Sony PCG551L Users Manual

Welcome.......................................................9

Using Your VAIO Computer ...... ...............1 1

Using the Keyboard...................................................12

Functions of the keyboard keys .........................................13

Combinations and functions with the Windows key .........14

Indicators ...........................................................................15

Combina t i o n s a n d fun c t i o n s w i t h the F n key . .............. .....16

Using VAIO Action Setup........................................19

Using the Jog Dial Control........................................20

Launcher mode ..................................................................20

Guide m o d e............................ ............................................21

Using the Jog Dial control with Sony software.................21

Using the Jog Dial control with other software .................22

Interna l timer..... .................... .............. .............. .................23

Using Memory Stick Media......................................24

Types o f Me m o ry St i c k m e d i a..................... ......................24

Notes on using Memory Stick media.................................26

Using PC Cards.........................................................28

To insert PC card...............................................................28

To remove a PC Card while your computer is on..............29

Notes on PC Cards .............................................................29

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

Norma l mo d e .. .............. .............. .............. .................... .....3 1

Standby mode ....................................................................31

Hibernate mod e.......... ....................................................... .3 1

Notes on power saving modes...........................................32

Connectin g a Telep hon e Cab l e ................ ................33

To connect a telephone cable .... .......... .......... .......... ...........33

Connectin g to a LAN........... .......... ...........................34

To set up a net w o rk........... .............. .............. ..................... 3 5

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Connecting t o a Wirel e ss LAN.......... ................ .......36

Turnin g O n Wire l e ss LAN................................................36

The Wireless LAN Access Point ...................................... 36

Communicating with an Access Point (infrastructure)..... 37

Communicating without an access point (ad-hoc)............ 38

Turning Off Wireless LAN............................................... 40

Notes on u si n g W i re l ess LAN .......................................... 40

Connecting Peripheral Devices ...............41

Connecting a Floppy Disk Drive ..............................42

To connect a floppy disk drive.......................................... 42

To insert a floppy disk into the floppy disk drive............. 43

To remove a floppy disk from the floppy disk drive........ 44

To disconnect a floppy disk drive when the computer is on. 44

To carry an floppy disk drive.......... .................... .............. 45

Notes on handling floppy disks......................................... 45

Connecting a PC Card Bus Drive .............................46

To connec t a n opt i c al drive............. .............. .................... 46

To insert a disc.................................................................. 47

To remove the drive.......................................................... 48

Notes on CD and DVD discs............................................ 49

Connecting an i.L INK Opt i cal Disc Dri ve...............50

To connec t a n i. LINK optical disc dr i v e............. .............. 5 0

To disconnect an i.LINK optical disc drive...................... 52

Notes on using i.LINK optical disc drives........................ 52

Connecting a USB Mouse or Keyboard ...................53

To connect a USB mouse or keyboard.............................. 53

Connecting a USB Device........................................55

To connec t a USB device.............. .............. .............. ........ 5 5

Connecting a USB Printer.........................................56

To connec t t o a US B printer ................... .............. ............. 5 6

Connecting an i.LINK Audio-Video Device.............58

To connec t a dig i tal vide o ca mera recorder..................... ..58

Notes on connecting an i.LINK device..............................59

Connecting an External Display................................60

To connec t a co mpu ter disp l ay ............. .............. ...............60

To connec t a pro j e c t o r ........ .................... .............. ............. 6 1

Changing the display when connecting an external computer

display o r p rojector ..... ........ .............. .............. .............. .....62

Connecting wi th an othe r VAI O comput er................63

Connectin g Ext ernal Speakers ....... ......... ..................64

To connect external speakers.............................................64

Connecting a Microphone.........................................65

To connect a microphone........................ .......... ............ ..... 65

To record from a microphone or audio equipment............65

Adjus t in g t h e volume................................................... ......66

Expanding Your Computer Capabilities ...................68

Personal Digital Assistant..................................................68

Wireless LAN Access Point ..............................................68

Wirele ss LAN PC Ca rd.... ..................................................69

Customizing Your VAIO Computer..........71

Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen .... .......72

Sony Notebook Setup tabs.................................................73

Controlling Power Management ...............................74

Viewing th e Power Man a ge m e n t st a t u s i c o n s ................... 7 4

To access PowerPanel Help................ .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .....74

Power Management profiles..............................................75

Power Ma n a g e m en t commands .. .................... .............. .....7 7

Conserving battery power..................................................78

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Displaying Battery Info r m ati o n........... .....................79

To display the Battery Information window..................... 79

To displ ay t he Battery Informa t i o n to o l b a r ................... .... 79

To clos e th e Ba t t e ry In fo rmation t o o l b a r.......................... 79

Batte ry i con d escrip t i o n s...... ............................................. 80

Display i n g d e t ailed battery informatio n . .............. ............ 80

Changing the window design of Sony software................ 81

Selecting the D is p lay Mode............... .......................83

To selec t the d i sp l a y mod e...................... .............. ............ 83

Adding Memory.........................................85

Precaution s and Procedures................................. .....86

Typic al expansi o n memory co n fi g u ration........... .............86

Installing a Memory Module ....................................87

Removing a Memor y Mod ule.......................... .........90

Confirming Added Memory Capacity......................92

About the So ft wa re on Your Comp uter...93

Software Overview...................................................93

DVgate application notes..........................................99

Digital video captures ....................................................... 99

Adjusti n g im ag e resolut i o n ............. .............. .............. ...... 99

Hard disk drive partition........................................ ........ ...99

Software Support Information................................101

Sony Service Center........................................................ 103

Using the Recovery CDs ........................105

Application, Driver, and System Recovery CDs....106

Using Your Recovery CDs......................................107

To use the A p p li cation Recovery CD( s)............. ............. 1 0 7

To use the Driver Recovery CD(s) ..................................108

To use the S y st e m Recovery CD(s)................... ..............109

Troubleshooting......................................113

Troubleshooting Your Computer .. .............. ....... .....114

My computer does not start. ............................................114

My compu t e r sta rts, but a B IOS error a p p ea rs. ............ ...114

My computer starts, but the message “Operating system not

found” appears and Windows does not start....................115

My computer stops responding or does not shut down. ..116

The Power Management setting is not responding..........116

The sound of my computer’s fan is too loud...................117

Why does the System Properties dialog box display a slower

CPU speed than advertised? ............................................117

Troubleshooting the LCD Screen................ ............118

My LCD screen is blank. .................................................118

The image on my connected external display is not centered

or sized pr o p erly. .................. .............. .............. ...............118

I cannot simultaneously display movies, DVD video, or the Smart Capture (Finder) window on the LCD display and an

external display................................................................118

I want to change the video resolution of my display.......118

Troubleshooting the Mouse and Touchpad.............119

My mouse d o es n o t work.. .............. .............. .............. .....1 1 9

My touchpad does not work properly..............................119

The pointer does not move while I am using the Touchpad or

Mouse...............................................................................119

Troubleshooting Drives, PC Cards and Peripheral De-

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vices........................................................................121

My floppy disk drive icon doesn’t appear even though it is

connected. ....................................................................... 121

My optical drive is not playing my disc properly........... 121

My optic a l d i sc d r ive tray does not op e n ......... ............... 122

I cannot use digital video (DV) devices. The message “DV equipment seems to be disconnected or turned off” appears. 122

My PC Card i s not worki n g ............................................ 123

Troubleshooting i.LINK devices ............................124

I cannot establish a connection between two VAIO comput-

ers when using an i.LINK cable...................................... 124

Troubleshooting Software........................ .. ..... ....... .125

My software program stops responding or crashes......... 125

When I click an application icon, the message “You must insert the application CD into your CD-ROM (DVD-ROM)

drive” appears, and the software does not start. .............. 125

I cannot use the DVgate software. .................................. 125

My computer’s start-up time seems longer after I have in-

stall e d AOL. What can I d o ?.... ....................................... 125

What software do I use for CD-R/CD-RW software func-

tions? ............................................................................... 126

Troubleshooting the Modem............. ....... ....... ........1 27

My modem does not work. ............................................. 127

My modem connection is slow....................................... 127

Troubleshooting Wireless LAN fun ctions..............128

I cannot use the Wireless LAN functionality.................. 128

The computer cannot connect to a Wireless LAN Access

Point. ............................................................................... 128

I cannot access the Internet............................................. 128

The dat a tr an s f e r speed is slow.... ................................... 129

The communication speed is interrupted or slowed down

when MPEG2 data is transferred.....................................129

Data tran sfers are interru p t e d .. .............. .................... .......129

Troubleshooting Audio ........................ ....... ....... .....131

My speakers have no sound.............................................131

There is noise distortion while listening to music with USB

speakers or USB headphones...........................................131

My microphone does not work........................................132

Troubleshooting Memory Stick Media .............. .....133

Image files do not open even though I insert Memory Stick

media i n t o the sl o t...... ......................................................133

Memory Stick media does not work. I cannot access the re-

movable drive. .................................................................133

Getting Help.............................................1 3 5

Support Options.......................................................135

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Welcome

Congratulations on your purchase of this Sony VAIO® computer, and welcome to the VAIO User Guide. This User Guide prov ides detailed information on all aspects of using your new VAIO computer, from keyboard functions to preinstalled software applications. In the left navigation window, click the topics you want to learn more about, and that information will be displayed in this main window.

✍ Click here to find the latest updates and supplemental information about your

computer.

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Using Your VAIO Computer

This section describe s the following aspects of your new computer:

❑ Using the Keyboard ❑ Using VAIO Action Setup ❑ Using the Jog Dial Cont rol ❑ Using Memory Stick Media ❑ Using PC Cards ❑ Using Power Saving Modes ❑ Connecting a Telephone Cable ❑ Connecting to a LA N ❑ Connecting to a Wireless LAN

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Using the Keyboard

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

Keyboard

Shift key

Ctrl key

Fn key

Escape key

Esc

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10 F11 F12

2134567890

Tab

Caps Lock

Shift

Fn Alt Alt

Ctrl Ctrl

Function keys

$% & ( )

Alt key

Numeric

keypad area

Windows key

Applications key

Print Screen key

NumLk

Prt Sc

Scr Lk

SysRq

Backspace

Enter

Shift

Navigation keys

Insert Pause

Correction keys

Delete Break

Home

Page Up

Page Down

End

Using the Keyboard

Functions of the keyboard keys

Key Description

Numeric keypad are a Contains the keys found on a typical calculator. Use the

numeric keypad area to type numbers or to perform mathematical calculatio n s such as addition and subtraction. Numbers appear on t he front beveled edge of the numeric keys. You must press the Num Lock key to activate the numeric keypad. (When you do so, the Num Lock indicator lights up. )

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 key s The Insert, Backspace, 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 applic at ion s, F1 is th e Hel p k ey. The task asso cia te d with each functio n key may vary among applications .

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 moves it to the W indows ® Clipboa rd. You can then paste the screen shot into a document and print it.

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Key Description

Operator keys (Shift, Ctrl, Alt keys)

Several keys are always use d 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 application s, inst ead of c hoosing the Save command fro m a menu, you can hold down Ctrl and pres s the S key (referred to as Ctrl+S). The Shift key operates the same way as on a typewriter; it is use d to produ ce capita l l etter s or special symbols, s uch as @ and $.

Windows® key The key with th e Wi ndows® logo displ ays t he W indo ws

Start menu; it’s the equivalent of clicking Start on the taskbar. See “Combinations and functions with the Windows key” for more information.

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

issue commands. See “Com binations and functi ons with the Fn key” for more information.

Applications key The Applications key displays a shortcut menu of

context-sensitive choices. Pressing this key is the equivalent of cl icking the right mouse button.

Combinations and functions with the Windows key

Combination Function

+ F1 Displays VAIO® Help and Support Center.

+ Tab Switches the se lected button on the taskbar.

+ E Displays Windows® Explorer.

Using the Keyboard

Combination Function

+ F Displays the Sea rch window to find a file or fol der. This

is the equivalent of selecting Search from the Start menu.

+ Ctrl + F Displays the search results window where you ca n

locate other compu ters. This is the equivalent of selec ti n g Se a r ch , an d th en Co m pu t er s f ro m th e Sta r t menu.

+ M Minimizes all displayed windows (with Num Lock off).

Shift + + M Returns al l 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 System Properties window. This is the

equivalent of selecting Contro l Pa nel, and then System from the Start menu.

Indicators

Indicator Function

Power Lights up when th e power to the computer is tu r ned on, flashes in

Standby mode, and turns off when the computer is in Hibern ate mode or powered off.

Battery

Hard disk Lights up when data is read from or written to the h ard disk drive.

Lights up when the c omputer is usin g bat tery powe r , fl ashe s when the battery is running out of power, double-flashes when the battery is charging.

Do not enter Standby mode or turn off the computer when this indicator light is on.

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Indicator Function

Wireless LAN

Memory Stick®

Num Lock Lights up when the number keys are a in the numeric keypad are

Caps Lock Lights up when the le tters appear in uppe rcase as you type. The

Scroll Lock Lights up when the screen scroll s differently. (Exactly h o w i t

Lights up when the Wireless LAN func tion is running.

Lights up when data is read from or written to the Memory Stick media. (Do not ente r St andby m ode or turn off the computer whe n this indica tor lig ht i s on.) W hen in dic at or is of f , th e Me mory St ick media is not being accessed.

active. When indicator is off, the alphanum eric character keys in the keypad area are active.

Shift key lower s the case of typed letters when Caps Lock is on. When the indicator is off, the letters appear in lowe r cas e as you type (unless you hold down the Shift key).

scrolls depends on the specif ic appl icat ion. Thi s funct ion does not work with all applications.) When indicator is off, information moves across the displ ay normally.

Combinations and functions with the Fn key

✍ If you switch user identities during a computing session, the Fn+F7 key

functionality (if available on your computer) will be interrupted. To switch to an external display or monitor, see “Selecting the Display Mo de” for more information.

Combinations/ Feature Functions

Using the Keyboard

Fn+ (ESC) Standby

Fn+ (F3) Speaker switch

Fn+ (F4) Speaker volume

Fn+ (F5) Brightness control

Fn+ (F7) Switch to the external display

Puts the system into Standby mode, a power management s tate . To return the system to the ac ti ve state, press any key on your computer.

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 the intensity, press Fn+F5 and or . To decrease th e intensity, press Fn+F5 and or .

Toggles between the LCD, external display (connected to the VGA Monitor port), and both LCD and external display modes.

Only LCD

LCD and external display

Only external display

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Combinations/ Feature Functions

Fn+ (F12) Hibernate

Fn+B Bass Boost

Fn+ F Display cont rol. Mi nimiz es and m axim izes th e LCD

Provides for the l owest leve l of po wer consump tion. When you execute this comma nd, 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, press the power button briefly to turn on the power.

Toggles the bass-b oos t function off and on. This feature is available only while using headphones.

screen. If the default display resoluti on is reduced, this function maximizes the display resolution to fit the screen size. Ma xi mizing th e d isplay screen enables you to view the display at a greate r resolution.

✍ Some functions are not available until Window s® launches.

Using VAIO Action Setup

VAIO Action Setup manages t he setti ngs for yo ur co mputer’ s Jog Di al™ con trol,

MEMORY STICK

Memory Stick® media, and i.LINK®

interface. With VAIO Action

Setup, you can:

❑ Change the Jog Dia l setting ❑ Change the USB de vice connection setting ❑ Change the time setting.

For more information on ch anging the settings us ing VAIO Action Setup, rightclick the Jog Dial control icon or in the taskbar, and click Help Topics.

* i.LINK is a trademark of Sony used only to designate that a produ c t contains an IEEE 1394

connection . T he i.LINK connection may vary, depending on the software applications, operatin g system and compatible i.LINK devic es. All produ cts with an i.LINK connectio n may not communicat e w ith each other. Refer to the documentation that came with your compatible i.LINK device for informat ion on operati ng conditions and proper connection. Befo re connecting compatible i.LINK PC peripherals to your system, such as a CD-RW or hard disk drive, conf irm their op e ra ting s yst em com p at ibility and required op er atin g con di tio ns.

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Using the Jo g Dial C on tro l

Your computer is equipped with a Jog Dial™ control on the bottom center portion of the unit. The Jog Dial control enables you to ope n an application, folder, or document from a predefined list by rotating and pres sing the Jog Dial control. In addition, when you press the Jog Dial control, you can turn on your computer automatically and start the selected application or document.

Using the Jog Dial Control

Jog Dial control

The Jog Dial control window always appears in the displ ay. It is either in the launcher mode or in the guide mode.

For information on how to ch ange the Jog Dial control’s settings, right-clic k the Jog Di al co nt r ol icon in th e taskbar, an d click He lp Topic s.

Launcher mode

The Jog Dial control window is in launcher mode until a soft ware application is launched or the Jog Dial control window becomes active. When an arrow is displayed next to an item in the Jog Dial control window, you can display a submenu of that ite m by selecting it and press ing the Jog Dial control but ton.

Using the Jog Dial Control

Using Launcher mode

To use the Jog Dial control , double-click the Jog Dial control window or the Jog Dial control icon in the taskbar. Alternatively, you can press the Jog Dial control while pressing the Ctrl key on the keyboar d to swi tch to the launcher mode.

1 Turn the Jog Dial control to selec t the item you want, and press the Jog Dial

control. The window swi tches to the guide mode and shows the Jog Dial control’s function.

Jog Dial Launcher Dialog Box

2 Turn or press the Jog Dial control to use the desired function.

Guide mode

The Jog Dial control window is in the guide mode when software is in use and the soft ware window is active. Depending on the software you are using, you can select items from the displayed list using the Jog Dial control. Some Sony software applications have two modes in List Vi ew, Simple Menu, and Full Menu. You can switch the mode by pressing the Shift key while turning the Jog Dial control.

Using the Jog Dial control with Sony software

If Sony software that supports the Jog Dial™ control is active, you can use the Jog Dial’s functions that are allocated to that software. For more information on functions allocated to software, see the software application’s online Help.

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Using the Jog Dial control with other software

If the software you are using does not support the Jog Dial control, you can still perform the following functions:

Action Description

Maximize Window* Press the J og Dial control button to maximize the size

of the active window. Press it again to return to normal window size.

Minimize W indow* Press the Jog Dial control button to minimize the size

of the active window. Press it again to return to normal window size.

Finish W indow* Press the Jog Dial control button to close the active

application.

Scroll* Press the Jog Dial control button to begin scrolling

within the ac tive window.

Jog Dial Launcher Press the Jog Di al c ontro l butt on t o r eturn t he J og Dial

control to Jog Launch er mode.

Menu Bar Press the Jog Dia l contro l but ton, an d then us e the J og

Dial control to scroll through the active window’s toolbar.

* Some softw are ap plic a tio n s do not sup por t the se fun ctio n s .

Using a dialog box

When a window such as Screen Properties is active, the Dialog box is displayed in the Jog Dial™ window. You can select an item in the window by rotating the Jog Dial control. Pressing the Jog Dial control is the equivalent of pressing Enter.

Using the Jog Dial Control

Jog Dial Guide Dialog Box

Inte rnal t imer

You can use the internal timer to start an application at a specific time. When set, the tim e can la u nch application s ev en when th e co mputer is tu r n ed off.

1 Rotate or push the Jog Dial™ control, and select VAIO Action Setup in the

Jog Dial Launcher window.

2 Click Timer from the left menu, and then click the clock icon. 3 Select either Recommended Se ttings, Pro gr am Files, All Files, or Drag &

Drop from the left menu, then select the file or application you want to launch in the right window.

4 Click Next until the One-Time-Only Setting dialog box appears. 5 Select the D ate and Time and click Next twice . 6 Click Finish, and close the VAIO Action Setup window.

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Using Memory Stick Media

This new compact, portable, and versatil e rec ording medium has a data capaci ty exceeding th at of a fl oppy disk. The media is specia lly designed for exch anging and sharing digi tal data with compatible products. Because it is removable, you can use the media for external data storage.

Types of Memory Stick media

Your computer uses two types of Memory St ick® media:

❑ MagicGate™ Memory Stick media (here aft er referred as MG Memory

Stick media), is provi de d with copyri ght protect ion. (T he MG Memory Sti ck media are color ed white .)

❑ Memory Stick media, does not have the same copyright protection as

MagicGate. (The Memory Stick media are colored purple.)

For music, which requi res copyright protection, you can only use MG Memory Stick medi a. You can also use compatible MagicGate dev ices to record and play back music when they are connected to your computer.

You can store mixed data on the Memory Stick medi a. For exam ple, you can copy an image onto MG Memory Stick media that alrea dy contains music.

What is MagicGate?

MagicGate t echnology is copyright protection that consists of authentication and encryption technology. Authentication technology ensures that protected content is only transferred between complian t devices and media. Prot ected content is recor d ed and transferred in an encrypt ed format to preven t u n author ized duplication or playback.

✍ Ensure that the MG Memory Stick media has the M G mark .

To insert a Memory Stick media

1 Hold the Memory Stick media with the label facing up and the arrow facing

toward the Memory Stick® media slot.

2 Carefully insert the Memory Stick media into the slot until it clicks into

place.

Inserting the media in the wrong direction may damage the connector pins. To avoid damagi ng the computer or the Memory Stick Media, do not force

the Memory Stick media into the slot.

Inserting Memory Stick

Using Memory Stick Media

Insert in the direction of the arrow with the label facing up

Memory Stick media

To view the contents of Memory Stick media

1 Click Start on the Windows® taskbar, and the n My Com puter. 2 Click the Sony Memory Stick

icon. The Sony Memory Stick window

appears, dis playing the contents of your MemoryStick media.

To remove a Memory Stick media

1 Wait a minimum of 10 seconds after the media finishes reading or writing

data before removing it. If the media is removed premature ly, an error message appear s, prompting you to continue or exit. Reinsert the media into the slot a nd press Enter to continue. This enables the media to finish reading or writing data.

2 Make sure the Memory Stick indicato r is of f. When the indicator is off, th e

Memory Stick media is not being accessed.

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Memory Stick media indicator

Memory Stick media slot

Memory Stick

indicator

3 Push th e m ed i a in to w a rd th e computer. 4 When the media ejects, pull it out. The Memory Stick media may eject

completely from the s lot.

Notes on using Memory Stick media

❑ When the media’s write-protect tab is set to LOCK, you cannot record or

erase dat a.

❑ Before using Memory Stick media, you shoul d back up important data. ❑ You can enjoy video clips tha t you have recorded with compatible Memory

Stick dig ital camcorders.

❑ The media slot accommodates one media at a time. ❑ To copy images from a digital video camera via Memory Stick® media, see

“Connecting an i.LINK Audio-Video Device” for more information.

❑ Only MG™ Memory Stick me dia can be used with copyright protected data

like mu si c.

❑ Do not remove the media or turn off the power while the access light is on.

Using Memory Stick Media

❑ Do not use the media in locations that are subj ect to static elec tricity or

electri cal noise .

❑ Do not touch the media connec tor with your finger or metallic objects. ❑ Do not attach labels other than the supplied label to a media. ❑ Do not bend, drop, or shock the media. ❑ Do not disassemble or modify the media. ❑ Do not allow the media to get wet . ❑ Do not use or store the media in a location that is subject to:

❑ Extreme ly hi g h temperatu r es, such as in a ca r par k ed in th e su n . ❑ Direct sunlight. ❑ High humidity or place s with corrosive substances.

❑ To prolong the life of the media, use the supplied storage case. See the

instructions supplied with your media for more information on its use.

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Using PC Cards

Your computer includes a PC Card slot, which enables you to connect portable external devices, such as an optical disc drive.

✍ The PC Card slot accommoda te s a Type I or T ype II PC Card . Thi s slo t is co mpat ib le

with Card Bus. Type III PC Cards are not supported.

To insert PC card

✍ You do not need to shut down the computer before inse rting or removi ng a PC Card.

1 Insert the PC Card into the PC Card sl ot with the front labe l facing up.

Inserting PC Card

Insert in the direction of the arrow.

2 Gently push the PC Card into the slot until it is firmly seated in the port and

the release button pops out.

Do not force a PC Card into the slot. It may damage the connector pins. When a PC Card is inserted, do not place your computer in a bag or case.

Pressure or shock to a PC Card may damage your comput er. Touching the head of the PC Card will not cause damage to the connector

pins, but damage can occur if the head of the PC Card i s sticking out of the computer while the unit is being transported.

Using PC Cards

To remove a PC Card while your computer is on

Failure to follow this procedure may result in a malfunction. 1 Before disconnecting this drive, close all active applications to help prevent

data loss.

2 Doub l e - c li ck the Safe ly Re m o v e Hardware icon in th e taskbar. The

Safely Remove Hardware window appears.

3 In the Hardware devices box , select the appropriate PC Card name if it is not

already selecte d, and click Stop. The Stop a Hardware device window appears.

4 Make sure the appropriate PC Card name is selected, and click OK. A

message appears stating it is safe to remove the hardware.

5 Press the Releas e button. The PC Card pops out. 6 Gently grasp the PC Card and pull it out.

Release Button

Notes on PC Cards

❑ For some PC Cards, if you alternate between normal power operation a nd

the Standby or Hibernate power management modes while the card is inserted, you may find that a device connected to your system is not recog n ized. Restart you r system to correct the proble m.

Change text in this var iable definition to docum ent title.

❑ Some PC Cards may require that you disable idle devices when using the PC

Card. You can use Sony Notebook Setup to disable devi ces. See “Displ aying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen” for more information.

❑ Be sure to use the most recent software driver provided by the PC Card

manufacturer.

❑ If an exclamation mark (!) appears on the Device Manager tab in th e System

Properties dia log box, remove the software driver , and reinstall it.

❑ You may not be able to use some PC Cards or some fun ctions of the PC Ca rd

with this computer. If you have difficulty inserti ng a card, check that you are orienting the c ard co rrectly. See the manual supplied with your PC Card for more information on its use.

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