Sony PCG-FX310, PCG-FX310P, PCG-FX340, PCG-FX340P, PCG-FX370 User Guide

Welcome.......................................................	7
Using Your VAIO Notebook........................	9
Using the Keyboard...................................................	10
Functions of the keyboard keys .........................................	11
Combinations and functions with the Windows key .........	12
Indicators ...........................................................................	13
Indicator lights ...................................................................	14
Combinations and functions with the Fn key ....................	15
Using the Touchpad ..................................................	17
Using the Floppy Disk Drive ....................................	19
To insert a floppy disk .......................................................	19
To remove a floppy disk ....................................................	20
To remove the floppy disk drive........................................	20
To reinsert the floppy disk drive........................................	21
Using the Optical Disc Drive ....................................	23
To insert a disc ...................................................................	23
To remove a disc................................................................	24
To play a DVD...................................................................	25
To play an audio CD ..........................................................	26
Notes on CD and DVD media ...........................................	27
To write data to a CD-RW or CD-R disc...........................	28
Using PC Cards .........................................................	29
To insert a PC card.............................................................	29
To remove a PC Card.........................................................	31
Notes on PC Cards .............................................................	32
Using a Second Battery Pack ....................................	33
To insert a second battery pack..........................................	33
To charge the second battery pack.....................................	34
To remove the second battery pack ...................................	35

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Using the Weight Saver ............................................	37
To attach the weight saver ................................................	37
To remove the weight saver ..............................................	38
Using Power Saving Modes......................................	39
Normal mode.....................................................................	39
Standby mode....................................................................	39
Hibernate mode .................................................................	39
Notes on power saving modes ..........................................	40
Connecting a Phone Line ..........................................	41
Connecting to a LAN ................................................	42
To set up your ethernet connection ...................................	42
Connecting Peripheral Devices ...............	45
Connecting a Port Replicator ....................................	46
To attach your notebook to the port replicator..................	46
To remove your notebook from the port replicator...........	49
Connecting an External Mouse or Keyboard............	50
To connect an external mouse or keyboard ......................	50
Connecting a Parallel Port Printer ............................	51
To connect a printer ..........................................................	51
Connecting a USB Printer.........................................	52
To connect a USB printer..................................................	52
Connecting an External Display ...............................	53
To connect a computer display .........................................	53
To connect a multimedia computer display ......................	53
To connect a projector.......................................................	54
To select a display.............................................................	55

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Connecting a TV Display ..........................................	56
To connect a TV ................................................................	56
Changing the display resolution for TV Out .....................	56
Notes on TV display ..........................................................	57
Connecting a USB Device.........................................	58
To connect a USB device...................................................	58
Connecting an i.LINK Device...................................	59
To connect a digital video camera recorder .......................	60
Notes on i.LINK devices ...................................................	60
Connecting VAIO computers....................................	62
Connecting with i.LINK ....................................................	62
Connecting External Speakers ..................................	63
Before connecting your external speakers .........................	63
To connect external speakers .............................................	63
Connecting an External Microphone.........................	64
To connect an external microphone...................................	64
Expanding Your Notebook Capabilities ...................	65
Personal Digital Assistant ..................................................	65
Wireless LAN Access Point ..............................................	65
Wireless LAN PC Card......................................................	66
Customizing Your VAIO Notebook ..........	67
Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen ...........	68
To display the Sony Notebook Setup screen .....................	68
Sony Notebook Setup Tabs................................................	69
Controlling Power Management ...............................	70
To view the Power Management status icons....................	70
Power Management profiles ..............................................	71
Power management commands .........................................	74
Conserving battery power ..................................................	74

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Displaying Battery Information ................................	75
To activate the Battery Information toolbar......................	75
Battery icon descriptions...................................................	75
To display detailed battery information ............................	76
To customize the Battery Information toolbar and alarm sys-
tem.....................................................................................	77
Selecting the Display Mode ......................................	78
To select the display mode................................................	78
To change the Window Design of Sony software.............	79

Adding Memory to Your VAIO Notebook 81

Precautions and Procedures ......................................	82
Typical expansion memory configuration ........................	82
Removing a Memory Module...................................	84
Installing a Memory Module ....................................	86
Viewing the Amount of Memory..............................	88

About the Software on Your Notebook ...89

Software Overview ...................................................	90
Application, Driver, and System Recovery CDs ......	96
Using Your Recovery CDs .......................................	97
To use the Application Recovery CD(s) ...........................	97
To use the Driver Recovery CD(s) ...................................	97
To use the System Recovery CD(s) ................................	101

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Troubleshooting ......................................	105
Troubleshooting Your Notebook ............................		106
My notebook does not start..............................................		106
My notebook starts, but a BIOS error is displayed..........		106
My notebook starts, but the message “Operating system not
found” appears and Windows does not start....................		107
My notebook stops responding or does not shut down....		108
The Power Management setting is not responding. .........		108
The sound of my notebook’s fan is too loud. ..................		109
Why does the System Properties dialog box display a slower
CPU speed than advertised? ............................................		109
Troubleshooting the LCD Screen............................		110
My LCD screen is blank. .................................................		110
My LCD screen continues to show the previous screen.		.110
The image on my connected external display is not centered
or sized properly. .............................................................		110
I want to change the video resolution of my display. ......		110
I want to change the display resolution for TV Out ........		110
I cannot switch the LCD display to TV, and vice versa	. .	111
Troubleshooting the Mouse and Touchpad .............		112
My mouse does not work.................................................		112
My touchpad does not work properly. .............................		112
The pointer does not move while I am using the Touchpad or
Mouse...............................................................................		113
Troubleshooting Drives, PC Cards and Peripheral De-
vices.........................................................................		114
My floppy disk drive cannot write to a floppy disk.........		114
My optical drive is not playing a CD or DVD properly. .		114
My optical drive tray does not open. ...............................		115
I cannot use Digital Video (DV) devices. The message “DV
equipment seems to be disconnected or turned off” appears.

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115
My PC Card is not working. ...........................................	115
Troubleshooting Software.......................................	116
My software program stops responding or crashes.........	116
When I click an application icon, the message “You must in-
sert the application CD into your optical drive” appears and
the software does not start...............................................	116
I cannot use the DVgate software. ..................................	116
My computer’s start-up time seems longer after I have in-
stalled AOL. What can I do?...........................................	116
Troubleshooting the Modem...................................	118
My modem does not work. .............................................	118
My modem connection is slow. ......................................	118
Troubleshooting Audio ...........................................	119
My speakers make no sound. ..........................................	119
My microphone does not work. ......................................	119
Troubleshooting the Printer ....................................	120
I cannot print. ..................................................................	120
Troubleshooting i.LINK devices ............................	121
I cannot establish a connection between two VAIO comput-
ers when using an i.LINK cable......................................	121
Getting Help.............................................	123
Support Options ......................................................	124
Software Support Information ................................	126
Sony Service Center................................................	128
Index.........................................................	129

6

Welcome

Congratulations on your purchase of this Sony VAIO® computer, and welcome to the VAIO Notebook User Guide.

This User Guide provides detailed information on all aspects of using your new VAIO computer, from keyboard functions to preinstalled software applications.

In the left navigation window, click the topics you want to learn more about, and that information will be displayed in this main window.

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Using Your VAIO Notebook

This section describes the following aspects of your new computer:

Using the Keyboard

Using the Touchpad

Using the Floppy Disk Drive

Using the Optical Disc Drive

Using PC Cards

Using a Second Battery Pack

Using the Weight Saver

Using Power Saving Modes

Connecting a Phone Line

Connecting to a LAN

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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 Navigation
Fn key	Alt key	keys
	Windows® key	Numeric keypad area

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	Using the Keyboard
Functions of the keyboard keys
Key	Description
Numeric keypad	Contains the keys found on a typical calculator. Use the
area	numeric keypad area to type numbers or to perform
	mathematical calculations such as addition and subtraction.
	Note that you must press the Num Lock key to activate the
	numeric keypad. (When you do so, the Num Lock light will
	be on.)
Navigation keys	Several keys are devoted to moving the cursor on the screen.
Correction keys	The Insert, Back Space, and Delete keys enable you to make
	corrections in your documents.
Function keys	The twelve function keys along the top of the keyboard are
	used to perform designated tasks. For example, in many
	applications, F1 is the Help key. The task associated with
	each function key may vary from one application to the next.
Escape key	The Esc (Escape) key is used to cancel commands.
Print Screen key	The Print Screen key takes an electronic snapshot of the
	screen and places it in the Windows® Clipboard. You can
	then paste the screen shot into a document and print it.
Operator keys	Several keys are always used with at least one other key: Ctrl,
(Shift, Ctrl,	Alt, and Shift. When held down with another key, the Ctrl
Alt keys)	(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 symbols, such as @ and $.

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Key			Description
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 “Combinations and functions with the Windows
			key” for more information.
Fn key			The Fn key is used in combination with other keys to issue
			commands. See “Combinations and functions with the Fn
			key” for more information.
Applications key			The Applications key displays a shortcut menu of context-
			sensitive choices. Pressing this key is the equivalent of
			clicking the right mouse button.

Combinations and functions with the Windows key

Combination		Function
	+ F1	Displays VAIO® Help and Support Center.
	+ Tab	Switches the selected button on the taskbar.
	+ D	Displays the Desktop.
	+ E	Displays Windows Explorer.
	+ F	Displays the Search window to find a file or folder. This is
		the equivalent of selecting Search from the Start menu.
	+ Ctrl + F	Displays the Search Results: Computers window where you
		can locate other computers. This is the equivalent of selecting
		Search and then Computers from the Start menu.
	+ M	Minimizes all displayed windows.

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								Using the Keyboard
Combination								Function
Shift +							+ M	Returns all minimized windows to their previous size.
	+ R							Displays the Run window. This is the equivalent of selecting
								Run from the Start menu.
Fn +						+ Insert		Displays the System Properties window. This is the
								equivalent of selecting Control Panel and then System from
								the Start menu.
Indicators
Indicator								Function
Power								Light is green when the power to the notebook is turned on,
								flashes amber in Standby mode, and turns off when the
								notebook 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 notebook.
1
Battery 2								Indicates the status of the battery inserted in the multipurpose
								drive bay on the right side of the notebook.
			2
Hard disk								Lights when data is being read from or written to the hard
								drive. Do not enter Standby mode or turn off the notebook
								when this indicator light is on.

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Indicator lights

Light	On	Off
Num	The number keys in the numeric	The alphanumeric character keys
Lock	keypad are active.	in the keypad area are active.
Caps	The letters appear in uppercase as you Letters appear in lower case as
Lock	type. The Shift key lowers the case of you type (unless you hold down
	typed letters when Caps Lock is on. the Shift key).
Scroll	The screen scrolls differently.	Information moves across the
Lock	(Exactly how it scrolls depends on the display normally.
	specific application. It has no effect in
	many applications.)

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Using the Keyboard

Combinations and functions with the Fn key

If you switch user identities during a computing session, the Fn+F7 and Fn+F8 key functionality (if available on your computer) will be interrupted. To switch to an external display or monitor, see “Selecting the Display Mode” for more information.

Combinations/
Feature			Function
Fn+	(ESC)		Puts the system into Standby mode, a power management
Standby			state. To return the system to the active state, press any key.
Fn+	(F3)		Toggles the built-in speaker off and on.
Mute On/Off
Fn+		(F4)	Adjusts the built-in speaker volume.
Speaker volume			To increase volume, press Fn+F4, then					or .
			To decrease volume, press Fn+F4, then					or .
Fn+	(F5)		Adjusts the brightness of the LCD.
Brightness control			To increase light intensity, press Fn+F5 and then							or .
			To decrease light intensity, press Fn+F5 and then							or .
Fn+			Toggles through the LCD, external display (connected to the
	LCD	/
(F7)			Monitor port) and both LCD and external display.
Switch to the			Only LCD				LCD and external display
external
monitor/LCD						Only external display

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Combinations/
Feature				Function
Fn+			only/	Toggles between LCD-only and dual LCD/TV display
		LCD
	(F8)			modes.
Control TV Out				Only LCD				LCD and external display
							Only external display
				Connect the cable before you turn on the notebook, otherwise
				Fn + F8 will not work.
Fn+		(F12)		Provides for the lowest level of power consumption.
Hibernate				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
				original state, use the power button to turn on power.
Fn+ F				Display control. Minimizes and maximizes the LCD screen.
				If the default display resolution is reduced, this function
				maximizes the display resolution to fit the screen size.
				Maximizing the display screen enables you to view the
				display at a greater resolution.

Some functions are not available until Windows® launches.

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Using the Touchpad

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

	Touchpad
		Right button
	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.

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Action	Description
Right-click	Press the right button once. In many applications, this action
	displays a shortcut menu of context-sensitive choices.
Drag	Slide one finger while pressing the left button.
Scroll	Move your finger along the right edge of the touchpad to
	scroll vertically. Move your finger along the bottom to scroll
	horizontally. (The scroll function is available only with
	applications that support a touchpad scroll feature.)

See Mouse Properties for information on touchpad features, such as clicking both buttons simultaneously, adjusting touchpad speed, and Easy Launcher functions. To access Mouse Properties, go to Start, select Control Panel, and click the Mouse icon.

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Using the Floppy Disk Drive

Using the Floppy Disk Drive

Your notebook is supplied with the floppy disk drive in the multipurpose bay.

To insert a floppy disk

1Hold the floppy disk with the label side facing up.

2Gently push the floppy disk into the drive until it clicks into place.

Inserting a floppy disk

Floppy disk

Floppy disk drive

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To remove a floppy disk

1After you finish using the floppy disk, wait until the LED indicator turns off.

2Press the Eject button to remove the floppy disk.

Removing a floppy disk

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

1Turn off the notebook.

2Locate the release lever on the bottom of the notebook.

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Using the Floppy Disk Drive

3 Slide the lever in the direction of the arrow.

Multipurpose bay release lever

Multipurpose bay release lever

4Slide the floppy disk drive out of the multipurpose bay.

5Insert the weight saver. See “Using the Weight Saver” for more information.

To reinsert the floppy disk drive

1Turn off the notebook.

2If another device is in the multipurpose bay, remove the device. See “To remove the second battery pack” for more information.

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

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4Continue pushing the drive into the bay until the release lever locks into place.

Inserting the floppy disk drive

Multipurpose bay

Floppy disk drive

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Using the Optical Disc Drive

Using the Optical Disc Drive

Your notebook comes with an optical disc drive, either a CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive or DVD-ROM drive, depending on the model you purchased.

Do not use adhesive labels to identify your discs. Adhesive labels may come off while the disc is in use in the optical drive, and may cause damage to the drive.

To insert a disc

When the notebook is in Standby or Hibernate mode, you cannot insert a disc. See “Controlling Power Management” for more information on Standby and Hibernate modes.

1Turn on the notebook.

2Press the Eject button to open the optical drive. The tray slides out.

Ejecting the tray

Eject button

3Place an optical disc on the tray with the label side facing up. For DVDs that can be played on both sides, the side of the disc facing up is the side that plays.

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

Be sure to seat the disc firmly over the hub fingers. If you do not seat the disc firmly, you could damage the optical drive and you may not be able to open the tray.

Inserting an optical disc

Label side facing up

5 Close the tray by pushing it gently.

To remove a disc

When the notebook is in power saving modes, you cannot remove a disc. See “Controlling Power Management” for more information about power saving modes.

1After you finish using a disc, wait until the LED indicator turns off.

2Press the Eject button to remove the disc.

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Using the Optical Disc Drive

3If the disc does not come out when you press the Eject button, turn off the notebook and insert a thin, straight object (such as a paper clip) into the manual eject hole.

Manually removing a disc

To play a DVD

To play a DVD, you may use the optical disc drive and the preinstalled WinDVD® software. For more information on WinDVD, see the Help menu in the WinDVD application.

Before you use the optical disc drive to play a DVD, quit any open applications.

Your optical disc drive can read most DVD-R media. When you are ready to play a DVD, read the suggestions below to maximize your video viewing experience.

When playing a DVD on battery power, set the power management profile to DVD. You can also set the power management profile to Automatic Profile Selection if the display is not clear when using other profiles.

Automatic Profile Selection sets the power management profile to DVD whenever a DVD is inserted. See “Controlling Power Management” for more information.

If you connect your notebook to a TV display, you may need to adjust the display resolution. Read the suggestions below to set the display resolution

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to the proper dimensions. Also see “Selecting the Display Mode” for more information.

If the notebook is set to the default display setting, part of the video screen will not appear. To view the entire screen, adjust the display resolution to 640 x 480. See “Connecting a TV Display” for more information.

The screen resolution must be set to 640 x 480 dots in order to play a DVD while using the TV Out jack. See “Connecting a TV Display” for more information.

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

You cannot use the Fn + F8 function to switch between LCD and TV once a DVD is inserted into the optical drive.

Do not switch between LCD and the external display while the DVD is playing. This may cause a malfunction, and you may need to restart the DVD software.

To play an audio CD

To play an audio CD, make sure the audio function is turned on. To do this, complete the following procedure.

1Open the Start menu, point to Control Panel, and then click System. The System Properties window appears.

2Select the Hardware tab and then click Device Manager in the Device Manager box. A window appears, listing your notebook hardware devices.

3Double-click DVD/CD-ROM drives. From the drop-down list, double-click the drive name. A properties window appears.

4Click the Properties tab. Select the “Enable digital CD audio for this CDROM device” check box if it is not already selected, and then click OK.

You can play DVDs using the optical drive and the WinDVD® software. See the help file that comes with the WinDVD software for details.

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

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Using the Optical Disc Drive

When playing DVD movies on battery power, set the power management profile to DVD. With other profiles, the movies are choppy. As an alternative, you can set the power management profile to Automatic Profile Selection, which will cause the DVD profile to be selected automatically whenever you insert a DVD. See “Controlling Power Management” for information on how to set the power management profile.

Notes on CD and DVD media

Do not switch the power saving modes while you are playing the DVD disc.

Disable the screen saver and the virus checker (if it is active).

Do not use memory-resident utility software to speed up disc access. This may cause the notebook to malfunction.

Do not drop or bend the disc.

Do not touch the surface of the disc. Fingerprints and dust on the surface of a disc may cause data errors. Proper care of the disc is essential to maintain its reliability. Do not use solvents such as benzine, thinner, commercially available cleaners or anti-static spray, as they may cause damage to the disc.

For normal cleaning, hold the disc 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.

When using your notebook to play DVDs on your TV

If you connect a TV to your notebook to play DVDs, see “Selecting the Display Mode” for instructions.

The screen resolution must be set to 640 x 480 dots in order to play a DVD while using the TV Out jack. See “Connecting a TV Display” for more information.

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To write data to a CD-RW or CD-R disc*

You can use Sony SonicStage and Microsoft® Windows® XP to write data to a CD-R or CD-RW disc. To create a CD-R disc that is readable in a CD-ROM drive, make sure you finish the writing process before ejecting it. For more information, see the instructions included with Windows® XP.

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 8x speed.

Do not put your notebook into power saving mode while writing data to a CD-R or CD-RW disc.

Do not strike or shake the notebook while writing data to a disc.

Memory-resident disc utilities, such as the screen saver and virus checker, may cause unstable operation or data loss. Deactivate these utilities before writing data to a disc.

Always use the AC adapter as the power source for your notebook when you are writing data to a CD-R or CD-RW. Using battery power may result in data transfer failure.

* For notebook models equipped with a CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive.

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Using PC Cards

Using PC Cards

Your notebook includes two PC Card slots. PC Cards enable you to connect portable external devices such as another hard disk drive, or to connect to 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. You 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. The Release button pops out.

PC Card release button

Release button

Release button

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2Press the Release button a second time. The PC Card slot protector pops out.

When you use a Type III PC Card, you need to remove both the top and bottom PC Card slot protectors.

PC Card slot protector

3Insert the PC Card into the PC Card slot.

4Verify that the front label of the PC Card is facing up.

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