Sony PCG-FX290 Primary, VAIO PCG-FX290K, VAIO PCG-956A, VAIO PCG-9562 User Manual

VAIO® Notebook User Guide

PCG-FX290/FX290K

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Notice to Users

© 2001 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. This manual and the softwa re described herein, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced, tra nslated, 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.

Updates and additions to software may require an addition a l charge. Subscriptions to online service provider s m ay re quire a fee and credi t card information. Financial services may require prior arrangements with participating financial institutions.

As an ENERGY STAR Partner, Sony Corporation has determined that this product meets the

ENERGY STAR

guidelines for energy efficiency.

The International Equipment Program is an international program that promotes ene rgy savin g through the use of computers and other office equ ipment. The program backs the development and dissemination of products with functions that effectively reduce energy consumption. It is an open system in which business proprietors can participate voluntari ly. The targeted products are office equi pm ent such as computers, displays, printers, facsimiles and copiers. Their standards and logos are uniform among participating nations. registered mark.

ENERGY STAR Office

ENERGY ST AR is a U.S.

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

This product conta ins soft wa re owned by Sony and licensed by third parties. Use of such software is subject to the t erm s an d conditions of license ag reements encl os ed with this product. Some of the software may not be transported or used outside the United States. Software s p ecifications are subject to chan ge without notice and may no t ne cessarily be identica l to current retail version s .

Sony, Handycam, i.LINK, Mavica, Media Bar, MovieShak er , Pictur eGear , VAIO and th e VAIO logo are trademarks of Sony Corporation. Microsoft, Windows Me, Windows Media, Windows, Windows NT, and the Windows logo are register ed trademarks of Micr osoft Corporatio n. I ntel, SpeedS te p, and Pentium a r e trademarks of Inte l Cor poration. PS/2 is a register ed trademark of IBM.

This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by me thod claims of certain U.S. pate nts and other intellectual property rights owned by Macrovision Corporation an d other rights owners. Use of this copyright protection technology must be

authorized by Ma crovision Corporati on, and is intended for hom e a nd other limited viewing uses only unless otherwise authorized by Macrovision Corporation. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited. i.LINK is a SONY trademark used only to designate that a product contains an IEEE 1394 connector. All products with an i.LINK connector may not communicat e wi th each other.

unless the telephone line has been disconnected at the network interface.

❑ Use caution when installing or

modifying tel e ph one li n e s.

❑ A void using the modem during an

electrical storm.

All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owne rs.

Owner’s Record

The model n umber and seri al number are

located on the bott om of your Sony VAIO® Notebook. Refer to the m odel and serial number when you call your Sony Service Center.

Model Numbers: PCG-956A, PCG-956 2 Serial Number:___________________ _____

Safety Information

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.

❑ 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.

! To change the backup battery,

please contact your neare s t Sony Service Center.

! Caution - The use of op tic a l

instruments with thi s produ c t will increase eye hazard. As the laser beam used in this product is harmful to the eyes, do not attempt to disassemble the cabinet. Refer servicing to qualified personnel only.

! For CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive:

Danger - Visible and invisib le laser radiation when open. Avoid direct exposure to beam.

❑ 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 terminal s

! Caution: To reduc e the risk of fire ,

use only No. 26 AWG or larger telecommunicatio n lin e cord.

AVERTISSEMENT

❑ Pour prévenir tout risque

d’incendie ou d’électrocution, garder cet appareil à l’abri de la pluie et de l’humidité.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑ Pour prévenir tout risque

d’électrocution, ne pas ouvrir le châssis de cet appareil et ne confier son entretien qu’à une personne qualifiée.

❑ Ne jamais effectuer l’installation

de fil modem ou télé phone durant un orage électrique.

❑ Ne jamais effectuer l’installation

d’une prise téléphonique dans un endroit mouillé à moins que la prise soit conçue à cet effet.

! Pour change r la pile de r echange,

veuillez contacter votre centre de

service Sony le plus pr ès.

! Avertissem e nt - L'ut ilis ation

d'instrume nts optiques ave c ce produit augmente les risques pour les yeux. Pui sque le faisceau laser utilisé dans ce produit est dommageable pour les yeux, ne tentez pas de désassemble r le boîtier. Adressez-vous à un agent de service qualifié.

❑ Ne jamais toucher un fil

téléphonique à découvert ou un terminal à moins que la ligne téléphonique n’ait été débranché de l’interface réseau.

❑ Soyez très prudent lorsque vous

installez ou modifiez les lignes téléphoniqu es.

❑ Évitez d’utiliser le modem durant

un orage électrique.

❑ N'utilisez pas le modem ni le

téléphone pour prévenir d'une fuite de gaz vous êtes près de la fuite.

❑ L’appareil doit être le plus près

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

! Pour les lecteur CD-RW/DVD-

ROM: Danger : Radiation laser visible et invisible si ouvert. Évitez l’exposition directe au faisceau.

! Attention : Afin de rédu ire les

risques d'i nc en die, n'utilisez qu'un cordon de communic ation N0. 26 AWG ou plus gros.

If you have questions about this product, you can reach the Sony Custom e r Information Service Center at 1-888-4SONYPC; or write to the Sony Custom e r Information Service Center at 12451 Gateway Blvd. , Ft. My ers, FL 33 913 or find Sony Customer Service on the web at: http://www.sony.com/pcsupport

Regulatory Information

Declaration of Conformity

Trade Name: SONY

Model No.: PCG-956A

PCG-9562

Responsible Party: Sony Electronics Inc.

Address:

T elephone: (For FCC-related matters only.)

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Oper ation is subject to th e following two conditions:

(1) This device may not cause harmful

interference.

(2) This device must ac cept any interference

received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested a nd found to comply with the limits fo r a Cl as s B digital device, pursuant t o Part 15 of the Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful in terference in a residentia l i n s ta ll ation. This eq uipment 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 communicati on s. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment doe s cause harmful interference to radio or televi sion 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:

680 Kinderkamack Rd . Oradell, NJ 07649

201-930-6972

❑ 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 chan ges or modifications not expressly approve d in this manual could void your authority to operate this equipment.

Only peripherals (co mp ut er i nput /output devices, terminals, printers, etc.) that comply with FCC Class B limi ts may be at tached to this computer product. Operation with noncomplia nt peripherals is likely to result in interference to radio and televi sion reception.

All cables used to connect peripherals must be shielded and grou nde d. O peration with cabl es, connected to peripherals, that are no t shi el ded and grounded, m ay re sul t in int erference 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 co ntains, among othe r information, the FCC equivalence number (REN) for this equipment. If requested, this infor mation must be provided to the telephone company.

This modem uses the USOC RJ-11 telephone jack.

The REN is used to determine the quantit y of devices which may be connected to the telephone line. Excessive RENs on the telephone li ne may result in the de vices not ringing in response to an incoming call. In most, but not all area s , th e sum of the RENs should not exce e d five (5.0). To be certain of the number of devi ce s th at may b e con nect ed to the line, as determined by the total RENs, contact the telephone company to determine the maximum REN for t he c al li ng a r ea .

If the terminal equipment ca us es harm to the telephone network, the telephone company will

VAIO Notebook User Guide

notify you in advance that temp orary discontinuance of service m ay be required. But if advance notice is not pract ic al, 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 necess ary.

The telepho ne comp an y may make changes in its facilities, equipm en t, operations or procedures that could affect the operati ons of the equipme nt. If this happens, the te le phone company will provide advance notice in order for you to make the necessary modifications in order to maintai n uni nterrupted service .

If trouble is exper ie nced with this equipme nt, you can reach the Sony Customer Information Service Center at 1-888-4SONYPC; or write to the Sony Customer Information Service Center at 12451 Gateway Blvd. , Ft. Myers, F L 33 913 or find Sony Custome r Service on the web at: http://www.sony.com/pcsupport

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

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 t he telephone number of the sending mach ine or such business, other entity , or individual.

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

Telephone Consumer Guidelines (Canada)

Please refer to you r te lephone directory under

‘Privacy Issues’ a nd/ or ‘Terms of Service.’ For more detailed information, please contact:

CRTC T errasses de la Chaudiére, Tour centrale 1 promenade du Po rtag e, 5 é tage Hul l PQ K1A 0N2.

This Class B digita l ap paratus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

Cet àppareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

This equipment cannot be used on public coin service provide d by t he telephone compa ny. Connection to Part y Line Service is subje ct to state and possible provincial tariffs. (Contact the state or pr ovincial utilit y s ervice commission, public service commission, or corporation co m mi ssion, 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 clearl y contains, in a margin at the top or bottom of each transmitted

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 i n ho us e ho ld or business trash may be prohibite d.

For the Sony Service Center nearest you, call 1888-476-6972 in the Unit e d Sta te s or 1-800961-7669 in Canada.

! Do not handle damaged or leaking

lithium ion batteries.

! Ne pas manipu ler le s batteries au

lithium-ion qui fuient ou sont

endommagées.

! 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'expl os io n. La remplacer seulement par une batteri e identique ou de type équivalent recommandé par le fabricant. Évacuer les batt er ies usées selon les directiv es du fabricant.

! The battery pack used in this

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

! La manutention inco r r e cte du

module de batterie de cet appareil présente un risque d'incendie ou de brûlures chimiques. N e pas démonter, incinérer ou exposer à une température de plus de 100°C. Évacuer promptement la batterie usée. Garder hors de portée des enfants.

INDUSTRY CANADA NOTICE

NOTICE: The Industry Canada label identifies certified equipment. This certification means that the equipment meets certain telecommunications network protective, operational and safet y requirements as prescribed in the appropriate Terminal Equipment Technical Requirements document(s). The Departm en t doe s not guarantee the equipment will operate to the

user’s satisfaction.

Before installin g thi s equ ip me nt , use rs should ensure that i t is permissible to be connecte d to the facilities of the local telecommunications company. The equipment must also be installed using an acceptable method of connection.

The custo mer should be aware that co mpliance with the above conditions may not prevent degradation of service in some situatio ns.

Repairs to certified equipment should be coordinated by a representative designated by the supplier. Equipment malfunctions or any repairs or alterations made by the user to this

VAIO Notebook User Guide

equipment m ay give the tele communications company cause to request that the user disconnect the equipment.

Users should ensure for their own protection that the elec trical ground connections of the power utility, telephone lines and interna l metallic water pipe system, if present, are connected together. This precaution may be particularly im portant in rural are as.

Caution: Users should not attempt to make such connections themselves , but should con tact the appropriate e le ctric inspection authority, or electrician, as appropriate.

NOTICE: The Ringe r Equivalence Numb e r (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 m ay c onsist of any combin ation of devices subject only to the requirement that the sum of the Ringer E qui valence Numbers of a ll the devices does no t e xceed 5. The Ringer Equivalence Number for this equipment is 0.2.

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 pa r un représentant désigné par le fournisseur. L’entreprise de télécommun ications peut dema n der à l’utilisateur de débrancher un appareil à la suite de réparations ou de modifications effectuées par l’utilisate ur ou à cause de mauvais fonctionnement.

Pour sa propre prot ection, l’utilis ateur doit s’assurer que tous les fils de mise à la terre de la source d’énergie électrique, des lignes téléphoniques et des c analisations d’eau métalliques, s’il y en a, sont raccordés ensemble. Ce tt e pr écau ti on e st pa rt icul iè reme nt importante dans les régions rurales.

Avertissemen t: L’utilisateur ne doit pas tente r de faire ces raccor dements lui-même; il doit avoir recours à un service d’inspection des installa tions électriques, ou à un él ectricien, selon le cas.

AVIS DE L’INDUSTRIE CANADA

AVIS: L’étiquette d’Indu strie Canada ident ifi e le matériel homologué.

Cette étiquette certifie que le matériel est conforme aux nor mes de protection, d’exploitation et de sécurité des réseaux de télécommunic at ion s, 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 sati sfa ct ion de l’utilisateur.

A vant d’installer ce matériel, l’utilisateur doit s’assurer qu’il est permis de le raccorder aux installatio n s de l’en treprise locale de télécommunication. Le matériel doit également être install é en suivant un e méthode acc eptée de raccordeme nt. L’abonné ne doit pas oublier

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

La terminaison d’une interface télé phonique peut consister en une combination de quelques dispositifs, à la seule condition que la somme d’indices d’é quivalence d e la s onnerie de tous les dispositifs n’excède pas 5. L’indice d’équival ence de la sonnerie de ce matériel es t de 0.2.

Notice to Users 2

Welcome 13

Features 13 Unpacking Your Notebook 14

Manuals 14 Software CDs 15 Recovery CDs 15 Other 15

Ergonomic Considerations 16

Notes on Setup 17 Handling Your Notebook 18 Cleaning Your Notebook 18 Handling the LCD Screen 18

Setting Up Your VAIO® Notebook 21

Locating Controls and Connectors 21 Connecting a Power Source 27 Starting Your Computer 33 Shutting Down Your Computer 34

Using Your VAIO® Notebook 35

Using the Keyboard 35

Combinations and Functions with the Windows Key 36 Indicators 37 Indicators (continued) 38 Combinations and Functions with the Fn Key 39

Using the Touchpad 40 Using the Floppy Disk Drive 42

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Using the Optical Drive 45

Playing a DVD 47 Notes on CD and DVD media 49 Writing data to CD-RW/CD-R media 49

Using PC Cards 51

To insert a PC card 51 To remove a PC card 52

Using a Second Battery Pack 54

To insert a second battery pack 54 To charge the second battery pack 55 To remove the second battery pack 56

Using the Weight Saver 57

To attach the weight saver 57 To remove the Weight Saver 58

Using Smart Connect 59

Windows Me™ 59 Windows 2000 59

Power Saving Modes 60

Normal Mode 60 Standby Mode 60 To activate Standby mode 60 To return to normal mode 61 Hibernate Mode 61 To activate Hibernate mode 61 To return to normal mode 61

Connecting a Phone Line 62 Connecting to the Local Area Network (LAN) 63

Setting Up Your Ethernet Connection 63

Connecting Peripheral Devices 65

Connecting the Port Replicator 66

Connecting an External Mouse or Keyboard 70 Connecting a Printer 71 Connecting an External Display 71 Connecting a TV Display 75 Connecting a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Device 76

Connecting an i.LINK® Device 77 Connecting External Speakers 80 Connecting an External Microphone 81

Customizing Your VAIO® Notebook 83

Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen 83

Sony Notebook Setup Tabs 84

Controlling Power Management 85

Viewing the Power Management status icons 85 Power Management Profiles 86 Power Management Commands 88 Conserving Battery Power 88

Displaying Battery Information 89

Battery Icon Descriptions 89 Displaying Detailed Battery Information 90

Selecting the Display Mode 91

Changing the Window Design of Sony Software 92

Adding Memory 95 About the Software on Your Notebook 99

Overview 99

MovieShaker™ 103

Importing Images and Sound Clips 103

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Create a Movie using Shaker 105 Editing Clips and Scenes 106 Saving a Movie 106

PictureGear™ 107

Managing Your Pictures 107 Creating a Photo Album 107 Using Panorama Maker 108 Making Still Images and Panoramic from MPEG 108

Software Support Information 109

Sony Service Center 111

Application, System, and Driver Recovery CDs 111 Using Your Recovery CDs 112

Using the Application Recovery CD(s) 112 Using the System Recovery CD(s) 113 Using the Driver Recovery CD(s) 114

Troubleshooting 117

Troubleshooting your notebook 117 Troubleshooting the LCD screen 121 Troubleshooting the mouse and touchpad 122 Troubleshooting drives, PC cards and peripheral devices 123 Troubleshooting software 124 Troubleshooting the modem 125 Troubleshooting audio 125 Troubleshooting the printer 126

Specifications 129

Welcome

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

Features

✍ For a complete description of the specification s of your VAIO® Notebook, see

“Specifications”

❑ Exceptional performance — Your notebook includes a mobile Intel

Pentium® III processor featuring Intel® SpeedStep™ technology* and a

V.90 compatible K56flex modem.

❑ Portability — Rechargeable batt ery pack provi des hours of use withou t AC

†

power.

❑ Sony audio and video quality — High-quality MPEG1/MPEG2 video,

which supports full-screen display and enables you to take advantage of

today’s advanced multimedia applications, games, and entertainment software.

❑ Multimedia features — Enjoy the stereo speakers or use a headphone (not

supplied) to listen to audio and video CDs.

❑ Microsoft

Microsoft Windows

❑ Communications — Access popular online services, send e-mail, browse

Windows® operating system — Your system includes

Windo ws® Millennium Edit ion (W indows MeTM) or Microsoft®

2000 Professional.

the Internet, and use fax features.

❑ Optical drive (CD-RW/DVD-ROM) — The CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive

utilizes a new optical storage technology that combines the features of both a

* The processor may be reduc e d to a lower operating speed when operating on batte ry power.

† Actual upload and download speeds m ay va ry due to line condit ions, ISP support, and gov-

ernment re gul ations.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

CD-RW drive and DVD-ROM drive, providing increased storage capacity and a rich multimedia computing experience. The CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive plays DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, CD-RW, and CD-R discs.

Unpacking Your Notebook

Remove the following hardware items from the box:

Main unit

Video cable Rechargeable

Power cord

AC adapter

battery pack

Weight saver

* Removable floppy disk drive is in the m ult ipurpose bay.

Manuals

❑ VAIO® Quick Start — Contains information on unpacking and setting up

your notebook, supplementary updates, and software information.

❑ Microsoft® Windows® Millennium Edition Getting Started manual or the

Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Professional Getting Started manual —

Explains how to use the basic features of this latest Windows operating system.

Unpacking Your Notebook

Software CDs

❑ Microsoft® Word 2000 — Allows you to reinstall Microsoft Word to the

VAIO notebook you purchased.

Recovery CDs

❑ System Recovery CD(s) — Allows you to restore the software titles that

shipped with your computer if they become corrupted or are erased. It can only be used to restore the hard disk of the VAIO notebook you purchased.

❑ Application Recovery CD(s) — Allows you to reinstall individual

applications or device drivers if they become corrupted or erased.

❑ Driver Recovery CD(s) — Allows you to reinstall individual device

drivers. Use it to restore corrupted or erased files.

Other

❑ Packet containing special product offers

VAIO Notebook User Guide

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.

Ergonomic Position

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 posi tion while u sing the k eyboard, touchpad, or external mo use. 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 .

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

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

Ergonomic Consid erati on s

fatigue by adjusting the tilt of the display to the proper position. Adjust the brightness setting 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.

Notes on Setup

❑ Do not place your computer in a location subject to:

❑ Heat sources, such as radiators or air ducts ❑ Direct sunlight ❑ Excessive dust ❑ Moisture or rain ❑ Mechanical vibration or shock ❑ Strong magnets or speakers that are not magnetically shielded ❑ Ambient temperature of more than 95º F (35º C) or less than 40º F

(5º C)

❑ High humidity

❑ Do not place electronic equipment near your computer. The computer’s

electromagnetic field may cause a malfunction.

❑ Provide adequate air circulation to prevent internal heat buildup. Do not

place your computer on porous surfaces such as rugs or blankets, or near materials such as curtains or draperies that may block its ventilation slots. Leave a space of at least 8 inches (20 cm) behind the back panel of the computer.

❑ If the computer is brought directly from a cold location to a warm one,

moisture may condense inside your computer. In this case, allow at least an hour before turning on your computer. If any problems occur, unplug your computer, and contact your Sony Service Center.

❑ The computer uses high-frequency radio signals and may cause interference

to radio or TV reception. Should this occur, relocate the computer a suitable distance away from the set.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑ Use only specified peripheral equipment and interface cables; otherwise,

problems may result.

❑ Do not use cut or damaged c onnection cables. ❑ If the telephone company makes a service call to your home or office and

determines that your computer is responsible for a problem, the telephone company may bill you for the service call. Also, if you do not disconnect your computer when it is adversely affecting the telephone line, the telephone company ha s the right to disc onnect your service un til yo u correct the problem.

Handling Your Notebook

❑ Clean the cabinet with a soft, dry cloth or a soft cloth lightly moistened with

a mild detergent solution. Do not use any type of abrasive pad, scouring powder, or solvent such as alcohol or benzine, as these may damage the finish of your computer.

❑ Should any solid object or liquid fall into the computer, shut down your

computer and then unplug it. You may want to have the computer checked by qualified personnel before operating it any further.

❑ Do not drop the computer or place heavy objects on top of the computer.

Cleaning Y our Notebook

❑ Make sure to disconnect the power cord before cleaning the computer. ❑ Avoid rubbing the LCD screen as this can damage the scr een. Use a soft, dry

cloth to wipe the LCD screen.

❑ Clean the computer with a soft cloth lightly moistened with a mild detergent

solution. Do not use any type of abrasive pad, scouring powder or solvent, such as alcohol or benzine.

Handling the LCD Screen

❑ Do not leave the LCD facing the sun as it can damage the LCD. Be careful

when using the computer near a window.

❑ Do not scratch the LCD or exert pressure on it. This could cause

malfunction.

Ergonomic Consid erati on s

❑ Using the computer in low temperature cond itions may produce a residual

image on the screen. This is no t a malfunction . When the compu ter returns to normal temperature, the screen returns to normal.

❑ The screen becomes warm during operation. This is normal and does not

indicate a malfunction.

❑ The LCD is m anufacture d using high-precision technolo gy. You may,

however, see tiny black points and/ or bright poin ts (red, blue, or green) that continuously appear on the LCD. This is a normal result of the manufacturing process and does not indicate a malfunction.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Setting Up Your VAIO® Notebook

This section describes all the controls and connectors on your computer, how to connect your computer to a power source, and how to start and shut down your computer.

Locating Controls and Connectors

Front

1 LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

screen 2 Speakers 8 Hard disk drive indicator 3 Keyboard 9 Num Lock indicat or

7 Battery 1 and 2 indicato r s

VAIO Notebook User Guide

4 Touchpad 10 Caps Lock indicator 5 Left/right butto ns 11 Scroll Lock indi ca to r 6 Power indicator

Left

Locating Controls and Connectors

1 Video out 4

2 3

Microphone connector 5 PC card slots Headphone connector 6 Battery bay

i.LINK® (IEEE1394) S400

connector

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Right

1 PPK buttons 2 Power button 3 Optical drive (CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive) 4 Multipurpose bay

Back

Locating Controls and Connectors

cover

1 Modem jack 5 Monitor connector 2

USB connect or s 6 Etherne t connector 3 Serial connector 7 DC In connector 4 Printer connector

Warning: Only connect 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX cables to the Ethernet network port. Do not connect any other type of network cable or any telephone line. Connecting cables other than those listed above may result in an electric current overload and could cause a malfunction, excessive heat, or fire in the connector. To connect the un it to the network, contact you network administra tor.

✍ There is a ventilation slot located betw een the Ethernet connector and the US B

connector. Do not cover the ventilation slot when your computer is on.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Bottom

1 Multipurpose bay RELEASE lever 2 Reset switch 3 Tilt stands

Connecting a Power Source

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

Using the AC Adapte r

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

computer.

2 Plug one end of the power cord into the AC adapter. 3 Plug the other end of the power cord into an AC outlet.

Connecting the AC adapter

Notebook

AC adapter (supplied)

DC In

Power cord

(supplied)

Notes on the AC Adapter

❑ Your computer operates on 100V-240V AC 50/60 Hz. ❑ Do not share the AC outlet with other power-consuming equipment, such as

a copy machine or shredder.

❑ You can purchase a power strip with a surge protector. This device prevents

damage to your computer caused by sudden power surges such as those that may occur during an electrical storm.

❑ Do not place heavy objects on the power cord. ❑ To disconnect the cord, pull it out by the plug. Never pull the cord itself. ❑ Unplug your computer from the wall outlet if you will not be using the

computer for a long time.

❑ The LED indicator on the AC adapter may be turn ed on until the AC adapter

is unplugged from your notebook.

❑ When the AC adapter is not used, unplug it from the AC outlet.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑ Use only the AC adapter supplied. Do not use any other AC adapter.

Using Battery Power

You can use one or two battery packs as a source of power. The second battery pack inserts into the multipurpose bay on the right side of the computer. (See

“Using a Second Battery Pack” ) Additional battery packs are available as a separate option.

The 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.

To insert the battery pack

1 To open the battery bay, press cover down.

✍ Cover swings out but does not detach.

Battery bay

Connecting a Power Source

2 Insert the battery pack into the battery bay on the left side of the computer.

Inserting battery pack

Battery pack (supplied)

Label side facing do wn

3 Close the cover of the battery bay until it clicks.

✍ If the port replicator is attached to your computer, do not attempt to insert or remove

the battery pack. Lifting and turning the computer with a port replicator attached could cause a temporary loss of power.

To charge the battery pack

1 Connect the AC adapter to the computer. 2 Insert the battery pack.

The computer automatically charges the battery (the battery indicator light flashes in a double blink pattern as the battery charges).

3 When the battery is 85% full, the battery ind icato r light turns off. This

process takes approximately 3 hours if your notebook’s power is on.

✍ To charge the battery completely, continue charging f or an additional hour. See

“Displaying Battery Information”

VAIO Notebook User Guide

There are two battery indicator lights on the computer

Battery indicator lights

Battery

Description

Indicator

1 Indicates the status of the battery pack in the battery bay on the left

side of the computer.

Indicates the status of the battery pack in the multipurpose bay on

the right side of the comp uter.

Battery

Description Indicator Light Status

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.

To remove the batter y pack

1 Open the battery bay cover. 2 Pull out the battery pack.

Removing the battery pack

3 Close the cover of the battery bay.

Connecting a Power Source

You will lose data if you remove the battery pack while the computer is on and not connected to the AC adapter or if you remove th e battery while the computer is in a power-saving mode

Notes on the battery

❑ To determine the remaining battery charge, see “Displaying Battery

Information”

❑ When the battery power is running low, both the battery and power

indicators blink.

❑ When the computer is directly connected to AC power and has a battery

pack in the battery bay, it uses power from the AC outlet.

❑ See “Using a Second Battery Pack” for information on installing and

charging a battery pack in the multipurpose bay.

❑ Keep the battery pack in the computer while it is directly connected to AC

power. The battery pack continues to charge while you are using the computer.

❑ If the battery level falls below 10%, you should either attach the AC adapter

to recharge the battery or shut down your co mputer and insert a fully charged battery.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑ You can extend battery life by changing the power-management modes in

the PowerPanel utility. See “Power Saving Modes”

❑ The battery pack supplied with your compu ter 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 periph eral dev ices, you r co mpu ter

may not enter Hibernate 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 Standby or Hibernate.

❑ Never leave the battery pack in temperatures above 140° F (60° C), such as

under direct sunlight or in a car parked in the sun.

❑ Battery life is shorter in a cold environment. This is due to decreased battery

efficiency at low temperatures.

❑ Charge the batteries at temperatures between 50° F and 80° F (10° C to

30° C). Lower temperatures require a longer charging time.

❑ While the battery is in use or being discharged, the battery pack heats up.

This is normal and is not cause for concern.

❑ Keep the battery pack away from all sources of heat. ❑ Keep the battery pack dry. ❑ Do not open or try to disass emble the batt ery pack. ❑ Do not expose the battery pack to any mechanical shock. ❑ If you are not using the computer f or an extended perio d of time, remove the

battery pack from the computer to prevent da mage to the battery.

❑ If, after fully charging the battery pack, the battery power is still low, the

battery pack may be reaching the end of its life and should be replaced.

❑ You do not need to discharge the battery before recharging. ❑ If you have not used the battery pack for a considerable amount of time,

recharge the battery.

Starting Your Computer

Starting Y our Computer

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

Opening the computer

LCD lock lever

2 Press the power button on top of the computer until the green power

indicator light turns on.

✍ (Windows Me™ only) When starting your notebook for the first time, the VAIO

InitManager dial og box will appear. Please select “OK” to begin initial setup. If you do not execute the initial setup, you cannot use VAIO original hardware functions such as PPK, Power Management tools, the scroll function of the touchpad, and keybo ar d shortcut key combined with Fn key.

Power button

Power indicator

Power button

✍ If you hold the power button in the On position for more than four seconds, the

computer turns off.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

3 If necessary, adjust the brightness controls for the LCD display as follows:

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

Shutting Down Your Computer

To avoid poten tial loss of dat a, follow these steps to shut down your computer.

1 Click the Start button on th e Windows® taskbar. 2 Click Shut Down at the bottom of th e Start menu to display the Shut Down

Windows dialog box.

3 Select Shut Down. 4 Click OK.

✍ Respond to any prom pts warning you to save documents.

5 W ait for your computer to turn off automatically—power indicator turns off. 6 Turn off any peripherals connected to your computer.

✍ During a period of inactivity, you can conserve battery life by using Standby mode. See

“Controlling Power Management” .

If you are unable to shut down your computer.

1 Close or end all operations as follows:

❑ Close all applications. ❑ Remove the PC cards. ❑ Disconnect USB devices.

2 Restart the computer. You can restart your computer by pressing

Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys (at the same time).

✍ If you are still unable to shut down the computer, you can press the power button and

hold it for 5 seconds. This operation may result in data loss.

Using Your VAIO® Notebook

Using the Keyboard

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

Keyboard

Correction

Escape key

Function keys

Print Screen key

keys

Shift key

Ctrl key

Applications key

Fn key

Alt key

Windows key

Numeric keypad area

Navigation keys

Key Description

Numeric keypad area

Contains the keys found on a typi cal 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 Loc k ke y to ac tivate the numeri c ke yp a d. (Wh e n

you do so, the Num Lock light will be on.) Navigation keys Several keys are devoted to moving the cursor on the screen. Correction keys The Insert, Back Space, and Delete keys enable you to make

corrections in your document s.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Key Description

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. Escape key The Esc (Escape) key is used to can cel 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 is used to produce capital

letters or special sym b ols such as @ and $. Windows key The key with the Windows logo displays the Windows Start

menu; it is the equivalent of clicking the Start button on the

taskbar. See “Com b i na tio ns an d Fu nc tions with the Windows

Key”. Fn key The Fn key is used in combination with other keys to issue

commands. See “Combinations and Functions with the Fn Key”. Applications key The Applicatio ns key displays a shortcut menu of contex t-

sensitive choices. Pressing this key is the equivalent of clicking

the right mouse button.

Combinations and Functions with the Windows Key

Combination Function

+ 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.

Using the Keyboard

Combination Function

+ Ctrl + F Displays the Windows Find: Computer window where you can

locate other computers. This is the equivalent of selectin g Find and then Computer from the Start menu.

+ M Minimizes all displayed windows.

Shift + + M Returns all minimi zed 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 wind ow. This is the equi valent of double-

clicking the System icon in the Control Panel.

Indicators

Indicator Function

Power Light is green when the power to the computer is turned on, flashes

umber in Standby mode, and turns off when the computer is in Hibernate mode or powered off.

Battery 1 Indicates the status of the battery inserted in the battery bay on

the left side of the computer.

Battery 2 Indicates the status of the battery inserted in the multipurpose

drive bay on the right side of the computer.

Hard disk Lights when data is being read from or written to the hard drive.

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

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Indicators (continued)

Light On Off

Num Lock The numb er keys in the numeric

keypad are active.

Caps Lock The letters appear in upperca se as

you type. The Shift key lowers the case of typed let ters when Caps Lock is on.

Scroll Lock The screen scrolls differently.

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

The alphanumeric character keys in the keypad area are active.

Letters appear in lower case as you type (unless you hold down the Shift key).

Information moves across the display normally.

Combinations and Functions with the Fn Key

LCD

Using the Keyboard

Combinations/ Feature

Fn+ (ESC) Standby

Fn+ (F3) Mute On/Off

Fn+ (F4) Speaker volume

Fn+ (F5) Brightness control

Fn+ / (F7) Switch to the external monitor/ LCD

Function

Puts the system into Standby mode, a power- management state. T o return the system to the active state, press any key or press the power button on your computer.

Toggles the built-in speaker off and on.

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

Adjusts the brightness of the LCD. To increase ligh t 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) and both LCD and external display.

Only LCD

LCD and external display

Only external display

Connect the cable before you turn on the computer, otherwise Fn + F7 will not work.

Fn+ only/

(F8)

Control TV out

Toggles between LCD-only and dual LCD/TV display modes.

Only LCD

LCD and external display

Only external display

(for models with TV Out only)

Connect the cable before you turn on the computer, otherwise Fn + F8 will not work.

Fn+ (F12) Hibernate

Provides for the lowest level of power consum ption. 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 its origin al state, use the power button to turn on power.

Fn+D Video standb y

Turns off the LCD to save power. T o turn the LCD back on, press any key (Windows Me™ only).

✍ Some functions are not available until Windows launches.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

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.

Touchpad

Pointer

T ouchpad

Right butto n

Left button

Action Description

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 righ t edge of the touc hpad to scroll

vertically. Move yo ur fing e r alon g th e bo tto m to scro ll

horizontally. (The scroll fun ction is availa ble only wi th

applications that support a t ouchpad scroll feature.)

Using the Touchpad

✍ See Mouse Properties for info rmation on touchpad feat ures, such as clicking both

buttons simultaneously, adjusting touchpad speed, and Easy Launcher functions. To access Mouse Properties, click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, and th en click the Mouse icon in the Control Panel.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Using the Floppy Disk Drive

Your computer comes with the floppy disk drive in the multipurpose bay.

To insert a diskette

1 Hold the diskette the label side facing up. 2 Gently push the diskette into the drive until it click s in to place.

Floppy disk dr i ve

Diskette

Using the Floppy Disk Drive

To remove a diskette

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

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

Eject button LED indicator

✍ Do not push the eject button when the LED indicator is turned on. Otherwise,

data may be lost.

To remove the floppy disk drive

1 Turn off the computer. 2 There is a RELEASE lever on the bottom of the computer. Slide this lever in

the direction of the arrow.

Multipurpose bay release lever

Multipurpose bay RELEASE lever

3 Slide the drive out of the multipurpose bay. 4 Insert the weight saver. See “Using the Weight Saver”.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

To reinsert the floppy disk drive

1 Turn off the computer. 2 If another device is in the multipurpose bay, remove the device. See “To

remove the second battery pack”.

3 Insert the floppy disk drive into the multipurpose bay with the VAIO label

facing up. Continue pushing the drive into th e bay until the RELEASE lever locks into place.

Inserting the floppy disk drive

Multipurpose bay

Floppy di sk drive

Using the Optical Drive

Your comp uter comes with an optical drive (CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive).

To insert a disc

1 Turn on the computer.

✍ Whe n t h e compute r is in Standby or Hibernate mode, you cannot insert a disc.

See “Controlling Power Management”for more information on Standby and Hibern ate modes.

2 Press the Eject button to open the CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive.

The tray slides out.

Ejecting the tray

Eject button

3 Place an optical disc on the tray with the label side facing up. For DVDs

which can be played on both sides, the side of the disc facing up is the side that plays.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

4 Push the disc onto the hub until the disc clicks securely into place.

Inserting an optical disc

Label side facing up

Using the Optical Drive

5 Close the tray by pushing it gently.

✍ Be sure to seat the disc firmly over t he hub fingers. If you do not seat the disc firml y,

you could damage your optical dr ive and you may not be able to open the tray. When you finish using a disc, wait until the LED indicator light turns off, then press the

Eject button to remove the disc. When the computer is in power saving mode s, you cannot remove a disc. See

“Controlli ng Power Management”for more information about power saving modes. If the disc does not come out when you press the Eject button, turn of f the computer

and insert a thin, pointed object into the manual eject hole.

Manual eject hole

Playing a DVD

To achieve optimum performance when playing DVDs, it is recommended that your computer not be con nected to the port replicator while playin g DVD movies or using DVD applications. Close any open applications before playing a DVD movie.

✍ When playing DVD movies on battery power, set the power management profile to

DVD. With other prof iles, the movies are choppy. As an alternative, you can set the power managem ent profile to Automatic Profile Selection, which will cause th e DVD profile to be select ed automatically whenever you insert a DVD. See “Controlling Power Management”for information on how to set the power management profile.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑ You can play DVDs using the DVD-ROM drive and the WinDVD software.

See the help file that comes with the WinDVD software for details.

Some discs re corded at 20 or 24 bits may produce noise while playing. If you have audio devices connected, this may cause damage to your hearing and t he speakers. Reduce the volume before playing such discs.

You cann ot switch betw een LCD and TV if you press Fn+F8 when a DVD is in serted in the optical drive.

If you have connected a TV, follow the instructions in “Selecting the Display Mode”.

✍ When a TV is co nnected to a n otebook that is set to factory settings, a part of the

video screen will not appear. To view the entire screen, adjust the display resolution to 640x 480 an d refer to “Selecting the Display Mode”.

If you set the display resolution higher tha n the default setting (1400 x 1050, 32 bit), the DVD video may not play proper ly.

If the DVD video does not play properly, change the color depth to 1024x 768 High Color (16 bit).

! Do not switch the power sa ving modes whil e you are playing the DVD disc. ! Do not switch between LCD and the external display while you are playing the

DVD video.

! Change the setting to disabl e the screen save r and the virus checker (if it is

active).

! Do not use memory-resident utility software to speed up disc access. This may

cause the computer to malfunction.

Using the Optical Drive

Notes on CD and DVD media

❑ Do not drop or bend the disc. ❑ Do not touch the surface of the disc. Fingerprints and dust on the sur face of a

disc may cause read errors. Proper care of the disc is essential to maintain its reliability. Do not use solvents su ch as benzine, thinner, commercially available cleaners or anti-static spray, as they may cause damage to the disc.

❑ For normal cleaning, hold the di sc by its edge and use a soft cloth to wipe the

surface from the center out.

❑ If the disc is badly soiled, moisten a soft cloth with water, wring it out well,

and use it to wipe the surface of the disc from the center out. Wipe off any remaining moisture with a dry soft cloth

Writing data to CD-RW/CD-R media

If you use DirectCD™ to write data, you must first format the disc before writing on a new CD-RW or CD-R. If you do not format the disc, your computer will not recognize it.

✍ If you use Easy CD Crea tor

format the disc.

to write data to a CD-RW or CD-R, you do not have to

Formatting time and available capacity after formatting when you use a 74-minute CD-RW or CD-R is as follows:

Media Formatting Time Capacity After Formatting

CD-RW Approximately 30 minutes Approximately 530 MB CD-R Appr oximately 5 seconds Approximately 620 MB

To make a CD-R to which data has been written readable on a CD-ROM drive, you need to complete the disc when you eject it. To complete this process, follow the instructions included with your software.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

✍ For optimal writing speed, deactivate the screen saver and exit anti-virus software

before writing data to a disc.

For best results, use CD-Rs that are compatible with 4x speed, as DirectCD™ and Easy

CD Creator

are preset to that speed. Your notebook does not support 1x writing

speed. If you use CD-RW or CD-R writing software other than DirectCD™, use PowerPanel to select the DVD Profile.

When using Easy Creator

Standard, be sure t o close and exit all other applications.

If your noteb ook computer has preinstalled Microsoft® Offi ce applications, such as Excel, Word, and Outlo ok, turn off the FindFast application.

Do not put you r notebook into power saving mode while using DirectCD™ to write

data, or while using Ea sy CD Creator

Never touch the surface of the disc. Fingerprints and dust on the surface of a disc may cause writing errors.

Do not strike or shake t he computer while writing data to a disc. Memory-resi dent disc utilities may cause unstabl e operation or data lo ss.

Deactivate these uti lities before writing dat a to a disc.

Always use the AC adapt er as the power source for your computer when you are writing data to a CD-R W or CD- R. Usin g ba tte ry powe r may r esu lt in da ta tran sfer failure.

Using PC Cards

Your computer includes two PC card slots. PC cards allow you to connect portable external devices such as another hard disk drive, or to connect a network.

✍ The PC card slots can accommodate two Type I/II PC cards, or one Type III PC card.

These slots are compatible with CardBus. Use the lower slot for Type III PC cards. Y ou do not need to shut down your notebook before inserting or removing a PC card.

To insert a PC card

1 Push the Release button once. The Release button pops out.

PC card release button

Release button

2 Push the Release button a second time. The PC card pops out.

When you use a Type III PC card, you need to remove both the top and

VAIO Notebook User Guide

bottom PC card slot protectors.

PC card slot protector

3 Insert the PC card into the PC card slot. Make sure the front label of the PC

card is facing up.

4 Push the the PC card slot gently into the connector. The PC card is

automatically detected by your system. The (Unplug or Ejec t Hardware icon) appears in the taskbar.

Inserting a PC card

Insert with the arrow facing toward the slot

PC card

Do not forc e a PC card into the slot as this may damage the co nnector pins. Do not carry your computer while touching the head of a PC card (such as a

wireless LAN c ard), pressure o r shock may damage the connector p ins.

To remove a PC card

✍ If your computer is turned off, yo u do not have to follow these instructions.

Using PC Cards

1 Double-click in the taskbar. The “Unplug or Eject Hardware” dialog

box appears.

2 Select the hardware device you wish to remove. 3 Click Stop. In the “Stop a Hardware device” dialog box, confirm that the

device can be safely removed from the system.

4 Click OK. The message, “PC Card can now be safely removed from the

system” appears.

5 Click OK again and click Close. 6 Push the Release button. The Release button pops out. 7 Push the Release button a second time. The PC card pops out. Gently grasp

the card and pull it out of the slot .

8 Insert the PC card slot protector into the empty slot.

Notes on using PC cards

❑ For some PC cards, if you alternate between normal power operation and the

Standby or Hibernate 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.

❑ Some PC cards may require that you disable idle dev ices when using the PC

card. You can use Sony Notebook Setup to di sable devices. See “Displayin g the Sony Notebook Setup Scr een”fo r detai ls .

❑ 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 box, remove the software driver and then reinstall it.

❑ You may no t be abl e t o us e some PC cards or so me fun cti o ns of th e PC card

with this computer . If y ou have d ifficu lty inserting a card , check that you are orienting the card correctly. See the manual that came with your PC card for more information on use.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Using a Second Battery Pack

You can purchase a second rechargeable battery pack. With two battery packs, you can extend the time that you use your computer with battery power. When using two battery packs, the battery pack you insert first charges first. The battery pack you insert second charges when the first battery pack is 85 percent full. You can monitor which battery pack is charging by observing the battery in dicator lights.

To insert a second battery pack

1 If another device is in the multipurpose bay, remove the device. 2 Insert the battery pack into the multipurpose bay.

If the battery is being used, the battery 2 indicator light turns on.

Second battery in multipurpose bay

Multipurpose bay

Battery pack

Label side facing down

3 Attach the weight saver to the computer to stabilize the battery pack. There

is a RELEASE lever on the bottom of the weight save r. Slide the lever

toward the front of the computer to lock the weight saver. See also “Using the Weight Saver”.

Using a Second Battery Pack

T o charge the second battery pack

Using weight saver for second battery cover

Battery pack

Weight saver

Keep the battery pack in the computer while it is connected to AC power. The

battery indicator flashes while the battery is charging. See also “To charge the battery pack” for more information.

Charging the second battery

✍ To determine the amount of time the battery lasts, see

Information”

Battery indicators

“Displaying Battery

VAIO Notebook User Guide

To remove the second battery pack

If you attach two battery packs, you can remove either of them without shutting down the computer. When removing one battery pack, make sure that the other

battery pack’s indicator light is on. If the indicator light of the battery pack you are removing is on, right-click the battery icon on the task tray and click the “Switch discharge battery” option.

1 There is a Release lever on the bottom of the weight saver. To remove the

battery pack, slide this lever in the direction of arrow 1, then slide the RELEASE lever on the bottom of the computer in the direction of arrow 2.

Multipurpose bay release levers

Arrow 1: Weight saver Release lever

Arrow 2: RELEASE lever

2 Remove the weight saver, and then pull out the battery pack. 3 Reinsert the weight saver. See “Using the Weight Saver”.

Using the Weight Saver

The weight saver protects the multipurpose bay when it is empty.

To attach the weight saver

1 If another device is in the multipurpose bay, remove the device. See “To

remove the second battery pack”.

2 Fold out the hinged arm of the weight saver and then pus h on the hinged arm

to lock it into place. Slide the weight saver in the direction of the arrow until it clicks.

Inserting the weight saver

3 Manually lock the weight saver’s Release lever.

Weight saver

(supplied)

VAIO Notebook User Guide

To remove the Weight Saver

1 There is a release lever on the bottom of the weight saver. To remove the

weight saver, slide this lever in the direction of arrow 1, then slide the Release lever on the bottom of the computer in the direction of arrow 2.

Multipurpose bay release levers

Arrow 1: Weight saver Release lever

Arrow 2: RELEASE lever

2 After removing th e weig ht s aver, pul l out t h e weig ht s aver’s hinged arm and

fold it into the weight saver.

Using Smart Connect

Windows Me™

You can connect your VAIO® notebook to another VAIO computer that has the preinstalled Windows Me operating system or the Sony Smart Connect 3.0

*®

software preinstalled. You may use an i.LINK

two systems and then use one computer to edit, copy, or delete file s on th e other computer. You can also print from a printer that is attached to either computer. Select the STD mode in Smart Connect 3.0 software to connect with another computer that has Windows Me preinstalled.

Connecting with an i.LINK cable

cable (optional) to connect the

i.LINK cable

Windows 2000

The preinstalled Smart Connect software allows you to use an i.LINK® cable (optional) to connect your VAIO notebook to another VAIO computer that also has Smart Connect or preinstalled Windows Me. You can then use one computer to edit, copy or delete files on the other computer. You can also print from a printer attached to either computer.

* i.LINK is a tradema rk of Sony used only to designate that a product con ta ins an IEEE1394

connection. Th e i. LINK connection m ay va ry, depending on t he software applications, operating system and i. LINK-compati b le devices. All products with an i.LINK connection may not communicate with each other.

Please refer to the doc um entation that came with your i.LINK compa ti bl e de vice for information on operating conditions and proper connection. Before connecting i.LINK compatible PC peripherals to your system, such as a CD-RW or Hard Disk Drive, confirm their operating system compatibility and required operating conditions.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

See Smart Connect online help for more information.

✍ When you connect tw o VAIO computers, you must assign each computer a unique

name. The computers can be identified by thi s unique name when the two computers are networked together.

✍ If you have previously purchased a VAIO computer or notebook that does not have the

Windows Me operating system or Smart Connect 3.0 software preinstalled, co nsult the Sony website for support options (http://www.sony.com/pcsupport).

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: Standb y and Hibernate. When using battery power, be aware that the computer automatically enters Hibernate mode when the remaining battery char ge drop s below 5 percent, regar dless of the power management setting you select.

✍ If the battery level falls below 10 percent, you should either attach the AC adapter to

recharge the battery or shut down your computer and insert a fully charged battery.

Normal Mode

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

Standby Mode

In Standby Mode the computer saves the cu rren t state of th e system in RAM an d switches off power to the CPU. The umber power indicator light flashes in this mode.

To activate Standby mode

T o activate Standby mode, press the key combination Fn+Esc, or press the power button and release it immediately. You can also use the PowerPanel utility to enter Standby mode.

Power Saving Modes

To return to normal mode

Press any key to return to normal mode.

Hibernate Mode

In the Hibernate 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 acti vate Hibernate mode

To activate Hibernate mode, press the key combination Fn+F12.

✍ (Windows 2000) The “Save to Disk Manager” screen appears, and then the computer

enters Hibe rnate mode.

✍ Do not move the notebook until its power indicator light turns off.

To return to normal mode

To return to normal mode, turn on the computer by pressing the power button. The computer returns to its previous state.

✍ When returning from Hibernate mode, the system stat us stored on the hard disk is

erased and the computer starts normally if you press the power button and hold for more than four second s.

❑ Time required to return to normal mode

Standby requires less time than Hibernate to return to normal mode.

❑ Power consumption

Standby uses more power than Hibernate.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Connecting a Phone Line

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

✍ In order to register your Sony VAIO notebook, reg ister your sof tware online, and use

Sony Customer Support, you must con nect to a phone line.

1 Plug one end of the phone cable into the modem jack on the computer.

Connecting phone cable

Modem jack

Wall jack

Phone cable (optional)

2 Plug the other end into the wall jack.

✍ Your computer does not work with party lines, cannot be connected to a coin-operated

telephone, and may not work with multipl e phone lines or a privat e branch exchange (PBX). Some of these connections may result in excess electrical current and could cause a malfunction in the internal modem.

If you connect a phone line coming through a splitter , the modem or connected device may not work properly.

Connecting to the Local Area Network (LAN)

You can connect you r comput er to 10BAS E-T and 10 0BASE-TX-ty pe networks . For the detailed settings and devices needed to connect to the network, ask your network administrator.

Connecting to LAN

Ethernet adapter

Warning: Only connect 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX cables to the (Ethernet network) port. Do not connect any other type of network cable or any telephone line. Connecting cables other than those listed above may result in an electric current overload and could cause a malfunction, excessive heat, or fire in the connector. To connect the unit to the network, contact your network administrator.

Note that if you enable Wake on LAN , th e power saving m o de will be switch ed to Standby mode.

Setting Up Your Ethernet Connection

Windows Me™ models

1 Right-click Network Neighborhood and select Properties. 2 Click Add to add a client, adapter, protocol, or service. 3 Click File and Print Sharing to en able these functions. 4 Select a Primary Network Logon.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

5 Click the Identification tab to set the computer name, workgroup, and

computer description.

6 Click the Access Control tab to set the share level or user level access

control.

Windows 2000 models

To connect to the network

1 Right-click My Network Places and select Properties. 2 Click Advanced and select Network Identification to set the computer name,

domain, workgroup, and DNS suffix. You can also use the Network Identification Wizard.

To set the connections, bindings, and provider order

1 Right-click My Network Places and select Properties 2 Click Advanced and select Advanced Settings. This will give you access to

Adapters and Protocol Bindin gs and Provider Order.

Connecting Peripheral Devices

You can add functionality to your computer by connecting a variety of peripherals, as discussed in the following sections:

❑ “Connecting the Port Replicator” ❑ “Connecting an External Mouse or Keyboard” ❑ “Connecting a Printer” ❑ “Connecting an External Display” ❑ “Connecting a TV Display” ❑ “Connecting a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Device” ❑ “Connecting an i.LINK® Device” ❑ “Connecting External Speakers” ❑ “Connecting an External Microphone”

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Connecting the Port Replicator

Your notebook supports the use of an optional port replicator (PCGA-PRFX1). Attaching a port replicator enables you to connect additional peripherals to your computer.

Port replicator

1 5

Serial Port USB Ports

Printer Port / Mouse/Keyboard (PS/2

3 7 4

Monitor Port DC In

Network (Ethernet 10BaseT)

Port)

✍ The port replicator can be powered only with an AC power adapter. Do not remove the

AC adapter from the port replicator or the AC outlet while using the port replicator; this may cause data d a mage or hardware malfunctions.

When you attach your computer to the port replicator for the first time, the installation of the network driver starts automatically.

To attach your computer to the port replicator

T o supply power to your computer while it is connect ed to the port replicator , you can connect the AC adapter directly to the port replicator.

✍ When attaching y our computer to the port replicat or, do not attempt to insert or

remove the battery pack. Lifting and turni ng the computer with an atta ched port replica tor co uld cause a temp or a ry los s of power.

Connecting the Port Replicator

1 Turn off your computer and disconnect all peripheral devices. 2 On the bottom of the computer, slide the port replicator connector cover

open.

Port replicator connector

3 Attach the bottom of the computer to the port replicator connector until it

clicks.

Attaching computer to port replicator

Notebook

Port replicator

VAIO Notebook User Guide

4 Plug the cable attached to the AC adapter into the DC IN connector on the

port replicator. Plug the power cord into the AC adapter and an AC outlet.

Connecting AC adapter to port replicator

AC adapter

Power cord

✍ Use the AC adapter that comes wit h your computer or the optional Sony AC

adapter.

The power indicator light turns green.

Power indicator light

Release lever

Power

Port replicator connector

5 Turn on the com puter.

Connecting the Port Replicator

To remove your computer from the port replicator when the power is off

1 Turn off your computer and the connected peripherals. 2 Pull the levers on each side of the port replicator to disengage the computer

from the port replicator.

Disengaging computer from port replicator

Lever

3 Lift the computer away from the port replicator.

Port replicator connector cover

4 Close the port replicator connector cover on the bottom of your computer.

✍ It is extremely important to close the po rt replicator connector cover after removing

your computer from the port replicator. If the cover is left open, dirt may get inside and damag e th e computer.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Connecting an External Mouse or Keyboard

You can connect an external mouse or keyboard to the optional port replicator

using a PS/2

-style plug or adapter.

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

You can only connect one external device at a time. Therefore, it is impossible to connect both a PS /2 mouse and PS/2 keyb oard simultaneously.

To connect an external mouse or keyboard

❑ Locate the mouse/keyb oard connector on the port replica tor identifie d by the

/ symbols.

❑ Plug the mouse or the keyboard cable into this connector with the arrow

facing up.

✍ See the manual that came wi th your mouse or keyboard for more information on its

installation and use.

Connecting a Printer

You can connect a Windows Me/Windows 2000-compatible printer to your computer to print documents.

To connect a printer

❑ Locate the Printer connector identified by the symbol. Plug the printer

cable (supplied with the printer) into this port on the computer.

Printer connector

Printer

to Printer

Printer cable (supplied with th e pri nte r )

Power cord

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

use. If your printer stops functioning after resumin g f rom a power-saving mode, see

“Troubleshooting the printer” . Before using the printer, you may need to change the Printer setting in the Sony

Notebook Setup software. See “Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen” .

Connecting an External Display

You can con nect an external display to your no teboo k. For exam ple, you can use the computer with any of the following:

❑ Computer display (monitor) (See “To connect a computer display”.) ❑ Multimedia computer display (See “To connect a multimedia computer

display”.)

VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑ Projector (See “To connect a projector”.)

✍ Connect an external di splay before you turn on the computer.

To connect a computer display

❑ Locate the Monitor connector identified by the symbol on the back of the

computer. Plug the display cable (not supplied) into this connector.

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

other end into an AC outlet.

Connecting an external computer display

Computer display

Power cord

Monitor

Display cable (optional)

✍ See the manual that ca me with your computer display for more information on

installation and use.

To connect a multimedia compute r display

You can connect the notebook to a multimedia computer display that includes built-in speakers and a microphone.

1 Locate the Monitor connector identified by the symbol. Plug the display

cable into this connector.

2 Locate the Headphone connector identified by the symbol. Plug the

speaker cable into this connector.

3 Locate the Microphone connector identified by the symbol. Plug the

microphone cable into this connector.

Connecting an External Display

✍ See the manual that came with your multimedia computer display for more

information on instal lation and use.

To connect a projector

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

Connecting a projector

To headphone

Projector

To monitor

RGB signal

✍

See the manual that ca me with your projector for more information on its installation and

Audio cable

(optional)cable (optional)

Power cord

use.

To select a display

When you connect an external display to the monitor connector, you can toggle the output between the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), the extern al monitor, or both device s.

Use the

Fn+F7 keys to select a display. See also “Selecting the Display Mode” for

more information.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

To Press Result

Switch to an external display

✍

Connect the cable before you turn on the computer, otherwise Fn + 7 will not work.

Fn+F7 Toggles between the LCD, the external display

connected to the Monitor connector, or both the LCD and external display.

Only LCD

LCD and external display

Only external display

Connecting a TV Display

You can enjoy playing audio/video by connecting AV devices to your computer. See also the manuals supplied with your AV devices.

To Connect a TV

❑ Connect the computer to a TV using audio/video cables. Switch the input

channel of the TV to external input. You also need to set up the TV configuration sy st em.

To AC

Power cord

Video cable

(supplied)

To audio input

To video input

Audio cable

(not supplied)

VAIO Notebook User Guide

✍ See the manual that came wi th your peripheral device for more information on

installation and use.

✍ If you insert a DVD in your DVD drive to watch a video on your TV, the Fn+F8 key

combination might not activate the function to toggle between your LCD and TV. Take the following steps:

1. Connect the TV to the Compute r.

2. Restart the computer and wait until it finishes.

3. Toggle between your LCD and your TV with the Fn+F8 key combination. Your image is now displayed on both LCD and TV. Re-insert your DVD to launch your

DVD software.

✍ A part of the image cannot be displayed on your TV display if the resolution of your

computer is more than 800 x 600 dots. The hi dden area on your TV display can be seen by moving the cursor on your comput er. If you want to display the full image, change the resolut ion of your computer to 640 x 480.

Connecting a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Device

You can con nect USB devices such as an external mouse, keybo ard, speaker, and microphone to your computer.

Connecting an i.LINK® Device

To connect a USB device

✍ Before you connect or disco nnect a mouse, turn off t he computer.

The following steps describe the pro cedure for connecting a USB mouse to your computer. Use the same procedure for connecting all USB devic es.

❑ Locate the USB device identified by the symbol. Plug one end of the USB

cable into this port and the other end in to the USB device.

Connecting USB device to USB connector

USB device

To USB

USB connecting cable (optional)

You can use an optional Sony USB mouse PCGA-UMS1 series (not supplied) with this computer. Since the USB mouse software driver is preinstalled in the computer , you simply plug the USB mouse into the USB conn ector to use it. One USB connector supports one USB device.

✍ See the manual that came with your USB device for more information on its

installation and use.

Connecting an i.LINK*® Device

You can connect an i.LINK-enabled digital video camera recorder to

the i.LINK® S400 (IEEE1394) connector.

* i.LINK is a SONY trademark used to designate that a product contains an IEEE 1394 con-

nector. All products with an i.LINK connector may not communicate with e ac h ot her.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

To connect a digital video camera recorder

❑ Plug one end of the i.LINK cable (not supplied) into the i.LINK connector

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

✍ i.LINK cables com patible with your VAIO notebook include cables with the following

part numbers: VMC-IL4415 (a 1.5-meter cable with a 4-pin connector at each end), VMC-IL4615 (a 1.5 meter-cable with a 4-pin connector at one end and a 6-pin connector at the other), and VMC-IL4408A (a 0.8- meter cable with a 4-pin connector at each end). You ca n pu rchase these cables fr om yo ur loc al re taile r, through the Sony

VAIO® Direct W eb site (http://w ww .s onydirect.c om), or by calling 1-88 8-315-7669 (toll free).

Connecting digital video camera recorder to i.LINK connector

Digital video camera recorder

To DV In/Out

To i.LINK

i.LINK c a ble (optional)

Connecting an i.LINK® Device

✍ The Sony digital video camera recorder is pictured; you may need to connect your

camera differently.

On Sony digital video cameras, connectors labeled “DV In/Out” or “i.LINK” are i.LINKcompatible.

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

Do not connect more than one digital video camera at a time. The software supplied with your computer will not recognize multiple cameras.

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

The computer supports transfer rates up to 400 Mbps; however, the actual transf er rate is the lowest transfer rate of the external device.

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

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Connecting External Speakers

You can enhance the sound quality of your computer by connectin g external speakers.

✍ Make sure your speakers are designed for computer use.

Turn down the volume of the speakers before you turn them on.

Do not place disk ettes on the speakers; the speakers’ magnetic fi eld may damage the data on the diskettes.

To connect external speakers

❑ Locate the Headphone connector identified by the symbol on the side of

the computer. Plug the speaker cable into this connector.

Connecting speakers to the headphone connector

Speakers

Speaker cable (supplied with speakers)

To Headphones

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

use.

Connecting an External Microphone

You can enhance the quality of sound input by using an external microphone.

✍ Make sure your microphone is designed for computer use. The microphone should be

compliant with the plug-in power microphone.

To connect an external microphone

❑ Locate the Microphone connector identified by the symbol on the side of

the computer. Plug the microphone cable into this connector.

Connecting microphone to microphone connector

Microphone (optional)

Microphone

✍ See the manual that came with your microphone for more information on installation

and use.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Customizing Your VAIO® Notebook

You can customize the settings of your notebook. The following sections b r iefly

describe how to change your computer’s default settings. You can also refer to Sony Notebook Setup Help for more detailed informatio n.

Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen

To display the Sony Notebook Setup screen:

1 Click the Start button on the Windows® taskbar. 2 Point to VAIO and click Sony Notebook Setup.

Sony Notebook Setup Screen

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

Tabs” .

4 After you finish making your changes, click OK.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Sony Notebook Setup Tabs

Tab Description

About This Com put er Display system informati on, including memory capacit y, serial

number, and BIOS version. Printer Select print er port mode setti ngs. Initial Setting Change the volume of the sound s that play while the o perat ing

system is loading. Select the order of drives and devices from

which you want to lo ad the operatin g system. You can specify

the hard drive as well as other drives inserted into your

computer. Touchpad When you connect an optional mouse to your computer, you

can make your touchpad in act i ve. You can also customize the

settings of your mouse using the mouse utility. Power On Passwo rd Set the password to secure your computer. Enable Ports Enable or disable ports. Di sabling ports releases resources to

the system. To change the seri al set t ings, click Advan ced on

the Basic/Ad vanced tab. Basic/Advanced Switch betw een Advanced mod e ( additional screens with

advanced settings) and Basi c mode of display.

✍ For more information about each option, click Help on the Sony Notebook Setup

screen to display the Help file.

Controlling Power Management

Contro lling Powe r Management

The PowerPanel utility allows you to control th e 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 PowerPanel Help for more detailed information. To activate a profile or command, see “Displaying Battery Information” .

Viewing the Power Management status icons

The Power Management status icons are displayed in the task tray at the lower right side of your screen. Move the pointer ov er the icons to see the tool tip that displays information about the active profile. The Battery status icon indicates of battery power level and the CPU status icon indicates the performance level of the CPU.

To activate the Power Management Toolbar

1 Right-click on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. 2 Select Toolbars from the pop-up menu, and then click Power Management.

The Power Management toolbar appears on the taskbar.

The current profile icon is highlighted on the Power Management toolbar. It is the first icon farthest to the left, and its appearance changes depending on which power management profile is currently selected. To change the power management profile, click the current profile icon, and then select a profile from the pop-up list. See “Power Management Profiles” for a description of available options.To select ano ther power managemen t profile, click that icon in the Power Management toolbar.

✍ When you use the batter y pack to power your noteb ook, your system selec ts the

Maximum Battery Life power management profile by def ault. 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 notebook.

Refer to the PowerPanel Help for inf orma tio n on cust om izin g the Powe r Mana gem e nt toolbars.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

You can change the power managem ent settings, such as the system timer and the brightness of the screen.

To customize power management settings

1 Click the Current Profile icon on the Power Management toolbar. 2 Select Edit/Create Profiles from the menu. 3 Click a profile whose setting you want to change from the list in the left

field.

4 Double-click an item whose setting you want to change from the list in the

right field.

5 Click the desired settin g. 6 Click the File menu, and then click Save. 7 Click the File menu, and then click Exit.

Power Management Profiles

The PowerPanel utility provides several predefined p ower management profiles. Each profile consists of a group of 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 (except for the Disable Power Management profile), or you can create your own profile to suit your portable computing needs. The predefined profiles are:

Icon Description

Maximum Performance

Provides the be st system perform ance while still cons erving power.

Maximum Battery Life

Provides power saving features to give you maximum battery life and good perform ance. It slows the com puter and puts it into St andby mode after a specified tim e period.

Disable Power Management

Turns off all power management features such as Standby and Hibernate mo des. You can not change the setti ngs of this profile.

Icon Description

AC Power

The power management state when AC power is in use. Similar to the Power Management Off setting. Power Management automatically loads the AC profile unless you disable this feature.

Games

Disables the display and the Hard Disk Standby timer.

Presentat ion

Keeps the display on at a ll times while it conserves power. This optio n is id eal for slide show presentations. You can establish settings for LCD (Video) Standby, Hard Disk Standby, and Standby mode to optimize power management for your system.

Camera

Optimizes pe rformance and power requir em ents for camera usage.

Controlling Power Management

DVD

Optimizes performance an d power requireme nt s f or DVD usage.

Word Processing

Optimizes power management with longer timeouts on the hard disk and display screen. You can also establish settings for LCD (Vi deo) Standby, Hard Disk Standby, and Standby mode to optimize power management for your sy stem.

Spreadshee t

Optimizes pe rformance and power requir em ents for spread sheet applicat i ons.

Communications

Extends battery life by initiating a quick display timeout. The Internal modem remains pow ered. You can also establish set t in g s for LCD (Video) Standby, Hard Disk Standby, and Standby mod e t o optimize power m anagement for you r system.

Automatic Profile Selection

Automatically switches to a profile suitable for active applications.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Power Management Commands

PowerPanel also provides power management commands that you can use to activate specific power management functions and to control power fo r a specific device. You can use these commands to override a profile setting or initiate an immediate action.

Icon Description

Standby

Puts the system i nt o St andby mode, a po wer m anagement state th at saves the state of the sys te m and peripher al 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 button on your computer.

Hibernate

Provides for the lowest level of power consumption. The system writes the state of the system a nd peripheral devi ces to the hard disk and turns off the system power. To return the system to the original state, use the power button to turn on power. The system saves the data i n th e Sa ve to Disk Partition on the hard drive.

LCD (Video) Standby (Windows Me™ only)

Turns off the video display to save power. If you turn off the Video Standby timer, the display remains active except when the system enters Standby mode. The video display system is one of the largest consumers of power in the system.

Conserving Battery Power

When using the notebook with a battery, the LCD display and the hard drive can be set to switch off automatically to conserve battery power.

For details, see “Power Management Profiles”.

Displaying Battery Information

You can display information for each of the batteries in your computer. The

following sections briefly describe h ow to display yo ur computer’s general battery information. Refer to PowerPanel Help for more detailed information.

To activate the Battery Information toolbar

1 Right-click on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. 2 Select Toolbars from the pop-up menu, then click Battery Information. The

Battery Information toolbar appears on the taskbar.

To view the total capacity remaining in the battery, place the pointer over the batter status icon in the task tray on the lower right si de of the screen.

Battery Information Toolbar

❑ Percentage indicator — Displays the percentage of the remaining capacity. ❑ Time indicator — Displays estimated time (hours/minutes) remaining

before the battery fully drains, also known as the time-to-empty.

Battery Icon Descriptions

Battery icon Battery status

Charging

Fully charged

Discharging

No batter y

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Displaying Detailed Battery Information

Double-click the battery icon on th e task tray to d isplay the Battery Information window. The screen appears displaying the Battery tab, which contains information such as the estimated time-to-empty and charging time.

Battery Information Window

Customizing the Battery Information toolbar and alarm system

You can customize the Battery Information toolbar and modify the alarm settings, to suit your portable computing needs. Refer to PowerPanel Help for more information.

Selecting the Display Mode

This notebook uses the Intel® video controller, which enables you to select the desired display when the notebook is connected to an external monitor. When you connect an external display, you can switch the display mode between your notebook’s LCD display and the external monitor.

To select the display mode, proceed as follows: (See also “Connecting an External Display” .)

✍ Connect an external display before you turn on the computer.

1 Click the Start but t on, point to Settings, then poi nt to Cont ro l Panel. 2 Click Display, to access the Display Properties window. 3 Click the Settings tab, then click the Advanced button, to display the Intel®

82815 Graphics Controller Properties dialog box.

Intel® 82815 Graphics Controller Properties Screen

VAIO Notebook User Guide

4 Click the Intel® 82815 Graphics Technology tab, then click the Graphics

Properties button. If you are connecting only to TV, go to step 7.

5 Click the Driver Configuratio n tab. 6 Make sure that the Synchronous Display Mode box is selected, then click

Apply. If you want to use the TV as a display, deselect the Synchronous Display Mode box, then click Apply. You cannot use the TV and another display simult an eous l y.

7 Click the Device tab. 8 Select the type of display.

✍ You may not be able t o display the notebook LCD screen and an ex ternal display or

projector at the same time, depending on the types of computer displays and projectors you are using.

If the display resolution of your computer is more than 800 x 600 dots, a part of the image will not show up on your TV display. To see the hidden area, move the cursor on your computer. To display the full image, change the display resolution settings to 640 x 480 dots.

Turn on the computer after you tu rn on the peripheral devices.

Changing the Window Design of Sony Software

To change the window design

1 Click the Start button, poin t to Settings, then point to Control Panel. 2 Click UI Design Selector. 3 Click << or >> and select the desired design. 4 Click Apply. 5 The “UI Design Selector” window design changes. The window design for

your Sony software will match the “UI Design Selector” window.

6 To try another selection, click << or >> then click OK. 7 The UI Design Selector closes and the Sony software window design

displays.

Selecting the Display Mode

✍ This feature is available with UI Design Selector-compatible software only.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Adding Memory

In the future you may want to install memory mod ules to expand the functionality of your computer. You can increase memory up to 512 MB (256 MB x 2), by installing optional memory modules. 256 MB of memory is pre-installed (256 MB x 1). You can add an expansion memory module (64 MB, 128 MB, or 256 MB) in the memory module bay. Expansion memory modules are available as options. For memory upgrades, use only PC100 (CL2) SDRAM SO-DIMM (gold lead contacts).

! Make sure you observe the proper safety precautions when you install memory mod-

ules in your computer. See the bulleted list below. Be careful when adding memory. Mistakes when installing or removing a memory module may cause a malfunction.

Before you start

❑ The procedures described below assume you are familiar with the general

terminology associated with personal computers and with common safety practices required for using and modifying electronic equipment.

❑ Disconnect your system from its power source and from any

telecommunications links, networks, or modems before you open the system or follow any of the procedures described below. Personal injury or equipment damage may result from failure to take these precautions.

❑ Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage memory modules and other

components. Perform the procedures described below only at an ESD workstation. If such a station is not available, do n ot work in a carp eted area, and do not handle materials that produce or hold static electricity (cellophane wrap pers, for examp le). Ground y ourself by maintainin g contact with an unpainted metal portion of the chassis while performing the procedure.

❑ Do not open the memory module package until you are ready to install the

module. The package protects the module from ESD.

❑ Use the special bag for preventing ESD or use aluminum foil when you store

the memory module.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Typical expansion memory configuration

Total System Memory (MB) Slot 1 (MB) Slot 2 (MB)

320 256 64 384 256 128 512 256 256

To remove a memory module

1 Shut down your computer and disconnect all peripheral devices, such as

your printer.

2 Unplug the computer and remove the battery pack(s). 3 After the computer has cooled, loosen and remove the screw that secures the

cover of the memory bay on the bottom of your computer. Use an appropriate screwdriver.

Removing the memory module cover

Screwdriver

Screw

4 Touch a metal object (such as the connector panel on the back of your

computer) to discharge any static electricity.

5 Remove the memory module.

Removing memory module

Adding Memory

1 Pull the tabs in the direction of the arrows.

The memory module is released.

2 Pull the memory mod ule in

the direction of the arrow.

6 Tighten the screw on the memory bay cover.

✍ Your computer comes with a m emory module installed in the memory slot. To

upgrade your memory, remove this module from the slot before installing your upgrade memory module.

To install a memory module

1 Follow steps 1 to 4 of “To remove a memory module.” 2 Remove the memory module from its packaging.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

3 Install the memory module.

Installing memory module

1 Slide the memory module into the slot. 2 Press the module into place until it clicks .

4 Tighten the screw on the cover of the memory bay.

To view the amount of memory

1 Restart the computer. 2 Click the Start button on th e Windows status bar, point to VAIO option, and

click “Sony Notebook Setup.” The Sony Notebook Setup screen appears.

3 Click the “About This Computer” tab to view the amount of system memory .

If the additional memory is not shown, repeat steps 1 through 4 in “T o install a memory module.”

About the Software on Your Notebook

Your VAIO notebook is ready to help you work, pl ay, learn, and communicate as soon as you turn it on. This section gives you the following:

❑ An overview of the various software that come with your computer and the

activities you can perform with your software

❑ Software support information ❑ Details on your Sony application and system recovery CDs

Overview

Adaptec Easy CD Creator® and DirectCD™

Adaptec, Inc.

Adaptec Ea sy C D Cre ator make s it easi er th an ev er to cr eate music , ph ot o, vid eo, and data CDs. It enables you to access music on the Internet, fine-tune your music tracks, edit and enhance photos and videos with a pro’s touch. Save and share data with confidence. With DirectCD, CD recording has become as easy as using a disk drive or floppy disk. You can save files directly from your application software directly to your CD-R disc; you can drag and drop files, rename files, delete files, and create new directories right on the CD-R.

Adobe Acrobat Reader®

Adobe Systems Inc.

Acrobat Reader software allo ws you to view, navigate, and print electronic docu ments in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), an open file format that is intended to preserve the fidelity of documents created on all major computer platforms.

Adobe PhotoDeluxe® Home Edition

Adobe Systems Inc.

Create amazing photo effects wit h Adobe PhotoDeluxe. Without learning complex software, you can enhance, restore, and be creative with your photos. Includes built-in guided activities, stock photos, clip art and templates to assist you.

VAIO Notebook User Guide

Adobe Premiere® LE

Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe Premiere LE offers an interface and editing tool for producing movies for video, multimedia, or the Web. View source clips and edited footage simultaneously on the monitor window. Create video clips up to three hours long with complete audio-vi deo synchronization.

America Online® (Windows Me only)

America Online

America Online is a popular Internet online service. Stay in touch with family and friends with easy-to-use e-mail, manage your personal finances, get the latest news and sports scores, and chat with thousands of others who share your interests.

ArcSoft® PhotoPrinter™ 2000 Pro

ArcSo ft, Inc.

ArcSoft PhotoPrinter 2000 is an easy-to-use, advanced printing program that lets you quickly lay out multiple images in multiple sizes on a single sheet of paper. PhotoPrinter Pro offers a wide selection of templates including landscape, portrait, free style, mixed sizes, custom templates and more. Th e application in cludes enhance ment tools and special effects for improving photos while giving you the ability to add text to any image.

CompuServe® 2000 (Windows Me only)

CompuServe, Inc.

CompuServe is the most co mprehensive source of organized business and educatio nal information online today. CompuServe allows you to access the vas tness of the Internet, without wasting time wading through it. Maximize your time online with CompuServe.

DVgate™

Sony Electronics

Connect a digital video camera recorder to the i.LINK video clips and still images. You can edit clips from your video, add others, and combine clips into new movie segments. You can also save your images in a variety of popular file formats.

* i.LINK is a SONY trademark used to designate that a prod uc t contains an IEEE 1394 c on-

nector. All products with an i.LINK conne ct or may not communicate wi th e ac h ot her.

*®

connector and capture your own

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Sony PCG-FX290 Primary, VAIO PCG-FX290K, VAIO PCG-956A, VAIO PCG-9562 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual