining forms by clicking the Next button each time

4

you complete a form.

The computer automatically transfers your registration information using
your built-in modem and a toll-free telephone number.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

1

6

Using the Keyboard

Your keyboard is very similar to a typewriter’s, but the keyboard has
additional keys that perform specific computer-related tasks.

Escape Key Function keys Print Screen key

Correction keys

Shift key

Ctrl key

Fn key

Alt key

Windows 98 key

Numeric keypad area Navigation keys

Applications key

Keys Descriptions

Numeric keypad
area

Contains the keys found on a typical calculator.
Use the numeric keypad area to type numbers or
to perform mathematical calculations such as
addition and subtraction. Note that you must
press the Num Lock key to activate the numeric
keypad. (When you do so, the Num Lock light
will be on.)

Navigation keys Several keys are devoted to moving the cursor on

the screen (the four arrow keys which also
function as the Home, End, Page Up, and Page
Down keys).

Correction keys The Insert, Back Space, and Delete keys enable

you to make corrections in your documents.

Function keys The twelve function keys along the top of the

keyboard are used to perform designated tasks.
For example, in many applications, F1 is the Help
key. The task associated with each function key
may vary from one application to the next.

Fn key

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

Keys Descriptions

Escape key The Esc (Escape) key is used to cancel commands
Print Screen key The Print Screen key takes an electronic snapshot

of the screen and places it in the Windows
Clipboard. You can then paste the screen shot into
a document and print it.

Operator keys Several keys are always used with at least one

other key: Ctrl, Alt, and Shift. When held down
with another key, the Ctrl (Control) and Alt
(Alternate) keys offer another way to give
commands. For example, in many applications,
instead of choosing the Save command from a
menu, you can hold down Ctrl and press S
(referred to as Ctrl+S). The Shift key operates the
same way as on a typewriter; it’s used to produce
capital letters or special symbols such as @ and $.

Windows 98 key The key with the Windows logo displays the

Windows 98 Start menu; it’s the equivalent of
clicking the Start button on the task bar. See
“Combinations and Functions with the Windows
98 Key” on page 18.

Fn key The Fn key is used in combination with other keys

to issue commands. The Fn keys at the left and
right sides both work the same. See
“Combinations and Functions with the Fn Key”
on page 20.

Applications key The Applications key displays a shortcut menu of

context-sensitive choices; pressing this key is the
equivalent of clicking the right mouse button.

1

7

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

1

8

Combinations and Functions with the Windows 98 Key

Combinations Functions

+ F1 Displays Windows Help.
+ Tab Switches the selected button on the taskbar.
+ E Displays Windows Explorer.
+ F Displays the Windows Find: All Files window

to find a file or folder. This is the equivalent of
selecting Find and then Files or Folders from
the Start menu.

+ Ctrl + F Displays the Windows Find: Computer

window where you can locate other
computers. This is the equivalent of selecting
Find and then Computer from the Start menu.

+ M Minimizes all displayed windows.

Shift + + M Returns all minimized windows to their

previous size.

+ R Displays the Run window. This is the

equivalent of selecting Run from the Start
menu.

Fn + + Insert Displays the Properties window. This is the

equivalent of double-clicking the System icon
in the Control Panel.

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

Indicators

Indicators Functions

Information Turns on when the PPK Timer is set. Turns off

when the PPK Timer is not set or the PPK Timer
setting is inactive. (Such as when the computer’s
power is off or in System Hibernation mode.)

Battery Indicates the status of the battery attached at the

rear of the computer.

Power Lights when the power to the computer is turned

on. Flashes in System Suspend mode.
Turns off when the computer is in System
Hibernation mode or powered off.

Light On Off

Modem Turns on when the modem

is in use.

Turns off when the modem
is not in use.

1

9

Hard disk Lights when data is being

read from or written to the
hard drive. Do not enter
System Suspend mode or
turn off the computer when
this indicator light is on.

Num Lock Turns on when the number

keys area in the numeric
keypad are active.

Caps Lock Turns on when the letters

appear in uppercase as
you type. The Shift key
lowers the case of typed
letters when Caps Lock is
on.

Scroll
Lock

Turns on when the screen
scrolls differently. (Exactly
how it scrolls depends on
the specific application. It
has no effect in many
applications.)

Turns off when the hard
drive is not being accessed.

Turns off when the
alphanumeric character keys
in the keypad area are
active.

Turns off when letters
appear in lower case as you
type (unless you hold down
the Shift key).

Turns off when information
moves across the display
normally.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

➜

➜

2

0

Combinations and Functions with the Fn Key

Combinations/
Feature

Fn+ (ESC)
System Suspend

Fn+ (F2)
Display power status

Fn+ (F3)
Speaker switch

Fn+ (F4)
Speaker volume

Fn+ (F5)
Brightness control

VGA

LCD

Fn+ / (F7)
Switch to the
external display

Fn+ (F12)
System Hibernation

Fn+D
Video standby

Fn+F
Change the display size

Functions

Puts the system into System Suspend mode, a
power management state. To return the system
to the active state, press any key or press the
power switch on your computer.

Displays the power status, as in the example
below:

Using AC
power

Toggles the built-in speaker off and on.

Adjusts the built-in speaker volume.
To increase volume, press Fn+F4, then or ➜.

➜

➜

To decrease volume, press Fn+F4, then or .
Adjusts the brightness of the LCD.

To increase light intensity, press Fn+F5 and then

or ➜.

➜

To decrease light intensity, press Fn+F5 and then

➜

or .

Toggles through the LCD, external display
(connected to the Monitor connector on the
port replicator) and both LCD and external
display.

Only LCD

LCD and external display

Only external display

Provides for the lowest level of power
consumption. When you execute this command,
the state of the system and state of the
peripheral devices are written to the hard disk
and the system power is turned off. To return
the system to the original state, use the power
switch to turn on power.

Turns off the LCD in order to save power.

Zooms the display size in or out when the
display is set to 640 x 480 display mode.

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

2

1

Using the Touchpad

The keyboard contains a cursor-pointing device called a touchpad. You
can point to, select, drag, and scroll objects on the screen using the built-in
touchpad.

Pointer

Touchpad

Actions Descriptions

Point Slide one finger on the touchpad to place the pointer on an item

or object.
Click Press the left button once.
Double-click Press the left button twice.
Right-click Press the right button once. In many applications, this action

displays a shortcut menu of context-sensitive choices.
Drag Slide one finger while pressing the left button.
Scroll Move your finger along the right edge of the touchpad.

✍

The scroll function is available only with applications that support a touchpad scroll feature.

Right button

Left button

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

22

Using the Plastic Pen

The plastic pen, located in the vinyl bag with your User Guide, can be used
on the touchpad for drawing or for signing your name with the
ScribblePad software. You can store the pen in the pen compartment on
the left side of the LCD screen.

To use the pen compartment

Press the bottom of the pen compartment to open the compartment.

1

Press here to open
pen compartment

Slide the pen in or out of the compartment to store or remove it.

2

When you are ready to close the pen compartment, press the top of

3

the compartment until it clicks into place.

✍

The supplied plastic pen is designed to be used only on the touchpad. Do not use this pen
on any surface other than the touchpad including the computer's LCD; it may damage the
LCD.

Store the pen in the pen compartment when you are not using it.

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

2

3

Using ScribblePad

ScribblePad is an application that lets you create memos by writing on the
touchpad using the supplied plastic pen.

To use ScribblePad

Click the Start button on the Windows 98 taskbar.

1

Point to Software Center, point to Applications, and then click

2

ScribblePad.
Press the F10 key.

3

ScribblePad enters tablet mode. In this mode the touchpad
corresponds with the ScribblePad screen. This means that what you
write on the touchpad appears on the screen in the corresponding
location. For example, when you write letters on the left corner of the
touchpad, the letters appear on the left corner of the screen.

To write, move the pen slowly on the touchpad.

4

As you write, the letters you wrote on the touchpad appear on the
screen.

✍

To learn more about ScribblePad, click Help on the ScribblePad screen to display the online
help file.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

2

4

Using the Floppy Disk Drive

You can connect the floppy disk drive to the FDD connector on your
computer:

To connect the floppy disk drive

Turn off the computer.

1

Open the cover of the Floppy disk drive connector.

2

Plug the floppy disk drive cable into the FDD connector. The

3

VAIO logo on the disk drive should be facing up.

FDD connector
cover

Floppy disk drive
(supplied)

Floppy disk drive cable

To insert a diskette

Hold the diskette with the label side facing up.

1

Gently push the diskette into the drive until it clicks into place.

2

Diskette

Floppy disk drive

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

To remove a diskette

❑ When you finish using the diskette, wait until the LED indicator

turns off and then press the Eject button to remove the diskette.

Eject button

LED indicator

To remove the floppy disk drive

Turn off the computer.

1

Press both sides of the floppy disk drive cable and unplug the cable

2

from the computer.

2

5

Fold the floppy disk drive cable into the compartment on the side of

3

the floppy disk drive.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

2

6

Using PC Cards

Your computer includes a PC card slot. PC cards allow you to connect
portable external devices, such as a CD-ROM drive, or to connect to a
network.

✍

The PC card slot can accommodate one Type II PC card. This slot is compatible with Card
Bus and ZV (Zoomed Video) port.

Some PC cards may require that you disable idle devices when using the PC card. You can
use Sony Notebook Setup to disable devices. See Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup
Screen on page 63 for details.

Be sure to use the most recent software driver provided by the PC card manufacturer.
If an ! mark appears on the Device Manager tab in the System Properties dialog, remove

the software driver and then reinstall it.

To insert a PC card

✍

You do not need to shut down the computer before inserting or removing a PC card.

Pull the PC card release button up away from the computer and push

1

it in towards the computer.

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

Remove the PC card slot protector.

2

Insert the PC card into the PC card slot, front label facing up. Gently

3

push the card into the slot until the card is fixed into the connector.
The release button comes out.

2

7

PC card

✍

Do not force a card into the slot. It may dam age the connector pins.

If you have difficulty inserting a card, check that you are inserting the card with the correct
orientation.

See the manual that came with your PC card for more information on its use.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

2

8

For some PC cards, if you alternate between normal power operation and the system
suspend or system hibernation power management modes while the card is inserted, you
may find that a device connected to your system is not recognized. Reboot your system to
correct the problem.

To remove a PC card

Close any applications that use the PC card. Otherwise data may be

1

lost.
Click the PC card icon in the taskbar and close the card.

2

Pull the PC card release button up and press it in towards the

3

computer.

Release button

Gently grasp the card and pull it out.

4

Insert the PC card slot protector into the empty slot.

5

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

2

9

Using Infrared Communication Devices

Your computer includes an infrared port, located on the right side of the
computer. You can use this port to communicate with other infrared­equipped devices with compatible protocols, such as a digital still camera
or other computers.

To use infrared communication with a digital still camera

Align the infrared ports on the computer and the digital camera so that
they are in a direct line.

Infrared port

To use infrared communication with another computer

Align the infrared ports on the two computers so that they are in a direct
line.

✍

Infrared communication capability can be turned on and off. By default, it is not enabled
when your system is shipped. To enable infrared use, click the Infrared icon in the Windows
Control Panel, and select the Enable infrared communication checkbox on the Options tab.

You can disable infrared communication when you are not using it to conserve battery life.
Use the Infrared icon in the Windows Control Panel to enable and disable infrared

communication. Do not use the icon in the taskbar.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

3

0

When you transfer files directly from devices other than the internal hard disk drive, such as
a CD-ROM drive or hard disk drive on a network, set the System Suspend and System
Hibernation timers to off.

Check the Status tag of the Infrared Monitor in the Windows Control Panel to determine if
the infrared device is detected.

If the two devices are too far apart or too close together, data transfer may be interrupted or
there may be noise in the transmission.

Do not cover the infrared ports with your hand or any other objects.

Avoid direct sunlight, fluorescent light, or flashing incandescent light near the infrared
ports.

See the manual that came with your digital still camera or other infrared communication
device for more information on installation and use.

Theactive area of infrared transmission extends about 393/8inches (1m) with a radius of 15
degrees.

Infrared port

3

3

9

/

i

n

c

h

es

(

1

8

m

)

degrees

15

Using Your 505 SuperSlim Notebook

3

1

Using Power Saving Modes

When you use a battery as the source of power for your computer, you
can take advantage of power management settings to conserve battery
life. In addition to the normal operating mode, which allows you to turn
off specific devices, your computer has two distinct power saving modes:
System Suspend and System Hibernation. When using battery power,
you should be aware that the computer automatically enters System
Hibernation mode when the remaining battery charge drops below 7%,
regardless of the power management setting you select.

✍

If your battery level falls to less than 10%, you should either attach the AC adapter to
recharge the battery or shut down your computer and insert a fully charged battery.

Normal Mode

This is the normal state of your computer when it is in use. The green
power indicator light is on in this mode. To save power, you can turn off a
specific device such as the LCD or the hard disk.

✍

For details, see Controlling Power Management on page 65.

System Suspend Mode

The computer saves the current state of the system in RAM and switches
off power to the CPU. The amber power indicator light flashes in this
mode.

To activate System Suspend mode

Press Fn+Esc, or you can slide the power switch forward and release the
switch immediately. You can also use the PowerPanel utility to enter
System Suspend mode.

To return to normal mode

Press any key.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

3

2

System Hibernation Mode

The state of the system is saved on the hard drive and power is turned off.
The power indicator light is off in this mode.

To activate System Hibernation mode

Press Fn+F12. You can also use the PowerPanel utility to enter System
Hibernation mode.

To return to normal mode

Turn on the computer by sliding the power switch forward. The
computer returns to its previous state.

When returning from System Hibernation mode, the system status stored on the hard disk is

✍

erased and the computer starts normally if you slide the power switch forward and hold for
more than four seconds.

❑ Time to return to normal mode:

System Suspend requires less time than System Hibernation

❑ Power consumption:

System Suspend uses more power than System Hibernation

Connecting Peripheral Devices

You can add functionality to your computer by connecting any of these
peripherals:

❑ Phone line (page 34)
❑ Port replicator (page 35)

❑ Printer (page 37)
❑ External display (page 38)
❑ External mouse or keyboard (page 40)

❑ Desktop computer or serial device (page 41)
❑ CD-ROM drive (page 43)
❑ External speakers (page 46)
❑ Digital video camera recorder (page 48)
❑ Universal Serial Bus (USB) device (page 49)

Before you connect peripherals, turn off the computer and all peripherals.

✍

Connect the AC adapter only after connecting all cables.
Turn on the computer only after turning on all peripherals.

33

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

3

4

Connecting a Phone Line

You need to connect a phone line to take advantage of online services, the
Internet, and Sony Online Support.

✍

In order to register your Sony VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook, register your software online,
and use Sony Online Support, you must connect to a phone line. Also, you must register
your computer to receive the extended warranty.

Open the phone line jack cover. The cover opens only to a 45 degree

1

angle.

Phone line
jack cover

Plug one end of the phone cable into the jack on the inside of the

2

phone line jack cover. Make sure you insert the phone cable from the
rear of the computer and that the modular jack clicks into place.

Plug the other end into the wall jack.

3

Phone line jack

Phone cable

✍

Your computer does not work with party lines, cannot be connected to a coin-operated
telephone,and may not work with multiple phone lines or a private branch exchange (PBX).
Some of these connections might result in excess electrical current and could cause a
malfunction in the internal modem.

(supplied)

Connecting Peripheral Devices

425

Connecting the Port Replicator

You can use the PCGA-PR5 port replicator (supplied) to connect
peripheral devices such as a printer or external display.

3

5

1

3

Printer (page 37)

Monitor (page 38)

Mouse (page 40)

1

2

3

4

5

Keyboard (page 40)

Serial (page 41)

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

3

6

To attach the port replicator

Turn off the computer.

1

Open the port replicator connector cover on the left side of the

2

computer.

Port replicator
connector cover

Plug the port replicator cable into the port replicator connector on the

3

computer.

T o remove the port replicator

Turn off the computer.

1

Press both sides of the port replicator cable and unplug the cable

2

from the computer.

Connecting Peripheral Devices

Fold the port replicator cable into the compartment on the side of the

3

port replicator.

If you do not turn off the computer before removing the port replicator, you must turn off

✍

the computer before reattaching the port replicator.

Connecting a Printer

You can use the port replicator to connect a Windows 98-compatible
printer or other parallel port device to your computer.

To connect a printer

❑ Use the symbol to locate the Printer connector on the port

replicator. Plug the printer cable (supplied with the printer) into this

connector.

3

7

to your computer

Power cord

to
Printer

Printer cable
(supplied with the printer)

See the manual that came with your printer for more information on installation and use.

✍

Before using the printer, you may need to change the Printer setting in the Sony Notebook
Setup software. See Displaying the Sony N otebook Setup Screen on page 63.

Printer

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

3

8

Connecting an External Display

You can use the port replicator to connect an external display to your
notebook computer. For example, you can use the computer with any of
the following:

❑ Computer display (monitor) (page 38)
❑ Projector (page 39)

To connect a computer display

❑ Use the symbol on the port replicator to locate the Monitor

connector. Plug the display cable into this connector.

❑ If necessary, plug one end of the display power cord into the display,

and the other end into an AC outlet.

to your computer

to

Monitor

Computer display

Display cable

See the manual that came with your computer display for more information on installation

✍

and use.

Power cord

Connecting Peripheral Devices

To connect a projector

You can use a projector as an external display, such as the Sony LCD
Projector.

Use the symbol to locate the Monitor connector. Plug the RGB

1

signal cable into this connector.

Use the symbol to locate the Headphone connector. Plug the audio

2

cable into this connector.

Projector

3

9

to

Audio cable

RGB signal cable

to
Monitor

✍

See the manual that came with your projector for more information on installation and use.

To select a display

Power cord

When you connect an external display to the monitor connector, you can
press Fn+F7 to toggle the output between the Liquid Crystal Display
(LCD), the external monitor, or both devices. See “Selecting the Display
Mode” on page 72 for more information.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

4

0

Connecting an External Mouse and Keyboard

You can use the port replicator to connect an external mouse and
keyboard to your computer. The Mouse and Keyboard connectors require
a PS/2™-style plug or adapter.

To connect an external mouse and keyboard

Turn off the computer.

1

Use the and symbols to locate the Mouse and Keyboard

2

connectors. Plug the mouse cable and keyboard cable into these
connectors with the mark facing up.

to your computer

to

Mouse

to

Keyboard

Keyboard

Mouse

✍

See Using the Keyboard on page 16 for more information on using the keyboard.

See the manual that came with your mouse or keyboard for more information on
installation and use.

Before you connect or disconnect the mouse or keyboard, turn off the computer.

Before connecting a mouse to the Serial port, make sure the mouse is compatible with a
Serial port.

You cannot use the built-in touchpad and an external mouse at the same time.

Connecting Peripheral Devices

4

1

Connecting a Desktop Computer or Serial Device

You can use the port replicator to connect your notebook computer to
another computer, or to connect other peripherals, such as the Sony
Digital Still Camera.

To connect a desktop computer

❑ Use the symbol to locate the Serial connector. Plug the connecting

cable into this port on the port replicator and into the serial port on

the desktop computer.

to your computer

to lOlOl
Serial

Serial cable
(not supplied)

to I/O

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

4

2

To connect a digital still camera

❑ Use the symbol to locate the Serial connector. Plug the connecting

cable into this port on the port replicator and into the Digital I/O
connector on the digital still camera.

to your computer

to lOlOl
Serial

to I/O

Serial cable

(not supplied)

The Sony Digital Still Camera (DSC-F1) is pictured; you may need to connect your camera

✍

differently.

See the manual that came with your digital camera or other serial device for more
information on installation and use.

You can connect the DSC-FI to your computer either through the Serial port or by using
infrared communication.

If you use a digital camera that has an infrared data communication system or other
infrared communication device, see Using Infrared C ommunication Devices on page 29.

Connecting Peripheral Devices

4

3

Connecting the CD-ROM Drive

You can use the optional PCGA-CD5 CD-ROM drive with your notebook
computer.

T o connect the CD-ROM drive

Turn off your computer.

1

Remove the PC card slot protector from the PC card slot. See “Using

2

PC Cards” on page 26 for details.

Connect the CD-ROM drive cable to the PC card supplied with the

3

CD-ROM drive.

PC card
(supplied with
CD-ROM drive)

CD-ROM
drive cable

Insert the PC card into the PC card slot with the label side facing up.

4

See “Using PC Cards” on page 26 for details.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

44

Connect the CD-ROM drive AC power adapter to the CD-ROM drive

5

and plug the AC adapter into an AC outlet.

to AC outlet

AC adapter cable

✍

The pick-up cover is attached to the lens of the CD-ROM drive at the factory. Before using
the CD-ROM drive, remove the pick-up cover.

To insert a CD-ROM disc

Slide the power switch to the on position.

1

Slide the Open button in the direction of the arrow to open the

2

CD-ROM drive lid.

Power switch

Open button

Place the CD-ROM disc in the tray with the label side facing up. Push

3

the disc onto the hub until the disc clicks into place.

Press here to
click disk in place

✍

Be sure to seat the CD-ROM disc firmly over the CD-ROM drive hub fingers. If you do not
seat the disc firmly, you could damage your CD-ROM drive and you may not be able to open
the CD-ROM drive lid.

Connecting Peripheral Devices

Gently press on the CD-ROM drive lid until it clicks shut

4

Power/Busy indicator

Press here to close lid

To play an audio CD in the CD-ROM drive

4

5

In addition to connecting the CD-ROM drive to your computer, you must
connect the drive to the computer with a male-to-male stereo mini plug
(not supplied).

Connect one end of the stereo mini plug to the headphone jack on the

1

CD-ROM drive and the other end to the Line In jack on the left side of

your computer.

to

Line In

Audio cable

Right-click the speaker icon on the taskbar and select Open Volume

2

to Headphone

Control from the shortcut menu. The Volume Control window opens.

Drag the Line In slider to adjust the volume.

3

To remove the CD-ROM drive

Remove the PC card from the computer. See “Using PC Cards” on

❑

page 26 for details.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

4

6

Connecting External Speakers

You can use the optional PCGA-SP5 stereo speakers with your computer
or other speakers designed for computer use.

Turn down the volume of the speakers before you connect them.

✍

To adjust the speaker volume, press Fn+F4. See Combinations and Functions with the Fn
Key on page 20 for details.

Do not place diskettes on the speakers; the speakers magnetic field may damage the data
on the diskettes.

The internal speaker does not work when the external speakers are connected.

To connect the PCGA-SP5 stereo speakers

❑ Insert the speakers into the slots on the sides of the display.

Stereo speakers
(optional)

Connecting Peripheral Devices

To connect other external speakers

❑ Use the symbol to locate the Headphone connector. Plug the

speaker cable into this connector.

Speakers

4

7

Speaker cable (supplied with
speakers)

See the manual that came with your speakers for more information on installation and use.

✍

to

Headphone

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

4

8

Connecting a Digital Video Camera Recorder

The PCG-505FX 505 SuperSlim Notebook includes an i.LINK (IEEE1394)
connector, which you can use to connect to a digital video camera
recorder.

To connect a digital video camera recorder

Plug one end of an i.LINK cable into the 200 connector on the left

❑

side of the computer and the other end into the DV In/Out connector
on the digital video camera recorder.

to DV In/Out

Digital video
camera recorder

The Sony digital video camera recorder (DCR-PC7) is pictured; your digital video camera

✍

recorder may need to be connected differently.
On Sony digital video cameras, connectors labeled DV In/Out or i.LINK are i.LINK-

compatible.

See the manual that came with your digital video camera recorder for more information on
installation and use.

The i.LINK connector does not supply power to external devices. If the external device
requires power from the i.LINK connector, you cannot use the device with your computer.

The VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook supports transfer rates up to 200 Mbps; however, the
actual transfer rate is the lowest transfer rate of the external device.

The i.LINK features available may vary depending on the software applications you use. See
the documentation that came with your software for more information.

to 200

i.LINK cable
(not supplied)

Connecting Peripheral Devices

Connecting a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Device

You can connect a USB device to your computer.

To connect a USB device

Use the symbol to locate the USB connector on the left side of the

❑

computer. Plug one end of a USB cable into this port and the other

end into the USB device.

USB device

USB connecting cable

to
USB

See the manual that came with your USB device for more information on installation and

✍

use.
When you enable the PowerPanel setting that allows the computer to enter System

Suspend mode or System Hibernation mode, your computer may enter System Suspend
mode or System Hibernation mode while you are using a USB device, such as a USB mouse
or a USB keyboard. Therefore, when using a USB device, select the AC Profile or change the
profile setting in PowerPanel so that the computer does not enter System Suspend mode or
System Hibernation mode. The default AC Profile settings do not allow the computer to
enter System Suspend mode or System Hibernation mode. For details, see the PowerPanel
Help.

(not supplied)

4

9

5

0

Getting Started with

VAIO Space

VAIO Space is Sony’s original utility that organizes the preinstalled
applications on your VAIO Notebook Computer, making it easier for you
to find and launch the applications on your computer, use the Sony audio
and video players, connect to the Internet, and more.

Starting VAIO Space

To start VAIO Space

❑ Click the VAIO Space icon on the Windows desktop.

The VAIO Launcher appears, which includes icons for the five

VAIO Space centers:

Software Center

Audio-Video Center

Online Center

Tool Center

Help Center

5

1

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

5

2

VAIO Space Centers

There are five centers within VAIO Space, as follows:

Center Name and Icon Contains Description

Software
Center

Audio­Video
Center

Online
Center

Tool
Center

Applications
Accessories

Video
Audio

Easy Internet
VAI O Di rec t
Club VAIO
ImageStation
Internet

Tools
Options

SM

SM

Contains icons for all
preinstalled applications
and accessories.

See “Using the Software
Center” on page 55 for
details.

Launches the video and
audio applications
included with your
computer.

See “Using the Audio­Video Center” on page 56
for details.

Allows you to connect to
the Internet.

See “Using the Online
Center” on page 59 for
details.

Provides tools that help
you analyze and fix system­related problems.

Help
Center

See “Using the Tool Center”
on page 60 for details.

Help Center Contains links to various

sources of help for your
computer.

See “Using the Help
Center” on page 62 for
details.

Getting Started with VAIO Space

Navigating through VAIO Space

To go to a center within VAIO Space

Move the mouse pointer over an icon on the VAIO Launcher.

1

Categories for each center appear.

Moving the mouse over

the icon displays the

categories of programs

for that icon

5

3

Click the category text (such as

2

screen.

✍

Your screen may appear different from the one shown here.

Applications

) to open the VAIO

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

5

4

VAIO Space Controls

Button Function

Goes to the previous screen or page in a sequence.
Unavailable until you go to another screen.

Goes to the next screen or page in a sequence. Unavailable
on the last screen in a sequence.

Stops loading the current page (used for web pages).

Refreshes the current page (used for web pages).

Displays the current website address (URL) or file name
path. You can also type an address or path in this box.

Minimizes, maximizes/restores, and closes VAIO Space.

Shows/hides the VAIO Launcher. Provides the maximum
area for viewing pages.

Opens another VAIO Launcher. This is useful if you want
to perform two simultaneous operations, such as
launching an application while watching a video.

Shows/hides the VAIO screen. Provides the maximum
view of the desktop.

Animates when a web page is loading.

Getting Started with VAIO Space

Using the Software Center

To launch the Software Center

Move the mouse pointer over the Software Center icon on the VAIO

1

Launcher.

55

Click the text of the category (

2

Applications

Accessories

or

) to open

the VAIO screen.

To start an application, click the icon.

3

Other Software Center Functions

Action Procedure

Display information about a program. Move the mouse pointer over the

program icon.

Display questions and answers about the
highlighted program.

Create and save notes about the
highlighted program.

Display a help or readme file about the
highlighted program.

Add an application icon to the Software
Center.

Remove an application icon from the
Software Center.

Click

(grayed out when unavailable)

Click

Click

(grayed out when unavailable)

Drag and drop an application icon
from anywhere within Windows
onto the VAIO screen.

Drag and drop an application icon
from the Software Center to the
Windows Recycle Bin.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

5

6

Using the Audio-Video Center

The Audio-Video Center includes the following programs:

Program Description

Video Plays MPEG (.mpg), MPEG2 (.mpg) and AVI (.avi) video files.
Audio Music/Movie Player, which plays audio tracks from the optional

CD-ROM drive and a variety of audio and video file formats
including: WAV (.wav), MIDI (.mid), and RMI (.rmi) audio files
and MPEG (.mpg), Quick Time (.mov), and AVI (.avi) video files.

✍

To listen to an audio CD, you must connect the CD-ROM drive to the computer using a stereo
mini plug. See To play an audio CD in the CD-ROM drive on page 45 for details.

Using the Video Player

The Video Player plays MPEG (.mpg), MPEG2 (.vob) and AVI (.avi) video
files.

T o play a video file

Move the mouse pointer over the Audio-Video Center icon on the

1

VAIO Launcher.
Click

2

begins playing.

Video

in the VAIO Launcher. The Video Player launches and

Getting Started with VAIO Space

To play a different video file

Click the Play List button.

1

Select one or more video files from the AV PlayList dialog box.

2

Click ADD.

3

Click OK.

4

The video file begins playing automatically.

Other Video Player Functions

Action Procedure

Toggle the sound on and off Click the mute button. (Green

light indicates sound is muted.)

Stop play
Pause play
Go to the next video file in the playlist
Go to the previous video file in the

playlist
Play full screen Click (full screen).
Create a playlist Click the Play List button.
Adjust the volume Drag the volume slider up and down.

Click (Stop).
Click (Pause).

Click (Next).
Click (Previous).

5

7

Using the Music/Movie Player

The Music/Movie Player allows you to play audio and video from a CD
in the optional CD-ROM drive, or from audio or video files in various
formats on your hard drive.

✍

To listen to an audio CD, you must connect the CD-ROM drive to the computer using a stereo

mini plug. See To play an audio CD in the CD-ROM drive on page 45 for details.

To start Music/Movie Player

Move the mouse pointer over the Audio-Video Center icon on the

1

VAIO Launcher.

Audio

Click

2

The Control bar appears across the top of the screen, with buttons

similar to the controls on a VCR or CD-player remote control.

in the VAIO Launcher.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

5

8

To expand the Control bar

You can expand the Control bar to double-height to access more functions
by clicking the Expand button (
height, click the Restore button (

To change the Control bar to a floating window

▼) at the far right. To return to single

▲).

To change the Control bar into a floating window, drag the bar to the
center of the screen. The bar opens into a window with File, Control, and
Help menus.

Music/Movie Player Functions

You can use the Control bar to:

❑ Start and stop the playback of audio or video CDs or files.
❑ Navigate through selections on a CD.
❑ Pause and resume playback at the point where play left off.
❑ Set up automatic playback modes, including:

❑ Repeat all of the selections in order.
❑ Repeat a single selection.
❑ Play all of the selections in a random order.

Video images display in a separate Movie window, which you can move
and resize. You can also add a variety of visual effects to the images in the
Movie window. If the CD supports PlayBack Control (for example, Video
CD format), you can select specific scenes or still images by their assigned
numbers.

The Music/Movie Player features extensive and detailed online help. To access online help,

✍

right-click the Control bar and select Help from the shortcut menu.

Getting Started with VAIO Space

Using the Online Center

To launch the Online Center

Move the mouse pointer over the Online Center icon on the VAIO

1

Launcher.

Click the text of the category as described below.

2

Category Description

Easy Internet

VAIO Direct Sony offers an entire line of products specifically

designed to work with your computer.

Club VAIO Find out the latest developments in the world of

VAIO; interact with other VAIO users.

ImageStation A direct link to Sony’s online digital imaging

service, where you can share your images in
whole new ways on the Internet.

Internet Shortcuts to all your Internet applications.

5

9

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

6

0

Using the Tool Center

Using Tool Center Tools

Move the mouse pointer over the Tool Center icon on the VAIO

1

Launcher.

Tools

Click

2

To start a program or accessory application, click the icon.

3

Other Tool Functions

Action Procedure

Display information about a program. Move the mouse pointer over the

Display questions and answers about the
highlighted program.

Create and save notes about the
highlighted program.

Display a help or readme file about the
highlighted program.

Add an application icon to the Tool
Center.

Remove an application icon from the
Tool Center.

to open the VAIO screen.

program icon.
Click

(grayed out when unavailable)

Click

Click

(grayed out when unavailable)

Drag and drop an application icon
from anywhere within Windows
and onto the VAIO screen.

Drag and drop an application icon
from the Tool Center to the
Windows Recycle Bin.

Getting Started with VAIO Space

Using Tool Center Options

The Options screen lets you customize the way VAIO Space works.

To set VAIO Space options

Move the mouse pointer over the Tool Center icon on the VAIO

1

Launcher.

Options

Click

2

Set the options as follows:

3

Option Check This To

Launch VAIO Space II at

Startup

Disable Click Sounds Turn off the click sounds in VAIO Space.

Default Page Set which screen appears when VAIO

Click Apply.

4

to open the VAIO screen.

Launch VAIO Space automatically when
you turn on your computer. Default is off
(VAIO Space does not launch at startup).

Default is off (sounds are turned on).

Space is launched. Default is Applications
page.

6

1

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

6

2

Using the Help Center

The Help Center steps you through a number of options including the
electronic documentation included on your hard drive and finding
answers on Sony’s Internet site. For a complete description of all the help
options available, see “Getting Help” on page 75.

To launch the Help Center:

Move the mouse pointer over the Help Center icon on the VAIO

1

Launcher.

Help Center

Click

2

Follow the on-screen instructions to find the appropriate source of

3

help for the problem you are having.

to open the VAIO screen.

Exiting VAIO Space

To exit VAIO Space

❑ Click the (Close) button.

Customizing Your Notebook

Computer

You can customize the settings of your notebook computer. The following
sections briefly describe how to change your computer’s default settings.
You can also refer to the Sony Notebook Setup Help for more detailed
information.

Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen

To display the Sony Notebook Setup screen:

Click the Start button on the Windows 98 taskbar.

1

Point to Tool Center and click Sony Notebook Setup.

2

Select the tab for the item you want to change. See “Notebook Setup

3

Tabs” on page 64.

After you finish, click OK.

4

6

3

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

6

4

Notebook Setup Tabs

Tab Descriptions

About This Computer Display system information, including memory

capacity, serial number, and BIOS version.

Infrared Change the infrared communication settings

depending on the infrared equipment your

computer is using to communicate.
Printer Change printer port mode settings.
Power On

Device Sequence
Power On Password Set the password to secure your computer.
Enable Ports Change the hardware resources such as I/O

Basic/Advanced Toggle between Advanced mode (additional screens

Touchpad Allows you eo enable or disable the notebook

Select the order of drives and devices from which

you want to load the operating system.

address, IRQ, or DMA depending on the optional

hardware or software you use. Disabling ports

releases resources to the system. To change the

serial, audio, and modem settings, click Advanced

on the Basic/Advanced tab.

with advanced settings) and Basic mode of display.

Advanced mode includes Serial, Audio, Built-in

Modem, and View Resources tabs.

touchpad and adjust its settings.

✍

For more information about each option, click Help on the Sony Notebook Setup screen to
display the help file.

Customizing Your Notebook Computer

6

5

Controlling Power Management

The PowerPanel utility allows you to control the power management of
your notebook computer and provides key information about system
activity and battery life. The following sections briefly describe how to
conserve your computer’s battery power. You can also refer to the
PowerPanel Help for more detailed information.

Power Management Profiles

PowerPanel provides several predefined power management profiles.
Each profile consists of a group of specific power management settings
that are designed to meet specific power management goals—ranging
from maximum power management to no power management. You can
change the settings for any of the predefined profiles or you can create
your own profile to suit your portable computing needs. The predefined
profiles are:

Icon Description

–

Maximum Performance

while still conserving power.

Maximum Battery Life

you maximum battery life and good performance. It slows the
computer and puts it into System Suspend mode after a specified
period of inactivity.

Power Management Off

features such as System Suspend and System Hibernation modes.

Provides the best system performance

–

Provides power saving features to give

–

Turns off all power management

–

AC Profile

use. Similar to the Power Management Off setting. PowerPanel
automatically loads the AC profile unless you disable this feature.

Games

timer.

Presentation

power. This option is ideal for slide show presentations. You can
establish settings for LCD (Video) Standby, Hard Disk Sleep, and
System Suspend to optimize power management for your system.

The power management state when AC power is in

–

Disables the display and the Hard Disk Spindle Down

–

Keeps the display on at all times while it conserves

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

66

–

Word Processing

timeouts on the hard disk and display screen. You can also establish
settings for LCD (Video) Standby, Hard Disk Sleep, and System
Suspend to optimize power management for your system.

Communications

timeout. The Internal modem remains powered. You can also
establish settings for LCD (Video) Standby, Hard Disk Sleep, and
System Suspend to optimize power management for your system.

Optimizes power management with longer

–

Extends battery life by initiating a quick display

Power Management Commands

PowerPanel also provides power management commands that you can
use to activate specific power management functions and to control
power for a specific device. You might use these commands when you
want to override a profile setting or initiate an immediate action, such as
putting the system into Video Standby mode before the Video Standby
timer expires.

–

System Suspend

power management state that saves the state of the system and
peripheral devices in memory (RAM). Power consumption reduces
to a minimum, and the system remains on. To return the system to
the active state, press any key or the power switch on your
computer.

System Hibernation

consumption. The system writes the state of the system and
peripheral devices to the hard disk and turns off the system power.
To return the system to the original state, use the power switch to
turn on power. The system saves the data in the Save to Disk
Partition on the hard drive.

LCD (Video) Standby

turn off the Video Standby timer, the display remains active except
when the system enters System Suspend mode. The video display
system is one of the largest consumers of power in the system.

Hard Disk Sleep

Although you can manually turn off the power to the hard disk
through this command, any system request to the hard disk turns
on the power to the hard disk.

Puts the system into System Suspend mode, a

–

Provides for the lowest level of power

–

Turns off the LCD to save power. If you

–

Turns off the hard disk spindle motor.

Customizing Your Notebook Computer

6

7

Speed Controller

Click this button to open the Speed Controller dialog box. When
you select the Auto checkbox, the CPU performs at full speed while
the system is active and at 25% of full speed during periods of
inactivity. Auto is the recommended option. You can also choose to
run the CPU at 100%, 75%, 50%, or 25% of full speed regardless of
whether the system is active or inactive. Using this command can
help conserve battery power.

PC Card

the PC Card (PCMCIA) Properties dialog box. You can view the
properties for the PC cards.

To activate PowerPanel

Double-click the (PowerPanel) icon on the taskbar.

1

–

- Controls the speed at which the CPU performs.

Controls the PC card sockets. Click this button to open

The Profiles toolbar appears. When you move the pointer over the
atom icon on the taskbar, a tooltip with the name of the active power
management profile appears.

Click the button you want to set.

2

The power management settings associated with the profile you
select become active.

✍

To display the Commands toolbar, right-click an empty portion of the toolbar and select
Commands from the shortcut menu. Refer to the PowerPanel Help for information on
customizing the PowerPanel toolbars.

When you use the battery pack to power your computer, your system selects the
Maximum Battery Life power management profile by default. If you select a different
power management profile while using battery power, that profile is selected
automatically the next time you use the battery pack to power your computer.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

6

8

Displaying Battery Information

You can display detailed information for the battery in your computer.
The following sections briefly describe how to display your computer’s
general battery information. You can also refer to the BatteryScope Help
for more detailed information.

Activating BatteryScope

To activate BatteryScope

Click the Start button on the Windows 98 taskbar.

1

Point to Tool Center and click BatteryScope.

2

When you move the pointer over the battery icon on the taskbar, a
tooltip appears indicating the total capacity remaining in the battery
and the estimated time until the battery fully discharges.

You can also view battery gauges on the shared PowerPanel and
BatteryScope toolbar.

❑ Percentage indicator

Displays the percentage of the remaining capacity.

❑ Time indicator

Displays estimated time (hours/minutes) remaining before the
battery fully drains, also referred to as the time-to-empty.

Battery Icon Descriptions

Battery icon Battery status

Discharging

Charging

No battery

Customizing Your Notebook Computer

Displaying Detailed Battery Information

You can obtain detailed information about the batteries.

❑ Double-click the battery icon on the toolbar to display the

BatteryScope window.
The screen appears displaying the Battery tab, which contains

information such as the estimated time-to-empty and the charging
time.

6

9

To customize the BatteryScope toolbar and alarm system

You can customize the BatteryScope toolbar to suit your portable
computing needs, including modifications to the alarm settings. Refer to
the BatteryScope Help for more information.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

7

0

Starting Your Favorite Software With

Programmable Power Key (PPK) Setup

The PPK Setup software enables you to start your favorite software by
simply pressing the programmable power key.

Programmable
power key

This section briefly describes how to use the programmable power key.
You can also refer to the PPK Setup Help for more detailed information.

To use the PPK Setup screen:

Double-click the PPK Setup icon on the taskbar. The PPK Setup

1

screen appears.

Customizing Your Notebook Computer

Select the software title you want PPK to launch automatically from

2

7

1

the Registered Files list and right-click. The Setup options screen
appears.

Click Set as PPK launch file. The appears next to the selected

3

software title.
Click OK.

4

✍

The default settings for PPK do not allow you to start the selected software when the
computers LCD is closed. To start the selected software while the LCD is closed, click the
Enable/Disable tab and select Enable PPK even if LCD Panel is closed. Be aware, however
that the software can now start accidentally if you press the programmable power key when
you carry the computer.

Using the Programmable Power Key With Other Keys

You can also choose to start other applications by pressing the
programmable power key in combination with the Alt, Ctrl, or Shift keys.

To select the key combination, right-click the application you want to
start and select an item from the menu. When you select Set as PPK
launch file, you can turn on the power and start the selected application
by just pressing the programmable power key. When you select Set as
Alt+PPK launch file, Set as Ctrl+PPK launch file, or Set as Shift+PPK
launch file, you need to turn on the computer to use these functions.

Using the internal timer:

You can use the internal timer to start software at a specific time. You can
use this feature when the computer is on or in system suspend mode.

✍

If the computer's LCD is closed, you cannot use the internal timer to start software using
the default settings. To start software while the LCD is closed, click the Enable/Disable tab
and select the checkbox next to Enable Timer launch even if LCD Panel is closed.

It may take some time to actually start the software. It is advised that you confirm the time
your selected software takes to start.

When selecting software that uses a phone line:

disconnect the phone line due to communication and server conditions. Be sure to monitor
the status of the software when running PPK Setup, and manually disconnect the phone
line if you notice a malfunction. Furthermore, when using the timer to start the software, it
is advised that you set the computer to enter system suspend or system hibernation mode
after a certain time. This allows the computer to disconnect the phone line if the computer
fails to disconnect the line normally. However,the computer cannot disconnect the phone
line when it enters system suspend mode in case the internal modem ring resume is set to
on.

The computer may not be able to

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

7

2

Selecting the Display Mode

When you connect an external display, you can toggle the display mode
between the LCD on your computer and an external display.

Click the Start button on the Windows 98 taskbar.

1

Point to Settings and click Control Panel.

2

Click Display.

3

Click the Settings tab.

4

Click the Advanced button.

5

Click the NeoMagic® tab.

6

Click Display Options.

7

Select one of the options under Display Mode:

8

Customizing Your Notebook Computer

.

Display modes Functions

Monitor Displays only an external display connected to the

Monitor connector on the port replicator.

LCD Panel Displays only the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) on

your computer.

Monitor/LCD Displays simultaneously both the LCD and an external

display connected to the Monitor connector on the port

replicator.

Click OK.

9

✍

Y ou can adjust the refresh rate when you select Monitor as the display mode.
Some displays do not support using both the computers LCD and an external display

simultaneously.
To use the Monitor and Monitor/LCD display modes, an external display must be connected

to the monitor connector on the port replicator.

7

3

7

4

Getting Help

Sony provides several support options for your Sony computer. When
you have questions about your computer and the preinstalled software,
check these sources for answers, in the following sequence:

VAIO 505

1

SuperSlim
Notebook Read
Me First

VAIO 505

2

SuperSlim
Notebook User
Guide

Online User

3

Guide

Manuals and

4

online help files
that may
accompany
your
preinstalled
software

Knowledge

5

Database

Contains a complete list of the items that ship with
your computer, product specifications, software
support information, and the most up-to-date
information on using your computer.

Explains how to use your 505 SuperSlim Notebook
and connect peripheral devices.

This electronic document contains additional
information on the preinstalled software titles. You
can access this guide from the Help Center on the
Windows Start menu.

Most of the manuals for preinstalled software are
located on your hard disk drive as online help files.
You can access the online help files from the Help
menu in the specific application. A printed manual is
available for some applications.

Provides instant access to information on commonly
encountered problems. Enter a description of your
problem and the Knowledge Database searches for
the corresponding solutions online. You can access
the Sony Knowledge Database at:
http://www.sony.com/pcsupport

7

5

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

7

6

Sony

6

Fax-on-Demand

Sony SOS

7

software

Calling SOS You can call and speak with a Sony Customer

8

This service provides you with answers to commonly
asked questions. You can use this automated service
to request a list of available topics and then select the
topics that you want to receive. To contact the Sony
fax-on-demand service, call 1-888-4SONYPC
(1-888-476-6972). (Requires a fax machine or your
fax software.)

This preinstalled program connects you to a
Customer Support Representative. SOS is available
seven days a week for 90 days after the original date
of purchase. Connect your modem before you call, so
the representative can access your system if
necessary. “Calling SOS” on page 77 describes how
to use the SOS software.

Support Representative without using your
computer by calling 1-888-4SONYPC
(1-888-476-6972). Software support is available 24
hours a day, seven days a week for 90 days at no
charge after the original date of purchase.

Getting Help

77

Calling SOS

The SOS application enables you to exchange information with a Sony
Customer Support Representative (CSR). Here’s how it works:

❑ Type your name and the problem description in the SOS window.
❑ Dial the SOS hotline with a single click of the mouse.
❑ Specify the access level for the CSR.
❑ The CSR resolves the problem.

Before using SOS, make sure the computer is connected to a phone line as
described in “Connecting a Phone Line” on page 34. If you do not have a
phone line connected to your computer, you can place a voice call to SOS
by dialing 1-888-4SONYPC (1-888-476-6972). SOS support is available at
no charge for 90 days from the original date of purchase.

To place a call to SOS

Click the Start button on the Windows 98 taskbar.

1

Point to Help Center, point to Step 4 Call SOS, and then click Sony

2

Online Support (SOS). The SOS window appears.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

7

8

In the SOS window, type your name, phone number, and a

3

description of the problem. This information cannot be seen by the
customer support representative until you give the CSR access to
your computer.

Click the Call SOS button. The Confirmation screen appears.

4

Click the OK button. The Phone screen appears.

5

Click the Dial button. Your modem dials the call and connects you to

6

the Sony support center.
Speak into your computer's microphone to answer the voice prompts.

7

You are asked whether you wish to test your system or talk to a
support representative. You are then prompted to indicate the type of
computer you are using.

Discuss the problem with the CSR and follow the CSR's instructions

8

to resolve the problem. Only if the CSR needs to access your
computer are you prompted to select a security option, as described
in the next step.

Select an access level in the Remote Command Security dialog box by

9

clicking one of these options:

Options Descriptions

Full access Allows the CSR to fully interact with your computer.

The CSR can access all the files on your hard disk drive
and can copy files to and from your computer to solve
your problem.

Limited access Lets the CSR view your system, but you must approve

every action the CSR takes. If the CSR wants to copy a
file, for example, the Remote Command Permission
dialog box prompts you to approve this action.

No access Prevents the CSR from accessing your system. You

must perform all the operations as described to you by
the CSR.

✍

You can change the access level during your call to SOS.

To end a call, click the Hang Up button.

10

Click the Close box at the top right corner of the SOS window or

11

select Exit from the File menu to close the SOS window.

Getting Help

7

9

Troubleshooting

This section describes how to solve common problems you may
encounter when using your computer. Many problems have simple
solutions, so try these suggestions before you call Sony Online Support.

When you reconnect devices, be sure to turn off the computer as described in Shutting

✍

Down Your Computer on page 13. Turning off the computer using other methods may
result in data loss.

My computer wont start

❑ Check that the computer is plugged into a power source and that it is

turned on. Check that the power indicator on the front panel of the
computer indicates that the power is on.

❑ Check that the battery is inserted properly and that it is charged.
❑ Make sure there is no diskette in the floppy disk drive.
❑ Confirm that the AC adapter and all cables are connected firmly, as

described in “Connecting Peripheral Devices” on page 33.

❑ If you plugged the computer into a power strip or UPS, make sure the

power strip or UPS is turned on and working.

❑ If you are using an external display, check that it is plugged into a

power source and turned on. Check that the brightness control is
adjusted correctly. See the manual that came with your display for
details.

❑ Moisture condensation may have occurred. Do not use the computer

for at least one hour and then turn on the computer.

When I turn on my computer, the message Operating system not found
appears and Windows does not start

Check the floppy disk drive to see if a non-bootable diskette is in the

❑

drive.

❑ If a non-bootable diskette is in the drive, turn off the computer,

remove the diskette, and then turn on the computer again. Confirm
that Windows starts properly. If Windows still does not start, follow
the procedure below to initialize the BIOS.

❑ If the floppy disk drive is empty or contains a bootable diskette, use

the following procedure to initialize the BIOS:

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

8

0

1

Remove the floppy disk drive, port replicator, PC card, and any
other peripheral devices. from the computer.

2

Turn the computer off and then turn it on again.

3

Turn on the computer and press the F2 key when the Sony logo
appears. The BIOS setup menu screen appears.

4

Press the arrow keys to select the Exit menu.

5

Press the arrow keys to select Get Default Values and then press the
Enter key. The message “Load default configuration now?”
appears.

6

Check that [Yes] is selected, then press the Enter key.

7

Press the arrow keys to select Exit (Save Changes) and then press
the Enter key. The message “Save configuration changes and exit
now?” appears.

8

Check that [Yes] is selected, then press the Enter key. The computer
restarts.

If your computer still displays the message “Operating system not
found” and Windows does not start, contact Sony Online Support (SOS).

My LCD does not display anything

❑ Check that the computer is plugged into a power source and that it is

turned on. Check that the power indicator on the front panel of the
computer is on.

❑ Check that the battery pack is inserted properly and that it is charged.
❑ The computer may be in LCD (Video) Standby mode. Press any key

to activate the display.

❑ The video output may be directed to an external display attached to

the port replicator. Press Fn+F7 until video output appears on the
LCD.

The screen image on my external display is not centered or sized properly

Use the controls on your external display to adjust the image. See the
manual supplied with your display for more information.

Getting Help

My computer locks up

❑ Try restarting the computer. On the Windows taskbar, click the Start

8

1

button, click Shut Down, and then click Restart the computer.

❑ If you cannot restart as described in the preceding step, you can

restart the computer by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

❑ If the previous step does not work, slide the power switch toward the

front and hold it for four seconds. This turns off the power.

❑ If your computer locks up while playing a CD-ROM, stop the

CD-ROM, and restart the computer by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete or turning off the computer with the power switch may result in

✍

data loss in files that are currently open.

My software program locks up or crashes

Contact the software publisher or designated provider for technical
support.

I cannot print

Use Sony Notebook Setup to change the printer setting.

Movements of the displayed images are awkward (not smooth)

In PowerPanel, select Change CPU Speed. Remove the check from Auto,
and set Speed Control to 100%.

I cannot play a CD-ROM disc

❑ Make sure the label of the CD-ROM is facing up.
❑ If the CD-ROM disc requires software, make sure the software is

installed according to the program’s instructions.

❑ Moisture condensation may have occurred. Disconnect the CD-ROM

drive and disconnect the power to the drive for at least one hour.

❑ Make sure the CD-ROM drive is properly connected. See “To connect

the CD-ROM drive” on page 43.

❑ Clean the CD-ROM disc.
❑ Check the speaker volume.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

➜

8

2

When I click an application icon a message appears, such as You must insert
the application CD into your CD-ROM drive, and the software does not start

Some titles require specific files that are located on the application’s

❑

CD-ROM disc. Insert the disc and try starting the program again.

❑ Make sure you place the disc in the tray with the label side facing up.

My floppy disk drive cannot write to a diskette

The diskette is write-protected. Disable the write-protect feature or

❑

use a diskette that is not write-protected.

❑ Check that the diskette is properly inserted into the floppy disk drive.

My speaker has no sound

❑ The built-in speaker is turned off. Press Fn+F3 to turn on the speaker.
❑ The speaker volume is turned to the minimum. Press Fn+F4, and then

or

press

❑ If your computer is powered by the battery, check that the battery is

to increase the volume.

➜

connected properly and that it is charged.

❑ If you are using an application that has its own volume control, check

that the volume is turned up.

❑ Check the volume controls in Windows 98.
❑ If you connect external speakers, check that the speakers are properly

connected and the volume is turned up. If the speakers have a mute
button, make sure it is off. If the speakers are powered by batteries,
check that the batteries are inserted properly and that they are
charged.

❑ If you have connected a headphone or an audio cable to the

Headphone connector, disconnect the cable.

When I press Fn+F3, I see the message Sound Disabled

Click the System icon in the Control Panel. Change the settings under
Device Manager so that sound is enabled.

My modem doesnt work

Check that the phone line is plugged into the line jack. See

❑

“Connecting a Phone Line” on page 34 for details.

❑ Check that the phone line is working. You can check the line by

plugging in an ordinary phone and listening for a dial tone.

Getting Help

❑ Check that the phone number the program is dialing is correct.
❑ Check that the software you are using is compatible with the

8

3

notebook computer modem. (All preinstalled programs are
compatible.) Call the software publisher or Sony Online Support.

My modem connection is slow

The computer’s modem uses K56flexTM technology/V.90. Many factors
influence modem connection speed, including telephone line noise or
compatibility with telephone equipment (such as fax machines or other
modems). If you think your modem is not connecting properly to other
PC-based modems, fax machines, or your Internet Service Provider, check
the following:

❑ Have your phone company check that your phone line is free from

any line noise.

❑ If your problem is fax-related, check that there are no problems with

the fax machine you are calling and that it is compatible with fax
modems.

❑ If you are having a problem connecting with your Internet Service

Provider, check that the ISP is not experiencing technical problems.

❑ If you have a second phone line available, try connecting the modem

to that line.

My mouse doesnt work

❑ If you are using an external mouse, check that the mouse is plugged

into the mouse connector. See “Connecting an External Mouse and
Keyboard” on page 40 for details.

❑ If you have connected an external mouse while your computer is on,

you should restart your computer.

I cannot use DV devices and messages appear on the screen

❑ Check that the DV device is turned on and that the cables are

properly connected.

❑ If you are using multiple i.LINK devices, the combination of the

connected devices may cause unstable operation. In this case, turn off
the power to all connected devices and disconnect unused devices.
Check the connection, then turn on the power again.

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

8

4

My computer does not shut down

It is best to shut down your computer using the Shut Down command on
the Windows 98 Start menu. Using other methods, including those listed
here, may result in loss of unsaved data. If the Shut Down command does
not work properly, follow these steps:

❑ Restart the computer by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete. If this does not

work, slide the power switch forward and hold it for four seconds.

❑ Unplug the computer from the AC adapter and remove the battery

pack from your computer.

My PC card is not working

❑ Make sure the PC card is compatible with Windows 98.
❑ Use the Sony Notebook Setup utility to disable devices you are not

currently using.

Getting Help

8

5

Using the System and Application Recovery CDs

The following sections describe how to use the System Recovery and
Application Recovery utilities. You need to connect the optional PCGA­CD5 CD-ROM drive to use the System and Application Recovery CDs.

Using the System Recovery CD

You can reinstall software titles that shipped with your computer if they
are corrupted or accidentally erased. You may not need to recover the
entire contents of your hard drive. If you experience a problem with your
computer, reinstalling an individual device driver or software title may
correct the problem. Use the Application Recovery CDs to reinstall
individual applications or device drivers. See “Using the Application
Recovery CDs” on page 87.

The System Recovery CD contains a backup copy of all the software
originally installed on your hard disk drive. It can be used only to

recover the hard disk of the notebook computer you purchased.

The System Recovery utility gives you three options:

❑ Full Restore without Format restores all the software titles that

originally came with your computer without formatting the hard
disk.

❑ Full Restore with Format formats the hard disk drive and then

restores all the original software.

❑ Operating System Only restores the Windows 98 operating system,

the notebook computer utility programs, and the device drivers that
shipped with your computer.

If you choose the Full Restore with Format or Operating System Only option,

!

your hard disk will be formatted, which removes all the information on the
hard disk drive. You will lose any software you have installed and any other
files you have created since you started to use your computer. This means you
will have to reinstall any applications that were not included with the
computer when you purchased it. If you choose the Full Restore without
Format option, you may need to reinstall applications that were not included
with the computer when you purchased it. If you have any questions on using
the System Recovery CD, contact Sony Online Support (SOS).

VAIO 505 SuperSlim Notebook User Guide

8

6

To use the System Recovery CD

✍

The optional PCGA-CD5 CD-ROM drive must be connected to the computer to use the
System Recovery CD.

You need to complete the Windows®98 registration process when you use the System
Recovery CD. Make sure you have the product ID number located on the cover of your
Microsoft Windows 98 Getting Started manual. You will need this number to complete
the recovery process.

Insert the Sony System Recovery CD in the CD-ROM drive.

1

Shut down your computer as described in “Shutting Down Your

2

Computer” on page 13.
Wait four seconds and turn on your computer.

3

Click OK to signify you have read and accept the Microsoft End-User

4

License Agreement.
When the System Recovery menu appears, follow the on-screen

5

instructions to complete the recovery process.

✍

The recovery process takes between 30 to 60 minutes to complete.

If your computer does not start from the Recovery CD

Slide the power switch forward and hold it for more than four

1

seconds to turn off the computer.
Turn on the computer and press the F2 key when the Sony logo

2

appears. The BIOS setup menu screen appears.
Press the arrow keys to select the Exit menu.

3

Press the arrow keys to select Get Default Values and then press the

4

Enter key. The message “Load default configuration now?” appears.
Check that [Yes] is selected, then press the Enter key.

5

Press the arrow keys to select Exit (Save Changes) and then press the

6

Enter key. The message “Save configuration changes and exit now?”
appears.

Check that [Yes] is selected, then press the Enter key. The computer

7

restarts from the Recovery CD.

Getting Help

8

7

Using the Application Recovery CDs

The Application Recovery CDs allow you to reinstall individual
applications and device drivers if they are corrupted or accidentally
erased. Reinstalling an individual device driver or software title may
correct a problem you are experiencing with your computer, and you may
not need to recover the entire contents of your hard drive. If you do need
to reinstall all the software titles that shipped with your computer, use the
System Recovery CD. See “Using the System Recovery CD” on page 85.

✍

You must be in Windows to run the Application Recovery CDs. The application will not run
from DOS. If you have any questions on using the Application Recovery CDs, contact Sony
Online Support (SOS).

Some applications on the Application Recovery CDs must be decompressed before the
installation process begins. Your screen does not change while the files are decompressed.
The time to decompress an application varies and may be as long as 30 minutes.

To use the Application Recovery CDs

Turn on your computer. If your computer is already on, close all

1

applications.
When the Windows desktop appears, insert the first Sony

2

Application Recovery CD in the CD-ROM drive. The Application
Recovery utility loads automatically.

When the Application Recovery menu appears, follow the on-screen

3

instructions to complete the recovery process.

✍

You may be prompted to insert the second CD, depending on the application you want to
restore.

88