Sony PCG-GRT100, PCG-GRT150, PCG-GRT160, PCG-GRT170 User Guide

Welcome

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

This user guide provides detailed information on all aspects of using your new VAIO computer, from keyboard functions to preinstalled software programs.

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

View the Electronic Flyer, which provides updates and supplemental information about your computer.

View the VAIO® Computer Specifications, which lists your computer's hardware specifications and preinstalled software information, such as descriptions and contact information.

Page 1

Powering Your Computer

Your VAIO® computer comes with a battery and an AC adapter. This chapter explains how to install and use these supplied accessories to power your computer. It also describes ways you can efficiently utilize the battery as a power source.

Page 2

Using AC Power

The supplied battery is not charged when you receive your computer. To charge the battery and begin using the computer immediately, insert the battery into the computer and use the supplied AC adapter as a power source. The computer automatically charges the installed battery while it uses AC power.

Page 3

Connecting the AC adapter

To connect the AC adapter

Plug the AC adapter cable into the DC IN port.

Connecting the AC Adapter to the Computer

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

Use only the supplied AC adapter with your computer.

Page 4

Turning on the computer

To open and turn on the computer

Slide the cover release latch and lift the cover while holding the bottom of the computer firmly.

Opening the Computer

Press the power button until the power indicator turns on.

Turning on the Computer

If you continue to press the power button, the computer turns off.

If the computer screen is too dark or too bright, follow these steps to adjust the brightness:

To increase brightness, press the Fn and F5 keys, and then press the Up Arrow or the Right Arrow



key.

To decrease brightness, press the Fn and F5 keys, and then press the Down Arrow or the Left



Arrow key.

Page 5

Using the Battery

Your computer, depending on the model you purchased, may come equipped with one battery bay and one multipurpose bay that supports a second battery. If your computer comes with two bays, you can purchase a second rechargeable battery to extend your computing time. For information on how to extend the life of the battery, see Conserving Battery

Power for more information.

When operating your computer on battery power, your computer's CPU speed is reduced.

The battery that comes with your computer is not fully charged at the time of purchase.

The brightness of your computer screen automatically dims when you switch from AC power to battery power. To

increase the brightness, press the Fn and F5 keys, and then press the Up Arrow or Right Arrow key.

Page 6

Using a second battery

To insert a second battery

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

Insert the battery into the multipurpose bay. When the computer uses the second battery, the Battery 2 indicator turns on.

Inserting the Second Battery

Slide the weight saver in the direction of the arrow until it clicks into place. The weight saver stabilizes the battery.

Inserting the Weight Saver

Lock the weight saver RELEASE switch.

Locking the Weight Saver

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To remove the second battery

Make sure the Battery 2 indicator is off and the Battery 1 indicator is on or the computer is connected to AC power. If the Battery 2 indicator is on:

Double-click the CPU icon or Profile icon , depending on the model you purchased. The PowerPanel dialog box appears.

On the Battery tab, click Primary Battery in the Battery Switch box.

Click OK.

Turn the computer over, and unlock the weight saver and the multipurpose bay.

Unlocking the Second Battery

Pull the weight saver and battery gently from the multipurpose bay.

Insert the weight saver into the multipurpose bay to protect the bay.

Page 8

Conserving Battery Power

You may use the power saving modes and PowerPanel utility to conserve battery power. Conserving battery power may significantly extend your computing time, depending on how you use your computer.

Page 9

Using power saving modes

In addition to the normal operating mode, which allows you to turn off specific devices, your computer has two distinct power saving modes: Standby and Hibernate. Use the Standby and Hibernate power saving modes to override a power profile setting and initiate immediate action.

Standby — Saves the state of the system and peripheral devices in memory (RAM). Power consumption is reduced



to a minimum. The system remains on, and the computer screen (LCD) is off.

Hibernate — Saves the state of the system and peripheral devices to the hard disk. Power consumption is reduced



to the lowest possible setting without being completely off. Hibernate mode consumes the lowest level of power. Your computer enters Hibernate mode when the remaining battery charge drops below 5 percent, regardless of the setting you select.

Since some programs and peripheral devices prevent the system from entering Hibernate mode, save your data frequently to avoid data loss.

To activate Standby mode

Press the Fn and Esc keys. The power indicator blinks in this mode.

Press any key to return to normal mode.

To activate Hibernate mode

Press the Fn and F12 keys, or press the power button and release it immediately. Do not move the computer until the power indicator turns off.

Press the power button to return to normal mode.

If your computer does not activate Hibernate mode, see Battery for more information.

Page 10

Using PowerPanel utility

The PowerPanel utility enables you to select and customize a predefined power management profile to conserve battery life. The following table describes all the predefined power management profiles in PowerPanel. You can customize the settings for all the following profiles, except the Disable Power Management profile.

Profile

Icon Description

Maximum Performance

Provides the best system performance but conserves minimal power.

Maximum Battery Life Provides power saving features to give you maximum battery life and good performance. It slows the computer and puts it into Standby mode after a specified time.

Ultimate Battery Life1

Extends the Maximum Battery Life by stopping power to the optical drive and Memory Stick® media slot.

Power Management Off Disables all power management settings, such as Standby and Hibernate modes. You cannot change the settings of this profile.

AC Power Indicates when AC power is in use. Similar to Power Management Off and the Standby mode after a half hour. Power Management automatically loads the AC profile unless you disable this feature.

Games Disables the display and the Hard Disk Standby timer.

Presentation Keeps the display on at all times while conserving power. This option is ideal for slide show presentations. You can establish settings for LCD (Video) Standby, Hard Disk Standby, and Standby mode to optimize power management for your system.

Camera Optimizes performance and power requirements for camera usage.

DVD

Optimizes performance and power requirements for DVD usage.

Word Processing

Optimizes power management with longer time-outs on the hard disk and display screen. You can also establish settings for LCD (Video) Standby, Hard Disk Standby, and Standby mode to optimize power management for your system.

Spreadsheet

Optimizes performance and power requirements for spreadsheet programs.

Communications

Extends battery life by initiating a quick display time-out. The Internal modem remains powered on. You can also establish settings for LCD (Video) Standby, Hard Disk Standby, and Standby mode to optimize power management for your system.

Automatic Profile Selection Automatically selects a profile suitable for active software programs.

Page 11

Do not choose the A utomatic P rofile Selection when c onnected to A C power.

To select a profile

Right-click the CPU icon or Profile icon , depending on the model you purchased. See Locating battery

information for Battery icon descriptions.

Select Profiles, and click the profile on the shortcut menu. The profile settings are implemented instantly. See

Using PowerPanel utility for descriptions of available profiles.

When you use the battery to power your computer, your system automatically selects the Maximum Battery Life power management profile by default. If you select a different power management profile while using battery power, that profile is selected automatically the next time you use the battery to power your computer.

See PowerPanel Help for information on customizing the power management profiles.

To customize your profile settings

You can customize your profile settings to sustain enough power for a particular computing function.

Right-click the CPU icon or Profile icon , depending on the model you purchased.

Select Edit/Create Profiles from the shortcut menu.

In the left panel, select the profile you want to change.

In the right panel, right-click the setting under System, LCD(Video), Hard Disk, or Other Devices that you want to change. See the following table for a description of each power profile.

Make your changes from the drop-down menu.

Click File, and click Save.

Power profile Description

CPU Control1 Controls the processor speed. You can select either Performance, Adaptive, or Battery Life. These selections are listed in order from the greatest to least amount of power consumed.

System

Standby Timer Controls the time it takes the system to activate the Standby mode when it is idle. The longer you allow the computer to sit idle while it is not in a power saving mode the more power the computer consumes.

Hibernate Timer Controls the time it takes the system to activate the Hibernate mode when it is idle. The longer you allow the computer to sit idle while it is not in a power saving mode the more power the computer consumes. Hibernate mode conserves more power than Standby mode.

Thermal Control Strategy1 (On selected models) Controls the speed of the processor fan. You can set the fan speed to different levels. Level 1 (Quiet) conserves the most power.

Lid Close Action Controls the state of your system when you close the computer. You can select either Standby or Hibernate mode, or you can select LCD Off. LCD Off conserves the most power.

Hibernate on Low Battery Controls the state of your system when the battery power is low. You can turn this setting On or Off. Selecting On conserves the most power when the battery is low.

LCD

Page 12

Brightness Controls the brightness of the computer screen (LCD). You can select a brightness level of one to nine. The darker you set the computer screen the more power you conserve.

LCD Standby Timer Controls the time it takes the system to turn off power to the computer screen (LCD) when the system is idle. The system itself still functions on full power.

HDD Standby Timer Controls the time it takes the system to turn off power to the hard disk drive when the system is idle. This setting only turns off power to the hard disk drive.

i.LINK Port Controls power to the i.LINK® port. Disabling power to the i.LINK port conserves power.

Memory Stick Port Power-saving Controls power to the Memory Stick media slot. Disabling power to the Memory Stick media slot conserves power.

Optical Drive Power-Saving Controls power to the optical drive. Disabling power to the optical drive conserves power.

Slows the process or s peed.

Page 13

Locating battery information

You can view the remaining battery charge and miscellaneous battery information on the Battery Information toolbar, the PowerProfile window, and the Power Meter window.

The Battery icons that appear on the Battery Information toolbar and PowerPanel window indicate the current status of the installed battery.

Battery icon Charge status

Charging

Fully charged

Discharging

No battery

To view the Battery Information toolbar

Right-click the center of the Windows® taskbar.

Select Toolbars from the shortcut menu, and click Battery Information. The Battery Information toolbar appears on the taskbar.

If the Battery Information toolbar is hidden behind the taskbar icons, right-click the taskbar and click to cancel Lock the Taskbar. Click and drag the edge of the Battery Information toolbar to the left until it is in clear view.

The total charge remaining in the battery is listed in percent and real-time values.

Battery Information Toolbar*

* T he Battery I nformation T oolbar may appear s lightly different on your c omputer, depending on the number of batteries your c omputer s upports .

Percentage indicator — Displays the percentage of the remaining charge.



Time indicator — Displays estimated time (hours : minutes) remaining before the battery fully discharges, also



known as the time-to-empty.

To close the Battery Information toolbar

Right-click the Battery Information toolbar.

Select Toolbars from the shortcut menu, and click to cancel Battery Information. The Battery Information toolbar disappears from the taskbar.

To view the PowerPanel window

Double-click the CPU icon or Profile icon , depending on the model you purchased. The PowerPanel window appears.

PowerPanel Window*

Page 14

* T he P owerP anel window may appear s lightly different on your c omputer, depending on the number of batteries your c omputer s upports .

Power Profile— Displays the power management settings for various devices on your system. You can change the



settings to conserve power.

Battery tab — Displays the total charge remaining in the battery. You can click Advanced for specific information on



the battery.

Alarms tab — Displays the alarm settings, which notify you when the battery is fully charged or too low. You can



change your computer's alarm settings on this window.

Click Help in the lower right corner of the window for more information.

To view the Power Meter window

Double-click the Power icon. The Power Meter window appears. You can also rollover the Power icon to view the remaining battery charge.

Power icon Power status

Computer is using AC power.

Computer is using AC power and charging the battery.

Battery is charging.

Battery is fully charged.

Page 15

Battery is discharging.

No battery is inserted in the computer.

If the Power icon is not displayed on the Taskbar Notification area, see To display the Power icon on the taskbar.

Power Meter Window

To display the Power icon on the taskbar

Click Start on the Windows® taskbar, and click Control Panel.

Click Performance and Maintenance, and click Power Options. The Power Options Properties window appears.

Select the Advanced tab, and then select Always show icon on the taskbar in the Options box. The power icon appears on the taskbar. See the power icon descriptions below for more information.

Page 16

Inserting a battery

To insert a battery

Lift the lid of the computer.

Push the battery bay cover down to open it. The battery bay cover swings out but does not detach from the computer.

Opening the Battery Bay

Slide the battery into the battery bay. If the computer is on, it automatically detects the battery.

Inserting a Battery

Push the battery bay cover up until it clicks into place.

If a port replicator is attached to your computer, do not insert or remove the battery. Lifting and turning the computer with a port replicator attached could cause a temporary loss of power.

Some programs and peripheral devices prevent the system from automatically entering Hibernate. If you are using battery power, save your data frequently to avoid data loss and manually activate a power saving mode. See Using power saving

modes for more information.

Page 17

Removing a battery

If you are not using the computer for an extended period of time, remove the battery from the computer to avoid damaging the battery. Remove the battery when the computer is off.

To remove a battery

Make sure the computer is off.

Push the battery bay cover down to open it.

Pull the battery out of the battery bay.

Remov ing a Battery

Push in and lift up the battery bay cover until it clicks into place.

Page 18

Charging a battery

You will need to charge the battery if battery power drops below 10 percent or you have not used the battery for a long time. The lithium-ion battery supplied with your computer may be recharged at any time, whether you wait until the battery is completely or partially discharged. Charging a partially discharged battery does not affect battery life. If you charge the battery and find that battery power is still low, the battery may be reaching the end of its life, and you may need to replace it.

The battery supplied with your computer is not charged at the time of purchase.

To charge a battery

You can charge the battery when the computer is on or off. However, the battery will charge faster when the computer is off. Charging the battery takes several hours. See your VAIO® Computer Specifications for the approximate time needed to charge your battery.

Charge the battery at temperatures between 50°F and 80°F (10°C to 30°C). Lower temperatures require more time to charge.

Insert the battery into the battery bay. If you want to charge more than one battery, insert the second battery into the computer. See To insert a second battery for more information.

Connect the AC adapter to the computer. The computer automatically charges the battery as long as the computer is using AC power.

The battery indicator blinks while the battery charges. The battery indicator stops blinking when the battery is fully charged.

When using two batteries, the battery you insert first charges first. The second battery you insert begins charging when the first battery is 85 percent charged.

Battery Indicators

Battery indicator status Description

On The computer is using battery power.

Single blink The battery is running out of power.

Double blink The battery is charging.

Off The computer is using AC power.

Page 19

Notes on batteries

Never leave the battery in temperatures above 140°F (60°C), such as under direct sunlight or in a car parked in the



sun.

While the battery is in use or being discharged, the battery heats up. This is normal and is not cause for concern.



Keep the battery away from heat sources.



Keep the battery dry.



Do not open or disassemble the battery.



Do not expose the battery to any mechanical shock.



Battery life is shorter in a cold environment because of decreased battery efficiency at low temperatures.



Page 20

Using Audio-Video Features

Using Special Buttons

Your VAIO® computer is equipped with several audio- and video-oriented function buttons: Volume Up, Volume Down, and Magnify screen.

Page 21

Using Audio-Video Features

Using Special Buttons

Your VAIO® computer is equipped with several audio- and video-oriented function buttons: Volume Up, Volume Down, and Magnify screen.

Page 22

About the special buttons

The following information shows where the special buttons are located, and briefly describes their functionality.

Special Buttons

Number Type of Button

1 Volume Down. The Volume Up and Down buttons control the audio output on your computer.

2 Volume Up. The Volume Up and Down buttons control the audio output on your computer.

3 Magnify. The Magnify button, located next to the computer's power button, works as a screen resolution toggle button. By pressing it, you can alternate between different screen resolutions.

4 Power. The Power button turns your computer on or off.

Page 23

Using i.LINK Digital Video Recorders

You can connect a digital video (DV) recorder, such as an i.LINK®1 digital video camera recorder, to the i.LINK® S400 (IEEE

1394) port on your computer. The i.LINK digital-video camera recorder is an external device that enables you to record and view digital images.

i.LINK is a trademark of Sony us ed to des ignate that a produc t c ontains an I E E E 1 3 9 4 c onnector. T he i.LINK connection may vary, depending on the software application, operating system, and c ompatible i.LI N K devices. A ll products with an i.LI N K c onnec tion may not c ommunic ate with eac h other. Refer to the documentation that came with your compatible i.LIN K devic e for more information on operating c onditions and proper c onnec tion. Before c onnecting compatible i.LI N K P C peripherals to your system, s uch as a C D-RW or hard dis k drive, c onfirm their operating s ys tem c ompatibility and required operating conditions.

Page 24

Connecting an i.LINK digital video recorder

You can connect an i.LINK digital video (DV) recorder when the computer is on or off. Connecting the DV recorder when the computer is in a power saving mode (Standby or Hibernate) may cause the computer to malfunction.

Before you connect an i.LINK digital video recorder

Do not connect more than one digital video camera recorder at a time. The preinstalled programs on your computer



will not recognize multiple cameras.

Do not connect an external device that requires power from the i.LINK port. The i.LINK port does not supply power



to the external device.

The i.LINK port supports transfer rates of up to 400 Mbps; however, the actual transfer rate is the lowest transfer



rate of the external device.

The i.LINK features available may vary depending on the programs you use. See the help guide that accompanied



your program for more information.

To connect an i.LINK digital video recorder

Turn on the digital video (DV) device and the computer.

Plug the i.LINK® cable into the i.LINK port on the DV device.

Plug the other end of the i.LINK cable into the i.LINK port on your computer. The Found New Hardware window appears on the lower right corner of your screen.

Connecting an i.LINK Digital Video Camera Recorder

See the guide that accompanied your digital video camera recorder for more information on its installation and use.

Page 25

Disconnecting the i.LINK digital video recorder

You can disconnect the digital video recorder while the computer is on or off. Simply unplug the i.LINK cable from the i.LINK port on the computer. Disconnecting the cable when the computer is in a power saving mode (Standby or Hibernate) may cause the computer to malfunction.

Page 26

Using a digital video camera recorder

Your computer comes with preinstalled driver software that is compatible with most Sony digital video camera recorders. If you purchased a camera that comes with its own driver software, install these drivers before you use the camera.

To view images

You can view images captured by your digital video camera recorder three different ways. Select one set of instructions from the following list:

If your digital video camera recorder is compatible with the preinstalled programs, the Digital Video Device window



appears when you connect the camera to the computer. Select the program you want to use in this window, and click OK.

Click Start, and click All Programs. Select a program in which to view your images.



Click Start, and click Experience VAIO. Click Movies, and select a program in which to view your images.



Page 27

Using Computer Monitors and Projectors

You can connect an external display (such as a computer monitor or a projector) to your computer.

Page 28

Connecting a computer monitor

Your computer can display images to the computer screen (LCD), to an external computer monitor, or to both the LCD and external monitor while your computer is on.

To connect a computer monitor

Make sure the computer monitor is plugged into an AC outlet.

Plug the display cable into the Monitor (VGA) port on the computer.

If it is not already on, turn on the computer monitor.

Press the Fn+F7 keys to toggle the display between your computer, the monitor, or both the computer and monitor.

You cannot use the Monitor (VGA) port on your computer when a port replicator is connected to the computer. Use the Monitor (VGA) port on the port replicator instead.

Page 29

Connecting a multimedia device

Connecting a Computer Monitor

You can connect a multimedia device, such as a multimedia computer monitor or projector, to your computer. Connecting a multimedia device enables you to display images on your computer screen (LCD), the multimedia device, or both.

For information on connecting a TV to your computer, see Playing DVDs.

To connect a multimedia computer monitor or projector

Plug the device into an AC outlet.

Plug the device cable into the Monitor (VGA) port on your computer. If you are using a multimedia computer

monitor, which has built-in speakers and a microphone, plug the audio cable into the Headphone jack on your computer to hear sound.

To locate the Monitor port and Headphone jack, see "Locating Controls and Ports" in the "Setting Up" chapter of your printed VAIO® Computer Quick Start.

Turn on the device (if it is not already on), and then turn on your computer.

Connecting a Projector

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