Acer Aspire 5517 manual

Aspire Series Generic User Guide[...]

Changes may be made peri odically to the i nformation in this publication without obligation to notify any pers on of such revi sions or change s. Such chan ges will be inco rpor ated in new editions of thi s manual or supplem entary documents and publ ications. This company makes no re presentations or warr anties, either expressed or implied, wit[...]

iii Information for your safety and comfort Safety instructions Read these instructions carefully. Keep this document for future reference. Follow all warnings and instruct ions marked on the product. Turning the product off bef ore cleaning Unplug this product fro m the wall outlet before cleanin g. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. [...]

iv Warnings • Do not us e this prod uct nea r water. • Do not place this product on an unstab le cart, stand or table. If the produ ct falls, it could be seriously damag ed. • Slots and opening s are provided fo r ventilation to ensure reliable operatio n of the pr oduct and to protect i t from ov erheatin g. These opening s must not be block[...]

v Warning! The ground ing pin is a safety fea ture. U sing a power outlet that is no t properly gr ou nded may result in electric shock and/or inju ry. Note: The grounding pin also provides good protection from unexpected noise produced by o ther nearby electrical de vices that may interfere with the performance of this product. • The system can [...]

vi pierce, open or disassemble the battery. If the battery leaks and you come into contact with the leaked fluids, rin se thoroughly with water and seek medical attention immediately. For safety reason s, and to prolong the lifetime of the battery, charging will not occur at temperatur es below 0°C (32 °F) or above 40°C (104°F). The full perfor[...]

vii nearest AUTHORIZED service station. To prevent direct exposure to the laser beam, do not try to open the en closure. CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT CAUTION: INVISIBLE LASER RA DIATION WHEN OPEN. AVOID EXPOSURE TO BEAM. APPAREIL A LASER DE CLA SSE 1 PRODUIT LASERATTENTION : RADIATION DU FAISCEAU LASER INVISIBLE EN C AS D’OUVERTURE. EVITTER TOUTE EXPOSI[...]

viii body (refer to the figure below). It shou ld not contain metal and you should position the device the above-stated distance from your bo dy. To successfully transmit data files or messages, this device requires a good quality con nection to the network. In some cases, transmissi on of data files or m essages may be delayed until such a connect[...]

ix air bag deployment area. If in-vehicle wireless eq uipment is improperly installed, and the air bag infl ates, serious injury could result. Usin g your device while flying in aircraft is prohib ited. Switch off your device before boarding an aircraft. The use of wireless teledevices in an aircraft may be dange rous to the operation of the aircra[...]

x Disposal instructions Do not throw this electronic device into the trash when discarding. To minimize pol lution and ensure utmost protection of th e global environment, please recycle. For more information on the Waste from Electrical and Electronics Equipment (WEEE) re gulations, visit http://www.acer-g roup.com/public /Sustainability/ sustaina[...]

xi inadequate working cond itions, person al health and other factors greatly increase the risk of physical injury. Incorrect computer usage m ay lead to carpal tunnel syndrom e, tendonitis, tenosynovitis o r other musculoskeletal disorders. The follo wing symptoms may appear in the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, neck o r back: • numbness, or a [...]

xii • Adjust the disp lay brightness and/or contrast to a comfortable level for enhanced text readability and graphic s clarity. • Eliminate glare and reflecti ons by: • placing your display in such a way that the side faces the window or any light source • minimizing room light by usin g drapes, shades or blind s • using a task light •[...]

xiii First things first We would like to thank you for making an Ace r notebook your ch oice for meeting your mobile co mputing needs. Your guides To help you use your Acer notebo ok, we have designed a set of guides: First off, the Just for Starters... poster helps you get started with setting up your computer. The printed Aspire Series Generic Us[...]

xiv To turn the power off, do any of the follo wing: • Use the Windows shutdown command Click on Start then click on Shut Down . • Use the power button You can also put the co mputer in sleep mode by pressing the sleep hotkey <Fn> + <F4> . Note: If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and hold the power button for more [...]

xv Taking care of yo ur battery pack Here are some ways to take care of your battery pac k: • Use only batteries of the same kind as replacements. Turn the power off before removing or replacing batteries. • Do not tamper with batteries. Keep them away from children. • Dispose of used batteries acco rding to local regu lations. Recycle if pos[...]

xvi[...]

Information for your safety and comfort iii Safety instructions iii Caution for Op tica l Drive Device (only for certain models) vi Operating environment vii Medical devices viii Vehicles viii Potentially explos ive environments ix Emergency calls ix Disposal instructions x Mercury advisory x ENERGY STAR x Tips and information for comfortable use x[...]

General c ontrols 18 Navigation controls 18 Player controls 18 Cinema 18 Play Movie :1 8 Videos: 1 9 Playing a video file: 19 Recent Videos: 19 HomeMedia 20 Advanced 20 Live Update :2 0 Albums 22 Editing Pictures 22 Slideshow settings 22 Music 22 Online Media 23 YouTub e 23 Flickr 23 Battery pack 24 Battery pack characteristics 24 Maximizing the ba[...]

Using passwords 32 Entering passwords 33 Setting passwords 33 Expanding through options 34 Connectivity options 34 Fax/data modem (only for certain models) 34 Built-in ne twork feature 35 Consumer Infrared (CIR) (only for certain models) 35 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 36 IEEE 1394 port (only for certain models) 36 High-Definition M ultimedia Interfa[...]

1 English Touchpad The built-in touchpad is a poin ting device that senses movement on its surface. This means the cursor respon ds as you move your finger across the surface of the touchpad. The cen tral location on the palmrest provides op timum comfort and support. Touchpad basics (with fingerprint reader) The following items show you ho w to us[...]

2 English Touchpad basics (with two-click buttons) The following items show you ho w to use the touchpad with two -click buttons. Move your finger across the touchpad to move the cursor. Press the left and right buttons located beneath the touchpa d to perform selection and execution fun ctions. Thes e two buttons are similar to the left and right [...]

3 English Using the keyboard The keyboard has full-sized keys and an embedded numeric keypad*, separate cursor, lock, Windows, func tion and special key s. Lock keys and embedded numeric keypad* The keyboard has three lo ck keys which you can toggle o n and off. The embedded nu meric keypad function s like a desktop numeric keypad . It is indicated[...]

4 English Windows keys The keyboard has two keys that perform Windows-specific func tions. Key Description Windows key Pressed alone, this key has the same eff ect as cli cking on the Windows Start button; it la unches the Start menu. It can also be used wi th other keys to pr ovide a variet y of functions: <> : Open or close the Star t menu [...]

5 English Audio The computer also comes with 32-bit Hi gh Defin ition (HD) Audio, and stereo speakers. Acer PureZone (only for certain models) The system provides you whole new enthusiastic audio experience including Acer PureZ one with bu ilt-in st ereo m icropho nes feat uring bea m forming a nd echo cancellation technolo gies. Acer PureZone tech[...]

6 English Dolby Digital Live Dolby Digital Live converts any audio si gnal in real time from PCs or game consoles into Dolby Digital for easy connection to home theater systems through a single digital cable. Users ca n enjoy PC or g ame audio entertain ment with exciting realism through home theater receivers or other de vices equipped with Dolby [...]

7 English Using the system utilities Acer Bio-Protection (o nly for certain models) Acer Bio-Protection Fingerprint So lution is a multi-p urpose fingerprint software package integrated with the Microsoft Windows operating system. Utilizing the uniqueness of one's fingerprint, A cer Bio-Protection Fi ngerprint Solution incorporates protection [...]

8 English Acer GridVista (dual- display compatible) Note: This feature is only a vailable on certain mode ls. To enable the dual di splay feature of your notebook, first ensure that a sec ond display is connected, then, o pen the Di splay Settings prope rties box using the Control Panel or by right-c licking the Windows deskto p and selecting Perso[...]

9 English 3 Enjoy the conven ience o f a well-o rganize d desktop. Note: Please ensure that the resolu tion setting of your second monitor is set to the manufa cturer's recommended valu e.[...]

10 English Acer Backup Manager Note: This feature is only a vailable on certain mode ls. Acer Backup Manager is a simple three-step process that allows you to create backup copi es of your entire system or se lected files and folders according to a schedule or as you need to . To start Acer Backup Manager, press the Acer Backu p Manager key above t[...]

11 English Power management This computer has a built-in power management unit that monitors system activity. System activity refers to any ac tivity involving one or more of the following devices: keybo ard, mouse, hard disk, peripherals co nnected to the computer , and v ideo mem ory. If no activi ty is detected for a period of time (called an in[...]

12 English Acer eRecovery Management Acer eRecovery Ma nagement is a tool to quickly resto re the system. You can back up/restore the factory default image, and reinstall applications and drivers. Note: All of the following co ntent is for general reference only. Actual product specifications may vary. Acer eRecovery Management cons ists of the fol[...]

13 English Burn backup discs From th e Backup page of A cer eRec overy Manageme nt, you c an bur n the factory default image or ba ck up drivers a nd application s. 1 Click on Star t > All Prog rams > Acer > Acer eRecovery Management . 2 Acer eRecovery Managemen t opens to the Backup page. 3 Select the type of backup (factory default or dr[...]

14 English Restore The restore feature allows you to restore or recover the system from a f actory default image or from previou sly created CD and DVD bac kups. You can also reinstall applications and dr ivers for your A cer system. 1 Click on St art , All Program s , Acer , Acer e Recov ery Man agement . 2 Switch to the Restore page by clicking R[...]

15 English Restore Windows Vist a from backup discs Note: This feature is only a vailable on certain mode ls. To restore Windows Vista from your prev iously burned back up discs, you will need to insert the first ba ckup disc and enable the F12 Boot Menu via the BIOS Setup Utility. 1 Turn on your computer and insert the first system recovery disc i[...]

16 English If you prefer to set the boot priority for long -term use, you shou ld select the Boot submenu. 1 Turn on your computer and insert the first system recovery disc into the optical disc drive. Restart your computer. 2 During startup when the Acer logo shows, press th e F2 key to enter BIOS Setup , where you can set system parameters. 3 Use[...]

17 English Acer Arcade Deluxe Note: This feature is only a vailable on certain mode ls. Acer Arcade Deluxe is an in tegrated player for music, ph otos, DVD movies and videos. Use the MediaConso le, touchpad or arrow keys to select the media type you wish to enjoy. Cinema — watch DVDs, VCDs or Blu-R ay movies, and video clips Homemedia — connect[...]

18 English General controls When watching vid eo clips, movies or slidesho ws using full-screen resolution , two pop-up con trol panels are shown wh en you move the po inter. They automatically disappear after several se conds. The Navigation Controls panel appears at the top and the Player Controls p anel appears at the bottom o f the screen. Navi[...]

19 English Subtitles Language Snapshot Angle If you move your mouse/cursor wh ile you’re watching a movie, a menu b ar will appear at the bottom of the screen. Thi s contains buttons to control the movie playback, select subtitles, adjust volu me, select soundtrack language an d set advanced features. Note: Function avail ability will depend on w[...]

20 English HomeMedia HomeMedia is a program that lets y ou access and share media files and TV signals via your home n etwork. HomeMedia gives y ou access to your network computers with Media Server and TV Server installed, so you can view shared music, videos, pictures an d TV signals. Click HomeMedia to open the main page that d isplays a list of[...]

21 English and allows you to drag the display area to view different po rtions of the video. Audio: Use Speaker Environment to choose between Headphon es , SPDIF , 2 Speakers or more speakers depending on your audio equ ipment. Output Mode should be set to Stereo if you are using speakers, Dolby Surround, or Virtual Surround Sound if y ou are using[...]

22 English Help: Click Help to view the Help file fo r detailed information on using Acer Arcade Deluxe. About: Click About to view the copyright a nd vendor information for Acer Arcade Deluxe. Albums Acer Arcade Deluxe lets you view digital ph otos individually or as a slideshow, from any available drive on you r computer. Click Album s to open th[...]

23 English Shuffle, Repeat All , Visualize, Volume and Menu . Visualize allows you to watch computer-generated visuals while you listen to m usic. Online Media Online Media gi ves you easy access to ph otos and videos up loaded to the popular Flick r and YouTube web sites. Note: You need to be conne cted to the Internet to use the Online Media func[...]

24 English Battery pack The computer uses a battery pack that gives you long use betwee n charges. Battery pack characteristics The battery pack has the following characteristic s: • Employs current battery technology standards. • Delivers a battery-low warning. The battery is recharged whenever you connect the computer to the AC adapter. Your [...]

25 English Follow these ste ps again unti l the battery has b een charged an d discharged three times. Use this conditioning pr ocess for all new batteri es, or if a b attery hasn't been used for a long time. If the computer is to be stored for more than two weeks, you are advised to remove the battery pack from the unit. Warning: Do not expos[...]

26 English To remove a batt ery pack: 1 Slide the battery release latch to release the battery. 2 Pull the battery from the battery bay. Charging the battery To charge the battery, first make sure that it is correctly installed in the battery bay. Plug the AC adapter in to the computer, and connect to a mains power outlet. You can continue to opera[...]

27 English Battery -low warni ng When using ba ttery power pay attenti on to the Windows po wer meter. Warning: Connect the AC adapte r as soon as possible after the battery-low warning a ppears. Data will b e lost if the battery to become fully d epleted and the c omputer shuts down. When the battery-low warning appe ars, the recommended course of[...]

28 English Taking your notebook PC with you This section gives you tips and hints to consider wh en moving around o r traveling with your co mputer. Disconnecting from the desktop Follow these steps to disconnect your computer from external accessor ies: 1 Save any open files. 2 Remove any media, flopp y disks or compact disks from the drive(s). 3 [...]

29 English Note: If the Sleep indicator is o f f, the computer has entered Hibernation mode and is turn ed off. If the power indicator is off but the Sleep indicator is on, the computer has entered Sleep mode. In both cases, press and release the power button to turn the computer back on. Note th at the computer may enter Hibernation mo de after be[...]

30 English Special considerations Follow these guidelines to pro tect your computer while travelin g to and from work: Minimize the effects of temperature chang es by keeping the computer with you. If you need to stop for an extended period of time and cannot c arry the computer with you, leave the computer in the trunk of the car to avoid exposing[...]

31 English Special considerations In addition to the guidelin es for taking the computer home, follow these guidelines to protect yo ur computer while traveling: Always take the computer as carry-on luggage. If possible, have the computer inspected by hand. Airport security X-ray machines are safe, but do not put th e computer thro ugh a meta l det[...]

32 English Securing your computer Your computer is a valuable investm ent that you need to take care of. Learn how to protect and take care of your computer. Security features include hardware and software locks — a security notch and passwords. Using a computer security lock The notebo ok comes wi th a Kens ington- com patible security slot for [...]

33 English Entering passwords When a password is set, a password prompt appears in the center of the display screen. When the Supervisor Password is set, a prompt app ears when you press < F2 > to enter the BIOS utility at boot-up. Type the Superviso r Password and press < Enter > to access the BIOS utility. If you enter the password in[...]

34 English Expanding through options Your note book PC of fers you a c omplete mo bile com puting ex perience . Connectivity options Ports allow you to connect peripheral de vices to your computer as you would with a desktop PC. For instru ctions on how to connect different external devices to the computer, read the fol lowing section. Fax/data mod[...]

35 English Built-in network feature The built-in network feature allows you to connect your computer to an Ethernet-based network. To use the network feature, connect an E thernet cable from the Ethernet (RJ-45) port on the chassis of the comp uter to a network jack or h ub on your network. Consumer Infrared (CIR) (o nly for certain models) The com[...]

36 English Universal Serial Bus (USB) The USB 2.0 port is a high-speed serial b us which allows you to con nect USB peripherals without taking up precious system resources. IEEE 1394 port (only for cert ain models) The computer's IEEE 1394 port a llows you to connect to an IEE E 1394- compatible device like a video camera o r digital camera. S[...]

37 English High-Definition Multimedia Interface (only for certain models) HDMI (High-Definition Multimed ia Interface) is an industry-supported , uncompressed, all-digital aud io/video interface. HDMI provid es an interface between any compatible digital au dio/vide o source, such as a set-top box, DVD player, and A/V receiver and a compatible d ig[...]

38 English Inserting an ExpressCard Insert the card into the slot and push g ently until it clicks into position. Ejecting an Expr essCard Before ejecting an ExpressCard: 1 Exit the application using the card. 2 Left-click on the remove hardware ic on on the taskbar and stop the card operation. 3 Push the card gently into the slot and release to po[...]

39 English 3 (a) Insert the memory module diag onally into the slot, then (b) gently pr ess it down until it clicks into pl ace. 4 Replace the memory cover an d secure it with the screw. 5 Reinstall the battery pack, and reconnect th e AC adapter. 6 Turn on th e computer. The computer automa tically detects and reconfigures the total memory size. P[...]

40 English Enjoying TV with Windows Media Center Note: This feature is only a vailable on certain mode ls. Computers that inc lude Windows Media Center Edition or Instan tOn Arcade may be used to watch TV and to access video content (via an audio/video connection to an external device, such as a video camera). Choose your input type The avdio/video[...]

41 English Note: Do not twist or loop the antenna cable. Extending the ante nna cable up to 20 cm to im prove signal q uality. Watching TV with an external antenna or cable socket You may use convention al TV cables (connected to an external antenna or cable socket) to watch TV on your com puter. Connectin g antenna cables To connect your ca bles: [...]

42 English BIOS utility The BIOS utility is a hardware co nfiguration program built in to your compute r's BI OS. Your com puter is already properly c onfigure d and opti mized, a nd you do not need to run this utility. However, if you encounter configuration problems, you may need to run it. To activate the BIOS utility, press < F2 > du[...]

43 English Using software Playing DVD movies Note: This feature is only a vailable on certain mode ls. When the DVD drive modu le is installed in the optical driv e bay, you can play DVD movies on your compu ter. 1 Eject the DVD disk. Important! When you launch the DVD pl ayer for the first time, the program asks you to enter the re gion code. DVD [...]

44 English Frequently asked questions The following is a list of possible situations that may arise during the use of your computer. Easy solutions are p rovided for each one. I turned on the power, but the computer does not start or boot up. Look at the power indicator: If it is not lit, no power is being supp lied to the computer. Ch eck the foll[...]

45 English If headphones, earpho nes or external speakers are conn ected to the line- out port on the computer, the internal speakers automatically turn off. I want to e ject the o ptical drive tray w ithout turning on the power. There is a mechanical eject hole on the optical drive. Simply insert the tip of a pen or paperclip into the hole and pus[...]

46 English I want to r estore my computer to its or iginal settings without recovery CDs. Note: If your system is the multilingu al version, the operating system and language you choose when you first turn on the system will be the only option for futu re recovery operations. This recovery process helps you restore th e C: drive with the original s[...]

47 English Requesting service International Travelers Warranty (ITW) Your computer is backed by an Intern ational Travelers Warranty (ITW) that gives you security and peace of mind when traveling. Our worldwide netwo rk of service centers are there to give you a helping hand. An ITW passport comes with your computer. This passpo rt contains all yo [...]

48 English Troubleshooting This chapter shows you how to deal with common system problem s. Read it before calling a tech nician if a problem occurs. Solution s to more serious problems require op ening up the computer. Do not attempt to ope n the computer yourself; co ntact your dealer or autho rized service center for assistance. Troubleshooting [...]

49 English Regulations and safety notices FCC statement This device has been tested a nd found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This device generates, uses , and can radia[...]

50 English Remarque à l'intention des utilisateurs canadiens Cet appareil numérique de la c lasse B est conforme a la no rme NMB-003 du Canada. Compliant with Russian regulatory certification Modem notices (only for certain models) Notice for USA This equipment complies with Part 68 of the FCC rules. Located on the modem is a label that cont[...]

51 English Your telephone company may m ake changes in its facilities, equipment, operations, or procedures th at could a ffect the pr oper functio ning of your equipment. If they do, you will be n otified in advance to give you an opportunity to maintain unin terr upted tele phone se rvice . If this equipment should fail to operate p roperly, disc[...]

52 English Notice for New Zealand 1 The grant of a Telepermit for any item of terminal equipment indicates only that Telecom has accepted that the item complies with min imum conditions for connection to its network. It indic ates no endo rsement of the produc t by Telec om, nor doe s it provi de any sort of wa rranty. Above all, it provides no ass[...]

53 English LCD pixel statement The LCD unit is pr oduced with high- precision manufa cturing techniques. Nevertheless, some pixels may occasion ally misfire or appear as b lack or red dots. This has no effect on the re corded image and d o es not constitute a malfunction. Radio device regulatory notice Note : Below regulatory information is for mod[...]

54 English Caution : To comply with FC C RF exposure compliance requirements, a separation distanc e of at least 20 cm (8 inches) must be maintained between the antenna for the i ntegrated wireless LAN Mini PCI Card bui lt in to the screen section and all persons. Note: The wireless Mini PC I adapter implements a tran smission diversity function. T[...]

55 English Canada — Low-power license-exempt radio communication devices (RSS-210) Exposure of humans to RF fields (RSS-102) The notebook PC series em ploys low gain integral antennas tha t do not emit RF field in excess of Health Cana da limits for the general population; consult Safety Code 6, obtainable from Health Cana da's website at ww[...]