Acer TravelMate 370 series manual

T ravelMate 370 series User’ s guide[...]

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

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

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

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

vi English Cleaning and servicing • When cleaning the computer , follow these steps: • Power off the computer and remove the battery pack. • Disconnect the AC adapter . • Use a soft cloth moistened with water . Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners . • T o clean th e display scre en, use an LCD cle aning kit. If any of the following occur[...]

First things first iii Your guides iii Basic care and tips for using your compute r iv 1 Getting to know your TravelMate 1 A TravelMate tour 3 Front open view 3 Front view 5 Left view 6 Right view 7 Rear view 8 Bottom view 9 Featur es 10 Indicators 12 Using t he keyb oard 14 Special ke ys 14 Launch Keys 21 Touchpad 2 2 Touchpad basics 22 Storage 24[...]

BIOS Utili ty 45 Disk to Disk Recovery 46 3 Troubleshooting my computer 47 Frequently-asked questions 49 Troubleshooting ti ps 52 Error messages 53 Requesting service 54 International Travelers War ranty (ITW) 54 Before you call 54 Appendix A Specifications 57 Appendix B Notices 63 Index 73[...]

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

Y our T ravelMate computer combines high- performance, versatility , power management features and multimedia capabilities with a unique style and ergonomic design. W ork with unmatched productivity and reliability with your new power co mputing partner .[...]

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

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 4 English 2 Status indicators LEDs (light-emitting di ode) that turn on an d off to show the status of the computer , its functions and comp onents. 3 Power button T u rns on the co mputer . 4 Launch key s T wo special keys for frequently used programs. See “Launch Keys” o n page 21 for more details. 5 Palmre[...]

5 English Fr ont view # Item Description 1 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g., infrared printer , IR-aware comp uter). 2 Latc h Latch for opening an d closing the computer . 3 3-in-1 card reader 1 Reads cards from Memory Stick, MultiMedia, and Secure Digital cards. Notes: 1 . T h r e e - i n - o n e c a r d r e a d e r i s a m a n[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 6 English Left view # Item Description 1 Modem port Connects to a ph one line. 2 Ethernet port Connects to an Ethernet 10/1 00- based network. 3 DC-in jack Connects the AC adapter . 4 USB 2.0 port Connects to Universal Serial Bus devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB camera). 5 IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 device[...]

7 English Right view 7 Microphone/line-in j ack Accepts input from external micr ophones , or other audio line-in devices (e.g. audio CD player , stereo walkman and etc .) 8 PC Card slot Accepts one T ype II 16-bit PC Card or 32-bit CardBus PC Card. 9 Eject button Ejects the PC Card from the slot. # Item Description 1 HDD Houses the computer’ s h[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 8 English Rear view 3 V antilation Sl ot Enables the computer to stay cool, eve n after prolonged use. 4 Security keylock Connects to a Kensin gton-compatible computer security lock. # Item Descri ption 1 External display port Connects to a displa y device (e.g., external monitor , LCD projec tor) and di splays u[...]

9 English Bottom view # Item Description 1 RAM slot The slot that houses the com puter's main memory . 2 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack . 3 Battery release latch Unlatches the battery to remove the battery pack. 4 V antilation Sl ot Enables the computer to stay co ol, even after prolonged use.[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 10 English Featur es Below is a brief summary of the computer’s many fea tures: Performance • Intel® Pentium® M Processor at 1.3 ~1.7 GHz or higher • Intel 855GM ch ipset • Memory upgradeable up to 2 GB with 2 slots • High-capacity , Enhance d-IDE hard disk • Li-ion main battery pack • Power manag[...]

11 English Connectivity • High-speed fax/data modem port • Ethernet/Fast Ethernet port • Fast infrared wireless communication • T wo USB 2.0 ports • IEEE 1394 port • InviLink 802.11b or 802.11 a/ g wireless LAN (manuf acturing optional ) • SD/MMC/MS m emory slot (m anufacturi ng optional ) Human-centric design and ergonomics • Inter[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 12 English Indicators The computer has seven easy-to-re ad status indicators on the display screen and three on the LCD panel. The Wireless, Power and Sleep status indicators are vi sible even when the display is closed. Icon Function Description Wireless Orange i ndicates that wireless LAN is e n abled . Power L[...]

13 English Media Activity Lights when the floppy drive, hard disk o r optical drive is active. Battery Charge Lights when the ba ttery is being charged . Caps Lock Lights when Caps Lock is activated. Num Lock Lights when Num Lock is activated. Icon Function Description[...]

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

15 English Embedded numeric keypad The embedded numeric keypad func tions like a desktop numeric keypad. It is indi cated by small characters located on the upper right corner of the keyc aps. To simplify the keyboa rd legend, cursor -control key symbols are not printed on the keys. Desir ed access Nu m lock on Num lock off Number keys on embedded [...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 16 English W indows keys The keyboard has two keys that pe rform Windows-spec if ic fun ctions. Key Description Windows logo key Start button. Combinations with this key perform shortcut functions. Below are a few e xamples: + T ab ( Activates next taskbar button) + E (Explores My Computer) + F (Finds Document) +[...]

17 English Keyboar d 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 activa te a keyboar d ho t key, press and hold t he Fn key before pressing the other key(s) in the hot key combination. Hot key Icon Function Description Fn-F[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 18 English Fn-F5 Displa y toggle Switches display output between the display screen, external monitor (if connected) a nd both the display screen and external monitor . Fn - F6 Screen b lank T urns the display screen backlight off to save power; press any key to resume. Fn-F7 To u c h p a d To g g l e T urn s the[...]

19 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 keyboard layout is set when you first set up Windows. For the Euro symbol to work, the keyboard layout has [...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 20 English If not, selec t and cli ck on ADD ; then select United States- International and click on OK . 5 Click on OK . To type the Euro symbol: 1 Locate the Euro symb ol on your keyboard. 2 Open a text editor or word p rocessor . 3H o l d Alt Gr and press the Euro symbol. Note : Some fonts and software do not [...]

21 English Launch Keys Located above the keyboard are six buttons. These keys are specia l one-click b uttons th at perform special funct ions. # Launch key Default ap plicat ion 1 Wirel ess This button permits user Enabled/D isabled Wireless LAN network. 2 P1 User-programmable 3 P2 User-programmable 4 P3 User-programmable 5 W eb browser Launch Int[...]

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

23 English Note: A .Keep your fingers dry and clean whe n using the touchpad. Also k eep the touchpad dry an d clean. The tou chpad is sensitive to finger movements. He nce, the lighter the touch, the better the response. T apping harder will not increase the touchpad’ s responsiveness. B .When using an external USB mouse, you can press Fn-F7 to [...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 24 English Storage This comp uter su ppli es you with the following me dia storage: • High-capacity Enhanc ed-IDE hard disk • IEEE 1394 Optical (CD, DVD, DV D/CD-RW combo, or DVD-Dua l) drive • USB Floppy drive Har d disk The high-capacity ha rd dis k is the answer to your storage needs. This is where your [...]

25 English Using softwar e Playing DVD movies When the DVD-ROM drive module is installed, you can play DVD movies on your computer. 1 Eject the DVD tray and insert a DV D movie disc; then close the DVD tray . Important! When you l aunch the DVD player for the fi rst time, the program asks you to input the region code. DVD discs are divided into 6 r[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 26 English Audio The computer comes with 16-bit high -fidelity AC ’97 stereo audi o, and stereo speaker. Adjusting the volume Adjusting the volume on the comput er is as easy as pressing some buttons. See “Keyboard Hot keys” on page 17 for more infor mations on adjusting th e speaker volume.[...]

27 English Power management This comput er has a built-i n powe r management unit that moni tors system activity. System activity refe rs to any activity involving one or more of the following devices: keyb oard, mouse, floppy drive, hard disk, peripherals connecte d to the ser ial and parallel ports, and video memory. If no activity is detected fo[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 28 English Moving ar ound with your T ravelMate This sectio n gives you tips an d hints to consi der when movi ng around or traveling with your computer. Disconnecting fr om the desktop Follow th ese steps to discon nect your computer from external accessor ies: 1 Save your work in progress. 2 Remove any media, d[...]

29 English you can put the computer in Sleep mode by pressing Fn-F4 . Then close and latch the display. When you are ready to use the comp uter again, unla tch and open the display; then press and release the power button . Note: If the sleep indicator is off, the computer has entered Hiberna tion mode a nd turned of f. If the power indicator is of[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 30 English from the drive(s). Failure to re move the media can damage the drive head. • Pack the computer in a protecti ve case that can prevent the computer from sl iding around and cushion it if it should fall . Caution: Avoid packing items next to the top cover of the computer . Pressure against the top cove[...]

31 English T raveling 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” Pr eparing the computer Prepare the computer as if you were taking it home. Make sure that the battery in the computer is char ged. Airport security may require[...]

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 32 English • AC adapter • Power cords that a re appropriate for the country to which you are traveling • Spare, ful ly-charged battery p acks • IEEE 1394 optical drive module (s) • Additional printer driver files if you plan to use ano ther printer • Proof of purch ase, in case yo u need to show it to[...]

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

1 Getting to know yo ur T ravelMate 34 English • Password on Bo ot secures your c omput er agai n st unauthorized use. Combine the use of this pass word with pass wo rd che ckpoints on boot-up and resume from hi bernation for maximum security . Important! D o not forget your Supervisor! If you forget your password, please get in touch with you r [...]

2 Customizing my computer[...]

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

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

2 Customiz ing my com puter 38 English Built-in network featur e The built-in ne twork feature allows you to connect your c omputer to an Ethernet-ba sed (10/100 Mbps ) network. To use the network feature, conn ect an Ether net cable f rom the network jac k on t he left o f the com p uter to a network jack o r hub on your network . Fast infrar ed T[...]

39 English Universal Serial Bus The Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0) port is a high-speed serial bus which allows you to connect and daisy-ch ain USB peripheral s without taking up precious system resources. Your computer has two ports available, one on left and the other on e on right.[...]

2 Customiz ing my com puter 40 English IEEE 1394 port The computer's IEEE 1394 port allo ws you to connect to an IEEE 1394 supported devic es like a CD-RO M, DVD-ROM, DVD/CD -RW Combo or DVD-Dual drive. PC Car d slot The type II CardBus PC Card slot foun d on the left side of the compute r accepts credit-c ard-si zed cards that enhance the usa[...]

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

2 Customiz ing my com puter 42 English Upgrade options Your computer deli vers 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: Co ntact your authorized dealer if you decide to p erform a key compone[...]

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

2 Customiz ing my com puter 44 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 allo ws you to set passwords , the startup seq uence of the dri ves, and po wer management settings. It also show s current hardware configurations. T o start[...]

45 English Launch Manager Launch Manager allo ws you to set the two launch keys located above the keyboard. See “Launc h Keys” on page 21 for the location of the launch k ey. You can ac cess the Launch M anager by cl icking on Start , All Programs , and then Launch Manager to start the application. BIOS Utility The BIOS Utility is a hard ware c[...]

2 Customiz ing my com puter 46 English Disk to Disk Recovery Disk to Disk Recovery allows you to restore the hard drive wi th the original software content that was installed when you purchase d your notebook. Follow the steps below to access Disk to Disk Recovery. It is important to back up all data files before you use this option because your dr[...]

3 T r oubleshooting my computer[...]

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

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

3 T rou bleshooting my computer 50 English to fill the computer di splay. Right-click on your Wind ows desktop and select Proper ties t o bring u p the Display Properties dialog box. Then click on the Settings tab to make sure that the resolution is set to the approp riate resol ution . Reso lution s lower than t he spe cified resolu tion are not f[...]

51 English • During the POST , press F2 to access the BIOS Utility and verify that the infrared port is enabled. • Make sure both devi ces are Ir DA-complian t. 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. • Make sure that the printer cabl e is connect[...]

3 T rou bleshooting my computer 52 English T r oubleshooting tips This notebook comp uter incorporates an advanced design that delivers onscreen error message reports to help you solve problems. If the system report s an error mess age or an error sy mpt om occurs, see “Erro r messag es” on pa ge 53 . If the problem cannot be resolved, contact [...]

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

3 T rou bleshooting my computer 54 English Requesting service Inter national T ravelers W arranty (ITW) Your computer is b acked by an In ternational Travelers Warrant y (ITW) that gives you security and peac e of mind when traveling. Our worldwide network of service center s are there to give you a helping hand. An ITW passport come s with your co[...]

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

3 T rou bleshooting my computer 56 English[...]

Appendix A Specifications[...]

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

59 English Micr opr ocessor • Intel® Pentium® M Processo r with 1024 KB L2 c ache Memory • Main memory ex pandable up to 2 GB • T wo DDR DIM M slots • Support 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB & 1GB DDR SDRAM modules • 512 KB Flash ROM BIOS Data storage • One high-ca pacity , Enhanc ed-IDE hard disk • One 5.25-inch internal hot-swappable o[...]

Appendix A Specifications 60 English I/O ports • One type II CardBu s PC Card slot • One RJ-45 jack (Et hernet 10/100) • One RJ-11 phone jack (V .92) • One DC-in jack for AC adapter • One VGA port for ex ternal monitor • One speaker/headphone-out jac k (3.5mm mini jack) • One microphone-in jack • One IEEE 1394 port • T wo USB 2.0 [...]

61 English System • ACPI suppor t • DMI 2.0-compliant • Microsoft Windows op erating s ystem Power • 6-cell battery • 48.84 Wh Li-ion battery pack • 2.5-hour r apid cha rge/3.0 -hour charge-in-u se • 4-cell battery • 26.64 Wh Li-ion battery pack • 1.5-hour r apid cha rge/2.5 -hour charge-in-u se • AC adapter • 65-Watt • Auto[...]

Appendix A Specifications 62 English[...]

Appendix B Notices[...]

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

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

Appendix B Notices 66 English Notice: Canadian users This Class B digital apparatus m eets all requirements of the Canadia n Interference-Causing Equ ipment Regula tions. Remar que à l’intention de s utilisateurs canadiens Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respected toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brou illeur du Canada. [...]

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

Appendix B Notices 68 English controls may result in damage a nd will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restor e the product to normal cond ition. e If the pr oduct has bee n dropped or the cabin et has been d amaged f If the pr oduct ex hibits a dist inct c hange in performa nce, indi cating a need for service. 12 Replace t[...]

69 English Lithium battery statement The TravelMate 370 series uses the lithium battery, models BT P- 50T3 , BT P -73E1 only. CAUTION Danger of explosion if battery is in correctly replaced. Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Dispose of used batt eries according to local regulations. Re cycle if at all po[...]

Appendix B Notices 70 English LCD pixel statement The LCD unit is produc ed with high-prec ision manu facturin g techniques. Nevertheless, some pixe ls may occasionally misfire or appear as black or colored dots . Th is has no effect on the record ed imag e and does n ot cons titut e a malfunc tion. Macr ovision copyright pr otection notice This pr[...]

71 English Canada - Industry Canada (IC) • This device compl ies with RSS 210 o f Industry Ca nada. Europe - EU Declarat ion of Conformity This devi ce compli es with the standards liste d be low, follo wing the provisions of the EMC Directive 89/336/EEC: • ETSI EN 301 489-1/17 • ETSI EN 300 328-2 • EN 300 328 V1.4.1. USA - Federal Communic[...]

Appendix B Notices 72 English limits are designed to provide reas on able prot ection against har mful interference in a residentia l instal lat ion. This equipment generates, uses and can rad iate radi o frequency ene rgy and, if not installe d and used in accordan ce with the instructions, may ca use harmful interference to radio co mmunications.[...]

73 Index A AC adapter caring for v AcerMedia drive 24 audio 26 adjusting the volum e 26 trouble shootin g 50 B battery pack caring for v BIOS utility 45, 46 brightness hotkeys 18 C caps lock 14 on indicator 13 care AC adapter v battery pack v computer iv CD-ROM ejecting 24 ejecting manually 50 trouble shootin g 50 cleaning computer vi computer brin[...]

Index 74 error 53 modem 37 N network 38 Notebook Manager 44 hotkey 17 notice DVD copyright pr otection 70 num lock 14 on indicator 13 numeric keypad num lock 15 O online services 54 options memory upgrade 42 P password 33 types 33 PC Card 40 ejecting 41 inserting 41 ports 37 POST (power-on self-test) 45 printer trouble shootin g 51 problems 49 CD-R[...]