Sony VAIO PCG-R505JS User Manual

Welcome.......................................................7

Using Your VAIO Notebook........................9

Using the Keyboard...................................................10

Functions of the keyboard keys .........................................11

Indicators ...........................................................................12

Indicator lights...................................................................13

Combinations and functions with the Windows key .........13

Combinations and functions with the Fn key ....................15

Using the Touchpad ..................................................17

VAIO Action Setup...................................................19

Using the Center Jog Dial Control............................20

Using the center Jog Dial control ......................................20

Launcher mode ..................................................................21

Guide Mode .......................................................................22

Using the center Jog Dial control with Sony software ......22

Using the center Jog Dial control with other software ......23

Using a PC Card........................................................24

To insert a PC Card............................................................24

To remove a PC Card.........................................................25

Using Memory Stick Media......................................28

Types of Memory Stick media...........................................28

Write-protecting a Memory Stick media ...........................30

Formatting a Memory Stick media....................................30

Notes on Memory Stick media ..........................................31

Using Power Saving Modes......................................33

Normal mode .....................................................................33

Standby mode ....................................................................33

Hibernate mode..................................................................33

Notes on power saving modes ...........................................34

Connecting a Phone Line ..........................................35

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

Connecting to a LAN................................................36

To set up your Ethernet connection .................................. 36

Connecting Peripheral Devices ...............37

Connecting the Docking Station...............................38

Connecting the notebook to the docking station............... 40

Disconnecting the notebook from the docking station...... 42

Using the Floppy Disk Drive....................................46

Using an Optical Disc Drive.....................................48

Notes on CD and DVD discs ............................................ 52

Connecting a Parallel Port Printer ............................53

To a parallel port printer ................................................... 53

Connecting a USB Printer.........................................54

Connecting an External Display ...............................55

To connect a monitor ........................................................ 55

To connect a projector....................................................... 57

Connecting a USB Device........... .............................60

To connect a USB device.................................................. 60

Connecting an i.LINK Device ..................................62

Connecting VAIO Computers ..................................64

If your notebook is connected to the docking station ....... 65

Connecting External Speakers..................................67

Connecting an External Microphone........................68

Expanding Your Notebook Capabilities...................69

Personal Digital Assistant................................................. 69

Wireless LAN Access Point.............................................. 69

Wireless LAN PC Card..................................................... 70

Customizing Your VAIO Notebook ........ ..71

Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen ...........72

Sony Notebook Setup tabs.................................................73

Controlling Power Management ...............................74

Viewing the Power Management status icons ...................74

Activating the Power Management toolbar .......................74

Power Management profiles ..............................................75

Power Management commands.........................................78

Conserving battery power..................................................78

Displaying Battery Information ................................79

To activate the battery information toolbar .......................79

Battery icon descriptions ...................................................79

Displaying detailed battery information ............................80

Selecting the Display Mode ......................................82

To select the display mode.................................................82

To change the window design of Sony software ...............84

Adding Memory .........................................85

Precautions and Procedures.......................................85

Typical expansion memory configuration .........................86

Removing a Memory Module ...................................87

Installing a Memory Module.....................................88

Viewing the Amount of Memory..............................92

About the Software on Your Notebook ...93

Overview of the Software on Your Notebook ..........93

Application, Driver, and System Recovery CDs.......99

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

Using Your Recovery CDs .....................................100

To use the Application Recovery CD(s)......................... 100

To use the Driver Recovery CD(s) ................................. 101

To use the System Recovery CD(s)................................ 104

Recovering Microsoft Word ........................................... 105

Troubleshooting......................................107

Troubleshooting Your Notebook............................108

My notebook does not start............................................. 108

My notebook starts but a BIOS error appears................. 108

My notebook starts, but the message “Operating system not

found” appears and Windows does not start................... 109

My notebook stops responding or does not turn off. ...... 110

My notebook is unstable................................................. 111

The sound of my notebook’s fan is too loud................... 111

Why does the System Properties dialogbox displaya slower

CPU speed than advertised?............................................ 111

Troubleshooting the Docking Station.....................112

I cannot operate the optical drive in the docking station, when the docking station is connected to the notebook.. 112 I cannot operate the optical drive in the docking station, when the docking station is connected to the notebook and thenotebookisconnected to another computervia an i.LINK

connection....................................................................... 112

An error message appears while disconnecting the docking station, even after following the correct procedure for dis-

connecting the docking station........................................ 112

I cannot remove the disc. ................................................ 113

The disc tray does not eject even after I press the Eject but-

ton.................................................................................... 113

Troubleshooting the LCD Screen............................114

My LCD screen is blank..................................................114

My LCD screen continues to show the previous screen..114 The image on my connected external display is not centered

or sized properly. .............................................................114

I want to change the video resolution of my display.......114

Troubleshooting the Mouse and Touchpad.............115

My mouse does not work.................................................115

My touchpad does not work properly..............................115

The pointer does not move (while using the Touchpad or

Mouse). ............................................................................116

Troubleshooting Drives, PC Cards, and Peripheral De-

vices.........................................................................117

My floppy disk drive cannot write to a floppy disk.........117

My optical drive is not playing my CD or DVD properly.....

117

My optical drive tray does not open. ...............................117

I cannot use Digital Video (DV) devices. The message “DV equipment seems to be disconnected or turned off” appears. 118

My PC Card does not work..............................................118

Troubleshooting the Software.................................119

My software program stops responding or crashes. ........119

When Iclick an application icon, the message “You must insert the application CD into your optical drive” appears and

the software does not start. ..............................................119

The application cannot find a file while a PC Card is insert-

ed......................................................................................119

My computer’s start-up time seems longer after I have in-

stalled AOL. What can I do? ...........................................119

Troubleshooting i.LINK Devices ....................................120

I cannot establish a connection between two VAIO comput-

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

ers when using an i.LINK cable...................................... 120

Troubleshooting the Modem........................................... 120

My modem does not work. ............................................. 120

My modem connection is slow. ...................................... 121

Troubleshooting Audio................................................... 121

My speakers have no sound. ........................................... 121

My microphone does not work. ...................................... 122

Troubleshooting the Printer ............................................ 122

I cannot print................................................................... 122

Troubleshooting i.LINK devices ............................124

I cannot establish a connection between two VAIO comput-

ers when using an i.LINK cable...................................... 124

Getting Help.............................................125

Support Options......................................................125

Software Support Information ................................127

Index.........................................................131

Welcome

Congratulations on your purchase of this Sony VAIO® notebook, 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 the main window.

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

Using Your VAIO Notebook

This section describes the following aspects of your new computer:

❑ Using the Keyboard ❑ Using the Touchpad ❑ VAIO Action Setup ❑ Using the Center Jog Dial Control ❑ Using a PC Card ❑ Using Memory Stick Media ❑ Using Power Saving Modes ❑ Connecting a Phone Line ❑ Connecting to a LAN

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

Using the Keyboard

Your keyboard is very similar to that of a typewriter, but the keyboard has additional keys that perform specific computer-related tas ks.

Keyboard

Print Screen Key

Function Keys

Correction Keys

Backspa

Key

Shift Key

Fn Key

Ctrl Key

Alt Key

Windows

Key

Numeric Keypad Area

Applications Key

Fn Key

Navigation Keys

Functions of the keyboard keys

Key Description

Using Your VAIO Notebook

Numeric keypad area

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 m ust press the Num Lock key to activate the numeric keypad. (When you do so, the Num Lock indicator will be on.) Press the Num Lock key again to deactivate it.

Navigation keys The Left/Right/Up/Down arrows are devoted to move the

cursor on the screen and also function as the Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys, respectively.

Correction keys The Insert, Backspace, and Delete keys enable you to make

corrections in your documents.

Function keys The 12 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 in the Windows® Clipboard. You can then paste the screen shot into a document and print it.

Operator 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 C trl+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 $.

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

Key Description

Windows key The key with the Windows® logo displays the Windows

Start menu; it is the equivalent of clicking the Start button on the t ask bar. 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.

Indicators

Indicator Function

Power Light is green when the notebook is powered on, flashes amber

when the notebook is in Standby mode, and turns off when the notebook is in Hibernate mode or is powered off.

Battery Indicates t he status of the battery, which is attached at the rear

of the notebook.

Memory Stick Indicates the Memory Stick® slot is in use.

Docking Station Indicates the docking station is in use.

Indicator lights

Light On Off

Using Your VAIO Notebook

Hard disk Data is being read from or

written to the hard drive. Do not enter Standby mode or turn off the notebook when this indicator light is on.

Num Lock The number keys in the

numeric keypad are active.

Caps Lock Letters appear in uppercase as

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

Scroll Lock The screen scrolls differently.

(Exactly how it scrolls depends on the specific application. It has no effect in many applications.)

The hard drive is not being accessed.

The 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.

Combinations and functions with the Windows key

Combination Function

+ F1 Displays VAIO Help and Support Center.

+ Tab Switches the selected button on the taskbar.

+ E Displays Windows® Explorer.

+ F Displays the Search window to find a file or folder. This is the

equivalent of selecting Search from the Start menu.

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

Combination Function

+ Ctrl + F Displays the Search Results: Computerswindow where you can

locate other computers. This is the equivalent of selecting Search and then Computers from the Start menu.

+ M Minimizes all displayed windows.

Shift +

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 System Properties window. This is the equivalent of selecting Control Panel and then System from the Start menu.

Using Your VAIO Notebook

Combinations and functions with the Fn key

✍ If you switch user accounts du ri ng 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 Displ ay Mode” for more information.

Combination/ Feature Functions

Fn+ (F3) Speaker switch

Fn+ (F4) Speaker volume

Fn+ (F5) Brightness control

Fn+ / (F7) Switch to the external display

Toggles the built-in speaker off and on.

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

Adjusts brightness of the LCD. To increase light intensity, press Fn+F5, then or . To decrease light intensity, press Fn+F5, then or .

Toggles through the LCD and external display.

Only LCD

LCD and external display

Only external display

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

Combination/ Feature Functions

Fn+ (F12) Hibernate

Provides for the lowest level of power consumption. When you execute this command, the st ate of the system and state of the peripheral devices are written to the hard disk and the system power is turned off. To return the system to the original state, use the power switch to turn on power.

Fn + Esc Standby

Fn +F Display control

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

Minimizes or maximizes the display wi ndow. If the default display resolution is reduced, this function maximizes the display resolution to fit the screen size. Maximizing the display window allows you to view the display at a greater resolution.

✍ You can also carry out these functions using the center Jog Dial™ control. Some

functions are not available until Windows® launches.

Using the Touchpad

The keyboard contains a cursor-pointing device called a touchpad. You can point to, s elect, drag, and scroll objects on the screen using the built-in touchpad.

Touchpad

Pointer

Touchpad

Left Button

Right Button

Actions Descriptions

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 edge to scroll

horizontally. (The scroll function is available only with

applications that support a touchpad scroll feature.)

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

See Mouse Properties for information on touchpad features,s uch asclicking both buttons simultaneously, adjusting touchpad speed, and Easy Launcher functions. To access Mouse Properties, click Start, select Control Panel, then select Printers and other Hardware, and click the Mouse icon.

VAIO Action Setup

VAIO Action Setup manages the settings for your notebook’s center Jog Dial™ control and Timer. An overview of some of the functions controlled by VAIO Action Setup is provided below. For more information on changing the settings using VAIO Action Setup, right-click the Jog Dial Utility icon or in the taskbar and click Help Topics.

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

Using the Center Jog Dial Control

Your notebook is equipped with a center Jog Dial™ control located below the touchpad and between the left and right buttons. The center Jog Dial control enables you to open an application, folder, or document from a predefined list by rotating and pressing the center Jog Dial control. In addition, when you press the center J og Dial control, you can turn on your notebook automatically and start the selected application or document.

Center Jog Dial Control

Turn

Press

Center Jog Dial Control

The Jog Dial control window always appears in the display. It is either in the launcher mode or in the guide mode.

Using the center Jog Dial control

This section explains how to u se the center Jog Dial control. For information on how to change the settings of the center Jog Dial control, right-click the Jog Dial utility icon or in the task tray and click Help Topics.

Using the Center Jog Dial Control

Launcher mode

The Jog Dial control window is in launcher mode until a software application is launched or the Jog Dial control window becomes active. When you select an item in the Jog Dial window and it is displayed between orange bars, you can press the center Jog Dial control to view a submenu of that item.

Using Launcher mode

To use the center Jog Dial control, click the Jog Dial control window or the Jog Dial utility icon in the task tray. Alternatively, you can press the Ctrl key and the center Jog Dial control while the Jog Dial window is active to switch to launcher mode.

Jog Dial Launcher

To select a desired item, proceed as follows:

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

1 Rotate the center Jog Dial control to select the item you want, then press the

center J og Dial control. The Jog Dial launcher window switches to guide mode and shows the function of the center Jog Dial control.

Jog Dial Guide

2 Rotate or press the center Jog Dial control to use the desired function. 3 To select another item, repeat steps 1 through 3 above.

Guide Mode

The Jog Dial control window is i n the guide mode when software is in use and the software window is active. Depending on thesoftware you areusing, you can select i tems from the displayed list using the center Jog Dial control. You can switch between guide mode and launcher mode by pressing the Ctrl key and the center Jog Dial control.

Using Guide mode

The Jog Dial control window displays the function of the center Jog Dial control.

Using the center Jog Dial control with Sony software

If S ony software that supports the center Jog Dial control is active, you can use the functions of thecenter Jog Dial control that are allocated to that software. For more information on functions allocated to software, see the software application’s online Help.

Using the Center Jog Dial Control

Using the center Jog Dial control with other software

If the software you are using does not support the center Jog Dial control, you can still use the centerJog Dial control to scroll the window or adjust the window size.

Using a dialog box

When a window such as Screen Properties is active, the Dialog box is displayed in the Jog Dial window. You can select an item in the window by rotating the center Jog Dial control. Pressing the center Jog Dial control is the equivalent of pressing Enter or Select.

Jog Dial Guide Dialog Box

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

Using a PC Card

Your notebook includes one PC Card slot. A PC Card enables you to connect portable external devices, such as another hard disk drive, to your notebook. It also enables you to connect to a network using a PC Network Interface Card (NIC).

The P C Card slot can accommodate one Type I or II PC Card. This slot is compatible with CardBus. You do not need to turn off your notebook before inserting or removing a PC Card.

To insert a PC Card

1 Insert the PC Card into the PC Card slot. Make sure the front label of the PC

Card is facing up.

Inser ting a PC Card

Insert with the

arrow facing toward

the slot

PC Card

Using a PC Card

2 Push the the PC Card gently into the slot. The PC Card is automatically

detected by your system. The Unplugor Eject Hardware icon appears in the t askbar.

Do not force a P C Card into the slot. It may damage the connector p ins. If you have difficulty inserting a card, check that you are inserting the card

with the correct orientation. Do not carry your notebook while the head of the PC Card is out of the slot.

Pressure or shock may damage th e connector pins.

To remove a PC Card

If your notebook is turned on, follow these instructions to prevent your system from crashing. If your notebook is turned off, skip to step number 5.

1 Close all applications that use the PC Card, otherwise data may be lost. 2 Double-click in the taskbar. The “Safety remove...PC Card” dialog box

appears.

3 Click the dialog box. The message, “Safe to Remove Hardware” appears. 4 Click to close the message. 5 Pull the PC Card Release button up and press it in toward the notebook. The

Release button pops out.

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

6 Push the Release button a second time. The PC Card pops out.

Removing PC Card

7 Gently g rasp the PC Card and pull it out of the slot.

Do not choose a USB di sk or a So ny i.LINK o ptical d rive in th e Stop a H ardware device dialog box.

If you remo v ed a So ny i. L INK optical drive by mistake, disconnec t t he docking station and reconnect it. See “Disconne cting the note book from the docking station” for more information.

Notes on using PC Cards

❑ For s ome PC Cards, if you alternate between normal power operation and

the Standby or Hibernate modes whilethe card is inserted, you may findthat a device connected to your system is not recognized. Reboot your system to correct the problem.

❑ Some PC Cards may require that you disable idle devices when using the PC

Card. You can use Sony Notebook Setup to disable devices. See “To display the Sony Notebook Setup screen:” for more information.

❑ Make sure you use the most recent software driver provided by the PC Card

manufacturer.

❑ If an exclamation mark (!) appearso n the Device Manager tab in the System

Properties dialog box, remove the software driver and then reinstall it.

❑ You may notbe able to use somePC Cards or some functions of the PCCard

with this notebook. If you have difficulty inserting a PCCard, check that you

Using a PC Card

are orienting the card correctly. Seethe manual that came with your PC Card for more information on its use.

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

Using Memory Stick Media

Memory Stick® media is a compact, portable, and versatile recording medium that has a data capacity exceeding that of a floppy disk. The medium is specially designed for exchanging and sharing digital data with compatible products. Because it is removable, the media can be used for external data storage.

Types of Memory Stick media

The following two types of Memory Stick media can be used with your notebook:

❑ MagicGate™ Memory Stick

Stick media), which is provided with copyright protection

❑ Memory Stick

†

media, which does not have the same copyright

protection as MagicGate media

Some music files encoded with secure copyright protection may be stored on MG Memory Stick media but not on regular Memory Stick media. You can also use M agicGate media-compatible devices to record and playback music when they are connected to your notebook.

media (hereafter called MG Memory

You can store mixed data on the Memory Stick media. For example, you can copy an image on to MG Memory Stick media that already contains music.

What is MagicGate media?

MagicGate media provides copyright protection that consists of authentication and encryption technology. Authentication technology ensures that protected content is only transferred between compliant devices and media. Protected content is recorded and transferred in an encrypted format to prevent unauthorized duplication or playback.

✍ MG Memory Stick media has the MG mark .

* MagicGate Memory Stick and are t rademarks of Sony Corporation.

† Memory Stick and are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

Using Memory Stick Media

To insert a Memory Stick media

1 Insert the MemoryStick media with the arrow facing upward and toward the

Memory Stick media slot.

✍ Inserting the media in the wrong direction may damage the connector pins.

2 Carefully slide the Memory Stick media in until it clicks in place.

Inserting Memory Stick Media

Insert Memory Stick media with arrow facing forward.

Memory Stick media

✍ At the default setting, Visual Flow™ application starts automatically when you insert a

Memory Stick media. You can change this setting in VAIO Action Setup.

To view the c ontents of Memory Stick media

Click the Removable Disk icon under My Computer to see the contents of the Memory Stick media.

To remove a Memory Stick media

1 Ensure that the access light is off. 2 Push th e Memory Stick media in toward the notebook.

Change text in this variable definition to document title.

LOCK

LOCK LOCK

3 When the Memory Stick media ejects, pull it out.

✍ Be careful when removing the M emory Stick media, as it may eject comp letely from

the slot.

Write-protecting a Memory Stick media

Memory Stick media is designed with a write-protect tab to protect valuable data from accidental erasure or overwriting. Move the tab to the right or left to set or release write-protection.

Write-protect off Data can be saved on the Memory Stick media. Write-protect on Data can be read from but not saved on the Memory Stick

media.

Using the Write-protect Tab

Write-protect

off

(Back of Memory Stick Media)

Write-protect

Formatting a Memory Stick media

Memory Stick media is formatted for immediate use when you purchase it. However, if you need to reformat a Memory Stick media, follow the procedure below.

Reformatting erase s all curre nt data th at is store d on a Memo ry Stick media . Before you reformat, confirm that the media does not contain files you want to keep.

+ 105 hidden pages

Sony VAIO PCG-R505JS User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual