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

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-

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. 98

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

❑ UsingaSecondBatteryPack

❑ Using the Weight Saver

❑ Using Power Saving Modes

❑ Connecting a Phone Line

❑ ConnectingtoaLAN

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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

Print Screen key

Applications key keys

Navigation

Correction keys

Shift key

Ctrl key

Fn key

Escape key

Alt key

Windows key

Function keys

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.

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 (Shift, Ctrl, Alt keys)

Several keys are always used with at least one other key: Ctrl, Alt,andShift.Whenhelddownwithanotherkey,theCtrl (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.

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

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

Hard disk This indicator will light when data is being read from or

on the right side of the notebook.

drive bay on the left side of the notebook.

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 Lock

Caps Lock

Scroll Lock

The number keys in the numeric keypad are active.

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

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.

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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) Mute On/Off

Fn+ (F4) Speaker volume

Fn+Shift+ (F4) Speaker volume

Fn+ (F5) Brightness control

Fn+Shift+ (F5) Brightness control

Toggles the built-in speaker off and on.

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

Adjusts the built-in speaker volume. To decrease volume, press Fn+Shift+F4.

Adjusts the brightness of the LCD.

To increase light intensity, press Fn+F5.

Adjusts the brightness of the LCD. To decrease light intensity, press Fn+Shift+F5.

Combinations/ Feature Function

Using the Keyboard

LCD

Fn+ / (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 exter nal 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.

LCD

Fn+ only/

(F8)

Control AV out

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

Only LCD

LCD and external display

Only exter nal 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 Standby

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

Puts the system into Standby mode, a power management state. To return the system to the active state, press any key.

✍ 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.

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

1 Hold the disk with the label side facing up.

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

Label side facing up

To remove a disk

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

remove the disk.

Eject button LED indicator light

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

1 Turn off the notebook.

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

3 Slide the drive out of the multipurpose bay.

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

To reinsert the floppy disk drive

1 Turn off the notebook.

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

remove the second battery pack” for details.

3 Insert 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

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

1 Turn 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.

2 Press 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.

3 Place 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.

4 Press 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.

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-RorCD-RWdisc.TocreateaCD-RdiscthatisreadableinaCD-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.

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

2 Push 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.

Using PC Cards

PC Card slot protector

3 Insert 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 remov e 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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1 Double-click in the taskbar. The “Safely remove ... PC Card” dialog box

appears.

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

Hardware” appears.

3 Click to close the message.

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

5 ClickOKagainandthenclickClose.

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

7 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. 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.

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

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

2 Insert 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

3 Attach 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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