Sony PCV-RXA842 User Manual

Welcome

Thank you for purchasing your Sony VAIO® computer! Your new computer is a superb blend of high technology and easy-to-use functionality. The information provided here is designed to help you to become familiar with the hardware and software applications included with your system.

View the Latest Updates for your computer.

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View the VAIO® Computer Specifications, which describes your computer's hardware configuration and preinstalled

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software information.

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Getting Started

Congratulations on your purchase of the Sony VAIO® computer! Your new, high-performance, multimedia computer combines audio, video, and information technology features.

Unpacking Your Computer

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Planning An Ergonomic Work Space

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Locating Controls And Ports

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Setting Up Your Computer

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Turning On Your Computer

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Registering Your Computer

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Setting Up Your Dial-up Connection

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Turning Off Your Computer

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Unpacking Your Computer

Your computer may not be supplied with all of the accessories shown, depending on the system configuration you purchased. For details on the accessories supplied with your computer, see the online Specifications sheet.

Computer and supplied accessories

Manuals

VAIO® Computer Quick Start — Provides basic information on setting up and registering your computer. The Quick

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Start also provides software, support, safety and legal information.

VAIO® Computer User Guide — Contains information on the hardware and preinstalled software applications

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included with your system. To access the online manual:

Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then click Help and Support.

From the VAIO Help and Support Center menu, click VAIO User Guide.

Specifications — This online specification sheet describes the hardware and software configuration of your VAIO

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computer. To view this online information:

Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then click Help and Support.

From the VAIO Help and Support Center menu, click VAIO User Guide.

Click the Welcome link. The Welcome page displays in the right-side frame.

Click the link in the text, "View the VAIO Computer Specifications, which lists your computer's hardware configuration and preinstalled software information."

Microsoft® Windows XP® Guide — Explains how to use the basic features of the latest Windows operating system.

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Recovery CDs

System Recovery CD(s) — Restore the software applications that shipped with your computer if they become

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corrupted or are erased. The supplied System Recovery CDs can only be used to restore the hard disk of this Sony computer.

Application Recovery CD(s) — Reinstalls individual software applications or drivers if they become corrupted or are

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erased.

Other

Packet containing special product offers.

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Software Library containing the Microsoft software license agreement and Sony end-user license agreement.

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Page 3

Planning An Ergonomic Work Space

Before you get started, find the best location for your new computer.

Planning your workspace

Stable work surface — Use a stable work surface large enough to support the computer and other peripheral

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equipment.

Ventilation — Leave at least eight inches of space on the left and back sides of your computer to enable proper

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ventilation.

Placement of the keyboard, mouse, and other input devices — Place your keyboard, mouse, and other input

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devices so that your arms and hands are in a relaxed, comfortable position. The keyboard should be directly in front of you. Adjust the level of the keyboard so that your lower arms are parallel to the floor. Keep your wrists in a relaxed position when you are using the keyboard—not angled up or down. Use the palmrest only briefly, for resting. Position the mouse at the same level as the keyboard. Hold the mouse with a relaxed hand, and use your whole arm to move it. Take breaks during sessions with your computer. Excessive use of the mouse or a joystick may strain muscles or tendons.

Furniture and posture — Sit in a chair with good back support and armrests. Adjust the level of the chair so your

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feet are flat on the floor. A footrest may make you more comfortable. Sit with relaxed, upright posture—avoid slouching forward or leaning far backward.

Viewing angle of the display — Position the display 18 to 26 inches directly in front of you, with the top of the

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screen at or a little below eye level. Use the display's tilting feature to find the best position. You can reduce eye strain and muscle fatigue by placing the display in the proper position.

Lighting — Choose a location where windows and lights do not create glare and reflection on the display. Use

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indirect lighting to avoid bright spots on the display. You can also purchase accessories for your display that help reduce glare. Proper lighting adds to your comfort and work effectiveness.

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Locating Controls And Ports

This section is intended to familiarize you with the controls, ports and jacks that may be available on your computer.

Your computer may not be equipped with all of these hardware features and the location of the controls, ports, and jacks may vary from the illustrations shown in this section. To view the specific connection capabilities for your system, see the online specifications sheet.

i.LINK is a trademark of Sony used only to designate that a product contains an IEEE 1394 connection. The i.LINK connection may vary, depending on the software applications, operating system, and compatible i.LINK devices. All products with an i.LINK connection may not communicate with each other.

Please refer to the documentation that came with your compatible i.LINK device for information on operating conditions and proper connection. Before connecting compatible i.LINK devices to your system, such as an optical or hard disk drive, confirm their operating system compatibility and required operating conditions.

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About the front panel

The front panel of your VAIO Computer enables access to the optical and floppy disk drives. It also includes access to the Memory Stick media slot, Universal Serial Bus (USB), and i.LINK® ports to connect compatible peripheral devices.

Front panel

1 Optical drive 1

See the online specifications sheet for optical drive information.

2 Optical drive 2

See the online specifications sheet for optical drive information.

3 Floppy disk drive

Reads and writes data from and to a 3.5-inch floppy disk.

4 Floppy disk drive access indicator

Light is green while reading and writing data from and to a floppy disk.

5 Optical drive access indicator

Light is amber while reading and writing data from and to the optical drives.

6 Hard disk drive access indicator

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Light is amber while reading and writing data from and to the hard disk.

7 Power switch and power indicator

The power switch turns the computer on/off. The indicator light is blue while the power is on and amber when the computer is in Stand by mode.

8 i.LINK 4-pin port (IEEE 1394)

Connection for a compatible digital device.

9 Optical drive 1 eject button

Ejects a disc from Optical drive 1.

10 Optical drive 2 eject button

Ejects a disc from Optical drive 2.

11 Memory Stick® media slot

Reads and writes data from and to a Memory Stick® media.

12 Floppy disk eject button

Ejects a floppy disk.

13 Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB) ports (2)

High-speed connections for compatible USB devices.

For your convenience, your computer includes USB and i.LINK ports on both the front and back panels. The 4-pin i.LINK port is located on the front panel and the 6-pin i.LINK port is located on the back.

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About the back panel

The back panel of your computer contains the ports for supplied and optional accessories. The icons on the back panel locate and identify the ports and jacks on your computer.

Your system may vary based on the configuration you purchased.

Back panel

1 Mouse port

Connection for a PS/2® mouse.

2 Keyboard port

Connection for a PS/2 keyboard.

3 Printer port

Connection for a parallel device, such as a printer or scanner.

4 Monitor port (The monitor port location may vary between models)

Connection for a display.

5 i.LINK 6-pin port (IEEE 1394)

Connection for a compatible digital device.

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6 Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB) ports (2)

High-speed connections for compatible USB devices.

7 Microphone jack

Connection for a microphone (optional).

Headphones jack

Connection for the supplied speakers or optional headphones.

Line In jack

Connection for an audio device.

8 Monitor port (The monitor port location may vary between models)

Connection for a standard display.

9 Monitor (DVI) port (DVI port is not available on all models)

Connection for a DVI monitor.

10 Telephone jack

Connection for a telephone cable (optional) to the computer.

11 AC Input port

Connection for the supplied power cord.

12 Ethernet port

Connection for a 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX Ethernet interface. (The port marked with (Network) is for LAN connections only.)

13 Modem line jack

Connection for the modem cable to the wall jack.

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Setting Up Your Computer

Your computer may not be equipped with all of these hardware features and the location of the controls, ports, and jacks may vary from the illustrations shown in this section. See the online specifications sheet for your system's configuration.

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Connecting a display (monitor)

Plug the display cable into the Monitor port.

If necessary, plug the display cable into the rear of the display.

To connect a display

Install your equipment so that you can easily reach the power outlet in the event of an emergency.

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Connecting the speakers

Plug the cable attached to the back of the left speaker into the L Out jack on the back of the right speaker.

Plug the cable attached to the back of the right speaker into the Headphones jack.

Plug the jack end of the AC adapter cord into the DC In jack on the back of the right speaker and plug the other end into a grounded AC wall outlet or power strip.

To connect the speakers

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Connecting the keyboard and mouse

Plug the keyboard cable into the Keyboard port on the back of the computer.

Plug the mouse cable into the Mouse port.

To connect the keyboard and mouse

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Connecting the modem cable

Unplug your telephone from the wall jack.

Plug the modem cable (supplied) into the Modem line jack on the computer, and then plug the other end of the cable into the wall jack.

To connect the modem cable

Your computer has a protective sticker covering the Ethernet port located on the rear panel. Connect only 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX cables to the Ethernet port. Using other cables or a telephone cable may result in an electric current overload and can cause a malfunction, excessive heat or fire in the port. For help on connecting to a network, see your network administrator.

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Connecting the power cords

Plug the power cord into the back of the computer.

Plug both the display and power cords into a grounded AC wall outlet or a power strip.

To connect the power cords

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Turning On Your Computer

When you start your system for the first time, your computer may detect new equipment and display a dialog box that prompts you to restart your computer. Respond to this prompt immediately.

Press the power switch on the computer to turn on the power.

Press the power switch on the display to turn on the power.

Press the power switch on the right speaker to turn on the power.

To turn on your computer

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Registering Your Computer

Take advantage of Sony's commitment to quality customer support and receive these benefits by registering your computer:

Sony Customer Support — Communicate with a Support Representative to troubleshoot problems you may be

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having with your computer.

Limited warranty — Protect your investment. See the Warranty Card for more details.

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You are prompted to register your computer the first time you turn on the unit. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the registration process. If you are not able to register your computer during the first session, you are provided with additional registration opportunities later.

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Setting Up Your Dial-up Connection

The first time you turn your computer on, follow these steps to set up your dial-up connection:

Click Start from the Windows taskbar and select All Programs.

Point to Accessories, point to Communications, and then click New Connection Wizard. The Location Information window appears.

Location Information window

Enter in your information as requested. Click OK. The Phone and Modem Options window appears.

Phone and Modem Options window

Click to select your dialing location and then click OK. The New Connection Wizard appears.

New Connection Wizard window

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Follow the on-screen instructions to finish setting up your dial-up connection.

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Turning Off Your Computer

Follow these steps when you are ready to turn off your computer for an extended period of time.

To avoid loss of data, do not use the Power switch to turn off the computer.

To turn off your computer

Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then select Turn Off Computer.

The Turn Off Computer dialog box appears.

Select the Turn Off option.

Respond to any prompts about saving your documents.

Wait for your computer to turn off automatically—the power indicator light turns off.

Turn off any peripheral devices connected to your computer.

If you plan to turn off your computer for a short period of time, you may want to use Stand by mode instead.

About the power switch

If your system stops responding, press and hold the Power switch for more than six seconds to force your system to shut down. You may need to repeat this procedure if your system does not shut down on the first attempt.

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Configuring Your VAIO Computer

This section provides basic information about managing your computer's hard disk drive performance, using i.LINK devices, Memory Stick media, PC Cards, and changing default settings. Your computer may not be equipped with all of the hardware features described in this section, depending on the system configuration purchased. To view the specific hardware configuration for your computer, see the online specifications sheet.

About Your Hard Disk Drive Partition

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i.LINK Compatibility

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VAIO Action Setup

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Changing The Sony Software Window Design

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Using The Memory Stick Media Slot

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Using The PC Card Slot

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About Your Hard Disk Drive Partition

To improve the performance of Sony audio and video software applications, the hard disk drive on your computer has been formatted with two partitions, C and D. Some Sony software applications save files to the D partition. This prevents large video captures from consuming the available space on your C partition.

To maintain optimum system performance, you should defragment your computer's D partition regularly.

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Defragmenting your hard disk drive

If you encounter frame dropping while recording digital video onto your hard disk drive, defragmentation may be necessary.

Deactivate your screen saver and close other open applications, if applicable.

Click Start in the Windows taskbar and select All Programs.

Point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then select Disk Defragmenter.

The Disk Defragment dialog box appears.

Select Action from the menu bar and click Analyze.

It may take a long time to complete defragmentation, depending on the data capacity and current utilization of your computer's hard disk drive(s).

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i.LINK Compatibility

Your VAIO® computer may be equipped with a 4-pin and/or a 6-pin i.LINK port, depending on the system configuration purchased. A 4-pin i.LINK port cannot supply power to a connected i.LINK device. A 6-pin i.LINK port can supply power (10V to 12V) to a connected i.LINK device, if the device is equipped with a 6-pin connector.

To view the specific hardware configuration for your computer see the online specifications sheet.

The total power supplied by the 6-pin i.LINK port cannot exceed 6 watts.

The following i.LINK 400 Mbps cables are available and recommended for use with your computer: VMC-IL4415, VMC-IL4435, VMC-IL4615, VMC-IL4635, VMC-IL6615, and VMC-IL6635.

Sony computer supplies, accessories, and peripherals can be purchased from your local retailer, from the Sony VAIO Direct Web site at http://www.sonystyle.com.

i.LINK is a trademark of Sony used only to designate that a product contains an IEEE 1394 connection. The i.LINK connection may vary, depending on the software applications, operating system and compatible i.LINK devices. All products with an i.LINK connection may not communicate with each other.

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Connecting an i.LINK (IEEE 1394) device

Use the symbol to locate the i.LINK port on your compatible i.LINK device and on your computer. Plug the i.LINK cable connector into this port.

Plug the other end of the cable into the corresponding 4- or 6-pin i.LINK port on your computer.

See the instructions that came with your i.LINK device for more information on installation and use.

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VAIO Action Setup

VAIO® Action Setup manages the settings for your computer's Shortcut keys (S Keys).

Shortcut Keys

The programmable S Keys are set to launch the following applications:

S1 — Microsoft® Outlook® Express

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S2 — Microsoft® Internet Explorer

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S3 — SonicStage

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S4 — PictureGear Studio

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S5 — MovieShaker

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S5 — Giga Pocket (On selected models equipped with Giga Pocket features.)

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S6 — VAIO® Help and Support

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Page 26

Changing the settings of the S keys

You can reprogram the S keys to launch other applications.

Click Start in the Windows taskbar and select All Programs.

Select VAIO Action Setup, then click VAIO Action Setup.

You can also double-click the VAIO Action Setup icon, located in the Windows taskbar, to launch VAIO Action Setup.

Click the S Key you want to change.

From the Select Application dialog box, click the option for the desired type of function. The corresponding applications appear in the list box on the right.

Select an application from the list. Click Next.

You can drag an application to place it into the list box.

The Confirmation Application Name window appears. Click Next.

You may now type a new name and description, if desired. Then click Finish.

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Changing The Sony Software Window Design

You can select from different window designs for certain Sony software applications and create your own personal computing environment.

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Changing the window design

Click Start in the Windows taskbar and select the Control Panel.

Click Other Control Panel Options.

Click UI Design Selector.

Click << or >> and select the desired design.

Click Apply.

The "UI Design Selector" window design changes. The window design for your Sony software will match the "UI Design Selector" window.

To try another selection, click << or >>, then click Apply.

When you have made your selection, click OK. The UI Design Selector closes and the Sony software window design displays.

You may only use this feature with compatible UI Design Selector software.

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Using The Memory Stick Media Slot

Your computer may not be equipped with a Memory Stick® media slot as described in this section, depending on the hardware configuration purchased. To view the specific system configuration for your computer see the online specifications sheet.

A Memory Stick media is a compact, portable, and versatile data storage media designed for exchanging and sharing digital data with similarly equipped products.

To insert a Memory Stick media

Use your fingertip to pull open the upper front panel cover, as shown.

Opening the front panel (PCV-RZ series model shown)

Insert the Memory Stick® media into the Memory Stick media slot.

Inserting the Memory Stick Media (PCV-RZ series model shown)

If the media does not insert easily, remove it from the slot and verify that it is not upside-down or backwards. Carefully reinsert the Memory Stick media, but do not force it into the slot.

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