Sony VGX-TP3Z/B, VGX-TP3S/B, VGX-TP3E/B User Manual

User Guide

Personal Computer

VGX-TP series

Contents

Before Use .........................................................................................................................................................................5

Notice ...........................................................................................................................................................................6

Documentation .............................................................................................................................................................7

Getting Started .................................................................................................................................................................11

Locating Controls and Ports.......................................................................................................................................12

About the Indicator Lights ..........................................................................................................................................18

Setting Up Your Computer.........................................................................................................................................19

Shutting Down Your Computer Safely .......................................................................................................................30

Using Your VAIO Computer .............................................................................................................................................31

Using the Keyboard ...................................................................................................................................................32

Using the Touch Pad .................................................................................................................................................36

Using the Optical Disc Drive ......................................................................................................................................37

Using the TV Function ...............................................................................................................................................47

Using the Memory Stick Media ..................................................................................................................................58

Using Other Memory Cards .......................................................................................................................................64

Using the Internet.......................................................................................................................................................68

Using Wireless LAN (WLAN) .....................................................................................................................................69

Using Peripheral Devices .................................................................................................................................................78

Selecting Display Modes............................................................................................................................................79

Using the Multiple Monitors Function .........................................................................................................................80

Connecting a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Device......................................................................................................82

Connecting a Printer ..................................................................................................................................................85

Connecting an i.LINK Device .....................................................................................................................................86

Connecting to a Network (LAN) .................................................................................................................................88

Customizing Your VAIO Computer ..................................................................................................................................90

Setting the Password .................................................................................................................................................91

Setting Up Your Computer with VAIO Control Center................................................................................................96

Using the Power Saving Mode...................................................................................................................................97

Upgrading Your VAIO Computer....................................................................................................................................100

Adding and Removing Memory................................................................................................................................101

Precautions ....................................................................................................................................................................108

On Using the Power Source ....................................................................................................................................109

On Handling Your Computer....................................................................................................................................110

On Handling Floppy Disks .......................................................................................................................................113

On Handling Discs ...................................................................................................................................................114

On Using Headphones.............................................................................................................................................115

On Handling Memory Stick Media............................................................................................................................116

On Handling the Hard Disk ......................................................................................................................................117

On Updating Your Computer ...................................................................................................................................118

Troubleshooting .............................................................................................................................................................119

Computer .................................................................................................................................................................120

System Security .......................................................................................................................................................126

Networking ...............................................................................................................................................................127

Optical Discs ............................................................................................................................................................130

Display .....................................................................................................................................................................134

Printing .....................................................................................................................................................................137

Microphone ..............................................................................................................................................................138

Speakers ..................................................................................................................................................................139

Keyboard..................................................................................................................................................................141

Touch Pad................................................................................................................................................................142

Floppy Disks ............................................................................................................................................................143

Audio/Video..............................................................................................................................................................144

Memory Stick Media ................................................................................................................................................147

Peripherals ...............................................................................................................................................................148

Support Options .............................................................................................................................................................149

Sony Support Information ........................................................................................................................................150

e-Support .................................................................................................................................................................151

Trademarks ....................................................................................................................................................................153

Before Use

Congratulations on your purchase of this Sony VAIO® computer, and welcome to the on-screen User Guide. Sony has combined leading-edge technology in audio, video, computing, and communications to provide state-of-the-art personal computing experience.

External views illustrated in this manual may look slightly different from those of your computer.

Before Use

Notice

This manual and the software described herein, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced, translated, or reduced to any machine-readable form without prior written approval.

Sony Corporation provides no warranty with regard to this manual, the software, or other information contained herein and hereby expressly disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose with regard to this manual, the software, or such other information. In no event shall Sony Corporation be liable for any incidental, consequential, or special damages, whether based on tort, contract, or otherwise, arising out of or in connection with this manual, the software, or other information contained herein or the use thereof.

In the manual, the ™ or ® marks are not specified.

Sony Corporation reserves the right to make any modification to this manual or the information contained herein at any time without notice. The software described herein is governed by the terms of a separate user license agreement.

Before Use

Documentation

Your documentation includes printed information and user guides to read on your VAIO computer.

Printed Documentation

❑ Quick Start Guide — Describes the process from unpacking to starting up your VAIO.

❑ Troubleshooting and Recovery Guide — Contains solutions to common problems and computer malfunctions, an

explanation of how to make a backup copy of your data and recover your computer system, and sources of support information.

❑ Regulations, Guarantee, EULA and Service Support — Contains Sony guarantee conditions,

safety / regulations, modem regulations, wireless LAN regulations, wireless WAN regulations, Bluetooth regulations, end user software license agreement, and Sony support services information.

Before Use

Non-printed Documentation

❑ User Guide (this manual) — Explains features of your computer. It also includes information about the software programs

included with your computer, as well as information on solving common problems. User Guide is provided in the PDF format, which you can easily browse through and print out.

To view this on-screen guide:

1 Double-click the VAIO User Guide icon on the desktop.

2 Open the folder for your language.

3 Select the guide you want to read.

✍

You can manually browse to the user guides by going to Computer > VAIO (C:) (your C drive) > Documentation > Documentation and opening the folder for your language.

To go to Web sites described in this manual by clicking their respective URLs beginning with http://, your computer must be connected to the Internet.

❑ Specifications — The online specifications describe the hardware and software configurations of your VAIO computer.

To view the online specifications:

1 Connect to the Internet.

2 Go to the Sony online support Web site at http://www.vaio-link.com

✍

You may have a separate disc for the documentation of bundled accessories.

Before Use

My Club VAIO

In My Club VAIO you can find:

❑ Information of compatible accessories that will help you expand the capabilities of your computer.

❑ An overview of your software and its upgrade options.

❑ Sony and Club VAIO wallpapers that you can download and enjoy.

❑ A list of links that lead you to Sony and Club VAIO Web sites.

Windows Help and Support

Windows Help and Support is a comprehensive resource for practical advice, tutorials, and demonstrations to help you learn to use your computer.

Use the Search feature, Index, or table of contents to view all Windows Help resources, including those that are on the Internet.

To access Windows Help and Support, click Start and Help and Support. Or go to Windows Help and Support by pressing and holding the Microsoft Windows key and pressing the F1 key.

Further Sources

❑ Consult the help files on the software you are using for detailed information on features and troubleshooting.

❑ Go to http://www.club-vaio.com

to find online tutorials about your favorite VAIO software.

Before Use

Getting Started

This section describes how to get started using your VAIO computer.

❑ Locating Controls and Ports (page 12)

❑ About the Indicator Lights (page 18)

❑ Setting Up Your Computer (page 19)

❑ Shutting Down Your Computer Safely (page 30)

Getting Started

Locating Controls and Ports

Take a moment to identify the controls and ports shown on the following pages.

The appearance of your computer may be different from those illustrated in this manual due to variations in specifications. It may also vary in some countries or areas. The illustrations used in this manual show the model with one hybrid TV tuner board.

Top

Getting Started

A Hard disk drive/Optical disc drive indicator (page 18) B Power button/Power indicator (page 18) C WLAN (Wireless LAN) indicator (page 18)

Front

Getting Started

A SD memory card slot (page 64) B WLAN (Wireless LAN) switch (page 69) C Remote sensor

Point the supplied remote commander to this sensor for operations.

D Optical disc drive (page 37) E Memory Stick slot

(page 58)

F Air vent G Media Access indicator (page 18)

H Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) ports

(page 82)

I i.LINK 4-pin (S400) port (page 86) J CONNECT button (page 27) K Front panel door

To open the front panel door, put your fingertip on the left end of the door and slide it half way to the right. The door will automatically be retracted under the panel. To close the door, slide it half way to the left. The door will keep sliding on its own and shut.

Your computer supports both standard- and Duo-size Memory Stick media.

Support high-/full-/low- speeds.

Back

Models with two DVB-T TV tuner boards

The area around the air vent (1) becomes hot while your computer is on. Be sure to wait until the computer cools down before you touch it.

Getting Started

A Air vents B VHF/UHF input port (page 47)

C Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) ports D Headphones jack

Connect external headphones.

E Microphone jack

Connect an external microphone.

F OPTICAL OUT port

(Output Sampling Rate: 44.1 KHz/48.0 KHz/96.0 KHz) Connect an S/PDIF device such as digital headphones or an AV amplifier.

G Network (Ethernet) port (page 88) H WLAN ANT port (page 71) I HDMI OUT port (page 20) J Monitor port (page 22) K DC IN port (page 23)

* Support high-/full-/low- speeds.

(page 82)

Models with one hybrid TV tuner board

The area around the air vent (1) becomes hot while your computer is on. Be sure to wait until the computer cools down before you touch it.

Getting Started

A Air vents B VHF/UHF input port (page 47) C WLAN ANT port (page 71)

D Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) ports

(page 82)

E Headphones jack

Connect external headphones.

F Microphone jack

Connect an external microphone.

G OPTICAL OUT port

(Output Sampling Rate: 44.1 KHz/48.0 KHz/96.0 KHz) Connect an S/PDIF device such as digital headphones or an AV amplifier.

H Network (Ethernet) port (page 88) I A/V IN port

Connect an external device such as a VCR.

J HDMI OUT port (page 20) K Monitor port (page 22) L DC IN port (page 23)

* Support high-/full-/low- speeds.

Bottom

A Air vents B Security slot

Getting Started

About the Indicator Lights

Your computer is equipped with the following indicator lights.

Indicator Functions

Power 1 The indication behavior varies depending on the state of your computer:

Green lit: the computer is on. Orange lit: the computer is in Sleep mode. Off: the computer is off.

Media Access Illuminates when data is read from or written to a memory card. (Do not enter Sleep mode or turn off the

Hard disk drive/Optical disc drive

Wireless LAN Illuminates when the wireless LAN functionality is enabled.

computer when this indicator is on.) When the indicator is off, the memory card is not being used.

Illuminates when data is read from or written to the hard disk drive or the optical disc media. Do not enter Sleep mode or turn off the computer when this indicator is on.

Getting Started

Setting Up Your Computer

Connecting a Display

Connect a display (not supplied) to your computer. When connecting it, see the manual that came with your display as well.

✍

Connect the power cord of your display after connecting all other cables.

To connect a display (HDMI-compatible TV)

1 Plug one end of the HDMI cable (supplied) (1) to the HDMI OUT port (2) on the computer.

2 Plug the other end to the display (TV) (3).

Getting Started

✍

See the manual that came with your TV for more information on installation and use.

If your TV is equipped with a DVI-D port, you can use the HDMI cable and the HDMI to DVI-D adapter (both supplied) for connection. To use them for connection, however, you also need an audio cable (not supplied) since no audio signals are carried through the DVI-D port.

If your TV is equipped with an HDMI port and a DVI-D port, we recommend that you use the HDMI port.

The HDMI cable carries both video and audio signals.

If a device driver other than the one provided by Sony is used, the image will not be displayed and the audio will not be heard. Always use the device driver provided by Sony for updates.

Your computer is compliant with the HDCP standard and capable of encrypting the transmission channel of digital video signals for the purpose of copyright protection, which enables you to play and view a wide variety of copyright protected, high-quality contents. Note that you need to connect an

HDCP-compliant external display to your computer to view the copyright protected contents. If your computer has a non-compliant display connected, you will not be able to play or view any copyright protected contents.

To change the sound output device

If you do not hear sound from the device connected to the HDMI OUT port, you need to change the device for sound output.

1 Close all open programs.

2 Click Start and Control Panel.

3 Click Hardware and Sound.

4 Click Manage audio devices under Sound.

5 On the Playback tab, select the desired device for sound output and click Set Default.

Getting Started

To connect a display (monitor)

1 If you want to connect a computer display, connect the display cable (1) (not supplied) into the monitor port (2) on the

back of the computer.

2 If necessary, plug the display cable into the display.

Getting Started

Connecting a Power Source

You need an AC adapter to connect to an AC power source and it must be plugged into the power source before you can establish communication with your wireless keyboard.

✍

Use your computer only with the supplied AC adapter.

To connect the AC adapter

1 Plug one end of the power cord (1) into the AC adapter (3).

2 Plug the other end of the power cord and the power cord from your display (TV) into AC outlets (2).

3 Route the cable from the AC adapter (3) through the hooks (4) on the back of your computer and plug it into the DC IN

port (5).

Getting Started

✍

To disconnect your computer completely from AC power, unplug the power cord when the computer is off.

Make sure that the AC outlets are easily accessible.

If you unplug the AC adapter from your computer while the computer is on or in Sleep mode, you may lose all unsaved data.

Getting Started

Attaching the Rear Cover

An exclusively designed rear cover is supplied with your computer for port protection and tidy cabling. Once you have set up your computer, attach the rear cover. Be sure to hold the cover with your both hands when attaching it.

You may not be able to attach the rear cover depending on the shape or size of connected cable plugs. In such a case, leave the back of your computer uncovered and keep the rear cover at hand.

To remove the rear cover, grasp the cover as illustrated below and pull it away from the computer.

Do not leave the removed rear cover on the floor. Stepping on it may hurt your foot.

Getting Started

Connecting the Wireless Keyboard

A wireless keyboard and four AA alkaline batteries for use in the keyboard are supplied with your computer. Before attempting to use the wireless keyboard, you must install the batteries and establish communication between the computer and the keyboard.

✍

If you find your keyboard not working, for example after replacement of the keyboard batteries, try the following steps for reconnection.

To connect the wireless keyboard

To connect the wireless keyboard, it must be located within a range of 30 cm to 1 m from the computer.

1 Turn over the wireless keyboard.

2 Press the button (1) on the battery compartment cover and slide and lift the cover in the direction of the arrow to remove

the cover.

3 Insert the supplied four AA batteries into the battery compartment as illustrated below:

4 Turn on the computer.

5 Slide the power switch (2) on the keyboard to the ON position.

6 Press the CONNECT button (3) on the front of the computer.

7 Press the CONNECT button (4) on the bottom of the keyboard.

The connect indicator turns on in the LCD window on the keyboard when connection is established between the computer and the keyboard. If not, repeat the procedure.

Steps 6 and 7 must be completed within 10 seconds of each other.

Getting Started

If the wireless keyboard is left unused for 20 minutes or longer, the connect indicator will turn off. This could indicate that the connection between your computer and the keyboard is lost. Press the Fn key to check that the connect indicator turns on before using the keyboard.

Getting Started

✍

You can check the battery indicator ( or ) in the LCD window on the wireless keyboard for its battery power level.

If the wireless keyboard does not operate properly, the batteries may need to be replaced. If the wireless keyboard is not being used for an extended period of time, remove the batteries to avoid possible damage from battery leakage.

Getting Started

Shutting Down Your Computer Safely

To avoid losing unsaved data, be sure to shut down your computer properly, as described below.

To shut down your computer

1 Turn off any peripherals connected to the computer.

2 Click Start, the arrow next to the Lock button, and Shut Down.

3 Respond to any prompts warning you to save documents or to consider other users and wait for the computer to turn off

automatically. The power indicator light turns off.

+ 125 hidden pages