Lenovo 3231 manual

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T hinkC e n tr e Us er Gu i d e[...]

Note Before using this information and the pr oduct it supports, be sure to read and understand the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide and “Notices,” on page 77. Second Edition (May 2009) © Copyright Lenovo 2009. All rights reserved. LENOVO products, data, computer softwar e, and services have been developed exclusively at private expense a[...]

Contents Important safety information . . . . . .v Chapter 1. Product overview . . . . . .1 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Software overview . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Software pr ovided with your W indows operating system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Lo[...]

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Important safety information CAUTION: Before using this manual, be sure to read and understand all the related safety information for this product. Refer to the ThinkCentre Safety and W arranty Guide that you received with this product for the latest safety information. Reading and understanding this safety information reduces the risk of personal [...]

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Chapter 1. Product overview This chapter provides an intr oduction to the features and options that are available for your computer . Yo u can expand the capabilities of your computer by adding memory modules, drives, or adapter cards. When installing or r eplacing an option, use these instructions along with the instructions that come with the opt[...]

Audio subsystem v Audio line-in connector , audio line-out connector , and microphone connector on the rear panel v High Definition (HD) with ADI 1882 Audio Codec v Microphone connector and headphone connector on the fr ont panel v Mono internal speaker (some models) Connectivity v 10/100/1000 Mbps integrated Ethernet controller v PCI V .90 Data/Fa[...]

Power v 280-watt auto-sensing power supply (some models) v 280-watt power supply with manual voltage-selection switch (some models) v 320-watt auto-sensing power supply (some models) v 450-watt auto-sensing power supply (some models) v Automatic 50/60 Hz input frequency switching v Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) support Security [...]

Specifications This section lists the physical specifications for your computer . Dimensions W idth: 175 mm (6.89 inches) Height: 402 mm (15.83 inches) Depth: 440 mm (17.32 inches) W eight Maximum configuration as shipped: 11 kg (24.25 lbs) Environment Air temperature: Operating: 10° to 35°C (50° to 95°F) Non-operating: -40° to 60°C (-40° to[...]

Software overview This section describes the software pr einstalled on the computers that have an internal hard disk drive and an operating system fr om Lenovo. Software provided with your Windows operating system This section describes the W indows applications included with your computer . Software provided by Lenovo The following software applic[...]

PC-Doctor for Windows PE The PC-Doctor for W indows PE diagnostic program is pr einstalled on your hard disk drive. It is part of the Rescue and Recovery workspace on each Lenovo computer to diagnose hardwar e problems and report operating-system-contr olled settings that can cause hardwar e failures. Use the PC-Doctor for W indows PE if you are un[...]

Locations Locating connectors on the front of your computer Figure 1 shows the location of the connectors on the fr ont of your computer . Note: Not all computer models have the following connectors. 1 USB connector 3 Microphone connector 2 Headphone connector 4 USB connector Figure 1. Front connector locations Chapter 1. Pr[...]

Locating connectors on the rear of your computer Figure 2 shows the location of the connectors on the r ear of your computer . Some connectors on the rear of your computer ar e color-coded to help you determine where to connect the cables on your computer . 1 V oltage-selection switch (some models) 10 USB connectors (2) 2 Power co[...]

Connector Description Audio line-in connector Used to receive audio signals fr om an external audio device, such as a stereo system. When you attach an external audio device, a cable is connected between the audio line-out connector of the device and the audio line-in connector of the computer . Audio line-out connector Used to send audio signals f[...]

Locating components To remove the computer cover , see “Removing the computer cover” on page 14. Figure 3 shows the location of the various components in your computer . 1 Micropr ocessor , heat sink, and heat sink fan assembly 6 PCI Express x16 graphics adapter car d slot 2 Memory slots (4) 7 Cover presence switch (also[...]

Locating parts on the system board Figure 4 shows the location of the parts on the system boar d. 1 Micropr ocessor 15 Front USB connector 1 2 Micropr ocessor fan connector 16 Front USB connector 2 3 Memory slot 1 17 Clear CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)/Recovery jumper 4 Memory slot 2 18?[...]

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Chapter 2. Installing options and replacing hardware This chapter provides instr uctions for installing options and replacing har dware for your computer . Yo u can expand the capabilities of your computer by adding memory modules, adapter cards, or drives. When installing or r eplacing an option, use these instructions along with the instructions [...]

Installing external options External speakers, a printer , or a scanner can be connected to your computer . For some external options, you must install additional software in addition to making the physical connection. When installing an external option, see “Locating connectors on the front of your computer” on page 7 and “Locating connector[...]

6. Press the cover -release button on the side of the computer cover and slide the computer cover to the rear to r emove. Removing and installing the front bezel This section provides instr uctions on how to remove and install the fr ont bezel. To remove and install the fr ont bezel: 1. Remove the computer cover . See “Removing the computer cover[...]

2. Release the three plastic tabs on the left side and pivot the fr ont bezel outward to remove it. Car efully set the bezel to the side without disconnecting the power switch and LED assembly cable. 3. To reinstall the fr ont bezel, align the plastic tabs on the right side of the front bezel with the corresponding holes in the chassis, then pivot [...]

To install or replace an adapter car d: 1. Remove the computer cover . See “Removing the computer cover” on page 14. 2. At the rear of the computer , press the r elease button 1 to open the adapter card latch 2 . Remove the appr opriate slot cover . If you ar e replacing an adapter card, r emove the adapter card that is currently in[...]

b. If the adapter card is held in place by a r etaining latch, press the adapter card r etaining latch 1 as shown to disengage the latch. Grasp the adapter card and then gently pull the adapter car d out of the slot. 3. Remove the new adapter card fr om its static-protective package. 4. Install the adapter card into the appr opriate slot on t[...]

Installing or replacing a memory module Attention Do not open your computer or attempt any repair befor e reading and understanding the “Important safety information” in the ThinkCentre Safety and W arranty Guide that came with your computer . To obtain a copy of the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide , go to: http://www .lenovo.com/support [...]

If you are r eplacing an old memory module, open the retaining clips and remove the memory module being r eplaced as shown. 5. Position the memory module over the memory slot. Make sure that the notch 1 on the memory module aligns correctly with the slot key 2 on the system board. Push the memory module straight down into the slot until[...]

v Removable media drives Note: These types of drives are also r eferred to as integrated drive electronics (IDE) drives. Internal drives are installed in bays. In this manual, the bays ar e referred to as bay 1, bay 2, and so on. When you install an internal drive, it is important to note the type and size of the drive that you can install in each [...]

Figure 12 shows the location of the drive bays. The following list describes the type and size of the drive that you can install in each bay: 1 Bay 1 - Maximum height: 43.0 mm (1.7 inches) v Optical drive such as CD drive or DVD drive (preinstalled in some models) v 5.25-inch hard disk drive v 3.5-inch hard disk drive (requir es a Universal A[...]

Installing a drive in bay 1 or bay 2: Attention Do not open your computer or attempt any repair befor e reading and understanding the “Important safety information” in the ThinkCentre Safety and W arranty Guide that came with your computer . To obtain a copy of the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide , go to: http://www .lenovo.com/support Th[...]

6. For a 5.25-inch drive, install the retainer on the side of the drive. 7. For a 3.5-inch drive, you must use a Universal Adapter Bracket, 5.25 to 3.5-inch. Yo u can obtain a Universal Adapter Bracket, 5.25 to 3.5-inch from a local computer retailer or by contacting the Customer Support Center . Install the retainer on the side of the Universal Ad[...]

4. Locate one of the extra five-wire power connectors and connect it to the drive. What to do next v To work with another option, go to the appropriate section. v To complete the installation, go to “Completing the parts replacement” on page 45. Figure 16. Connecting a S ATA drive Chapter 2. Installing options and replacing har dware 25[...]

Replacing the battery Attention Do not open your computer or attempt any repair befor e reading and understanding the “Important safety information” in the ThinkCentre Safety and W arranty Guide that came with your computer . To obtain a copy of the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide , go to: http://www .lenovo.com/support Y our computer has[...]

7. Use the Setup Utility program to set the date, time, and any passwor ds. See Chapter 4, “Using the Setup Utility,” on page 59. Replacing the power supply assembly Attention Do not open your computer or attempt any repair befor e reading and understanding the “Important safety information” in the ThinkCentre Safety and W arranty Guide tha[...]

6. Install the new power supply assembly into the chassis so that the screw holes in the power supply assembly align with those in the chassis. 7. Install the four screws to secur e the power supply assembly . Note: Use only screws pr ovided by Lenovo. 8. Reconnect the power supply assembly connectors to the system board. 9. Reconnect a power suppl[...]

5. Remove the four screws 1 that secur e the heat sink and fan assembly to the system board. Note: Carefully r emove the four screws from the system boar d to avoid any possible damage to the system board. The four scr ews cannot be removed fr om the heat sink and fan assembly . 6. Lift the failing heat sink and fan assembly off the system bo[...]

Replacing the primary hard disk drive Attention Do not open your computer or attempt any repair befor e reading and understanding the “Important safety information” in the ThinkCentre Safety and W arranty Guide that came with your computer . To obtain a copy of the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide , go to: http://www .lenovo.com/support Th[...]

5. Remove the hard disk drive cage fr om the chassis by simply sliding it outward. 6. Pull on the blue handle 3 to release and r emove the hard disk drive from the drive cage. 7. Remove the hard disk drive fr om the blue bracket by flexing the sides of the bracket enough to slide it free fr om the hard disk drive. 8. To install a new hard dis[...]

10. Align the drive cage pivot pin with the slot 1 in the upper drive cage and slide the hard disk drive cage into the chassis. 11 . Connect the signal cable and the power cable to the rear of the new har d disk drive. 12. Press down on the metal latch 2 and pivot the drive cage into place, and then slide it forward until it snaps into [...]

This section provides instr uctions on how to replace the secondary har d disk drive. Important When you receive a new har d disk drive, you also receive a set of Product Recovery discs . The set of Product Recovery discs enables you to r estore the contents of the hard disk drive to the factory-installed state. For mor e information on recovering [...]

8. To install a new hard disk drive into the blue bracket, flex the bracket and align pin 1 , pin 2 , pin 3 , and pin 4 on the bracket with the holes in the hard disk drive. Do not touch the cir cuit board 5 on the bottom of the hard disk drive. 9. Slide the new hard disk drive into the har d disk drive cage until it s[...]

10. Install the hard disk drive cage into the chassis until it snaps into position underneath the metal tab. Make sure that the har d disk drive cage is secured in the chassis. 11 . Connect the signal cable and the power cable to the rear of the new har d disk drive. 12. Go to “Completing the parts replacement” on page 45. Replacing the optical[...]

4. Press the blue r elease button and remove the optical drive out of the front of the computer . Note: There is a spar e retainer 1 attached to the side of the upper drive cage. 5. Remove the retainer fr om the optical drive being replaced and install it on the new optical drive. 6. Slide the new optical drive into the bay from the fr ont un[...]

Replacing the diskette drive Attention Do not open your computer or attempt any repair befor e reading and understanding the “Important safety information” in the ThinkCentre Safety and W arranty Guide that came with your computer . To obtain a copy of the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide , go to: http://www .lenovo.com/support This sectio[...]

5. Remove the retainer fr om the failing diskette drive and install it on the new diskette drive. 6. Slide the new diskette drive into the drive bay until it snaps into position. 7. Connect the signal cable and the power cable to the new diskette drive. 8. Reinstall the front bezel. 9. Go to “Completing the parts replacement” on page 45. Figure[...]

Replacing the front fan assembly Attention Do not open your computer or attempt any repair befor e reading and understanding the “Important safety information” in the ThinkCentre Safety and W arranty Guide that came with your computer . To obtain a copy of the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide , go to: http://www .lenovo.com/support This se[...]

6. Pull on the tips of the rubber mounts until the fr ont fan assembly is in place. 7. Connect the front fan assembly cable to the power fan connector on the system board. 8. Go to “Completing the parts replacement” on page 45. Replacing the rear fan assembly Attention Do not open your computer or attempt any repair befor e reading and understa[...]

4. The rear fan assembly is attached to the chassis by four r ubber mounts. Remove the rear fan assembly by br eaking or cutting the rubber mounts and gently pulling the rear fan assembly out of the chassis. 5. Install the new rear fan assembly by aligning the new r ubber mounts of the new rear fan assembly with the holes on the chassis and push th[...]

6. Pull on the tips of the rubber mounts until the r ear fan assembly is in place. 7. Connect the rear fan assembly cable to the system fan connector on the system board. 8. Go to “Completing the parts replacement” on page 45. Replacing the internal speaker Attention Do not open your computer or attempt any repair befor e reading and understand[...]

4. Push the metal tab on the top of the internal speaker outward and slide the internal speaker upward to completely r emove it from the chassis. 5. Position the new internal speaker into the metal clips and push downward on the internal speaker until it snaps into position. 6. Connect the internal speaker cable to the system board. See “Locating[...]

7. Go to “Completing the parts replacement” on page 45. Replacing the keyboard Attention Do not open your computer or attempt any repair befor e reading and understanding the “Important safety information” in the ThinkCentre Safety and W arranty Guide that came with your computer . To obtain a copy of the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Gui[...]

Replacing the mouse Attention Do not open your computer or attempt any repair befor e reading and understanding the “Important safety information” in the ThinkCentre Safety and W arranty Guide that came with your computer . To obtain a copy of the ThinkCentre Safety and Warranty Guide , go to: http://www .lenovo.com/support This section provide[...]

2. Position the computer cover on the chassis so that the rail guides on the bottom of the computer cover engage the rails. Then push the computer cover closed until it snaps into position. 3. If the computer cover is secured with thumbscr ews, install them. 4. If a cover lock is installed, lock the cover . 5. Reconnect the external cables and powe[...]

Make sure that any security cables you installed do not interfer e with other computer cables. Integrated cable lock An integrated cable lock (sometimes referr ed to as the Kensington lock) can be used to secure your computer to a desk, table, or other non-permanent fixtur e. The cable lock attaches to a security slot at the rear of your computer a[...]

Padlock Y our computer is equipped with a padlock loop such that the cover cannot be removed when a padlock is installed. Password protection To deter unauthorized use of your computer , you can use the Setup Utility program to set a passwor d. When you turn on your computer , you ar e prompted to type the password to unlock the keyboar d for norma[...]

2. Locate the Clear CMOS/Recovery jumper on the system board. See “Locating parts on the system board” on page 11 . 3. Move the jumper from the standar d position (pin 1 and pin 2) to the maintenance or configure position (pin 2 and pin 3). 4. Replace the computer cover and connect the power cord. See “Completing the parts replacement” on p[...]

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Chapter 3. Recovery information This chapter will help you get familiar with recovery solutions pr ovided by Lenovo. This section explains how and when to use the following recovery methods: v Creating and using Pr oduct Recovery discs v Performing backup and recovery operations v Using the Rescue and Recovery workspace v Creating and using r escue[...]

v W indows V ista: use Pr oduct Recovery discs to restore your computer to the original factory contents only . When using Product Recovery discs on W indows XP , you are given the option to enter the Rescue and Recovery workspace and choose from a variety of r ecovery operations. When using Product Recovery discs on W indows V ista, you are prompt[...]

v On recor dable CDs or DVDs (a recordable CD or DVD drive is r equired for this option) After you have backed up your hard disk drive, you can r estore the complete contents of the hard disk drive, r estore selected files only , or restore only the W indows operating system and applications. To perform a backup operation using the Rescue and Recov[...]

Attention: If you restore the har d disk drive from a Rescue and Recovery backup or restor e the hard disk drive to the factory contents, all files on the primary hard disk drive partition (usually drive C ) will be deleted in the recovery pr ocess. If possible, make copies of important files. If you are unable to start the W indows operating syste[...]

3. Click OK . 4. Follow the instructions on the scr een. The following list explains how Product Recovery discs ar e used on different operating systems: v W indows XP: use Product Recovery discs to r estore the original factory contents, perform a custom factory recovery , or to perform other rescue and r ecovery operations such as rescuing indivi[...]

release the F1 1 key . Yo u will also be able to access the W indows environment after the r epair operation finishes. If an error message appears during the r epair operation and the repair operation cannot be completed, you might have a problem with the partition that contains the Rescue and Recovery workspace. Use your rescue media to access the[...]

Setting a rescue device in the startup sequence Before you start the Rescue and Recovery pr ogram from a CD, DVD, USB hard disk drive, or any external device, you must first change the startup sequence in the Setup Utility . To view or change the startup sequence, do the following: 1. W ith the computer turned off, r epeatedly press and r elease th[...]

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Chapter 4. Using the Setup Utility The Setup Utility program is used to view and change the configuration settings of your computer , regardless of which operating system you ar e using. However , the operating-system settings might override any similar settings in the Setup Utility program. Starting the Setup Utility program To start the Setup Uti[...]

Password considerations A password can be any combination of up to 12 alphabetic and numeric characters. For security reasons, it is r ecommended to use a strong password that cannot be easily compromised. To set a strong password, use the following guidelines: v Have at least eight characters in length v Contain at least one alphabetic character a[...]

Enabling or disabling a device This section provides information on how to enable or disable user access to the following devices: Serial ATA When this feature is set to Disabled , all devices connected to the S ATA connectors (such as hard disk drives or the optical drive) are disabled and will not be displayed in the system configuration. Externa[...]

Selecting or changing the startup device sequence To view or permanently change the configured startup device sequence, do the following: 1. Start the Setup Utility program. See “Starting the Setup Utility pr ogram” on page 59. 2. Select Startup → Startup Sequence . See the information displayed on the right side of the screen. 3. Select the [...]

Chapter 5. Updating system programs This chapter contains information about updating POST/BIOS and how to recover from a POST/BIOS update failur e. Using system programs System programs ar e the basic layer of software built into your computer . They include the power-on self-test (POST), the basic input/output system (BIOS) code, and the Setup Uti[...]

8. T ype in the seven character machine type/model of your computer and then press Enter . 9. Follow the instructions on the scr een to complete the update. Updating (flashing) BIOS from your operating system Note: Due to the constant improvements made to the We b site, We b page content (including the links refer enced in the following procedure) [...]

12. Repeat steps 2 through 5. 13. Move the Clear CMOS/Recovery jumper back to the standard position (pin 1 and pin 2). 14. Reconnect any cables that were disconnected and r einstall the PCI adapter card if r emoved. 15. Close the computer cover and reconnect any cables that wer e disconnected. 16. T urn on the computer to restart the operating syst[...]

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Chapter 6. T roubleshooting and diagnostics This chapter describes some basic troubleshooting and diagnostic pr ograms. If your computer problem is not described her e, see Chapter 7, “Getting information, help, and service,” on page 73 for additional troubleshooting r esources. Basic troubleshooting The following table provides information to [...]

Symptom Action The keyboard does not work. The computer does not respond to the keyboard. V erify that: v The computer is turned on. v The monitor is turned on and the brightness and contrast controls are set correctly . v The keyboard is securely connected to the keyboard connector on the computer . v No keys are stuck. If you cannot correct the p[...]

Diagnostic programs Diagnostic programs ar e used to test hardware components of your computer and report operating-system-contr olled settings that can cause hardware failur es. There are two diagnostic pr ograms preinstalled on your computer: v Lenovo System T oolbox (used when the W indows operating system is running) v PC-Doctor for W indows PE[...]

5. The diagnostic program opens automatically . Select the diagnostic test you want to run. Pr ess the F1 key for additional help. 6. Follow the instructions on the scr een. Note: Rescue media includes PC-Doctor for W indows PE. For more information about rescue media, see “Cr eating and using rescue media” on page 54. PC-Doctor for DOS Yo u ca[...]

b. If there is debris in the lens, gently blow the debris away fr om the area. 4. Check the surface on which you are using the mouse. If you have a very intricate picture or pattern beneath the mouse it may be dif ficult for the digital signal processor (DSP) to determine changes in the mouse position. 5. Reconnect the mouse cable to the computer .[...]

8. If the rollers ar e dirty , clean them by using a cotton swab soaked in isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. T urn the rollers with your finger and continue swabbing them until all the dirt is removed. Be sur e the rollers are still center ed in their channels after you clean them. 9. Remove any fibers from the swab that might be r emaining on the rolle[...]

Chapter 7. Getting information, help, and service This chapter contains information about help, service, and technical assistance for products manufactur ed by Lenovo. Information resources This section describes how to access useful resour ces relating to your computing needs. Note: The Online Books folder , ThinkV antage Pr oductivity Center , Le[...]

Note: The ThinkV antage T echnologies are only available on select Lenovo computers. To access the ThinkV antage Productivity Center pr ogram, click Start → All Programs → ThinkV antage → Productivity Center . Lenovo Welcome The Lenovo W elcome program intr oduces you to some innovative built-in features of Lenovo and guides you through a few[...]

Help and service This section contains information about obtaining help and service. Using the documentation and diagnostic programs If you experience a problem with your computer , see Chapter 6, “T roubleshooting and diagnostics,” on page 67. For information on additional resour ces to help you troubleshoot your computer pr oblem, see “Info[...]

If possible, be at your computer when you call. Have the following information available: v Machine type and model v Serial numbers of your hardwar e products v Description of the problem v Exact wording of any err or messages v Hardwar e and software configuration information Using other services If you travel with your computer or relocate it to [...]

Appendix. Notices Lenovo may not offer the pr oducts, services, or features discussed in this document in all countries. Consult your local Lenovo repr esentative for information on the products and services curr ently available in your area. Any refer ence to a Lenovo product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only that Le[...]

vary significantly . Some measurements may have been made on development-level systems and there is no guarantee that these measur ements will be the same on generally available systems. Furthermore, some measur ements may have been estimated through extrapolation. Actual r esults may vary . Users of this document should verify the applicable data [...]

Index A access help 74 adapter card 16 installing, replacing 16 slots 16 advanced settings 62 antivirus software, updating 6 audio line-in connector 9 audio line-out connector 9 audio subsystem 2 B backup and recovery operations 52 basic troubleshooting 67 battery , replacing 26 bay 1, installing 23 bay 2, installing 23 BIOS, updating (flashing) 63[...]

installing drive 23 installing options adapter card 16 internal drives 20 memory module 19 security features 46 internal drives 1 internal options, installing 16 internal speaker , replacing 42 K keyboard connector 9 keyboard, r eplacing 44 L Lenovo System T oolbox 69 Lenovo We b site 74 Lenovo W elcome 74 locating components 10 M media, creating a[...]

settings (continued) viewing 59 Setup Utility 59 Setup Utility program, starting 59 Setup Utility , exiting 62 solving recovery pr oblems 57 starting the Setup Utility program 59 startup device 61 sequence, changing 62 temporary , selecting 61 static-sensitive devices, handling 13 system management 2 programs 63 system board connectors 11 locating [...]

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Part Number: 53Y9906 Printed in USA (1P) P/N: 53Y9906[...]