Whenever possible, try and take into account the following ergonomic considerations when using your new
computer, whether at home or in the office:
❑Position of the keyboard and mouse – Place the keyboard directly in front of you (1). Keep your
forearms horizontal, with your wrists in a neutral, comfortable position (2) while using the keyboard or
mouse – not at an angle. Let your upper arms hang naturally at your sides. Use the palm rest only briefly,
to relax your wrists when you are not typing. Place the mouse at the same level as the keyboard and use
your whole arm to move it.
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❑Position and viewing angle of the monitor – Set the display at a comfortable viewing distance (3).
Make sure the display screen is at eye level or slightly lower. Use the display’s tilting feature, if available,
to find the best position. You can reduce eye-strain and muscle-fatigue by adjusting the tilt of the display
to the proper position. Remember to adjust the brightness setting of the display.
❑Furniture and posture – Sit in a chair with good back support (4). Adjust the level of the chair so your
feet are flat on the floor. A footrest may make you more comfortable. Sit in a relaxed, upright posture
and avoid slouching forward or leaning too far backwards.
❑Lighting – Choose a location where windows and lights do not create glare or reflection on the display.
Use indirect lighting to avoid bright spots reflecting on the display. You can also purchase accessories for
your display that help reduce glare. Proper lighting adds to your comfort and work effectiveness.
❑Ventilation – Make sure you leave at least 25 cm of space behind and on the left of the main unit (5).
❑And finally – Remember to have breaks during sessions with your computer. Excessive use of the
computer may strain muscles or tendons.
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Using your VAIO desktop
This section describes how to start using your computer and how to use your computer’s internal and
external devices.
Locating controls and connectors
Front panel
* Depending on your model. See the specifications table (page83)
for details.
1DVD-RW or DVD-ROM drive*(page24)
2CD-ROM or CD-RW drive*(page24)
3floppy disk drive(page27)
4floppy disk drive indicator(page27)
5DVD-ROM/DVD-RW/CD-ROM/CD-RW
drive indicator
(page24)
6hard disk drive indicator
7power switch and indicator(page15)
8DVD-ROM/DVD-RW eject button(page24)
9CD-RW/CD-ROM eject button(page24)
10Memory Stick™ slot(page30)
11Memory Stick™ indicator(page30)
12floppy disk eject button(page27)
132 USB ports(page47)
144-pin i.LINK™ port(page49)
while reading and writing data from
DRIVE
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Back panel
✍ The mains power cord and connector are hazardous
voltage according to EN60950.
1mouse connector(page23)
2keyboard connector(page17)
3USB connector(page47)
4USB connector(page47)
5Ethernet connector(page52)
6printer connector(page48)
7i.LINK™ 6-pin connector (page49)
8serial connector
9headphones connector(page46)
10line-in connector
11microphone connector(page46)
12AC input connector(page79)
13VGA monitor connector(page45)
14AGP slot(page30)
15PCI slot(page30)
16PCI slot(page30)
17PCI modem slot(page30)
18telephone line connector(page28)
4
3
2
1
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Using the correct power plug
In the box, you will find a country-specific power cord for connecting your computer to the electrical power
wall socket. UK customers have a UK plug as well as a continental plug. Please make sure you use the correct
power plug for the country you are in.
❑If you are using the computer in UK or Ireland, take the three-pronged plug only.
❑When in any other country, use the continental, two-pronged plug.
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Starting your computer
Once you have all the components set up as described in the Getting Startedguide, you can begin to use
your computer.
To start up your computer, proceed as follows:
1Press the power button on the system unit until the blue power indicator light turns on (1).
2Press the power button on your monitor to turn the display on (2).
3Press the power button on the speakers to turn the sound on (3).
Once you have started using your computer, you can use the shortcut keys on the keyboard to start your
system and launch your favourite application automatically. See Using the shortcut keys (page22)
✍If you press the power button for more than four seconds, the computer will switch itself off.
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Shutting down your computer
It is important that you shut down your computer properly so you do not lose unsaved data.
To shut down your computer, proceed as follows:
1Click the Start button.
2Click Turn Off Computer.
The Turn off computer screen appears.
3Click Turn Off.
Wait for your computer to turn off automatically.
The power indicator turns off.
4Turn off any peripherals connected to your computer.
✍Respond to any prompts warning you to save documents or to consider other users.
If you are unable to shut down your computer;
- Close all software in use.
- Disconnect any USB devices.
- Press <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Delete> at the same time. If you have not changed the default setting, you will enter the Task Manager. Select Turn off
from the Shut Down menuto turn the computer off.
Alternatively, press <Alt>+<F4> and select Turn Off from the screen that appears.
If this does not work, you can press the power button for more than four seconds. This will shut down the computer. This operation may result in loss
of data.
If you want to shut down the computer for a short period only, you can save power by using the Standby mode. Go to Start, Turn Off Computer,
and select Stand By.
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Using the keyboard
This section describes the features of the VAIO keyboard.
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KeysDescriptions
Escape key (1)The <Esc> (Escape) key is used to cancel commands.
Function keys (2)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 another.
Correction keys (3)The <Insert>, <Back Space> and <Delete> keys enable you to make
corrections when typing.
Lock keys (4)Press Caps Lock once to activate the uppercase characters. Use the Num
Lock key to activate the numerical keypad.
Print Screen key (5)The <Prt Sc> key takes an electronic snapshot of the screen and moves it
to the Windows
®
Clipboard. You can then paste the screenshot into a
document and print it.
Numeric keypad area (6)This 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 keypad.
Navigation keys (7)These keys enable you to move the cursor on the screen.
Application key (8)The Application key displays a shortcut menu; pressing this key is
equivalent to clicking the right mouse button.
Operator keys (9)Several keys are used in combination with at least one other key: <Ctrl>,
<Alt> and <Shift>. When held down at the same time as another key, the
<Ctrl> (Control) and <Alt> (Alternate) keys offer another way to execute
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 is used to type capital letters
or special symbols such as @ and $.
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Windows
®
key(10)The key with the Windows
®
logo displays the Windows
®
Start menu; it
is equivalent to clicking the Start button on the taskbar.
Shortcut keys (S Keys) (11)You can use these buttons, numbered 1 to 6, to launch straight into
assigned applications.
Indicator LEDs (12)A green light indicates whether the Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll
Lock functions are active.
Standby button (13)Press this button either to start up your computer, or to enter Standby
mode, or to resume from a power saving mode.
Fn combination keys (14)These keys are used in combination with the <Fn> key to execute the
commands depicted within the box on the key.
Fn key (15)The <Fn> key is used in combination with 5 other keys to execute certain
commands.
KeysDescriptions
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Combinations and functions with the Windows
®
key
CombinationsFunction
+ F1Displays Windows
®
Help and Support Center.
+ TabSwitches the selected button on the taskbar.
+ EDisplays My Computer.
+ FDisplays the Search Results window to find a file or folder. This is equivalent to
selecting Search and then For Files or Folders from the Start menu.
+ Ctrl + FDisplays the Search Results - Computers window where you can locate other
computers.
+ MMinimizes all displayed windows.
Shift ++ MReturns all minimized windows to their previous size.
+ RDisplays the Run window. This is equivalent to selecting Run from the Start menu.
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Combinations and functions with the <Fn> key
Indicators
Combinations/ FeatureFunctions
Fn +
Moves the view to the next page up.
Fn +
Moves the view to the next page down.
Fn +
Moves the cursor to the beginning of the line.
Fn +
Moves the cursor to the end of the line.
Fn +
Changes the way in which you can scroll the
screen, depending on the application.
LightOnOff
Num LockTurns on when the number keys in the numeric
keypad are active.
Turns off when the alphanumeric character keys in
the keypad area are active.
Caps LockTurns on when the letters appear in uppercase as
you type. The <Shift> key lowers the case of typed
letters when Caps Lock is on.
Turns off when the letters appear in lowercase as
you type (unless you hold down the <Shift> key).
Scroll LockTurns on when the screen scrolls differently (not all
applications support this function).
Turns off when the information moves across the
display normally.
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Using the shortcut keys
Press a shortcut key (S Key) to start your favourite software without having to click the shortcut icon on the
desktop.
Use an S Key simply by pressing it.
Even when your computer is off, you can press an S Key to start the system and launch the appropriate
application automatically.
If you want to, you can use VAIO Action Setup to change the functions of the S Keys. All six buttons are
reprogrammable.
The programmable S Keys come with the following applications as their default settings:
S1 — Outlook Express
S2 — Internet Explorer
S3 — Media Bar DVD Player
S4 — PictureGear
S5 — DVgate Motion
S6 — Help/Demo
✍These default settings may vary.
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Using the mouse
The VAIO wheel mouse allows you to control the cursor in a number of ways. You can point to, select, drag,
and scroll objects on the screen using the buttons and the wheel.
✍You can set the mouse up for left-hand use. See the Troubleshooting section (page55) for details.
FunctionAction
pointMove the entire mouse across a flat surface to place the pointer on an item or object.
clickPress the left button (1) once.
double-clickPress the left button twice.
right-clickPress the right button (2) once. In many applications, this action displays a context-sensitive shortcut menu.
drag and dropHold the left button down while sliding the mouse. Then release the button to drop the object.
scrollTurn the central wheel (3) to scroll up or down a page. Or press the wheel once to lock the scroll action and
control the movement by moving the entire mouse. (The scroll function is available only with applications that
support a scroll feature.)
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Using the CD and DVD drives
Depending on your model, your computer is equipped with either a DVD-RW and a CD-ROM drive, or a
DVD-ROM and a CD-RW drive.
❑The DVD-RW drive (top on PCV-RX203) reads data from a DVD and writes to a DVD-R or DVD-RW disc.
❑The DVD-ROM drive (top) reads data from a DVD or CD.
❑The CD-ROM drive (bottom on PCV-RX203) reads data from a music CD or other CD-ROM.
❑The CD-RW drive (bottom) reads data from a CD and writes to a CD-R or CD-RW disc.
The upper drive is connected to an SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface), which means audio performance is
of a superior quality to the bottom drive. Always use the top drive for all audio recording, both from the
computer to disc, and vice versa.
Always use the upper drive for the recovery procedures (see the Software Guide). The Recovery CDs will
not work in the lower drive.
To insert a disc, proceed as follows:
1Turn on the computer.
2Press the appropriate eject button to open the drive.
The tray slides out.
3Place a disc in the tray with the label side facing upwards. Make sure the disc is secure in the centre of
the tray.
4Close the tray by pushing it gently or by pressing the eject button.
✍When the computer is in Standby or Hibernate mode, you cannot insert or remove a disc.
Be sure to seat the disc firmly in the tray. If you do not seat the disc firmly, you could damage your disc drive and you may not be able to open the tray.
When you have finished using a disc, wait until the LED indicator turns off before pressing the eject button to remove the disc.
If the disc does not come out when you press the eject button, go to My Computer. Select the drive, click the right button of your mouse and select
Eject.
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Writing CD/DVDs
Your computer is equipped with either a DVD-RW (top) or a CD-RW drive (bottom), on which you can play
audio CDs/DVD videos and CD/DVD-ROMs, as well as create your own CD/DVD-RWs and CD/DVD-Rs.
To burn DVD/CDs, you can use DVD/CD-RW and DVD/CD-R discs:
❑The CD/DVD-RW (ReWritable) disc is a data memory medium that can be used to write, erase and rewrite
a program or other data.
❑The CD/DVD-R (Recordable) disc is a data memory medium that can be used to write a program or other
data, but then no more than once.
To achieve optimum performance when writing data on a CD/DVD-RW disc, follow these recommendations:
❑Before writing to a new CD/DVD-RW, you must first format the disc. If you do not format the disc, your
computer will not recognize it.
❑To make a CD/DVD-R’s data readable on another CD/DVD-ROM drive, you need to close the session when
you eject it. To complete this process, follow the instructions included with your software.
❑Only use circular discs. Do not use discs with any other shape (star, heart, card, etc.), as this may damage
the disc drive.
❑Do not strike or shake the computer while writing data to a disc.
❑For optimal writing speed, deactivate the screensaver before writing data to a disc.
❑Memory-resident disc utilities may cause unstable operation or data loss. Deactivate these utilities before
writing data to a disc.
❑When using a software application to burn CD/DVDs, make sure you exit and close all other applications.
❑Exit anti-virus software before writing data to a disc.
❑Never touch the surface of the disc. Fingerprints and dust on the surface of a disc may cause writing
errors.
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Playing DVDs
Your VAIO desktop includes a DVD drive, on which you can play audio CDs, CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs.
To achieve optimum performance when playing DVD-ROMs, you should follow these recommendations:
❑You can play DVDs using the MediaBar DVD Player software.
❑Close all open applications before playing a DVD-ROM movie.
❑Do not switch power saving modes while playing a DVD-ROM.
❑If the virus checker is active, you need to disable it.
❑Do not use resident disc utilities or resident utilities to speed up the access of discs, because they may
cause the system to become unstable.
❑Make sure that the screensaver is deactivated.
❑Region codes indicators are labelled on the DVDs to indicate in which region and on what type of player
you can play the disc. Unless a '2' or 'all' is labelled on your DVD or on the packaging, you cannot play
the disc on this player.
Do not try to change the region code settings of the DVD drive. Any difficulties caused by changing the
region code settings of the DVD drive are out of warranty.
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Using the floppy disk drive
Your VAIO desktop is equipped with a floppy disk drive.
Inserting a floppy disk
To insert a floppy disk, proceed as follows:
1Hold the floppy disk with the label side facing up.
2Gently push the disk into the floppy disk drive until it clicks into place.
Removing a floppy disk
To remove a floppy disk, proceed as follows:
1Wait until the LED indicator turns off.
2Press the eject button to remove the floppy disk.
✍Do not press the eject button when the LED indicator is turned on. Otherwise, data may be lost.
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