Acer TravelMate 2100 manual

TravelMate 2100/2600 Series User’s Guide[...]

Changes may be made peri odically to the i nformation in this publication without obligation to notify any person of such revision or changes. Such changes will be incorporated in new editions of this manual or supplementary documents and publ ications. This company makes no representati ons or warranties, ei ther expressed or im plied, with respec[...]

iii English First things first We would like to thank you for ma king the TravelMate series of notebook computers your choice fo r your mobile computing needs. We hope you w ill be happ y with your TravelMate as much as we enjoyed making it for you. Your guides To help you use your Tr avelMate, we have design ed a set of gui des: First off, the Jus[...]

iv English Basic care and tips for us ing your computer Turning your computer on and off To turn on the computer, simply pr ess and release the power switch below the LCD screen beside the Launch keys. See “Front view” on page 3 for the location of the power switch. To turn th e power of f, do any of the followi ng: • Use the Windows shutdo w[...]

v English • 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 display when you close it. • Never place the computer on uneven surfaces. Taking care of yo ur AC adapter Here are some ways to take care of your AC adapter: • Do not connect the adapte r to any other device. • Do not [...]

vi English 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 refer to "Troubles hooti ng my computer" on page 43.[...]

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 view 3 Left view 5 Right view 6 Rear view 7 Bottom view 8 Features 9 Indicators 11 Using t he keyb oard 12 Lock keys 12 Embedded numeric keypad 13 Windows keys 14 Hot keys 15 The Euro symbol 17 Launch [...]

2 Customizing my computer 31 Expanding through options 33 Connecti vity options 33 Upgrade options 37 Using system utilities 39 Notebook Manager 39 Launch Manager 40 BIOS Utili ty 40 D to D Recovery (Disc to Disc) 41 Multilingu al operating sy stem installation 41 Restore without a Recovery CD 41 Setup password an d exit 42 3 Troubleshooting my com[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate[...]

Your TravelMate computer combines high- performance, versatili ty, power management features and multimedi a capabilities with a unique style and ergonom ic design. Work with unmatched productivity and reliability with your new power computing partner.[...]

3 English A TravelMate tour After setting up your computer as illust rated in the Just for starter s... poster, let us show you around your new TravelMate computer. Front view # Item Description 1 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), displays computer outpu t.[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 4 English 2 Status indicators Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that turn on and off to show the status of the computer, its fun ctions an d compon ents. 3 Power button Turns on the comput er power. 4 Launch Keys Buttons for launching frequently used programs. See“Launch keys” on p age 18 for more details. 5 Palmres[...]

5 English Left view # Item Description 1 PC Card slots Connects to one Type III or two Type II CardBus PC Card (s). 2 Eject buttons Eject the PC Cards from the slots. 3 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs dep ending o n the optic al drive type. 4 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g., infrared printer, IR-aware [...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 6 English Right view # Item Description 1 Speaker Delivers stereo audio output. 2 Security keylock Connects to a Kensin gton-compatible computer security lock. 3 Ventilation slots Enable the computer to stay co ol, even after prolonged use.[...]

7 English Rear view # Item Description 1 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter. 2 Parallel port Connects to a parallel device ( e.g., parallel printer). 3 Ventilation slot Enables the comp uter to stay cool, even after prolonged us e. 4 External display port Connects to a disp lay device (e.g., ex ternal monitor, LCD proje ctor) and displays up to 1[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 8 English Bottom view 8 Speaker/Line-Out/ Headphone jack Connects to aud io line-out devices ( e.g., speakers, headphones). 9 Line-in/Mic-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g ., audio CD player, stereo walkman). # Item Description 1 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack. 2 Battery release latch [...]

9 English Features Below is a brief summary of the computer’s many fea tures: Performance • Intel® Penti um® 4 proce ssors, 2.8 GHz and above • Intel® Celeron® processors, 2.6 GHz and above • 256/512 MB of DDR333 SDRAM stand ard, upgradeable to 2048 MB with dual so DIMM mo dules • 30 GB and above high-capacit y, Enhance d-IDE hard dis[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 10 English Connectivity • Integrated 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet c onnection • Built-in 56Kbps fax/data modem • Four Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 ports • InviLink™ 802.11b/g Wireless LAN (manufactu ring option) • Bluetooth ® (manufac turing o ption) Human-centric de sign and ergonomics • Rugged, yet [...]

11 English Indicators The computer has seven easy-to-re a d status icons below the display screen. Icon Function Description Wireless communications Lights when the Wireless LAN capa bility is enabled. Power Lights when the computer is o n. Sleep Lights when the computer enters Standby mode and blinks when it en ters into or resumes from hibernatio[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 12 English Using the keyboard The keyboard has full-size d keys and an embedded keypa d, separate cursor keys, two Windows keys and twelve fu nction k eys. Lock keys The keyboard has three lock keys whic h you can togg le on and off. Lock Key Description Caps Lock When Caps Lock is on, all al phabetic characters ty[...]

13 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. Desired Access Num Lock On Num Lock Off Number keys on embedded key[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 14 English Windows keys The keyboard has two keys that pe rform Windows-spec if ic fun ctions. Key Description Windows key Pressed alone, this key has the same effect as clickin g on the Windows Start button ; it launches the Start menu. It can also be used with o ther keys to provide a variety of functions: + Tab [...]

15 English 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. To activate hot keys, pres s and hold the Fn key be fore pr essin g the other k ey in the hot ke y combin ation. Hot Key Icon Fu nction Description Fn-F1 Hot key help Disp[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 16 English Fn-F5 Display toggle Switches display output between the display screen, external monitor (if connected) an d both the display screen and external monitor. Fn-F6 Screen b lank Tur ns th e disp lay sc reen backlight off to save power. Press any key to return. Fn-F7 Touchpad toggle Turns th e internal touc[...]

17 English The Euro symbol If your k eyboard l a yout is set to Un ited Stat es-International or Unite d Kingdom or if you have a keyb oard with a European layout, you can type the Euro symbol on your keyboard. Note for US keyboard users: The keybo ard layout is set when you first set up Windows. For the Eu ro symbol t o work, the keyboard layout h[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 18 English Launch keys Located at the top of the keyboard are six butt ons. These buttons are called launch keys. They are design ated as the mail, Web broswer, P1, P2 , Wireless and Bluetooth butto n s. The Wireless and Bluetooth buttons cannot be set by the user. To set the other four launch keys, run the A cer L[...]

19 English Touchpad The built-i n touchpad is a PS/2 -compati ble pointi ng device that senses movement on its surface. This mean s the cursor responds as you move your finger on the surface of the to uc hpad. The ce ntral locati on on the palmrest provides optimum comfort a nd support. Note: When using an external U SB or serial mouse, you can pre[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 20 English Note: Keep your fingers dry and clean when using the tou chpad. Also keep the touchpad dry and clean . The touchpad is sensitive to finger movements. Hence, the lighter the touch, the better the response. Tapping harder will no t increase the touchpad’s responsiveness. Function Left Button Right Button[...]

21 English Storage This comp uter su ppli es you with the following me dia storage: Hard disk The high-capacity ha rd dis k is the answer to your storage needs. T his is where your data files and applications are sto red. Optical drive Your computer comes eq uipped with an optical driv e which may be one of the foll owing: • DVD-ROM • DVD/CD-RW[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 22 English Playing DVD movies When the DVD drive mo dule is installed in the optical d rive bay, you can play DVD movies on your comp uter. 1 Eject the DVD tray and insert a DV D movie disc; then close the DVD tray. Important! When you launch the DVD pl ayer for the first time, the program asks you to input the reg[...]

23 English Audio The computer comes with 16-bit high -fidelity AC’9 7 ste reo audio. The built-in dual stereo speakers are easy to acces s. There are audio ports on the rear panel of the computer. See “Rear view” on page 7 for more informa tion on exte rnal audio devices. Power management This comput er has a built-i n powe r management unit [...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 24 English Moving around with your TravelMate This secti on gives you t ips and hint s on thing s to consid er when moving around or traveling w ith your computer. Disconnecting from the desktop Follow th ese steps to discon nect your computer from external accessor ies: 1 Save your work in progress. 2 Remove any m[...]

25 English - or - you can pu t the compu ter in Sleep mod e 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, and press and release the po wer switch. If th e power indicator is off, the computer has entered Hibernation mode and turned off. Press and release the po we[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 26 English Caution: Avoid packing item s next to the to p cover of the computer. Pressure against the top cover can damage the screen What to bring with you Unless you already have some items at home, bring the following items with you: • AC adapt er and po wer cord • The printed user’s guide Special consider[...]

27 English Traveling with the computer “when you are moving within a larger distance, for instance, fr om your office buildi ng to a clien t’s office buil ding or trav eling locally” Preparing the computer Prepare the c omputer as if you we re taking it home. M ake sure that the battery in the computer is char ged. Airport security may requir[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 28 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 • Additional printer driver files if you plan to use ano ther printer • Proof of purch ase, in case yo u[...]

29 English Securing your computer Your computer is a valu able investme nt th at you nee d to take ca re of. Learn how to prote ct and take care of yo ur computer. Security features include hardware and software locks — a secur ity lock and passwords. Using a computer security lock A security keylock notch located on the right panel of the comput[...]

1 Getting to know your TravelMate 30 English[...]

2 Customizing my computer[...]

After learning the basics of your TravelMate 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.[...]

33 English Expanding through 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 desktop PC. Modem Your computer has a bu ilt-in V.92 56Kbps AC’97 Link modem. Warning! This modem port is no t compatible with digital pho[...]

2 Customiz ing my compute r 34 English Network Your computer has bu ilt-in Ethernet /Fast Ethernet ca pabilities. To use the network feature, connect a n Ethernet cable f rom the network jack to an network jack or hub. Co ns ult your network administrator for details. Universal Serial Bus The Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 po rt is a high-speed ser[...]

35 English PC Card slot There are one Type III or two Type II CardBus PC Card slots foun d on the left side of the computer. The slots acce pt credit -card-sized cards that enhance the usability a nd expa ndability of the computer. These cards shou ld have a PC Card lo go on them. PC Cards (formerly PCMCIA) are add- on car ds fo r porta ble co mput[...]

2 Customiz ing my compute r 36 English Ejecting a PC Card Before ejecting a PC Card: 1 Exit the applic ation using the card. 2 Left- click on the Safely R emove Ha rdware ic on on the taskbar and click on the PC Card item. C lick OK to conf irm. 3 Press the slot eject button (1) to pop out the eject button; then press it again to eject the card (2)[...]

37 English Upgrade options Your computer deliv ers superior power and performance. However, some users and the applications they use ma y demand more . This computer all ows you to upg rad e key c omponents when you need increased performanc e. Note: Contact your auth orized dealer if you decid e to perform a key component upgrade. Memory upgrade M[...]

2 Customiz ing my compute r 38 English Installing memory Follow these steps to install memory: 1 Turn off the computer, unplug th e AC adapter (if connected) and remove the battery pack. Then turn the computer over to access its base. 2 Remove the screw from the memory cover (1) , then lift up an d remove the memory cover (2) . 3 Insert the memory [...]

39 English Using system utilities Notebook Manager The computer has a built-in syst em 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 po wer management settings. It also show s current hardware configurations. To start the Notebo ok Manager, press F[...]

2 Customiz ing my compute r 40 English Launch Manager There are six Launch Keys located above the keyboard. The Wireless and Blueto oth buttons ar e not programma ble. Launch Manager only allows you to set the other four Launc h Keys. See “L aunch keys ” on page 18 for more information. You can ac cess the Launch Manager by clicki ng on Start ,[...]

41 English D to D Recovery (Disc to Disc) Note : This feature is only available on certain models. Multilingual operating system installation Follow the instru ctions to ch oose the operat ing system and la nguage you use when you first power-on the system. 1 Turn on the system. 2 Acer multilingual operating system selection menu will pop-up automa[...]

2 Customiz ing my compute r 42 English 3 Press < Alt > + < F10 > at the same t ime to enter the recovery process. 4 The message "The sys tem has password protect ion. Please enter 000000:" is displaye d. 5 Enter six 0s and continue. 6 "Acer Self-Configuration Pr eload" window ap pears. 7 Use the arrow keys to scroll [...]

3 Troubleshooting my computer[...]

This chapter instructs y ou on how to deal with common system problems. Read it before calling a technician if a problem occurs. Solutions to more serious problems require opening up the computer . Do not attempt to open the computer by yourself. Contact your dealer or an authoriz ed service center for assistance.[...]

45 English Frequently-asked questions The following is a l ist of possible situations th at may arise during the use of your comp uter. Easy answe rs and solutions ar e provided for each one. I pressed the power switch an d opened the display, but the computer does not start or boot-up. Look at the Power indicator: • If it is not lit, no power is[...]

3 Troubleshooting m y computer 46 English Image is not full-screen. Make sure that the resolution is se t to 1024x768. This is the native resolution of your computer di splay. Rig ht-click on your Windows desktop and se lect Prop erties to brin g up the Display Properties dialog box. Then click on the Se ttings tab to make sure that the resolution [...]

47 English The CD or DVD drive cannot access a disc. Check the following: • Make sure the disc is supported by the drive. If your c omputer has a CD-ROM drive, it can read CDs but cannot read DVDs. If yo ur computer ha s a DVD drive, it can read DVDs i n addi tion to CDs. • When placin g the CD or DVD in the dr ive tray, make sure it is secure [...]

3 Troubleshooting m y computer 48 English The printer does not work. Check the following: • Make sure that the printer is conn ected to a power outlet and that it is turned on. • Depending on your conn ection (USB or parallel), ma ke sure th at the printer cable is connected secu rely to the appropriate port on your computer an d the correspo n[...]

49 English Requesting service International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) Your computer is backed by an Interna tional Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) that gives you security and peac e of mind when tr aveling. Our worldwide netw ork of se rvice centers are there to give you a helping hand. An ITW passport come s with your co mputer. This passp ort conta[...]

3 Troubleshooting m y computer 50 English[...]

Appendix A Specifications[...]

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

53 English Microprocessor • Intel® Penti um® 4 proce ssors, 2.8 GHz and above • Intel® Celeron® processors, 2.6 GHz and above Memory • 256/512 MB of DDR333 SDRAM stand ard, upgradeable to 2048 MB with dual so DIMM mo dules • 512 KB flash ROM BIOS Data storage • One 30 GB and above E-IDE hard disk (2.5”, 9.5mm, Ultra DMA-100) • One[...]

Appendix A Specifications 54 English Keyboard and pointing device • 84/85/88-key Windows keyboard • Ergonomicall y-centered touchpad pointing device with scro ll function I/O ports • One Type III or two type II PC Card slo ts • One RJ-1 1 phone jack (V.92, 56Kbps modem) • One RJ-45 network jack (Ethernet 10/100 Base-T) • One DC-in jack [...]

55 English System • Microsoft® Windows® X P Home/ Pro • ACPI 1.0b support • DMI 2.0-compliant Power • 8-cell Li-ion battery pack • 135W AC adapter 19V Options • 256MB/512MB/1GB me mo ry upgrade module • Additional 135W AC adapt er • Addition Li-ion battery pack[...]

Appendix A Specifications 56 English[...]

Appendix B Regulation & safety notices[...]

This appendix lists the general notices for your computer.[...]

59 English English Energy Star Guidelines Compliance As an Energy Star Partner, Acer In c. has determined that this product meets the Energy Star guidelines for energy efficiency. FCC notice This device h as been tested and foun d to comply with the limits for a Class B digi tal devic e pursuant to Par t 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are design[...]

Appendix B Regu lation & safety notices 60 English Caution Changes or modifications not expres sly approved by the m anufacturer could void the user's authority, which is granted by the Federal Communications Commission, to operate this c omputer. Operation conditions This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Oper atio n is subje[...]

61 English English Your telephone company may ma ke change s in its facilities, equipment, operations, or procedures that c ould affect the proper function ing of yo ur equip ment. If they do, you will be notifi ed in advance to give you an opportunity to maintain uninterrupted telephone service. If this equi pment shoul d fail to opera te properl [...]

Appendix B Regu lation & safety notices 62 English Notice for New Zealand For Modem with approval number PTC 211/03/008 1 The grant of a Telepermit for any item of termina l equipment indicates only that Telecom has ac cepted that the item complies with minimum co nditio ns for connection to its network. It indicates no endorsemen t of the prod[...]

63 English English For Modem with approval number PTC 211/01/030 1 The grant of a Telepermit for any item of terminal equi pment indicates only that Telecom has ac cepted that the item complies with minimum co nditio ns for connection to its network. It indicates no endorsemen t of the produc t by Telecom, no r does it provide any sort of warranty.[...]

Appendix B Regu lation & safety notices 64 English Important safety instructions Read these instruct ions carefully. Save them for future reference. 1 Follow a ll warn ings and instru ctions mar ked on th e produc t. 2 Unplug this pr oduct from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for[...]

65 English English d If the produ ct does not operate normally when th e operating instructions are followed. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions si nce improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage a nd will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to normal c [...]

Appendix B Regu lation & safety notices 66 English PRODUCTO LÁSER DE LA CLASE I ADVERTENCIA: RADIACIÓ N LÁSER INVISIBLE AL SER ABIERTO. EVITE EXPONERSE A LOS RAYOS. ADVARSEL: LASERSTRÅLING VEDÅBNING SE IKKE IND I STRÅLEN. VARO! LAVATTAESSA OLET ALTTINA LASERSÅTEILYLLE. VARNING: LASERSTRÅLNING NÅR DENNA DEL ÅR ÖPPNAD ÅLÅ TUIJOTA SÅ[...]

67 English English General This product compl ies wi th the radio frequency an d safety standards of any country or region in which it ha s been approved for wireles s use. Depending on configurations, thi s produ ct may or may not contain wireless radio devices (such as wi reless LA N and/or Blue tooth® modules). B elow informatio n is for produc[...]

Appendix B Regu lation & safety notices 68 English in the country of use. For furthe r information, please conta ct local office in the country of use. The FCC RF safety requiremen t The radiated output power of Wi reless LAN Mini-PCI Card and Bluetooth card is far be low the FCC radio freq uency exposure limits. Nevertheless, the T ravelMate s[...]

69 English English Federal Communications Commission Declaration of Conformity This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept an y interference received, including interference that may cause undesired opera[...]

Appendix B Regu lation & safety notices 70 English A cer Incorporated 8F, 88, Sec. 1, Hsin Tai Wu Rd., Hsichih Taipei Hsien 221, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel : 886- 2- 26 96- 1 234 Fax : 886-2- 2696- 3535 www.acer.com Declaration of Conformity for C E ma r king We , Acer Inc. 8F, 88, Sec. 1, Hsin Tai Wu Rd., Hsichih, Taipei Hsien 221, T aiwan, R. O. C. C[...]

71 Index A AC adapter caring for v audio 23 trouble shootin g 46 B battery pack caring for v charging indicator 11 BIOS Utility 40 BIOS utility 40 brightness hotkeys 16 C caps lock 12 on indicator 11 care AC adapter v battery pack v computer iv CD trouble shootin g 47 CD-ROM ejecting 21 ejecting manually 4 6 trouble shootin g 46 cleaning computer v[...]

72 N network 34 Notebook Ma nager 39 hotkey 15 notice DVD copyright pr otection 66 num lock 12 on indicator 11 numeric keypad embedded 13 num lock 13 O optical drive 21 options memory upgrade 37 P PC Card 35 ejecting 36 inserting 35 ports 33 Power-On Self Test ( POST) 40 printer trouble shootin g 48 problems 45 CD 47 CD-ROM 46 display 45, 46 DVD 47[...]