Sony VGC-RA manual

N Har dwar e Guide VGC-RA series (PCV -1156)[...]

1 nN Read this first Hardwar e Guide Read this first Notice © 2004 Sony Corporation. All rights reserved. This manual and the software described here in, in whole or in part, may not be reprod uced, translated, or reduced to any mach in e-readable form wi thout prior written approval. Sony Corporation provides no warranty with r egard to this manu[...]

2 nN Read this first Hardwar e Guide E NERGY S TA R As an E NERGY S T AR Partner , Sony has determined that this product meets the E NERGY S T AR guidelines for ener gy efficiency . The International E NERGY S TA R Offic e Equipment Prog ram is an international progr am that promo tes ener gy saving through the use of computer s and their offi ce e[...]

3 nN Read this first Hardwar e Guide Safety information General ❑ Opening the unit, for wh atever reason, could lead to damag es that are not covered by the guarantee. ❑ T o avoid electrical shoc k, do no t open the cabinet. Re fer servicin g to qualifie d person nel only . ❑ T o pr e vent fire or shock hazard, do not e xpose your V AIO deskt[...]

4 nN Read this first Hardwar e Guide Connectivity ❑ Never install modem or te lephone wiring during a sever e lightning storm. ❑ Never install telephone jack s in wet locations unless th e jack is specifically de signed for wet locations. ❑ T a ke care when installing or modifying telephone lines. ❑ T o disconnect your V A IO desktop comple[...]

5 nN Read this first Hardwar e Guide Regulatory infor mation Sony hereby de clares that this product is in complia nce with the essential r equirements a nd other relev ant provisions of Europe an Dir ective 1999/5/EC (radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment Dir ective). Declaration of C onformity The European Union is targeting t[...]

6 nN Read this first Hardwar e Guide Disposing of the internal memor y backup batter y ❑ Y our Sony V AIO desktop is equipped with an internal back-up memo ry battery (motherboa rd bat tery) that should n ot have to be replaced during the lifetime of the product. If you want to replace the batt ery , plea se contact V AIO-L ink: www .vaio-link.co[...]

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

8 nN We l c o m e Hardwar e Guide Documentation pack Your documenta tion pack contai ns printed informa tion and us er guides to r ead on your computer. The user gu ides can be fo und on your des ktop through My Info Centre and the My Documentation icon. You may have a separate disc for the docu mentation of bundled accessories . Printed documentat[...]

9 nN We l c o m e Hardwar e Guide Non-printed documentation Click on the desktop ic on , then My Documentation to view the VAIO user guides. ❑ The Hardwar e Guide (this guide) explains the featur es of your V AIO in detail, how to use th ese featur es confidently an d safely , connect peripher al devices, upg rade your comput er , and more. ❑ T[...]

10 nN We l c o m e Hardwar e Guide My Info Centre also gives you: My Software Feeling creative? Click on this icon for an overview of your software and check out our upgra de options. My VAIO essentia ls Want to expand the c apabilities of your VAIO? Click on this icon and have a look at your compatible accessories. My Websites Click on this icon a[...]

11 nN We l c o m e Hardwar e Guide Ergonomic considerations Whenever po ssible, try and take into ac count the following e rgonomic cons iderations when using your new compute r, whether at home or in the office :[...]

12 nN We l c o m e Hardwar e Guide ❑ Position of the ke yboard and mouse – Place the keyboard dir ectly in front of you (1). Keep your forearms horizontal, with you r wrists in a ne utral, comfor table positio n (2) while us ing the keyb oard or mouse – n ot at an angle . Let you r upper arms hang naturally at y our sides. Use the palm rest o[...]

13 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Using your V AIO computer Once you have read and followed the information in the printed Getting Started guide and Specifications sh eet, you can start using your computer safely and confiden tly. Read on to g et the most o ut of using yo ur VAIO computer. ❑ Shutting down your co mputer safely (page[...]

14 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Shutting down your computer safely It is important t hat you shut do wn your compu ter properly so you do not lose unsaved dat a. To shut down your computer, proceed as follo ws: 1 T ur n off any peripherals connected to y our computer . 2 Click the Start button. 3 Click T ur n Off Co mputer . The T u[...]

15 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Using the keyboard Your computer is deliv ered with a VAIO keyboard. The f eatures a re much the same a standar d keyboard, plus some addit ional functions. For information on the standard keys and shortcuts , please go to the Windo ws Help and Support Center . The VAIO-Link website ( www.vaio-link.co[...]

16 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Using the shortcut keys Along the top of your keyboar d are severa l shortcut k eys, indicated by pictures. You can use s hortcut keys t o start you r favour ite software without ha ving to click the shortc ut icon on the desktop. Use a shortcut key simp ly by pressing it. The shortcut keys come wit h[...]

17 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Using the TV function Your computer is eq uipped with a TV-tuner boar d. In combination with Sony's Giga Pocket software, it allows you to : ❑ W atch , recor d and play back an alogue broadcast ed cable and te rrestr ial TV pr ogrammes, all by r emote contr ol; ❑ Digitise analogue vid eo and [...]

18 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Using the mouse The VAIO wheel mo use allows you t o control the cursor in a n umber of ways. Yo u can point to, select, dra g and scroll object s on the screen u sing the butt ons and th e wheel. Your computer is de livered with a VAIO PS/2 optical mo use, which uses a lig ht-emitt ing diode (LED) in[...]

19 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Setting up the mouse for left-handed users To set your mouse up for left-h anded users, proce ed as follows: 1 Go to Start , select Co ntrol Panel , then click the Printers and Other Hardwar e option. 2 Click the mouse icon. The Mouse Properti es dialog box appears . 3 In the Buttons tab, select the o[...]

20 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Using the disc drives Your computer is e quipped with two s eparate optical drive s. Please see the printed Specifications sheet to see which drives y our model has. For installing software and using the VAIO Recovery Disc it is recommended that you use the upper drive. ❑ A DVD±RW drive reads da ta[...]

21 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide To remove a disc, proceed as follows: 1 Make sure the disc indicato r light is not on. 2 Pres s the appr opriate eject butto n to open the drive and remove the disc carefully . Y ou can also use the Eject buttons at the top of the keyboard. ✍ Do not use the eject button when the LED i ndicator is tu[...]

22 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Playing DVDs To achieve optimum performa nce when pla ying DVDs, you should follow t hese recommen dations: ❑ Close all open applications before playing a DVD movie. ❑ Y ou can play DVDs w ith the so ftware WinDVD for V AIO . ❑ Do not switch powe r saving mode s while playing a DVD. ❑ Do not u[...]

23 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Using the floppy disk drive Your VAIO desktop is equipped with a floppy disk drive. To insert a f loppy disk, proceed as follows: 1 Pull out and slide down the front cover , as shown . 2 Hold the floppy disk with th e label side facing up and gently push the disk into the floppy disk drive until it cl[...]

24 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide T roubleshooting floppy disks My floppy disk drive cannot write to a floppy disk ❑ The floppy disk is w rite-protected. Disable th e write-protect feature or use a floppy disk that is not write-protected. ❑ Check that th e disk is properly inserted into the floppy disk drive. ❑ Y our disk may be[...]

25 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Using power modes The colour o f the powe r indicator light on the ma in unit tells you which mode the computer is in. ✍ Please see the pr inted Specifications sheet for the exact location of the indicators. To set the timer for your c omputer to automatically en ter Standby or Hibernate mode af ter[...]

26 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Using Standby mode If you plan to stop using your compu ter for a shor t period of time (not ove rnight), you can put it into Standby mode instead of tu rning it off completely. Putting the computer into Standby mode saves en ergy and allow s a quick retu rn to norma l computer use. To activate Standb[...]

27 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Using Hibernate mode If you are in terrupted and need t o leave yo ur computer suddenly, you can pu t it into Hibernate mode. This power saving mode saves you the time of shutting down in the norma l way. When you put your computer into Hibernate mode: ❑ Everything in th e memory is save d to the ha[...]

28 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Using the media slots As well as the Sony Memory Stic k, your VAIO comput er also suppo rts other high capacity memory car d formats, suc h as CompactFlash, Sec ure Digita l (SD) and xD Pict ure. You can ex change digita l data with a nu mber of compa tible products, such as digital cameras, mobile ph[...]

29 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Inserting a Memory Stick To insert a Me mory Stick , proceed as follows: 1 Pull and slide down the fr ont panel cover and locate the appr opriate memory stick slot. See the prin ted Specifications sheet for the exa ct location of the slo ts. 2 Insert the memory stic k into the slot with the ar row sid[...]

30 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Removing a Memory Stick To remove a Memory Stick, proceed as fo llows: 1 Make sure the indicator light is not on . 2 Push the memory stick in to re leas e it, and th en pull it out. ✍ Y ou are recommend ed to remove the memory stick be fore shutting do wn the computer . If an error message appears w[...]

31 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Write-protecting Memory Sticks Some Memory Sticks a re designed with an erasu re prevention sw itch to protect va luable data from ac cidental erasure or overwriti ng. Move the tab horizont ally or vertically to set or release write-pr otection. When the erasure preventio n switch is off, dat a can be[...]

32 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide About xD Picture cards Your VAIO has an xD-Pic ture card slot that allows you to transfer pictures be t ween your digital camera, PC, PDA, pri nter and mo re. The xD-Picture Card is small an d light, featuring high-speed tr ansfer rates and high-vo lume capacity. Cu rrently available in 16 MB, 32 MB, [...]

33 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Removing an xD Picture card To remove an xD Picture car d, proceed as follows: 1 Make sure the indicator light is not on . 2 Push the card in to releas e it, and then pull it out. ✍ Y ou are recommend ed to remove the memory card b efore shutting do wn the computer . If an error message appears when[...]

34 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide About CompactFlash cards Your VAIO desktop has a CompactFla sh slot that su pports Type I or Type II cards. Co mpactFlash is a removable mass s torage device. And is used to interconnec t digital cameras, digita l music players, desktop computers, han dheld PCs, per sonal communicator s, Palm PCs, dig[...]

35 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Inserting a CompactFlash card Simply insert the card gently into the card slot. The card is automatically detected by your s ystem and w ill appear with its own icon under My Computer . ✍ Do not force a CompactFlash card into the slot. It may damage the connecto r pins. If yo u have difficulty inser[...]

36 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide About Secure Digital cards The Secure Dig ital (SD) card is a small, high-ca pacity data storag e media card. ✍ The Secure di gital card slot i s exclu sively for the use o f SD cards and Multi Media cards. Ple ase do not insert other memory ca rds. Inserting a Secure Digital card To insert th e SD [...]

37 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide About PC Cards Your VAIO d esktop has a PC Card slot on the fron t panel tha t supports T ype I or Typ e II PC Cards. PC Cards allow y ou to interconnect with portable exte rnal device s. Inserting a PC Card To insert a PC Card procee d as follows: 1 Open the b ottom pan el on the front of your V AIO.[...]

38 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Removing a PC Card Follow the steps below to remove the PC Ca rd while your computer is on . If it is not removed prop erly, your system may cras h an d unsaved data may be lost. If you want to remove a PC Card wh en your computer is off, skip st eps 1 to 5. To remove a PC Card, procee d as follow s: [...]

39 nN Using your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Expansion capabilities There are fo ur expansion slots at the rear of you r VAIO computer, as follows: ❑ T op slot : PCI Express slot containing t he graphics ca rd. ❑ Second slot : Empty PCI slot. ❑ Third slo t : This is a PCI slot con taining the Giga Pocket ports. ❑ Bottom s lot : PCI Expre[...]

40 nN Connecting peripheral devices Hardwar e Guide Connecting peripheral devices You can add fu nctionality to your computer by using the va rious ports on y our unit. To identify and lo cate the ports on your comput er, please see t he printed Specifications sh eet. ❑ Connecting a display (page 41) ❑ Connecting a sound syste m (page 45) ❑ C[...]

41 nN Connecting peripheral devices Hardwar e Guide Connecting a display You can co nnect multiple displa ys to your deskt op, each using a different port on the back of your compu ter: ❑ an LCD screen using t he DVI-D connec tor ❑ a TV using the S-video/vide o Combo output port ❑ a CRT or LCD screen using the VGA Monitor connector Please mak[...]

42 nN Connecting peripheral devices Hardwar e Guide To change y our display from VGA to DVI or vice versa , proceed as fo llows: 1 Connect the d isplay(s), as describ ed in the printe d Getting Started or in the instructions deliver ed with the display , if applicable. 2 Go to Control Panel . 3 Click Appearance an d Themes then Display . The Displa[...]

43 nN Connecting peripheral devices Hardwar e Guide Connecting a TV set You can connec t a TV directly to your computer. In order to be able to u se a TV screen, you also have t o enable the TV outp ut function. Your VAIO desktop is delivered with a vide o cable (or ’converter cable’), which is for use with TV s ets without an S-Video port . Co[...]

44 nN Connecting peripheral devices Hardwar e Guide Connecting a TV that has an S-V ideo port To connect a TV to your VAIO desk top with an S-Video ca ble (not supplied), pro ceed as follows: 1 Plug one end of the S-V ideo cable into the S-video/video Combo output port o n the back of yo ur computer . 2 Plug the other en d of the S-V ideo cable int[...]

45 nN Connecting peripheral devices Hardwar e Guide Connecting a sound system Your new PC a llows you to enjoy your DVD s and audio files w ith the unbea table experien ce of surroun d sound. Ther e are 3 audio ports on the back of the unit to make a co nnection to your home cinema system via yo ur amplifier. 1 port ma kes a connection to the centr[...]

46 nN Connecting peripheral devices Hardwar e Guide Connecting a printer To connect a p rinter, you can us e either the prin ter port (shown in the top pictu re) or a USB port (bottom pictur e), depending on the ca ble you use for your printe r. Please see yo ur printer’s docu mentation for de tails on conn ection and insta llation. Always check [...]

47 nN Connecting peripheral devices Hardwar e Guide Connecting an i.LINK device Your VAIO computer include s a 4-pin i.LINK port on the front of the system and a 6-pin i.LINK port on the back of the system . U se these port s to connect a n i.LINK devic e such as a dig ital video camer a recorder, or to link up tw o VAIO comp uters so you c an copy[...]

48 nN Connecting peripheral devices Hardwar e Guide T roubleshooting i.LINK devices If you have pro blems with your i.L INK device, ch eck the printed Troubleshooting Guide , the docu mentation deliv ered with the device, and the VAIO-Link website ( www .vaio-link.com ). Connecting an S/PDIF device The S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital In terface) port [...]

49 nN Connecting peripheral devices Hardwar e Guide Connecting to a network Your computer co mes with a built-in Ethernet interfac e. To connect to a netwo rk, proceed as fo llows: 1 Connect your 10BASE-T/1 00BASE-TX Ethernet cable (not supplied) to th e Ether net port, identif ied by the symbol , on the back of the comput er . If there is a sticke[...]

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

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

52 nN Upgrading your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide Vi ewing the amount of memor y To view the amoun t of memory, proc eed as follows: 1 T u rn o n the co mputer . 2 Click the Start button, po int to All Programs , Security & Utilities, then V AIO System Information , and click VA I O S y s t e m Information again. Y ou can view the amou nt of [...]

53 nN Upgrading your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide 5 T o remove an existing mem ory module, release the e nd latches and gently lift out t he module, as s hown (may vary f rom actual configuration): 6 T o insert a n ew memory module, remove it from its an ti-static package, handling it on ly by the edges.[...]

54 nN Upgrading your V AIO computer Hardwar e Guide 7 Locate the not ch on the bottom edge of the memory modu le. 8 Align the memory module over the slot, m a k i n g s u r e t h e m o d u l e i s f a c i n g t h e correct way . 9 Pres s evenly agai nst the memory module' s upper corners. The en d latches snap into position au tomatically , as[...]

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

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

57 nN Getting help Hardwar e Guide Can I submit my questions at any time? Yes, you can submit you r questions 24/7, but plea se keep in mind tha t our e-Support Team can only treat your qu eries from Monda y till Friday between 8am and 6pm. Is there a cost involved for using e-Support? No, this is a complete free of charge serv ice offered to all r[...]

58 nN Precautions Hardwar e Guide Precautions This section de scribes safety guideline s and precautions to help you prot ect your computer from potential dama ge. Please contac t VAIO-Link if you nee d assistance . ❑ On handling the har d disk (page 59) ❑ On using the powe r source (page 60) ❑ On handling your compu ter (page 61) ❑ On hand[...]

59 nN Precautions Hardwar e Guide On handling the hard disk The hard disk has a high storage densit y and reads or writes data in a short time. However, it can be easily damaged by mechani cal vibration, shock or dust. Although the hard di sk has the internal saf ety device to prevent losing data due to mechanical vibration , shock or dust, you sh [...]

60 nN Precautions Hardwar e Guide On using the power source ❑ See the prin ted Specifications sheet to check th e power operat ion of your V AIO. ❑ Do not share the AC o utlet with othe r high powe r -consum ing equipment, su ch as a phot ocopier or sh redder . ❑ Y ou can pur chase a power strip with a sur ge protec tor . This device pr event[...]

61 nN Precautions Hardwar e Guide On handling your computer ❑ Clean the unit with a soft cloth, which is either dry or lightly moistened with a mild deter gent solution. Do not use any type of abrasive pad, sc ouring powde r , or solvent su ch as alco hol or benzen e, as thes e may damage the finish of your compu ter . ❑ Should you drop a solid[...]

62 nN Precautions Hardwar e Guide ❑ If the computer is brought directly from a cold location to a warm one, mois ture may condense inside your computer . In this ca s e, allow at least one hour bef ore turning o n your compute r . If any problems occur , un plug your co mputer and co ntact V AIO-Link. ❑ Make sure you disconn ect the powe r cord[...]

63 nN Precautions Hardwar e Guide On handling floppy disks ❑ Do not open the shut ter manually o r touch th e surface of the flop py disk. ❑ Keep floppy disk s away fro m magnets. ❑ Keep floppy disk s away fro m dire ct sunlight and ot her sour ces of heat. On handling discs ❑ Do not touch the surfac e of the disc. ❑ Do not dr op or bend [...]

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

65 nN T rademarks Hardwar e Guide T rademarks Sony , BlueSpace NE, DVgate Plus, Giga Pocket, HotKey Utility , Memory Stick Forma tter , Pic tureGear Studio, SonicStage , Sony Note book Setup, VAIO Action Setup, V AIO Edit Components, VA IO Media, V AIO Powe r Management, V AIO System Information, Memory Stick, the Memory Stick logo, VAIO and the V [...]