Acer TravelMate 4100 Series manual

TravelMate 4100 / 4600 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. Your guides To help you use your Tr avelMate, we have design ed a set of gui des: First off, the Just for starters... poster helps you get started with sett ing up yo ur comput er. The User&[...]

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 button below the LCD screen besi de the launch keys. Se e “Front view” on page 1 for the location of the power button. To turn th e power of f, do any of the followi ng: • Use the Windows shutdo[...]

v English • 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 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 con[...]

vi English If any of the following occurs: • The computer has been drop ped or the bo dy has been damaged. • The computer does not operate normally. Please refer to “Frequently-ask ed questions” on page 53 . Caution Changes or modifications not expres sly approved by the m anufacturer could void the user's authority, which is granted b[...]

First things first iii Your guides iii Basic care and tips for using your compute r iv Turning your computer on and off iv Taking care of your computer iv Taking care of your AC adapter v Taking care o f your battery pack v Cleaning and s ervicing v A TravelMate tour 1 Front view 1 Closed fr ont vie w 3 Left view 5 Right view 6 Rear view 7 Bottom v[...]

What to take with you 31 Special consid erations 31 Setting up a ho me office 32 Traveling with the computer 32 Preparing the computer 32 What to take with you 32 Special consid erations 32 Traveling internatio nall y with the computer 33 Preparing the computer 33 What to bring with you 33 Special consid erations 33 Securing your computer 34 Using [...]

Troubleshoot ing my computer 51 Frequently-asked questions 53 Troubleshooting ti ps 56 Error messages 56 Requesting service 57 International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) 57 Before you call 58 Appendix A Regulation & safety notices 59[...]

[...]

1 English A TravelMate tour After setting up your computer as illust rated in the Just f or Starters ... poster, let us show you around your new TravelMate computer. Front view # Item Description 1 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), display ing co mpute r output . 2 Microphone Internal microphone for sound recording.[...]

2 English 3 Keyboard Inputs data into your compu ter. 4 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands when you use the comp uter. 5 Click butto ns (Left, center and right) The left and right butt ons f unction like the left and right mouse buttons; the center button serves as a 4-way scroll button. 6 Touchpa d Touch-sensitive po inting device wh[...]

3 English Closed front view # Item Description 1 Speakers Left and right speakers deliver stereo audio output. 2 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g., infrared printer and IR-aware co mputer). 3 Power indicator Lights when the computer is o n. 4 Battery indicator Lights when the battery is being charged. 5 Bluetooth communication bu[...]

4 English 6 Wireless communication button/indicator Press to enable/disable Wireless function. Lights to indicate the status of wireless LAN communications. (man ufacturing option) 7 Line-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD player, stereo walkman). 8 Mic-in jack Accepts inputs fr om external microphones. 9 Speaker/Line-Out/ Headph[...]

5 English Left view Note : The positions of the AcerMedi a indicator, ej ect button an d emergency eject h ole may differ depending on the optical d rive module installed. # Item Description 1 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs dep ending o n the optic al drive type. 2 LED indicator Lights up when the optical drive is active.[...]

6 English Right view # Item Description 1 IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 devices. 2 PC Card slot eject button Ejects the PC Card from the slot. 3 PC Card slot Connects to on e Type II CardBus PC Card. 4 4-in-1 card reader (for selected models) Accepts MS, MS PRO, MMC and SD card. Note: The 4-in-1 card reader is a manufacturi ng option , subje[...]

7 English Rear view # Item Description 1 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter. 2 External display port Connects to a display device (e.g., external monitor, LCD proj ector). 3 124-pin Acer ezDock connector (for selected models) Connects to Acer ezDock. 4 Security keylock Connects to a Kensin gton-compatible computer security lock.[...]

8 English Bottom view # Item Description 1 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured by a screw). 2A c e r M e d i a b a y release latch (for selected models) Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for removal of drive. 3A c e r M e d i a b a y (for selected models) Houses an AcerMedia d rive module. 4 Battery release latch Unlatches the b[...]

9 English Specifications Microprocessor • Intel® Pentium® M Processor at 1.5 ~ 2.13 GHz or higher • Intel® Celeron® M P rocessor at 1.3 ~ 1.6 GHz or higher 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 40 GB and above E-IDE hard disk (2.5”,[...]

10 English • InviLink™ 802.11b /g or 802.11a/b /g dual-band tri-mode W ireless LAN (for select ed models) • Bluetooth ® (for selecte d models) Audio • 16-bit AC’97 stereo a udio • Dual speakers and one internal micropho ne • Separate audio po rts for he adphone-ou t, line -in and micropho ne- in devices Keyboard and pointing device ?[...]

11 English Dimensions - 360 (W) x 273 (D) x27 /32 (H) mm Environment • Temperature: - Operating: 5°C ~ 35°C - Non-opera ting: -20°C ~ 65 °C • Humidity (no n-condensing): - Operating: 20% ~ 80% RH - Non-oper ating: 20% ~ 80% RH System • Microsoft® Windows® X P Home/ Pro/MCE (M CE for selected models) • ACPI 1.0b support • DMI 2.0-com[...]

12 English Indicators The computer has three easy-to-read status icons on the upper-right above the keyboard. Icon Function Description Caps Lock Lights when Caps Lock is ac tivated. Num Lock Lights when Num Lock is activated. Media activity Lights when the hard disk or optical drive is active.[...]

13 English In addition, there are two indicators a t the front panel. Even when the cover is clo sed, the st ate or features can stil l be seen. 1. Charging: the light shows am be r when the battery is charging. 2. Fully charged: light shows green when in AC mode. Icon Function Description Power Lights when the computer is o n. Battery indicator Li[...]

14 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 typed are in uppercase. Num Lock ( [...]

15 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 ke[...]

16 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 Activates the ne xt Taskbar button[...]

17 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 Function Description Fn-F1 Hot key help Displ[...]

18 English Fn-F5 Display toggle Switches display output between the display screen, external monitor (if connected) and both the display screen and external monitor. Fn-F6 Screen blank Turns the display screen backlight off to save power. Press any key to return. Fn-F7 Touchpad toggle Turns th e internal touchpad on and off . Fn-F8 Speaker toggle T[...]

19 English Special Keys You can locate the Euro symbol and US dollar sign at the upper-center and/or b ottom-r ight o f your keyboard . To type: The Euro symbol 1 Open a text editor or word processor. 2 Either directly press the Euro symb ol at the bo ttom-right of the keyboard, or h old Alt Gr and then press the Euro symbol at the upper-cente r of[...]

20 English Launch keys Located at the upper-right above th e keyboard are four buttons. These buttons a re call ed lau nch keys. They are designated as the mail, Web browser, Empowering Key “ “ and programmable keys . Press the Empowering Key “ “ to run the Acer eManager. Please see “Acer eM anager” o n page 2 6 . The mail and Web brows[...]

21 English Touchpad 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 central location on the palmrest provides optimum comfort a nd support. Touchpad basics The following items teach yo u ho w to use the touc hpad: • Mov[...]

22 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 movement, hence, the lighter the touch, the better the response. Tapping harder will no t increase the touchpad’s responsiveness. Function Left button Right button Tap Execute Click twice quickly. T[...]

23 English Ejecting the optical (CD or DVD) drive tray To eject the optical drive tray when the computer is turned on, press the drive eject button. When the p ower is of f, you ca n eject t he drive tray us ing the emergency ejec t hole.[...]

24 English Using a computer security lock A secu rity ke ylock n otch, located on the rear of the computer, lets you connect a Ke nsingto n-compat ible com puter security lock. Wrap a computer security lock cabl e around an immovable object such as a table or handle of a locked dr awer. Insert the lock into the notch and turn the key to se cure the[...]

25 English Audio The computer comes with 16-bit high -fidelity AC'9 7 ste reo audi o, and dual stereo speak ers. Adjusting the volume Adjusting the volume on the comput er is as easy as pressing some buttons. See “Hot keys” on page 17 for more informati on on ad justing the speaker volume.[...]

26 English Using system utilities Acer eManager Innovative Acer eManagement software is design ed fo r easy acce ss to frequently us ed func tions. At the press of Acer Empower ing Key “ “, the Acer eM anager user interfac e appears, featuring f our main settings — Acer eSetting, Acer ePres entation, Acer ePowerManagement a nd Acer eR ecovery[...]

27 English Launch Manager Launch Manager allo ws you to set the four launch keys locate d above the keyboard. “Launch keys” on page 20 for the locati on of t he launch keys. You can ac cess the Launch M anager by cl icking on Start , All Programs , and then Launc h Manager to start the application.[...]

28 English Acer GridVista Acer GridVista is a handy utility th at offers four pr e-defined display settin gs for use rs to view mult iple win dows on the same screen. To access this function, please go to “Start” - ”All Programs ” and clic k on “Acer GridVista ” . You may choose any one of the four display settings indicated below: Doub[...]

29 English Moving around with your Notebook PC This sect ion gives you tips an d hints to con sider when moving around or traveli ng with your computer. Disconnecting from the desktop Follow these steps to disconnect your computer from external accessor ies: 1 Save your work in progress. 2 Remove any me dia, floppy d iscs or compact discs, f rom th[...]

30 English you can put th e computer in Sleep mode by pr essing < 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 o f f, the computer has entered Hibernation mode and turned off. If the po[...]

31 English • 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 item s next to the to p cover of the computer. Pressure against the top cover can dam age the screen. What to take with you Unless you already have some items at home, take the following[...]

32 English Setting up a home office If you frequen tly work on your computer at home , you may want to purchase a sec ond AC adaptor for use at home. With a second AC adaptor, you can avoid carrying th e extra weight to and from home. If you use your computer at home for significant periods of time, you might also want to add an extern al keyboard,[...]

33 English Traveling internationa lly with the computer When you are moving fro m country to country. Preparing the computer Prepare the computer as you would normally prepare it for traveling. What to bring with you Bring the fol lowing items with you: • AC adaptor • Power cords that a re appropriate for the country to which you are traveling [...]

34 English Securing your computer Your computer is a valu able investme nt th at you need to take ca re of. Learn how to protec t and take care of yo ur computer. Security features include hardware and software locks — a security notch and pa sswords. Using a computer security lock A security keylock notch, located on the rear of the computer, le[...]

35 English Entering passwords When a password is set, a password p rompt a ppears in the cente r of the display screen. • When the Supervis or Password i s set, a prompt app ears when you press < F2 > to enter the BIOS Utility at boot-up. • Type the Supervisor Pass word and press < Enter > to access the BIOS Utility. If you enter th[...]

36 English[...]

37 English Expanding through options Your Notebook PC offers you a comple te mobi le comp uting experience. 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/D[...]

38 English Built-in network feature The built-in ne twork feature allows you to connect your c omputer to an Ether net-bas ed netw ork. To use the network feature, conn ect an Ether net cable f rom the network jack on the rear of the co mputer to a network jack or hub on your network . Fast Infrared The computer's Fast Infrared (FIR) po rt all[...]

39 English Universal Serial Bus The USB 2.0 port is a high-speed seri a l bus which allows yo u to connect USB perip heral s withou t takin g up preci ous syste m resour ces. IEEE 1394 port The computer's IEEE 1394 port allo ws you to connect to an IEEE 1394- compatible device like a vide o camera or digital camera. See your video or digital c[...]

40 English PC Card slot The Type II PC Card slot of the comp uter ac cepts PC Cards that enhance the usability and expandability of the computer. Thes e cards should have a PC Ca rd logo on them. PC Cards (formerly PCMCIA) are add- on car ds fo r porta ble co mpute rs, giving you expa nsion poss ibiliti es long afford ed by desktop PCs. Popular PC [...]

41 English 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 eject bu tton to pop out the ejec t button; then press it again to eject the card. Installing memory Follow these steps to install memory: 1 Turn off the com[...]

42 English BIOS Utility The BIOS Utility is a hard ware conf iguration program built into your computer' s BIOS. Your computer is already properly configured and optimised , and you do not need to run this utili ty. However, if you encounter configuration problems, you may n eed to ru n it. To activate the BIOS Utility, press < F2 > duri[...]

43 English Using software Playing DVD movies When the DVD drive module i s installed in the o ptical drive b ay, 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 programme asks you to enter th e region co de. DVD [...]

44 English Power management This comput er has a built-i n powe r management unit that moni tors system activity. System activity refers to any activity involvin g one or more of the following devices: keyb oard, mouse, floppy drive, hard disc, peripherals connected to the se rial and parallel ports, a nd video memory. If no activity is detected fo[...]

45 English Acer eRecovery Acer eRecovery is a tool to quickly backup and restore the system. User can create and save backup of the current s ystem configuration to ha rd drive, CD, or DVD. Acer eRecovery consists of the following functions: 1 Create backup 2 Restore from backup 3 Create factory default i mage CD 4 Re-install bundl ed software with[...]

46 English a Use Backup to HDD to store t he backup disc image on drive D:. b Backup to optical device to store the backup disc image on CD or DVD. 7 After choosing the ba ckup m ethod, click Next . Follow th e instruc tion on sc reen to com plete the proce ss. Restore from backup User can restore backup previously created (as stated in the Create [...]

47 English 7 Follow the in structions on sc reen to complete the process. Re-install bundled software without CD Acer e Recover y store s pre- loaded so ftware internally for easy driver and applic ation re-ins tallation . 1 Boot to Wind ows XP. 2 Press < Alt >+< F10 > to open the Acer eRecovery utility. 3 Enter the pa ssword to procee [...]

48 English Acer disc-to-disc recovery Note : This feature is only available on certain models. Multilingual operating system installation Follow the ins tructions to choose the op erating system an d langua ge you use when you first power-on the system. 1 Turn on the system. 2 Acer's multilingual op erating sy stem selection menu will pop-up a[...]

49 English 1 Restart the system . 2 While t he Acer logo is showing, pr ess < Alt >+< F10 > at the same time to enter the recovery process. 3 The message "The system has pa ssword protect ion. Please enter 000000:" is displaye d. 4 Enter six zeros and continue. 5 The Acer Recovery main page appe ars. 6 Use the arrow keys to sc[...]

50 English[...]

Troubleshooting my computer[...]

This chapter shows you how to deal with common system problems. Read it before calling a technician if a problem oc curs. Solutions to more serious problems require opening up the computer. Do not attemp t to open the computer by yourself. Contact your dealer or an authorised service center for assistance. Key link: http://global.acer.com/[...]

53 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 butto n and ope ned the display, but the computer does not st art or boot- up. Look at the power indicator: • If it is not lit, no power[...]

Troubleshooting m y computer 54 English Image is not full-screen. The computer display has a native res olution of 1024 x 768 (XGA) for the 14.1"/15.0" screens. If you set th e resolution lowe r than this, the screen expands to fill the comput er display. Right-c lick on your Windows desktop and select Pr operties to brin g up the Display[...]

55 English The keyboard does not respond. Try attaching an external keyboard to a USB 2.0 port on the rear or left of the computer. If it works, cont act your dealer or an author ised service center as the internal keyboard cable may be loose. The infrared port does not work. Check the following: • Make sure that the infrared port s of the two de[...]

Troubleshooting m y computer 56 English Please note, on first booting your notebook, that you can skip the Internet Connection setup, as it is not necessary to affect the installation of your overall Oper ating System. After the Ope rating System is setup, you can proceed with the Intern et Connecti on setup. Troubleshooting tips This notebook comp[...]

57 English If you still encounte r problems a fter going through the corrective measures, please conta ct your dealer or an authorised service center for assistance. Some problems may be solved using the BIOS Utility. Requesting service International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) Your computer is backed by an Interna tional Traveler’s Warranty (ITW[...]

Troubleshooting m y computer 58 English Before you call Please have the following information available when you call Acer for online service, and please be at your computer when you call. Wi th your support, we can re duce the amount of time a call takes and help solve your problems efficiently. If there are error messages or beeps reported by you[...]

Appendix A Regulation & safety notices[...]

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

61 English English Energy Star Guidelines Compliance As an Energy Star partner, Acer Inc. has determine d 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 A Regulation & safety notices 62 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 subjec[...]

63 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 A Regulation & safety notices 64 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 produ[...]

65 English English indicates no endorsemen t of the produc t by Telecom, no r does it provide any sort of warranty. Abov e all, it provides no assurance that any item will work correctly in all respects with another item of Telepermitted equipme nt of a different make or model, nor does it imply that any product is compatible with all of Telecom&ap[...]

Appendix A Regulation & safety notices 66 English 4 Do not plac e this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table. The product may fall, causing seri ous damage to the product. 5 Slots and openings are pro vided for ventilation ; to ensure reliab le operation of the product and to prote ct it from overheating. These openings must not be bloc [...]

67 English English f If the produc t exhibits a di stinct chan ge in performa nce, indicating a need for service. 12 The Notebook PC series uses lithium batt eries. Replace the ba ttery with the s ame type as the product's battery we recommend in the product specification list. Use of another battery ma y present a r isk of fire or explosion. [...]

Appendix A Regulation & safety notices 68 English ADVARSEL: LASERSTRÅLING VEDÅBNING SE IKKE IND I STRÅLEN. VARO! LAVATTAESSA OLET ALTTINA LASERSÅTEILYLLE. VARNING: LASERSTRÅLNING NÅR DENNA DEL ÅR ÖPPNAD ÅLÅ TUIJOTA SÅTEESEENSTIRRA EJ IN I STRÅLEN VARNING: LASERSTRÅLNING NAR DE NNA DEL ÅR ÖPPNADSTIRRA EJ IN I STRÅLEN ADVARSEL: LA[...]

69 English English European Union (EU) This devi ce compli es wi th the essent ial requirements of the European Council Directives listed belo w: 73/23/EEC Low Voltage Directive • EN 60950 89/336/EEC Electroma gnetic Co mpatibility (EMC) Directive • EN 55022 • EN 55024 • EN 61000-3-2/-3 99/5/EC Radio & Telecommunicati ons Terminal Equip[...]

Appendix A Regulation & safety notices 70 English 1 Users are requested to f ollow the RF safety instruc tions on wirele ss option devices that are included in the user’s manual of each RF option d evice. Caution : To comply with FC C RF exposure compliance requirements, a separation distanc e of at least 20 cm (8 inches) must be maintained b[...]

71 English English Canada - Low power license-exempt radio communication devices (RSS-210) a Common information Operation is subject to th e following tw o conditio ns: 1. This device may not cause interference, and 2. this device must accept any i nterference, including interference that may ca use undesired operation of th e device. b Ope ration [...]

Appendix A Regulation & safety notices 72 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 a n y interference received, including interfe[...]

73 English English Acer Incorporated 8F, 88, Sec. 1, Hsin Tai Wu Rd., Hsic hih Taipei Hsien 221, Taiwan Tel : 886- 2- 269 6- 123 4 Fax : 886-2- 2696- 3535 www.acer.com Declaration of Conformity for CE marking We , Acer Inc. 8F, 88, Sec. 1, Hsin Tai Wu Rd., Hsichih, Taipei Hsien 221, T aiwan Contact Person: Mr. Easy Lai Tel: 886-2 - 8691- 3089 Fax: [...]

Appendix A Regulation & safety notices 74 English[...]

75 A AC adapter caring for v audio 25 adjusting the volum e 25 trouble shootin g 54 B battery pack caring for v BIOS utility 42 brightness hotkeys 18 C caps lock 14 on indicator 12 care AC adapter v battery pack v computer iv CD-ROM ejecting 23 ejecting manually 5 4 trouble shootin g 54 cleaning computer v computer bringing to meetings 30 caring fo[...]

76 hotkey 17 notice DVD copyright pr otection 68 num lock 14 on indicator 12 numeric keypad embedded 15 num lock 15 P password 34 types 34 PC Card 40 ejecting 41 inserting 40 ports 37 printer trouble shootin g 55 problems 53 CD-ROM 54 display 53, 54 keyboard 55 printer 55 startup 53 trouble shootin g 52 Q questions setting location for modem use 55[...]