Acer TravelMate 660 series manual

T ravelMate 660 series User’ s guide[...]

Changes may be made peri odically to the i nformation in this publication without obligation to notify any pers on of such revi sion or changes. Such changes wi ll be inco rporated in new editions of thi s manual or supplem entary documents and publ ications. This com pany makes no representati ons or warranties, ei ther expressed or im plied, with[...]

iii English First things first W e would like to thank you for m aking the T ravelMate series of notebook computers your choice fo r your mobile computing needs. W e hope you will be happ y with your T ravel Mate as much as we enjoyed making it for you. Yo u r g u i d e s To help you use your Tr avelMate, we have design ed a set of gui des: For mor[...]

iv English Basic car e and tips for using your computer T urning your computer on and off To turn on the computer, s imply pr ess the power butto n on the left of the launch keys found above your Tr avelMate’s sta ndard keyboard. See “Front op en view” on page 3 for the location of the power switch. To turn th e power of f, do any of the foll[...]

v English • Do not expose the computer to rain or moisture. • Do not spill water or any liquid on the co mputer . • Do not subject the computer to heavy shoc k and vibration. • Do not expose the computer to dust an d dirt. • Never p lace o bject s on top o f the comput er to a void d amagi ng the computer . • Do not slam the computer di[...]

vi English 3 Use a soft cloth moistened with water . Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners . 4 T o clean th e display scre en, use an LCD cle aning kit. If any of the following occurs: • The computer has been drop ped or the bo dy has been damaged. • Liquid has been spil led into the prod uct. • The computer does not operate normally . Please[...]

First things first iii Your guides iii Basic care and tips for using your compute r iv 1 Getting to know your TravelMate 1 A TravelMate tour 3 Front open view 3 Front view 4 Left view 6 Right view 7 Rear view 8 Bottom view 9 Featur es 11 Indicators 13 Using t he keyb oard 14 Special ke ys 14 Launch Keys 20 Touchpad 2 2 Touchpad basics 22 Storage 24[...]

Contents viii Launch Manager 54 BIOS Utili ty 54 3 Troubleshooting my computer 55 Frequently-asked questions 57 Troubleshooting ti ps 60 Error messages 61 Requesting service 62 International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) 62 Before you call 62 Appendix A Specifications 65 Appendix B Notices 71 Index 79[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate[...]

Y our T ravelMate computer combines high- performance, versatility , power management features and multimedia capabilities with a unique style and ergonom ic design. W ork with unmatched productivi ty and reliability with your new powe r computing partner .[...]

3 English A T ravelMate tour After setting up your computer as illust rated in the Just for Starters... poster, let us show you ar ou nd your new TravelM ate computer. Fr ont open view # Item Description 1 Display screen Also called LCD (liquid -crystal display), displays computer outpu t. 2 Power button T u rns on the co mputer . 3 To u c h p a d [...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 4 English Fr ont view 5 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands when you use the comp uter . 6 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer . 7 Status indicators LEDs (light-emitting di ode) that turn on an d off to show the status of the computer , its functions and comp onents. 8 Microphone Internal microph[...]

5 English Notes: 1.Four-in-one card reader is a man ufacturing opti on, subject to configuration. On ly one card can op erate at any given time. 2.Blueto oth button a nd indica tor work on models with Bl uetooth only . 3 . I n v i L i n k b u t t o n a n d i n d i c a t o r w o r k o n m o d e l s w i t h w i r e l e s s LAN only . 5 Bluetoot h but[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 6 English Left view # Item Description 1 Four USB 2.0 po rts Connect to Universal Serial Bus devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB camera). 2 IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 devices. 3 Smart Card slot Slot for Smart Card interface with pre-boot authentication system . 4 Line- in jac k Accepts audio line-in devices ([...]

7 English Right view Note: The positions of the Ac erMedia indicator , eject button and emergency eject h ole may differ depending on the optic al drive module installed. # Item Description 1 AcerMedia drive Houses a removable media drive module. 2 AcerMedia indicator Lights up when the AcerMedia d rive is active. 3 Eject button Ejects the drive tr[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 8 English Rear view # Item Descri ption 1 Modem jack Connects to a phone line. 2 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-based network. 3 Expansion port Connects to I/O port replicator or EasyPort expansion devices. 4 Parallel port Con nects to a parallel device (e.g., pa rallel printer). 5 External display p[...]

9 English Bottom view # Item Description 1 AcerMedia bay release latch Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for removing the optical drive. 2 AcerMedia bay Houses an AcerMedia drive m odule. 3 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack . 4 Battery release latch Unlatches the battery to remove the battery pack. 5 Battery lock Locks the battery in [...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 10 English 10 Cooling fan Helps keep the computer cool. Note : Don’t cover or obstruct the opening of the fan. 11 Personal identification slot Insert a business card or similar-sized identification card to personalize your computer . # Item Description[...]

11 English Featur es Below is a brief summary of the computer’s many fea tures: Performance • Intel® Pentium® M Processor at 1.3G~1.6G and higher • Memory upgradeable up to 2 GB with 2 slots (Only one slot for user accessible) • Internal removable optical drive (AcerMedia bay) • High-capacity , Enhance d-IDE hard disk • Li-ion main ba[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 12 English Connectivity • High-speed fax/data modem port • Ethernet/Fast Ethernet port • Fast infrared wireless communication • Four (4) USB 2.0 (Universal Serial Bus) ports • IEEE 1394 port • InviLink 802.11b or 802.11a/g wireles s LAN (manufacturing optional ) • Bluetooth ready (manu facturing o p[...]

13 English Indicators The computer has three easy-to-read status indicators below the display screen, and two on the front of the compute r. The Power and Battery status indica t ors are visible even when the display i s closed . Icon Function Description Caps lock Lights when Caps Lock is activated. Num lock Lights when Num Lock is activated. Medi[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 14 English Using the keyboar d The full-sized keyboard include s an emb edded numeri c keyp ad, separate cursor keys, two Window s keys and twelve function keys. Special keys Lock keys The keyboard has three lock keys which you c an toggle on an d off. Lock key Description Caps Lock When Caps Lock is on, all alph[...]

15 English Embedded numeric keypad The embedded numeric keypad func tions like a desktop numeric keypad. It is indi cated by small ch aracters located on the upper right corner of the keycaps. To simplify the k eyboard legend, cursor-control key symbols are not printed on the keys. Note: If an external keyboard or keypad is connected to the compute[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 16 English W indows keys The keyboard has two keys that pe rform Windows-spec if ic fun ctions. Hot keys The computer employs hot keys or ke y combinat ions to access m ost of the computer’s controls like sc reen brightness, volume ou tput and the BIOS Utility. Key Description Windows logo key Start button. Com[...]

17 English To activate hot keys, pres s and hold the Fn ke y before pressing the other k ey in the hot ke y combin ation. Hot key Icon Function Description Fn-F1 Hot ke y help Displays help on hot keys. Fn-F2 Se tup Accesses the computer’ s configuration utility . Fn-F3 Power management scheme toggle Switches the power managem ent sche me used by[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 18 English The Euro symbol If your ke yboard la yout is set to Un ited Stat es-International or Unite d Kingdom or if you have a keyb oard w ith a European layout, you can type the Euro symbol on your keyboard. Fn-F6 Sc reen blank T urns the display screen backlight off to save power . Press any key to return. Fn[...]

19 English Note for US keyboard users: The keyboard layout is set when you first set up Windows. For the Euro symbol to work, the keyboard layout has to be set to United States-International. To verify the keyboard type in Windows Millen nium Edition and Windows 2000, follow the steps below: 1 Click on Start , Settings , Control Panel . 2 Double-cl[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 20 English Launch Keys Located above the keyboard are five buttons. The left -most button is the power butto n. To the right of the power button are the four launc h keys. They a re desi gnate d as th e mai l butt on, the web br owser button, an d two programmabl e buttons (P 1 and P2). E-Mail Detection Click rig[...]

21 English Aside from the email checking functi on, there is a mail button that is used to launch the email applicatio n. It is located above the keyboa rd right below the LCD.[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 22 English T ouchpad The built -in touchp ad is a poin ting de vice that sen ses movement on its surface. This means the cursor respon ds as you move your finger on the surface of the touchpad. The c entral loca tion on the palmrest provides optimum comfort a nd support. Note: When using an external USB mouse, yo[...]

23 English T appi ng on the touc hpad produces similar results . • Use the 4-way scroll (2) button (top/b ottom/left and right) to scroll a page up, do wn, left or right. This bu tton mimics your cursor pressing on the vertical and horizont al scroll bars of Windows applications. Note: Keep your fingers dry an d clean when using th e touchpad. Al[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 24 English Storage This comp uter su ppli es you with the following me dia storage: • High-capacity Enhanc ed-IDE hard disk • AcerMedi a drive Har d disk The high-capacity ha rd dis k is the answer to your storage needs. This is where your programs and data are stor ed. AcerMedia bay The AcerMedia bay accepts[...]

25 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 p ower is of f, you ca n eject t he drive tray us ing the emergency eject hole. See page 58 . Using softwar e Playing DVD movies When the DVD-ROM drive module is installed in the AcerMedia ba [...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 26 English 2 The DVD movie will automatica lly play after a few seconds. Note: T o chan ge the region code, insert a DVD movie of a different region into the DVD-RO M drive. Please refer to the online help for more in formation. Region code Country or region 1 U.S.A. , Canada 2 Europe, Middle East, South Africa ,[...]

27 English Audio The computer comes with 16-bit hi gh-fidel ity AC’97 stereo au dio, and includes a bu ilt-in sensitive micr ophone an d dual stereo speakers. There are audio ports on the left of the computer. See “Left view” on page 6 for mor e information on conn ecting external audio devic es. Adjusting the volume Adjusting the volume on t[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 28 English Power management This comput er has a built-i n powe r management unit that moni tors system activity. System activity refers to any activity involvin g one or more of the following devices: keyb oard, mouse, floppy drive, hard disk, peripherals connecte d to the ser ial and parallel ports, and video m[...]

29 English Moving ar ound with your T ravelMate This sect ion gives you tips an d hints to con sider when moving around or traveli ng with your computer. Disconnecting fr om the desktop Follow these steps to disconnect your computer from external accessor ies: 1 Save your work in progress. 2 Remove any media, diskette or compact dis c, from the dr [...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 30 English - or - you can put the computer in Sleep mode by pressing Fn-F4 . Then close and latch the display. When you are ready to use the comp uter again, unla tch and open the display; then slide and release the power switch. Note: If the sleep indicator is off, the computer has entered Hiberna tion mode a nd[...]

31 English from the drive(s). Failure to re move the media can damage the drive head. • Pack the computer in a protecti ve case that can prevent the computer from sl iding around and cushion it if it should fall . Caution: Avoid packing items next to the top cover of the computer . Pressure against the top cover can damage the screen What to brin[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 32 English If you use your computer at home for significant periods of time, you might also want to add an extern al keyboard, monitor, or mouse. T raveling with the computer “when you are moving within a larger distance, for instance, fr om your office buildi ng to a client’s o ffice buildin g or traveling l[...]

33 English What to bring with you Bring the fol lowing items with you: • AC adapter • Power cords that a re appropriate for the country to which you are traveling • Spare, ful ly-charged battery p acks • AcerMedia dr ive module (s) • Additional printer driver files if you plan to use ano ther printer • Proof of purch ase, in case yo u n[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 34 English Securing your computer Your computer is a valu able investme nt th at you nee d to take care of. Learn how to protec t and take care of yo ur computer. Security features include hardware and software locks — a security notch, Smart Card and passwords. Using a computer security lock A security keylock[...]

35 English the Smart Card. If your Smart Card is unavailable, you can use the Emergency Card as a temporary replacement card. • PlatinumKey auto-a uthenticate and auto cache with one-click logons to all password-required websites (patent pending), eliminates the overhead costs as sociated with memor izing and typing user IDs and passwords wh en s[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 36 English Registering your Smart Car d Important! Y our Ac er notebook is equipped with a Smart Card security feature that protects the computer from una uthorized access. If you enable this feature, please make sure that you r warranty card is completed and sent back to Acer . This information will be used by A[...]

37 English PlatinumSecur e Options Click on the PlatinumSecure O ptions button to open the Smart Card Options win dow. It prov ides great f lexibility to meet the various privacy protec tion needs of m any different us ers. • Disable Smart Card Authentication When Disable PlatinumP AS is selected, the PlatinumPAS Preboot Authentication System wil[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 38 English Smart Card Manager The Multiple user support is impl emented and managed in Smart Card Manager. Please note th at five user s can be registered on one PC. If you registered as the Primary User, ONLY you can add/remove othe r users. If you registered as a regula r user, other registered users could add/[...]

39 English Running PlatinumKey PlatinumKey provides one-click lo gon to all password-required websites. With its unique Smart Card caching tec hnology, you ca n greatly extend the limited card me mory size to unlimited use by storing your private data in an encrypted f ile ei ther on the Smart Car d, or on the 360 Degre e Web secur e webs ite serve[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 40 English Password, and Web URL. Si milarly, type the first letter(s) of a site on the list, and the site will be searched and selected. You can Edit and Delete t he sites as well as other in formation, an d Save or Cancel the changes yo u made, by selecting the button corresponding to each command. Using passwo[...]

41 English parameter is enabled, a prompt appe ars at boot-up. • T ype the User Pas sword and press Enter to use th e comp uter . If you enter the pass word incorrect ly , a warning message appears. T ry again and press Enter . • When the Hard Disk Password is se t, a prompt appears at boot-up. • T ype the Hard Disk Password and press Enter t[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 42 English[...]

2 Customizing my computer[...]

After learning the basics of your T ravelMate computer , let’ s get acquainted with the advanced features of your computer . In this chapter , you will lear n how to add options, upgrade components for better performance, and customize your computer .[...]

45 English Expanding thr ough options Your TravelMate offers you a complete mobile computing e xperience. Connectivity options Ports allow you to co nnect peripheral devices to your computer as you would with a de sktop PC. For instructions on how to connect different external devices to the computer, see your online guide for more details. Fax/dat[...]

2 Customiz ing my com puter 46 English Built-in network featur e The built-in ne twork feature allows you to connect your c omputer to an Ethernet-ba sed (10/100 Mbps ) network. To use the network feature, conn ect an Ether net cable f rom the network jack on the rear of the co mputer to a network jack or hub on your network . Fast infrar ed The co[...]

47 English Universal Serial Bus The Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0) port is a high-speed serial bus which allows you to connect and daisy-ch ain USB peripheral s without taking up precious system resources. Your computer has four ports available.[...]

2 Customiz ing my com puter 48 English IEEE 1394 port The computer's IEEE 1394 port allo ws you to connect to an IEEE 1394 supported devices like a video camera or digital camera. See your video or digital camera 's documentation for detai ls. PC Car d slot The type II CardBus PC Card slot foun d on the left side of the compute r accepts [...]

49 English Inserting a PC Card Insert the card into th e slot and make the prop er connections (e.g., network cab le), if necessary. Se e your card m anual for details. Ejecting a PC Card Before ejecting a PC Card: 1 Exit the applic ation using the card. 2 Left-click on the PC Car d icon on the taskbar and stop the card operation . 3 Press the slot[...]

2 Customiz ing my com puter 50 English Port expansion devices Two types of expansio n devices are available for your computer: • I/O replic ator - adds seri al port and parallel port connections to your computer . • EasyPort - adds a host of port s for your comput er , and allows you to connect and disconnect periph erals from your computer in [...]

51 English Installing memory Follow these steps to install memory: 1 T urn off the c omputer , unplug th e AC adapter (if connec ted) and remove the battery pack. Then turn the computer over to acce ss its base. 2 Remove the screws from the memory cover (a); then lift up and remove the memory cover (b). 3 Insert the memory module diagonally int o t[...]

2 Customiz ing my com puter 52 English Swapping AcerMedi a drive modules Note : The hard disk drive module is not hot-swappable. Y ou have to turn off your computer be fore you can sw ap the module. You can sw ap the AcerMedia d riv e with any optional AcerMedia modules. First slide the AcerMedia release latch as shown in the illustration (a). Then[...]

53 English Using system utilities Notebook Manager The computer has a built-in system setup progr am called Notebook Manager. The Windows-based Notebo ok Manager allows you to set passwords , the startup seq uence of the dri ves, and power management settings. It also show s current hardware configurations. To start the Notebo ok Manager, press Fn-[...]

2 Customiz ing my com puter 54 English Launch Manager Launch Manager allo ws you to set the four launch keys located above the keyboard. See “Launc h Keys” on page 20 for the location of the launch k ey. You can ac cess the Launch Manager by clicki ng on Start , Programs , and then Launch Manager to start t he application. BIOS Utility The BIOS[...]

3 T r oubleshooting my computer[...]

This chapter instructs y ou on how to deal with common system problem s. Read it before calling a technician if a problem occurs. Solutions to more se rious problems require opening up the computer . Do not attempt to open the computer by yourself. Contact your dealer or an authorized service center for assistance. key link: www .acersupport.com[...]

57 English Fr equently-asked questions The following is a l ist of possible situations th at may arise during the use of your comp uter. Easy ans we rs and solutions ar e provided for each one. I slid the power switch and opened the display , but the comp uter do es not start or bo ot-up. Look at the Power indicator: • If it is not lit, no power [...]

3 T rou bleshooting my computer 58 English Image is not full-screen. The computer display has a native res olution of 1024 x 768 (XGA) for the 14.1” and 1400 x 1050 (SXGA+) for the 15.0”. If you set the resolution lower than this, the scre en expands to fill the computer display. Right-click on your Win dows desktop an d select Prop erties to b[...]

59 English The keyboard does not r espond. Try attaching an external keyboard to the USB 2.0 connector on the rear of the computer. If it works, co ntact your dealer or an authorized service center as the internal keyboard cable may be loose. The infrared port does not work. Check the following: • Make sure that the infrared port s of the two dev[...]

3 T rou bleshooting my computer 60 English T r oubleshooting tips This notebook comp uter incorporates an advanced design that delivers onscreen error message reports to help you solve problems. If the system report s an error mess age or an error sy mpt om occurs, see “Erro r messag es” on pa ge 61 . If the problem cannot be resolved, contact [...]

61 English Err or messages If you receive an error messa ge, note the message and take the corrective action. The fo llowing table lists th e error messages in alphabetical order together with the recommended course of action. If you still encounte r problems a fter going through the corrective measures, please contact your dealer or an authorized [...]

3 T rou bleshooting my computer 62 English Requesting service Inter national T raveler ’ s W arranty (ITW) Your computer is backed by an In terna tional Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) that gives you security and peac e of mind when traveling. Our worldwide network of service center s are there to give you a helping hand. An ITW passport come s with [...]

63 English You are required to provide the following information: Name:______________________________________ __ Address:________________________________ ______ _________________________________ _____________ Telephone number:____________________________ Machine and model type:_______________________ Serial number:_________________________________ [...]

3 T rou bleshooting my computer 64 English[...]

Appendix A Specifications[...]

This appendix lists the gener al specifications of your computer .[...]

67 English Micr opr ocessor • Intel® Pentium® M Processo r with 1024KB L2 cac he Memory • Main memory ex pandable up to 2 GB • T wo DDR DIMM slots (Only one slot for user access ible) • Support 256M, 512M & 1GB DDR RAM modules • 512 KB Flash ROM BIOS Data storage • One high-ca pacity , Enhanc ed-IDE hard disk • One 5.25-inch int[...]

Appendix A Specifications 68 English I/O ports • One type II CardBu s PC Card slot • One RJ-45 jack (Et hernet 10/100) • One RJ-1 1 phone jack (V .90/92) • One DC-in jack for AC adapter • One parallel port • One VGA port for ex ternal monitor • One speaker/headphone-out jac k (3.5mm mini jack) • One audio l ine-in jack (3. 5mm mini [...]

69 English System • ACPI suppor t • DMI 2.0-compliant • Microsoft Windows op erating s ystem Power • Battery pack • 65Wh Li-ion battery p ack • 2.0-hour r apid cha rge/3.5 -hour charge-in-u se • AC adapter • 75-Watt • Auto sensing 90~264V ac, 47~63Hz Options • 256MB/512MB/1GB me mory upgrade modules • Additional Li-Ion battery[...]

Appendix A Specifications 70 English[...]

Appendix B Notices[...]

This appendix lists the gene ral notices of your computer .[...]

73 English FCC notice This device has been tested a nd found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 o f the FCC Ru les. These limits are design ed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This device generates, uses , and can radiate radio frequency energy and, [...]

Appendix B Notices 74 English Notice: Canadian users This Class B digital apparatus m eets all requirements of the Canadia n Interference-Causing Equ ipment Regula tions. Remar que à l’intention de s utilisateurs canadiens Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respected toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brou illeur du Canada. [...]

75 English Important safety instructions Read these instructions carefully . Save these instructions for future reference. 1 Follow all warnings and instruct ions marked on the product. 2 Unplug this product from th e wall outlet before cleaning. Do no t use liquid cleaners or aerosol clean ers. Use a damp cloth fo r cleaning. 3 Do not us e this p [...]

Appendix B Notices 76 English controls may result in damage a nd will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restor e the product to normal cond ition. e If the pr oduct has bee n dropped or the cabin et has been d amaged f If the pr oduct ex hibits a dist inct c hange in performa nce, indi cating a need for service. 12 Replace t[...]

77 English Lithium battery statement The TravelMate 660 series uses the lithium ba ttery, models SQ- 1100 and SQU-202 only . CAUTION Danger of explosion if battery is in correctly replaced. Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Dispose of used batt eries according to local regulations. Re cycle if at all pos[...]

Appendix B Notices 78 English LCD pixel statement The LCD unit is produc ed with high-prec ision manu facturin g techniques. Nevertheless, some pixe ls may occasionally misfire or appear as black or colored dots . Th is has no effect on the record ed imag e and does n ot cons titut e a malfunc tion. Macr ovision copyright pr otection notice This pr[...]

79 Index A AC adapter caring for v AcerMedia drive 24 audio 27 adjusting the volum e 27 trouble shootin g 58 B battery pack caring for v BIOS utility 54 brightness hotkeys 18 C caps lock 14 on indicator 13 care AC adapter v battery pack v computer iv CD-ROM ejecting 25 ejecting manually 58 trouble shootin g 58 cleaning computer v computer bringing [...]

80 installing 51 upgrading 50 messages error 61 modem 45 N network 46 Notebook Ma nager 53 hotkey 17 notice DVD copyright pr otection 78 num lock 14 on indicator 13 numeric keypad num lock 15 O online services 62 options memory upgrade 50 P password 40 types 40 PC Card 48 ejecting 49 inserting 49 ports 45 POST (power-on self-test) 54 printer troubl[...]

81 W warranty International Traveler’s Warran - ty 62 Windows keys 16[...]