Sony PCG-FXA47, PCG-FXA48, PCG-FXA49 User Guide

Contents

Welcome.......................................................	7
Using Your VAIO Notebook........................	9
Using the Keyboard...................................................	10
Combinations and functions with the Windows key .........	12
Indicators ...........................................................................	13
Indicator lights ...................................................................	13
Combinations and functions with the Fn key ....................	14
Using the Touchpad ..................................................	16
Using the Floppy Disk Drive ....................................	18
Using the Optical Disc Drive ....................................	21
To insert a disc ...................................................................	21
To eject a disc ....................................................................	22
To play a DVD...................................................................	23
Notes on CD and DVD discs .............................................	24
To write data to a CD-RW or CD-R disc...........................	24
Using PC Cards .........................................................	26
To insert a PC Card............................................................	26
To remove a PC Card.........................................................	27
Using a Second Battery Pack ....................................	29
To insert a second battery pack..........................................	29
To charge the second battery pack.....................................	30
To view remaining battery power ......................................	30
To remove the second battery pack ...................................	31

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Using the Weight Saver ............................................	32
To attach the weight saver ................................................	32
To remove the weight saver ..............................................	33
Using Power Saving Modes......................................	34
Normal mode.....................................................................	34
Standby mode....................................................................	34
Hibernate mode .................................................................	34
Connecting a Phone Line .........................................	36
Connecting to a LAN ................................................	37
Setting up your Ethernet connection.................................	37
Connecting Peripheral Devices ...............	39
Connecting a Port Replicator ....................................	40
To attach your notebook to the port replicator..................	40
To remove your notebook from the port replicator...........	43
Connecting a PS/2 External Mouse or Keyboard .....	45
To connect an external mouse or keyboard ......................	45
Connecting an AV Device ........................................	46
Connecting a Parallel Port Printer ............................	47
To connect a printer ..........................................................	47
Connecting a USB Printer.........................................	48
To connect a USB printer..................................................	48
Connecting an External Display ...............................	49
To connect a computer display .........................................	49
To connect a multimedia computer display ......................	50
To connect a projector.......................................................	50
To select a display.............................................................	50
Connecting a USB Device ........................................	52
To connect a USB device..................................................	52

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Connecting an i.LINK Device...................................	53
To connect a digital video camera recorder.......................	53
Connecting with another VAIO computer ................	55
Connecting External Speakers ..................................	56
Before connecting external speakers .................................	56
To connect external speakers .............................................	56
Connecting an External Microphone.........................	57
To connect an external microphone...................................	57
Expanding Your Notebook Capabilities ...................	58
Personal Digital Assistant ..................................................	58
Wireless LAN Access Point ..............................................	58
Wireless LAN PC Card......................................................	59
Customizing Your VAIO Notebook ..........	61
Selecting the Display Mode ......................................	62
Changing the window design of Sony software........	65
Adding Memory .........................................	67
Precautions and Procedures.......................................	68
Typical expansion memory configuration .........................	68
Removing a Memory Module ...................................	70
Installing a Memory Module.....................................	72
Viewing the Amount of Memory ..............................	73
About the Software on Your Notebook ...	75
Software Overview....................................................	76
Application, Driver, and System Recovery CDs.......	82

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Using Your Recovery CDs .......................................	83
To use the Application Recovery CD(s) ...........................	83
To use the Driver Recovery CD(s) ...................................	84
To use the System Recovery CD(s) ..................................	86
Troubleshooting........................................	89
Troubleshooting Your Notebook ..............................	90
My notebook does not start...............................................	90
My notebook starts but a BIOS error appears...................	90
My notebook starts, but the message “Operating system not
found” appears, and Windows does not start....................	91
My notebook stops responding or does not shut down.....	92
The power management setting is not responding............	92
Why does the System Properties dialog box display a slower
CPU speed than advertised?..............................................	93
Troubleshooting the LCD Screen .............................	94
My LCD screen is blank. ..................................................	94
My LCD screen continues to show the previous screen. ..	94
The image on my connected external display is not centered
or sized properly................................................................	94
I want to change the video resolution of my display. .......	94
I cannot switch the LCD display to TV, and vice versa. ..	94
Troubleshooting the Mouse and Touchpad ..............	95
My mouse does not work. .................................................	95
My touchpad does not work properly. ..............................	95
The pointer does not move while using the Touchpad or
Mouse................................................................................	95
Troubleshooting Drives, PC Cards and Peripheral De-
vices ..........................................................................	97
My floppy disk drive cannot write to a floppy disk..........	97
My optical disc drive is not playing my CD or DVD proper-

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ly. .......................................................................................	97
My optical drive tray does not open. .................................	98
I cannot use Digital Video (DV) devices. The message “DV
equipment seems to be disconnected or turned off” appears.
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My PC Card is not working. ..............................................	98
Troubleshooting Software .........................................	99
My software program stops responding or crashes. ..........	99

When I click an application icon, the message “You must insert the application CD into your optical drive” appears and

the software does not start. ................................................	99
I cannot use the DVgate™ software. .................................	99
Troubleshooting the Modem ...................................	100
My modem does not work. ..............................................	100
My modem connection is slow. .......................................	100
Troubleshooting Audio ...........................................	101
My speakers make no sound. ...........................................	101
My microphone does not work. .......................................	101
I cannot hear sound when playing a CD. .........................	101
Troubleshooting the Printer.....................................	103
I cannot print. ...................................................................	103
Troubleshooting i.LINK devices.............................	104
I cannot establish a connection between two VAIO comput-
ers when using an i.LINK cable.......................................	104

Getting Help .............................................	105
Support Options.......................................................	106
Software Support Information.................................	108
Sony Service Center.........................................................	110
Index .........................................................	111

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Welcome

Congratulations on your purchase of this Sony VAIO computer, and welcome to the VAIO 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 notebook keyboard is very similar to that of a typewriter, but the keyboard has additional keys that perform specific computer-related tasks.

Keyboard

Escape key

Function keys

Print Screen key

Correction keys

Shift key
Ctrl key
		Applications	Navigation
Fn key	Alt key	key	keys
	Windows key	Numeric keypad
Key	Description
Numeric keypad	Contains the keys found on a typical calculator. Use the
	numeric keypad area to type numbers or to perform
	mathematical calculations such as addition and subtraction.
	Note that you must press the Num Lock key to activate the
	numeric keypad. (When you do so, the Num Lock light turns
	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.

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			Using the Keyboard
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 cancel commands.
Print Screen key			The Print Screen key takes an electronic snapshot of the
			screen and places it on 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			Alt, and Shift. When held down with another key, the Ctrl
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 $.
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.

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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 Windows Find: All Files window to find a file or
						folder. This is the equivalent of selecting Find and then Files
						or Folders from the Start menu.
	+ Ctrl + F					Displays the Windows Find: Computer window where you
						can locate other computers. This is the equivalent of selecting
						Find and then Computer from the Start menu.
	+ M					Minimizes all displayed windows.
Shift +					+ M	Returns all minimized windows to their previous size.
	+ R					Displays the Run window. This is the equivalent of selecting
						Run from the Start menu.
Fn +				+ Insert		Displays the Properties window. This is the equivalent of
						double-clicking the System icon in the Control Panel.

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						Using the Keyboard
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 right side of the notebook.
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Battery 2					Indicates the status of the battery inserted in the multipurpose
					drive bay on the left side of the notebook.
			2
Hard disk					This indicator will light when data is being read from or
					written to the hard disk. Do not enter Standby mode or turn
					off the notebook when this indicator is on.
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
Lock	as you type. The Shift key
	lowers the case of typed letters
	when Caps Lock is on.

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

Scroll	The screen scrolls differently.	Information moves across the
Lock	(Exactly how it scrolls depends	display normally.
	on the specific application. It has
	no effect in many applications.)

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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+ (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.
Fn+Shift+		Adjusts the built-in speaker volume.
(F4)		To decrease volume, press Fn+Shift+F4.
Speaker volume*
Fn+	(F5)	Adjusts the brightness of the LCD.
Brightness control*To increase light intensity, press Fn+F5.
Fn+Shift+		Adjusts the brightness of the LCD.
(F5)		To decrease light intensity, press Fn+Shift+F5.
Brightness control*

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Using the Keyboard

Combinations/

Feature Function

Fn+ LCD / (F7)

Switch to the external monitor/LCD

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

Select one display at a time to playback DVDs. Connect the cable before you turn on the notebook, otherwise Fn + F7 will not work.

Fn+	LCD	only/	Toggles between LCD-only and dual LCD/TV display
(F8)			modes.
Control AV out			Only LCD				LCD and external display
						Only external display
			Select one display at a time to playback DVDs. Connect the
			cable before you turn on the notebook, otherwise Fn + F8
			will not work.
Fn + Esc			Puts the system into Standby mode, a power management
Standby			state. To return the system to the active state, press any key.

*No on-screen display will appear notifying you when a change occurs.

Some functions are not available until Windows launches.

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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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	Using the Touchpad
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, open the Start menu, point to Control Panel, Printers and other Hardware, and then click the Mouse icon in the Control Panel.

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Using the Floppy Disk Drive

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

To insert a disk

1Hold the disk with the label side facing up.

2Gently insert the disk into the drive until it clicks into place.

Label side facing up

To remove a disk

1Wait until the LED indicator light turns off and then press the Eject button to remove the disk.

Eject button

LED indicator light

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Using the Floppy Disk Drive

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.

2There is a RELEASE lever on the bottom of the computer. Slide this lever in the direction of the arrow.

Multipurpose bay release lever

3Slide the drive out of the multipurpose bay.

4Insert the weight saver. See “Using the Weight Saver” for details.

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 details.

3Insert the floppy disk drive, with the VAIO label facing up, into the multipurpose bay until the RELEASE lever locks into place.

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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. Depending on the system you purchased, your optical disc drive is either a CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive or a DVD-ROM drive.

To insert a disc

1Turn on the notebook.

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

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

Ejecting the tray

Eject button

Avoid using adhesive labels to identify your discs. Adhesive labels may come off while the disc is in use in your optical drive, and may damage the unit.

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.

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

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Inserting an optical disc

Label side facing up

5 Close the tray by pushing it gently.

To eject a disc

When you finish using a disc, wait until the LED indicator turns off, and then press the Eject button to remove the disc.

When the notebook is in a power saving mode, you cannot remove an optical disc. See “Using Power Saving Modes” for more information about power saving modes.

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

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

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Using the Optical Disc Drive

Manual eject hole

To play a DVD

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

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

Your optical 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.

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

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

Change the settings to disable the screen saver and the virus checker.

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

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.

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

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

Notes on CD and DVD discs

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 reading 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.

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 that you finish the writing process before ejecting the disc. For more information, see the instructions included with Windows® XP.

Notes on writing data to a CD-RW or CD-R disc

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.

Your notebook does not support 1x writing speed.

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

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Using the Optical Disc Drive

If your notebook computer has preinstalled Microsoft® Office applications, such as Excel, Word, and Outlook, turn off the FindFast application.

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

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

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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 a PC Network Interface Card (NIC), which enables you to connect to a network.

The PC Card slots 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 once. The Release button pops out.

PC Card release button

Release button

Release button

2Push 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.

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Using PC Cards

PC Card slot protector

3Insert the the PC Card gently into the slot. Make sure the front label of the PC Card is facing up. The PC Card is automatically detected by your system. The Unplug or Eject Hardware icon appears in the taskbar.

Inserting a PC Card

Insert with the arrow facing toward

the slot

PC Card

Do not force a PC Card into the slot as this may damage the connector pins.

Do not carry your notebook while touching the head of a PC Card (such as a wireless LAN card), as pressure or shock may damage the connector pins.

To remove a PC Card

The following procedure describes how to remove the PC Card while the notebook is on. If you want to remove the PC Card while the notebook is off, perform steps 4, 6, and 7 below.

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1Double-click in the taskbar. The “Safely remove ... PC Card” dialog box appears.

2Click the PC Card’s name or drive. The message, “Safe to Remove Hardware” appears.

3Click to close the message.

4Push the Release button. The Release button pops out.

5Click OK again and then click Close.

6Gently grasp the PC Card and pull it out of the slot.

7Insert 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. Restart your system to correct the problem.

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

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

If an exclamation mark (!) appears on the Device Manager tab in the System Properties dialog box, remove the software driver and then reinstall it.

You may not be able to use some PC Cards or some functions of the PC Card with this notebook. If you have difficulty inserting a card, check that you are orienting the card correctly. See the manual that came with your PC Card for more information on its use.

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Using a Second Battery Pack

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 notebook with battery power. When using two battery packs, the battery pack you insert first charges first. The battery pack you insert second begins charging when the first battery pack is 85 percent full. You can monitor which battery pack is charging by observing the battery indicators.

To insert a second battery pack

1If another device is in the multipurpose bay, remove that device.

2Insert the battery pack into the multipurpose bay.

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

Second battery in multipurpose bay

Multipurpose bay

Battery pack

VAIO logo facing down

3Attach the weight saver to the notebook to stabilize the battery pack. See “Using the Weight Saver” for more information.

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To charge the second battery pack

Using weight saver for second battery cover

Battery pack

Weight saver

Keep the battery pack in the notebook while it is connected to AC power. The battery indicator flashes while the battery is charging. See also “To charge the battery pack” in the printed Quick Start for more information.

Charging the second battery

Battery indicators

To view remaining battery power

To view remaining battery power, perform the following steps.

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