Acer 540 manual

T ravelMate 540 series User’ s guide TM540-e.book Page i W ednesday, August 20, 2003 11:30 AM[...]

Changes may be made periodically to the infor mation in t his publica tion without obligation to notify any person o f such rev ision or chan ges. Such ch anges will be incorpo rated in ne w editions of this ma nual or suppl ementary do cuments an d publicati ons. This c ompany mak es no repr esenta tions or war ranties, either ex pressed o r impli[...]

iii English First things first W e would lik e to thank you for making the T ravelMate series o f notebook c omputers your choi ce for your mobile computing need s. W e hope you will be happy with your T ravelMate as much as we enjoyed mak ing it for you. Y our guides To help y ou use your Tra velMate, we ha ve designed a set of guides: For more in[...]

iv English Basic car e and tips for using your computer T urn ing your computer on and o f f To turn on the co mputer, simply press and rele ase the power button on the top le ft of your TravelMate. Se e page 3 for the location of the power button. To turn the power off , do a ny of the following : • Use the Win dows shutdown command For Windows [...]

v English • Do not spill w ater or any other liquid on the computer . • Do not subjec t the computer to heavy shock and vibration. • Do not expose the computer to dust a nd dirt. • Never plac e objects on top of the c omputer to av oid damaging th e computer . • Do not slam the computer displ ay when you close it. • Never place the comp[...]

vi English 3 Use a soft cloth moistened with wate r . Do not use liquid or aero sol cleaners. 4 T o clean the display sc reen, use an L CD cleaning kit. If any of the follow ing occurs: • The computer h as been dropped or the bod y has been damaged . • Liquid ha s been spilled i nto the product. • The computer does n ot operate normally . Ple[...]

Contents First things first iii Your guides iii Basic care and tips for using your com puter iv 1 Getting to know your TravelMate 1 A TravelM ate tour 3 Front vie w 3 Left vie w 5 Right view 6 Rear view 7 Bottom view 9 Features 10 Indicators 12 Using the keyboard 14 Special key s 14 Touchpad 22 Touchpad bas ics 22 Storag e 24 Hard Disk 24 Optical d[...]

viii English 3 Troub leshooti ng my c omputer 49 Frequently -asked questions 51 Requesting serv ice 54 Internat ional Travele r’s Warranty (ITW) 54 Before you call 54 Appendix A Specifications 57 Appendi x B Not ices 63 Index 73 TM540-e.book Page viii Wednesday, August 20, 2 003 11:30 AM[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate TM540-e.book Page 1 W ednesday, August 20, 2003 11:30 AM[...]

Y our T ravelMate co mputer combines high- performance, ve rsatility , power management features and multimedi a capabilities with a unique style and ergonomic design. W ork with unmatc hed productivity and reliability with your new power computing partner . TM540-e.book Page 2 W ednesday, August 20, 2003 11:30 AM[...]

3 English A T ravelMat e tour After setting up your compu ter as illustrated in the Just for Starters ... poster, let us show you around your n ew TravelM ate computer. Fr ont view # Item Descrip tion 1 Dis play s creen Als o call ed LCD (liqui d-cry sta l displ ay), display s compu ter out put. 2 Lau nch keys Special keys for la unching inter net [...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 4 English 4 T ouchpad T ouch- sensitiv e poin ting dev ice whi ch functio ns like a com puter m ouse. 5 Click buttons (l eft, center and r ight) The left and right bu ttons function like the left and right mouse buttons; the center button serves as a 4-way scroll button. 6 Infrared port Interfaces with i nfrared d[...]

5 English Left view # Item De scription 1 Opti cal dri ve House s an opti cal d rive mod ule (CD- ROM , DVD-ROM o r DVD/CD-RW co mbo driv e). 2 Opti cal dri ve indicator Lights up when the optical drive is active. 3 Eject button Ejects t h e drive tray . 4 Emergency eject slot Ejects the drive tray when the computer is turned off. See page 52 for m[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 6 English Note: The posi tions o f the opti cal drive indi cator , eject butt on and emergenc y eject hole may dif fer de pending on the optical driv e module install ed. Right view # Item De scription 1 USB port Connects to Un iversal Serial Bus devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB camera). 2 V entilation slot Enables t[...]

7 English Rear view # Item Descrip tion 1 Securi ty keyloc k Connects to a Kensingto n-compati ble computer securi ty lock. 2 S-vid eo Connects to a tele visio n or d isplay devic e with S- video i nput. 3 External disp lay port Connects to a display devic e (e.g., external monitor , LCD projector) . 4 Parall el port Connects to a para llel devi ce[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 8 English 7 Net w o r k j a c k Co n n e c ts to an Et h er n et 10 / 100- b ased network . 8 IEEE 1394 p ort Connects to an I EEE 1394 device. 9 Modem jack Connects to a phone li ne. # Item Descrip tion TM540-e.book Page 8 W ednesday, August 20, 2003 11:30 AM[...]

9 English Bottom view # Item Descrip tion 1 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack. 2 Battery release latch Unlatches the battery to remove the battery pack. 3 Cooling fans Help keep the computer cool. Note : Don’t cover or obstruct the opening of the f ans. 4 HDD Houses the computer's Hard Disk. 5 FDD/card reader cable co nnect[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 10 English Featur es Below is a brief summary o f th e computer’s many features: Performance • Mobile Inte l® Pentium® 4 P rocessor with 51 2 KB level 2 c ache featuring the new Enha nced Intel SpeedStep® tec hnology • Standard 25 6 MB DDR333 S DRAM, upgra deable to 2 GB on dual soDIMM sockets • Integra[...]

11 English Multimedia • 16-bit high-fid elity AC’97 stereo au dio • Dual built-in sp eakers • Built-in micropho ne • High-speed op tical drive Connectivi ty • High-speed fax /data modem port • Ethernet/Fast Ethernet port • USB (Universa l Serial Bus) po rts • IEEE 1394 por t • Fast Infrared (FIR) port • Docking port for port r[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 12 English Indicators The computer has seven easy-to-read status icons below the di splay screen and on th e front. . Icon Func tion Descrip tion Power Lights green when the computer is on and lights orange when the computer is in Standb y mode. Media activity Lights when the Hard Disk i s active. Battery charge L[...]

13 English Caps lock Light s when Caps Lock is activa ted. Num lock Lights when Num Lock i s activated. Scroll lock Lights when Scroll lock is activated. Icon Func tion Descrip tion TM540-e.book Page 13 Wednesday, August 20, 200 3 11:30 AM[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 14 English Using the keyboar d The full-size d keyboard includes an embedded nu meric keypad , separate cursor keys, two Windows keys and twelve function keys. Special keys Lock keys The keyboard has three lock keys which y ou can togg le on and off. Lock key Descrip tion Caps L ock When Caps Lo ck is on, all alph[...]

15 English Embedded numeric keypad The embe dded numeric k eypad func tions like a desk top numeric keypad. It is indicated by small characters located on the upper right corner of the keycaps. To sim plify the keyboard legend, cursor-control key sym bols are not pr inted on the ke ys. Desired a ccess Num lo ck on Num loc k off Number keys o n embe[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 16 English W indow s keys The keyboard has two keys that perform Window s-specific functions. Key Descrip tion Windows logo key Start button. Combi nations with this key perform shortcut functions. Below are a few examples: + T ab (Activa tes next taskbar but ton) + E (Exp lores My Computer) + F (F inds Document) [...]

17 English Hot keys The com puter emp loys hot keys o r key comb inations to access m ost of the computer’s c ontrols like sc reen b r ightne ss, volume output. To activate hot keys, press and hold the Fn key before pre ssing the other key i n the hot key c ombin ation. Hot key Icon Funct ion Descrip tion Fn-F1 Hot k ey help Display s help on hot[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 18 English Fn-F5 Di splay toggl e Switc hes disp lay output between the display screen , external monitor (if connected) and both the display screen and external mon it or . Fn-F6 Screen blank T urns the d isplay screen backlight off t o save power . Press any key to return. Fn-F7 T ouchpad toggl e T urns the inte[...]

19 English The Euro symbo l If your key board layout is set to Un ited St ates-Inter national o r United Kingdom or if y ou have a keyboard with a European layout, yo u can type the Eu ro symbol on y our keyboard. Note for US key board user s: The keyboard layout is set when you first set up Windows. For the Euro symbol to work, the keyboard layout[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 20 English 5C l i c k o n OK . To type the Euro symbol: 1 Locate the Euro symbol on your keyboa r d. 2 Open a text e ditor or word proc essor . 3 Hold Alt Gr and press th e Euro symbol . Note : Some fonts and software do not support the Euro symbo l. Please refer to www .microsoft.com/typography/faq/faq12.ht m fo [...]

21 English E-Ma il Det ectio n Right click the L aunch Manager icon o n the taskbar and click on E-Mail Detection. I n this dialog box , you have the option to enabl e/disable mail chec king, set the time interval for ma il checking, etc. If you already h ave an E-Mail acco unt, y ou c an fill in User Name, Password and POP3 S erver in the di alog [...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 22 English T ouchp ad The built-in tou chpad is a poin ting device that senses movement on its surface. Thi s means that the c ursor responds as you move you r finger on the su rface of the touchpad. T he central location on the pal m rest provides optim al comfort and supp ort. Note: W hen usin g an exter nal USB[...]

23 English a page up , down, left or rig ht. This button mim ics your cursor pressing on the vertical and horizontal scroll ba rs of Windows applicati ons. Note: Keep your fingers dry and clean when using the touchpad. Also keep the touchpad dry and clean. The touchpad is sensit ive to finger movements. Hence, the lighter the to uch, the better the[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 24 English Storage This computer supplies you with the following media storag e: • High-capacity Enhanced-IDE Hard Disk • Optical drive Har d Disk The high-capacity Hard Disk is t he answer to your storage needs. This is where yo ur programs and data a re stored. Op tica l driv e The optic al drive bay ac cept[...]

25 English Using softwar e Playing DVD movies When a DVD-RO M or DVD/CD-RW com bo drive module is instal led in the optical drive bay, you can p l ay DVD movie s on your com puter. 1 Eject the DVD tray and insert a DVD disc; then close the DVD tray . Impo rtant! When you launch the DVD player for the firs t time, the program asks you t o enter the [...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 26 English Audio The computer c omes with 16-bi t high-fideli ty AC’97 stereo au dio, and includes a sensitive built-i n microphone an d dual stereo speakers. There are audio ports on the left side of the computer. See “Left view” on page 5 for mo re information on con necting external audio de vices. Adjust[...]

27 English Power management This computer ha s a built-in power mana gement unit that monito rs system activity. Syste m activity refers to any ac tivity involvin g one or more of the following d evices: keybo ard, mouse, floppy dr ive, Hard Disk, or any connected perip herals. If no activity is d etected for a period of time (called an inactivity [...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 28 English Moving around with your T ravelMate This section gives you tips and hints to consider when movin g around or traveling with you r computer. Disco nnecting fro m the desktop Follow these steps to disconnect your compu ter from external accessories: 1 Save your w ork in progress. 2 Remove any media, disce[...]

29 English you can pu t the com puter in Slee p mode by pressing Fn-F4 . Then clos e and latch the d isplay. When you are ready to use t he computer again, un latch and o pen the display; then slid e and release the powe r button. Note: If the sleep indicator is off, the computer has entered Hibernation mode and turned off. If the power indicator i[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 30 English drive head. • Pack the computer in a protective case tha t can prevent the computer from slidi ng around and cushion i t if it should fall. Cautio n: Avoi d packing items nex t to the top cove r of the computer . Pressure against the top cover can damag e the screen What to bring wi th you Unless you [...]

31 English T raveling with the computer Pr eparing the computer If you are travel ing greater distanc es , for instance, from your office building to a client’s offic e building or traveli ng locally. Prepare the comput er as if y ou were t aking it h ome. Make sure that the battery in the computer is c harged. Airpo rt security may require you t[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 32 English What to bring wi th you Bring the follow ing items wi th you: • AC adapter • Power cord that is appr opriate for the country to which you a re traveling • Spare, fully-charged battery pack(s) • Proof of purchase, in case you need to show it to Customs of ficials • International T raveler’ s [...]

33 English Securin g your computer Your computer is a valuable investment that you n eed to take care of. Lea rn how t o pr otect and take ca re of your comp uter. Security features include hardware and software locks — a security notch and passw ords. Using a c omputer security lock A security keylock no tch located on the rear p anel of the com[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 34 English Using pa sswor ds Passwords protec t your computer from unauthorized access. Setting these passwords creates Serveral different levels of protection for your computer and d a ta: • Supervisor Password prevents unauthorized e ntry into the BIOS Utility . Once set, you must enter this password to gain a[...]

35 English Impo rtant! Y ou have three c hances to enter a password. If you fail to enter th e password correctly after three tries, the system halts. Slide an d hold the power button fo r four seconds to sh ut down the computer . Then turn on the computer again, and try again. If you fail to enter the Hard Disk Password, please contact your dealer[...]

1 Getting to know your T ravelMate 36 English TM540-e.book Page 36 Wednesday, August 20, 200 3 11:30 AM[...]

2 Customizing my computer TM540-e.book Page 37 Wednesday, August 20, 200 3 11:30 AM[...]

After learning the basics of your T ravelMate computer , let’ s get acquai nted with the advanced features of your computer . In this chapter , you will learn how to add opt ions, upgrade components for better performanc e, and customize your computer . TM540-e.book Page 38 Wednesday, August 20, 200 3 11:30 AM[...]

39 English Expandi ng thr ough opti ons Your TravelM ate offers you a c omplete mo bile comput ing experience . Connectivity o ptions Ports allow you to connect periphera l devices to your computer a s you would with a desktop PC. Fax/data modem Your computer has a bu ilt-in V.92 56 Kbps AC’97 Li nk fax/data mode m. W arning! This modem port is n[...]

2 Customizing my computer 40 English Built-in net work featur e The bu ilt-in networ k feature a llows you to c onnect your computer to a n Eth e rnet-b a s ed ( 1 0/ 1 00 Mbps) or gig a bit- L AN net w ork. To use the netwo rk featu re, connec t an Ethern et cable from th e network ja c k on the rear of the com puter to a netwo rk jack or h ub on [...]

41 English IEEE 1394 port The com puter's IEEE 13 94 port allow s you to conne ct to an IEE E 1394 supported dev ices like a vi deo camera or digital ca mera. See you r video o r digital camera's d ocumentation for details. PC Car d slot The type II / type III C ardBus PC Card slot found on the left sid e of the computer accepts cre dit-c[...]

2 Customizing m y computer 42 English Inser ting a PC Card Insert the card into the slot a nd make the prope r connection (e.g., network c able), if necessary. S ee your card ma nual for details. Ejec ting a P C Card Before ejec ting a PC Ca rd: 1 Exit the applicatio n using the card. 2 Left-click on the PC Card icon on th e taskbar and stop the ca[...]

43 English Connecting to A cer EasyPort replica tor The com puter's 100 -pin connector e nables you t o connect an Acer EasyPort repli cator (optional). Note: Th e system supports a max imum of six USB devices. T wo ports are available on the rear panel, one on th e right side, two internal ports are reserved by the system for optional card re[...]

2 Customizing m y computer 44 English Memory upgrade Memory is expa ndable to 2 GB , employing 128/256/5 12 MB industry standard soDI MMs (Small Outlin e Dual Inline Memory Modul es). The computer supports DDR (Dou ble Data Rate) S DRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Ran dom Access Memory). There are two m emory slo ts on your c omputer, o ne of which is occ[...]

45 English 3 Insert the mem ory module dia gonally into the sl ot (a), then gently press it down (b ) until it clicks into place. 4 Replace the memory cover and se cure it with the screws. 5 Reinstall the battery pack, and reconnect the AC adapter . 6 T urn on the computer . The computer a utomatically de tects and rec onfigures the to tal memory s[...]

2 Customizing m y computer 46 English Using system utiliti es Notebook M anager The computer h as a built-in syste m setup program cal l ed Noteboo k Manager. T he Windows-based Note book Manager allows you to set passwords, the startup sequence of the drives, and power management settings. It also shows current h ardware configurations. To start t[...]

47 English You can manually switch off the wireless LAN by pressing the button. BIOS Utility The BIO S Utility is a hardwa r e conf iguration program built into your computer’s BIO S (Basic Input/Output System ). Your compu ter is alread y pro perly configur ed and optimiz ed, and yo u do not need to run this utili ty. However, if you enco unter [...]

2 Customizing m y computer 48 English TM540-e.book Page 48 Wednesday, August 20, 200 3 11:30 AM[...]

3 T r oubleshooting my computer TM540-e.book Page 49 Wednesday, August 20, 200 3 11:30 AM[...]

This chapter instructs you on how to deal with common system problems . Read it before calling a technician if a problem occurs. Solutions to more serious probl ems require opening up the computer . Do not attempt to open the computer by yourself. Contact your dealer or an a uthorized service center for assistance. TM540-e.book Page 50 Wednesday, A[...]

51 English Frequently-asked questi ons The follow ing is a list of possible situations tha t may arise during the use of your com puter. Easy answers and solutions a re provided for each one. I opene d the displ ay and presse d the pow er button, bu t comput er does not start or boot-up . Look at the Power indicator: • If it is not l it, no power[...]

3 T roublesho oting my computer 52 English Imag e is not ful l-scr een. The computer displa y has a native resolution of 1024 x 768 (XGA) for the 14 .1” or 1400 x 1050 (SXGA+) for the 15. 0”. If you s et the resolution lower than this, the screen expands to fill the computer display. Right-click on your W indows desktop and select Prop erties t[...]

53 English The keyboa rd does not r e spond. Try attaching an external keyboard to th e USB ports of the computer. If it wo rks, contact your deale r or an authorize d servic e center as the internal key board cabl e may be l oose. The print er does not wor k. Check th e followin g: • Make su re that the prin t er is co nnected to a power outle t[...]

3 T roublesho oting my computer 54 English Requesting servi ce Inter national T ravele r’ s W arranty (ITW) Your compute r is backed by an In te rnational T raveler’s Wa rranty (ITW) that gives y ou security an d peace of mind when traveling. O ur worldwide ne t work of serv ice centers are the re to give you a help ing hand. An ITW p assport c[...]

55 English You are requi red to provi de the followin g information: Name: _______ _______ ______ _______ _______ ______ Address: ______ ______ _______ _______ ______ ______ _______ ______ _______ _______ ____ _______ ______ __ Telephone number:__ _____________ _____________ Machi ne and m odel typ e:___ _______ ______ _____ __ Serial n umber: ____[...]

3 T roublesho oting my computer 56 English TM540-e.book Page 56 Wednesday, August 20, 200 3 11:30 AM[...]

Appendix A Specifications TM540-e.book Page 57 Wednesday, August 20, 200 3 11:30 AM[...]

This appendix li sts the genera l specifications of your computer . TM540-e.book Page 58 Wednesday, August 20, 200 3 11:30 AM[...]

59 English Microprocessor • Mobile Inte l® Pentium® 4 P rocessor with 51 2 KB level 2 c ache featuring the new Enha nced Intel SpeedStep® tec hnology with 533 MHz processor system bus Memory • Main mem ory expandable to 2 GB • Dual 200-pin soDIM M sockets • PC2700 DDR -SDRAM (Double Data Rate-Sync hronous Dynamic Random Acc ess Memory) s[...]

Appendix A S pecif ications 60 English Keyboard and point ing device • 84-/85-/88 -key Windows ke yboard • Ergonomic ally-centered tou c hpad pointing devic e with 4-w ay scroll button I/O port s • T wo type II / one type I II CardBus PC Card slot • O n e R J - 4 5 j a c k ( E t h e r n e t 1 0 / 1 0 0 B a s e T ) • One RJ-11 jack (V .92/[...]

61 English Syst em • ACPI support • DMI 2 .0-c ompli ant • Microsof t Windows operatin g systems Pow er • Battery pack • 69.6 3 Wh Li -ion batt ery pa ck • 3-hour rapid c harge/6-hou r charge-in-use • AC adapter • 90 W att with 19 V DC o utput • Auto s ensing 90 ~ 28 4 V AC, 47 ~ 63 Hz Options • 128/256 /512 MB mem ory upgrade m[...]

Appendix A S pecif ications 62 English TM540-e.book Page 62 Wednesday, August 20, 200 3 11:30 AM[...]

Appendix B Notices TM540-e.book Page 63 Wednesday, August 20, 200 3 11:30 AM[...]

This appendix lists the ge neral notices of your computer . TM540-e.book Page 64 Wednesday, August 20, 200 3 11:30 AM[...]

65 English FCC notice This device has b een tested and fo und to comply with the li mits for a Cl ass B digital devic e pursuant to Part 15 o f the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential insta llati on. This de vice ge nerates, us es, and ca n radia te radio frequenc y ene[...]

Appe ndix B N otices 66 English Notice: Canadian users This Class B digital apparatus m eets all requirements of the Canadian Inter ference -Causi ng Equipment Re gulatio ns. Remarque à l’intention des utilisateurs canadi ens Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respected toutes les exi gences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canad[...]

67 English Important safety instructions Read these instruc tions carefully . Save these instructions for future reference. 1 Follow all warnings and instructio ns marked on the pro duct. 2 Unplug th is product fr om the wall outle t before cl eaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning. 3 Do not use thi s [...]

Appe ndix B N otices 68 English controls may result in damage and will often r equire extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to normal condition. e If th e produc t has been dr opped or the cabinet has been damag ed f If th e produc t exhibits a disti nct c hange in perfor mance, i ndicating a need for service. 12 Replace t[...]

69 English Lithium battery statement The Trav elMate 540 series us es the lithium bat tery, models UR18650G5 and US1 8650F only. CAUTION Danger of explosio n if battery is incorrectly replaced . Replace only with the same or e quivalent type recom m ended by the manufac turer. Dispose of used batteries according to loca l regulations. Recycle if at[...]

Appe ndix B N otices 70 English LCD pixel statement The LCD unit is pro duced with high-precision manufac turing techniques. Nevertheless, some pixe ls may o ccasi onal ly mis fire or appear as bl ack or colored dots. This ha s no effect on the recorded image an d does not con stitute a malfunc tion. Macr ovision copyright pr otection notice This p[...]

71 English Canada - Industry Canada (IC) ° This device comp lies with RSS 210 of Industry Canada. Europe - EU Declaration of Conformity This device complies with the standards listed belo w, following the provisions of the EMC Directive 89 /336/EEC: ° ETSI EN 301 489-1/17 ° ETSI EN 300 328-2 ° EN 30 0 328 V1.4. 1. USA - Federal Communi cations [...]

Appe ndix B N otices 72 English This equipment h as been tested and found to com ply with the limits for a Class B dig ital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. T hese limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equi pment generates, uses and ca n radiate radio frequ[...]

73 English Index A AC adapter caring fo r v AcerMedia drive 24 audi o 26 adjusting the volume 26 troubl eshoot ing 52 B batte ry p ack caring fo r v chargi ng in dicator 12 BIOS u tility 47 brig htnes s hotkeys 18 C caps lock 14 on indicato r 13 care AC adapter v batte ry p ack v comp uter iv CD-RO M ejecting 24 ejecting manually 52 troubl eshoot i[...]

74 English memory inst alling 44– 45 upgradi ng 44 modem 39 N network 40 Notebook Ma nager 46 hotkey 17 noti ce DVD copyright p rotection 7 0 num lo ck 14 on indicato r 13 numeric keypad embedded 15 num lo ck 15 O online s ervices 54 opti ons memory upgrade 44 P passw ord 34 types 34 PC Card 41 ejecting 42 inserting 42 ports 39 POST (power-on sel[...]