Sony PCG-FXA59, PCG-FXA59P User Guide

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.

Note:

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

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Using Your VAIO Notebook

This section describes the following aspects of your new computer:

Using the Keyboard

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Using the Touchpad

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Using the Floppy Disk Drive

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Using the Optical Disc Drive

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Using PC Cards

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Using a Second Battery Pack

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Using the Weight Saver

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Using Power Saving Modes

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Connecting a Phone Line

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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

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.

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, 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 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

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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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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. Battery 2

Indicates the status of the battery inserted in the multipurpose drive bay on the left side of the notebook. 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.

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Indicator lights

Light On Off

Num Lock The number keys in the numeric keypad are active. The alphanumeric character keys in the keypad area are active.

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

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Combinations and functions with the Fn key

Note:

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 Toggles the built-in speaker off and on.

Fn+ (F4) Speaker volume* Adjusts the built-in speaker volume.

To increase volume, press Fn+F4.

Fn+Shift+ (F4) Speaker volume* Adjusts the built-in speaker volume.

To decrease volume, press Fn+Shift+F4.

Fn+ (F5) Brightness control* Adjusts the brightness of the LCD.

To increase light intensity, press Fn+F5.

Fn+Shift+ (F5) Brightness control* Adjusts the brightness of the LCD.

To decrease light intensity, press Fn+Shift+F5.

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.

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+ only/

(F8)

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

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

* N o on-screen display will appear notifying you when a change occ urs .

Note:

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

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 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

Hold the disk with the label side facing up.

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

To remove a disk

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

Note:

Do not push the eject button when the LED indicator is turned on. Otherwise, data may be lost.

To remove the floppy disk drive

Turn off the notebook.

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

Multipurpose bay release lever

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Slide the drive out of the multipurpose bay.

Insert the weight saver. See Using the Weight Saver for details.

To reinsert the floppy disk drive

Turn off the notebook.

If another device is in the multipurpose bay, remove the device. See To remove the second battery pack for details.

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

Inserting the floppy disk drive

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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.

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To insert a disc

Turn on the notebook.

Note:

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.

Press the Eject button to open the optical drive.

The tray slides out.

Ejecting the tray

Note:

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.

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.

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

Inserting an optical disc

Close the tray by pushing it gently.

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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.

Caution:

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.

Manual eject hole

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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.

Note:

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

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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.

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

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Caution:

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.

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Notes on CD and DVD discs

Do not drop or bend the disc.

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Do not touch the surface of the disc. Fingerprints and dust on the surface of a disc may cause reading errors. Proper

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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.

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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

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from the center out. Wipe off any remaining moisture with a dry, soft cloth.

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To write data to a CD-RW or CD-R disc1

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.

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For best results, use CD-Rs that are compatible with 8x speed.

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Your notebook does not support 1x writing speed.

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

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the FindFast application.

Caution:

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.

For notebook models equipped with a C D-RW/DV D C ombo Drive.

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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.

Note:

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.

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To insert a PC Card

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

PC Card release button

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.

PC Card slot protector

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

Caution:

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.

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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.

Double-click in the taskbar. The "Safely remove ... PC Card" dialog box appears.

Click the PC Card's name or drive. The message, "Safe to Remove Hardware" appears.

Click to close the message.

Push the Release button. The Release button pops out.

Click OK again and then click Close.

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

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

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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.

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

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If an exclamation mark (!) appears on the Device Manager tab in the System Properties dialog box, remove the

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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

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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

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.

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To insert a second battery pack

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

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

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

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

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To view remaining battery power

To view remaining battery power, perform the following steps.

Click Start in the Windows taskbar, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, and then click Power Options. The Power Options Properties dialog box appears.

Click the Power Meter tab. The current power source and total battery power remaining is shown.

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To remove the second battery pack

If you attach two battery packs, you can remove either of them without shutting down the notebook. When removing one battery pack, make sure that the other battery pack's indicator is on. If the indicator of the battery pack you are removing is on, right-click the battery icon on the taskbar and click the "Switch discharge battery" option.

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, and then slide the RELEASE lever on the bottom of the notebook in the direction of arrow 2.

Multipurpose bay Release levers

Remove the weight saver, and then pull out the battery pack.

Reinsert the weight saver. See Using the Weight Saver for more information.

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Using the Weight Saver

The weight saver protects the multipurpose bay when it is empty and secures the secondary battery when it is installed in the multipurpose bay.

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To attach the weight saver

If another device, such as a battery pack, is in the multipurpose bay, remove that device. See To remove the

second battery pack for more information.

Fold out the hinged arm of the weight saver and then push on the hinged arm to lock it into place. Slide the weight saver in the direction of the arrow until it clicks into place.

Inserting the weight saver

Manually lock the weight saver's Release lever.

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To remove the weight saver

To remove the weight saver, first slide the multipurpose bay Release lever in the direction of the arrow.

Multipurpose bay Release lever

Remove the weight saver.

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Using Power Saving Modes

When you use a battery as the source of power for your notebook, 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 notebook has two distinct power saving modes: Standby and Hibernate. When using battery power, be aware that the notebook automatically enters Hibernate mode when the remaining battery charge drops below 5 percent, regardless of the power management setting you select.

Note:

If the battery level falls below 10 percent, you should either attach the AC adapter to recharge the battery or shut down your notebook and insert a fully charged battery.

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