Sony PCV-F31M manual

N User Guide VGC-V3 Series (PCV -E31M/PCV -F31M)[...]

1 nN Read this first Read this first Notice © 2005 Sony Corporation. All rights reserved. This manual and the software described here in, in whole or in part, may not be reprod uced, translated, or reduced to any mach in e-readable form wi thout prior written approval. Sony Corporation provides no warranty with r egard to this manual, the software[...]

2 nN Read this first E NERGY S TA R As an E NERGY S T AR Partner , Sony has determined that this product meets the E NERGY S T AR guid elines for ener gy effic iency . The International E NERGY S TA R Offic e Equipment Prog ram is an international pr ogram that pr omotes ener gy saving through the use of computers and their office equipment. The pr[...]

3 nN Read this first Safety information General ❑ Opening the unit, for wh atever reason, could lead to damag es that are not covered by the guarantee. ❑ T o avoid elec trical shoc k, do not open the c abinet. Refer servicing to qualified personn el only . ❑ T o prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose yo ur V AIO desktop to rain or moistu[...]

4 nN Read this first Connectivity ❑ Never install modem or te lephone wiring during a sever e lightning stor m. ❑ Never install telephone jack s in wet locations unless th e jack is specifically de signed for wet locations. ❑ T ake care when installing or modifying telephone lines. ❑ T o disconnect yo ur V AIO completely from the mains vo l[...]

5 nN Read this first Regulatory infor mation Sony hereby de clares that this product is in com pliance with the essential r equir ements and other r elevant pr ovisions of Eur ope an Directive 1999/5/EC (radio equipm ent and telecommu nications termina l equipment Directive). Models with Wireless LAN: Models without Wireless LAN: Declaration of C o[...]

6 nN Read this first Disposing of the internal memor y backup batter y ❑ Y our Sony V AIO desktop is equipped with an internal back-up memory batte ry (motherboar d batter y) that should not have to be replaced during the lifetime of the product. If you want to replace the batt ery , please co ntact V AIO-Link: www .v aio-link.com ❑ Keep away f[...]

7 nN We l c o m e We l c o m e Congratulat ions on purchasing a Sony VAIO comput er. Sony has combined leading-edge technology in audio, video, compu ting and communications to provide you with state-o f-the-art per sonal computing. As well as ex ceptional perf ormance, he re are the m ain featur es you can e njoy: ❑ Sony audio and video quality [...]

8 nN We l c o m e Documentation pack Your documenta tion pack contain s printed informa tion and us er guides to rea d on your co mputer. Guides are provided in PDF format, w hich you can e asily browse thro ugh and print ou t. The My Club VAIO portal is a perfect star ting point to use your VAIO - a comprehensiv e collection of ever ything you nee[...]

9 nN We l c o m e Printed documentation The printed part of your documen tation pack inclu des the follo wing: ❑ A Specifications sheet, containing a table of specific ations, a list of bund led softwar e and, on the r everse side, a guid e to setting up your V AIO; ❑ A T roubleshooting Guide, where you will find V AIO-Link informat ion and sol[...]

10 nN We l c o m e My Club V AIO In My Club VAIO , you can find: Documentation , which gives you: ❑ Access to the User Guide . This guide explains the featur es of your V AIO in detail, how t o use these featur es confidently and safely , connect peripheral devices an d more. ❑ Access to Help and T raining . This is the po rtal of V A IO Help a[...]

11 nN We l c o m e Ergonomic considerations Whenever po ssible, try and take into ac count the following e rgonomic cons iderations when using your new compute r, whether at home or in the office : ❑ Position of the keyboar d and mouse – Make sure the keyb oard is directly in fr ont of you. Keep your forear ms horizontal, with your wrists in a [...]

12 nN Using your V AIO Using your V AIO Once you have read an d followed the information on the printed Specifications sheet, you can start using you r computer s afely and confidently. Read on to get the most out of using your VAIO compu ter. ❑ Shutting down your co mputer safely (page 13) ❑ Using the keyboard (page 14) ❑ Using the pointing [...]

13 nN Using your V AIO Shutting down your computer safely It is important t hat you shut do wn your compu ter properly so you do not lose unsaved dat a. To shut down your computer, proceed as follo ws: 1 T urn off any peripher als connected to your comput er . 2 Click the Start button. 3 Click T urn Off Computer . The T ur n off computer window app[...]

14 nN Using your V AIO Using the keyboard Your VAIO is delive red with a wir eless keyboard. You can place the keyboard anywher e you find co mfortable within a range of 10 m* from the main unit. The keyboar d has a standar d key arrang ement and addition al keys that perform specif ic functions. F or more inform ation on the standard keys and shor[...]

15 nN Using your V AIO KEY FUNCTION 1 Standby Press the button to pl ace the computer i n Standby mode. Press the power button or Standby key briefly to r esume normal operation. 2 Numeric keypad Use the numeric k eypad to type numbers or to perf orm basic maths calculations. Pr ess the Num Lock key to activate the numeric keypad. P ress the Num Lo[...]

16 nN Using your V AIO 7 <Fn> key Used in com bination with other keys to exec ute commands. <Fn> + <F2> : T urn s off the speaker so und. <Fn> + <F3> : Decrea ses the volume of the sp eakers. <Fn> + <F4> : Increases the volume of the speakers. <Fn> + <F5> : Decrea ses the brightne ss of the dis[...]

17 nN Using your V AIO Before you use the keyboard Before attemptin g to use the wireless keyboar d, you must en able communicat ion between the computer and the keyboard. Four AA batteries, for use in t he wireless keyboard, are supp lied with your VAIO. To connect the wireless ke yboard, proceed as follows: 1 Insert the 4 AA batteries (1) into th[...]

18 nN Using your V AIO Using the pointing device The keyboard f eatures a pointing device (1), wh ich controls the cursor on th e screen. You ca n point to, selec t and drag objects on the screen using the built-in pointing device. Action Description Point Sl ide one finger on the pointing device to place the po inter (2) on an ite m or object. Cli[...]

19 nN Using your V AIO Before using the pointing device Before attemp ting to use the pointin g device, you mus t activate it. To activate th e pointing device, pr oceed as follows: 1 Fold the ke yboard out. 2 T ur n o n the Pointing Device switch (1). 3 Close the lowe r part o f the cover as shown (2). Y ou can no w use the p ointing dev ice toget[...]

20 nN Using your V AIO Using the mouse Your computer is deliv ered with a wire less optical mo use, which h as no cables to plug in and us es a light-emitting diode (LED) inst ead of a ball. You can use t he mouse anywhere you f eel comfort able within a range of 10 m* of the main unit. Avoid using the mouse on a piece of glass or ot her transparen[...]

21 nN Using your V AIO Before using the mouse Before atte mpting to use th e wireless mo use, you mus t enable commun ication betwee n the comput er and the mous e. Two AA batteries, for u s e in the wireless mouse, are supplied with your VAIO. The y are identified by a s ticker "For mous e" on the packa ging. To connect th e wireless mou[...]

22 nN Using your V AIO ✍ Steps 4 and 5 must be carried out within 10 seco nds of each other . If your wireless mouse does n ot operate prope rly , the ba tteries may need to be r eplaced with new ones. Al ways use the same type and br and of batteries. If your wir e less mouse is not being used for an ex tended period of time, re move the batteri[...]

23 nN Using your V AIO Using the TV function Your VAIO is equipped with a TV tune r board. In co mbination with Sony's VA IO Zone software, it allows you to: ❑ W atch, record and play back analogue broadcasted cable and terrestrial T V programmes, all by r emote contr ol; ❑ Digitise analog ue video an d audio using t he S-video or compo si[...]

24 nN Using your V AIO Using the disc drive Your computer is equipped with a double la yer DVD±RW drive, which re ads data fr om a compatible CD or DVD and writes data to a DVD-RW, D VD+RW, DVD-R, DVD+R, CD-RW, or CD-R. To insert a disc , proceed as follows: 1 T ur n o n the compu ter . 2 Press the eject butt on to ope n the drive. The tray pops o[...]

25 nN Using your V AIO Reading and writing CDs and DVDs To achieve optimum performa nce when writ ing data on t o disc (also calle d ’burning’), fo llow these recommendation s: ❑ T o make the data on a disc readable on an optical drive, you need to close the ses sion when you eject it. T o complete this process, follow the instructions includ[...]

26 nN Using your V AIO Playing DVDs To achieve optimum performa nce when pla ying DVDs, you should follow t hese recommen dations: ❑ Close all open applications before playing a DVD movie. ❑ Play DVDs with the softwar e VA I O Z o n e . ❑ Do not switch powe r saving mode s while playing a DVD. ❑ Do not use built-in utility applications to s[...]

27 nN Using your V AIO Using the modem Your VAIO desktop is equ ipped with an in ternal modem. As described on the printed Specifications sheet, use the single RJ-11 jack to connec t the supplied modem cable to the pho ne line. Once you hav e connected the phone lin e and registered with an Int er net Service Provider , you can ta ke advantage of o[...]

28 nN Using your V AIO Using power modes The colou r of the po wer indicato r light behind the po wer button tells you which mode the comp uter is in. ✍ Please see the pr inted Specifications sheet for the exact location of the indicators. To set the timer for your computer to automatically en ter Standby or Hibernate mode after a certain amount [...]

29 nN Using your V AIO Using Hibernate mode If you are in terrupted and need t o leave yo ur computer suddenly, you can pu t it into Hibernate mode. This power sav ing mode saves you the time of shutting down in the no rmal way. When you put your computer into Hibernate mode: ❑ Everything in th e memory is save d to the hard disk. ❑ The monitor[...]

30 nN Using your V AIO Using the Memory Stick Your VAIO computer is desig ned to support th e Memory Stick. The Memory Stick is a c ompact, portable, an d versatile device especially design ed for exchanging and shar ing digital data with co mpatible products, s u ch as digital came ras, mobile phones an d CLIÉ handheld dev ices. Because it is rem[...]

31 nN Using your V AIO Inserting a Memory Stick To insert a Me mory Stick , proceed as follows: 1 Locate the Memory Stic k slot on the unit. 2 Hold the Memory Stick with the conn ectors poin ting towards the fr ont and push it in until it clicks . The Memory Stick is automatically detected by yo ur system an d appears in th e My Computer window wit[...]

32 nN Using your V AIO Write-protecting cards Some Memory Sticks a re designed with an erasu re prevention sw itch to protect va luable data from ac cidental erasure or overwriti ng. Move the tab horizont ally or vertically to set or release write-protection. When the erasure pr evention switch is off, data can be saved on the Memory Stick. When th[...]

33 nN Using your V AIO Using PC Cards Your VAIO desktop h as a PC Card slot on the side p a nel that suppor ts Type I or Type II PC Cards. PC Cards allow you to intercon nect with portable ex ternal devices. Inserting a PC Card Insert the PC C ard gently int o the PC Card slot with the label and a rrow facing to wards you. The PC Card is automatica[...]

34 nN Using your V AIO Removing a PC Card Follow the steps below to remove the PC C ard while your computer is on. If it is no t removed in the correct way, your system ma y crash and unsaved data may be lost. If you want to remove a PC Card w hen your compu ter is off, skip steps 1 to 5. To remove a PC Card, procee d as follow s: 1 Close any appli[...]

35 nN Using your V AIO Using Wireless LAN (WLAN) Thanks to Sony’s Wireless LAN (WLAN)*, all your digital devices with built-in WLAN fu nctionality c ommunicate free ly with each o ther through a powerful ne twork. A WLAN is a network in which a mo bile user can connect to a local ar ea network (L AN) through a wireless (radio) connecti on. So the[...]

36 nN Using your V AIO Communicating without an Acces s Point (computer -to-computer) A computer-to-com puter network is a ne twork in which a local netw ork is created only by the wireless devices themselves, with n o other central c ontroller o r Access Poin t. Each device c ommunicates dire ctly with oth er devices in th e network. You can set u[...]

37 nN Using your V AIO 12 Fill in exactly the same Network key again , for confirm ation. 13 Select the This is a computer (ad hoc ) network; wireless acce ss points are not used check bo x at the botto m of the screen. 14 Click OK . Yo u r Network name appears in the Prefer red networks list. 15 Click OK . The networ k you have c reated appears in[...]

38 nN Using your V AIO Communicating with an A ccess Point (infrastructure) An infrastruc ture network is a network tha t extends an ex isting wired lo cal network to w ireless devices b y providing an Access Point, for example the Sony PCWA-A320 Access Point . The Acc ess Point bridges the wireless and wired L AN and acts as a central controller f[...]

39 nN Using your V AIO How to select a Wireless LAN channel In an 802.11b/g co nfiguration, channels 1 to 13 can be used. (a) With an Access Poin t ("Infrastructure") ❑ The channel used will be the channe l selected by th e Access Point. ✍ For details on how to sele ct the channel that will be used by t he Access P oint, please refer [...]

40 nN Using your V AIO Troubleshooting Wireless LAN if you cann ot use the Wir eless LAN funct ion, make sur e the wireless switch is t urned on befor e checking the following poin ts. The Wireless LAN Access Point and my comput er cannot communicate ❑ Check if the power of the Access Point is turned on. ❑ Check if the Acc ess Poin t is display[...]

41 nN Using your V AIO I cannot access the Internet ❑ Check the sett ings of the Access Point. Se e the manua l of the Acces s Point. ❑ Check if your computer and th e Access Point are comm unicating. ❑ Check your int ernet connec tion and chec k if your br owser and e- mail client are co rrectly config ured. I cannot establish a Wireless LAN[...]

42 nN Connecting peripheral devices Connecting peripheral devices You can add fu nctionality to your computer by using the va rious ports on y our unit. ❑ Connecting a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device (page 43) ❑ Connecting an i.LINK device (page 44) ❑ Connecting a microphone (page 45) ❑ Connecting to a networ k (page 46) To identify and l[...]

43 nN Connecting peripheral devices Connecting a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device You can co nnect a US B device such as a scanne r, a floppy dis k drive or a printer, to y our VAIO deskt op. To connect a USB device, simply plug in the USB cable of the de vice into one o f the ports on your system unit. USB devices ar e hot plug and play devices. [...]

44 nN Connecting peripheral devices T roubleshooting printing If you have problems printing, check Help and Support Center ; the d ocumentation delivered with yo ur printer; and the VAIO-L ink website ( w ww.vaio-link.com ). Connecting an i.LINK device Your VAIO computer includes a 4-pin i.LINK port located on the side of the system unit . Use this[...]

45 nN Connecting peripheral devices T roubleshooting i.LINK devices If you have pro blems with your i.LINK device, check Help and Support Center , the documentation delivered with the de vice, and the VAIO-Link website ( www.vaio-link.com ). Connecting a microphone Your VAIO desktop do es not contain an internal mic rophone. If yo u need to use a s[...]

46 nN Connecting peripheral devices Connecting to a network Your computer co mes with a built-in Ethernet interfac e. To connect to a netwo rk, proceed as follows: 1 Connect your 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX Eth erne t cable (not s upplied) to the Ethe rnet port on the comput er . If there is a sticker covering the Ether net port, th is is to remind custome[...]

47 nN Upgrading your V AIO computer Upgrading your V AIO computer Sony recommend s contacting you r local dealer for upg rade or maintenanc e of your new co mputer. Your local deal er has knowledge of this specialised personal computer an d familiar with the s afety practices and re gulatory compliance re quired for using and modifying electron ic [...]

48 nN Upgrading your V AIO computer Upgrading memory In the future, you may want to upgrade th e memory insta lled on your VAIO by r eplacing / addin g memory modules. However, we recommend that you do not install th em yourself unless you are familiar wi th upgrading memory on a computer. For memory upgrades, use only those modules mentioned in th[...]

49 nN Upgrading your V AIO computer Vi ewing the amount of memor y To view the amoun t of memory, proceed as follows: 1 T ur n o n the compu ter . 2 Click the Start button, po int to All Programs , Security & Utilities, then V AIO System Information , and click VA I O S y s t e m Information again. Y ou can view the amount of installed memory h[...]

50 nN Upgrading your V AIO computer 8 T o insert a new memory module, remove it from its anti-st atic package, ha ndling it only by the edges. 9 Locate the not ch on the bottom edge of the memory modu le. 10 Align the memory m odule over th e slot, making sure the module is facin g the correct way . 11 Press evenly against the memor y module's[...]

51 nN Upgrading your V AIO computer 12 Align the tabs on th e side cover t o the rim of the unit and press the side cover f irmly against the unit until it sn aps into pl ace. 13 Put the memory co ver and the back panel back into plac e. ✍ The illustrations he re may var y from the actu al configuration of your V AIO. ! Use only the memory module[...]

52 nN Getting help Getting help This section describes how to get help and supp ort if something goes wron g with your computer. Sony offers you many s upport opt ions for yo ur comput er. Sony documentation Please see the section Documentation pack (page 8) for details on the printe d and online do cumentation delivered with your computer, as we l[...]

53 nN Getting help e-Support What is e-Support? You have se arched our use r guides an d website ( www .vaio-link.com ) but have not f ound an an swer to y our questio n/issue? e-Support is the idea l solution for you! Our e-Sup port Web Port al is an intera ctive website on which you can submit any techni cal query you may have regarding your VAIO[...]

54 nN Getting help Can I submit my questions at any time? Yes, you can submit you r questions 24/7, but ple ase keep in mind that our e -Support Team can only trea t your quer ies from Monda y till Friday between 8am and 6pm. Is there a cost involved for using e-Support? No, this is a complete free of charge serv ice offered to all registered VAIO [...]

55 nN Precautions Precautions This section de scribes safety guideline s and precautions to help you prot ect your computer from potential dama ge. Please contac t VAIO-Link if you need assistan ce. ❑ On handling the har d disk (page 56) ❑ On using the powe r source (page 57) ❑ On handling your compu ter (page 58) ❑ On handling the LCD scr [...]

56 nN Precautions On handling the hard disk The hard disk has a high storage density and reads or writ es data in a short time. However, it can be easily damaged by mechani cal vibration, shock or dust. Although the hard di sk has the intern al safety device to prevent losing data due to mechanical vibr ation, shock or dust, you sh ould be careful [...]

57 nN Precautions On using the power source ❑ See the prin ted Specifications sheet to check th e power operation of you r V AIO. ❑ Do not share the AC o utlet with othe r high powe r -consuming e quipment, such as a photoc opier or shredder . ❑ Y ou can pur chase a power strip with a s ur ge protector . This dev ice pr events damage to your [...]

58 nN Precautions On handling your computer ❑ Clean the unit with a soft cloth, which is either dry or lightly moistened with a mild deter gent solution. Do not use any type of abrasive pad, sc ouring powde r , or solvent such as alcoho l or benzene, as these m ay damage the finish of your computer . ❑ Should you drop a solid object or any liqu[...]

59 nN Precautions ❑ If the computer is brought directly from a cold location to a warm one, mois ture may condense inside your computer . In this cas e, allow at least one hour bef ore turning o n your compute r . I f any problems occur , unplug you r computer and contact VAIO-Link. ❑ Make sure you disconn ect the powe r cord before cleaning th[...]

60 nN Precautions On handling discs ❑ Do not touch the surfac e of the disc. ❑ Do not dr op or bend the disc. ❑ Fingerprints a nd dust o n the surfa ce of a disc may cause reading errors. Always hold the disc by its edge and centr al hole, as shown. ❑ Proper car e of the disc is essential to its continuous reliability . Do not use solvents [...]

61 nN Precautions On handling Memor y Sticks ❑ Do not touch the Memory St ick connector with your fi nger or metallic objects. ❑ Use only the label supplied with the Memory Stick as a label. ❑ Do not bend, drop, or apply heavy shock to t he Memory Stick. ❑ Do not disassemble or modify Memory Sticks. ❑ Do not let Memory Sticks get we t. ?[...]

62 nN T rademarks T rademarks Sony , Batter y Checker , Click to DVD, DVgate Plus, H otKey Utility , Keyboa rd Utility , Memory Stick Formatter , PictureGear Studio, Pr epare your V AIO , SonicStage, SonicStage Mastering Studio, V AIO Control Center , V AIO Edit Comp onents, VA IO Launcher , V AIO Medi a, V AIO Power Management, V AIO Power Managem[...]