Acer EFL50 manual

Aspire 3600/5500 Series User's Guide[...]

Changes may be made peri odically to the infor mation in this publication without obligation to notify any person o f such revisions o r change s. Such chang es will be incorpo rated in new editions of this manual or supplementary documents and publ ications. This company makes no representations or warra nties, either expre ssed or implied, with r[...]

iii First things first We would like to thank you for maki ng the Aspire series of notebook computers yo ur choice fo r meeting you r mobile co mputing nee ds. Your guides To help you use your Aspire, we have designed a set of gu ides: Basic care and tips for using your computer Turning your computer on and off To turn on the computer, simply press[...]

iv • Use the power button Note: You can also use the power button to perform power management functions. • Use the customized functi ons for power managem ent You can also shut down the comp uter by closing the display cov er, or by pressing the sleep hotkey <Fn> + <F4> . Note: If you cannot power off the com puter normally, press a[...]

v • The total ampere ratings of the equip ment plugged in should no t exceed the ampere rating of the cord if you are using an extension cord. Also, the total current rating of a ll equipment plugged into a single wall outlet should not exceed the fuse rating. Taking care of yo ur battery pack Here are some ways to take care of your battery pack:[...]

First things first iii Your guides iii Basic care and tips for using your computer iii Turning your computer on and off iii Taking care of your computer iv Taking care of your AC adapt er iv Taking care of your battery pack v Cleaning and se rvicing v An Aspire tour 1 Front view 1 Closed front view 2 Left view 3 Right view 4 Rear view 4 Base view 5[...]

Acer Arcade (for selected models) 27 Arcade hotkeys 28 Finding and playing content 29 Settings 29 Arcade controls 29 Navigation controls 30 Player control s 30 Cinema 30 DVD settings 31 Album 32 Slideshow settings 33 Video 33 Playing a video file 33 Video author ing 34 Music 34 Burner 35 Copy — Back up your CD/DVD collection 35 Audio — Create y[...]

Securing your computer 40 Using a computer security lock 40 Using passwords 40 Entering passwords 41 Setting passwords 41 Expanding through options 42 Connectivity options 42 Fax/data modem 42 Built-in network feature 43 Fast Infrared (selected models only) 43 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 44 IEEE 1394 port (selecte d models only) 44 PC Card slot 45 B[...]

1 English An Aspire tour After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Just for Starters... poster, let us show you a round your new Aspire computer. Front view # Item Description 1 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Disp lay (LCD), displays computer ou tput. 2 Power button Turns the computer on and o ff. 3 Easy-launch buttons Buttons[...]

2 English Closed front view 5 Status indicators Light-Emitting Diode s (LEDs) that turn on and off to show the status of the computer's fun ctions and components. 6 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands when you use the computer. 7 Click buttons (Left, center, and right) The left and right buttons function like the left and right mo[...]

3 English Left view 7 Battery indicator Lights up when the battery is being charged. # Icon Item Description 1 External display port Connects to a display device (e.g., external monitor, LCD projector). 2 S-video out port Connects to a television or disp lay device with S-video i nput. (selected models only) 3 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 1[...]

4 English Right view Rear view 10 PC Card slot eject button Ejects the PC Card from the slot. # Icon Item Description 1 Optical drive eject button Ejects the optical drive tray from the drive. 2 LED indicator Lights up when the optical drive is active . 3 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs depending on the o ptical drive type[...]

5 English Base view 2 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter. 3 USB 2.0 p ort Connects to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse, US B camera). # Item Description 1 Battery bay Houses the co mputer's battery pack. 2 Battery lock Locks the battery in position. 3 Cooling fan Helps keep the computer cool. Note : Do not cover or obstruct the opening of th[...]

6 English Specifications Operating system Microsoft ® Windows ® XP Home Edition (Service Pack 2) Platform Aspire 3600 Intel ® Pentium ® M processor 725 (2 MB L2 cache, 1.6 GHz, 400 MHz FSB) Intel ® Celeron ® M processor 350/360/370 or above (1 MB L2 cache, 1.3/1.4/1.5 GHz or above , 400 MHz FSB) Intel ® 910GML Express chipset Aspire 5500 Int[...]

7 English Dimensions and weight 335 (W) x 240 (D) x 31.9/34.1 (H) mm (13.2 x 9.45 x 1.26/1.34 inches) 2.38 kg (5.25 lbs.) Power subsystem ACPI 1.0b power management standard: supports Standby and Hibernation power-saving modes 53.6 W (6-cell) and 80.3 W (9-cell) Li-io n battery packs (for Aspire 5500) • 3-hour battery life for model s using ATI M[...]

8 English Note: The specifications listed above are for reference on ly. The exact config uration of you r PC depend s on the model p urchased. I/O interface Three USB 2.0 ports IEEE 1394 port (depending on model) Ethernet (RJ-45) port Modem (RJ-11) port External display (VGA) port S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) port (depen ding on model) Microphone/lin[...]

9 English Indicators The computer has three easy-to-read statu s indicators on th e upper-left above the keyboard, and four on the fron t panel. The power, battery, and wireless communi cation status indicators are visible even when the LCD display is cl osed. 1. Charging: The light shows amber when the battery is charging. 2. Fully charged: The li[...]

10 English Easy-launch buttons Located at the upper-left, above the keyboard are four buttons. These buttons are called Easy-launch button s. They are: mail, Web browser, Acer Empowe ring Key " " and one user-programmabl e button. Press " " to run the Acer eManager. Please see "Acer eManager" on page 19 . The mail and [...]

11 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 central location on the palmrest provides optimum co mfort and support. Touchpad basics The following items show you how to use the tou chpad: • Move y[...]

12 English Note: Keep your fingers dry and clean wh en using the touchpad. Also keep the touchpad dry and clean. The tou chpad is sensitive to finger movement; hence, the lighter the touch, the better the response. Tapping harder will not increase th e touchpad's responsiveness. Function Left button (1) Right button (4) Main touchpa d (2) Cent[...]

13 English Using the keyboard The keyboard has full-sized keys and an embedded keypad, separate cursor keys, two Windows keys and 12 function keys. Lock keys and embedded numeric keypad The keyboard has three lock keys which you can toggle on and off. The embedded numeric k eypad functions like a desktop num eric keypad. It is indicated by small ch[...]

14 English Windows keys The keyboard has two keys that perform Windows-specific functions. Hotkeys The computer employs hotkeys or key combinations to access m ost of the computer's controls like screen b rightness, volume output an d the BIOS utility. To activate hotkeys, press and hold the <Fn> key before pressing the other key in the [...]

15 English Hotkey Icon Function De scription <Fn> + <F1> Hotkey help Displays help on hotkeys. <Fn> + <F2> Acer eSettings Launches Acer eSettings in Acer eManager. See "Acer eManager" on page 19 . <Fn> + <F3> Acer ePower- Management Launches Acer ePowerM anagement in Acer eManager. See "Acer eManag[...]

16 English Special keys You can locate the Euro symbol and th e US dollar sign at the upper-center and/or bottom-right of yo ur keyboard. To type: The Euro symbol 1 Open a text editor or word processor. 2 Either directly press the < Euro> key at the bottom-right of the keyboard, or hold < Alt Gr> and then press the <5> key at the [...]

17 English Ejecting the optical (CD or DVD) drive tray To eject the optical drive tray when the computer is turned on, press the drive eject button. When the power is off, you can eject the drive tray by using the emergency eject hole (tray design drives only.) Using a computer security lock A security keylock notch, located on the c hassis of the [...]

18 English Audio The computer comes with 16-bit high -fidelity AC'97 stereo audio, and du al stereo speakers. Adjusting the volume Adjusting the volume on the computer is as easy as pressing some buttons. See "Hotkeys" on page 14 for more information on ad justing the speak er volume.[...]

19 English Using the system utilities Acer eManager The innovative Acer eMa nager software is designed for easy access to frequently used functions. Press " " to launch the Ac er eManager user interface, which features five main settings: Acer ePowerManagement, Acer eNetManagement, Acer ePresentation, Acer eRe covery and Acer eSettings. T[...]

20 English Note: When recovering your system using a CD or Acer eRecovery, detach all peripherals, including your A cer ezDock, to ensure the best results. Acer GridVista (dual- display compatible) Note: This feature is only available on certain models. To enable the dual monitor feature of you r notebook, first ensure that the second moni tor is c[...]

21 English 1 Run Acer GridVista and select your preferred screen configuration for each display from the taskbar. 2 Drag and drop each win dow into the approp riate grid. 3 Enjoy the c onvenience of a well-o rganized de sktop. Note: Please ensure that the resolu tion setting of your seco nd monitor is set to the manufa cturer's recommended val[...]

22 English Frequently asked questions The following is a list of possible situations that may arise during the use of your computer. Easy solutions are provided for each o ne. I pressed the power button and opened the display, but the computer does not start or b oot-up. Look at the power indicator: • If it is not lit, no power is being supplied [...]

23 English No audio is heard from the computer. Check the following: • The volume may be muted. In Windo ws, look at the volume control (speaker) icon on the taskbar. If it is crossed-out, click on the icon and deselect the Mute option. • The volume level may be too lo w. In Windows, look at the volume control icon on the taskbar. You can also [...]

24 English • Make sure that the printer cable is connected secu rely to the computer's parallel port or a USB port a nd the corresponding port on the printer. I want to set up my location to use the internal modem. To properly use your commu nication software (e.g. HyperTermin al), you need to set up your location: 1 Click on Start , Setti n[...]

25 English To start the recovery process: 1 Restart the system. 2 While the Acer logo is sho wing, press <Alt> + <F10> at the same time to enter the recovery process. 3 Refer to the on-screen instructio ns to perform system recovery. Important : This fe ature occupies 2 to 3 GB in a hidden partition on your hard drive. Requesting servic[...]

26 English You are required to provide the followin g information: Name: ____________ ___________ ______________ ________ Address: _________ ___________ _____________ __________ Telephone number: _______ _____________ _____________ Machine and model type: ___ ______________ ___________ Serial numbe r: ______________ ___________ _____________ Date o[...]

27 English Acer Arcade (for selected models) Acer Arcade is an integrated player fo r music, photos, DVD mo vies and videos. To watch or listen, click a content button (e.g., Music, Video, etc.) on the Arcade home page. • Cinema — Watch D VDs or VCDs • Album — View photos stored on you r hard drive or removable m edia • Video — Watch an[...]

28 English Arcade hotkeys When running in the Windows environmen t, the key combinations listed below are available to control and fine-tune the features and settings of Acer Arca de. Hotkey Function <Fn> + <F1> On line help menu <Fn> + <F3> Acer ePow erManagement with battery information <Fn> + <F5> Display togg[...]

29 English Finding and playing content Clicking a button on the A rcade home page opens the corresponding feature's home page. The c ontent pages have buttons on the left and a c ontent browsing area on the right. If a button shows one of several choices, such as sort order, the current setting is shown by a brig htly colored ba ll on the left[...]

30 English Navigation controls To return to the Arcade home page, clic k the Home button in the up per left corner of the window. To go up one folder level while searching for content, click Up one level . To return to a pre vious screen, click Return . The buttons in the upper right (minimize, maximize, an d close) have standard PC behaviours. To [...]

31 English DVD settings There are two types of DVD settings: "Video" and "Languag e." Click the appropriate button to op en its settings page. Video The Video settings control the video output of DVDs/VCDs. Hardware acceleration takes advantage of the special processing power of some graphics cards to reduce CPU load ing when pl[...]

32 English Album Acer Arcade lets you view digital photo s individually or as a slideshow, from any available drive on your compu ter. Click the Album button on th e Arcade Home page to show the Album ma in page. The content area on the right shows both indi vidual pictures and folders. Cli ck on a folder to open it.[...]

33 English To view a slideshow, open the folder co ntaining the pictures you wish to view, then click Play slideshow . Th e slideshow is played full-screen. Use the pop-u p control panel to control the slide show. To rotate a picture in full-screen, click Rotate right or Rotate left . You can also view a single pictu re by clicking on it. This ope [...]

34 English Video authoring Click the Video Authoring button to open the PowerProducer p rogram, which allows you to finalize your digital vid eo productions and bu rn them to disk. Before you prod uce your movie u sing Powe rProducer, first gather (or create) its component parts: video clips, photos, and background music. You may collect raw footag[...]

35 English Burner NTI CD/DVD-Maker simplifies today's digital lifestyle by providin g an easy and complete solution for recording da ta, audio, photos or video. Now you can bu rn and share any thing on CD /DVD — your data , music, p hotos or vide os — faster and easier than ever before. Copy — Back up your CD /DVD collection Make backup [...]

36 English Taking your notebook PC with you This section gives you tips and hin ts to consider when moving around or traveling with your comp uter. Disconnecting from the desktop Follow these steps to disconnect your computer from external accessories : 1 Save any open files. 2 Remove any media, floppy disks or compact disks from the drive(s). 3 Sh[...]

37 English Note: If the Sleep indicator is of f, the computer has entered Hibernation mode and is turned o f f. If the power indicator is off but the Sleep indicator is on, the compu ter has entered Sleep mode. In both cases, press and release the power button to turn the computer back on. Note that the co mputer may enter Hibernatio n mode after b[...]

38 English What to take with you Unless you have some items at home, take the followin g items with you: • AC adapter and power cord • The printed User's Guide Special considerations Follow these guidelines to protect yo ur computer while traveling to and from work: • Minimize the effects of temperature changes by keeping th e computer w[...]

39 English What to take with you Take the following items with you: • AC adapter • Spare, fully-charged battery pack(s) • Additional printer driver files if you plan to u se another printer Special considerations In addition to the guidelines for taking the co mputer home, follow these guidelines to protect your comp uter while traveling: •[...]

40 English Special considerations Follow the same special considerations as when traveling with the computer. In addition, these tips are useful when traveling i nternationally: • When traveling in another coun try, check that the local AC voltage and the AC adapter power cord specifications are com patible. If not, purchase a power cord that is [...]

41 English • Password on Boot secures your comp uter against unauthorized use. Combine the use of this password with password checkpo ints on boot-up and resume from Hibernat ion for maximum security. Important! Do not forget your Supervisor Password! If you forget your password, please get in touc h with your dealer or an authorized service cent[...]

42 English Expanding through options Your notebo ok PC offers you a complete mo bile computi ng experien ce. 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 following section. Fax/data modem Y[...]

43 English Built-in network feature The built-in network feature allows you to connect you r computer to an Ethernet-based network. To use the network feature, connect an Ethernet cab le from the network jack on the chassis of the co mputer to a network jack or hub o n your network. Fast Infrared (selected models only) The computer's Fast Infr[...]

44 English Universal Serial Bus (USB) The USB 2.0 port is a high-speed serial bus which allo ws you to connect USB peripherals without taking up precious system resources. IEEE 1394 port (sele cted models only) The computer's IEEE 1394 port allows you to connect to an IEEE 1394- compatible device like a video camera or digital camera. See your[...]

45 English PC Card slot The Type II PC Card slot of the comp uter accepts PC Cards that enhance the usability and expandability of the com puter. These cards should have a PC Card logo on the m. PC Cards (formerly PCMCIA) are add-on cards for portable computers, giving you expansion possibilities long afford ed by desktop PCs. Popular PC Cards incl[...]

46 English Installing memory Follow these steps to install memory: 1 Turn off the computer, unplug the AC adapter (if connected) and remove the battery pack. Then turn the computer over to access its base. 2 Remove the screws from the memory co ver; then lift up and remove the memory cover. 3 (a) Insert the memory module diag onally into the slot, [...]

47 English Enable disk-to-disk recovery To enable disk-to-disk recovery (hard disk recovery), activate the B IOS utility, then select Main from the categories listed at the top of the screen. Find D2D Recovery at the bottom of th e screen and use the <F5> and <F6> keys to set this value to Enabled . Password To set a password on boot, a[...]

48 English Note: To change the region code, in sert a DVD movie of a different region into the DVD dr ive. Pl ease refer t o the o nline help for more information. 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[...]

49 English Acer eRecovery Acer eRecovery is a tool to quickly backup and restore the system. You can create and save a backup of the current sy stem con figuration to hard drive, CD or DVD. Acer eRecovery consists of the following functions: 1 Create backup 2 Restore from backup 3 Create factory default image CD 4 Re-install bundled so ftware witho[...]

50 English Restore from backup You can restore backups previously created (as stated in the Create backup section) from hard drive, CD or DVD. 1 Boot to Windows XP. 2 Press <Alt> + <F10> to open the Acer eRecovery utility. 3 Enter the password to proceed. Th e default password is six zeros. 4 In the Acer eRecovery window, select Recover[...]

51 English 6 Select the desired driver/application and follow the in structions on screen to re-install. At first launch, Acer eRecovery prepares all the needed software and may take few seconds to bring up th e software content window. Change password Acer eRecovery and Acer disk-to-disk recovery are protected by a p assword that can be changed by[...]

52 English Troubleshooting This chapter shows you how to deal with common system problems. Read it before calling a technician if a pro blem occurs. Solutions to more serious problems require openin g up the computer. Do not atte mpt to open the computer yourself; co ntact your dealer or authorized service center for assistance. Troubleshooting tip[...]

53 English English If you still encounter problems after going thro ugh the corrective measures, please contact your dealer or an authorized service c enter for assistance. Some problems may be solved using the BIOS u tility.[...]

54 English Regulations and safety notices ENERGY STAR guidelines compliance As an ENERGY STAR partner, Acer Inc . has determined that this product mee ts the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficien cy. FCC notice This device has been tested and fo und to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. Th[...]

55 English English Operation conditions This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this d evice may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, inclu ding interference that may cause undesired ope ration. Notice: Canadian users This Cla[...]

56 English Modem notices Notice for USA This equipment complies with Part 68 of the FCC rules. Located on the modem is a label that contains, among other info rmation, the FCC Registration Number and Ringer Equivalence Number (REN) for this equip ment. Upon request, you must provide this information to your telep hone company. If your telephone equ[...]

57 English English List of applicable countries EU member states as of May 2004 are: Belgium , Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdo m Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovak Rep ublic, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta. Usage allo[...]

58 English 4 Some parameters required for comp liance with Telecom's Telepermit requirements are dependent on the equipm ent (PC) associated with this device. In order to operate within th e limits for compliance with Telecom's specifications, the associated equipment shall be set to ensure that automatic calls to different numbers ar e s[...]

59 English English Important safety instructions Read these instructions carefully. Save them for future reference. 1 Follow all warnings and instruct ions marked on the product. 2 Unplug this product from the wall outlet before c leaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a water-moistened cloth for cleaning. 3 Do not use this pr[...]

60 English e If the produc t has been drop ped or the case has b een damaged. f If the produc t exhibits a di stinct cha nge in perf ormance, in dicating a need for service. 12 The notebook PC series uses lithium batteries. Replace the battery with the same type as the product's battery we recommend in the product specificatio n list. Use of a[...]

61 English English LCD pixel statement The LCD unit is produced with high-precision manu facturing techniques. Nevertheless, some pixels may occasion ally misfire or appear as black or red dots. This has no effect on the re corded image and do es not constitute a malfunction. Macrovision copyright protection notice This product incorporates copy ri[...]

62 English European Union (EU) This device complies with the essentia l requirements of the Europ ean Council Directives listed below: 73/23/EEC Low Voltage Directive • EN 60950 89/336/EEC Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive • EN 55022 • EN 55024 • EN 61000-3-2/-3 99/5/EC Radio & Telecommunica tions Terminal Equipment (R& [...]

63 English English The FCC RF safety requirement The radiated output power of the wireless LAN Mini PCI C ard and Bluetooth card is far below the FCC radio frequen cy exposure limits. Nevertheless, the notebook PC series shall be used in such a mann er that the potential for human contact during norm al operation is minimized as follo ws: 1 Users a[...]

64 English 4 An improper installation or un authorized use may c ause harmful interference to radio communications. Also any tampering of the internal antenna will void the FCC certification and your warranty. Canada - Low power license-exempt radio communication devices (RSS-210) a Common information Operation is subject to the following two c ond[...]

65 English English Federal Communications Comission Declaration of Conformity This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This d evice may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device must ac cept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired opera[...]

66 English Declaration of Conf ormity for CE Marking Is in compliance with the essential requ irements and other relevant provisions of the following EC directives. The product specified ab ove was tested conforming to the applicable Rules under the most accurate measurement standards possible, and all the necessary steps have been taken and are in[...]

67 English Index A AC adapter caring for iv audio 18 adjusting the volume 18 troublesh ooting 23 B battery pack caring for v BIOS utility 46 brightness hotkeys 15 C caps lock 13 on indicator 9 care AC adapter iv battery pack v computer iv CD-ROM ejecting 17 ejecting manually 23 troublesh ooting 23 cleaning computer v computer bringing to meetings 3[...]

68 English N network 43 Notebook Man ager hotkey 15 num lock 13 on indicator 9 numeric keypad embedded 13 P password 40 types 40 PC Card 45 ejecting 45 inserting 45 ports 42 printer troublesh ooting 23 problems 22 CD-ROM 23 display 22 keyboard 23 printer 23 startup 22 troublesh ooting 52 Q questions setting location for modem use 24 S safety CD or [...]